maxi stacks

[tom mann]

Oh, I almost forgot.  All the maxis have been stripped and will be in the paint booth soon for version 2 weathering.  It's like I always say:  if you screw up, pour alcohol over it and do it again*.


*I want to use this line in the video

[ryourstone]

I had an offer a couple years ago to do video, by a real producer who makes stuff you've probably seen on TV and happens to also be a model RR'er. I think I'm better behind a camera rather than in front though...

-Rich

[John]

Just think of all the makeup they would need to put on Tom ..

[tom mann]

Just think of all the makeup they would need to put on Tom ..

and spray on hair...

[Sokramiketes]

Shiny heads don't stop Kalmbach from putting out the dream-plan-build videos.  The follicaly challenged in the latest David Popp operations video didn't even get powder for their noggins.  Tom will fit in just fine. 

[tom mann]

Another thing is that I don't have professional looking work areas.  I've taken over the basement bathroom for airbrush operations, and the homemade paintbooth is sitting on the toilet seat.  It works, but on video, it would look...crappy.

[ednadolski]

Aww c'mon guys, don't be shy    One of those Huffman videos looks like it was made in his kitchen with a personal camcorder (you can see a stove/kettle in the background; still, moving the booth from atop the toilet seems advisable).  The important part is the content and watching the techniques from start to finish.  No need for the production to be super-slick, just so long as the camera is steady and the video/sound are clear enough to see/hear what is going on.  A typical modern digital camcorder on a tripod with good basic lighting should do fine too --- no need for pro-level gear.  Even the newer digital cameras take decent video nowadays.

Maybe it would be good to shoot some test footage?   I have some video editing SW on my PC that could be useful to composite the raw clips, add titles, voiceovers, etc.  If it doesn't work out for a DVD then there is always Google Video, or YouTube.

[Sokramiketes]

Another thing is that I don't have professional looking work areas.  I've taken over the basement bathroom for airbrush operations, and the homemade paintbooth is sitting on the toilet seat.  It works, but on video, it would look...crappy.

Do you sanitize the models before putting them on Ebay?

[ednadolski]

So guys not to press here but does this mean you prefer to go the Google Video route?   Really I think that would work fine too....  I've read some recent comments on the DH videos: no one cares much that they aren't slick like say the Kalmbach videos. Folks like them because the content is helpful and they can see the process happen as it is done. Some Kalmbach ones which despite being slick & professional are actually less helpful because the overall content is more superficial.

I think I'm better behind a camera rather than in front though...

-Rich

No worries really, it'd probably be mostly just your hands in the videos, and narration can easily be a voiceover rather than recorded as the scenes are shot.


Have you seen Craig Martyn's instructional videos for installing BLMA detail parts?   These look like a pretty good approach:

http://www.blmamodels.com/cgi-bin/webstore/shop.cgi?c=videos/fans.htm&t=main.htm
http://www.blmamodels.com/cgi-bin/webstore/shop.cgi?c=videos/grabirons.htm&t=main.htm



So whenever you guys might have some footage, I'd be glad to help put things together with some of the video editing SW that I have, just say the word.   


Rgds,
Ed

[CONRAIL FAN]

hey tomman, what color do you paint the rail car trucks?

[tom mann]

grimy black and rust with a light coat of oxide red (sometimes).

[ednadolski]

Ed,

Yes, it's the same materials and techniques as the article - except the addition of the chalk to the wash to make it heavier and more opaque. This is the only big change I've made in the past several years, and was mainly due to seeing the results Tom was getting using this same technique.

Here's a shot showing the deck where the wash is really heavy, and a black wash+chalk used to recreate the soot-covered look of a steam era boxcar:





-Rich

Do you do anything in particular to grind the pastels into a fine powder?   Scraping the sticks with an X-Acto blade initially seems fine enough to my eye, but then when I apply it, it comes out rather coarse looking.  Seems like sandpaper would gum up rapidly.

Have you ever used the Bragdon or AIM powders (http://www.aimprodx.com/index.php?page=powders) for this? How do they work out?

Thanks again,
Ed