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Studio M was first contracted by a promotions company to design and provide the presentation material for the six windows for David Jones' Christmas display in 2006. Once the submitted design was won, StudioM was then contracted to create the six window scenes and oversee all contracted work into those scenes.
The promotions company delivered the steel frames in 4-6 sections, with undercoated plywood sides and floor..... bare 'canvasses'.... ready for StudioM to create the scenes within. The design and construction for the six window scenes was done at our small workshop in Tinbeerwah. As each scene was completed it was transported to the premises of the local promotions company so the mechanism to provide the up and down movements for the puppets and the lighting could be inserted overhead, ready for David Jones' VM mgr to inspect. The North Pole Deer Club shows the other reindeer - all brown noses - enjoying a good time (moving 2D silhouettes playing table tennis, cards and darts ) whilst Santa consoles the different, odd looking Rudolph and asks for his help. Considering this was the first of the six window scenes StudioM made for the project, this all seems rather ironic in hindsight. Rudolph's head was designed to hang low and lift up slightly allowing his mouth to open in a smile and his eyes to roll open making him look happy. His nose was left hollow and the red end was deliberately left with a thin layer of latex coated in red tinted 2 pack estapol so that a low voltage light could be placed inside and glow through. There is an opening at the back of his head, unseen from the front, that allows any heat build up from this light to escape. We tested this in our studio with a low volt light for a long time and it worked well. The group of reindeer in the back were designed, as outlined in StudioM's written description within our presentation material to DJ's, to have synchronised lighting focus on them at the appropriate end of the song with their placards then moving up and down to cheer Rudolph as their new hero, but unfortunately this did not happen. The placards moved up and down continuously without synchronisation as was the lighting. The company was unable to synchronise the actions and focus lighting with this reindeer group to coordinate with the appropriate end of the song, as intended in StudioM's orginal design and notes that were presented to David Jones. It would have been more effective had this happened. Mice were made by Juanita Wellings in Clifton to our original design/ drawing and instructions on how to make, as well as Santa and his torso, which sits on a metal stand. StudioM provided the red fur material with the white fur binding already attached for his outfit to be made. Once made they were posted to our studio for us to add accessories, place and secure within the scene. All original design presentation and sketch drawings, specifications and instructions to others for mechanics/puppets, and original molds/ templates used in the scene are retained by StudioM as the designer and creator of the scene.
Visit www.flickr.com/photos/silverspot/sets/72157627374956322/ to see many humorous closeup shots of the six window scenes
View www.flickr.com/photos/rgmstudiom/sets/72157594460492921/ to see many photos of the windows under construction, from the arrival of steel frames with white undercoated plywood sides and floors as bare canvasses, to the completed scenes in their sections being transferred onto a truck against a backdrop of the natural forest and bushland setting at StudioM's workshop. Note: some of these photos are restricted viewing.
Sometimes, when I'm photographing a miniature set, I forget how small it really is until I my hand appears in the viewer while I'm adjusting something!
As well as being window 6, Elizabeth St end, in the David Jones Sydney 2006 Christmas display, this scene has been recycled and displayed at Smith and Caugheys in Auckland in their Christmas 2008 window. It was designed and made by RGM in our small StudioM workshed in Tinbeerwah/Cooroy under 2 contracts to a promotions and puppet company employed by David Jones, for their first time, to produce the 2006 Christmas windows in Sydney. Facing St James Station, in the largest window, this scene was divided into six sections to get through the narrow access alleys behind the windows. The barn, pipers and ladies are on the back sections of the overall scene and the snail, hens, geese, tree and partridge on the front section. The first of three vertical joins can be seen on the back wall coming through to the front. The central division running crossways between the front and the back is behind the barn and the dancing ladies. StudioM designed and made the scenes at our small workshop, directing work to Juanita Wellings, a private dollmaker from Clifton, who made the geese, partridge, ladies and mouse as per our sketches, emails, discussions and written specifications in her home at Clifton. After receiving them in the post, I added extras such as tummies, extra feet, french nails, hen props such as knitting and glasses and moving beak for the partridge. I drew the full size templates for the bodies arms and legs for the pipers, drummers, maids, cows, and lords, which were painstakingly cut out for me from thin mdf by Greg in the Promotions company factory. Juanita painted the maids, cows and lords to my drawings and instructions while I did the drummers and pipers, snail, and turtle doves. After we created the scene at our workshop it was transported to the factory of the local Promotions company hired by DJ's to produce the windows for the first time, where we added finishing touches, and the company installed lighting, the mechanism above the scene to create some up and down motions, and the externals outside of this scene. The VM managers from DJ's inspected it at this point, without our presence, before its transport to Sydney for installation in the windows.
Click on www.flickr.com/photos/silverspot/sets/72157627374956322/ to see many humorous closeups of the six window scenes.
This is one of six scenes that StudioM designed and made at our tinshed workshop for use in the David Jones Sydney Christmas window display in 2006. As well as designing and providing the presentation material for the six scenes, StudioM created each scene inside the 6 windows and directed the manufacture of any outside components used within the scenes from our small workshop shed in the Noosa Hinterland. After the promotions company, which had for years displayed many of our scenes at shopping centres, Santa's Kingdoms etc, was invited to submit a design proposal for the David Jones 2006 Christmas windows, the promotions company contracted StudioM to firstly design the windows and provide all of the presentation material for them to present to DJ's visual management, and then once the design was won, contracted StudioM to create the six scenes for them. The scenes were so successful that the promotions company has been given the contract since 2006.
The Promotions company delivered the blank scenes made of steel frames with undercoated plywood sides and floors.....virtually a bare canvas for us to create the scenes, plus the extra plywood we needed, some black paint, some latex and any styrene that I had quantified and directly ordered from the manufacturer, to our studio. As we completed each of the six scenes, they were transported to the promotions factory where the mechanism for some motion, lighting and external finishes were added. It was here that the VM managers from David Jones viewed them each time a full window scene was finished. There are photos of the bare scene box sections, made of steel frames and undercoated plywood sides and floors, arriving at our studio on the back of a ute. As a comparison, there are also photos of the completed scenes with puppets secured in position, being picked up from our studio by the promotions company's director. Interesting juxtapositions of the completed scenes, some with snow, against the sunny backdrop of the trees and bushland of the StudioM site at Tinbeerwah.
Click on the DJ's under construction set to see photos of other scenes in the making at our workshop. The children choir, the overhead puppeteer and the objects outside the stage scene were made elsewhere, out of our control and disappointingly not to the design drawings or conveying the character or story first shown to DJ's. See the design drawings in the David Jones set. The elves, mice, and the heads of the musical elves in the front were made by Juanita Wellings in Clifton exactly to our drawings, direction and specifications.
Click www.flickr.com/photos/silverspot/sets/72157603575240201/ to see StudioM scene displayed in NZ and www.flickr.com/photos/silverspot/sets/72157627374956322/ in Sydney with many humourous closeup shots of the six windows.
Displayed at Smith and Caughey in Auckland NZ for their Christmas 2008 window. Previously used in David Jones 2006 Christmas windows in Sydney. StudioM was contracted by an animations and Promotions company in Jan 2006, to firstly design the six scenes and provide presentation material for the tender. Once our design had been chosen, the promotions company contracted StudioM to create the scenes for the six David Jones windows, supervising and coordinating components within the scenes. We did this at StudioM's small home studio. The Promotions company delivered the blank scenes made of steel frames with the sides covered with undercoated plywood, plus the extra plywood, some paint, latex and styrene needed to our studio and picked up each of the six scenes as we finished them, siting them in their factory where they put in some motion, lighting and external finishes. It was here that the VM managers from David Jones viewed them each time a full window scene was finished. The motion of simplistic up and down movements was created by the insertion of an overhead rotating shaft and cam system. These cams connected with fishing lines attached to the objects below which created some movement as the cams rotated. It is a simple basic system widely used. The scene was recycled and used again at Smith and Caugheys two years later.
This middle part of the scene shows the six laying geese are struggling hard to lay. One has a happy clucky look whilst another is knitting web shaped bootees and one should be looking up to the partridge which has dropped a calling card on her head. Juanita made dancing ladies,geese, partridge and mouse to my drawings and specifications. StudioM added all the little bits to them. StudioM drew the templates for each individual piece of the maids, the drummers, the pipers, the lords from which Greg at the promotions company cut them out. StudioM painted the drummers and the pipers, made the snail for the french scene, and the turtle doves. StudioM designed the arms of the drummers/pipers so they would lift and drop in unison when pulled and dropped off at the same point from above and my husband added some weight to each arm to assist in this. The 5 is on the gatepost, the 6 a row of ants in front of goose with twins, the 1 is on pear which the partridge has pecked at, the 4 is yet to go on as 'Area 4' on an information chart that a calling bird from a call centre will hold under its wing, and the 12 is a mob of sheep on the far hill. The sunbaking mouse was a later request of mine to Juanita for her to make to fill in a bare spot and add some more humour. StudioM positioned all puppets bar the 4 calling birds at our studio before the scene's delivery to the factory of the promotions company. The original drawings, sketches, templates, and presentation brief are held by StudioM.
To view many more closeup and interesting shots of this and the other five scenes look at www.flickr.com/photos/silverspot/sets/72157627374956322/
Recycled and presented again at Smith and Caughey department store in Auckland for Christmas 2008, this was the scene StudioM designed and created in our small workshop for use in the David Jones' 2006 Christmas windows in Sydney. StudioM was contracted by a Promotions company to design and produce a presentation for the 6 windows in line with David Jones brief. Once the design was won, StudioM was contracted by this Promotions company to create the scenes for each window for them to later put into motion. We also provided working drawings and templates for other components within the scenes to be made by others, mainly the dollmaker, Juanita at her home in Clifton. We made each scene in our small workshop at Tinbeerwah. The scene boxes were delivered to StudioM as just steel frame sections with white undercoated plywood sides and floors. There are photos in our DJ's construction set that show these bare canvasses being droppped off at StudioM off the back of a ute and then the after shots of finished sections of the scenes, just as you see here, being picked up by the company's director and put onto a truck. It was an odd juxtaposition to see some of these scenes with backdrops of the natural forest trees and bushland setting at StudioM's home studio. Once each scene was finished, it was transported to the factory of the Promotions company where the animation and lighting was added so that the VM staff of DJ's could inspect them, before their transportation to Sydney for installation. This is the far left of the '12 days of Christmas' scene which StudioM made and painted in their workshop. I also drew up full scale templates of all the pieces for the maids, cows, pipers and drummers, which Greg, a casual worker, cut out in the promotion company's factory. I painted the drummers and pipers while Juanita in Clifton painted the maids and cows to my drawings and instructions. I made the two turtle doves, one feeding a worm in the shape of a '2' into the other's beak. The '8' for the milkmaids is in the barn window, the '3' for the French hens is on the Citroen 2CV number plate and the '11' for the pipers is shown as the gateposts beside the major piper. In Clifton, Juanita made the french hens to our drawings inc garlic necklace, french nails on one hen, as drawn and specified, and then posted them to StudioM for modifications and placement and fixing into the scenes. All original presentation drawings/ working drawings/ design sketches/ templates/ instructions and specifications etc for all components remain with StudioM as the designers and creators of these scenes.
Click on www.flickr.com/photos/silverspot/sets/72157627374956322/ to see many humorous closeup shots of the six windows
The far right side of the 12 days of Christmas scene that StudioM created at our small workshop for use in the David Jones Christmas 2006 windows in Sydney. In this section, the twelve drummers with a flock of sheep behind forming the number 12, the five golden rings on the gates with 5 shown on the gatepost, seven swans with the sign post to Swan Lake in a number 7 shape, the four calling birds from a call centre with their headphones on.........we added a clipboard with AREA 4 on it to one of the bird's wings.......... two of the 'six geese a laying' of which one is looking extra clucky and being maternal....the number six made from a row of ants, is in the foreground but out of this photo.
StudioM was contracted to do the original design and provide the presentation material to be presented to DJ's, and once the tender was won, then contracted to create the six window scenes for the Promotions company, employed by David Jones for the first time. StudioM provided working drawings and templates for any outside components and created the scenes at our small Tinbeerwah workshop. The design and making of all the puppets inside the scene were directed by StudioM to our drawings and specifications. although the 4 black calling birds were made by the promotions company.
For each window scene, the Promotions company delivered the steel frames in 4 -6 seperate parts with the sides covered with undercoated plywood, plus the extra plywood, some paint, latex and styrene needed to our studio. As we finished the 6 window scenes individually, they were transported to the promotions' company premises to be animated, lit, inspected by the VM manager of David Jones and then finally trucked in two trips to Sydney for insertion into the six David Jones Sydney Christmas windows in 2006.
Click on www.flickr.com/photos/silverspot/sets/72157627374956322/ to see many close up shots and funny explanations of hidden humour within the scenes.
Also view our set showing some of the photos we took during the construction of the six window scenes at www.flickr.com/photos/rgmstudiom/sets/72157594460492921/ from the beginning with the bare frames like undercoated boxes arriving in sections and then departing completedas the window scenes shown on these pages, being picked up and placed on a truck for transportation to the factory of the promotions company....also the original sketches and presentation drawings that StudioM did
Found this beautiful, & charming window design that really caught my eye!! Older neighborhood,
old world charm!
Santa loves his food and come Christmas Eve the elves cannot make his jacket fit over his fat tummy. Even at this point, with a cookie in each hand - (he likes a balanced diet!) - he is unable to stop eating. The elves are frantically trying to squeeze him into his 'once a year going out' outfit - the clock on the wall is ticking and there is not much time left. The elf above his bed has found a corset in an old trunk which may work, whilst another tries to cut out a new jacket to sew together in a hurry - not sure how long it will take with wooden scissors though. Someone has burned a hole in Santa's pants whilst ironing and they have to be patched up. Another has discovered a hole in one of his boots which needs mending. The elf on his shoulder is trying to place a cap onto Santa's head. One mouse is popping in and out of the clock while another that I later installed into the scene, sits on the weights and goes up and down. After this photo was taken another mouse was added to the upper ceiling joist where the mice have set up home - this one has been doing the washing and hanging out the mice footy tops and other stuff. The newspaper tells the story. This scene is only 50mm deep but has perspective and depth through its design and creation to appear much deeper.
Scene designed and made by StudioM at our home workshop -2004 Copyright held. AFTER this photo was taken, the scene was sold to an animation and Promotions company which put in simplistic motions by inserting overhead a mechanized rotating shaft and cam system, which is a commonly used method for this purpose. The company has exhibited it in many places but any claims by this company and its puppeteer director to being its creator, the 'creative force' or 'mastermind behind it' are completely false, dishonest and an infringement of our copyright. It was sold as it appears here but with the added mouse on the top shelf and mouse on clock pendulum cones, which I put on after this photo.
Dollmaker Juanita from Clifton made elves and (mice and just the Santa face only, to my design drawings and specifications. Once received I added Santa's hair/beard/ torso/socks/arms etc - everything bar his actual face.) All sketches, drawings and specifications fo this scene and all the other scenes that appear on these pages are retained by StudioM as the copyright holders.
Click on scene to see in larger view
To my taste, the finest Christmas Windows in Zurich this year 2010 are those of CHANEL!
A mon gout, les plus belles vitrines de Zurich cette année 2010 sont celles de CHANEL !
North Pole aeroplane workshop scene - the mayhem inside this scene looks very similar to our small private workshop in Tinbeerwah/Cooroy where it was being made. The wheel to one wing of the plane has been put on upside down and a ponytail is being nailed to the tail of the plane by a mouse. Some precarious, juggling supports are in use to jack the plane up and one elf is ironing a shirt on one of the wings, whilst another elf is attempting to try his iron of another sort.
Designed and made by StudioM at our workshop in Cooroy/Tinbeerwah hinterland. Copyright and all moral rights held by StudioM. Sold to an animation and Promotions company AFTER this photo was taken. It has been widely exhibited through many media since. Subsequent claims by this company and its director to be 'the mastermind' and 'creative force' behind it are completely false, deliberately misleading and an infringement of our copyright. It has since been exhibited by this company and has appeared in various media falsely crediting them for its creation and design. The scene was bought after this photo was taken.
Juanita Wellings in Clifton QLD made elves/mice as per our specifications and drawings. Originals of all drawings, sketches and specifications remain with StudioM as does copyright.
The back half of David Jones' Christmas windows 2006 Jingle Bells scene that StudioM designed and made. The houses in the front of the row are 3D - the rest were painted into the scene. The bell tower that we made to which we added a sign about the regular midnight meetings of "The Dead Ringers Society'. The scene is pictured at StudioM's workshed before we put in the the snow forms and laid the snow sheet. This photo shows the cuts in the four sections of the window scene clearly. These are the two back sections and there are two more to go in front. The depth of each section is approx 380mm
Scene was firstly designed by StudioM and then made by StudioM at our Tinbeerwah home workshop in 2006, under contract to an animation and promotions company for them to use in their first installation of the David Jones Christmas windows in Sydney 2006. The 4 steel frames for the scene with the bare undercoated plywood sides and floors screwed onto it as shown here, were delivered to StudioM's premises for the scene to be created within..ie blank white canvas in which we created the scenes. There are before and after photos of the frames being delivered, like bare boxes, and some surreal photos of the scenes being put onto the truck once finished, with the treed forest surroundings of our studio as backdrops.
Look at www.flickr.com/photos/rgmstudiom/sets/72157594460492921/to see more of the scene under construction.
Also visit www.flickr.com/photos/silverspot/sets/72157627374956322/ to see this and the other five windows in Sydney with many humorous closeup shots
The '12 Days of Christmas' window which StudioM designed and then created the scene, under 2 contracts, at StudioM's small tinshed workshop - for use by a promotions company in the David Jones Sydney Christmas Windows 2006 applying for the tender to do the windows for the first time. Once made the 6 window scenes were transported to the premises of the Promotions company for the animation mechanism to be installed as well as lighting and the external features outside of the scene. In October it was then transported to Sydney for its installation in the David Jones windows for unveiling in late October. The scene has been recycled and was on show at Smith and Caughey Auckland NZ for Christmas 2008.
Look back to pages 4,5,8 and under my set marked David Jones Christmas Windows under construction to see some of this scene under construction at our workshop. It was the last of the six scenes that we made for this project. The blank boxes for the six seperate window scenes arrived at our studio as steel framed sections with white undercoated plywood sides and floors, and departed from StudioM as completed scenes ready for the lighting and the animation to be installed. There are photos from their arrival at StudioM's workshop as bare boxes to their departure on a truck as the finished scenes that you see here.
There were many hidden things to look for in all the scenes - unfortunately the opportunity to use these in the promotion of them was lost by those responsible in its marketing and setup.
Scene designed and made by StudioM 2006.under contract to a promotions company.
Visit www.flickr.com/photos/silverspot/sets/72157627374956322/ to see many humorous closeup shots of the six windows
One of my favourite scenes that I have created, 'The Presence Of Mice'. Santa and his elves are delivering presents to a house in moonlight setting. The mice, which abide in the rafters, are overjoyed thinking that these presents are meant for them and are busy taking possession of them all. The flying mouse, dangling from the fishing line, is trying to be placed by the mouse in the rafters, for the honour of being the angel, to sit at the top of the tree. The mouse at front centre has taken the hat and umbrella from a doll and is trying his fencing techniques on a bewildered elf who is helping Santa to deliver the presents. Ma and Pa mouse are delighted with their new piece of real estate, thanks to Santa, and are quickly moving in, displacing the toy dolls inside and replacing the 'Dolls' Cottage' sign with their 'Mouse House' sign. The teen rebel mouse is trying out the motor cycle, whilst others are more concerned with the eats and drinks placed for Santa. The Nutcracker on the mantle is cross and annoyed with the mouse trying to take away his sword. The John Howard rodent (thanks to Senator Brandis) sitting in tree is reading The Mouse Rag which tells the story.
Scene designed and made by RGM of StudioM at our Tinbeerwah home workshed. Copyright and moral rights remain with StudioM. AFTER this photo was taken it was sold to a Promotions company which put in some simple motion - simplistic movements operated from a rotating shaft with irregular shaped cams, the system inserted overhead of the scene. The cams have fishing line attached to various objects below, eg the suitcase handle, which moves up and down with each turn of the cam. This is a commonly used system to provide movement for such scenes. The scene has been exhibited many times by this company. Claims by others to be the 'creative force' and 'the mastermind' behind it or to having any input to the scene's creation as seen, are COMPLETELY FALSE, misleading and an infringement of copyright.
StudioM commissioned Juanita Wellings and supplied the materials to make the Santa head and torso to our drawings and exact specifications. As well she made the mice to our design and elves to our specifications and drawings. All original sketches, drawings and specifications remain with StudioM along with copyright.
All packed and ready to go - Santa has just popped into the 'North Pole Hair Salon' for a quick trim and tidy up before setting out for his' Big Night Out' on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately he is so tired from all the toy making that he has fallen asleep and the elfy stylists are having a gay time giving him a new look. A purple mohawk and red nails - nice!! Now you know why he always wears white gloves and a hat ... or more to the point ..... why he doesn't take them off.
This scene should teach us to be aware at all times especially around any arty folk bent on their own agenda just like these colourful elves - some can't be trusted.
StudioM commissioned Juanita Wellings to make Santa's head and hands for this scene. The specific instructions on how to make him together with dimensions, the drawing of the scene and sketches of Santa were sent to her. Both his head and hands arrived macabrely in the post, ready for StudioM to assemble and piece him together. As instructed, the head had been centred around a long piece of dowel which went down into the torso, allowing his head to be tilted easily in any direction. As we specified, the fingers of his hands were bent, made of hard forming 2 pack plastic clay, into which we could drill holes and place screws as we needed. Look at www.flickr.com/photos/rgmstudiom/745620879/stats/2013-02-01/ to see my husband assembling him once the post had arrived.
Designed and made by StudioM in our workshop in Nov 2004. Copyright /moral rights held by the creator and designer RGM StudioM. This scene has been displayed and featured numerous times AFTER we sold it to an animations and Promotions company. The company put in some simple up and down motion by way of an overhead rotating shaft and cam system, with fishing lines attached to the cams and to objects below. As the cams rotate on the shaft the fishing lines rise and fall and give motion to the attached objects. This is a simple system which is commonly used and for which the scene has been designed to accommodate. The scene has been exhibited many times and featured in advertising and media since its sale and featured on the website of the promotions company.
HOWEVER, any claims by this promotions company and its puppeteer director to be the scene's 'creator', 'creative force' or 'mastermind' behind it and the other 65 they bought from StudioM, are COMPLETELY FALSE, deliberately misleading and an infringement of copyright. All original sketches of scene and Santa's head and hands, drawings and specifications/ instructions sent to the doll maker, Juanita in Clifton, remain with StudioM along with copyright.
She also made the elves and the mice to our drawings and specified instructions. All originals of sketches, designs, drawings and specification notes are retained by StudioM as is the copyright.
The French hens - complete with french nails of course - and their housing in 'The 12 Days of Christmas' scene from David Jones Christmas windows in 2006. RGM from StudioM designed the six dept store windows from DJ's design brief, provided the design material and storyline for presentation to DJ's visual merchandising mgrs by a promotions company wishing to win the contract for the first time, and once selected, made the six scenes at StudioM's small workshop in the Noosa hinterland all under contract to an animation and Promotions company for use in the David Jones Christmas windows Sydney 2006. The bare scenes arrived at our studio in sections and with white undercoated plywood sides and floors. There are photos showing some of the scenes arriving in this form on the back of a ute, and then being picked up as completed scenes in their sections, being put on a Budget truck by the promotions company's director, ready to take to their premises for lighting, animation and viewing by the VM mgr for DJ's.
The numbers for each group were hidden in the scenes for people to find.The 8 for the maids is a double circular window just out of sight on the barn gable, the 11 for the pipers is immediately behind the henhouse roof and not seen in this photo. The Citroen 2CV with the registration plate where three was written is behind the hen on the left and can be seen in other photos. Look at DJ's windows under construction in my sets. All three hens have chic french nails -au naturement! Menu du Jour- fresh snail in garlic -hence the hen's keen interest in the snail and the snail's anxious look as he tries to slide away - he is on an aluminium track to enable him to slide down with his weight and then be pulled up by a fishing line redirected from the above rotating cam and shaft system. Snail is out of view - click on another photo to see or visit the site below. Original sketches, designs, working drawings and specifications held StudioM.
Click on www.flickr.com/photos/silverspot/sets/72157627374956322/ to see many great closeup photos of funny things hidden within the scenes. Silverspot took these for us after she had uploaded photos of the windows in Sydney. When I commented on them and told her the explanations and the funny things, she went back to rephotograph these in the scenes and uploaded to flickr.
The Qantas display I designed and made at our StudioM workshop. Qantas saves Christmas by offering to help Santa after his sleigh had a slight mishap during a duststorm outback of WoopWoop. I realised after looking at it upside down that if we removed the Q from Qantas and brought the S on the end to replace the Q, we had the word SANTA - so that's what I did. The elves are rearranging the letters on the 737 and the elf in the front is receiving the key to start it from a high Qantas official while carrying a book titled '737 Manual - How to fly'. The presents are being loaded onto the plane from the sleigh, which is stuck in the top of 'Ned's Outback Delivery' truck. This relates to another scene which I designed and was later displayed at Garden City - see the humorous design drawing in my Sketch Designs set. The story is written on the newspaper at left being held by a Qantas maintenance guy and tells the story of Santa flying through a duststorm in Outback Australia and ending up on the back of a truck, 'Ned's Outback Deliveries', spilling the presents. Qantas, being the good Aussie, helps Santa by giving his elfy helpers a plane to use so they can deliver the presents. Peter with his incredible skills meticulously carved the Boeing from a piece of styrene 200x600x25mms so that it is 3D and in perspective - the wing is paper thin - it took him 2 days and no one else could have done it. Juanita made elves in Clifton to my drawing and specification notes. All original drawings, sketches and specifications are retained by StudioM as copyright holders.
Postal workers at the North Pole Mailing Centre are busy receiving the mail from children all over the world and sorting their letters to Santa. The head honcho is reading them whilst the elves write requests in the order book. Lots of happy stamping going on below. The books on the right contain lists of all the children and how nice ( or not ) they have been.
Designed and created by StudioM at our home workshop in Tinbeerwah/Cooroy in 2004 Copyright and moral rights remain with StudioM even though the scene was sold to an animation and Promotions company AFTER this photo was taken.These scenes have been advertised and exhibited many times. Any claims by the promotions company and its puppeteer director to being 'the creator', 'the creative force' or the 'mastermind behind it' are completely false and an infringement of StudioM's copyright.The company saw the scene for the first time and bought it as pictured above and had no artistic input into it as it is seen here. It was sold without transfer of copyright.
Juanita Wellings in Clifton QLD made elves/mice to our specifications and drawings.
All original sketches, specification notes are held StudioM along with copyright.
David Jones Christmas windows 2006 - Sydney. Scene designed and made by StudioM under contract to a promotions and animation company employed by David Jones.
'Hark The Herald Angels Sing'. Click on the set for DJ's windows to see the six window scenes being made at StudioM's workshop in Tinbeerwah,QLD. For each of the six scenes, we received the 4 - 6 steel framed, bare plywood covered frames as blank canvasses for StudioM to then paint and insert the whole scene with strings attached to the puppet elves etc, ready to just be connected to the cams and shaft system to create movement.. As each scene was finished it was trucked to the premises of the Promotions company for them to install an overhead rotating shaft and cam system to allow some up and down motion in the scene, to add the lighting, the external finishes such as velvet surrounds, title banners and outside puppets . The elf puppets inside the scene were made by a dollmaker in Clifton, Juanita Wellings, under our supervision and to our drawings. They were posted to StudioM, where I then modified them, secured and positioned them in the scenes at our studio workshop.The outside elves with their musical instruments were made from our design drawings - the heads and hands made by the dollmaker in Clifton, the bodies by the promotions company.
The scene was also displayed in the window of Smith and Caughey Dept Store Auckland NZ Christmas 2007.
Visit www.flickr.com/photos/silverspot/6016861229/in/set-721576... to see many detailed and close up photos with the humorous explanations of hidden jokes within the scenes.
'The 12 Days of Christmas' scene we designed and made at our StudioM workshop in Tinbeerwah/ Cooroy in 2006.
StudioM designed the six scenes using DJ's brief, and provided the visual presentation material under contract to a promotions company providing a tender for the first time. After winning the tender, StudioM was contracted by the promotions company to create the 2006 David Jones Christmas windows, all of which was done at our home studio in Tinbeerwah/ Cooroy. The completed scenes were transported to the company's factory for animation, lighting, the external pieces and final checking by DJ's before being further transported to Sydney to be assembled in the Market St windows in October 2006.
Look back to pages 4,5,8 and under my set marked David Jones Christmas windows under construction
Click on www.flickr.com/photos/silverspot and look at Public Events, then David Jones Christmas Windows to see many close up shots and funny explanations of hidden humour within the scenes.
Also view www.flickr.com/photos/rgmstudiom/sets/72157594460492921/ to see some of the many photos we took during construction, including the blank frames first arriving at StudioM compared to the finished scenes as you see them here being picked up from our studio.
To my taste, the finest Christmas Windows in Zurich this year 2010 are those of CHANEL!
A mon gout, les plus belles vitrines de Zurich cette année 2010 sont celles de CHANEL !
A closer look at Rudolph in his early days. This was taken the day that Kate Westgate from David Jones visited us at our StudioM workshop to check on the progress. He had just been crudely painted at this stage to give a rough idea. We made him so his nose would be hollow with a red reflected cone opening to the back of his head. This was done to allow a low volt light or LED to be put inside the cone which would glow through the red translucent ball at the end.
There is a bizarre story that goes with this scene. On the morning of the very first day that we started to make the six scenes that we had designed, this scene being our first, we organised the space in our shed and centred the four bare sections together. I had roughly pencilled the outline onto the back wall, had the group of reindeer in their unpainted state located roughly in position off the back wall, and Rudolph as he is seen here, sitting in their relative positions to gauge if everything was proportional. It was about 10am and our dog starting growling just as I was questioning whether Rudolph looked more like a dog than a reindeer. Peter enquired if I had actually ever seen a deer in real life and did it look anything like the one now standing out in our garden. As it turned out, 3 metres from the open back door of our shed, was a magnificent brown stag standing about 160cms high to its head....its antlers raised, tall and proud. It was near to a wire bush fence and a small garden shed so it was a little edgy and skittish. We stood there motionless and speechless for a good five minutes - unfortunately the camera was inside and I did not want to move and risk scaring it off. If I had been able to get a photo it would have been priceless with this scene in the foreground. We live in the hinterland on acreage and there is a large forest nearby. About twenty years ago there was a deer farm close by and some deer escaped and became wild in the forest. We have lived here for over sixteen years and never seen a deer before or since. It came in the morning at the precise time that we started the Rudolph scene and left within 10 mins as quickly as it had appeared. None of our neighbours saw it. It was almost as if it was checking it out and giving its blessing to the scene which did turn out to be very successful. You can see two of the four scene divisions here which were seperated for transportation to the promotions company which had contracted us to design and then contracted StudioM to create the six window scenes for them, which were later joined together in the Sydney windows. - The back right section is where the snow mat has been attached. The front section with its plywood forms to take the snow contours is waiting for Rudolph to be finished and placed into his final position before we put the snow mat down. Designed and made by StudioM at our workshop for a Promotions company which contracted us to design the six windows and then contracted StudioM to make the scene for this window and the other five in the David Jones Christmas windows in Sydney 2006. All six windows were designed by StudioM with presentation drawings and a written storyline, and two special black uniformed puppets that StudioM designed and commissioned.I seated these in two red boxes with them holding business cards, so they could be given to the David Jones VM mgrs. Once the design was chosen, StudioM then constructed the six window scenes to their final stage at its Tinbeerwah workshop. The steel frames of the scenes with their bare undercoated plywood sides and floor were delivered to our studio - see photo in the set - and on each scene's completion, they were picked up - see photo - and trucked to the promotions company where the installation of the overhead rotating shaft and cam system for the simple up and down motion was inserted overhead, the lighting and the outside touches to the scenes were done, ready for the inspection by the VM mgr from David Jones in Sydney.
Visit www.flickr.com/photos/rgmstudiom/sets/72157594460492921/ to see some of the photos that we took during construction. There are some photos, not visible to all, that show the scenes arriving in their bare state and the completed scenes in sections being taken from our studio and transported to the promotions company.
Juanita Wellings made Santa head, torso and mice in Clifton to my drawings and specifications. These were placed in position and sometimes modified by StudioM, ready for the promotions company to connect the strings to a rotating cam and shaft mechanism which they inserted above the scene to give some simple up and down motion. The group of reindeers in the background are holding placards to promote Rudolph and were meant to be illuminated and the placards to be synchonized at the end of the song, once Rudolph had been accepted into the group. Unfortunately the promotions company were unable to achieve this synchronization with both the lighting and the movement as it was written in the original brief, so the signs went up and down and the group were lit all the time. This loss of variation took a lot of the drama away from the original scene design.
As the first of the six scenes, the VM mgr for David Jones responsible for selecting our design, Kate Westgate, visited our home workshop on the day this photo was taken in May 2006, to check its progress and to satisfy herself about her decision, as she had just resigned from David Jones and was on her way to London. Needless to say she was.
Unfortunately the new VM mgr knew nothing of StudioM's contracts or the fact that StudioM had designed and created the window scenes. So much for contracts and trusting a 'hand on the heart - my word as a gentleman' promise.
In hindsight, the reindeer's appearance at our studio may have not been a blessing but rather a harbinger, a warning for us not to do it.
David Jones Christmas windows 2006 - Sydney
'Deck The Halls with Boughs Of Holly'
Also displayed in Smith and Caughey Dept store window Auckland NZ Christmas 2007 www.flickr.com/photos/silverspot/sets/72157603575240201/
The scene StudioM designed and made at our tinshed workshop in the Noosa Hinterland, at Tinbeerwah, for use in the David Jones windows under contract to a promotions company. The 6 window scenes were designed and made by StudioM. As each scene was finished it was trucked to the Promotions company which put in some simple up and down motion by way of an overhead rotating shaft and cam system. The children on the outside of the scene were done by the animation and Promotions company and not how they were originally designed to be - the outside elves with their musical instruments were copied exactly from our drawings. The mice and cat were made by Juanita in Clifton to our drawings, design and specifications, as were the elves. The curtains, material, large puppeteer above the scene and the scrolls with the writing were done elsewhere to our design but not under our direction.
Click on www.flickr.com/photos/silverspot to see the many closeups of funny and amusing stories hidden in the six windows that most of the public missed.
Middle section of the '12 Days of Christmas' scene, designed and created by RGM of Studio M. StudioM was contracted to design and create the 6 windows scenes for use by a Promotions company for the David Jones 2006 Christmas windows in Sydney. The 6 clucky laying geese, some with their new offspring, the expectant goose knitting webbed bootees, the straining 'it's not easy laying an egg' goose, and the one in front looking up at the partridge (partridge is complete with pear shaped tummy from lots of pear eating) which has laid a white not-so-nice deposit on the goose's head. The 3 very french chef hens, complete with french nails and garlic necklaces, are hungrily eyeing off a scared snail -escargot- as he tries to escape their frypan and garlic cloves.The cross eyed drum major swings his drumsticks and repeatedly hits himself on the head. The four calling birds have telephone ear and mouthpieces, clipboards with Sydney local information and are from a telephone call centre. Juanita in Clifton made ladies,geese,hens and partridge to our drawings, design and specifications to which I added extra props and expressions. Greg from the promotions company, cut out the drummers and pipers for me from my templates and drawings and after I painted and added to them with bits and pieces. The calling birds were made by the promotions company from our design presentation drawings - All original presentation drawings, sketches, templates and working drawings held by StudioM. The numbers for each group are hidden close by. In this section, athough not seen clearly, the 6 is a line of ants in front of the 6 geese, the nine is a bunch of flowers growing in front of the dancing ladies, the 12 is a flock of sheep on the hill behind the drummers, the 1 is in a pear on the tree that has been pecked at by the partridge.
The North Pole Village which StudioM created - our design sketch is next photo. The workshop and bakery in the foreground with the other elves playing in the snow in the distance. This was taken before I finished it - after I took the photo I changed the bakery sign, replaced and added some other signs inside bakery with credits to StudioM as designers and creators posted on the bakery wall, placed the snowman in front with a sign, added skis to the elf on bakery roof. See later photo. This scene has been widely displayed by the animation and promotions company which bought it from us AFTER this photo was taken at our home studio - it has been exhibited in many places - Santa's Kingdom, Cadbury's Factory Dunedin, internet. Any claims made by this animation and Promotions company and its director to be the 'creative force' and 'mastermind' behind it are COMPLETELY false, deliberately misleading and an infringement of copyright. It was first seen and then bought after we had finished it at our studio. After this photo was taken, I changed the sign on the roof and added some signs inside the bakery on right side to acknowledge StudioM as the designer and creator. This was before its sale. There should still be a visible sign accrediting the true designers and creators on the wall in the bakery - see later photos showing these - if not illegally removed or covered over.The signs on wall inside the bakery acknowledging StudioM for the design and creation of this scene should still be there.
Juanita made elves and mice in Clifton to our specifications and design drawings. All original sketches, drawings and specifications of everything to do with this scene are retained by StudioM along with copyright.
I have to wonder what the purpose of this strange window design was. This is a closer view of the old shack on the River Road.
Egg making in the land downunder.The scene can be left as a diorama in its suspended state of motion. Many people viewing it as I was making it, enjoyed it just as it is. It is possible for some simple motion to be added. A simple method to provide up and down motion, very gentle not much movement, is to insert overhead overhead a rotating shaft and cam system whereby fishing lines are connected between the cams and objects below. As the shaft and the cams rotate, a slight rise and fall of the lines creates some gentle motion. Many simple raising up motions such as the rabbit painting eggs, the legs of the stuck rabbit, the eggs in basket and on string, the teapot pouring chocolate into mould, the mouse opening and closing his chocolate egg house and the pulling of the wagon along a track are possible and add more diverse action rather than the slight up and down motion. The weight of the wagon allows it to drop easily whilst being guided along a hidden track and is then pulled up again slightly. There has been accomodation in the chocolate bowl for a small motor to be placed within and to turn slowly, whilst connected to the wooden spoon which makes it look as if the rabbit is stirring. The scene was designed by StudioM to be lit by hidden lights from underneath the grass hedge, and from behind the trees which will make a glow from within the tree through the windows. Also a light placed underneath the pot being stirred on a tree trunk stove will give a red glow. Also designed for lights behind the leaves above and underneath the grassy knoll at the back behind root system.
Scene designed and made by rgm of StudioM in Feb 2006 at our workshop. Copyright held by StudioM - Photo taken at StudioM workshop BEFORE its sale in 2006 to a Promotions company. It was sold without transfer of rights and any claims since by this company to be the 'creative force' and 'mastermind' behind it would be COMPLETELY false, deliberately misleading and an infringement of our copyright. It was bought as seen here and they had no artistic involvement. Names of creators and designers are in the scene left side on the tree below the grass edge - click to see notes - and should still be visible and unchanged by copyright law.
Juanita the dollmaker in Clifton made the rabbits, and made the mice to our drawings and specifications. All original artwork, sketches and written specifications etc held by RGM StudioM.
One of the scenes that StudioM designed and created at our home studio at Tinbeerwah, in the Noosa Cooroy hinterland. Click on photo to read signs and design attributions posted on wall of bakery and view in large size to read. This is the bakery - the chef will have a wooden spoon (not shown here) attached to his hands to stir the mixture in bowl. The bowl is hollow at the back and we have included provision for a small motor to be placed inside the bowl to be attached to the wooden spoon so that it can be rotated if desired. With the elf's hands attached to the top of this long spoon the circular motion will be wider than nearer the bowl where the small motor will do a gentle rotation. This gives a very good effect without much effort. Also featuring our rolled out flat mouse again which works well. The mouse's hand is attached to the rolling pin and so pulls the mouse's head up when the rolling pin is pulled back. The table is on a slope so the rolling pin can roll down with its own weight and be pulled up if it is attached to a fishing line which is then attached to a cam on a motorised rotating shaft above. A commonly used method to provide simple up and down motion. As this happens the elf's arms move and the mouse rises up slightly - all with the one pull of the rolling pin. Designed and made by StudioM in our workshop. Attributions posted on wall as noted. View in larger size to read.
Photo taken at StudioM workshop BEFORE its sale to an animation and Promotions company which put in some simple motion as described above. Claims by this company and its director to having any involvement with its creation or design, to being 'the mastermind' or 'creative force' behind the scene, are COMPLETELY false, deliberately misleading and an infringement of copyright. By copyright laws the attribution signs as shown in notes should still be visibly seen.
Juanita from Clifton made elves/mice to my specifications and drawings. All original drawings, sketches and instructions to doll maker are held by StudioM.
This has been exhibited many times - eg Santa's Kingdom in Sydney, Canberra Civic.
The "We wish you a merry Christmas' scene for Window 1 of David Jones Christmas window display in 2006 as it is being made in the StudioM home workshop. The 4 sections are in place and they can be seen quite clearly. The first people on the top level looking down have been placed to see how it looks. The staircase was changed from StudioM's original design. The original design had escalators with people cut outs moving down and up from the left side of the scene to the middle behind the piano which is to go in the foreground left side. It was designed to have a moving belt with the people cutouts attached disappearing under the scene and coming up again at the top. This proved to be too hard for the animation guys so StudioM did a new design with the circular staircase.
See www.flickr.com/photos/silverspot/6016721497/in/set-721576...
The weather bureau just placed into the Rudolph scene in the workshop of StudioM. This is where Santa's elves check the high tech equipment to inform Santa of weather conditions for his Big Night Out. The Goldfinger tests wind direction. The elf inside is reading complicated data sheets to determine foggy conditions ahead. The Pine Space - as opposed to Pine Gap - radar dish complete with ears on each side is still to be put up. The spinning cups to read the wind strength will be put on as well. In the background the silhouetted reindeer are playing ping pong in the exclusive Deer Club House, which welcomes all brown noses. Designed and made by StudioM 2006 at our workshop. Used by the promotional company which contracted us to design the windows and then contracted us to make the window scenes for them to use in the David Jones Christmas windows 2006. It was the first time the company had been invited to submit a design after DJ's VM mgr had seen our work being displayed by the promotions company at Santa's Kingdom in Sydney.
This photo was taken at the StudioM workshop with RGM, the designer and creator of the scenes, not long after Kate Westgate, who was the VM manager from DJ's responsible for the windows at the time of the submission, inspected its progress at our shed studio, before going to London. She was really pleased with our work and interested in Peter's and my ideas for creating the next window scenes.
Juanita in Clifton made mice to my design, drawings and directions on their construction as well as making the elves to our design drawings/specifications of this scene. Each of these puppets was posted to StudioM for positioning into the scenes, securing them in place, sewing and fixing them to objects, and stringing them by fishing line to temporary holds overhead, before the completed scene's departure to the promotions factory for the mechanics to be inserted and the fishing line strings of the puppets attached to this overhead mechanism.
To view the scenes as finished look under the David Jones Christmas set as well as viewing www.flickr.com/photos/silverspot/sets/72157627374956322/ to see many humorous closeup shots that she took in Dec 2006 of these windows at David Jones. Original drawings, written specifications for all components within the scenes designed by StudioM, copies of instructions to the dollmaker etc are held by StudioM.
Part of the Jingle Bells window that StudioM designed and made under contract to a promotions company for use in the David Jones Christmas windows in Sydney in 2006. The 3 elves and a mice on the toboggan get pulled back and then slide forwards. The toboggan is fixed on a track which we designed and had made up - to our working drawings - so that it slides back easily with its weight after it is pulled by a string. The snow mound in front hides the track from view. It was a tight fit to get the elves positioned on the toboggan and I actually took off some of the elves legs so they would fit, so not only do they look it but they ARE actually legless! As designed, the mouse is covering his eyes in fear and the mouse on the left is covering his ears to block out all that noisy jingling, all as per our design drawing. The white piece of styrene around the horse's neck is still to be shaped and painted by StudioM into an old horse's collar. The horse's head is pivoted off the back wall so its head can be moved up and down easily. The join in the scene is hidden in this photo by the North Pole but the back of the horse's head when down is on the edge of the join. This can be seen in another photo of the scene's making at StudioM workshop.
Scene designed and made by StudioM at its small workshop in Tinbeerwah in 2006 under contract to an animation and Promotions company for use in the famous windows. Once made the scene was trucked to the Promotions company to put in the overhead rotating shaft and cam apparatus for the motions as well as lighting and to add the extra externals of the scene. It was at this point that the VM mgr for David Jnes inspected the scene at the promotions company's premises, before it was sent to Sydney for its set up in David Jones windows in October 2006. Original design drawings, presentations, working drawings and specifications are retained by StudioM. It was also displayed at Smith and Caughey's dept store in NZ for their Christmas windows.
Juanita made mice and elves in Clifton to our drawings and specifications - the originals of which are held by StudioM along with the original design drawings.
Click on www.flickr.com/photos/silverspot/sets/72157627374956322/ to see the David Jones Christmas Windows set and many close up shots of hidden humour within the scenes.
'The Hark the Herald Angels' scene that StudioM designed and made at our workshop in 2006 for use by a promotion company in the David Jones Christmas Windows 2006.This was taken at our studio a few days before being collected by the promotions company for animation and lighting. Angels are fixed into position but need to be strung up as yet. Juanita made the angels to my drawings and specifications in her home at Clifton. I discovered the last set of wings in a Noosa discount shop that was just the right size and fortunately Juanita was able to purchase more from the same chain store in Warwick which worked well and saved a lot of time. One last cloud to go in at the back on the right side - the flat one with the angel pumping it up with a car pump. I had yet to make the Herald newspaper for the red sock guy sitting on the steps or the snowball for the guy above him. The chap in the middle is waiting to be suspended in mid air as if he is on strings and acting to fly in a play.
Look up the David JOnes set and also visit www.flickr.com/photos/silverspot for other photos of this scene in Sydney and NZ and many interesting and funny close up shots of things hidden in the scenes that most people missed seeing.
David Jones Christmas windows 2006 - Sydney 'Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer'
One of the six scenes we designed and made at our tinshed workshop in the Noosa Hinterland, under contract to a Promotions company employed by David Jones for the first time to produce the windows. The 6 window scenes were designed and made by StudioM. As each scene was finished it was trucked to the premises of the Promotions company which then put in the motion by connecting fishing lines between objects below and to cams on a rotating shaft overhead. Santa from the waist up, the elves and the mice inside the scene were made by a lady in Clifton under our supervision and to our drawings and specifications. The children on the outside were done by the animation and Promotion company - the outside elves with their musical instruments and were copied direct from our drawings. The reindeer and Rudolph as well as everything else inside scenes were made by StudioM.
Click on www.flickr.com/photos/rgmstudiom/sets/72157594460492921/ to see photos of the windows under construction at our studio, from their arrival at our studio as steel framed sections with their white undercoated plywood sides and floors, to fully completed scenes when they were picked up by the promotions company.
Also visit www.flickr.com/photos/silverspot/sets/72157627374956322/ for some interesting closeups and amusing details of many humorous hidden things unnoticed by the public.
Santa's Office - Santa's elves are busy reading and sorting the daily pile of mail that a popular figure such as Santa attracts.The books on the shelves give credit to the designers and creators of this popular scene. Hover your mouse over the photo to see the added note. The secene was sold aftre this photo was taken at our studio, to an animations and promotions company which added some simple motion to the scene by inserting overhead a rotating shaft and cam system. It has been exhibited many times since but any subsequent claims by the Promotions company or its director to to be the 'mastermind' and 'creative force' behind it are COMPLETELY false, misleading and an infringement of our copyright.
The scene was designed and made by StudioM at our workshop in Cooroy/Tinbeerwah hinterland. Moral rights/ copyright held RGM StudioM.
J Wellings from Clifton, made elves and the mice to our drawings and instructions - all original sketches, drawings and specifications for this scene and the others that appear on these pages of these are held by StudioM along with copyright.
This is the back half of the 'Jingle Bells' scene in DJ's 2006 Christmas windows, one of six window scenes depicting favourite carols that StudioM designed and made under contract for a promotions company which used the six scenes in the 2006 David Jones Christmas windows. Unfortunately most of this mural on the back wall was hidden behind the sleigh and only a few priviliged people got to see all of it - it looked fantastic at night with only the scene lit and surrounded in blackness at our home studio in the Noosa hinterland. As always, my artist husband, Peter, did a great job painting it . We were very pleased with it. A later DJ Christmas window in 2008 by revealed a pathetic attempt by others to copy this backdrop scene.
The houses are in layers - the last few painted onto back wall. The horse head is pivoted off the back wall so that it can be pulled up slightly with a fishing line string and then allowed to drop back which gives it a subtle movement. This shows the back two sections of this scene. You are able to see where the front sections will join on. The 2 gold objects in the fore ground are the front of the skis for the sleigh which is situated on the front section of the scene and will join on to this. Each section is only 400mm in depth.
Designed by RGM of StudioM and constructed, under contract, by StudioM at our Tinbeerwah workshop 2006 for a Promotions company, employed by David Jones, to use in the Christmas Windows 2006. Previously, the promotions company had used over 65 such scenes, designed and made by StudioM at our workshop, for showcasing in their promotions and website. With the success of these scenes, the Promotions and animation company contracted StudioM to design and provide the presentation material for them to tender for the first time for the David Jones windows. When the design was selected, StudioM was contracted by the Promotions company to construct and create the scenes for the six windows for them.
At the end of a long day before the cleanup, Peter with all the mess, trying to secure the positioning of the clouds and Juanita's angels. This had to be done first. They were then removed so that the background including floor could be painted. Once this was done we could return the clouds and elves to their pre determined positions in the scene. It was imperative that we went through this process rather than painting the backdrop first. A combination of methods was used to make each cloud. Originally when we designed the scene, the given dimensions of the scene had been different. Originally this scene was to be split into two seperate transportable pieces which would come together on site. The depth of our original design allowed us to support all clouds off the back wall. When DJ's thought the design needed more depth, the scenes were made slightly deeper and due to this they had to be halved again widthwise to enable tranversing through the narrow spaces to place them in the windows. Consequently, we then had clouds floating in mid air that needed to be supported from underneath. Due to the scene being cut through the middle, there was more risk of damage to them during transport so in the two front sections, where the clouds were vulnerably exposed during transport, we chose not to use styrene, except for the 'castle cloud' on the left side...this had some protection with the side panel.... They had to be made strong enough to withstand any possible accidents occurring during the scene's various relocations - to the promotions factory and then to Sydney. Therefore some had to have solid centres to be able to fix supports. Also they all had to have some solid plywood pieces to allow the stapling of the elves to them for secure placement . We used high density styrene for the particular shapes such as the boat, the castle and dragon plus combinations of other materials ply/ cheesecloth/ filler/ latex/ wadding and paint. Some people suggested using cotton wool...not a very original idea and very much on the corny side....The concept of the scenes was to look like a Christmas play being enacted by mischievous puppet elves with a puppeteer above pulling the strings. Therefore, the intention was never to make them look as realistic as possible, rather to show them as props in a play that the elves were enacting with the puppeteer outside the scene manipulating the strings. The children and musical elf musicians on the outside of the scenes provided the carol singing and music which was a requirement of David Jones. Photo taken at StudioM shed/workshop before delivery to the promotions company which contracted StudioM to design and construct the 6 window scenes for them so they could use in the David Jones Christmas windows in 2006, the company's first contract for the production of department store windows. The scenes were made at StudioM's premises and once each one was completed they were trucked to the Promotions company's factory where the lighting, the animation mechanics and touchups were added, ready for David Jones' VM management to view them. There are photos in our set www.flickr.com/photos/rgmstudiom/sets/72157594460492921/d... taken during construction of the scenes and showing the scenes arriving as steel frames with undercoated plywood sides and floors... blank canvasses... ready for us to create the scenes and then showing the completed scenes being picked up in sections and taken back to the promotions company premises. Interesting to see these completed scenes amongst trees and bushland and then seen later installed in the window space in Sydney.
So much for 'hand on heart - word as a gentleman' theatrics.