Better than Studio Scale "Titanic"

I saw this model in person at an exhibit at Mystic Aquarium in CT. It's really incredible.

Here are a few pictures I took with a crummy camera.
 
Some of the information on this model is misleading. The plans for the Titanic were lost in a fire at H&W back in the 1930's. I was in charge of finding the plans for the Cameron film. What we wound up with was the plans for the Olympic, which was built first and, with the exception of a few minor details, was identical to Titanic.

It is also the second, accurate 1:48 scale model built. There is one located at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum. It was built by a clergyman over a period of 12 years, if I recall correctly.

I know, picky details...

Scott
 
CaptCBoard said:
Some of the information on this model is misleading. The plans for the Titanic were lost in a fire at H&W back in the 1930's. I was in charge of finding the plans for the Cameron film. What we wound up with was the plans for the Olympic, which was built first and, with the exception of a few minor details, was identical to Titanic.

It is also the second, accurate 1:48 scale model built. There is one located at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum. It was built by a clergyman over a period of 12 years, if I recall correctly.

I know, picky details...

Scott
Click to expand...

Scott great story - didn't know you were inolved in Cameron's odyssey...

Do you know when the Titanic model you refer to arrived at the Maritime Museum? I ask because I was there a year or two ago to photograph the 1/48 scale Poseidon, and certainly do not recall a similar scaled Titanic.

Sign001.jpg
 
PHArchivist said:
--- I was there a year or two ago to photograph the 1/48 scale Poseidon, and certainly do not recall a similar scaled Titanic.
Click to expand...

All I can say is that it had been on display for quite a while when I saw it back in December 1995. I have not been back to the museum since.

My participation in the film was as the first person to work directly on the project at Digital Domain. Specifically, I was the detective tracking down accurate plans. The reason I got to do this is I realized two things-- I was about to be laid off and when we were going to start Titanic, no one would have the plans for us to use. I went to the head of the model department (Les Ekker) and related the concern about the plans. (Every model project I worked on always had problems starting up due to a lack of good/any drawings) He recognized the wisdom of this since we were going into a holiday season and the time could be used to find the plan in advance of crewing up after the first of the year. He got the approval to keep me on and I went to work. After that, I was in charge of building a 1:48 scale study model (mostly gator board and foamcore) which Cameron used for planning his exterior shots. Once I had delivered that model, I left the project to take on development of a script for the Henson Company. We worked for weeks on that and it was cancelled because they had a better idea worked up: Muppets in Space. Yeesh...

I wound up at Don Pennington's shop eventually, just as he was starting the 1:8 scale sinking model of the Titanic. I spent almost 16 weeks on that supervising and building the breakaway interiors-- which were digitally replaced in post. I had everything in there-- furniture, lighting fixtures, carpets... and the correct area of the cross-section of the flue under Funnel #3. In case anyone is wondering, we built only the half of the model that was above water right before the break happens, basically from the base of Funnel #2, which is underwater at this point. So about 10 feet of the model was underwater with the rest sticking up at about a 35 degree angle. The total length was 65 feet and it weighed 17,000 pounds. Now, THAT's a model!

Scott
 
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Cool story Scott!

I'm not sure where they got the "First and Only " business from, I've worked on 1/4 inch scale Titanics on two occasions once in 2003 and once in 2006, the Mfg date on the exhibit plaque was 1997.... Not to belittle the current model in question mind you, it's hands down far more detailed, but it doesn't seem to me to be as exclusive as they say it is.

BTW when I say "worked on" I mean I contract to museums to repair models and dioramas. Usually the damage occurs in transit and during setup.
You should see some of the hack jobs that some other exhibitors call repairs, usually done by a non skilled 'employee' of the last institution the exhibit was set up in. Much of my time is spent addressing and un-doing some of these ill conceived reparations. I'd have documented these 'crimes' but I'm always rushed, as they generally call me at the last minute, often working marathon hours and cleaning up and carting off my gear just as the exhibit opens.

The chaos and stress of setting up a traveling exhibit is something most people never see...there are always heated arguments...quittings, firings, re hirings, and the occasional fist fight...good times!

M
 
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