Late April 2015, our club was invited to partake in a diorama contest that was hosted by a large electronic appliance store (yes, the store that sells TVs, DVD players, and washing machines). We left with second place, winning a trophy and a Nikon Coolpix worth USD $50 . It was more fun than accurate, and the fact that we all chipped in was a satisfaction on its own.
Below is an image of the initial brainstorming session with other fellow modelers in Surabaya. The rule was that each participants get 120cm by 60cm of space. The diorama that we have agreed to work on is a set that portrays a common street battle "somewhere in Iraq". the images here were taken by myself and some of the club members.
Prior to this, members of our modeling group gave many interesting ideas such as a 1/48 scale aircraft hangar scene, a 1/72 WW2 dogfight scene, and a 1/35 scale forward air base scenario. As we have only two weekends to work this out (everyone has a day job, unfortunately), there was a lot of discussion about how to complete this diorama in time with so little resources available. At the end, we all voted that considering the shortcomings, a "battle scene somewhere in Iraq" would be the least challenging.
Here is the image of the dio before shipping it to the content area, minus the figures and the Blackhawk.
For some reason, the majority of our group of seven people are more serious into armor rather than aircraft, or ships modelings. And they all have at least some work that they made on the OIF war in Iraq.
We had two weekends to make this thing work, so we spent the first Friday night on organizing our logistics: who gets to bring what. Emphasis was also focused on getting the base done. What do we want to build and how. So by Saturday morning, we can give everyone their marching orders
A cinematic shot of section of the diorama. the asphalt is made of sand paper, and the concrete barriers from carton paper.
It was far from perfect, but everybody enjoyed the democratic process of choosing the things to build the diorama. We had a guy who is really good in making papercraft models and he came up with the idea of creating buildings, concrete barriers using carton paper.
We had a few members who know how to build dioramas, and those who do not (making rubble, asphalt, smoke, weathering armor). So it was a great way of transferring knowledge too for many of us.
Here's one member showing how to make billowing smoke using cotton puffs.
Collaborative Diorama Project/Competition
- dmminiatures
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Collaborative Diorama Project/Competition
Monty / dmminiatures
- BlackSheep214
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Re: Collaborative Diorama Project/Competition
Now this is something we don't see every day. Everyone participates in building a diorama with each person armed with unique talents in creating the obvious using limited resources (billowing smoke, roads using sandpaper - who knew!?!, buildings, rubble, background battle scene poster, etc...) You should be proud. I know I am. A big applause to all of you.
“Who controls the skies, controls the fate of this Earth”
Author unknown- 352nd Fighter Group, Blue-Nosed Bastards of Bodney
“Send one plane it’s a sortie; send two planes it’s a flight; send four planes it’s a test of airpower. - Richard Kohn
Author unknown- 352nd Fighter Group, Blue-Nosed Bastards of Bodney
“Send one plane it’s a sortie; send two planes it’s a flight; send four planes it’s a test of airpower. - Richard Kohn
- dmminiatures
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Re: Collaborative Diorama Project/Competition
Thanks BlackSheep! I didn't see it that way when we started but once we were off gluing the first item on the base, I guess you are right: we all chipped in with each of our specialty. it did really work!
Monty / dmminiatures
- BlackSheep214
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Re: Collaborative Diorama Project/Competition
You know, this would be a great article in any scale model magazine. Something like a feel good type of article rarely seen in this hobby.
“Who controls the skies, controls the fate of this Earth”
Author unknown- 352nd Fighter Group, Blue-Nosed Bastards of Bodney
“Send one plane it’s a sortie; send two planes it’s a flight; send four planes it’s a test of airpower. - Richard Kohn
Author unknown- 352nd Fighter Group, Blue-Nosed Bastards of Bodney
“Send one plane it’s a sortie; send two planes it’s a flight; send four planes it’s a test of airpower. - Richard Kohn
- Duke Maddog
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Re: Collaborative Diorama Project/Competition
Well done Monty! That is model building at it's finest. I've been trying to get my IPMS club to pitch in to do a museum-type diorama of a Military Museum in 1/72 scale with indoor and outdoor exhibits. It would be modular so we could include everything from tiny motorcycles to something the size of a B-52. So far, no takers. I do hope your group does this again; keep us posted.
The Duke
Virtuoso of Miniatures
"Do you know what the chain of command is? It's the chain I get and beat you with 'till you understand who's in ruttin' command!"
-Jayne Cobb, Firefly Episode 2 "The Train Job"
We are modelers - the same in spirit, in hunger to insanely buy newly released kits, hustlers in hiding our stash from our better halves and experts in using garbage as replacements for after-market parts.
Virtuoso of Miniatures
"Do you know what the chain of command is? It's the chain I get and beat you with 'till you understand who's in ruttin' command!"
-Jayne Cobb, Firefly Episode 2 "The Train Job"
We are modelers - the same in spirit, in hunger to insanely buy newly released kits, hustlers in hiding our stash from our better halves and experts in using garbage as replacements for after-market parts.
- jelliott523
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Re: Collaborative Diorama Project/Competition
This is just AWESOME !!!!! That is really a cool idea. Heck it even gave me a couple of ideas for a building my first base; using sandpaper to simulate runway pavement! So, what did you guys do with the display after the contest?
- Medicman71
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Re: Collaborative Diorama Project/Competition
Absolutely fantastic!!
Mike
Sponsored by Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Saab, BAE, and Dassault
Sponsored by Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Saab, BAE, and Dassault
Re: Collaborative Diorama Project/Competition
That looks like fun Monty!
Re: Collaborative Diorama Project/Competition
That's a amazing bit of social modelling - and congratulations on your 2nd place!
The Dio looks really great - but I suspect the fun had by all in building it was even better!
The Dio looks really great - but I suspect the fun had by all in building it was even better!
Stuart Templeton 'I may not be good but I'm slow...'
My blog: https://stuartsscalemodels.blogspot.com/
My blog: https://stuartsscalemodels.blogspot.com/