Sergio Leone Movie Set Diorama

[JohnReid]

Hi guys! I am not new here but have been doing dioramas for a long time.This will be my first RR diorama and will be dedicated to the film and its director Sergio Leone.

This diorama will be for me! Long before other models came into my life their was my American Flyer train ,that I played with for years just on the floor, more than 60 years ago now.
Sergio gave an interview once and told of how his interest in the old west was developed in his childhood probably about 10 years before mine.Like he did I went to the movies and sucked in all that old west mythology,then came home and played out the scenes with my buds or my model train.
As I reach my 70's it seems that I want to re-connect with my long gone childhood and play with my trains again.

[JohnReid]

.You know it is funny how these creative seeds are planted in your brain.When I walked out of the movie theater 40 years ago after seeing this movie for the first time,I knew something had changed,that I had experienced something that really hit home.I couldn't quite figure it out at the time but I new that I had just witnessed a great piece of Art.I have seen the movie many times since but it was only when I got into storyboard dioramas that I really began to appreciate it .The genre I had always loved since I was a kid, "The Old West", but this film was different from anything I had seen before.
I bought the special collector's edition DVD of the film and began to really study it this time.
This edition not only has the movie itself but you can program it for a running commentary on every scene by knowledgeable film people.
There is also 3 documentaries included.
Maybe its because I am an old fart now but for me this is a wonderful tool that I would of never dreamed of years ago.A university course on film making in a box. "WOW"
When studying this film I sometimes just run it with sound,sometimes without sound and sometimes just the sound alone.I freeze frame compositions that I like and note lighting ,composition etc...I take pics with my digital camera right from my computer screen for research purposes.Never before have artists had all these wonderful tools at hand whenever they need them.It kinda blows me away!Home based artists have never had it so good!Now we too can learn from the masters in an exciting new way.

[JohnReid]

Well I have changed my plans again,I will build a sound stage.This will give me the freedom to really do what I want.
The story is that for one reason or another a sound stage had to be built. this may or may not have have happened but....in my world it did.Maybe Sergio wasn't happy with a scene involving the locomotive and the station.Rather than go back and re-shoot it it would be much simpler to create a sound stage with a fake train and station.He was a perfectionist so this may have happened in this or another movie of his but it does show the lengths that he would go to to make it right.It makes a statement about his personality which I happen to share.
This will be a story of artistic license in the extreme and how movies are really made.
I plan to cut down the scale of the diorama to just the locomotive and the half passenger car /shack.I think that this is quite enough to tell the story but with the option of adding more modules later on,although this may not be at all necessary.
My locomotive will be a complete fake actually probably only half a locomotive made from wood and tin of whatever.Basically all I need from the kit is the shape and something to weather.
This is definitely a work in progress !

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

The first pic has just two subjects on a square.The second pic is three subjects on a circle.I think that I will go with the circle.
Why? the circle idea gets rid of all the boring squareness.It also allows me to add other element to the story that of the robber baron Morton's private car, which I can finished inside and out if I want.It also makes the whole piece viewable from just about any angle.It means that I can eliminate the windmill and water tank and concentrate more on the real elements of the story.I can add things like painted scenery out of Morton's car windows etc...
I can see this whole piece going on a turntable moving a 1 RPM.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

In the first of the 2 pics above, the first one gives you an idea of the closest I come with this piece to a front or primary viewing angle.The second pic of the locomotives side will actually will actually be a fake locomotive built for the sound stage.I plan to built only half of the locomotive with the half facing outwards showing the built up structure with all the wooden braces and scaffolding etc...Where you see the piece of tape will be approximately where the empty directors chair will be placed.
The boxcar will actually be the luxury coach belonging to the robber baron Morton, where a lot of the action takes place.On the outside of this car I plan to put a screen about half the cars length long with a phony backdrop of monument valley.
The caboose will actually be where the opening scene takes place and will consist of a passenger car cut in two with a shack built on one end.I also plan cutaways facing outwards, of the insides of the passenger cars.From the inside view everything will look normal as in a real sound stage.
There will be no tender as I want to maintain a good view of the cab with all that interesting stuff in there.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

The tender is back in ! Like I said this is still an evolving piece.
I figure that it will fit nicely within the 3 foot circle and I can expose the locomotives cab by simply leaving the outside sidewall off.
Remember that this piece is a model of a sound stage with everything on the perimeter showing a behind the scenes look at these models as representations of props used in the making of a film.From the inside where the directors chair is everything appears normal and ready for the actors to walk on stage.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

This is the instruction booklet from the 30 year old used kit that I will be building in G or 1/24 scale (officially 1/25).I will be using only one side of the model and improvising the rest to look like a movie set sound stage prop.The previous owner had it hanging around and offered it to me for the postage plus a small handling free.An offer I couldn't refuse! It looks like an early version of this kit ,so the detail is strong.As far as I know all the parts are there but I don't mind scratch building if I have to.At least it is a good starting point.The G scale passenger cars I should have by the end of the week ,they to are kits by Bachmann.I plan to do a lot of modifying on the cars and finish them inside and out.Like the locomotive they also will be props,with one side open to viewing.Here is where access to doll house parts and pieces will come in real handy for furniture and a Victorian type setting.I will be taking lots of pics from my DVD of the movie for reference,it can't get any better than that.
The 3 foot circular design is a nice size to work with and my wife is very happy to hear that once the four aircraft museum pieces are gone she can have a lot of our house back again.This old back of mine will also be relived to know that it is the end of the really big ones !

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]