Hi guys! I am working up a rough draft for an online book that I am planning on regarding the art of making storyboard dioramas.The rough outline will be: Part 1-Early Aviation Storyboard Dioramas. 1-"Keepers Of The Flame 1918-1928".(Jenny Canuck ,1/16th scale) 2-"Some Say ,He Walked Away" (Albatros,1/16th scale) 3-"Out Of The Shadows" (Nieuport 28 1/16th scale) 4-"Loss of Innocence,Will It Ever Be The Same ?" (Backyard Flyer, 1/16th scale) Part 2-HMS Victory Storyboard Diorama. "Drumming Daybreak" (H.M.S. Victory, 1/72 scale) Part 3-Old West Railroad Storyboard Diorama . "Once Upon A Time" ( Movie Set 1/24 scale) Cheers! John.
I am a little puzzled by your use of the term storyboard. I believe I was introduced to storyboards when Walt Disney acted as host for the Disneyland television show in 1955, showing how the ideas for movie sequences were planned. They consisted of a comic book like series of pictures that displayed the general composition, camera angle and rough appearance of planned film shots, one after the other, as they were to appear in a movie. I recall Steven Speilberg explaining the wild stunt scenes in Raiders of the Lost Ark, that they did not just happen, the angle and appearance of each shot was drawn in advance so exactly what was needed for every moment in the action could be anticipated. In my 20 year career producing TV commercials, I drew storyboards almost everyday I was not actually filming or editing, to show prospective advertisers how their commercial would look and go together. I remembering disliking it in an "educational technology" class when an instructor wanted us to make a "storyboard," and it was somewhat more like an architect would call a specification sheet. She was (I thought) taking a term out of context because it sounded "cinematic." I think dioramas have generally been associated with museum displays, either scale minature or life size. It sounds as if you are using the term "storyboard diorama" to refer to a created scene that shows several objects or persons in relation to each other and their surroundings that allows a viewer to see one item, then another and put the story together in her or his mind to create the action by synthesis, just as a camera focuses on one item, then another in a sequence to create what fancy French filmmakers call montage. That is not the way I am used to hearing the term. But then I am so stuck in the mud, I don't like hearing every large shopping center called a "mall." To me, a mall is a specific architectural form with one or more central non-pedestrian walkways, open or covered, with commercial space on both sides. A "strip mall" is a contradiction, like a peaceful war. But so many people (in my prejudiced view) misuse the term. Anyway, wish you success on your endeavor. I would imagine your old-west movie scene could be set up so it could be viewed as either a real old west scene or seen another way as a movie scene...
I am sorry ,I forgot to explain what that post was really all about.I am working on an online book about storyboard dioramas which are relatively new to the world of modeling ,as we have known it.I just thought that I would give you guys a little preview of the rough draft for the online book.It will not be on any specific genre of modeling but more of a new type of modeling where the story is primary rather than what is being modeled.The early aviation dioramas,the HMS Victory diorama and my new railroad diorama will each have a chapter in this online book, not from a how to build.....perspective but from a how to tell a good story perspective.It is simply an out growth of what I have experienced in my own home over the past ten years that my Victory has been on display.I have found that the viewer is usually more interested in the storyline than the model ship, especially the kids. It is my belief that the future of modeling is in the story being told not just the model itself.I have noticed that museums themselves have been slowly adapting to this new reality, this knew way of thinking.The modern viewer is no longer satisfied with just looking at objects but wants more than just visual interaction with the objects they are viewing.They are no longer satisfied with looking at just old artifacts without really understanding what they are looking at,very few even stop long enough to read the displays sign. Natural history museums and their modelers have known this for a long time.Full scale models of animals going about even their daily routines can be very interesting if they tell a good story that the viewers imagination can get involved in.Just displaying a bunch of skins or bones are not enough in todays modern world where viewers are used to so much more visual stimulation.Let's face it objects in glass cases without some kind of story are boring in this modern world.This is where the visual storyboard diorama comes into the picture.It is easy to initially grab the viewers attention with the objects being displayed but to hold that attention for any length of time their must also be a visual storyline that they can relate to in their mind. Storyboard dioramas are not easy to do and are a real challenge to any modeler .Trying to tell your story in a one frame movie with no dialogue,movement or music etc.. can be difficult but very rewarding if the modeler can pull it off well.It used to be thought that shadow boxes were the highest expression of our art form,that may be true but storyboard dioramas have to be right up there to. Cheers! John.
John-actually, the idea of storyboard dioramas has been used in model railroading for many years. In the 1950's and 60's, the NMRA "Bulletin" (their magazine) featured articles about "mini scenes" on the layout...small diorama like scenes which told a story and the viewer could go from scene to scene and get a real sense of what was going on. I still use those ideas on my layout so I guess that I am "current" in my modeling. I could post a link from another site which shows my work, but my links have been deleted here before so I will refrain. The ideas being used today are really ideas that were used years ago...and those ideas come from even earlier times. I trust that I haven't upset anyone(everybody knows that I don't like to upset anyone...), I just wanted to point this out. Woodie
Hi guys ! Right now I am writing about my aviation storyboard dioramas on the aviation forums that I belong to. When I get to the Sergio RR diorama I will pickup the story from there.Cheers! John.
Introduction 1 I really appreciate feedback both good and bad.Yes,some of it has been negative and some downright hostile but in this new world of communication you can write what you want and publish it yourself and if you have something interesting to say it will get read.No more gatekeepers between the author and his potential audience.If you like it read it, if not don't bother, that is the new standard for what gets read. Some say that I am claiming to have invented something new to the world of art and modeling .Nothing could be further from the truth.As I have explained dioramas have been around for a long time ,nothing new there.Storyboards are well known to the visual arts and movie making etc...But storyboard dioramas are relatively a new idea. You can prove this to yourself,just Google Storyboard Dioramas nothing except what I have recently put up.Now Google The Art of the Storyboard Diorama again nothing.Now Google The Art of The Storyboard you will find a few references to movie making production but no mention of dioramas. What I am trying to say is my book will be an attempt to see dioramas in a new context ,that of an artistic tool to tell a visual story using the diorama as the medium . In a museum setting you are working with the general public that may or may not understand what they are seeing.They may have absolutely know idea or interest in airplanes,railroads, ships or whatever.It may only be a forced school trip that they are on and they really don't what to be there.But models and stories have been around forever it is almost in our genes I would say.It is this group of people that I am hoping will stop and give my stuff a second look and hopefully somehow be influenced by it.
sorry A "strip mall" is a contradiction, like a peaceful war. But so many people (in my prejudiced view) misuse the term................Also sounds like a collection of gentlemans clubs... ...Mike
Outline 4 Storyboarding, What is it ? Storyboarding goes back to the 1920's and even earlier.Walt Disney developed it into an art using drawings posted in a logical sequence on a wall.Drawing could be added or deleted depending on the storylines development in what were called brain storming sessions.These brainstorming sessions allowed for everybodys creative input and could be quite lively with the animator/pitchman acting out the various roles of the characters.Evidently Walt was a genius at this and some of his best performances were never recorded. Storyboarding for dioramas is a little different in that the brainstorming sessions are mostly mental sessions that the storyboard dioramist works out in his own mind ,before anything is actually put down on paper .What to leave in and what to leave out? that is the big question.These mental sketches are then translated into a 3D diorama sets by the dioramist.Using these sets, a series of storyboard pictures can be created that tell his story in a logical sequence. This is different than anything that I have seen or heard of before and is why I had such a hard time answering Shep's question "of what is a storyboard diorama anyway." A storyboard diorama is something like a series of shadowbox dioramas linked together by what I hope is an interesting storyline.
Outline 5 Storyboard type dioramas are best suited to a museum type setting. It has been an accepted norm in the past that if it needs explanation then it is probably a poor diorama.Normally I would agree with this statement but rules are made to be broken.Isn't that what art is really all about anyway? Ideally ,in this case ,it would be wise to have a guide or other knowledgeable person there to answer questions and point the viewer in the right direction. Storyboard dioramas are specifically intended for a museum type of environment.They are meant to educate yes but in an entertaining way.Most of the general public have no idea what they are looking at, so some form of guidance is necessary.
Opening scene from "Once Upon A Time In The West" The cowboy standing in the doorway.This scene has a lot of interesting things going on.Although in the movie we never get to see this row of passenger car windows.Their presence is implied by the shadows falling on the seats.The little room behind the brick wall is never really shown in any detail so I just left it for the natural light.The door behind the cowboy is actually split in two but in this scene it should open to a desert scene which is not part of this closed set.I still have a lot of weathering to do but I think that you get the idea!
A lot has been written about the art of building dioramas but there is little out there on the art of telling a good story using the diorama as a medium.Good storytelling is essential to the success or failure of a storyboard diorama.While travelogues and documentaries are nice and can be very interesting,well written novels are usually the spice of life. Don't get me wrong I love writing and studying about history it helps us avoid the same mistakes in the future but a lot depends on who is writing that history,the winner or the loser ? How was it passed down through the generations ? word of mouth ? We all know of the problems there.We just tend to let our imaginations creep into our stories whether we like it or not.I kinda look at it this way.You are sitting in your car,lets call it "the now" you are looking out the front window,lets call that "the future".In your rear view mirror is "the past".You learn to avoid the potholes and other road hazards by not repeating the past.The trick is to avoid the potholes.Through our side windows life goes rushing by faster and faster with more and more distractions to attract out eyes from the road ahead.Take your eyes of the road for too long and damn your back to hitting those potholes again.It is all a matter of where you choose to put your attention.Artists tend to pay a lot of attention to "the now" it usually is the safest place for them to be.
