Suggestion Thoughts on Materials, technique forum...

[MatterMaker]

So I've been a member on the RPF for a while now but have only recently begun posting. I wanted to comment, suggest AND ask a question regarding the forums.

From the perspective of a newbie. I've found on a number of occasions being at a loss as to which forum to post in. I've been casting/building/making props and various parts for a long time and building has always been my main interest. As such, I'm always interested in learning better building techniques and material usage. I'm surprised with all the creativity and building that happens here on the RPF that there isn't a forum specifically for questions and answers to material usage and building techniques. I know there are many posts on specific costume and prop builds but I'd really love a general forum where I could ask questions about best practices, best materials and offer advice or help other builders get past road blocks. The perfect example is my recent post about the best material for sealing a pine vacuform buck. It's not related to specific props, scale models etc... I posted it in the Replica Movie Props forum and it took a second posting by me 4 days later to get a response. I feel like it would have been much better received if it was in a forum specifically for building, materials, finishing techniques Q&A.

Has this ever been discussed or tried in the past? As an active builder always looking to improve my abilities this would be my go-to forum every time I log in. I don't feel it would be redundant. Does something like this exist already? Maybe I just don't know my way around the RPF well enough yet.

Thanks for your input!
MM.

 

[Craious]

I'd be inclined to agree with you at this moment in time. It is somewhat hard to pin point advice even using the search results as soooo many come up and many of those being unrelated to the query.
Having said that you can always turn to good old youtube.........and get completely side tracked, at least that what happens to me!
I'm in the process of learning from relative ignorance and it would be very handy. Does it exist?

 

[Darken]

I would also strongly suggest such a board. One problem I get frequently is trying to find out more about certain building techniques, and when asking about them getting a reply such as: "There are tons of threads about how to do that". Only problem is, either there aren't many threads like that, or the forum search engine is not particularly good, because searching for such things never comes up with the correct results. I swear no matter what I search the first page always has that one "Not another Iron Man thread" thread. A forum or even a stickied thread with examples of different casting, molding, and building techniques would be massively helpful, along with Q/A threads.

 

[MatterMaker]

Youtube definitely is the side-track master. Hopefully I can escalate accelerate this request and find the right people to make it happen. I still believe it would be a very useful forum for the myriad of builders here on TheRPF!

 

[Rylo]

I think we have enough sub forums. The staff could go mad trying to split any and all things 'props' into different categories. The main forum is indeed the "prop forum" where such a post would go. We discuss building, various techniques, etc. there. A sub forum would be redundant. Before we knew it, people would request a sanding forum to discuss grits, a paint forum to discuss; well, paints, an LED forum to discuss lights, etc. It really would never end. The site is driven by that which is built and collected...it's all on the main forum.

The fact that you had to ask your question a couple times simply means it didn't really grab anyone's interest the first time around. You may want to try the search feature next time. This sort of thing has been discussed quite a bit over the years.

Good luck with your project!

-Rylo

So I've been a member on the RPF for a while now but have only recently begun posting. I wanted to comment, suggest AND ask a question regarding the forums.

From the perspective of a newbie. I've found on a number of occasions being at a loss as to which forum to post in. I've been casting/building/making props and various parts for a long time and building has always been my main interest. As such, I'm always interested in learning better building techniques and material usage. I'm surprised with all the creativity and building that happens here on the RPF that there isn't a forum specifically for questions and answers to material usage and building techniques. I know there are many posts on specific costume and prop builds but I'd really love a general forum where I could ask questions about best practices, best materials and offer advice or help other builders get past road blocks. The perfect example is my recent post about the best material for sealing a pine vacuform buck. It's not related to specific props, scale models etc... I posted it in the Replica Movie Props forum and it took a second posting by me 4 days later to get a response. I feel like it would have been much better received if it was in a forum specifically for building, materials, finishing techniques Q&A.

Has this ever been discussed or tried in the past? As an active builder always looking to improve my abilities this would be my go-to forum every time I log in. I don't feel it would be redundant. Does something like this exist already? Maybe I just don't know my way around the RPF well enough yet.

Thanks for your input!
MM.

 

[MatterMaker]

I think we have enough sub forums. The staff could go mad trying to split any and all things 'props' into different categories. The main forum is indeed the "prop forum" where such a post would go. We discuss building, various techniques, etc. there. A sub forum would be redundant. Before we knew it, people would request a sanding forum to discuss grits, a paint forum to discuss; well, paints, an LED forum to discuss lights, etc. It really would never end. The site is driven by that which is built and collected...it's all on the main forum.

The fact that you had to ask your question a couple times simply means it didn't really grab anyone's interest the first time around. You may want to try the search feature next time. This sort of thing has been discussed quite a bit over the years.

Good luck with your project!

-Rylo

Like I said I'm still new around here and really don't know my way around yet. I guess the confusion lies in the fact that as you say, "The site is driven by that which is built and collected". There actually isn't a single Props forum. What if I'm not posting about something which falls specifically under one of the main categories? Where do I put it?

Here's my example from the perspective of a newbie.

...under the subject of Props, there are 4 forums:
Replica Movie Props
Original Movie Props and Wardrobe
Replica Paper Props
Sculpture and Makeup Effects

and there is redundancy between these already. (newbie internal brain speak on) "A replica paper prop could duplicate a movie prop or sculpture. Is the subject; Movie, or is it Prop, or is it Replica, but a replica could be a prop, a sculpture could be a replica or it could be Movie, or wait, it could also be Paper... Ugh I'm so confused." :confused

It's definitely something that I think many builder newbies to TheRPF have trouble with. Looking at it from a pure build process perspective and not a subject matter perspective it's quite confusing to know where to post if you're not already versed in the etiquette of the site. Within online forums it's always seen as a faux-paux to post in the incorrect forum, even more so for a new user who wishes to avoid annoying veteran members (like I may be doing right now.:unsure) I can see how it could be confusing having many sub forums but I think it's equally as confusing (and potentially more taxing on the servers) to try searching through a large collection of non-related posts within the current structure for specific building and materials questions or answers. As well, I don't think I'd suggest putting a Materials & Technique sub forum under the existing Movie, Replica and Sculpture forums for example. I think I'd be inclined to put a Materials & Techniques forum directly under each of the three main Props, Models and Costumes headers (If only to stay within the current header structure, otherwise I'd be inclined to make only a single forum) I believe it would help sort out those Q&As regarding technique that wouldn't necessarily fall specifically under the current Movie, Replica, Sculpture structure. I can't imagine it would degrade into a series of requests for sub-forum within sub-forum for each of the materials or techniques that could potentially be discussed, that's what the Materials & Technique forum would be for. The current structure does make it challenging. I think that the other replies here have; in their own words, expressed similar POVs.

As it relates to my earlier vacuforming post; I'm hoping that that post just got lost in the sea of "here's my new project, what do you think" type of posts. (but now I'm digressing...)

Don't get me wrong; It's not my intent to argue, just discuss. Wrapping my head around the fact that the site is first about the accoutrements of fandom with building being a sub-set makes it easier to digest and accept that my posts won't necessarily fit well within the structure of the site. I think I just might be less interested in WHAT is built and more interested in HOW it was built! It's a curse really...

Cheers!
MM.

 

[Rylo]

Well, at least you've got a healthy interest! You'll find your way around in no time. When you get in the weeds, stick it in the main forum. :thumbsup

-Rylo

NOTE: Paper props are just that, paper. i.e., flyers, letters, labels and the like. Screen used props and wardrobe are that which was actually seen (used) on screen. Everything else goes on the main forum except for studio scale models, make-up and sculpture. I'm not a fan of some the sub forums and believe they confuse more people than they help. (Case in point) No idea why a sculpture (studio maquette) wouldn't go on the main forum and I've been here 13 years.

The studio scale area is a wonderland though and really needed it's own area.