A while back I discovered a set of figures produced by Eureka Miniatures, an Australian based company if I remember correctly, of a golden age film crew. Right from the off I knew this was a set I would like to buy and a little while ago I managed to locate a UK distributor. From a diorama point of view the film crew opened up all manner of possibilities.
At about the same time I also discovered a company called Studio Miniatures. Their range is not huge but it is very good and included in what they have to offer were some horror figures. I purchased a few of them too and decided to explore the idea of a little movie set diorama comprising the two sets of figures. In the 1970’s a sequence of horror movies was rolled out under the Hammer Horror franchise. Although the film crew figures are more likely 1930’s I’ve decided to merge the two in the hope that nobody will look to closely at the end result!
Initially I was excited at the prospect of this little diorama but now that I’ve started it I’m not quite so sure about how well it will turn out. To make matters worse I’ve since grown more excited about some other figures I recently purchased and can see this diorama dragging on a bit if I don’t keep my act together. For now though I’m up and running and committed to this little project for better or worse.
So far I’ve managed to paint the film crew and have begun the base work. The door is made from coffee stirrers and the walls and flagstones from foam board. The outer plastic coating on the foam board was removed on one side to provide a rougher texture for the stone walls. Each stone was made separately to provide what I hope will be a better overall effect and stuck to MDF board.
Still plenty to do. More to be done to the base work and three more figures need to be painted along with the movie camera and lights and then it all needs to be pieced together some how.
Progress photos below.
TIM
The Imperfect Modeller 
Looking very good so far Dave! I’m assuming that the base size rules out a gigantic gorilla as the subject of the film?
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Yep you’re right about the base size John but some of the pulp figures around do lend themselves to a King Kong inspired diorama. Thats the thing that’s got my mind in a whirl, the movie crew figures provide an almost infinite number of ideas for things to do in a diorama. I’ll finish this one whatever happens but at some point another one will be on the to do list.
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Looking really cool so far. I hope you stick with it. You might be able to make use of these too – https://pulpfigures.com/products/view/18
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Funny you should provide this link. Shortly after I found the film crew I bought I discovered this site following a Google search and book marked it. They have a lot of good figures and I think I’ll do a bit more digging into the pulp era to see what else I might come up with. Another film crew based diorama may well get done at some point as the ideas as boundless. I will finish this one but since I started it I’ve thought of so many other things I could have done with it. This one will go down to experience I think.
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Wow! Mickey Rooney was my first thought Dave ,loved his films as a kid ,must have seen them all .As for finding new figures as the project goes along ,I have that problem all the time as it takes so long to paint all my guys and then someone produces another set that I see can be used ,so yeah it’s fortunate you have limited space ! . I’ll be interested in how it all pans out in the end .The young WHOOFER just came home from up the bush and laughter at your comment abut me being in the outback !.
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I can see with what you do that it would be an even greater problem, new ideas coming at you all the time along with figures, a nightmare. As for where this one is going we will have to see. As for the Outback I’ve got an image of you looking like Crocodile Dundee which is hard to shake off. Can see you in your bush hat as you tour the UK in a couple of months time!
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Looking great so far. I love the Backstage …err Work In Progress shots!
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Cheers. The film crew idea just opens up so many ideas, just wish I’d had them before I started this one. Hopefully it wil turn out OK but certainly scope for others in the future.
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That’s looking really nice! Very interesting minis, and I’m amazed at all the work you’ve put into making your diorama. Keep at it TIM! 🙂
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TIM I love your dioramas and the creative process you are sharing. Lights, camera, brush, action!
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Thanks Mark I really appreciate that. One of the things I like about blogging is you get a double whammy. You get the pleasure of sharing what you do yourself as well as the pleasure from seeing what others share too. Long may it continue!
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