5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
‘Whale of a project' rewarded
They had to think big and now they have won big.
Southland signwriting firm Creation Signs has clinched gold at the New Zealand Sign and Display Association Awards, having constructed a 8.5m humpback whale, to watch it destroyed in a matter of seconds by a hungry shark.
Manager Riki Shuttleworth said, in a statement, the honour, announced in Nelson on Saturday night, was testament to his team's passion for the industry.
"We might be located at the bottom of New Zealand but the quality of work which emerges from our workshop is now recognised at the very top," he said.
The gold was awarded in the vehicle-custom-wrapped category for a large semi-submersible replica whale for American film company Hazmat Productions, which released a documentary on the Discovery Channel for Shark Week 2024.
"It was quite literally a whale of a project. It needed to be realistic to succeed in its objective once in the water for filming and the finished product was very impressive," Mr Shuttleworth said.
Affectionately dubbed Earl 2.0, the humpback whale presented a unique challenge. Graphic designer Bradley Frew used 3-D software to create the realistic graphics which were printed in-house before being applied in sections to the 8.53m whale decoy in a workshop in Bluff.
"That was no easy task as the measurements needed to be spot on for it to be applied correctly to the 3-D surface. It was a great test of our skills."
Acting like a submarine, it fitted two people inside entering through a hatch. Made of fibreglass, rubber fins were added on the sides and tail filled with synthetic blood for the sharks to attack when in the water.
The end result made quite a splash when a Great White shark was filmed ripping it apart, just off Stewart Island. The shark was attracted to the fins.
Adding to the company's success, Creation Signs signwriter Brianna Hart was nominated for apprentice of the year and earned runner-up in a highly competitive field of finalists.
"It simply confirmed what we already knew — she's an absolute superstar and has a bright future in our industry. It was fantastic to see her skills and dedication recognised among the very best of her peers," Mr Shuttleworth said.
Created in 1997, the awards attract hundreds of entries every year and are designed to celebrate excellence.
— APL
