Visual effects guru ready to take stage, without notes

By RUSSELL BAILLIE in Los Angeles

For his work on the first film in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Richard Taylor was nominated three times and won twice - a joint winner for best visual effects and best costume design.

Today, the head of Weta Workshop is up again for two more Oscars for his work on The Return of the King - for best costume design (with Ngila Dickson) and best make-up (with Peter King).

So what is it like when your name is pulled out of the envelope?

"Well hearing your name called and that 1 1/2 minutes it takes to get on stage - I have no recollection of. It was just the shock and the necessity of getting there without tripping up the stairs. There were lots of people jumping up in front of me to give me a hug. It was pretty overwhelming. While I was actually on stage in front of the microphone, two billion people are supposedly watching live on television. But I knew for that moment I had the chance to thank the people, and touch the people back home who were watching on the telly, who had made it possible to be there.

"I tried to shake off the sheer panic and give it the 2 minutes it deserved. Everything's such a rush.

"I never think what I am going to say until I am in front of the microphone. I had to do one just the other day at the visual effects awards. It doesn't come easily I must say, but you don't want to make a tit of yourself, so you try and do it well. I am yet to write something down."

Visit nzherald.co.nz from midday for:

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