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Behind the scenes!

Feb 23, 2011

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    1. Frank and I love doing photostories and with that comes scenes and sets and a whole lot of props. We've always got our eyes open for props! Having had some questions about what our indoor sets really look like (when you pull the camera back), here are some shots to give you the bigger picture.

      This is pretty much a straight-on of the outside of Hunt & Lassiters Office.

      [​IMG]

      Half-height.

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      And over the top into the office.

      [​IMG]

      It is a two person job.....DOA member, Frank, takes the pictures.....he fits inside for some of the close-up shots, while I handle the moving of the overhead lighting.

      Here's another set we had built a while back for scenes at a Japanese Restaurant.

      [​IMG]

      Doing the sets does take a lot of work, but it is also a lot of fun! We get to stretch our creativity to the max. ;)
       
      #1 Darling Elizabeth, Feb 23, 2011
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    2. That is some serious awesome. I quite honestly never thought about photo-shoots like this before. You just blew my mind. It is a good thing. Thanks for sharing~!
       
      #2 SilverSugar, Feb 23, 2011
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    3. oh the humanity O.O I love those sets, though Id probably compulsively inventory everything. ^^; its a habit
       
      #3 white_rabbit85, Feb 24, 2011
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    4. I always enjoy your photoshoots-the care taken is obvious, so this is very interesting to me. I'd always contemplated doing 3-sided sets, not a total surround. But when you've got lights like those, I guess anything's possible!
       
      #4 Isabeau, Feb 24, 2011
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    5. That's amazing! Thank you so much for sharing!
       
      #5 Carol Hensley, Feb 24, 2011
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    6. I am just blown away! This is so awesome. I wish I could do sets like that but I think the limitted space of a dorm-room does not allow such prop-tastic work lol
       
      #6 KiwiNinamori, Feb 24, 2011
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    7. Wow that is amazing. I wish I had enough money, time, energy, and creativity to do that! :)
       
      #7 ohmondieujetaime, Feb 24, 2011
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    8. Oh wow, that's so cool!!
       
      #8 WingedRivers, Feb 24, 2011
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    9. Wow they are just like real TV & Movie sets. Fantastic! Thanks so much for showing us how you do this. Will help I am sure many of us with our pics as well.
       
      #9 animemom, Feb 24, 2011
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    10. Holy cow! That is amazing! One random question for you though: When you have to do a close-up, do you actually fit someone within the four walls, or do you pull a wall back? I was a little confused by that (mostly because I don't see enough space to fit a person inside!)
       
      #10 PranBran, Feb 24, 2011
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    11. Absolutely incredible! =D But could I ask, how do you ensure that the whole set doesn't collapse inward? Do you use supports for it? ^^
       
      #11 Circus, Feb 24, 2011
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    12. That's awesome attention to detail right there.

      --MW
       
      #12 ModernWizard, Feb 24, 2011
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    13. wow thats so cool, you guys are very talented.
       
      #13 Joeyglove, Feb 24, 2011
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    14. Wow! You two have amazing attention to detail. Thank you for sharing. It's as inspiring as it is fantastic just seeing the results of your work!
       
      #14 Animeg, Feb 24, 2011
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    15. It's just insanely cool to see this ... thank you for posting it! I am always fascinated to see the bigger picture when it comes to how people set up their shoots. Looks like it's fun to live at your house ... how do you feel about adoption? ;)
       
      #15 FairEmma, Feb 24, 2011
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    16. Holy cow, this is just.. amazing. May I ask how its put together? Is it just wooden 'frames' and inserts for the walls?
       
      #16 Piastix, Feb 24, 2011
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    17. Wow, now I feel completely inadequate with a back drop and a drape and some naked light bulbs. Some day <shake fist>, some day I will be like you and Frank, the Merchant Ivory of DoA productions. ...or not...
       
      #17 Bishonen Judge, Feb 24, 2011
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    18. 0.0 lovely and amazing
       
      #18 Den of Deng, Feb 24, 2011
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    19. Okay, you've teased...where's the tutorial? Or are you going to make a DVD How-To to sell to us RANK and file photographers?:drool

      Totally awesome and now I have to go stalk all of your photo posts!
       
      #19 dhawktx, Feb 24, 2011
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    20. Oh wow, this is just astounding. It's especially keen to see just how huge these sets are in comparison to a full-sized room -- I knew they had to be big, but hadn't really pictured the full scale.
       
      #20 rowanberry, Feb 24, 2011
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    21. I love the things like the water cooler--and the lighting is superb, it's like a tiny movie set!
       
      #21 fishcake, Feb 24, 2011
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    22. Wow, thank you so much. This is inspirational.
       
      #22 richila, Feb 24, 2011
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    23. Thanks, SilverSugar!

      Thanks, white_rabbit85.....we need an inventory specialist like you! LOL!

      Thanks, Isabeau. We sometimes pull one of the walls out for certain shots. When we did our resin Christmas party, we left one wall out because of the sheer number of dolls in the photo shoot and Frank had to be able to maneuver around to get the pics.

      Thanks, Carol!

      Thank you, KiwiNinamori.....yeah, space is kind of a necessity for this.

      Most of the expense is minimal. Pretty much everything that you see in the sets (including the walls) were 2nd hand items (except for the lighting). The walls were from a used office supply store at $10 each and are two sided (and two colored so we can flip them for a different color wall). Creativity takes care of the rest. Now if we could only up our energy levels, we'd really be cooking! LOL!

      Thanks, Marie! We're hoping this can inspire people to new heights. Frank and I are constantly learning new things along the way, too.

      Thanks, PranBran! It's a funny thing....when the pictures of the whole setup were taken, they made it look smaller than it really is. Frank opens the door and crawls in and fits quite nicely. So the photos above really don't do justice to just how big this set really is in person.

      Thank you, Circus! The walls are made of used half-height office partitions. As such, they have holes drilled in all the right places to be able to fix them together with L-braces that were purchased at a hardware store for about $1 a piece (this set uses 5....one on each corner). It all holds together very nicely.
       
      #23 Darling Elizabeth, Feb 24, 2011
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    24. If I had the room, I'd love to "challenge" you!! It looks like LOADS of fun! That office is top notch!
       
      #24 xobrittuhox, Feb 24, 2011
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    25. Thank you, ModernWizard!

      Awww, shucks! Thanks, Joeyglove!

      Thank you, Animeg!

      Thanks, FairEmma! I love watching the "special features" on DVD's that show scene setups, so this was just a natural for us. Adoption? Hmmmm....we've got 6 real kiddos and have always felt there's room for more! LOL!

      Thank you, Piastix! The walls are made from half-height office partitions that we got at a used office supply store for $10 a piece. They're double sided (beige on one side and blue on the other....so you can change them around however you like) and are held together with "L" braces from a hardware store. Because the internal structure of the partition is a honeycombed metal, we can stick pins through it and use magnets to affix things to the walls. The partitions were an awesome find. When we first set out to build a set, we thought it would have to be wood. We are so happy that we took that "look-see" walk through that used office supply store! We bought a curved partition, too, and it will be seen in our hospital waiting room in an upcoming photostory.
       
      #25 Darling Elizabeth, Feb 24, 2011
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    26. I am in awe! Your set is spectacular. Big fan!
       
      #26 Katyok, Feb 24, 2011
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    27. Never feel inadequate! We started out pretty much the same way as you! It has taken us some time to get where we are now. Trial and failure was the game of the day as we learned what worked and what didn't.

      Thanks, Den!

      Thank you, dhawktx! Well....uh......never thought of a tutorial. That would be interesting! Here's a link to our serialized photostories so you don't have to stalk too hard.....LOL!

      http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?268479-Serialised-Photostories-A-Database&p=4293918&viewfull=1#post4293918
       
      #27 Darling Elizabeth, Feb 24, 2011
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    28. Thanks, rowanberry! It does take up a considerable amount of space. The room you see the office set up in though, is our smallest room.....so the set fills quite a bit of it. There's still walking room around it, but yeah, it's big!

      Thank you, fishcake! The watercooler was inspired by a little jug I bought at Walgreens (because it reminded me so much of a water cooler jug!)......and I have it fitted into an Ann Estelle shipper box that I painted white. It's not quite finished yet, but we wanted to use it anyway!

      Thanks, richila! And might I just add that your sets are so darling!

      Thanks, xobrittuhox! Heheheheheheh! Love a challenge! I think one thing we'd like to improve upon for this office, is to have two separate desks for our investigators. One of these days......hopefully in time for the challenge! LOL!

      Awww....thanks, Katyok!
       
      #28 Darling Elizabeth, Feb 24, 2011
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    29. Thank you for sharing! I love seeing how folks go about creating the scenes we see in the photo stories here! All those fantastic props make the story all the more realistic. Keep those stories coming! We love them!
       
      #29 Enchanted, Feb 24, 2011
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    30. Bravo!! You two are so amazing.

      And I am so behind reading your stories ;).
       
      #30 Baakay, Feb 24, 2011
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    31. Awesome job!!
       
      #31 daikiri, Feb 25, 2011
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    32. Oh REALLY?!?! :loveI've got one just a mile away that specializes in used cubicle parts...

      hmmmmm...:|
       
      #32 dhawktx, Feb 25, 2011
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    33. Really, really impressive!
       
      #33 Alewife, Feb 25, 2011
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    34. Thats amazing!
       
      #34 Allycat81, Feb 25, 2011
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    35. Wow ~ I am blown away! Awesome job! Thanks so much for sharing your set up. It is very inspirational and motivating. I love all the attention to detail you've put in. Bravo guys!! :thumbup
       
      #35 pris84, Feb 25, 2011
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    36. Thank you so much, Frank & D.E. for sharing your amazing set photography. it's always fascinating to see the behind-the-scenes scenes.;) I have always admired your stories and photography, as well as the fabulous costuming.. You both put a huge amount of work into everything. thanks, again.
       
      #36 sistercuervo, Feb 25, 2011
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    37. Interesting! I may have to keep my eyes peeled for something similar :3
       
      #37 Piastix, Feb 25, 2011
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    38. well a friend just posted me this link and i am awed and fascinated. even the overhead lights appear to be 'to scale'. Where on earth did you find a water cooler the right size? this is such a labor of love. fabuloso.

      someone else asked about a tutorial or link. i am still pretty new here so havent checked all the possibilities on site for photo instrux or prop making. Are there some?
       
      #38 frankiedoll, Feb 25, 2011
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    39. Thanks, Enchanted! We LOVE to enable!

      Aww.....thanks, Baakay! We've had a long stand still in story making due to real life, but I think we're finally back up! Stay tuned......wait 'til we get to the surgical suite!

      Thank you, daikiri!
       
      #39 Darling Elizabeth, Feb 25, 2011
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    40. Oh yeah! You definitely need to check it out!

      Thanks, Alewife!

      Thank you, Allycat81!

      We hope that we are enabling people to run with their creativity. There are sooooooo many people here that are creative in sooooo many ways! Thanks for your compliments, pris84!
       
      #40 Darling Elizabeth, Feb 25, 2011
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    41. Thanks so much! In truth, it really doesn't seem like work.....more like a labor of love. I hope we keep you entertained!

      You never know what you will find....especially when you're NOT looking! Some of our best finds were when we weren't out looking for anything specific. And these amazing finds come up in the oddest places sometimes, too! Keep those eyes peeled!
       
      #41 Darling Elizabeth, Feb 25, 2011
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    42. Thanks, frankiedoll! The watercooler was inspired by a tiny water jug I found at Walgreens for 99 cents. I wasn't looking for anything, but there it was on the shelf. It remined me so much of a water cooler bottle that I figured I'd buy it and find a way to make it work. The bottom of the water cooler is an Ann Estelle shipper box that I painted white. I'm not through with it (the cooler is missing some details) but we decided we'd use it anyway. As far as a tutorial, we haven't done one. I wonder what people would like to see in a tutorial of this kind....any ideas? Frank does have a doll photography tutorial on our website. I have also read a few prop making tutorials here on the Den, but it was some time ago. I know they are here.....LOL! Maybe type in the word "tutorial" into the search box and see what comes up?
       
      #42 Darling Elizabeth, Feb 25, 2011
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    43. Wow, this is really cool!

      What softboxes are you using? Looks like you've got speedlights into them?
       
      #43 cosplayshots, Feb 25, 2011
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    44. Hi there, Frank here. I had to jump in cause my wife isn't a photography buff. These are Wescott Softboxes with 500 watt bulbs. I have some for the speedlights too but I didn't use them here.
       
      #44 Frank, Feb 25, 2011
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    45. Ah, that would explain why I didn't recognize them. They looked like Wescotts but I thought those were speedlights at the back. Looks like they work quite well for the purpose. I've been on a lot of film sets and it's funny, since this is so much like a scaled-down one, even including the lighting.
       
      #45 cosplayshots, Feb 25, 2011
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    46. Purely coincidental I assure you! :)
       
      #46 Frank, Feb 25, 2011
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    47. Wow - I wondered how you managed to light the scenes so well! Thanks for sharing!
       
      #47 Sianserais, Feb 25, 2011
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    48. The craftsmanship is wonderful. I love all the details and thought that went into making these set ups. Seems very fun to do.
       
      #48 SeriousBunny, Feb 25, 2011
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    49. This is what I one day aspire to. Love love love your sets.
       
      #49 Cloudedmind, Feb 26, 2011
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    50. YAY! I have always wanted to see this! :) Your stories are always so riveting, but the props and surroundings always draw me in and keep the "belief" going.
      Though I do have to admit, it's the outdoor shoots you've done that stick in my mind the most for sheer beauty, and amaze me at how you get the outdoors that we all live in, to seem the perfect size for the dolls as well.

      So glad to hear your stories will be starting back up again! I think I'll go refresh my memory by reading through them all again... :)
       
      #50 aernath, Mar 5, 2011
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    51. To reiterate what's already been said: fantastic work!

      I'd honestly love to see a tutorial on building such sets-- how to realistically create environments, how to create your own props... that, in particular, is something I enjoy greatly from your photostories. Everything from stamped letters, take-out boxes, and eye exam charts? How do you manage to make/find all that fantastic stuff?
       
      #51 Scientist, Mar 11, 2011
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    52. Where do you get your doors and windows from?
       
      #52 xobrittuhox, Mar 16, 2011
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    53. The window is actually a wall vent. The curtains hide the screw holes. The door is a cabinet door that we found in a damaged goods department of a local furniture store. We added the privacy contact vinyl to the window and bought a drawer handle for the doorknob.
       
      #53 Frank, Mar 16, 2011
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    54. Hmmm that is really creative! I'm so unimaginative when I try to find doll props and stuff.
       
      #54 xobrittuhox, Mar 16, 2011
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    55. You guys do such an amazing scene work! I'm a huge fan of your photos and the way you put the scenes together in your stories. All so full of detail as the dolls seems to be almost alive~:D
      You guys are incredible!! Thank you so much for sharing the behind the scenes pictures, they are very inspiring!

      I must add how I love what you did on the Japanese Restaurant (that is new for me), I find much of a genious idea the ilumination system you made with the little lamps cable.
       
      #55 Invisible-K, Mar 16, 2011
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    56. Thank you so MUCH for sharing these behind the scenes photos of your sets . . . they are truly amazing and inspiring. That's always been the problem for me . . . small space not enough room to have a permanent set up. Whatever I come up with has to be able to break down easily for storage. Right now the guest bedroom has become the doll and prop room. And originally when I got into BJD collecting I always swore that the dolls were lucky to have a name and the clothes on their backs. LOL!! The thought of spending money on props was beyond me . . . but I've also learned that collectors love miniatures, and things to scale . . . go figure.

      And any insights on lighting are always helpful and greatly appreciated. I have so MUCH to learn on the lighting ends of things still. And did I say, you guys are the BEST when it comes to photostories . . . I'm in awe!! KUDOS!!
       
      #56 Keeley Keena, Mar 18, 2011
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    57. thanks for sharing! the setups are amazing!
       
      #57 bluepaws25, Mar 21, 2011
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    58. Wow!! I am far from having room for something so full of awesome right now >< but I am quite inspired for a smaller scale model.
      I am curious though. How did you get your little minilamps to light up like that? That looks so cool!
       
      #58 Unseenstars233, Mar 26, 2011
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    59. Those set-ups are awesome! Wish I had all that.

      My question is (if it hasn't been brought up already) how do you get your camera into the setting?
       
      #59 writerm, Apr 23, 2011
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    60. WOW I love it!!!! Behind the scenes are great!
       
      #60 Moonlight Neko, Apr 23, 2011
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