Where creativity is off the scale

It seems even a global pandemic can’t stem the creative juices or business enthusiasm of Joaquin Loyzaga and Sam Cotter-Dephoff – the driving force behind Lower-Hutt’s Scale Studios.

Sam Cotter-Dephoff still has vivid memories of appearing in an episode of Jason Gunn’s What Now? as a five-year-old, filmed at the Avalon television production centre in Lower Hutt’s Percy Cameron Street. Ironically today his business Scale Studios, which he co-owns with Joaquin Loyzaga, is located in Avalon’s old art department room. They can still see the hints of green and purple paint that used to be on the walls and ceiling.

“Being a kid back then, I wanted to get ‘gunged’ so badly,” he laughs. “And now being an adult and playing with gunge-like material in our business every day feels kind of poetic.”

‘Playing with gunge-like material’ in a time capsule called Avalon describes the sort of creative space that Scale Studios operates in. Created in February 2018, the business brings ideas to life. It taps into a diverse collective of award winning designers, effects artists, film industry specialists and creative problem solvers to collaborate directly on developing bespoke items and practical effects for a wide variety of uses. 

The Scale Studios team has worked on projects as diverse as board-game figurines to replica antique house fittings and painted life casts of sea creatures for a museum. Technologies and techniques utilised include 3D printing, laser and CNC-cut material, as well as moulds and casts for multiple productions and artists covering the television, film and gaming industries.

The greater Scale Studios creative collective hail from an impressive career background, having contributed to a number of film and television projects while working at Weta Workshop. These include Blade Runner 2049, Thunderbirds Are Go! Seasons 1-3, Elysium, Warcraft and The Hobbit Trilogy, to name just a few.

Sam and Joaquin first met while working on Thunderbirds and quickly saw the potential in combining their energies and skills. Setting up the business was all the result of timing. When the production’s workshop tools and machinery went up for sale at the end of production and the opportunity to purchase a functioning workshop arose – the two best friends couldn’t resist.

Today Scale Studios is the only effects workshop operating inside a New Zealand film studio facility. In a nutshell Sam and Joaquin work alongside artists and designers to problem solve and produce their unique creative visions.

“We always say we help people make things that don’t exist yet,” says Sam.

Best mates, best advice

Both Sam and Joaquin agree that a successful business partnership is made even easier by being friends first.

“Being mates definitely helps,” says Joaquin, “along with having similar passions and sharing the same long term goals for the business. But also not being the same person and knowing each other’s strengths and weaknesses.”

Sam says being able to rely on each other is important too. “Knowing that if I’m doing part A that Joaquin will be doing part B, and trusting each other to get the tasks we set ourselves done. Successful partnerships are also about being able to challenge each other and question decisions made without it getting heated,” he adds.

Both partners acknowledge that times have been tough for business owners in 2020, and that business development is all about reaching out to others for advice.

“One of the best pieces of business advice was given to us by Grant Foggo at Strataspire,” says Sam. “He said that the most important thing we can do as business owners is to go out and meet other people and businesses as often as possible. 

“There is no shortage of interesting, creative, intelligent people in this country doing incredible work, all eager to collaborate, and you would never know if you didn’t go out and look for them.” 

Sam and Joaquin are grateful for the support they’ve received from the Lower Hutt Chamber of Commerce and Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency (WREDA).

Coping with Covid and 2021

For both Sam and Joaquin New Zealand’s April lockdown was a particularly scary time. It was a case of “tools down” and temporarily walking away from their projects, not knowing for sure when they would be back.

“Our advice to other businesses now, to get them through the pandemic, is to adapt and adapt quickly,” says Sam. “We aren’t out of the woods entirely yet, so figuring out any ways you can continue to work if the virus were to come back, or any products or ideas that will make lives easier for people in this new landscape, is key.”

On a positive note, he says there was clearly a boom in creativity over the first lockdown, with people having time to pursue creative projects and develop new ideas. 

“Since lockdown ended we’ve had an increase in the amount of clients visiting with projects they need that extra bit of help with,” says Sam. “Not only is this good for the business but it’s the kind of work we enjoy doing the most. Helping creatives realise their vision.” 

For Joaquin the biggest reason for business optimism going forward is the fact that their industry outside of lockdown is still switched on. “Films are still being produced and designers are still designing and we expect to continue working with these clients for the rest of the year,” he says.

“We have been growing every year since we started and are becoming more recognised. We are also expanding our capabilities and improving our skillsets and have every intention of continuing to do so.”

Sam and Joaquin have plans to continue expanding Scale Studios’ capabilities and facilities.

“Ideally we’d like to see Scale operating at a level where we can generate interest from overseas,” says Joaquin. “As well as develop internal IP for in-house projects which would provide jobs to local artists.”