Honorary doctorate for special effects designer

Special effects wizard Sir Richard Taylor has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Massey University.

The Doctorate in Fine Arts, which will be conferred at a graduation ceremony tomorrow, recognises the contribution Sir Richard has made to the New Zealand film industry and the Wellington creative community since 1986 when he graduated from the School of Design at the former Wellington Polytechnic. The School is a forerunner institution to the College of Creative Arts at Massey.

Sir Richard is, with wife Tania Rodger, a director and co-founder of the renowned special effects facility Weta Workshop.

Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey says Weta Workshop has helped put New Zealand’s creative industries on the world stage through productions from Braindead to Black Sheep, King Kong to the global phenomenon of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the current filming of its prequel The Hobbit.

“Sir Richard’s vision, drive and creativity has not just provided hours of pleasure to millions of movie-goers worldwide, but with his employment of many School of Design graduates, is also a practical example of the creative economy at work,” Mr Maharey says.

Sir Richard’s other business interests include a workshop producing limited edition high-end art pieces for collectors, and the television production company Pukeko Pictures, established with Martin Baynton and Ms Rodger, which has created the internationally successful children’s programmes The WotWots and Jane and the Dragon.

The multiple Academy Award winner’s business awards include the Ernst &Young 2006 Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the World Class New Zealand awards, of which he was the supreme winner. Sir Richard is a member of the University’s College of Creative Arts Hall of Fame and was knighted in 2010 for his services to the film industry.