Models for purpose of filming.

[RP Hoogle]

Forgive me if this is the wrong place to put this.

I was just curious as there are a lot of great model makers here I was wondering if anyone actually produces miniature effects? I'm come from a film-making background and I've never really made any models but if I did I'd definitely try to do some Derek Medding style effects. So has anyone given this a go? If so I'd love to see examples.

[MkIXHawk]

Well, DX-SFX actually works in the industry

[Air Terrainean]

Some time ago a very talented guy called David Ross produced his own short film featuring model effects, and this would definately be worth looking at. His forum name was/is 'David', but he hasn't posted here for quite a while.

[saturnapollo]

I do the odd SFX bits and pieces for the local IPMS club, and have just spent 5.5 months working on on my latest one. Really only for my mates, and was going to put it on Youtube but they draw the line at any exposure. Still contemplating it, but I would have to re-edit it if I was to take them out.

Called Mars Odyssey it lasts 17 minutes and depicts the first mission to Mars manned by an all Scottish crew. Found a couple of still I had still on my PC.

Use mainly Adobe After Effects and only some in camera work.

I bumped into David not long ago. He is busy finishing his art course so that's why he isn't seen here often.

Keith

[RP Hoogle]

Those pictures look great. Any video? And I found David's website http://davidross-sfx.com/ I'm thinking about getting into models just so I can do miniature special effects.

[saturnapollo]

Those pictures look great. Any video? And I found David's website http://davidross-sfx.com/ I'm thinking about getting into models just so I can do miniature special effects.

Thanks. Although I completed the video in January still got to look into the possibility of uploading back to the PC for editing out the guys for possibly putting on Youtube, (so no publicly available video yet). Would make it a bit disjointed and I would have to do something about the music. Plus there might be copyright issues with the music, though no-one seems too worried about that from what I've seen there before.

A bit of work before I get to that point if I ever do.

Unlike David's film most of the effects were done using animated stills (reckoned if it was good enough for Stanley Kubrick it would be good enough for me.) Amazing what you can achieve with stills. The Mars survey vehicle had to filmed though as it stirred up the Martian dust.

Best of luck with whatever project you undertake, but filming models isn't very easy (rather than still photography).

Keith

[Dave]

Have dabbled with filming models, but when I've filmed them in 'real time' they just don't look right.
I once filmed my SPV model being pulled across a sand covered landscape (by a wire) and then replaced the shots from the Captain Scarlet episode (Fire at Rig 17) with my model (keeping the show's sound track). Best intentions, but still wasn't right!

The nearest I do now is trying to create still scenes in the style of the shows, using 'special effects' like compressed air blowing dust, smoke or the odd naked flame!

[NeoGoglu]

You might want to do the same thing as me,
wait a year or two and those mini HD-Cameras
will be more affordable. They can film 96 or
120 FPS and do some awesome slow-motion playbacks
at regular speed.



BTW, very nice TB2 pod !

[RP Hoogle]

Those are fantastic models Dave? They do indeed look like stills from film.