Jake Yocum

director and co-owner

In 1995 after completing a fine arts degree in Otago polytechnic, Dunedin, New Zealand. I set off for the United Kingdom for an apprenticeship in lost wax bronze casting.

My first year was spent learning my craft in a small foundry in Cropredy, Oxfordshire. Joined by my partner Renée, we moved to London, where I continued in a foundry in the Limehouse, East End London. After three more years of bronze casting (specializing in waxwork, sculpting and mould making) I followed an offer of work into the U.K film industry.

Here I applied myself in many roles, utilizing my various art based skills in; prop making, model making, sfx, prosthetics and standby work.

My career in film work took me from the London studios of Pinewood and Shepperton to many locations including Europe and the Americas (much to my wife Renée’s delight!)

While living in London, I also worked for designers, and other companies, fabricating and making props and sculpture for events and displays out of my East End studio, in Bethnal Green.

One of the joys of having an eclectic career path is that you never know quite where it will take you, and what you will be asked to create from one week to the next!

September 2004 I found myself winging my way home again to work on a film in Wellington where I first met my future business partners on the set of King Kong.

2005 Renée and I packed up our life in London and moved to Wellington, New Zealand. And in May 2005 Izzat was formed.

2011 here we are still going strong, learning, making, creating, and generally acquiring more skills and knowledge in all aspects of three dimensional design and fabrication. At our workshop we create them into solid 3d form for ourselves and our clients.