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Richard Taylor is a Actor, Director, Scriptwriter, Costume Design, Creature Technical Director and Makeup Effects Néo-Zélandais born on 8 february 1965
Sir Richard Leslie Taylor KNZM is the creator, Creative Director and head of New Zealand film prop and special effects company Weta Workshop.
Raised in the small town of Patumahoe, just outside of Pukekohe, Taylor was educated at Wesley College, Paerata.
A close friend of Peter Jackson, he and his company created all of the props, costumes, prosthetics, miniatures and weaponry for Jackson's epic The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. For his work on the three films, he shared in winning four Academy Awards. This included two for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in Make Up and Visual Effects, and two for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in Costume Design and Make Up.
Taylor can be seen and heard on all of The Lord of the Rings DVDs, in behind-the-scenes documentaries and on the audio commentaries on the extended edition DVDs. He also appeared on set to give direction to actors and stunt personnel in several fight scenes.
He had a cameo appearance with Peter Jackson and other crew members in the special extended edition of The Return of the King as a Corsair pirate.
Both Richard Taylor and Weta Workshop appear in the documentary film, Reclaiming the Blade, where they discussed the creative and technical process of how movie props (specifically swords) are created at Weta Workshop. Swords created by Weta for films such as The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia are featured in the film as well.
Weta Workshop has also worked on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Richard Taylor and his crew designed and built all the armor, weapons and special props for the film. The company were also heavily involved in the making of Peter Jackson's interpretation of King Kong for which he won his fifth Academy Award, in Visual Effects.
Taylor is a graduate of the former Wellington Polytechnic.
In April 2009, Richard Taylor won the supreme award at the World Class New Zealand Awards. The awards honour New Zealand's tall poppies who are successful on an international level.
In the New Year Honours 2004 Taylor was appointed to an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to design and the film industry. In the New Year Honours 2010 Taylor was promoted to a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to film.
In February 2012 Taylor was named New Zealander of the year, beating out finalists World of Wearable Art founder Dame Suzie Moncrieff and Auckland plastic surgeon Dr Sharad Paul, nominated for his work on skin cancer.
He is co-founder and owner of Pukeko Pictures, a new children's entertainment company together with Martin Baynton, a British author, illustrator, actor and TV producer.
(2003)
(Makeup Supervisor)
(2012)
(Costume Designer)
(2013)
(Costume Design)
(2014)
(Costume Design)
(2002)
(Makeup Supervisor)
(2001)
(Makeup Supervisor)
Source : Wikidata
Richard Taylor
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- Best films
- Family
- Characters
- Awards
Birth name Richard Leslie Taylor
Nationality Nouvelle zelande
Birth 8 february 1965 (59 years)
Creator of Pukeko Pictures
Nationality Nouvelle zelande
Birth 8 february 1965 (59 years)
Creator of Pukeko Pictures
Raised in the small town of Patumahoe, just outside of Pukekohe, Taylor was educated at Wesley College, Paerata.
A close friend of Peter Jackson, he and his company created all of the props, costumes, prosthetics, miniatures and weaponry for Jackson's epic The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. For his work on the three films, he shared in winning four Academy Awards. This included two for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in Make Up and Visual Effects, and two for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in Costume Design and Make Up.
Taylor can be seen and heard on all of The Lord of the Rings DVDs, in behind-the-scenes documentaries and on the audio commentaries on the extended edition DVDs. He also appeared on set to give direction to actors and stunt personnel in several fight scenes.
He had a cameo appearance with Peter Jackson and other crew members in the special extended edition of The Return of the King as a Corsair pirate.
Both Richard Taylor and Weta Workshop appear in the documentary film, Reclaiming the Blade, where they discussed the creative and technical process of how movie props (specifically swords) are created at Weta Workshop. Swords created by Weta for films such as The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia are featured in the film as well.
Weta Workshop has also worked on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Richard Taylor and his crew designed and built all the armor, weapons and special props for the film. The company were also heavily involved in the making of Peter Jackson's interpretation of King Kong for which he won his fifth Academy Award, in Visual Effects.
Taylor is a graduate of the former Wellington Polytechnic.
In April 2009, Richard Taylor won the supreme award at the World Class New Zealand Awards. The awards honour New Zealand's tall poppies who are successful on an international level.
In the New Year Honours 2004 Taylor was appointed to an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to design and the film industry. In the New Year Honours 2010 Taylor was promoted to a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to film.
In February 2012 Taylor was named New Zealander of the year, beating out finalists World of Wearable Art founder Dame Suzie Moncrieff and Auckland plastic surgeon Dr Sharad Paul, nominated for his work on skin cancer.
He is co-founder and owner of Pukeko Pictures, a new children's entertainment company together with Martin Baynton, a British author, illustrator, actor and TV producer.
Best films
(2003)(Makeup Supervisor)
(2012)(Costume Designer)
(2013)(Costume Design)
(2014)(Costume Design)
(2002)(Makeup Supervisor)
(2001)(Makeup Supervisor)
Usually with
Filmography of Richard Taylor (16 films)
Actor
Add to a movie list, 3h21Directed by Peter Jackson
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Films about animals, Films about magic and magicians, Monde imaginaire, Films about spiders, Middle-earth films
Actors Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett
Roles Corsair of Umbar (uncredited)
Rating85%
Gandalf leads Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and King Théoden to Isengard where they reunite with Merry and Pippin, who helped the Ents destroy Saruman’s forces. With Saruman himself defeated, Gandalf retrieves Saruman’s palantír which is viewed by a curious Pippin, allowing Sauron to attack the Hobbit’s mind. Gandalf deduces Sauron will attack Gondor’s capital Minas Tirith, riding there with Pippin. They meet Lord Denethor, steward of Gondor, and Boromir’s father. Pippin declares his service to Denethor after Boromir died protecting him.
Forgotten Silver (2000)
, 53minutesDirected by Peter Jackson
Origin Nouvelle zelande
Genres Comedy, Documentary
Actors Sam Neill, Jeffrey Thomas, Harvey Weinstein, Thomas Robins, Peter Jackson, Leonard Maltin
Roles First Aviator (uncredited)
Rating73%
Forgotten Silver purports to tell the story of 'forgotten' New Zealand filmmaker Colin McKenzie, and the rediscovery of his lost films, which presenter Peter Jackson claims to have found in an old shed. McKenzie is presented as the first and greatest innovator of modern cinema, single-handedly inventing the tracking shot (by accident), the close-up (unintentionally), and both sound and color film years before their historically documented creation. The film also shows fragments of an epic Biblical film supposedly made by McKenzie in a giant set in the forests of New Zealand, and a 'computer enhancement' of a McKenzie film providing clear evidence that New Zealander Richard Pearse was the first man to invent a powered aircraft, several months prior to the Wright Brothers.
Director
Muzzy Comes Back (1989)
Directed by Richard Taylor
Origin United-kingdom
Actors Jack May, Willie Rushton, Miriam Margolyes, Susan Sheridan, Derek Griffiths, Benjamin Whitrow
Rating73%
Muzzy the friendly green clock-eating monster from outer space returns for more adventures with his friends in Gondoland. Everyone expects him and King Nigel with Queen Ezra decide to make a ball for Amanda's christening. Meanwhile, Corvax invents an invisibility device and with his assistant named "Thimbo (the Terrible)", a thief on parole, plans to kidnap Amanda, Bob and Sylvia's daughter to avenge Bob for tricking him and taking Sylvia away from him.
Muzzy in Gondoland (1986)
Directed by Richard Taylor
Origin United-kingdom
Actors Jack May, Willie Rushton, Miriam Margolyes, Susan Sheridan, Derek Griffiths, Benjamin Whitrow
Rating74%
The first part of the film simply introduces Muzzy (Jack May), Bob (Derek Griffiths), King Nigel (Willie Rushton), Queen Erza (Miriam Margolyes), Princess Sylvia (Susan Sheridan) and Corvax (Derek Griffiths) and their personalities. It is not until later that the actual story gets going. When it does, Bob the Gardener is sweeping the garden, when Corvax the evil scientist, calls him over to count how many trees there are. He counts and there are 10 in all, then Bob counts how many bushes there are which there are also 10, but this time he counts them two by two, instead of one by one. Corvax then commands him to count how many flowers there are, he says he doesn't know but starts counting. By the time he reaches 108, the beautiful Princess Sylvia decides to elope as the two of them are in love. However, Corvax also loves Sylvia, and when he sees her elope with the gardener, he immediately rushes to inform the King and Queen of Gondoland about what has happened. Furious, Nigel decides they should track the two down by helicopter and catch them. So they do, and when they catch Bob and Sylvia, the latter is taken back to the palace while the gardener is taken away to jail by the King's soldiers. At cell number 19, Bob meets Muzzy, the titular furry greenish-blue extraterrestrial who informs him that he has been jailed for eating parking meters in the town square. (He eats metallic and other indigestible objects, with his favorite food being clocks.
Scriptwriter
Encrypt (2003)
Genres Science fiction
Themes Post-apocalyptic films, Films about religion, Films set in the future, Political films, Dystopian films, Robot films, Disaster films
Actors Grant Show, Vivian Wu, Steve Bacic, Matthew G. Taylor, Art Hindle, Hannah Lochner
Rating42%
A few survivors have dedicated themselves to preserving and protecting what is left of mankind; among these is former Army Captain John Thomas Garth (Grant Show). Approached by Lapierre (Steve Bacic), a former comrade now employed by eco-profiteer Anton Reich (Art Hindle), Garth is made an offer he cannot refuse. In exchange for his father's and other's survival, Reich agrees to lead a small team of mercenaries into the impenetrable Vincent estate to "liberate" the priceless works of art that had been stored there. Accompanied by reconnaissance specialist Fernandez (Naomi Gaskin), sniper King (Matthew G. Taylor), and tech genius Ebershaw (Wayne Ward), Garth must find a way to circumvent Encrypt, the deadly computerized security system surrounding the estate. Other obstacles include the Rook, a killer robot, and Diana (Vivian Wu), the holographic security chief of the estate. With the help of Lapierre, Garth destroys the Rook and discovers that it actually protects a device that can restore the ozone layer. With the help of Diana, Garth triggers it, but presumably dies soon afterwards.
Costume and makup
, 2h24Directed by Andy Serkis, Peter Jackson
Origin USA
Genres Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Films about magic and magicians, Monde imaginaire, Middle-earth films, Films about dragons, Children's films
Actors Dean O'Gorman, Lee Pace, Martin Freeman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Luke Evans, Orlando Bloom
Roles Costume Design
Rating73%
Bilbo and the Dwarves watch from the Lonely Mountain as the dragon Smaug sets Laketown ablaze, and its people flee. Bard the Bowman breaks out of prison, and eventually kills Smaug with the black arrow brought to him by his son Bain. Smaug's falling body crushes the fleeing Master of Laketown, who was escaping Laketown on a boat laden with the town's gold. Bard reluctantly becomes the new leader of the Laketown people as they seek refuge in the ruins of Dale, while Legolas travels to investigate Mount Gundabad with Tauriel. Thorin, now struck with "dragon sickness" over the vast treasure in the mountain, searches obsessively for the Arkenstone, which Bilbo had previously found but kept hidden. Thorin, hearing that people have come to Dale, orders the entrance of the Lonely Mountain sealed off.
, 2h41Directed by Peter Jackson
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Science fiction, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Films about animals, Films about magic and magicians, Monde imaginaire, Middle-earth films, Films about dragons, Children's films
Actors Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett, Lee Pace
Roles Costume Design
Rating77%
Thorin and his company are being pursued by Azog and his Orc party following the events of the previous film. They are ushered along by Gandalf to the nearby home of Beorn, a skin-changer who can take the form of the bear. That night, Azog is summoned to Dol Guldur by the Necromancer, who commands him to marshal his forces for war. Azog then delegates the hunt for Thorin to his son Bolg. The following day, Beorn escorts the company to the borders of Mirkwood, where Gandalf discovers Black Speech imprinted on an old ruin. This coincides with a telepathic message from Galadriel urging him to investigate the tombs of the Nazgûl. He warns the company to remain on the path and leaves them. Upon entering the forest they lose their way and are ensnared by giant spiders. Bilbo then sets about freeing the dwarves with the help of his recently acquired invisibility ring. He subsequently drops the Ring and first begins to understand its dark influence after he brutally kills a centipede-like creature to retrieve it.
, 2h49Directed by Peter Jackson
Origin USA
Genres Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Films about animals, Films about magic and magicians, Monde imaginaire, Middle-earth films, Films about dragons, Children's films
Actors Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Stephen Fry, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott
Roles Costume Designer
Rating77%
Approaching his 111th birthday, the hobbit Bilbo Baggins begins writing down the full story of his adventure 60 years earlier for the benefit of his nephew Frodo. This connects The Hobbit with The Lord of the Rings movie 10 years earlier which had a similar scene. Long before Bilbo's involvement, the Dwarf king Thrór brings an era of prosperity for his kin under the Lonely Mountain, far to the East, until the arrival of the dragon Smaug. Destroying the nearby town of Dale, Smaug drives the Dwarves out of their mountain and takes their hoard of gold. Thrór's grandson Thorin sees King Thranduil and his Wood-elves on a nearby hillside, and is dismayed when they take their leave rather than aid his people, resulting in Thorin's everlasting hatred of Elves.
King Kong (2005)
, 3h7Directed by Peter Jackson
Origin Nouvelle zelande
Genres Drama, Fantastic, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Films about animals, Dinosaur films, Films about magic and magicians, Seafaring films, La préhistoire, Transport films, Animaux préhistoriques, Films about apes, King Kong films, Giant monster films, Mise en scène d'un mammifère, Disaster films
Actors Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Colin Hanks, Jamie Bell
Roles Makeup Supervisor
Rating71%
In 1933, at the height of the Great Depression, New York City vaudeville actress Ann Darrow has lost her job and is hired by financially troubled filmmaker Carl Denham to star in his new film. Ann signs on when she learns her favorite playwright, Jack Driscoll, is the screenwriter. As their tramp steamer, the SS Venture, makes the lengthy journey to the remote and mysterious Skull Island, Ann and Jack fall in love. Captain Englehorn begins having second thoughts about the voyage, prompted by crew speculation of trouble ahead.
Perfect Strangers (2003)
, 1h36Genres Drama, Thriller, Action
Actors Sam Neill, Rachael Blake, Jed Brophy, Robyn Malcolm, Madeleine Sami
Roles Makeup Effects Designer
Rating52%
, 3h21Directed by Peter Jackson
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Films about animals, Films about magic and magicians, Monde imaginaire, Films about spiders, Middle-earth films
Actors Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett
Roles Makeup Supervisor
Rating85%
Gandalf leads Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and King Théoden to Isengard where they reunite with Merry and Pippin, who helped the Ents destroy Saruman’s forces. With Saruman himself defeated, Gandalf retrieves Saruman’s palantír which is viewed by a curious Pippin, allowing Sauron to attack the Hobbit’s mind. Gandalf deduces Sauron will attack Gondor’s capital Minas Tirith, riding there with Pippin. They meet Lord Denethor, steward of Gondor, and Boromir’s father. Pippin declares his service to Denethor after Boromir died protecting him.
, 2h59Directed by Peter Jackson
Origin USA
Genres Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Films about magic and magicians, Monde imaginaire, Middle-earth films, Mise en scène d'une plante
Actors Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Sean Astin, Viggo Mortensen, Andy Serkis, Cate Blanchett
Roles Makeup Supervisor
Rating84%
Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee continue their journey to Mordor to destroy the One Ring by throwing it into Mount Doom. They are attacked in the night by Gollum, former owner of the Ring, but they capture him. Sympathising with Gollum for their shared burden, Frodo asks Gollum to lead them safely to Mordor, despite Sam’s objections. Meanwhile, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli pursue the Uruk-hai who kidnapped their friends Merry and Pippin. The Uruk-hai are slaughtered by the Rohirrim army of Rohan, but the two Hobbits escape into Fangorn Forest where they meet the Ent Treebeard. Aragorn’s group later meet the Rohirrim who have been banished by their king Théoden, who is manipulated by Saruman’s servant Grima Wormtongue. Tracking the Hobbits in Fangorn, Aragorn’s group encounter a resurrected Gandalf who perished in Moria, but was revived to help save Middle Earth.
, 2h58Directed by Peter Jackson
Origin USA
Genres Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Films about magic and magicians, Monde imaginaire, Middle-earth films
Actors Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett
Roles Makeup Supervisor
Rating84%
In the Second Age of Middle Earth, the Dark Lord Sauron forges the One Ring in Mount Doom to conquer all. An alliance of men and elves battle Sauron’s forces in Mordor, where Isildur kills Sauron by chopping off the hand wearing the One Ring. Sauron's spirit survives within the ring and corrupts Isildur so that he keeps it instead of destroying it. This decision leads to Isildur's being killed by Orcs, and the ring is lost in the river Anduin for 2500 years. It comes into the possession of Sméagol who is consumed by its power and becomes Gollum. After 500 years the ring abandons him, to be discovered by a Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins.
The Ugly (1997)
, 1h33Origin Nouvelle zelande
Genres Thriller, Horror
Themes Serial killer films
Actors Paolo Rotondo, Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Rebecca Hobbs, Beth Allen, Tim Barlow, Scott Wills
Roles Special Effects Makeup Artist
Rating60%
The film takes place in an old, worn down insane asylum in Auckland, New Zealand, run by Dr. Marlowe (Roy Ward). Simon Cartwright (Paolo Rotondo), one of his patients, is seeking an appeal from a psychiatrist to get a reevaluation of his mental state. He wants to prove that he’s been cured; Simon is a serial killer that has killed over a dozen different people. He wants a psychiatrist from outside of the asylum to take his case, and he specifically asks for Dr. Karen Shumaker. Dr. Shumaker (Rebecca Hobbs) has recently gained some publicity from winning a case involving another serial killer.
Visual effects
, 2h49Directed by Peter Jackson
Origin USA
Genres Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Films about animals, Films about magic and magicians, Monde imaginaire, Middle-earth films, Films about dragons, Children's films
Actors Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Stephen Fry, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott
Roles Creature Design
Rating77%
Approaching his 111th birthday, the hobbit Bilbo Baggins begins writing down the full story of his adventure 60 years earlier for the benefit of his nephew Frodo. This connects The Hobbit with The Lord of the Rings movie 10 years earlier which had a similar scene. Long before Bilbo's involvement, the Dwarf king Thrór brings an era of prosperity for his kin under the Lonely Mountain, far to the East, until the arrival of the dragon Smaug. Destroying the nearby town of Dale, Smaug drives the Dwarves out of their mountain and takes their hoard of gold. Thrór's grandson Thorin sees King Thranduil and his Wood-elves on a nearby hillside, and is dismayed when they take their leave rather than aid his people, resulting in Thorin's everlasting hatred of Elves.