New Contest for 2007 ! "Wrong Side of the Tracks"

Alright, it’s just about the time for a new Downtown Deco contest! Here’s what I’m looking for this time. As most of you have figured out by now, most Downtown Deco kits look like they belong in less than desirable locations. For the most part we have steered clear of cute railway depots and family type establishments in favor of, how shall we say, a more gritty and IMO, realistic miniature world filled with Pawn Shops, Liquor Stores and Run Down Apartments. But to this day at least once a week someone will say to me, "Man, where I used to live there used to be a street just like that!"

What I want you to do is to try and create the ultimate Downtown Deco diorama. The theme is "The Wrong Side of the Tracks". The entries will be judged (by three judges) equally by four criteria;

Creativity and realism.

Try and create something that modelers will say, "Hey man, that looks cool, I’ve never seen anything like that before!"The more character, the better. Be original.

Overall presentation and "look".

It’s all well and good to create a very big diorama or one that has complicated structures on it but if your scene is not laid out properly and does not photograph well then what is the point? Try and make your diorama "photogenic".

Degree of difficulty.

While you do not have to go out of your way to make things hard for yourself, I will give you extra "points" if I see someone has tried (and pulled off) something that requires extra effort.

Photography.

Try and get decent photographs. I got a few entries from our last contest that, while the modeling looked good, the modelers photographed the dioramas sitting in their driveways or on their kitchen counters. Try to get sharp, well lit pictures that have a minimum of out of scale junk in the background (TV’s, cars, baby carriages etc) I think "eye level" shots look pretty realistic. Pretend you are a miniature photographer standing "in" the scene when you shoot it.

Rules.

1. Any Scale.

2. Must use at least three Downtown Deco kits in the scene.

3. Kits by other manufactures are permitted, but remember, this is a DD contest so try & make our kits the "stars" of the diorama.

4. It can be a stand alone diorama or a scene on your existing layout.

5. No size limit, however, bigger will not necessarily mean "better".

6. Send either prints or a CD (preferred) with your photos on them. Minimum of three photos, maximum of twenty.

7. Include a short discription of your project.

8. Entries must be postmarked no later than Oct 1st 2007. Winners will be announced November 1st 2007.

The grand prize winner will receive their choice of either $200.00 cash or a Downtown Deco "credit" of $300.00 they can spend on DD kits.

Second through fifth will receive any one DD kit of their choosing. All other entries will receive a $20.00 DD gift certificate good toward the purchase of a DD kit.

We’ll also add the winning entries to our website. We’ll try and get them published in one of the major model RR publications. We may use the winner in our 2008 Walthers catalog display.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Good luck, and have fun!