The Fine Art of Model Making… And Video Production

This “N scale” drive-in was built from a kit and features a lot of detail; for instance there is someone trying to sneak in by hiding in a car trunk and a small LCD television serving as the movie screen (Double Indemnity is showing).

I’ve been a fan of model railroading for many, many years… Since I was a kid – although I only really got serious about it as an adult.  One aspect of the hobby that I’ve gravitated to is building wooden structures.

A “kitbashed” N scale concession stand; meaning it started as a kit and then I created a custom wood facade. The tiny screen door was made board by board and includes miniature functional hinges made from paper. There is even a welcome mat on the floor.

I model in “N Scale.”  N is one of the smallest sizes or “scales” of model trains.  N scale is roughly half the size of HO scale and HO is about half the size of the Lionel train set you may have had running around your Christmas tree as a kid.  So, a house in N scale might be as small as an inch tall… Just to give you an idea of scale.

The models I make fall into three categories:

* Wood kits that consist of sheets of wood and plastic detail parts.

* Laser-cut wood kits where all the individual pieces are pre-cut by laser.

* Board-by-board wood construction – where individual pieces of scale lumber are put together one board at a time, similar to building a full-size structure. As seen in the structure to the right of the photo below, this allows me to weather individual boards so that it appears that (sloppy) repairs have been made throughout the life of the building.

This laser-cut kit involved a lot of detail work.  Each window is made from 8 individual pieces.  The building interior features many details, including a centerfold hanging on the wall of the small room in the foreground. All in 160th scale!

Recently I asked myself why, as a video director, I would be so “into” making these intricate structures.  That’s when the analogy struck me.  Building models plays to my strengths:

1)   Model making involves extreme attention to detail.  In my business, attention to detail is what separates a mediocre production from something that communicates effectively to the intended audience.

2)   Working on models involves having the right tools – often very specialized tools – and knowing the best tools to use for each project.

3)   Creating an effective model involves the ability to tell a story.  How a model is constructed, painted and weathered communicates to the viewer the structure’s use, age, upkeep, geographic location, importance to the community, etc.  It’s all fantasy, of course, but it’s a fantasy that I have created for the viewer.

4)   The best model makers are people with years of experience.  They know the pitfalls and can avoid problems before they happen.

When you are just starting out in the world of model railroading, you can certainly buy cheap, sloppily made models – structures that are mass-produced plastic… And look that way.  On the other hand, I choose what my best clients choose: quality that comes from attention to detail, the right tools and experience.