Adam Savage's Week at Weta Workshop, Part 1

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Adam, Norm, and Joey arrive in Wellington, New Zealand, home of Weta Workshop to begin work on our short film. Equipped with just a story outline and some pre-planning, we jump right into preparations for the film shoot that'll happen at the end of the week. We begin with a visit to the prosthetics lab, where Adam has his arm moded for a prop, and then sit down to work out the details of the script. Plus, we see the creature suit for the very first time!
Shot by Steve Unwin
Edited by Joey Fameli
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Episode 1: www.tested.com/premium/837398...
Episode 2: www.tested.com/premium/838944...
Episode 3: www.tested.com/premium/840425...
Episode 4: www.tested.com/premium/841766...
Episode 5: www.tested.com/premium/842977...
Episode 6: www.tested.com/premium/843991...
"A Farewell to Arms": • Adam Savage presents: ...
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Tested is:
Adam Savage / donttrythis
Norman Chan / nchan
Simone Giertz / simonegiertz
Joey Fameli www.joeyfameli.com
Gunther Kirsch guntherkirsch.com
Ryan Kiser / ryan.kiser
Kishore Hari / sciencequiche
Sean Charlesworth / cworthdynamics
Jeremy Williams / jerware
Kayte Sabicer / kaytesabicer
Bill Doran / chinbeard
Ariel Waldman / arielwaldman
Darrell Maloney / thebrokennerd83
Kristen Lomasney / krystynlo
Intro bumper by Abe Dieckman
Set design by Danica Johnson / saysdanica
Set build by Asa Hillis www.asahillis.com
Thanks for watching!

[@FlippytheMasterofPie]

I love how Adam has pretty much become an honorary member of Weta. He just pops in every so often to say hi!

[@TheRavenCoder]

This was actually from his trip around 9 months ago. This video was released on the tested website for premium members at that time.

[@reeloriginal3359]

He just...props in every so often...

[@Uldihaa]

Watching two passionate professionals chattering away about what they do is always a delight.

[@2handsome2die]

I would love to build something with Weta. I would also love to build something with Adam Savage. Building something with both of them would be my dream.

[@haydenahmir3823]

you all probably dont care but does anyone know of a trick to log back into an instagram account? I was stupid forgot the account password. I love any tips you can offer me

[@ryderlochlan4721]

@Hayden Ahmir instablaster ;)

[@haydenahmir3823]

@Ryder Lochlan i really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and Im trying it out now. I see it takes a while so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@TrickWithAKnife]

Adam is great at talking with interesting people and allowing them to shine. He doesn't bring any ego with him, only genuine curiosity and appreciation. I think more than anything that's why his videos are so enjoyable to watch. Subscribed.

[@thomasandolf7365]

The Weta guy is super interesting. He is so cool and explains stuff so interesting and good... and he looks damn cool too :D

[@Animaniac-vd5st]

So glad you didn't just show a timelapse with fancy music. Hearing all the explanation by that guy is so much more interesting.

[@jasoncy31]

My wife and I went to Weta as part of our NZ trip last summer. Best tour ever. It's an amazing place. Made me want to quit my job and move there to work.

[@einherjar9364]

jasoncy31 ah that’s great. Us kiwis love when people enjoy their trip. And weta is seriously cool.

[@MrPossumeyes]

@@einherjar9364 And we also like people with powerful skills coming here, too!

[@MrJonFinger]

Joey Fameli is always so great to work with.

[@SnakeOilGhost]

Thank you for including the script breakdown. As a very, very, very amateur filmmaker/writer, it's awesome to see actual industry professionals' approach to the process.

[@Vorx_]

That beard is majestic. Great vid as always :)

[@thehorriblebright]

What beard?... Oooohhh...

[@alumbo]

@@thehorriblebright He has a front beard and a back beard.

[@JFLY78]

In NZ we prefer the term "majestical" 😉 #wilderpeople

[@mattivirta]

yes majestic idiotism. need burn torch he face all beard out.

[@mickobee]

I question how he eats tbh

[@DarkNookShop]

I love Weta. Their creature design is easily some of the best out there.

[@RyanKhoo]

Love the folks at weta, took a tour, was great, such an inspiration to me, good stuff as usual guys!

[@Jager-er4vc]

What impresses me the most, is Adam’s humility and willingness to LEARN from others. It’s humility at its finest and I can only imagine his growth as a maker.

[@eddiestorey5359]

Still waiting for the rest of this!!!! I love seeing how these things come together to create the illusions we see on screen.

[@craigpinkerton2314]

That is why I love behind the scenes stuff on movie Blu-rays.😺🙂🐶

[@alamdaali8776]

ADAM HAS THE BEST CAMERA PRESENCE OF ALL TIME WE LOVE YOUUUUUU UNCLE ADAM ;)))

[@richardlong1567]

Hey Adam, Norm really nice to have you both in NZ at (Weta's Wellington Studios) again - would be fantastic if at some point there could be a public afternoon for your NZ fans and tech builders like yourselves who follow the channel and are keen to hear of your experiences - please keep it in mind and continue to enjoy your time here, and we'll keep watching. Cheers, Richard L, Motion Media Pictures Auckland.

[@tazmon122]

"is there any shrinkage" (flashback to the TED talk about recreating the Maltese Falcon intensifies)

[@deagle50ae]

This was fantastic. I love watching Adam learn from masters of their craft!

[@chaunceylock]

Even though I have no idea about most of the technical stuff they talked about in this video, it was freaking awesome. I want more full length videos please and thank you

[@aldantler]

Scumbling is also a painting technique to put on a thin coat of a more opaque paint than what's underneath it. Flake white with trace amounts of ultramarine being one of my favorite combinations of oil paints to lighten & soften portraits.

[@repletereplete8002]

I remember when it was a really popular wall painting technique. I bought a house 25 years ago and the previous owner had painted the master bedroom in every technique going. He'd scumbled one wall, rag rolled another, stencilled the back wall and stippled the last one. All painted in a combination of pink and orange. It was like standing inside a fruit salad chew sweet!

[@jacqueyoung1911]

Scumbling is a drawing style too, using a scribbled or looping line to create the shapes rather than straight lines. It's a way to create more rough textured shading. It's so interesting that the same word can be used in such different ways throughout the art world!

[@MissJen27]

Adam, you are the coolest geek I know!

[@Electronics_History_22]

Hii

[@waithereivegonetogethelp3240]

Love how he just throws together the ingredients by eye, like a great chef making a fantastic meal.

[@BabyKale-b]

Would totally drop everything to work at weta

[@alumbo]

If you drop everything, they won't hire you. :)

[@BabyKale-b]

Hahhaha good one

[@princeedmunddukeofedinburg]

DO IT!

[@NotTheLarryDavid]

DO ITTTTTT!!

[@n0zenzur]

Just wayched yesterday the making of terminator 2 and was blown away by the amount of miniatures and real sets. So I appreciate Wetta more..

[@More-Space-In-Ear]

These are the guys who deserve Oscars, so much hard work that we don't really get to see.....🏆

[@aaronmarshall4072]

I think they did get one.

[@PalTiya]

We had such fun meeting Adam and his team! Inspiring!!

[@superordinate]

that beard has a really fascinating guy attached to it

[@MrAshleysPlace]

Adam you are my hero, you inspired me as a young person. I became a passionate teacher because of myth busters. If you ever come to Auckland NZ I would be absolutely stoked if you came and talked to my class about your NASA space suit. I use quite a few tested videos for teaching purposes. Keep doing what your doing....you’re the best!!!

[@TheDoveking]

Fascinating! I could watch these production videos for days. Wetta is stupendous! Thanks for sharing this TESDED ^_^

[@lordmugglestone]

I loved watching and hearing the techniques, ratios of the mask and body making. Thanks for sharing that part.

[@daimond3972]

Great to See Jason and Kim at Work ! Awesome video guys

[@icazuchi]

Adam is "LIVING THE DREAM" right now!!

[@kevinmorrice]

weta is the go to for amazing practical effects

[@Barot8]

These are great video tours, many thanks to Weta and Savage and Norm and tested for creating them. I'd like to see how Weta does their maquettes too.

[@arghjayem]

Loving the Blade Runner “Spinner” tee shirt on the script writer guy....a last exit to nowhere classic!

[@stuartdoyle99]

watching it being applied to the arm was pure ASMR

[@tonyhitch5799]

You just showed the world a good university 300 level industrial design degree paper in a few minutes

[@narusawa74]

Thanks a lot Adam!! I'm trying to get into props making as my second category (I'm SPFX ) and all that knowledge and tutorials are helping me learn the theory behind it sooo much!! I already have a nasty attention to details for anything I paint and weather and you confirmed it's the right state of mind for the profession so, yay! I want to be a worthy addition to a shop and not a complete noob at it. Very instructive and easy to absorb, you always cater to potential students and I like that will to teach. Thanks guys!! Please keep sending moaar😉

[@tameducky5442]

I’ve got a photo of me next to that exact troll at the beginning when I went there. Weta is a must go place.

[@SecretSquirrelFun]

Thank you for sharing your time at Weta and the making of your film within a film etc. Until now, I could only ever imagine what it’s like “behind the curtain” or “behind the scenes”, through the “Extras” on a movie DVD - and sometimes they seem contrived, (within an inch of their lives) so, being able to see ALL of this stuff from the perspective of an onlooker (or a very quiet/awkward friend that’s just holding the camera) is just great. It’s like I’m right there with you. AND...you’re not continuously trying to control the narrative). I’ve imagined what it would be like if I was really really there, in that room, holding the camera, and.... I’d be asking so many questions (right now I’m watching him talk to Adam/you about gel-shock and air bubbles). Ha ha ha, it’s definitely better that I’m not there.,...obviously, you understand more about the processes. So when you’re talking about bubbles and cake decorating and waiting for the mould to gel etc etc you have lived-experience of what he’s doing and saying. If I was there, I’d be asking to go through the process myself, to experience the making and utilize all the knowledge he has. I’d be interrupting. It would be a very different experience visually. A-A-Annnywaaaaay, thank you so so much for going to Weta, for taking a camera, for sharing this video, thank you for taking us all along with you. For letting me/us peek behind that mysterious velvet curtain. It’s such a privilege, thank you 🙂🐿 I’m pretty sure that I OVER explained that BUT, I’m happy to take questions 🤪🐿 P.s that “velvet curtain” line suddenly went all Twin Peaks on me. Anyway, back to the making🙂🐿

[@greenatom]

Every time I watch a film, I am always imagining the guys sitting around a table discussing all the action and plot points.The sillier the plot, the more time I spend on this. most of the time I am mentally re-writing the thing as well.

[@timmy31b]

Part 2 now please . cant wait .

[@DJDarkDarsi]

Man those mixing machine bring back memories of my Bakery course in Trade school.

[@douglasthomashayden2566]

I'm impressed that nobody got any of the mold material in hair, beard, or clothes

[@JUNKO____]

I appreciate how lengthy these are. I'm a sucker for details and you never know when you'll be on Jeopardy.

[@jemppumalkki8619]

I'm just happy to see Joey in shot. Smiling

[@Vinkabbeats]

I love how adam is bringing attention to our creative people, love weta

[@walterortona3162]

Another great video Thanks

[@Ianjowett1]

and the termm schram was from charles schram a big name in the world of foam latex and was a master and made the best formula . we use creature foam here in the uk nowadays always found burmans a bit finniky to use but having a company called aquaspersions nearby who do the components makes it a bit easier

[@alumbo]

Top shelf: "No Photographs, Please." How about 60fps?

[@TechnologistAtWork]

This is a 30fps video

[@MichaelBogaMusic]

Loved the super posi cool vibe through the whole video!

[@yuelina9221]

omg I am SO excited

[@zyxwvut4740]

15:31 Pay attention Peter Parker, Stephen Strange, and Tony Stark. That - *That* - is how you do that.

[@mynaimrie]

🤣🤣🤣🤣star lord man😦

[@johnathanthorns]

The dudes dreds in the first bit are AWESOME!!!!

[@hudsonconnolly-bright8594]

So theoritically, I could pay weta workshop for a silicon replica of Adams arm?

[@majorphysics3669]

i guess so lol. Theoretically...

[@mikelynch920]

Oh my god there’s more videos from Weta?! I’m in heaven right now.

[@dinxsy8069]

I've seen some insane moustaches in my time but god damn, this dudes is next level.

[@adriantrain2037]

I don't know what I enjoyed more, the casting guys information and explanation, or his wickedly awesome God walking amongst men Beard. I'm a beardsman so im into beards and the work that goes into that lol, now it makes me wonder if it's a prop lol Thanks Tested for another great upload, looking forward to the rest of this series....

[@mynaimrie]

Wish you'd come up to Whangarei!

[@rdoetjes]

As a VFX, I started working with silicone only one year ago and I love the material! I can make great flat molds with scars and bullet holes, slid throats and it’s identical every day and it’s easier than doing that in CG. And I casting body parts. Recently for an indie horror film the script demand 100 leeches on a person. And the wanted to do that in CG. I said that it’s possible but that doing, at least the majority in rubber looks more realistic. So I sculpted 3 leeches made a silicone mold and cast 100 silicone leeches, with a tinted black silicone. It looked so disturbingly realistic. As it was a shore 10 deadened rubber and the kid was very muscular so every movement in the boy’s body made the leeches appear to move. So I only ended up doing one CG leech that had to perform a specific movement. As of that moment I have become a silicone SFX junky :)

[@Xvpurgatory]

Loved the Kit bashed monster.

[@repletereplete8002]

Heh I was thinking the girl dresses like Kim from Kath & Kim and lo and behold she's called Kim!

[@necromancerV9S]

I just went to the Weta Cave and it was great

[@newbreedian]

this is just masterful teaching...for freeeeeeee. AMazing!! And I don't even do film. fascinating

[@toyfreaks]

Cool ad from Snapmaker supporting this video. nice!

[@SmolPotatowo]

I love all the names on the mixers. 'Pig Pen' 'Mildred' 😆

[@krazed0451]

Shout out to "piss hands" Adam... Too funny! :-D

[@Tonicwine999]

Jeez that woman is so on the ball, always ready, quick and sharp. Pro's

[@NazgulWitchKing]

I let my dad do a casting of my entire upper body... once it dried it was a tight squeeze to breath, it was dark, and it got super heavy. But now he has an accurate lifesize mold, it was sketchy but super awesome to be a part of.

[@scruffybirds4011]

Scruffy birds love all this!

[@NettlewoodPark]

Fun stuff.

[@jasonpbass]

wouldn't it have been beneficial to add keys to the silicone before adding the plaster jacket as an extra alignment feature?

[@916wilton]

They should have shown the cleanup process of the foam latex. There must be some tricks to cleaning the bowl, mixer, etc.

[@dudepersonvids]

"Scumbling" is a painting term. I have a scumbler brush with coarse bristles that's good for blending edges in an acrylic painting - maybe it's been adopted to refer to blending edges on latex appliances.

[@kurtownsj00]

Great watching when doing something tedious on a make like sanding or filing. :D

[@JFLY78]

Awesome! Looking forward to part 2! Adam, I think you need to get yourself an All Blacks jersey...you're pretty much an honorary kiwi now! 😉

[@fangirl988]

Just subscribed, brilliant video

[@thisolddog2259]

The folks at Weta seem really nice

[@xC0R1ANDERx]

I’m from New Zealand and I’ve been here

[@shootthemoon6072]

I love the N.Z. accent; it's like Aussie Light.

[@titanic157]

This comment is so true! made me realize the butteryness of the NZ accent!

[@jadenepia5960]

Totally different, kiwis say "where's the car" Aussies say "where's the car"

[@nippuckz]

The difference between the aussie accent and kiwi accent is, aussies use twice as many swear words

[@Hellknight27]

He has a very broad Kiwi accent, most of us don't sound like that (though it differs throughout the country), and we can easily tell the difference between our accent and Aussie's nasally one - it is like the difference between a US and Canadian accent.

[@Cameron_T]

@@Hellknight27 definitely. Amuses me how foreigners get ours and aussies accents mixed or say they sound the same, but when we can hear an aussie accent in a line up

[@timlumberry5432]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that suit has Rancor arms doesn't it? Or at least hands.

[@dapencilshinobi]

23:00 I LOVE CREATIVE MEETINGS I LOVE IT !!

[@PaulMcElligott]

“It’s like giving birth.” “Exactly like that.” Says the two men in the room.

[@jaysonified]

"No licking the bowl" lol

[@TF2Bert]

Man!, I wish I knew you visited my home city!

[@VinylBlair]

A S - 'I cast my arm for Mythbusters' Weta dude - ' Myth who'? A S - 'I'm Adam Savage Mythb...' W D -' Adam Who'?

[@_pulyx]

How long? -'Tin minutes' I love kiwi accents

[@matthewroderique7468]

actually almost an Australian accent, and Ive met this guy, I live just around the corner from the cave

[@Hellknight27]

As a Kiwi, I can tell you that is a very broad NZ accent, we don't all sound like that - thankfully.

[@Ravenkiwi]

@@Hellknight27 As a South African born Kiwi I can confirm.

[@popcornduck4401]

It’s a strong Kiwi accent, but definitely Kiwi not Australian. Of course we don’t all sound the same. In what country does everyone have the exact same accent?

[@TehMegaSnakeFan]

Im not a maker, i think i would like to be one day but i just dont have the money or workspace for it. But anyway I just wanted to say, as a non maker, there is something so admirable and inspiring about how a maker can go to a different corner of the world, with other makers he hasnt worked with and yet theres still this base level of understanding that allows adam to know how to get involved and help. Just tiny things like Adam knowing when to turn the mask mold so the other side can be filled, without needing to be asked. I just find something beautiful about the idea that 2 people can come from different ends of the earth, live their lives in a different culture, potentially learn their skills in completely different ways and develop different systems and yet still can so easily collaborate with eachother due to a shared understanding and passion. Other videos that give me this feeling would be things like building the brachistochrome with Michael, 2 people with different backgrounds yet being able to work through a concept together with ease due to a shared intellect and passion for learning. Or videos where cooks/chefs go get involved in an area of cooking, or in a kitchen they are unfamilliar with (Brad working at Rodneys BBQ on Bon Apetits Its Alive comes to mind) where the guest cook/chef is in an area of cooking that they are unfamilliar with, or doing a shift in a kitchen and under a head chef they havent worked with before and yet because of a shared passion and knowledge of their craft they are able to assimilate into the task and work together. I dunno i know im rambling a bit but i just find little things like that to be such a beautiful part of being human, that no matter who you are you can come together and collaborate with people totally different from you thanks to a shared interest.

[@PhilipJanikowski]

As a pro cam-op can you please let me know what equipment you use? Can guess canon for a couple of diff reasons, but would love to confirm what bits and bobs you used! Thank you!

[@MegaGoldone]

I’m life casting in Vancouver, Canada. I was wondering if that was baby oil they squirted down Adam’s arm to pull the cast off easier?

[@narusawa74]

Hey I'm in the industry too, in raincity. I'm applying for 2nd category Props, hoping to learn to be a maker. Are you with a team or independent? I'm watching as much tutorials as I can so I build up minimal knowledge and can be of use. But if you have time I'd have a couple questions for you regarding what's available here for learning to work prosthetics and the methods and products depending what you want to make. As in Adams video, latex and foam are used toward different specific goals and look. If you have time (haha) and I'm not a bother asking you. Thanks!

[@Skorpeonismyrealname]

You should rename these as "Weeks WITH Weta Workshop" for the extra alliteration.

[@eken81]

Some notes. The "No photographs please"-sign on the shelf, centered in shot. The casting made me think of the casts I have to do for my knee ancle foot (KAFO) orthosis. Its plaster from foot to thigh, with a plastic strip in front to have something to cut against when opening it up. Not as often now because of 3D scanning, printing, and the fact that I don´t grow anymore.

[@broquennerd6533]

when will they be posting the other videos

[@Rottwiler44]

37:06 For anyone whos interested, Scumbling is a painting technique where you paint several different colors on a piece by stabbing it with your brush, creating a nice gradient effect.

[@KevinBritain]

This was so cool.. what I wouldn’t do for a job at weta..

[@RawHeadRay]

Excalibur, i took an animatronics seminar with Jeff Kerr in manchester in 1998, i thought he was great but when i returned for the second day the o majority of the other students demanded money back citing that this was not indeed an animatronics seminar. he pulled the plug heavy hearted and gave me and two others a gift since we stayed by him regardless we were enjoying the time. (Jeff Kerr did effects for excalibur )

[@mynaimrie]

I still remember the homer Simpson mould fail.

[@vector6977]

The human Lego guy is nightmarish.

[@SirEatsCrackAlot]

Watching you wiggle your fingers in the set silicone strongly reminded me of some of the prosthetic FX from the original Dr Who shows.

[@Thergood]

Effect in what film?

[@hisroyalpimpnesssirisaacal7044]

Adam "piss hands" Savage 😉👍

[@calleask]

7:58 that pointer finger hmmm