Triple Treat for Weta Partnership
Staff Reporter

Eight-and-a-half months pregnant Tania Rodger burst into tears when her partner's name was read out as an Oscar winner yesterday.

Richard Taylor, 37, won two Oscars for makeup and visual effects for The Lord Of Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, making his Miramar company Weta - which he runs with Rodger - the hottest special-effects unit in the film world.

Today the usually media-shy Rodger, who is expecting the couple's first child in a few weeks, said she was tired but still buzzing with the excitement of Taylor's double win.

"It was absolutely stunning," she said. "I think everyone's emotions were running so high yesterday it was phenomenal."

The couple have been running an effects business in Wellington for 15 years, most of it in collaboration with Rings director Peter Jackson.

They started making models together in their flat in the 1980s and in 1994 moved to their current site in Camperdown Rd, Miramar.

Weta Workshop and Weta Digital both closed for the day yesterday with staff taking over The Grand bar in Courtenay Pl - passersby could hear their cheering on the street.

"The place just exploded after the first award. People were running around hugging each other.

"I burst into tears instantly. Before Richard went away, he said not to be disappointed if he didn't come back with Oscars as we had already been nominated and were competing with the world's best."

Asked how she reacted when he thanked her, Rodger said: "I thought this makes up for the 15 years of really hard slog that we have put in to make the career what it has been. There have been good times and bad times working in the film industry."

Taylor doesn't arrive back in New Zealand till Friday morning as he has work commitments. She said she spoke to him last night. "He was ecstatic." However, Rodger said judging by the look on his face today on TV, Taylor had been partying long and hard.

So what does triumphing at the Oscars mean for Weta? "From the perspective of the business, it's going to hopefully mean some changes in the sense of recognition."

"It puts Weta Workshop in a unique position because we've always said what makes us a unique business is that unlike other effects companies overseas we don't just specialise in one thing . . . we do minatures, creatures, prosthetics.

"The awards reflected our diversity. I don't think that would happen to other special-effects companies because they don't exist in that same format."

She said 2002 was going to be a historic year for the couple with the Oscars and new baby.

Asked if it was a boy whether they'd call him Oscar, Rodger said: "Ah no. I think I'll be firm with that. It's been quite a hot topic of conversation at the moment."

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