John Harvey - Weta Senior Modelmaker - Q&A with the RPF

[Pete SSS]

Hi John,

How many times have you put you blood sweat and tears into a project only to have that terrible coversation with an art director,or a director, that goes "erm.. yeah it looks great but... can you do it again, from the beginning, it's not at all what I thought it would look like." ?

My impression of the company is that your one great big family. How well do the different departments in WETA interact? Are you quite department centred or do you all get together once a month for a nice big BBQ and some X-box?

Thanks for you time!

Cheers!

Pete

 

[YenChih Lin]

A general question: Although TV and movie production differs, now TV series are mostly shot in HD, how much care must be taken in making a prop today to avoid funny mistakes like a upside-down sticker and mispelled labels or wear of a often used prop that could be seen afterwards on-screen (Movie and TV-wise)? And do propmakers have the time to make it "perfect"?

 

[davidJurassic]

What would you say were your biggest influences? Working in prop design/building have you got closer to those influences than you ever thought you would?

Thanks for spending time with us John!

 

[pop2bnzdak]

What sparked your interest in making and designing props in the first place? Was it just a hobby at first or did you know this was the ultimate job for you?

 

[alm99]

I am 30 years old today and detest my current career. I love building props at home, but I am not sure where to start to get into the business. Can you recommend a course of action on where to go?

Thanks

 

[RICHIES ARMOR]

Sir

What direction do you foresee the art of modelmaking taking? i.e. what methods do you think will expand the abilities of modelmakers in the foreseeable future? Methods such as 3D rendering , altho cost prohibitive for the "garage kit maker", would expedite many projetcs. Do you feel that these methods take away from the "art" of design and the "hands-on" methods used to make props and models?

Thanks

Richie

 

[Grundy]

How common is it now a days to use found objects in the making of a prop? I know many star wars props are full of found everyday objects. Does this practice still excist or is everything scratch made?

 

[Cmdr.Kerner]

Hi John,

I keep it short: What are the dimension of the dog tags used in AVATAR?

Thanks in advance

Dietrich

 

[Interceptor6]

Hi John,
Can you recommend any books or reference material thet you find yourself returning to often? Historical designs or futuristic art books?
Best, Jeff

 

[Funky]

John, when you agreed to do this, did you plan on getting slammed with so many questions?

 

[hotfuzz]

Is there a Film/TV Show that you have really wanted to work on and have not gotten the oppurtunity to do so?

 

[Dakarn]

With production quality increasing for high definition television, how do you see props being created to reflect that increased quality?

 

[WookieeGunner]

Do you collect props yourself? If so, is there a "holy grail" that you are constantly looking for and what do you look for in the props you want to own?

Also, do you feel that fans hinder or help your propmaking skills? What I mean by this is does the knowledge that your props will be scrutinized by sites such as the RPF force you to do better, or do you see it as a limitation to creativity and/or other aspects such as spending more time that you normally would on a prop purely to appease the 1% that would notice?

 

[Bill Froog]

Hi,

just wondering if you have made any props for the (hopefully forthcoming!) Hobbit films?

 

[Harada357]

How was the idea of Dr grordbort's rayguns developed into such an original product and storyline? Most projects of that type would be a limited run one shot - one model try. :love

Second Question - Why the heck don't you make enough to fill the demand? The product lines are SOLD OUT before people around the world can get them all for their collection. :cry

Gordon Carew

 

[Cjfung]

Hi John,

Two questions here.

1. How many of each prop is usually made for the movie?

2. How much time is put into each one of those props?

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Shylaah]

How much time do you spend on research at the beginning of a new project, or do pull most of your ideas directly from your head?

To most here the following question will seem like an unfathomable thing in a dream job all of us perceive you to have, but have you ever suffered moments of burnout? Do you fear that at some point you will?

How do you feel about sequels? Since you're already familiar with the characters and settings, does that make it easier to get in the zone and build on what you've previously accomplished, or is some of the thrill diminished because of the familiarity?

Shylaah

 

[PlanetLII]

Hello John,

Thanks for the opportunity to answer some of our questions.

I have a couple of questions for you:

1) Has there ever been an instance where you have worked on a prop and been very happy with it, but when seeing it actually on screen, your opinion has changed and you didn't like it after all?

2) Same question but in reverse, unhappy with the prop but liked it on screen.


Also, a Lion, Witch and Wardrobe specific question:

Did you draw any inspiration for any of the props from Lion, Witch and Wardrobe from what you imagined when (if) you read it as a child?

Take care

 

[Powermove]

Hi John,

I am studying industrial design at university at the moment and 3D modeling now plays a big role in the industrial design industry for both prototype and presentations etc.

How has the development of 3D software packages and CNC machining as well as "3D printers" affected how you work? Does traditional modelmaking techniques still play a big role?

Also, if you do use 3D software packages, what is most favoured in the industry? I am trained on Pro-Engineer and am currently learning Rhinoceros.

 

[Straker]

we're like five pages deep into this so I don't know if anyone asked something similar. See, I'm a huge fan of the Narnia book series. I grew up reading them and so I know a lot of the artwork inside. That being said, how hard was it to visualize and indeed re-visualize the books for any of the props you made for the films from what was in the books to the films and not lose or feel like you were losing the feel and look from the book and that universe? In other words, how was what was in the books translated into the films without feeling like you were making a different movie?

Hope that's a good question XD