Avatar 2 visual artist calls out Wētā Workshop for low pay: ‘I am not proud of…’

Avatar: The Way of Water is one of the most anticipated films of the year. Early press reviews of James Cameron’s sequel have been highly positive, with many claiming that it is one step ahead of its 2009 original. With the budget of the film set somewhere around $350–400 million, the film has been grabbing attention mostly for its groundbreaking visual effects. Now, a key member of the visual effects team has called out the VFX partner for paying less than expected as well as for poor treatment during production. (Also read: Avatar The Way of Water first reactions hail James Cameron film as ‘masterpiece’, critics say it’s better than part 1)

Logan Preshaw, who worked with the film’s visual effects team, shared on Twitter that he was left disappointed by the way the visual artists have been paid by the Wētā Workshop. “I worked on Avatar 2. I’m proud of that. I am not proud of how little Weta Workshop pays its artists,” Logan said. “As a concept artist I was paid the current minimum wage. A pay cut of $10/h from when I was a lead on animated cartoon shows. Many of the practical artists were paid similarly.” Logan made these comments in the follow up to director David F. Sandberg posting a clip of the behind-the-scenes featurette that tells how Avatar: The Way of Water’s special effects and props were designed.

Wētā Workshop, the name that Logan mentioned in the post, is a special effects and prop company based in Miramar, Wellington, New Zealand. “I worked 10 hours a day for $21 NZD/h, which comes to just over $13 USD. 1 hour was deducted for lunch,” Logan further added. “When I asked for more pay 8 months in, quoting my previous job’s pay and experience, it was raised to $23. 3 months later I left.” He also clarified that his complaints are directly only towards Wētā and not towards James Cameron and the production company. “This is solely on Workshop. Not James Cameron, 20th Century or the overall production of Avatar 2.”

Wētā Workshop has previously worked in films that include The Lord of the Rings series, District 9, Mad Max: Fury Road, Blade Runner 2049, and the Hobbit series.