Old West Saloon.

[JohnReid]

I am building an old west saloon ,will post some pics.cheers John.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

The basic structure is made from a couple of wooden kleenex boxes that I found at the dollar store,  two for four bucks.They are well made boxes made of plywood and glued together.The wood alone wood cost a lot more in a hobby shop.The front facade actually slides off so I can build it separately and slide it back on whenever I want.The plywood is ground level and the tops of the wood strips is the level of the boardwalk.The figure is standing at boardwalk level.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

This is the facade side.There is no rust on the nail heads here because of the desert enviroment,On the railway cars there is a little rust as they traveled around in their past history.Lettering and further weathering will be done upon completion.

The next picture will be the prop construction side made from simulated sheets of plywood.

[JohnReid]

[Rex in Pinetop]

How will you protect it from the elements in the garden?  Is this only a static display or will trains run in it?

Rex

[JohnReid]

I want to try something different with this diorama by adding some audio/visual stuff myself.This time the storyline will be presented in a little different way.Instead of step by step pictures accompanied by an audio text as planned by the museum ,this time I plan to do my own .
Just a few short years ago this option was not available to me but with all the miniaturization of electronics today and the relatively cheap price I think that it could quite easily be done.
These two saloon boxes will be used to house the electronics and diorama lighting equipment.Facing outwards I plan to install either slides or scenes from the movie itself with good quality miniature speakers,if I can get permission to do so from the copyright holders otherwise I will have to come up with a plan 'B'.It will be a donation to a museum for educational purposes or for my own private use so maybe I will get lucky.
Plan 'B' will probably be to contact a few individuals that I see on You Tube and get their permission to use their videos and music.
Sounds like fun,something different for a change.

[JohnReid]

Hi Rex ! it is for an outdoor/indoor layout  or for static display. Cheers ! John.

[JohnReid]

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.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

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 !

[JohnReid]

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.