Photo Recreation Dioramas

Upon working briefly with the 3D pen, it broke. So I ordered a more popular, cheaper one, and have been getting on better. I prototyped the structural supports used in the creation of the art, and learned a few things:

This, is too tough, and way too pricey, this, took me like 3 hours.When working in tight spaces, the only support I really need is given by the structure I build into anyway, so, I went over the top. I learnt a fair few valuable things doing this, Firstly, I learnt how to draw the plastic into the the air, essentially draping it over a space, when you do this, the plastic tightens up as it cools, and causes little to no hanging. On top of this, I figured out that masking tape makes a good portable surface (got the idea from the prep for the 3D printers). Though, the more I print the more I realise that getting little 3d printed people is going to be hard.

I considered modelling the people with maya, then exporting to the 3D print programme (because maya is so much more usable that fusion), but the model would need to be brought over to fusion anyway, because maya doesn't optimise models for 3D printing (at least it doesn't seem to?). Though, as hard as people may seem to print, there are a ton of free to use models that I could potentially simplify and re-pose for the scenario, though, my friend on games art said that even that could be tricky.

On a positive note, I've come up with another idea I'd like to explore. Creating these dioramas as juxtapositions, for example, my goal for the first diorama, is to create a miniature recreation of a bustling pub, within the architecture of  an abandoned pub. My friend Rhiann came home with something that gave me an idea.

She bought this home, handed it to me, and said she thought it might help one of my projects, a table. Though, I'm unsure of what type of plastic it is, its perfect in two ways. I can paint it brown, use it as a table in a pub, but then it also gave me the idea of trying something else. Creating a diorama of an abandoned pizza shop, nearby/ within (not sure about that thought) a lively, abandoned one. It would free up a lot of space for ideas, to just juxtapose the environment I build in, but I'm not too settled on it it, I kind of appreciate the restriction. 

As far as the making of the first diorama and short film goes, I think as soon as a take the photo, which I plan to do today, I have a pub in mind, I then need to figure out the logistics behind printing a person, so I'm going to take two photos, one with people, one without. 

A big part of it is also the extent of detail. I think the toughest part to gauge will be the bar, though, until I take the photo, I won't know. But once I take the photo I plan to make a few props for it at home, as creating every little thing on sight will be tough, the supports and bindings have to be done on sight. I plan to film the creation of all the props and include their creation in the film, somehow. 

I also spoke with Jeremiah about certain future developments to make to these projects, like buying and using a Raspberry Pi to Allow the models made by the 3D printer to appear as though they were being constructed out of thin air, within the scene, though, I feel like this is something to bare in mind for later development of a different diorama. As well as this, he gave me some very interesting ideas on how to potentially montage these dioramas, depending on how many I make. 

I'm more excited for this project than I've been for any previous one, and now that I'm used to the pen, and have started a bit of a momentum, I'm eager to keep going.

This project has the potential to take a lot of forms, for sculpture videos to me made to tell a story, or send a message, or even to be sort of commissioned (but that's a conversation to have with myself after a few have been made).