15 replies to this topic

[jdcar32]

Only being involved with this forum for 3 or 4 months I might have missed discussion of this subject in the past. The model railroaders and 1:1 guys have their shows. What about us diehard enthusiasts of all things small with rubber tires ? At least a segment of coverage attached to an existing car program. A lot of the collector car mags I read have model or diecast columns, why not television shows? T.V. guys may not be aware of the multi million dollar hobby they are ignoring. Gearz at least allows ( along with Revell ) a small portion of it's time touch on our hobby. Can someone in the hobby industry lobby for a show? What about Public television ? I'd love to hear your thoughts !!!

[Jordan White]

Might be a little tougher to have a TV show since the railroaders and 1:1 guys can actually use their builds in action, whereas with model cars they would just sit on a shelf. However, it would be cool to have a show where each episode is a different model show where the camera will show off the different builds and talk to some of the builders. There could also maybe be a segment each week that does a review of a model kit.

[jdcar32]

Granted there would be a lot of still shots. I like the model show idea. And showcase industry pioneers, model history, narrated tips and how to's. Shows like the old Shade Tree Mechanic have a car on a lift and they are working on it. A model car format would show a set of hands in action and stage by stage shots. I guess I'm visualizing " Model Car Magazine T.V.".

[george 53]

A few years ago, there WAS a TV show, called"Adventures In Scale Modeling" I think it was programed out of the Philidalphia Public TV channel. They did quite a few model build ups, of Various types, Boats, Planes Cars Trucks an even some Star-Trek Sci fi stuff. IT's been gone for awhile now,but it was interesting.

[Austin T]

A few years ago, there WAS a TV show, called"Adventures In Scale Modeling" I think it was programed out of the Philidalphia Public TV channel. They did quite a few model build ups, of Various types, Boats, Planes Cars Trucks an even some Star-Trek Sci fi stuff. IT's been gone for awhile now,but it was interesting.

I was about to mention that,it's from the 90's because I got a testors kit from that era with an ad fro buying the collection on vhs.

[Johnny K]

A few years ago, there WAS a TV show, called"Adventures In Scale Modeling" I think it was programed out of the Philidalphia Public TV channel. They did quite a few model build ups, of Various types, Boats, Planes Cars Trucks an even some Star-Trek Sci fi stuff. IT's been gone for awhile now,but it was interesting.

That's interesting. I wasn't aware of it, but just did a Google search (Adventures In Scale Modeling) and found several things - Amazon has a book of some of the projects, but YouTube has a couple of the segments available.

As a matter of fact, the book sounded so good after reading the description, I just did a 'Buy It Now' on eBay for $4.99. There are still a couple others left.

Edited by Johnny K, 14 September 2012 - 09:11 AM.

[my80malibu]

A few years back CSI Las Vegas, did a whole season of shows where a Demented but very good diorama modeler/Murderer. Did a series of crime scene dioramas. That were very true to the real thing. A show like that could possibly be a huge hit, you would just need to hire the right IPMS members as Writers, and Actors.

[jdcar32]

Maybe I should get an agent................

[CadillacPat]

Bottom line-------------------------
How big a market share do you think a tv show like this would get?
Face it, TV is for selling margarine, tennis shoes and beer. I just don't see any big advertisers willing to fork over for time on a Model program.

But, I bet a few of the people here would be prime targets for that "Hoarding" Series.

CadillacPat

[Jordan White]

Well that's the beauty of public television, it is sponsored by viewers like you!

[Lunajammer]

Ironic. In 1995 while I was a news producer at our NBC affiliate, I efforted just such a project. I laid out a show outline which included three feature stories bridged by short blurbs that included industry updates and new products and loosely patterned its format after the old PBS show “Motor Week.” It encompassed all plastic modeling. I had access to a set, talent and anyone in production who cared to volunteer.

I went to a Minneapolis IPMS show and shot a lot of tape, did at least one interview and scripted and edited together a sample feature. I phoned the program director of our local PBS station who expressed preliminary interest, said it timed out perfectly and wanted me to keep him posted.

I felt "Adventures In Scale Modeling" (hilarious title) was a good and thoughtful program but its creeping pace could only hold the attention of the most committed modelers. To make my program more accessible to the casual viewers, model builds would also feature the 1:1 action that inspires model building and hopefully inspire viewers to make a direct connection between the things that excite them and the building itself. Modeling would always be the focus but that alone just isn’t enough to hold an audience.

I barely got a start on the spec program before it became clear it was a bigger project than I could manage in my spare time. Not long after I was a casualty of a budgetary mass layoff.

I still have complete faith in the concept but the modeling environment has changed since 1995 and I’m not sure PBS would still be interested, but as stated in previous responses, PBS would be the venue.

Edited by Lunajammer, 17 September 2012 - 04:54 PM.

[Greg Myers]

Doesn't Stacey Davids Gerz do this from time to time: http://staceydavid.com/

[Art Anderson]

A few years ago, there WAS a TV show, called"Adventures In Scale Modeling" I think it was programed out of the Philidalphia Public TV channel. They did quite a few model build ups, of Various types, Boats, Planes Cars Trucks an even some Star-Trek Sci fi stuff. IT's been gone for awhile now,but it was interesting.

Adventures in Scale Modeling was sponsored by, and at least partly funded by, Testors Corporation, with help from IPMS/USA. Each of the seven segments showcased a different subject area of scale modeling, heavily weighted, of course to plastic models. The series ran on PBS for a couple of years back in the late 1980's, and featured known model builders of the time (one of them, when they discussed 1/72nd scale aircraft, was a local model building personality, Mrs. Doris Reeves, AKA the "First Lady of IPMS" (the late Doris Reeves was one of the founders of IPMS/USA in the early 1960's, and quite well known around IPMS.).

Testors offered VHS tapes of the show segments for at least a couple of years after the show left the air on PBS.

Art

[Johnag4004]

Something like this would be great, although I doubt it would be shown here in the UK , so why not use the Internet and the You-Tube thingy and have a MCM channel...

Builders could tape certain builds and then pop them to whoever wants to run the channel and then each week they could upload a new build, show tips & tricks, or even have interviews with certain top builders etc...

At least then doing it this way, the whole world gets to see and learn about the world of model car building...

Just a thought...

[Lunajammer]

Andrew, that may ultimately be the modern way to do it. However You Tube searches pretty much yield the same thing. The downside, from my experience, is most people don't know how to effectively and concisely cut to the chase. User submitted videos are usually (but not always) too long for a little info and frequently poorly shot. I think there would still need to be some editorial managing.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Interesting idea. One way to broaden the appeal (of a broadcast version) and so the market demographics to attract sponsorship might be to include segments on several facets of modeling...cars, trains, armor, RC aircraft, fantasy...even architectural and industrial modeling. I've learned a LOT from outside the model car hobby that's applicable, and I'd certainly be interested to learn more from builders in different fields.

Some people may not like the more diversified approach, but the reality is that the car-model hobby probably just isn't large enough to justify the effort to produce a program, but the whole modeling hobby probably is.

The producers of the 1:1 automotive shows often use a similar technique. I'm rarely interested in ALL the segments of any one program, but the segment I want usually gets me to watch the rest.

One serious gripe I DO have with current 1:1 car-programming content is the too-fast, too-shallow pacing that imparts very little useful information, but instead seems to be geared to short attention-spans and people who will never actually turn a wrench. Frankly, that deficiency and the BLANG-BLANG music that seems to be a necessary component of any car-related program has driven me away from watching most of it.