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A Question concerning Lightboxes.

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  • Member since
    November 2005
A Question concerning Lightboxes.
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 9, 2003 3:15 PM
I want to construct a forced perspective lightbox. As with my name, one of my obviously favorite movies is Apocalypse Now, and this light box is of the scene "Do Lung Bridge".

The forced perspective lightbox will be right when the PBR enters towards the bridge, almost the exact seen start.

I plan, for the Lightbox, on useing a 1/35 PBR by Tamiya, making slight conversions to suit the movie, and then using many many various figures and intermatching and sculpting different parts to make the PBR crew and fleeing soldiers. I'll try to find a small scale UH-1 and place it farther back for a forced perspective and then create a bridge using Balsa and use 1/72 scale figures. I will have to use an epoxy or whatever is used to do water and then sculpt the junlge, etc.

My questions to you are:
1) Are there any general tips for lighting a lightbox?
2) Any ideas on how to create the dense jungle area that will be on the ridge of the riverbank?
3) Any tips for creating water with a dark muddy tone? for creating water on a slope ( the river and river bank will be tilted slightly for a forced perspective).
4) How would someone go about creating a WORKING SCALE spotlight? I assume you create the light and then put a cover on it that is driven by a motor.
5) What are the best places to obtain lighting and electrical materials and very small lights that can be used in this lightbox?



And for anyone as meticulous as I, in the movie, as most know, half of the canopy is destroyed by a lit object thrown at them. After that scene is the Do Lung Bridge scene, but the canopy here is in perfect condition. Should I model it as in the movie or with the palm branch convering that I guess was meant to be in that part of the movie?




This will take too much time, too much money, and too much of my sanity, but you have to try it all.
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 9, 2003 4:21 PM
Sheperd Paine's; How to Build Dioramas, either 1st or 2nd edition, has 2 chapters devoted to how to built shadow boxes. One chapter discusses layout, constructing the scene, building the case, frame, lighting systems, power sources, special effects and troubleshooting. The next chapter shows a step-by-step construction of a shadow box. Pretty much most of what you need to know. As for jungle plants, there are a few different options available. The most expensive route would be to use photo-etch jungle plants available from Verlinden and others. Many people use plastic aquarium plants, since many of these look like jungle plants. Go check out your local pet store. For water effects, there are several ways to go. There was a recent thread posted here about modelling water or here again, Sheperd Paine's book describes several methods.
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 10, 2003 2:03 PM
Yeah, I have that book, and it helps a lot, but there are just some things that I guess he never thought of having in a lightbox that I have to include in mine if I want it to be an accurate scene.

The bridge has to be a forced perspective scale, so I have to fund out where to obtain lights that are small enough for the bridge and the right colors and etc.

I also decided Im going to use cotton to create smoke and try to get it so that a light bulb glows on the bottom (either continuos or on and off).
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 10, 2003 10:55 PM
Hum....so much for that suggestion. Sigh [sigh]
I have seen dioramas built in forced perspective and I don't think it works very well there because nobody views it from the correct angle. But in a shadowbox, you only have one viewing angle and I think it would work very well. I think you would need to experiment with placements to find out what works. As for the lights, model railroaders use all sorts of grain-of-wheat bulbs and LEDs. I would check your local train shop, if possible. I saw an article in a magazine a few years ago about making smoke effects by airbrushing the "smoke" onto a sheet of glass placed between the model and camera. (or the view opening?) Tamiya's translucent "Smoke" paint might work well for that. I wonder though how you would prevent glare off the glass? Polarized glass or acetate?
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