Southland firm wins big for work on Shark Week project
“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."
Southland signwriting firm Creation Signs has clinched gold at the New Zealand Sign and Display Association Awards.
Manager Riki Shuttleworth said 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.
“We have an amazing team with such a variety of skills and that allows us to tackle such a wide range of projects and deliver them to the highest standard.”
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,” Shuttleworth said.
Affectionally dubbed Earl 2.0, the humpback whale presented a unique challenge. Graphic designer Bradley Frew utilised 3D software to create the realistic graphics which were printed in-house before being applied in sections to the 28-foot 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 3D surface. It was a great test of our skills.”
Acting like a submarine, it fit 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.
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 amongst the very best of her peers,” Shuttleworth said.
Creations Signs additional two entries were also selected as finalists – The Hawthorndale Care Village in Category 5 (Theming) and the Tuatara Island signage in Category 10 (Signs).
Created in 1997, the awards attract hundreds of entries every year and are designed to celebrate excellence.
“It was a fantastic night showcasing some phenomenal projects and craftmanship from all over New Zealand. The overall standard of entries was exceptionally high and competition for gold, silver and bronze medals was fierce so we are incredibly proud to lead the way from the deep south when it comes to innovation and craftsmanship in every aspect from sign concepts to production,” Shuttleworth said.
Fantastic ... Well Done!