It all started with online debates about which of the effects visible in the official trailer for Avatar 2, a.k.a. The Way of Water, were CGI and which were practical effects. Practical effects can be anything physical, from the animatronics used in the original Jurassic Park to the forced perspective that made Gandalf appear to tower over the hobbits in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Computer-generated imagery permeates almost every form of visual media, but many audience members still appreciate physical props that have weight for performers to react to and that reflect or refract light in ways software can sometimes only approximate.

The discourse ensued until a recent story by 1 News in New Zealand revealed that the close-up of a Na’vi hand holding the reins of a tulkun harness was created practically.

Soon after the discourse dissipated, Logan Preshaw a visual development artist and art director based in New Zealand, posted a thread of tweets about his experience working for Wētā Workshop. Wētā is special effects and prop company based in Miramar, a suburb of Wellington in New Zealand, who have been producing effects for television and film for more than 30 years. Of his experience working on the pre-production of Avatar 2, Preshaw tweeted:

“I worked on Avatar 2. I’m proud of that. I am not proud of how little Weta Workshop pays its artists. As a concept artist I was paid the current minimum wage. A pay cut of $10 [per hour NZD] from when I was a lead on animated...

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