Friday, June 29, 2007
Good evening and welcome to The New Dowse, Hutt City and to this very unique exhibition, Becoming King Kong.
Hutt City is extremely proud to be hosting this exclusive exhibition on the film King Kong.
It marks something of a homecoming for the blockbuster movie, with much of it filmed right here in Hutt City.
The exhibition will show, among other things, how the Weta Workshop and Weta Digital teams turned a piece of vacant land in Seaview into 1930s downtown New York.
Securing the exclusive rights has been a major coup for The New Dowse, coming just a month after reopening following an 18-month, multi-million dollar refit.
I want to thank Universal Studios, Weta Workshop and Weta Digital for the trust they have put in Tim Walker and his wonderful team at The New Dowse by making the exhibition possible.
Hosting an exhibition of this size and significance realises the vision of individuals, companies and organisations that supported the redevelopment of The New Dowse.
Becoming King Kong is the latest in a long line of exhibitions highlighting the diversity for which The New Dowse is known.
I feel sure that its broad appeal will expose The New Dowse to a new audience here in Hutt City and attract visitors from further afield.
This is a critical part of The New Dowse’s mission: to bring in people who would not ordinarily set foot in an art gallery/museum.
Being the only venue to see this amazing collection of material from Weta Workshop and Weta Digital will also enhance The New Dowse’s reputation both in New Zealand and overseas.
Moreover, the partnership between The New Dowse, and Weta Workshop and Weta Digital to create the exhibition shows Hutt City increasingly establishing itself as a city of initiative, creative thinking and culture.
It is now my great honour to introduce our next speaker, Richard Taylor.
Richard is someone of whom we are all extraordinarily proud, a local boy made good. He is the director of Weta Workshop and winner of numerous Academy and BAFTA awards for his work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy and, of course, King Kong. He and his team are continually pushing the boundaries of what is known and possible in the world of special effects.
Thank you, Richard, for coming along tonight and for your help putting together the exhibition.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Richard Taylor.