So far, I have found that the best way to make model spaceships is by using other models. You want a custom spaceship? Ever tried to make an f-14 model and failed? Raid the box. Go to a hobby store and buy a bunch of clearance models. From there, pick and sort through them until you find some really cool parts, then glue them together.
Using this system, I was able to put together a not very detailed (didn't take me long, and was used for faraway shots.) podracer cockpit that I'll try to get up in the examples page. Just grabs the parts and use your imagination!
Also, try to make them look a little beat up, for realistic purposes. Not all ships are nice and gleaming and all that. We used model paints on our Podracers in order to make rust.
Ff you are trying to make podracers, but the podracer models and mix and match them. That works too.
This was also the system that Industrial Light and Magic used to film the TRENCH scene in Star Wars. The walls of the Death Star are just battleship parts glued to pieces of wood and painted. THAT movie made a million dollars. Why couldn't yours?
In modeling a spaceship, it's wise to work big (say three to four feet long). Small models are more difficult to build and offer fewer opportunities to use perspective.
But big should not mean heavy; if the model is to hang on invisible lines, keep everything light. Modern art-boards of paper or expanded polystyrene are ideal. Provided the body is embellished with such items as paper discs, drinking straws and truncated plastic coffee cups, the model will remain sufficiently light to be hung on fine nylon threads.
Now That It's Finished...
Many movies have sequences which feature a slow track past the hull of a ship as it travels in space. It's a cliché, but looks good. Being well within the scope of an aspiring videomaker, it's definitely one to consider. As the saying goes, if you've built a good spaceship, flaunt it!
Models can stand on a rod behind the hull or hang on fine nylon fishing line. Both methods work well, but when it comes to moving the model, nylon threads will often bounce around. Solution: leave the spaceship hanging and track the camera past the model.
There is an unusual method of doing this and it works well. Mount the camcorder on a short board which hangs from above on a line. You can then manipulate the camcorder like you would a submarine periscope. This method makes for easy operation and allows short tracks and crabs to appear smooth and dramatic.
With a wide-angle lens, the effect improves, but don't try to keep your eye to the viewfinder except for the gentlest of pans--it's better to let the camera roam free. You can make this rig move smoothly up and down by taking the line over a pulley and using a counterweight. A bag of sand works well.
The Illusion of Empty Space
Because space is so vast, stars remain where they are as you move horizontally or vertically. They shift only if you swivel your head--all of which affects the way you record linear motion in artificial space. Studio backgrounds are far from infinite; a starscape that is only a few feet from the model appears to be just that if you track across the picture. Stick to pans and tilts if you're using stars; otherwise, use a plain black backing and move freely.
A large black drape is best for a negative background. Place it as far back as possible to avoid spill light.
Lighting is all important for these shots. A key-light positioned below, up front and slightly to one side of the spaceship will bring out maximum detail. One excellent tip here is to make a dummy space ship (a roll of paper will do) as a stand-in for the model. The hurly-burly of setting up equipment and lights, moving tripods and laying out cables can sometimes inflict mortal damage on the unprotected masterpiece. Sacrifice a stand-in instead.
