I cannot believe the talent these miniature model makers have. Not just the ability to make the small look real, but how to design the innards and framing to make them capable of holding up to the rigors of filming while also being able to be moved to the sets. Love this series of videos!
Doug Miller sent me to this video. We work together now. I wish I could of seen that Dante's Peak set. Incredible. Far more interesting than an Avengers blue screen soundstage.
Yeah, I was thinking about that the other day. I really miss the old Cinefex issues and the movies that were covered. So, you're right, this is sort of my way of continuing that information with videos rather than print.
@@piercefilm Well, your efforts are much appreciated. To see this, watch these videos, is not only informative, but nostalgic for those like me who remember going to the cinema and watching the films and marveling at the craftsmanship of the miniature effects teams.
@@ModelAviationStation and terrible one at that. Don't know if it's lack of talent or pushing deadlines too much, but you can clearly see it by comparing for example the first Jurassic Park movie with the latest. The original mastered the transition between CGI and models to the point it's still seamless to this day. While the latter looks like a PlayStation 2 cinematic the whole way through...
The Fifth Element blew me away back then. It was the first movie I bought on dvd....no telling how many times I have watched it. Still love it to this day. Amazing models! And...that Titanic is bigger than a real boat I had once...lol.
I worked for DD on “Dante’s Peak” there at the old naval station in ’96. Later worked on “Supernova” at the DD main shop where they were doing some “Fifth Element” stuff. Saw the Titanic model as well. Though no one could imagine what a huge hit that would be! The damn-break effects on "Dante's Peak" were pretty nuts! This was all right before CGI took over. I’m guessing most people watching those flicks today would just assume none of it was real. It was REAL!
Amazing, and credit to you for a job well done. I just re-watched the bridge scene and despite seeing the miniatures and knowing how it was filmed, it still looks real to me, as if there were real Humvees driving across a real bridge. Speaking of disbelief, I still can't believe Titanic was such a big hit either...
@@andrewstamford1988 I have a hard time believing the sequel to Avatar will be a hit. The trailer for sequel makes it look like exactly the same movie. The effects look exactly the same.
@@Bringos76 I'm with you on that. OK, I only have a very small idea of the plot, but what made the original were the big battle scenes and the (then) spectacular scenery. Not only has time moved on a bit too long, what story can be told here that won't be... boring, dare I say? With 4 sequels planned, where can the story line go? It was ground breaking at the time and I'm sure it will make money, but as you said, the effects look the same and all that. But we will see how it goes down with audiences.
@@andrewstamford1988 I agree. Maybe Cameron knows what audiences want and it will work. I wish he had went onto some other movie though or worked on the blu rays for The Abyss or True Lies
@@Bringos76 You really got me thinking about Avatar now. Still searching for plots but the apparent titles suggest it's going to be about the Navi and their stories and a total departure from the original. If that's the case, then seems to me it's going to be more for the niche crowd with only die hard fans willing to go the distance, along the lines of Lord of the Rings where you have this fantasy world and all that goes along with that. I watched them all, but not having read the books or been into it so much, I got lost with a lot of it and by the last film was becoming bored too. Sure, Star Wars was all fantasy worlds and the like, but you had space battles and big booms to keep the average audience amused and interested. I can't that with a bunch of blue giants chasing flowers with bows and arrows. And the time element. That's going against it. Yeah, Top Gun II came out what... 35 years later? But... boom, bang, fighter jets zooming around, with a lot of shoot em up scenes, not barefoot, blue hippies skipping through the forest. I know I am dumping on it before I've seen it, but I still think it will only appeal to the serious fans especially as they haven't capitalized on the initial energy surrounding it.
amazing and detailed work.......the end effect is just awesome. Nicely documented! EDIT: ok, so all of these movies were realeased in one year...and those Humvees look fantastic
I can't believe the complexity involved is there anything like this today? Detail, craftsmanship, 'love' put into this is inspiring but makes me sad somehow too
Not quite...CG was applied on all of these movies, just not as much as today. At that time most of the digital work was in compositing, with some models and creatures.
RIGHT!!! I figured that .... there is Just NO WAY, that those three (3) vehicles were The Real Deal AND break that bridge.........It HAD to be model building, but they were Just BIG models!!! And after watching that clip again, HAHA those "models" were taking a BEATING!!
Lol liturally as he says starwars stuff, close up of the side greebles... and low and behold, millennium falcon parts :D Also loved that battleship model. Been meaning to make a CG model of it for a LONG time.
The original Battlestar Galactica had WWII armor model kits and cabover tractor kits on it. They're easy to spot. Somewhere on line is a complete list of the model kits used on it.
Thank you for this story. I could listen to that for hours. Awesome job. Please check the new Lego Titanic is coming out next month. Keep up the good work.
...i just saw that bridge scene for the first time! That looked real!!!! Would have never guessed they used miniatures. Whats funny was they snuck in a star wars stormtrooper scream when the guy guy got flooded away!
Having grown up on Gerry Anderson productions and the work of Derek Meddings, I’ve always respected good miniature work and even the best CG has this feeling to me of an object not being “real”. Of course the best CG is the stuff you don’t notice. Case in point, Mad Max. All the surrounding scenery.
I KNEW IT!!! As a model builder myself, small scale 1/700 ships, I was thinking that those Humvees and van from 'Dante's Peak' were models!!! SUPERIOR Work gentlemen/women!!! Seen all three (3) films, Extraordinary Work..... I can't imagine the set of the dam-busting scene in 'DP', using 'SW' parts for the '5th Element' and Really (??!!??) a rivet-counter on 'Titanic' ......... W O W !!!
that was a very well done bridge scene in dantes peak, but why did they make paul die? that was to sad. and the flooding scene and lava scenes and fire inthe truck make me want to run away from the tv. so what did they do with the titanic model when the movie was done? put in a museum?
The Titanic model is being restored at the moment. It now belongs to Disney and they are putting a film miniatures exhibition together so it might show up there.
Naturally, Marschall gets the noteriety for his contributions toward Titanic. He and Cameron are old friends from the first Terminator film. K.M. is world-famous, revered as the famous artist for his maritime paintings ... but, the digital age is now upon us, and there are many experts out there that are bringing the grand ship to life with innovative CGI techniques... For everything there is a time and purpose... the future steadily approaches... and certain things are fated to return to their beginnings...
When you work on a film it's a job. It's part of "show business." Some people say "picture" as in motion picture. It's all about being employed in the film industry.
I had no idea they used miniatures in any of these films, amazing. Great video series
I cannot believe the talent these miniature model makers have. Not just the ability to make the small look real, but how to design the innards and framing to make them capable of holding up to the rigors of filming while also being able to be moved to the sets. Love this series of videos!
I will never get tired of watching these!!
i missed my calling, i could have been a contender
Doug Miller sent me to this video. We work together now. I wish I could of seen that Dante's Peak set. Incredible. Far more interesting than an Avengers blue screen soundstage.
I saw it. Made some of it.
It was badass!
Sense of Scale and the UA-cam extras are the new live action Cinefex. Thanks for continuing to release these videos! :)
Yeah, I was thinking about that the other day. I really miss the old Cinefex issues and the movies that were covered. So, you're right, this is sort of my way of continuing that information with videos rather than print.
@@piercefilm Well, your efforts are much appreciated. To see this, watch these videos, is not only informative, but nostalgic for those like me who remember going to the cinema and watching the films and marveling at the craftsmanship of the miniature effects teams.
The humvies really was the push selling the shots and I would never have even thought they were models fantastic work
What a cool time to be a model maker.
before the dark times
@@kentallard8852 you mean before CGI
@@ModelAviationStation and terrible one at that. Don't know if it's lack of talent or pushing deadlines too much, but you can clearly see it by comparing for example the first Jurassic Park movie with the latest. The original mastered the transition between CGI and models to the point it's still seamless to this day. While the latter looks like a PlayStation 2 cinematic the whole way through...
The Fifth Element blew me away back then. It was the first movie I bought on dvd....no telling how many times I have watched it. Still love it to this day. Amazing models! And...that Titanic is bigger than a real boat I had once...lol.
I want that shirt.
I worked for DD on “Dante’s Peak” there at the old naval station in ’96. Later worked on “Supernova” at the DD main shop where they were doing some “Fifth Element” stuff. Saw the Titanic model as well. Though no one could imagine what a huge hit that would be!
The damn-break effects on "Dante's Peak" were pretty nuts!
This was all right before CGI took over. I’m guessing most people watching those flicks today would just assume none of it was real.
It was REAL!
Amazing, and credit to you for a job well done. I just re-watched the bridge scene and despite seeing the miniatures and knowing how it was filmed, it still looks real to me, as if there were real Humvees driving across a real bridge.
Speaking of disbelief, I still can't believe Titanic was such a big hit either...
@@andrewstamford1988 I have a hard time believing the sequel to Avatar will be a hit. The trailer for sequel makes it look like exactly the same movie. The effects look exactly the same.
@@Bringos76 I'm with you on that.
OK, I only have a very small idea of the plot, but what made the original were the big battle scenes and the (then) spectacular scenery. Not only has time moved on a bit too long, what story can be told here that won't be... boring, dare I say?
With 4 sequels planned, where can the story line go? It was ground breaking at the time and I'm sure it will make money, but as you said, the effects look the same and all that. But we will see how it goes down with audiences.
@@andrewstamford1988 I agree. Maybe Cameron knows what audiences want and it will work. I wish he had went onto some other movie though or worked on the blu rays for The Abyss or True Lies
@@Bringos76 You really got me thinking about Avatar now. Still searching for plots but the apparent titles suggest it's going to be about the Navi and their stories and a total departure from the original.
If that's the case, then seems to me it's going to be more for the niche crowd with only die hard fans willing to go the distance, along the lines of Lord of the Rings where you have this fantasy world and all that goes along with that. I watched them all, but not having read the books or been into it so much, I got lost with a lot of it and by the last film was becoming bored too.
Sure, Star Wars was all fantasy worlds and the like, but you had space battles and big booms to keep the average audience amused and interested. I can't that with a bunch of blue giants chasing flowers with bows and arrows. And the time element. That's going against it.
Yeah, Top Gun II came out what... 35 years later? But... boom, bang, fighter jets zooming around, with a lot of shoot em up scenes, not barefoot, blue hippies skipping through the forest. I know I am dumping on it before I've seen it, but I still think it will only appeal to the serious fans especially as they haven't capitalized on the initial energy surrounding it.
Wow, busy times and great projects!
..the cgi for titanic looked like shit
KIT BASHING. I used to do that for fun before I knew there was a name for it.
Dante's Peak has impressive miniatures and sets.
That Dante's Peak set looks wicked.
8:39
Those model "Humvees" were just so totally awesome in the movie
The inner kid in me wanted to play with those models SO BAD
What a great episode!
Hey Ive seen Dantes peeks few month ago and I was trully impressed by all the effects. That was something. 👍
I watched Dante's Peak and Jeez, I never once realised that so much of what I was seeing WERE MODELS!!!
Dear me, i had no idea that the bridge scene was a miniature shoot ! The eruption looked amazing..
This is insane. THANK YOU.
amazing and detailed work.......the end effect is just awesome. Nicely documented!
EDIT: ok, so all of these movies were realeased in one year...and those Humvees look fantastic
Always loved the look of those battle ships
I can't believe the complexity involved is there anything like this today? Detail, craftsmanship, 'love' put into this is inspiring but makes me sad somehow too
Wow, before films were made on computer - such a different time!
Not quite...CG was applied on all of these movies, just not as much as today. At that time most of the digital work was in compositing, with some models and creatures.
Loved this!!!
amazing ! i love no cgi movies . i love - - - - .
Dante’s peak. I never knew the humvees were models. I need to watch it again now to see if I can spot them. Nice work guys. 👍
I just did and I still think they're real. So well done.
In case you haven't looked for it yet...
ua-cam.com/video/FzMT-D0XOyc/v-deo.html
RIGHT!!! I figured that .... there is Just NO WAY, that those three (3) vehicles were The Real Deal AND break that bridge.........It HAD to be model building, but they were Just BIG models!!! And after watching that clip again, HAHA those "models" were taking a BEATING!!
Fantastique 🥰🥰🥰
Bonjour de france
Lol liturally as he says starwars stuff, close up of the side greebles... and low and behold, millennium falcon parts :D Also loved that battleship model. Been meaning to make a CG model of it for a LONG time.
The original Battlestar Galactica had WWII armor model kits and cabover tractor kits on it. They're easy to spot. Somewhere on line is a complete list of the model kits used on it.
Wow!
Amazing
🇬🇧
WOW WOW WOW 👍👍👍
AMAZING
love to see work like this love the videos i pass them along to facebook and on to twitter
Thanks!
As a model builder videos like this are helpful in my hobby and to others .keep up the great work
I seem to remember the Titanic being promoted as a digital effect. I never knew there was a model.
The people walking on board. and the water around it was CGI. I have two segments about the miniature work here on my channel.
So epic. How did they make the scale Humvee tires?
Wow this was very interesting. Would love to work in this industry.
Amazeballs!
Thank you for this story. I could listen to that for hours. Awesome job. Please check the new Lego Titanic is coming out next month. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for watching!
Never watched Dante's Peak - now I need to... Link to the bridge scene on UA-cam - ua-cam.com/video/S1EsCWrUY84/v-deo.html&ab_channel=Movieclips
...i just saw that bridge scene for the first time! That looked real!!!! Would have never guessed they used miniatures. Whats funny was they snuck in a star wars stormtrooper scream when the guy guy got flooded away!
@@robd1329 Ah, yes. The Wilhelm scream!
Wilhelm scream at 01:44!
Wow never knew the titanic model was so large? But does it float!
Made for digital water. I posted two segments on Titanic already here on my channel.
@@piercefilm i belongs in a museum honestly
How much of the beginning of Fifth Element was miniature? I remember how incredible it was when i saw it.
The spaceship was a miniature.
I maintain that a well made model looks vastly better on film than using CGI. CGI, even well done CGI, always looks vaguely like a cartoon. I hate it.
Having grown up on Gerry Anderson productions and the work of Derek Meddings, I’ve always respected good miniature work and even the best CG has this feeling to me of an object not being “real”. Of course the best CG is the stuff you don’t notice. Case in point, Mad Max. All the surrounding scenery.
I KNEW IT!!!
As a model builder myself, small scale 1/700 ships, I was thinking that those Humvees and van from 'Dante's Peak' were models!!! SUPERIOR Work gentlemen/women!!!
Seen all three (3) films, Extraordinary Work..... I can't imagine the set of the dam-busting scene in 'DP', using 'SW' parts for the '5th Element' and Really (??!!??) a rivet-counter on 'Titanic' ......... W O W !!!
How were the little guus in the humvees made
Usually they are sculpted out of clay and cast multiple times. Sometimes there are store bought dolls that work.
that was a very well done bridge scene in dantes peak, but why did they make paul die? that was to sad. and the flooding scene and lava scenes and fire inthe truck make me want to run away from the tv. so what did they do with the titanic model when the movie was done? put in a museum?
The Titanic model is being restored at the moment. It now belongs to Disney and they are putting a film miniatures exhibition together so it might show up there.
..why did the titanic cgi look like crap in some scenes?? ...mainly the intro.
Because it was done in 1996?
Yeah I assumed it was cgi too. Perhaps the color grade?
Naturally, Marschall gets the noteriety for his contributions toward Titanic. He and Cameron are old friends from the first Terminator film. K.M. is world-famous, revered as the famous artist for his maritime paintings ... but, the digital age is now upon us, and there are many experts out there that are bringing the grand ship to life with innovative CGI techniques...
For everything there is a time and purpose... the future steadily approaches... and certain things are fated to return to their beginnings...
But they're not SHOWS, they are MOVIES.
that is the term in the industry
When you work on a film it's a job. It's part of "show business." Some people say "picture" as in motion picture. It's all about being employed in the film industry.
All this stuff is being lost to time:(
Mostly. Wes Anderson is still using a lot of miniatures in his films.
@@piercefilm yeah but i mean a record of what and how you guys did the work you did:-)
Titanic was ruined by the cgi
Between Volcano and Dante's Peak, DP had the better effects... but that dialogue! Such terrible lines for the actors.
I own Dante’s peak I honestly didn’t notice the dialogue being terrible I was just engrossed in the movie but hey to each their own