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Valkrist wrote: Fri Nov 18, 2022 10:47 am You read correctly, the mini helm line disappointingly switched to polystone some years ago, so it's a nice surprise to see a return to metal, even if I suspect it will be limited to this one piece due to the miniscule amount of material required.

I haven't looked at Noble's site in a long time, but I'm not surprised they still find buyers for Sting and Glamdring. I think there's a large portion of US-based casual collectors out there that are generally not aware of more specific options like UC or Weta, and get all their stuff from places like Danbury, Franklin Mint, or Noble Collection, all of whom have a broad range of stuff to pick from for every taste.
HAHA..sounds like an ad.... You maybe write copy for any of them? :D

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

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Valkrist wrote: Fri Nov 18, 2022 6:02 pm I don't... but I have worked as a copywriter. Does that count? :crazy:
It was (and is ) apparent you have written professionally ... your posts are testimony to that.
You write very well. Grammatically, structurally... just exceptionally good writing (which is becoming more and more rare....like, you know, you kinda get what I mean? ;) )

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

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Deimos wrote: Fri Nov 18, 2022 6:35 pm
It was (and is ) apparent you have written professionally ... your posts are testimony to that.
You write very well. Grammatically, structurally... just exceptionally good writing (which is becoming more and more rare....like, you know, you kinda get what I mean? ;) )
Well, thank you. That's high praise indeed coming from someone as well-read as you. There's a longstanding joke in academic circles that a diploma in English (also have one in copy editing) is good for one thing, and one thing only... but I like to think that if people paid just a little more attention to those things you pointed out, and to communication in general, that I wouldn't witness on a daily basis, the atrocities that pass for 'writing'. :rolleye: xP
This Space for Rent

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Valkrist wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 8:01 am
Deimos wrote: Fri Nov 18, 2022 6:35 pm
It was (and is ) apparent you have written professionally ... your posts are testimony to that.
You write very well. Grammatically, structurally... just exceptionally good writing (which is becoming more and more rare....like, you know, you kinda get what I mean? ;) )
Well, thank you. That's high praise indeed coming from someone as well-read as you. There's a longstanding joke in academic circles that a diploma in English (also have one in copy editing) is good for one thing, and one thing only... but I like to think that if people paid just a little more attention to those things you pointed out, and to communication in general, that I wouldn't witness on a daily basis, the atrocities that pass for 'writing'. :rolleye: xP
Do NOT get me started on that. When I see the most egregious grammatical, vocabulary, spelling errors in articles posted by the WSJ, WaPo, the NYT I just cringe.
Writing here, or an email, I expect errors and I take many liberties myself. But those (just to name a few) are venerable flagship publications and the writing should be impeccable.
And these are errors that should have been eradicated in any 4th grade comp classes. How did these literary incompetents ever get hired? Where are the editors?
Oh, wait, I know...the people that hired them are just as incompetent. :rolleye:

My favorite adjectival errors (see, you got me started )... we will only mention one today (the one that most sets my teeth on edge whenever I read/hear it).
Example: Any quantity of something that has increased has always "increased exponentially". Really? Exponentially? Not linearly or geometrically? Or significantly? Or noticeably?
I'll bet $10000 that 99.99% of the people that use that phrase wouldn't recognize an exponent, or know what to do with it, if their lives depended on it.
Most couldn't even add (sans calculator) two fractions with different denominators, but there they are, mathematical morons, glibly tossing around exponents.
(More examples to come later...)

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

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OK back to Weta....
I see (as no doubt everyone else has now seen) that Weta is offering a new Helm's Deep enviro.
We all saw this coming ... previously issued enviros being redone to be bigger, better and [arguably] more screen accurate .

I'll be the first to say that this H-D enviro looks a lot better than the other... more massive (probably because it is, and will have a more massive price to go with it :lol:)
Still, some places in ME are really so big and imposing that any environment of them should also have that imposing mass to it.
Places like H-D and the Argonath and Minas Tirith should have bulk even if the model itself is small is not huge.

The original one could have looked much better if only it had been surround by more rock and mountain .
But Weta is no doubt thankful that its first environments are smaller, so now it can clean up with larger ones. :rolleye:
I don't have the original one, and if I had the space I might have considered getting the new one.
But no space, no buy.

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

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Ronin wrote: Thu Feb 16, 2023 5:31 pm Anybody buying anything during the 20% off??? I might pick up the Leaf Broach and Evenstar pendant.
Yeah, after much internal debate, I ended up grabbing the Classic Series Ringwraith and the 33 Lakeside Hobbit hole. The 20% in of itself wasn't enought to lure me in, but adding free shipping made it worthwhile.

I would have picked up the Doors of Durin as well, but that one didn't have the free shipping deal.

The end conclusion for me is that Weta is so expensive these days, and shipping for Canada is so punitive, that I can only really afford their stuff when sales layer in multiple deals.
This Space for Rent

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Valkrist wrote: Fri Feb 17, 2023 5:49 am
Ronin wrote: Thu Feb 16, 2023 5:31 pm Anybody buying anything during the 20% off??? I might pick up the Leaf Broach and Evenstar pendant.
Yeah, after much internal debate, I ended up grabbing the Classic Series Ringwraith and the 33 Lakeside Hobbit hole. The 20% in of itself wasn't enought to lure me in, but adding free shipping made it worthwhile.

I would have picked up the Doors of Durin as well, but that one didn't have the free shipping deal.

The end conclusion for me is that Weta is so expensive these days, and shipping for Canada is so punitive, that I can only really afford their stuff when sales layer in multiple deals.
Oh nice, congrats! I almost picked up the classic series Gandalf but I'm still deciding to commit to that line. I have Bilbo but I was waiting to see how Aragorn looks in the final production. I've only seen a few pictures so far of the ones that have been delivered. It looks...bad. The paint work is a big yikes. Viggo is a hard one to capture.

Tell me about it. I ended buying the broach and pendant. $53 SHIPPING COMBINED!!!! I'm sure to Canada would have been worse. Not sure why Canada is more than the US. It's the same continent. I know I know, the import duties and what not. So ridiculous.

Edit: Have you guys seen the InART/Queens Aragorn sixth scale figure? The prototype looks insanely good.

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Ronin wrote: Fri Feb 17, 2023 7:22 am I have Bilbo but I was waiting to see how Aragorn looks in the final production. I've only seen a few pictures so far of the ones that have been delivered. It looks...bad. The paint work is a big yikes. Viggo is a hard one to capture.
It looks like he has a bad face sunburn on the one I recieved, and the eyes appear too close together. My bigger gripe was the sword and scabbard. Warped like a snake. I wish they had stayed with cast metal for the weapons.
KRDS

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Yeah, I was thinking about it over the past couple of days. I'm going to forgo the classic series line. Love Bilbo and the rest look really nice despite not seeing them in person. For me though, it was hinging on how good Aragorn looked. And with the InArt/Queens Aragorn looking like it has potential to be one of the nicest sculpts of any figure or statue of any IP, I have to go that direction. Of course, it could be a bust too (as in failure lol). For LOTR, I think the future of my collection will be more of a piecemeal. I'd like to have uniformity but hey, that's how it goes sometimes. Maybe InArt plans to continue with the rest of the Fellowship. They are making Gandalf as well which also looks incredible.
Nasnandos wrote:
Ronin wrote: Fri Feb 17, 2023 7:22 am I have Bilbo but I was waiting to see how Aragorn looks in the final production. I've only seen a few pictures so far of the ones that have been delivered. It looks...bad. The paint work is a big yikes. Viggo is a hard one to capture.
It looks like he has a bad face sunburn on the one I recieved, and the eyes appear too close together. My bigger gripe was the sword and scabbard. Warped like a snake. I wish they had stayed with cast metal for the weapons.
Another big plus with the InArt is all the accessories. I thought Weta's "The Elven Knife is under his tunic!" line as well as not including the bed roll was lame.

Are you into sixth-scale figures at all, Kit? I've never ventured into that realm. I always felt like that was approaching "toy" territory. I don't want to look at ball joints and swivel heads. However, the sixth-scale makers have gotten really good. And in some cases, like with Aragorn here, his clothes hide all the joints and make it look more like a display piece and not, let's be honest here, a high end doll.

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Valkrist wrote: Got charged over a week ago, but so far not a peep in terms of shipping.
Same here. Hopefully it won't take 2-3 months and several emails to Weta asking why it has not shipped yet before it does. That's what happened with the last couple of items. Paid, then got an email saying the order is shipping soon, then nothing.
KRDS

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My statue arrived today, which was a surprise because yesterday UPS showed it had not left the facility yet. I also received the key to Bag End. The key and statue both look great. The paint on the cast metal sword was poorly done. Huge black blobs done with a large brush. That will have to be fixed, but at least it's a metal blade rather than a warped resin blade. And it's nice to see that the Narsil hilt is more accurate than the one with the Isildur statue.

Now to see if I can make room for him next to Sauron.
KRDS

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I agree 100% with this on all points. The prices are absolutely crazy for 1/6 statues. I thought the previous Elendil was a stretch and this exceeds that by a fair margin. :jaw:

This will also probably be my last piece from Weta, both for space and can't continue down this absurd road. I'll stick the props,new UC offerings and the occasional sale for hobbit holes.

It's too hard to pass up on a statue and character I've wanted for 20 years and it feels like they know that somehow. :club:

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It's a cool statue ... no doubt about it.
For $699 I would have thought he came with a sword at his side ("his sword was long, his lance was keen" )
I know that is from the book and not the movie, but he still [realistically] would have carried a sword.

How much was Elendil?

So now they are all out there Isildur**, Elendil (facing off with Sauron) and Gil-Gald.
Congrats to all who will have the four for a great diorama.

** Since I don't have the others I'll be letting go of my Isildur NIB
Will post about it later in the barter/trade forum

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

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Deimos wrote: Wed Jun 21, 2023 1:52 pm It's a cool statue ... no doubt about it.
For $699 I would have thought he came with a sword at his side ("his sword was long, his lance was keen" )
I know that is from the book and not the movie, but he still [realistically] would have carried a sword.

How much was Elendil?

So now they are all out there Isildur**, Elendil (facing off with Sauron) and Gil-Gald.
Congrats to all who will have the four for a great diorama.

** Since I don't have the others I'll be letting go of my Isildur NIB
Will post about it later in the barter/trade forum
Elendil was $549, if memory serves, which is why a price hike of $150 in less than a year is nothing short of absurd.

As for a diorama, Isildur doesn't quite fit in with the other three as he's posed post-Sauron's demise, while the other two are about to face each the big bad. The fourth statue that does pair with them is the older SSW Elrond in his prologue armour and with sword raised.

You should get a nice return on your Isildur, it's a highly sought piece.
This Space for Rent

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I ordered it, but I have to admit, I almost passed on it when I saw the price and that unnaturally flowing cape in the back. I hate it when Weta does that weirdly blowing cloth stuff. It's what turned me off off of getting their elven warrior statue. At least this one only looks goofy in the back.

His shield also looks much smaller than scale, but I can live with that. I'll have to check to be sure, but I think that leather tip cover on the bottom of the shield is actually something from when the shield was packed for shipping. My prop elven shield had one too, but those do not appear in the film. I'll have to check my Gil-galad photos to see if his still had it in place on set.
KRDS

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Nasnandos wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 9:45 am I ordered it, but I have to admit, I almost passed on it when I saw the price and that unnaturally flowing cape in the back. I hate it when Weta does that weirdly blowing cloth stuff. It's what turned me off off of getting their elven warrior statue. At least this one only looks goofy in the back.

His shield also looks much smaller than scale, but I can live with that. I'll have to check to be sure, but I think that leather tip cover on the bottom of the shield is actually something from when the shield was packed for shipping. My prop elven shield had one too, but those do not appear in the film. I'll have to check my Gil-galad photos to see if his still had it in place on set.
There was some debate about the sheild size and someone on FB asked Daniel Falconer and this was his response.

I asked Dan and he assured me that the shield is scaled correctly. In the set photo the perspective apparently makes it look larger than it really is. He has been involved in the development of this piece when he was the collectibles director.
Dan's direct quote
"The original prop also never had a back, so we designed one for it while I was still an art director for collectibles (I am not anymore). The High Elven shields made for the films were never intended to be seen from behind, so the backs of the props were never designed or finished. They just had raw, untextured, unpainted sprayed urethane backs with steel handles that were never intended to be seen on camera. United Cutlery had invented a back for the regular soldier's version of the shield when they made their prop replica version some years ago, but we didn't think it measured up to what we would have wanted for the High King of the Elves, so we designed our own version based on the designs for other shields made for the films."

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I'll take Daniel's word for it and not fuss over the shield size or the different-looking backside, though I am curious how Kit will react to "United Cutlery had invented a back for the regular soldier's version of the shield when they made their prop replica version some years ago, but we didn't think it measured up to what we would have wanted for the High King of the Elves". :crazy:

Although, in the context that UC designed the back of the simpler common soldier shield and not the King's own, then his comments feel less... offensive? :huh:

As for the leather tip, maybe Gil-galad didn't want to carry his shield all the way from Lindon to the war front so he had it shipped to Mordor with extra protection? :laugh:
This Space for Rent

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N2darkness wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 12:57 pm Dan's direct quote
"The original prop also never had a back, so we designed one for it while I was still an art director for collectibles (I am not anymore). The High Elven shields made for the films were never intended to be seen from behind, so the backs of the props were never designed or finished. They just had raw, untextured, unpainted sprayed urethane backs with steel handles that were never intended to be seen on camera. United Cutlery had invented a back for the regular soldier's version of the shield when they made their prop replica version some years ago, but we didn't think it measured up to what we would have wanted for the High King of the Elves, so we designed our own version based on the designs for other shields made for the films." [/i]
Ummm...what? Sorry, but I think Dan's memory is quite a bit off on that one. This was 20+ years ago, so it's understandable. I can quite confidently state that I did not invent anything for the back of the Elven shields. What United made is almost spot on to what the Weta prop looked like. I owned those Elven props for several years. The prop and the photos New Line supplied us beforehand show the same back. There is some small engraved details on the ends of the handle rod that we could not replicate exactly, but the back design is Weta's, not mine. It was the same back on Gil-galad's shield. In fact, I just pulled up the old Gil-Galad prop shield photos to check on that leather tip (it is there) and confirmed it is the same. I like the back Weta came up with for the Gil-galad statue better, but it is not the same as the prop. You never see the back in the film, so it does not matter that they changed it.

Gil-galad prop photos
Image



This is the Weta prop supplied to United. The paint is discolored from the mold casting process, so ignore the colors. If you look close you will see there are some slight differences to the Gil-galad back. The ends of the handle rod are plainer on the regular shield, and slightly more ornate on Gil-galad's.
Image

What I think Dan may be mis remembering is that there were plain backed shields used in the original shoot, but at some point Weta did make a more detailed props with finished backs. I remember when I received the Weta props (2002?) and saw the back was different than the back in one of the FOTR still photos I had. My helm prop was different too, so I asked why they were different. I can't remember if it was someone at New Line or Weta that I asked - again, this was 20+ years ago. My memory is foggy on this now, but I recall being told that the Elven shields and helms were improved for the pick up shots that were done later, so our props were made from those molds.

This is the original plain shield back Dan refers to.
Image
Last edited by Nasnandos on Thu Jun 22, 2023 5:06 pm, edited 8 times in total.
KRDS

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Valkrist wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 2:40 pm Although, in the context that UC designed the back of the simpler common soldier shield and not the King's own, then his comments feels less... offensive? :huh:
I can't be offended for something that is Weta's design, but that did come off like a slam on me the first time I read it.

I'm sure there are several design decisions for LOTR replicas that I could take the credit or blame for, but that's not one of them.
Valkrist wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 2:40 pm As for the leather tip, maybe Gil-galad didn't want to carry his shield all the way from Lindon to the war front so he had it shipped to Mordor with extra protection? :laugh:
Well, it was there on the prop, so you may be right!

Image
KRDS

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Nasnandos wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 4:28 pm
Ummm...what? Sorry, but I think Dan's memory is quite a bit off on that one. This was 20+ years ago, so it's understandable. I can quite confidently state that I did not invent anything for the back of the Elven shields. What United made is almost spot on to what the Weta prop looked like. I owned those Elven props for several years. The prop and the photos New Line supplied us beforehand show the same back. There is some small engraved details on the ends of the handle rod that we could not replicate exactly, but the back design is Weta's, not mine. It was the same back on Gil-galad's shield. In fact, I just pulled up the old Gil-Galad prop shield photos to check on that leather tip (it is there) and confirmed it is the same. I like the back Weta came up with for the Gil-galad statue better, but it is not the same as the prop. You never see the back in the film, so it does not matter that they changed it.


What I think Dan may be mis remembering is that there were plain backed shields used in the original shoot, but at some point Weta did make a more detailed props with finished backs. I remember when I received the Weta props (2002?) and saw the back was different than the back in one of the FOTR still photos I had. My helm prop was different too, so I asked why they were different. I can't remember if it was someone at New Line or Weta that I asked - again, this was 20+ years ago. My memory is foggy on this now, but I recall being told that the Elven shields and helms were improved for the pick up shots that were done later, so our props were made from those molds.
Dan has updated his previous statement on the forum to better clarify his words and thoughts on this subject.

Hey guys! How are you all?
While I’m not really a participant here anymore since stepping away from collectibles art direction, I was alerted to some discussion around my comments in a quoted message to Randy Baggins about the design of the back of Gil-galad’s shield. Reading over it and seeing the subsequent responses, I think I need to clarify. With the benefit of hindsight, I can see how the brief sentences I wrote don’t really convey the full story, and have since learned that I was also mistaken on some points. I don’t want anyone to get the idea that I was casting shade at our friends at United Cutlery. That was most definitely not my intent!
For full context, I was off work in bed sick when a message came in from Randy asking if the shield in the promotional images of our new Gil-galad statue was the right size. It seems there was some discussion about it being perceived as too small? I was only too happy to confirm that we scaled it directly off the Elven shield prop.
It's always fun to discuss the development of a collectible, so when talking to Randy I added a couple of sentences relating my recollection of the design of the back of the shield. I thought it was an interesting piece of trivia because it’s somewhere we added something new. My message was very much an abbreviated, off the cuff, ‘by the way,’ sort of comment, composed quickly and in a somewhat foggy, bed-ridden state between sneezes. Had I crafted it with public posting in mind I would have been more careful in my use of language and taken the time to write a more nuanced and comprehensive story. Always the considerate gentleman, Randy asked me afterwards if he could share my response, to which I assented, but I should really have reread and reworked it first, because it deserved more detail than I gave it in our brief exchange.
Here then, is a fuller recounting, including some corrections based on what I have learned since. I hope it’s informative.
As I told Randy, my recollection was that the High Elven shields that we originally made for the trilogy did not have finished backs as it was not expected that the rear sides would be seen on screen. They had raw, sprayed-urethane backs with some structural metal bars attached for holding and hanging. I don’t recall seeing any of these shield props with properly finished backs.
This weekend I read online that Kit Rae from United Cutlery has shared some insights into the history of the shield, including a note about new shield props being produced for pick-up photography after the initial shoot, and that these had fully sculpted backs.
I’ll be honest and say that I have no memory of this, nor do any of the remaining shield props or archival photography that we have at W?t? Workshop show finished backs, so it came as a surprise to me to learn this fact. However, I completely trust Kit’s assertion, and it makes sense. Things were crazy busy during pick-ups time. There was so much going on in the workshop and at around that time I was splitting my time between two cities, so it is also possible I may not have been in Wellington when these were produced. I was aware that the UC replica version had a finished back, but for the past twenty years I had been under the impression that was created for licensing purposes later, outside the scope of the films. It’s actually really great to get some clarity on this story, and I am grateful to Kit for sharing what he knows!
I was even more surprised to see a loose costume sketch that I did for Gil-galad cited as the origin of that design. I can see why, as it does look very much like it, but that sketch was not the final approved design for the character, his props, or his costume. We typically wouldn’t base a prop build on such a loose drawing. It was just one of many drawings produced along the way while we were seeking a locked costume concept from the director. I dimly recall doing a separate sketch of some sort for a proposed shield back at some point during production, but have never been able to find it, since. It wasn’t something that I recall being actioned at the time, but it’s possible I wasn’t there when it happened.
I did indeed design the front of the shield, and I have always loved how faithfully it was translated into the finished prop, so if the back ended up being based on something I drew all those years ago, too, then I’m delighted. But, as I said, if that was something I once knew, I have since forgotten, which is also a bit sobering! I guess it really has been twenty years and the grey matter ain’t what it used to be?
In any case, when we were creating the 1/6th scale shield for our Gil-galad statue we did not have a back design with on screen provenance. While I was aware that a prop replica with a sculpted back existed and we had the option to copy that, it was my feeling at the time, as art director of collectibles, that it didn’t quite have the intricacy or majesty that matched our vision for the character depicted in the collectible. As the High-King of the Elves, I felt Gil-galad needed something a little more embellished. We never saw Gil-galad’s shield on screen, let alone it’s back, so I didn’t consider it to be contradicting any on screen canon. I thought it presented us with an opportunity to create something new and fun for our statue. I was always looking for chances like this to embellish or deepen a statue where we could when I was art directing collectibles. It’s cool to be able to add more value and sometimes even a surprise or two.
In any case, that’s where the visual divergence in the design of the back originates. Essentially, it was creative choice that I made in my art direction role at the time.
I hope that further illuminates the story of Gil-galad’s shield and clarifies the gaps in my memory of its development. I am sorry that my little behind the scenes story inadvertently kicked off a controversy. I didn’t mean to distract discussion from this stunning piece of art. Fabio Paiva’s sculpture is a thing of beauty, power and grace. He did an incredible job capturing the character of Gil-galad through what was a very trying time for him. Hopefully everyone can enjoy the result.
Kind regards,
Daniel.


Weta also released a short behind the scenes video of the making of this piece.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wS0tORn1ggA

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Well, that was a very courteous and gentlemanly explanation and apology. Based on that, I think Kit will be retracting his demand for a duel to the death with Dan... pistols at ten paces! :laugh:

Pity Dan didn't elaborate on the minor issue of the shield tip protector. I'm still curious if that's going to be removed in the final production piece or if they're sticking with the mistake. :huh:
This Space for Rent

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N2darkness wrote: Mon Jun 26, 2023 6:27 pm Dan has updated his previous statement on the forum to better clarify his words and thoughts on this subject.
It was nice of him to respond to the controversy, but honestly, I did not think it was that big of a deal. LOTR was a massive undertaking and I'm sure he was pulled in all different directions on all different aspects in his role as one of the designers, but he was part of a huge team. No one is going to remember, or even know everything that was going in all the various departments. It was a crazy time for me back then too, as I was running the LOTR replica line, doing design work for my brand, Hibben, United, and 8 or 10 other brands, all at the same time. I can tell you that 75% of it is just a blur in my memory now. I can only imagine what it was like working on three films at one time with the massive amount of design work required.

As I said, I'm not even 100% sure my memory is correct about that design change being made for the pick up shots. I know I received the elf shield and helm prop at the same time, and I remember several of us in the UC product development department noticing the differences to the on set photos we had. I distinctly remember being told about the gold colored vines on the helm being something added for the pick up shots, and that change actually does appear in one of the pick up shots in FOTR. I'm fairly certain I was told the same regarding the new shield back design, but I could just as easily be confusing it with something I was told regarding one of the other shield props.

The bottom line is, the shield and shield back were never seen on screen, and I think what Dan came up with for the statue looks better than the GG prop.

Regarding the tip protector, that could have been left on the prop when they filmed. I'm sure it was just something to keep the tip from breaking when the actor was resting it on the ground, but maybe it was kept on during filming and appears in the on set photos the sculptors used for reference. The bottom of the shield cannot be seen in any of the on-set photos I have.
KRDS

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Also, I received an email yesterday from someone asking if I thought the shape of the end the the GG spear shaft on the statue was prop accurate. I guess that is the latest controversy. I cannot tell for sure from the Weta statue photos, but it does not appear to have the same curve shape and thinner end as my prop. I'm sure the folks at Weta know that is the correct shape since they posted a prop photo on their website a few years back that looks the same.

However, there are on set photos of Mark Ferguson holding a spear prop that is clearly shorter than my Weta prop. In fact, one photo shows the last few feet of the shaft cut off, just before the taper and bend. It was probably cut down to make it more easy to wield in the battle scenes. Maybe to prevent someone behind him getting whacked or stabbed with the long pointed end of the shaft! It is a very unwieldy prop for close quarters combat. I'll leave it up to other people to decide which way is prop accurate, but the shaft end is never seen on screen.
KRDS

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Idril wrote: Fri Jul 21, 2023 11:33 am Loving the fountain guard. What do you think of it Val?
It's pretty impressive. Are you going to get it, Idril?

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

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Idril wrote: Fri Jul 21, 2023 11:33 am Loving the fountain guard. What do you think of it Val?
What can I say? Its pure awesomeness embodied in polystone. Whether you're a fan of anything Gondor-related or simply like the design of the Fountain Guard, this has answered a lot of twenty years-old prayers.

I've heard that there will be two versions, one with and one without the tree. Obviously the one without the tree would be easier to find space for, but I'm not sure who in their right mind would go for that.

To answer the inevitable "Are you getting one?" question, gone are the days when that was an automatic yes. Gil-galad might have been the last instance where that was a given for me. The desire for this piece is certainly not lacking, but the prices these days... they're worse than a cold shower where excitement is concerned.
This Space for Rent

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Deimos wrote: Fri Jul 21, 2023 5:03 pm
Idril wrote: Fri Jul 21, 2023 11:33 am Loving the fountain guard. What do you think of it Val?
It's pretty impressive. Are you going to get it, Idril?
I’m definitely getting it and considering getting an extra guard. I haven’t loved a piece this much since Isildur and Treebeard.

And I said the only new statue I would get was a Lothlorien (if it ever comes to pass). Oh well. Just clarifying that I did get Elendil and GG but that was purchased in my head 9 years ago when I first saw Leonard trying to work out a pose for GG.

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TMcLim wrote: Wed Jul 26, 2023 7:38 am I will certainly be getting the White Tree and FG just an amazing piece
Same here. It's a perfect piece. No way I'm going to miss having it in my collection.

I see Josh posted measurements over at the FoU. Roughly 24 inches wide, 24 inches high, and 12 inches deep.

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

~~ Thorin Oakenshield

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Yeah... I just checked the money tree I planted in my backyard but... it stubbornly refuses to give fruit.

In all seriousness, as pretty as this thing is, the cost in Canadian dollars alone is, wait for it... $3925, and as I continuously have to remind my southern friends, the spending power of a dollar here is virtually the same as down there, so I'm literally paying over a $1000 dollars more for this than you guys are.

Then there's the expected racket... er... I mean 'shipping' rates from UPS, which for a box that big heading across the border and based on previous purchases, I'm gonna peg at around $400. Add another $470 in taxes, plus around $200 for UPS's extortion fees... er... I mean... 'brokerage' fees, plus another $100 for fuel, excise, and duty fees, and I too can have a giant polystone eagle for the basement bargain price of... $5100+, give or take a few dollars.

So... it's a pass, maybe? :huh:

Yeah, no... it's a pass, and a hard one at that. xP
This Space for Rent

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I'm currently waging war in my own mind on whether to get this piece. The logical step, both for money and space, is to go with the Classic Series version, but yeah... to pass up a chance to own such a grand replica of the White Tree of Gondor would be criminal.

As I near completion of my collection room, I think I may have cracked the code as to where this thing could possibly go... possibly... :huh:
This Space for Rent

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N2darkness wrote: Wed Sep 06, 2023 1:00 pm I'm weak, I ordered the Fountain guard w/White Tree of Gondor even though I currently don't have a place for it. It's much too beautiful of a piece to pass up and something I have wanted for a long time.
Same. I have no room for it or the eagle at home or in my office studio, but I had to have that one.

I have the big Thranduil-on-moose statue in the center of my living room at home, so I think it will go there and I will use that as a statue rotation spot. Every few years I'll box up whatever is there and replace it with something in storage that I have no room to display! Keeps things fresh.
KRDS

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Valkrist wrote: Wed Aug 16, 2023 1:10 pm Yeah... I just checked the money tree I planted in my backyard but... it stubbornly refuses to give fruit.

In all seriousness, as pretty as this thing is, the cost in Canadian dollars alone is, wait for it... $3925, and as I continuously have to remind my southern friends, the spending power of a dollar here is virtually the same as down there, so I'm literally paying over a $1000 dollars more for this than you guys are.

Then there's the expected racket... er... I mean 'shipping' rates from UPS, which for a box that big heading across the border and based on previous purchases, I'm gonna peg at around $400. Add another $470 in taxes, plus around $200 for UPS's extortion fees... er... I mean... 'brokerage' fees, plus another $100 for fuel, excise, and duty fees, and I too can have a giant polystone eagle for the basement bargain price of... $5100+, give or take a few dollars.

So... it's a pass, maybe? :huh:

Yeah, no... it's a pass, and a hard one at that. xP
Hopefully you will share pics of your new space once it is complete. I am looking forward to seeing your new layout.

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