Layoffs ‘imminent' for Wellington staff at Wētā FX

Newsroom

6 days ago

Around 100 employees are to lose their jobs at digital visual effects and computer animation company Wētā FX.
A spokesperson at the Miramar-based company, founded by Sir Peter Jackson, says Wētā FX yesterday informed their crew that they are proposing changes to around 100 roles in its support departments, largely based in Wellington.
'A consultation period has since started with the crew that are proposed to be impacted. Following a period of feedback and review, the changes will be confirmed and impacted crew will be informed,' they say.
'If the proposed changes are confirmed, they will be phased in with specific dates or role transitions dependent on individual agreements and circumstances.
'Wētā FX currently has approximately 2200 crew globally, most of which are contracted artists that are not impacted by the proposed change process. As with all visual effects houses, artist numbers fluctuate based on the needs of current projects, so it is not uncommon for crew numbers to shift over time.
'A number of macro factors have led to the proposed changes, including current challenges facing the global entertainment industry.
'In addition to unexpected delays in projects being greenlit due to financial considerations, the industry continues to feel the long-tail impact of the pandemic, industry strikes, and changes in audience content consumption habits.
'As a leader in visual effects, which happens at the end of a film's creation in the post-production process, Wētā FX is navigating the after-effects of these disruptions to ensure ongoing sustainability.'
A Wētā employee, who asked to remain anonymous, says while this round of layoffs doesn't impact artistic departments, contractors in these departments have been told their work agreements will not be renewed at the end of this year.
'This is might seem normal for the way the VFX industry works but this is happening at a completely different scale than it usually would,' they say.
'Managers are asking their crew members if they would consider taking extended unpaid leave of up to nine months with no guarantee that their job would be there after the nine months.'
Another employee at Wētā, who does not want to be named, also believes the restructure will also impact contractors, who are expecting to have their work agreements discontinued.
'Understandably, many of us are anxious about the scale of this move and what it means for the future of our careers, our families, and the local creative industry,' they say.
News of the job losses comes just two years after another substantial round of layoffs.
In 2023 billion-dollar global game tech company Unity Software terminated its service agreement with Wētā, causing 265 redundancies. A number of staff were hired back by Wētā, though there were further redundancies several months later, an employee tells Newsroom.
The San Francisco-based company purchased Wētā Digital in 2021 for US$1.625 billion (NZ$2.64b), while its VFX teams continued under the Wētā FX arm – of which Jackson holds majority ownership.
Wētā, which earlier this year announced plans to establish a permanent Melbourne headquarters, has provided visual effects to Avatar, Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings and Planet of the Apes.