Wednesday 12 September 2012

Console done

It's a funny program Doctor Who,12 month one season program that took off thanks to the Daleks and the Doctor was a legend so they had a hit program and no idea what to do with it ,major long term headaches and changes include change of lead actor ,major design problem of the TARDIS console room set that designers had been gradually trying to ameliorate since the overly complex large Peter Brachaki set so consistency from the start was a problem and rarely existed

it was throw away TV never mean to be syndicated ala USA TV just made put out like soaps
 then along came home Video Market first VHS then DVD now Blue ray and  watch the episodes again and again freeze frame screen grab ala infinity ,it was never made for this or with this in mind so the sets props even some acting is truly poor and shoddy plus its times it is made in and resources or lack there of available to it  
plus even with some clean up work done to old story's it was shot in 60s on 252 line tv standard cant enhance what it was filmed on short of owning a actual TARDIS to re shoot it , certainly never meant for Hi Def  

No committee of writers and head writer/producer and a team of other producers and unlike in USA no permanent sets built for season duration  it was a set of studios for entire BBC output constantly in use so sets were up down constantly resulting in discrepancies and breakages and everything was made cheaply quickly in house and on zero resources from music to fx
so never made for it ,just a quick cheap show
 and now look back on it you can see just how cheap it was the cheapness of the sets the wobbly furniture and walls and sometimes wobbly acting ,it is a miracle they made what they did or such a legend was born whole world knows what a Dalek or TARDIS / stripey scarf is, its a cheap show this detracts nothing
 a lot of stories are superb  (the era of Holmes and Hintchcliffe being a stunning highlight  of the programs years,combined with previous Letts and Dicks years made for what is called the golden age of the program and the 70s a memorable time with definitive portrayals by Jon Pertwee's 3rd Dr  and iconic Tom Bakers fourth Dr ,and why it is so noticeable at end of the era why it was so poor ) a lot of cast generally are superb ,and the inventive brilliance of some is off the chart young kids breaking out with fevered imaginations,like what propelled Star Wars to its FX heights ,indeed there are some who went on to win many film awards  for there work in costume (James Acheson) and FX (Malcolm Thornton, Mike Kelt )  that worked on Dr Who originally and for many years went on to films
even in the 80s there is some bright moments the TARDIS best it ever was as a prop in and out (The TARDIS became definitive in its look and design , the whole set became very easy to assemble, since the console could only occupy one spot relative to the walls,the look and design ) the fifth Doctor being young casting and family feel to companions  Ace 7th Dr set up, the new look Cybermen,the FX new crew like Mike Tucker Andrew Cartmall  etc
it was for ages 6 to 60 it captured all and never pandered to or talked down to younger viewers it was grown up telly for teens that younger viewers were scared of older viewers enjoyed as a family and be moaned the horror  
it will always be a show close to my heart and my liking ,even with all the bells and whistles of the new who  oddly it lacks the quality of the original its warmth and certainly memorable parts lines monsters props etc


 
well i did it one scrap built console complete and looks just right tatty old prop and it lights up some small minor parts to do but for the main,done 
I do like this console ,i like the whole 80s vibe,which i layered  on with a trowl so there's really bright primary colour buttons and there is very basic 80s style graphics in meters  ,inspiration old 80s classic cartoons like Thundercats He Man, 
the main computer being a BBC Micro Computer type monitor affair i used a opening screen grab of the TARDIS from the Dalek Attack Game all pixelated graphics and then layer on text using the old P.C fonts of the such games as Amstrad Atari donky kong etc and Put words TARDIS TECHNICAL MANUAL, as a nod to the Doctor Who Technical manual i built this out of 
also on here is a set of three lights on the tom panel the one with white round controls and there Red Green Yellow as a nod to H G Wells the Time Machine it also as made in photoshop has a old style frame round it to give it the whole CRT Monitor vibe
I was also able as lighting it to make one of the Black panels on the column base to open via hinge place the switch in it for lighting it lights via under-lighting a warm LED aka yellow giving a soft glow nothing harsh
so one radar screen made and amongst others had some fun adding them as printed on acetate clear it need to be painted on back with white as well off a ink jet printer it just isnt a strong enough ink and was watery washed out i also added a time digi counter to scanner screen panel as something is there so payed homage to the 80s in a really digi clock read out and Back to the future films 
the Hatchway has the dematerialisation circuit in housing some meters and main switch it has been a learning curve much experimentation and cost well only the cover for the  time rotor and incorporates such rubbish as straws match sticks and cornflake packet and toy packets cut up

so let me introduce you to Console S20






What else has been going on well officially broke unemployed for more years than want to admit to and not getting easier how hard is it to get a two bit job stacking shelves really and financially has to cover expenditure bills etc so finding job for right money i am starting to believe got more chance of finding a ostrich wandering around with a plum up its arse 
Mrs aint working so were hard up and belts so tight were on rope 
Enrolled on another collage course in design learn how to use this program and update CV i aint giving up on being a graphic or just designer and emigration loooks good but i need a job 
i need money and it is damned hard
weather dont help and my depression going in big swings im ok then tired and just meh an hard to get anything done 
well i shall struggle on im looking to see if can get frelance work in but god thats hard to 
there is no work  period and it is not funny
also what happened to summer ???

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