Model Railroad Videos

[RRFilmie]

Hello Everyone,

Thank you so much for your input about our proposed online video program. Your input has greatly helped us develop the project further; I have a few more questions for you, however.

Someone had mentioned "Tracks Ahead" from PBS - what is the general feeling about that program? Would you prefer to watch a program that focuses solely on model trains/ layouts, and to go even further, specific scales, ignoring a broader format?

Would it make sense for us to cover many of the different scales, or should we stick to the more popular ones, like HO, N?

Would you, yourself, be interested in having your layout showcased in an episode?

The answer to that question may actually lead to my next question, which is, are you and your fellow modelers protective of your layouts and the hobby? I realize that while I enjoy model trains, but never having it develop into a full fledged hobby, makes me very very novice, but would I, and our company be welcomed in, so long as we continue showing a genuine interest in modeling?

I realize this is a lot for you to think about, and any input you can continue to give me is wonderful! I really appreciate it.

Cheers,
Rachel

 

[EvoMan454]

Well one thing I can say is, you'd need to get very popular because I wouldn't be so comfortable letting a stranger who wants to film my layout in my house and I'm sure others will feel the same. I'd say show your face at a lot of open houses, train shows, and clubs to become popular with the model railroad community and then start going to people houses and you should start with people you know for your own safety (You shouldn't feel comfortable going into some strangers house) and take a few people with you like some extra camera men. But once you are known, many will have no problems welcoming you into their homes to film their masterpieces. Safety comes first!

 

[UP2CSX]

I think here are a lot of us who would like to see our layouts showcased but you need to prove your credentials and CV. You say you've produced emmy-nominated shows before, IIRC. What shows exactly and how can we see copies? Without casting aspersions, what you propose could be a cover for getting into casing people's homes for a future burglary. Some modelers have equipment worth thousands of dollars and it's unfortunate but this type of thing does go on.

As far as focus of the show, I think you can break model railroading down into two main groups - one for the common gauges like HO and N and the other the minor gauges like O, S, G and garden railways. You can either concentrate on the most common scales or break it down to the two major different clases of scales.

The PBS series was fine for what it was, a kind of travelogue of model railroads. Just showing the layouts will not be an original approach. I'd be looking at something like showing a layout where part of it is completed and part of it is still under sonstruction so viewers can both see some interesting modeling and get some hints and tips on how that modeler made his layout.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by being protective of modelers and the hobby. If the video showed us as regular people with a hobby no different than fishing or playing softball, there were would be no reason for us to be protective. Some shows have had a slant that showed model railroaders as weird geeks and model railroading as "grown men playing with toys". That will certainly cause you porblems in getting any cooperation, although it doesn't sound like you're that type of person.

As EvoMan wrote, you need to get seen and know around the MR community and you need to show us the work you've done in the past. It seems you have good intentions but we all know what the road is paved with good intentions.

 

[OldGettysk]

Jim I think you will get alot of O ,S and Garden scale modelers a little bit mad at you by calling them minor. There equipment cost quit a bit of money to buy and maintain !And Rachel as Jim said " Just what are your credentials " ?

 

[RRFilmie]

Answers to you questions

Hello All,

Thank you very much for your responses, you all have very valid concerns, that I'm happy to answer your questions.

First of all our Emmy Award was earned by an online based series called "Being Stanley", which you can find at www.beingstanley.com. The series was animated for the NHL as an online promotional tool for the 2006 Stanley Cup.

Our intentions are very genuine, and while I can understand your worry about the possibility of strangers coming into your home, I also want to emphasize our desire only to become a welcomed member in the community, and not as thieves. I do not blame you for these concerns, but I hope I can calm them.

Our company is currently looking at ways in order to not only expand our knowledge and work base, but to find niche groups with a possible interest and/or need for online programming. We never place a person into an uncomfortable situation, and only ask for volunteers to be on camera.

In response to your comment about only showcasing layouts being not original, we recognize this, but again, thank you for your input. We have begun to reach out to you out of a desire to make connections and build relationships that will make the program a success.

Please keep the comments coming! Thank you!

Cheers,
Rachel

 

[HaggisKennedy]

Going around to train shows (GATS, Greenberg, NMRA Conventions, etc.) would be helpful. There's a lot of industry there as well as the modeller community.

The other way to gain credibility is to align yourself to 'A Name'. As in, somebody well-known in the modelling world. Somebody that could open doors and vouch for you. You may not be recognized by us modellers, but if your entry is accompanied by "Hi, I'm so-and-so, former editor of <magazine x>, that's a different story. Or, an industry type.

I think we did this back in the mid-90s when paintball was really getting going. If you were trying to break into the industry, the best bet was to align with somebody that was 'a Name'. We all knew 'the Names', so it was a definite advantage.

Kennedy

 

[SpaceMouse]

Railroad Tours with Space Mouse

Kinda has a nice ring to it.

Seriously, Rachael, I question the business model. If your revenue comes from sponsors you have to get eyeballs and lots of them. Even if you shoot the layouts yourself and do your own production and your own web programming you are talking a lot of travel expenses. Then you have to convince the sponsors to fork out the cash and money for their own video ad production. I think you have an uphill battle with narrow margin.

You are about 5 years ahead of your time marketing to an audience that is pre-Nintendo.

 

[UP2CSX]

Paul, I hope the O, S, G, and Garden Railway folks don't think I was demeaning them. Calling them "minor scales" was only in relation to their market share in the entire hobby, not that they were producing minor layouts. Indeed, I know O scale modelers who have a few engines that are worth more than my entire layout. I just think that any series has to have a focus and model railroading today is a big tent.

Rachel, that's a very impressive production at the web site. It certainly shows that you and your team have talent. The combination of animation and live action would work well for model railroads too, I suspect. As Kennedy wrote, now the challenge is to get yourself and your company known around the industry.

 

[Railphotog]

I wonder how many layouts there are around that would actually be suitable for a video production. Many of the major ones have already been done by Allen Keller and others. To be featured in a video a layout would have to be above the normal "roundy-roundy" type layout, with good operating qualities, great model building, etc.

Are there actually that many around? How many on this forum know of such layouts? I've photographed a few layouts for print publications and know in my relatively small area there aren't that many around.

Some years ago I was the Achievement Program Chairman for the NER of the NMRA; this large region stretches from New York state east to the Canadian Maritime Provinces and north to Quebec. Since I could not personally visit members' layouts to judge them for an award, I had to search the area for others who held the award or others. I tell you it was difficult to find anyone qualified in the state of New York to do it. So this leads back to my original question - are there that many suitable layout availble?

And if there are, would the owners be interested in having a video made? Is their layout suitable for a video production - enough room, electrical power, accessibility, etc.?

I'm not trying to put down the videos idea, just wanting to make the realities apparent.

Good luck in any case!

 

[OldGettysk]

Hi there again , Very nice video Rachel. Wish I could say I saw it before. I'm a big Buffalo Sabers fan . Ever since they entered the NHL back in 1970 . If we ever win the cup I hope that you can do the victory video . Jim I know you were just kidding . Alot of O, S and G scales could beat the heck out of my humble Ho layout . Ralph your right I've seen alot of videos on layouts. All the major ones like have been videoed already . I have seen alot of them on already . They have a feature on RFTD station that covers them weekly . But they show mostly O and S scale and not much of HO so it might be interesting to see some HO layouts. Mine is a 4x10 and is flat . I do mostly switching so there is not much to see. but I'm sure there are a lot of club and private layouts that would be nice to see. but it remains to be seen if this project can get off the ground !!!!