ESCAPE POD

A VOSTOK style hard landing and spherical, with a port-hole window, were about the only criteria to be met with the miniature. The largest EMA hemispheres available dictated the size. 12" in diameter. I was free to surface detail as I wished.
BAG OF SAND I also tinted everything in Paintshop as I didnt have gels for the practical shoot. This was one bag of red sand on a benchtop with a piece of pink card behind.
DIGITAL EXTENTION I just flopped the last section of the shot and glooped the landscape a bit....a very basic digital extention using a very basic package...paintshop pro.
TRUE COLOURS Building more than a hemisphere gives the director so much more freedom to shoot from anything other than a locked off camera from the front only.
BEST SIDE Completed Escape pod showing the hatch closed. Apart from the rigours of re-entry, we dont know how long the pod has been attached to the mothership, being climbed over by astronauts as they perform other repairs around their ship, so it can have extra marks and dings even if this is its first use.
RETRO RETROS Russian Retros are hidden on the underside, but I wanted to get more value from them than that, so I raised them to a mid point. This meant I needed a recess for them to look like they belonged. You can see a close up of the alluminium foil used to cover the entire pod and the dressmakers pins used for rivets. any small marks left applying the foil will only add to it.
GREY IS GOOD Plastic primer, a colour Ive come to love over the years. It brings a group of objects together and highlights any weak areas that need more detail....or not, as the case may be. You can see all the pre-drilled holes in readyness for the dressmakers pins I used for rivets. the holes are about .1mm too small so the pins are push fit and no glue required. saves time and messy glue.

EXTRA PROTECTION

 The original piece removed at the back was going to be a removable piece using small self tappers. this can actaully be a piece of cardboard taped in place, leaving a piece of the dome available for extra dressing. This I used to create the petals of extra protection, forming a heat sheild, if you will.

HATCHBACK

 

 Astronaut returns to the pod and so 'hatch open' and 'hatch closed' were two positions required. No working hinge was needed, so two slots is all I provided
RELEASE CLAMPS Sprung open, these were supposed to be release clamps from the parent ship. 4 would have been ideal, but 2 works fine too. there arent a lot of stresses in a zero-g enviroment.
WHAT SCALE? I sent this image to James and we both agreed the chap on the left was the approximate scale. About 1/10th.
MAGIC SPRAY This is the first colour applied to the alluminium foil for that tarnished, heat exposed look. Comes in a variety of colours. Smells like hairspray....because thats what it really is - re-labelled!
YEP, ONLY 12 INCHES A very enjoyable contract. Here's hoping evry success to James and TETHERED!

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