How I build dioramas Part 2

[John Reid]

This is a movie set diorama that I am presently working on.

 

[John Reid]

My avitar says I am a new member ,I don't think so....?

 

[John Reid]

It is important at this stage, when the perimeter is mostly set up, to determine what can and what cannot be seen by the viewer or a camera.I check all the possible sight lines and determine what I will spend my time on finishing,no sense working on stuff that won't be seen.
The only car that I finished completely inside and out is the one that is converted into a station.I finished it mostly for picture taking and future storyboarding purposes.

 

[DEL]

My avitar says I am a new member ,I don't think so....?

It's your fresh faced boyish good looks John

 

[Jazz]

Fantastic work john, not bad for a beginner as your avatar states. Gordy, I think you need to sort that one out.

 

[John Reid]

I am planning to add to the storyline a bit by adding a bit more history to the diorama.This once was an active movie set that was converted into a theme park that has since failed and has been abandoned.This will allow me more freedom for weathering the piece in my own style.For scale I may dress up one of the figures as a mannequin that has also fallen into disrepair.I am also thinking about doing a small scale model within this model for the props yard.

 

[John Reid]

 

[John Reid]

Well,I have changed my mind again.It is now back to the theme park idea.The props yard and no figures is just boring,especially for kids and after all this is why I do this stuff,for the kids and of course for the kid in all of us too.
Now I am planning at least 20 figures in this diorama,maybe more and a complete HO scale old west town with a few figures also.
Yesterday I built up my first HO structure in wood,an outhouse(well you gotta start somewhere and every old west town needs them).
1/87 is as small as I have ever gone and I kinda like it for a change of pace.
Miniature towns are very popular in Europe especially in England and Germany and the kids seem to love them.

 

[John Reid]

 

[John Reid]

 

[John Reid]

This is where I am as of today.The lower right hand side of the pic is where the HO removable module will be.There will eventually be 15 buildings and facades in there.The future N scale module could be attached to any of the four sides by simply screwing it on.The trains movement should really be an eye catcher.

 

[John Reid]

Now where the hell do I start ?

 

[John Reid]

I am planning 3 different modules for this piece.The G scale part will be finished in detail and weathered like an old abandoned movie set or ghost town.The HO scale part will be a removable module of an old west town and modeled to look like a model,in other words not as detailed or lifelike.The N scale part will be an add on module, fastened to one side of the perimeter, but I haven't yet decided which one.It will be an operating ,shelf type, old west train layout made to look like a G scale train(in real life) with G scale figures wandering through it.There will also be a old west movie poster area and a G scale area for a couple of fake horses.The horses will be hollowed out to look like paper mache ones with a sign nearby saying "Don't feed the horses",fake horses were often used as props in old west movies.
This piece has now evolved into a theme park idea (circa 1960's) It is a fantasy piece using lots of artistic license.( but isn't that what movies and models are all about,a suspension of your own disbelief ?) The core story is still about the Italian director Sergio Leone and his love of the western genre and it is dedicated to his memory.
Once Upon a time.........
My photobucket:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/JohnReid/
I am a man of few words but lots of pics

I quit drinking beer because the download was taking longer than the upload !

 

[John Reid]

I kinda like this model within a model idea for a theme park.Finishing Morton's car with just furniture would be a little boring for kids I imagine but seeing another locomotive on display would be more fun.Walt Disney did this in his theme park and it was a hit with the kids both young and old.

 

[John Reid]

 

[John Reid]

As a kid I always loved the story of Gulliver's Travels.

 

[John Reid]

What is an old west diorama/layout without a couple of these guys ! C|

 

[John Reid]

The HO old west town is coming along.I didn't want to do it as a ghost town because there is all ready a lot of grey in the piece and I felt it needed a little color. C|

 

[John Reid]

Hi everybody ! Great day today as my wife will soon be home after her second knee replacement surgery .Everything went well. I will be re-focusing my energy for awhile now to help to nurse her back to health.I am planning to spend the time I have now concentrating on storyboarding and a little research.
The "Once upon a time.... diorama is going well but I have changed my mind again and am going back to the original concept of a movie set.I think that it is better to tell one story well than get things too confusing for the viewer.I know that it seems that I can't make up my mind, and your right about that, but that is the fun of doing this in real time rather than presenting a competed piece and then pretending that I knew where I was going all the time.
Cheers ! John.

 

[JohnReid]