Richard Taylor is the Co-Owner of Pukeko Pictures and Weta Workshop. Richard began Pukeko Pictures with his wife Tania Rodger and partner Martin Baynton due to their combined love for children’s television and the desire to deliver highly compelling programming through the medium of locally made high quality television to children globally.
Pūkeko Board
Richard Taylor
Founder, Director & Creative Counsel
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The five time Academy Award© winning Design and Effects Supervisor draws upon 27 years of working in the creative industries. Richard has also won 35 other international and domestic entertainment, business and community awards for his endeavours in the film and television disciplines including four British Academy of Film and Television Awards and two Visual Effects Society awards.
In 2010 he was awarded a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to film and two years later he was named Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year. He and Tania are Patrons for the Neonatal Trust in New Zealand.
Richard started Weta Workshop over 20 years ago with Tania as it was their dream to establish a special effects facility to enhance and support the New Zealand film and television industry. Richard has also been working in China for the past 17 years and brings a strong working relationship with the Chinese creative industry to his endeavours at Pukeko Pictures.
A life-long Thunderbirds fan, Richard is the Executive Producer of the new series Thunderbirds Are Go.
Tania Rodger
Founder & Director
Tania Rodger is the Co-Owner of Pukeko Pictures and serves as one of the Company Directors as well as a founding partner of Weta Workshop with her husband Richard Taylor. She runs Weta Workshop alongside Richard and continues to contribute to the management of crew induction, health and safety and archiving at Weta Workshop.
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She further applies her talents and passion for creativity, artistry and professionalism in associated businesses as one of the partners in the Roxy Cinema as well as Co-Owner and Director of Stardog LP.
Tania is passionate about creating the best quality children’s television possible and as such was the Executive Producer on the company’s pre-school series The WotWots.
She is a patron of the Neonatal Trust.
Martin Baynton
Founder, Director & Chief Creative Officer
Martin Baynton is the Co-Owner of Pukeko Pictures and Chief Creative Officer where he leads the creative and development teams to build Pukeko Pictures’ properties from conception through to production and beyond. He has an international reputation as a Writer and Illustrator of more than 30 children’s books including Jane and the Dragon, and the Fifty the Tractor series.
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Since it was first published in 1986, the Jane and the Dragon book series has never been out of print. His publishers include Scholastic, Walker Books, Greenwillow, Penguin and Reed Methuen.
Martin has worked in stage, radio and TV as a Producer, Director, Actor, Screenwriter and Script Editor.
He created the Jane and The Dragon TV series based on his books and co-created The WotWots with Richard Taylor. He is Executive Producer on Cleverman.
Edwin Read
Independent Chairman
Ed joined the board in June 2018 as an Independent Director and was appointed Chairman in December 2018. Ed works as a consultant and professional director for various businesses including a part time CFO role with a national manufacturing group.
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In previous roles he was a director and executive for professional services firms over 11 years. He spent 4 years as a Trustee and Chair of a Charitable Trust running Creative Festivals and lived and worked in China for 4 years as the Financial Controller of a Global Manufacturer.
He is a Chartered Accountant and member of the Institute of Directors.
