Camden Wright

Camden's passion for storytelling led him to the Master of Design Technology. Now, he uses his skills in VFX for his work at Weta Digital.

Camden Wright had always enjoyed stories, so the chance to explore unique and innovative ways to tell them through VFX led him to the Master of Design Technology. His Master’s research focused particularly on the use of animation and simulation for VFX.

“VFX is an area where both creativity and technology come together to solve problems and create wonder,” explains Camden.

“Through my Master’s, I was given opportunities to learn about many areas of the VFX pipeline and filmmaking process. I was encouraged to explore my own interests in this field, such as virtual production, motion capture, and real-time rendering.”

Camden was supervised by Sunny Teich, Raqi Syed, and Kevin Romond. He found their experience and supervision invaluable.

“Not only did they provide decades’ worth of industry experience and knowledge, they also encouraged us to find our own creative narratives. This meant focusing on who we are as creatives and preparing us to work in an industry that thrives from being made up of unique individuals.”

It was these industry connections that drew Camden to the programme and have ultimately helped him land a role with his dream employer.

“A great part of the MDT programme is that we had the opportunity to meet with people from the industry. Lecturers would come directly from Weta Digital’s animation or creatures departments to teach, before returning to make the films that inspired us to be in that classroom. We gave presentations to creatives from the Wellington media and film industry and were often invited to presentations by these same people.

“The proximity of this course to the Miramar film and TV industry was a huge incentive for me as well. Knowing that I would be studying visual effects right next door to one of the world’s leading companies in this area was very exciting,” says Camden.

After admiring the Miramar film and TV industry from a distance for years, Camden is now a part of it.

"After finishing my studies—the day after graduation, to be exact—I flew over to Toronto, Canada for an internship with SideFX, one of the leaders in the development of 3D animation and VFX software. There I was responsible for teaching and testing their software, Houdini, used in almost every VFX studio around the world.

"Currently, I am an assistant technical director at Weta Digital here in Wellington. As I get settled into professional work, I hope to absorb as much as I can. I will continue to seek new challenges and explore the cutting edge of this industry. I also look forward to sharing what I have learnt with other students currently pursuing this path.”