It was rather cool, as we got to see some of the other models and gear the WETA folks were working on, for other movies.. but having had to sign confidentiality agreements while being there I cannot elaborate... but lets just say it was certainly eye opening!
I was anticipating a day touching up paint chipped models from the packing and delivery returns... or maybe getting to help out sticking clump foliage to the diorama board ... how wrong I was...
On opening some of the returned boxes of figures from the various clubs, one box contained the entire Maori battalion of about 200 figures that hadn't even been touched. 200 shiny silver figures needing filing, trimming and assembly! And then painting... So I was quickly involved with that... it was just a fluke I'd brought my knife and files along too... just as well!
We quickly got our selves positioned and I had brought my little portable work station with attached light to work by, so I got power, and set to...
All pics on this post courtesy Roly Hermans official blog - "Mustering the Troops" :
Rhys Jones, left, (Retired NZ Senior Defence force) inspects our progress...
Yours truly hard at work, but has a moment to grin for the camera...
Mid morning a TV1 news crew also showed up to film us and chat to us. I think my little portable light rig caught their attention as they seemed to have the camera pointing my way from time to time. So who knows, I maybe on the news, indirectly at some point!
So I spent most of Saturday helping with the trimming , filing and assembling the Maori battalion figures. Towards the end of the day I also got to start doing the Kiwi HMG teams, which were rather fiddly as you had to assemble the crews and HMGs themselves with their slender fiddly little tripod legs... yes super-gluing your fingers together is always great fun!
Other guys near me were hard at work with painting duties, either doing touch ups, or starting fresh figures that guys in the spray booth had been spray under coating en-masse... this was turning into a real paint-a-thon...
The assembled crew at the end of Saturdays work...
Things wrapped up that night at 5pm and many of us then met afterwards in town with the Perrys for beers and nibbles. I stayed for a short while but felt I had abandoned family long enough for one day so headed home after a short time.... I got to enjoy some pizza, wine and a movie together, once I got home. Simple pleasures...
Evening out at Macs in Wellington...
Sunday was more of the same... though a slightly later start... I had more machine guns to sort out and a steady stream of models that needing fixing with broken or missing parts, or gaps that hadn't been properly filled with model putty...
The painters were often hard out, either painting up new figures, or many were doing re-work, where submitted figures were judged as being too bright and needed toning down, or too dark and needed dry brush highlights so they would all work well en-masse together...
Lunch time on Sunday I got the chance to go round the full exhibit at the museum that was still very much in progress, not just our diorama board, but the whole museum is being kitted out in PJ's vision of an immersive visitor experience in all matters WWI... It's going to be truly mind blowing when finished ... and not just visually, but also sound effects and even smells... fascinating!
After the museum visit we were back to work for the afternoon... and I continued my filing trimming and prep work until I called it a day at 4pm...
There's still lots to do, but there's guys that can devote more of their time through the week... but for myself I am back to my own mundane normal working life, so wont have any more time to be involved...
Its been a fascinating experience... and I really can't wait to see the completed exhibit!
The scale of the project is incredible, great that you are going the extra mile to help get this done
ReplyDeleteIan
Wow. Impressive effort. Great work! As much as it sounded like a long weekend, it also sounds like it would have been a very cool weekend. I'll definitely be keen to see what PJ and Weta have set-up down there.
ReplyDeleteBlimey, not having painted figures and then sending them back is a bit naff.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like the project is also going to raise the profile of the hobby in nz which is never a bad thing.
Initial distribution of figures has had its difficulties, with shipments getting held up in NZ customs... its possible the club in question received these later than ideal and just didn't have the man power on hand to deal with it, so could only return them? I don't know for definite...
DeleteI'm really pleased you got the chance to get inside Weta. That must be a major tick on the old bucket list for you! Let us know if you get on the news, I'll check it out online. My backside made the news in coverage of Call To Arms a couple of years ago, and my hands extending a tape measure across a table. By New Zealand standards that makes me a minor celebrity! I'm anticipating a call up to the upcoming season of Dancing With The Stars. I'm sure you'll be next :-)
ReplyDeleteYes indeed, very cool seeing what else was going on... no idea when and if the TV thing will be aired, but Rhys Jones had a sit down formal interview near us... then the crew started checking out the 'workers' and had a good chat with the painters just behind me... Dancing with the Stars! - ye gods, I'd better sort out my two left feet! ;-)
DeleteVery cool. It sounds like a lot of hard work, but also a very fun experience.
ReplyDeleteNow that's teamwork going on there! Congrats to all of you so far, Scott.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a brilliant weekend! What fun!
ReplyDeleteJealous not much! What a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteGood to see you there on the Sunday Scott, you were quite industrious at your little paint desk. I can only explain the juvenile conversation at the other painting desk as being affected by the paint and glue fumes!
ReplyDeleteYou too Simon... no worries, your conversation had me happily grinning away to myself :)
DeleteAwesome! Sounds like a great time spent doing something we are passionate about. Building, painting toy soldiers but not for a game this time. It's going to be amazing when complete. Looking forward to jetting down to see it before it is closed.
ReplyDeletecheers
Was good to meet you Scott! Likewise I was a bit surprised by the work we ended up doing and was very thankful that you had your tools with you, as I left all mine at home. Not a very good boy scout, obviously.
ReplyDeleteAnd you Robert! No worries, it was good we could all just chip in the best we could, in a very kiwi spirited way I thought ; "4x2 & No.8 wire" and all that :)
DeleteThat man deserves a DB. A fantastic effort by everyone involved.
ReplyDeleteWow you must be very proud to be part of this! And now you are a TV star too!
ReplyDelete'star' might be pushing it a bit! ;-)
DeleteGreat work! I'm coming down on Saturday for the opening. Thank you to the Wellingtonians for all the finishing touch work that was required.
ReplyDeleteSucks to hear about all those unpainted solders returned! OMG.
Actually apparently the opening is the 25th now? Re-booking my trip :-S
DeleteThe Great War Exhibition still opens on the 18th (as does the Te Papa exhibition too).
DeleteBut the New Zealand Room of The Great War Exhibition, of which our diorama is part, is opening on Anzac Day.
One bonus of the later opening is that you could possibly swing it to be in Wellington the day before for the street parade of WW1 vehicles on the 24th.