Weta FX, the New Zealand visual effects company behind “The Lord of the Rings” and “Avatar,” will invest in Taiwanese animation and VFX outfit Moonshine Studio.
The investment is part of a partnership with the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) aimed at making Taiwan an AI hub for Asia’s content industries.
Weta FX CEO Daniel Seah and TAICCA chair Sue Wang signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday at Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) in Taipei.
Taiwan’s Minister of Culture Li Yuan attended the signing.
No figure was given for the investment.
Seah said the partnership has three parts.
The first is the investment in Moonshine, founded by Lin Chia-chi, which he said had been around six months in the making.
The second is a technology platform that will invest in Taiwanese film and TV projects and use Weta FX’s global reach to get them in front of wider audiences.
“On the AI road, nobody is really far, far ahead,” Seah said.
“We all have to venture into this tech-filled AI world together.
That’s why, while investing in Taiwan, we’re investing in technology.” The third part, and the one Seah said he values most, is talent.
A program will allow Taiwanese filmmakers, particularly young ones, to come to Weta FX for exchanges and internships, and potentially to work there in future.
Seah has spent close to 16 years as a VFX CEO.
