WellingtonScreen industry directory
A still from Avatar: Way of the Water shows Jake Sully riding the back of a skimwing.

Specialising in performance-driven animated characters and immersive worlds, Wētā FX is a leader in visual effects and animation.

Wētā FX has earned a reputation for its commitment to creativity and innovation and is a renowned leader in visual effects and animation. It attracts talented artists, partners, and clients who push the boundaries of what is possible for their artistic vision.

Headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, Wētā FX has hubs in Vancouver, Los Angeles, and Melbourne. It boasts a team of around 1,500 ambitious artists, engineers, and executives.

Over the past three decades, Wētā FX has received many prestigious awards. These include seven Visual Effects Academy Awards, 12 Academy Sci-Tech Awards, seven Visual Effects BAFTA Awards, and 54 Visual Effects Society Awards. Wētā FX’s expertise lies in creating performance-driven animated characters like Gollum, Kong, Neytiri, and Caesar. It also crafts immersive worlds such as Middle-earth and Pandora.

Wētā FX offers a comprehensive range of services. The team collaborates with filmmakers from the earliest stages of art development and story creation, through to performance capture, animation, complex FX simulations, and final compositing touches.

Recent accolades include the 2023 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, BAFTA for Best Special Effects, and eight VES Awards for ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’. Additionally, Wētā FX took home a VES Award for season three of ‘The Umbrella Academy’, for its work on the character Pogo.

Highlights

  • World-class visual effects for feature films, television, and short films.
  • Art and story development services.
  • Performance capture facilities in Wellington.
  • On-set VFX supervision.
  • Offices in Wellington, Melbourne, Vancouver, and Los Angeles.

Main image credit: ‘Avatar: The Way of the Water’ ©20th Century Studios/Wētā FX

Looking for more?

A superhero costume fitting at Wētā Workshop.

Wētā Workshop

Wētā Workshop is a special effects and prop company that specialises in concept design and manufacture for the film, TV, and gaming industries.

The front exterior of Lane Street Studios in Upper Hutt. A veranda with a name sign sits over the glass front doors. White planter boxes sit out front.

Lane Street Studios

Lane Street Studios is a purpose-built professional film studio based in Upper Hutt. It has two sound stages and two B stages.

Avalon Studios entrance.

Avalon Studios

Avalon Studios is a well-established screen production facility based in Lower Hutt. It offers a range of studio facilities and supporting resources.

The Park Road Post Production building in Miramar, Wellington.

Park Road Post Production

Park Road Post Production is a film and television post-production facility in Miramar, Wellington.

The interior of Portsmouth Film Equipment Rental, a staple in the New Zealand film industry located in Kilbirnie, Wellington.

Portsmouth Film Equipment Rental

Whether you’re an aspiring filmmaker or an industry giant, Portsmouth Rentals has the tools to capture your creativity.

Inside the K Stage at Stone Street Studios. It is a large space with a concrete floor and a grid of catwalks on the ceiling.

Stone Street Studios

Stone Street Studios sits in the hub of the film industry in Wellington. It provides filmmakers with the facilities they need to bring their stories to life.

A close-up of a sound control desk with lots of buttons and lights. Two screens are in the background.

POW Studios

POW Studios is a post-production facility in Wellington. It works on various types of projects, from live events to TV series and movies.