Introduction
Earlier this year, on January 29th, we enjoyed a lively and inspiring evening with David Gilliver, who joined us via Zoom from his home studio in Scotland.
David captivated us with a fascinating presentation on crafting dioramas, using tiny figurines, everyday household props, and a generous dose of imagination (see one of his images above). Take a look at his ‘Little People‘ portfolio on his website here:
We invited David to set us a creative challenge, and he enthusiastically agreed, even offering to review our finished scenes once they were complete.
Our challenge was to recreate iconic movie titles, and below you’ll find some of our members’ imaginative efforts, along with David’s thoughtful feedback.
Nine members eagerly embraced the challenge, gathering mini-figures and crafting inventive backdrops. On April 30th, we reunited in the hall to showcase and discuss our creations. Before we begin, it’s worth noting that David was unaware of the photographers or their chosen titles, so he had to guess each title based solely on the images.
Our images along with David Gilliver’s comments
Barry West
- Nine to Five (DG: A Clockwork Orange), 2. Fast and Furious (DG: Cars), 3. The Deer Hunter (DG: The Deer Hunter)
DG’s comments – Great use of backdrops fused with foreground action. I particularly like ‘ The Deer Hunter’ image
Dawn Blight
- This is Spinal Tap (DG: This is Spinal Tap)
DG’s comments: This made me laugh, Dawn! Again, great use of a dynamic-looking background image being fused with foreground action.
Gabor Kovacs
- The O Men (DG: The Green Mile)
DG’s Comments: I’m impressed by the details you have thought about Gabor, like the green on the paintbrushes and the paint splashes on their clothing. Bravo!
Dianne Lucas
- Mutiny on the Bounty (DG: The Bounty), 2. Last Tango in Paris (DG: Last Tango in Paris), 3. Driving Miss Daisy (Chain) (DG: Driving Miss Daisy)
DG’s Comments: Great use of material (plastic bags!) for the sea, Dianne!
Tip for image 3: Keep some space between the broccoli and the backdrop to avoid shadows (your clouds are excellent!).
John Howell
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (DG: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire )
DG’s Comments: I’m enjoying the lighting in this one – the goblet really does feel like it’s on fire (great lighting, John!).
Matthew White
- The Lego Move-e (DG: E Minor?)
DG’s Comments: I’m loving the lighting in this image – it feels very cinematic! I’m afraid I’m at a loss for the title – Once my brain was stuck on the letter (e) and the musical link, I just couldn’t think of anything else.
Rob Day
- Gone (scone) in 60 seconds (DG: Scone in 60 seconds)
DG’s Comments: Please tell me I got the title right?! I love it!! Haaha!
Top marks for the title
Tim Trew
- Star (Fruit) Wars, (DG: Star Wars), 2. Star Wars Tie Fighter – Darker than Space Itself (DG: Star Wars)
DG’s Comments: Thanks for the detailed set-up info, Tim. Star Wars (Oh my…I LOVE the ‘tie fighter’ idea!) Very creative! Well done, Tim. The tie fighter had me laughing…
Chris Morris
Unfortunately, Chris missed the deadline for any comments from David, but most of us thought his movie was the biopic of Jake LaMotta – ‘Raging Bull’. But no, Chris went for that Tommy Steele classic, ‘Tommy the Toreador’.
Closing comments from David
Thank you, everyone, for giving this challenge a good go. I really enjoyed looking through the results and trying to guess all the film titles! I think this is the first time I’ve had a game of ‘Catchphrase’ turned on me! 🙂 Very enjoyable.