Gizmodo
We love perfectly shiny stunning aircraft models, but these wrecked sci-fi models attract us even more. It may be the fascination with their decadence or that they remind us of ourselves after a Friday night out, who knows, but there's something irresistible about seeing a huge gallery of AT-ATs frozen in time, destroyed Star Trek ships or rusty Terminators:
[UPDATE: I talked with Dimitri Kaliviotis, the creator of the AT-AT and professional model-maker for many Hollywood superproductions, who explained to me how he did it and other very interesting bits.]
These are some of the best entries of the 15th edition of Starship Modeler's Wrecks, a taste of an online contest that calls for modellers to create wrecks of anything they can think about: from figures and planes to famous spaceships, vehicles and full dioramas. The winning entry was that rustastic AT-AT, which is simply stunning. My other favorites are the Apollo XIII, the dead Terminator and the Batmobile crashing on the Xmas Tree. Can't get more kitsch and seasonal than that.
UPDATE: Interview with Dimitri Kaliviotis
I talked with Dimitri Kaliviotis, which not surprisingly is a professional model maker who has worked in a lot of Hollywood productions:
Jesus Diaz: Dimitri, first of all, congratulations on such an amazing piece of model-making.
Dimitri Kaliviotis: Thanks for the compliments and interest in my work.
JD: How long did this beast take? Was it a kit or built from scratch?
DK: It took about 2 months to complete.
JD: Is it a modified kit, right? Did you have to create new molds or was it mostly carving and painting?
DK: You're right, it is a heavily modified garage kit, which is not commercialy available. The molds and pieces already existed when I started the construction of this model.
Most of the work however is finding and integrating the "found object" elements. It was necessary to use found object because alot of the "guts" of the AT-AT are exposed. You have to find the right piece for the right crevice/opening. It doesn't show from the pictures but the interior of the AT-AT is also "dressed" with found objects.
A couple of close-up pics would have illustrated this "integration" better. "Found objects" usually include parts from vcr's, broken toys and sometimes parts of other kits. Carving and painting of course take up alot of time as well.
JD: I see that you are a professional model-maker. I have seen your work and it is stunning as well. What projects have you worked in?
DK: Yeah, I'm a professional model-maker. I've been working mostly on American film productions shot in Montreal, for the past eight years, since 1999. I work on SFX miniatures, which of course lend themselves more easy to "wrecked" subjects. Films that I've worked on include: "Taking Lives" (the straw figurines), "300" (the Persian coins + SFX miniature boat parts), the infamous "Battlefield Earth" (SFX miniatures) [poor him], "Night At The Museum" (dioramas) and "The Mummy III" (concept models) among many others.
JD: It shows. Amazing work again.
DK: Thank you again for your interest. It is very flattering indeed.
[Dimitri Kaliviotis via Spaceship Modeller]
Obligatory David Bowie's Space Oddity while you click on those images:
Comments
Not sure which I love more, the decision to bring in guest-commenter Major Tom or the decision to throw in the Drunken-Christmas-Batman shot.
Either way, it's clear that with this post, we all win.
@92BuickLeSabre: Well put and seconded.
That is some incredible work.
One of my favorite photos of the Space Shuttle is one where Columbia (Bless her and her crew) has just landed at Edwards AFB and is sitting looking a bit scorched and dirty from her mission.
My first thought was "Holy shit man, that's not just a shiny one-off spacecraft, but a WORKING spacecraft."
Those kind of visual details bring that stuff home, and the artist obviously has a feel for that.
The AT-AT virtually writes it's own freaking novella, doesn't it?
Maybe about some natives that are living in it or find it or something, I don't know, but it's there, I can see it.
looking at the AT-AT model is so humbling in a way. it was so powerful in the Empire Strikes Back. and now sits abandoned, discarded an ancient relic of a more civilized, renaissance era of the Empire.
now, just junk. I so want it!!!
AT-AT FTW
The AT-AT is AMAZING. I would give anything to have that. Oh man its unbelievable. To whoever constructed it, my hat goes of to you, you are truly talented.
Send me AT-AT please. Kaiser want.
The Thing took one of the first and largest steps in moving forward horror special effects... So that model wins for me.
I love that somebody remembered the Icarus.
PS, USS Kongo?
"He was sucked out . . . in the airlock".
It looks like some kind of rope ladder was constructed up the rear legs of the AT-AT. Is it now inhabited by Ewoks?
There's something strangely sad about a burned-out AT-AT.
It kind of reminds me of that episode of The Wire where Herc, Carver and Prez go into the Towers in the middle of the night after drinking. A riot ensues, and all that's left is a burned-out cruiser.
And yes, it was all fun and games in the episode until someone lost an eye.
What's up with the typing today? Giz editors had a loooong night or something? Seems half the posts have serious typos that make certain sentences incomprehensible. Maybe it's just me and I'm suffering some sort of degenerative neurological problem?
Amazing work, those guys desire a round of applause for their detail.
Maybe MasterYong, What p4roblem havyou? Not se thingsame e not....I.
Gcheckedbyaoutetthat
thing.\//Dr.
@omg-ponies: Sorry for the double-post, but outstanding, outstanding reference ponies.
Seeing the AT-AT model takes me back to when I was a young, wide-eyed Jedi wannabe munching on popcorn in a dark theater listening to the blasts of lasers all around me and feeling like I was Luke flying in the snowspeeder toward one of the behemoths... still gives me a sci-fi woody. ;)
You should have asked for high-res photos of this masterpiece!!
That AT-AT is a thing of beauty! The detailing is where the fun lies. : )
My feeble first attempt with a Robotech model in 1985, still largely in one piece and in good shape over 22 years later.
@f00fighter: I actually did. And here they are :-) Dimitri sent them today.
amazing jobs!
.
This is also cool - a speech-controlled "Spybot", remotely accessed via Skype Video Call across the Internet!
[wirelessspeech.blogspot.com]
Bill Burke
[wirelessspeech.blogspot.com]
Great artwork, but I wish you'd chosen the first filmed version of "Major Tom" (which I directed back in the day!).
i always had a thing for broken toy cars...
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