Fairytale World of Weta on the Big Screen

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MEDIA RELEASE
15 May, 2007, for immediate release

It’s Smokin’ at Capital E these holidays!
Fairytale World of Weta on the Big Screen

Weta Workshop's award-winning new TV series, Jane and the Dragon will be on the big screen at Capital E in the second week of the school holidays, 9-14 July.

Based on the best-selling book by New Zealand writer, Martin Bayton, this animated series from Weta Workshop is the tale of Jane, an extraordinary 12-year-old girl living in medieval times. Rather than following her destiny to become a Lady-In-Waiting, Jane’s determination leads her to be a Knight-in-Training instead! Accompanied by her best friend, a 300-year-old dragon, Jane demonstrates her bravery and kindness in a range of thrilling adventures.

Families are invited to pack a picnic, or perhaps fish and chips for the evening screenings, and enter a medieval world to enjoy this modern fairytale. The Capital E Main Floor will be recreated as an enchanting castle, a fitting venue to view the first three episodes of the series, screened back-to-back. Children will be drawn into a world of fair maidens and knights on horse-back!

The same motion-capture technology Weta Workshop developed to create Gollum in The Lord of the Rings has been used for Jane and the Dragon. Actors' movements were captured by cameras, which then generated a computerised skeleton over which the animators could draw. An entire production had never been recreated in this manner before and the result is that the storybook illustrations are brought to the screen with amazing life-like movements.
The Capital E Foyer will exhibit displays demonstrating how Jane and the Dragon was made, complete with a 16 minute making-of documentary of the animation series.

Author Martin Bayton has a background in stage, radio as well as television and film as a producer, director, screenwriter and editor. With Weta Workshop’s Richard Taylor, he is also the co-producer of this ground-breaking series that is currently being broadcast on TV2, Saturdays at 5:30pm. The series has also been distributed to the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany and Australia.

Capital E is managed by the Wellington Museums Trust with major funding support from Wellington City Council.

Jane and the Dragon, July 9-14 at Capital E
Mon-Thurs 12.30pm & 2pm; Fri, Sat 12.30pm & 6pm
Entry by gold coin donation for charity (Neo Natal Trust). Suitable for all ages.

For more information, contact Capital E, ph: 04 913-3720 or capitale@wmt.org.nz www.capitale.org.nz

ENDS

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