Miniature Set

[bethansenior]

I'm currently in my final year of my UAL course, for our unit 11 and 12 we have to pose ourselves a question for us to answer in our dissertation.

The problem I am facing is giving myself a question which is precise enough for me to answer concisely but broad enough for me to look at different things within my chosen area.

I really want to look at architecture and I would love to look at making a miniature film set, something like Wallace and Grommit or similar, I love looking at the details the set designers go into for this and how they can pull off such accurate detail while it being on such a small scale.

If anyone could help with the question, or designers I should look at, or methods which you have found work, that'd be such a great help!

Want to try and get a head start and start early on this! :)

[Dave m]

You mean a model box?

[gareth]

Sounds like there's plenty of angles in there to give you a variety of angles from which to approach. Model boxes, sets for stop-motion animation, puppet theatre, and so on. Even perhaps a TV angle (the Coronation Street sets of the 60s were something like 3/4 scale, bigger but still not full-size when they built the first permanent set outdoors, and increased to full scale with the move to Salford Quays to cope with the demands of HD shooting).

[the kid]

Maybe you want to look at the bigatures that they used in lord of the rings or similar.

 

http://www.cinefex.com

 

Tested.com has Adam Savage from mythbusters doing a weekley podcast that is very mixed of things but some casts have been super indepth on how they made things mid 90's/2000's - matrix, starwars ep1, etc

[Jivemaster]

The whole concept of "plates" in the movie industry is based on replacing what's really in part of a shot with miniatures. The use of miniatures is probably a lot more significant than you would at first think.

[Ken Coker]

There is a real difference between, let us say, small scale sets for W&G and set models designers make for productions/events - indeed, there is a very real difference between design for TV/fim and live events.....now there's a dissertation topic.

 

This article, I think, gives some insight into at least the cinematography involved in W&G and there are some pictures of the set being worked on - https://www.theasc.com/magazine/oct05/curse/page2.html#

 

I have a friend who teaches this kind of stuff at Nottingham Trent - relatively close to you I would guess - so if you email me I'll put you in touch.

 

KC

[ImagineerTom]

...and as a side note Aardman (who make wallace & gromit) are very proactive about engaging with students / next generation of filmmakers so if you do want to investigate the world of sets and design used in that genre of entertainment they have a wealth of resources you could access - far more than all the theatre industry resources combined I'd think.

[w/robe]

far more than all the theatre industry resources combined I'd think.

Not surprising that this is more likely to be film than theatre based.

 

You should investigate this show

Something Very Far Away I didn't see it but a friend of mine, and forum member, worked on it and, as I understand it, it is a show using small puppets which is then projected for the audience to see.

 

As an aside you could also look at the work of artist Slinkachu.