Man! Needed to hear this…how many times do I get to a point and I struggle with the risk of screwing up. Mike, your passion for wanting the best out of us and this hobby is what keeps me coming back.
Absolutely right !. You gotta push yourself . I scale model to best replicate WW2 to the best of my ability . I like too compete in show's , check where my skill level is at , never have any expectation . See what all the ohter work is like & what i need too work on . Most deffinately no participation trophy"s
Interesting commentary on your experience at SMC. I have never had the pleasure of visiting a top notch model competition yet. The plan is to hopefully visit one day when my schedule allows the time. Regarding your critique, I hear you on so many levels. I’m not a 7 days a week, 365 modeler. So I haven’t earned my stripes to really discuss or debate the topic. I can however concur with you on taking chances since I teach hs art. The well known artist took those risks. Even to the point where they developed their own style or movement like the Impressionist. I will try to find a way to elevate my game in the near future.👍🏾
Hi Mike, not attended SMC for a few years.. maybe 8 years now. Have to say I did see some images of the competition entries and had my own thoughts. But you are far better at explanations, thoughts etc that I would ever be... hope to bump into you some day. Regards Andy
I was at the SMC but I missed you. And the whole Europe and the best of America ;) was there. Great to see that the SMC amd the whole modelling worldd de has expanded. Hope to see you next year at the anniversary!
The modelling layout, judging and personalities also show how attitudes are towards the hobby when people juggle between it as a lifestyle or a Olympic sport (looking at you, IPMS)
Damn, I didn’t even go to SMC or anything and I hate feeling like I disappointed Coach. But that’s what rocks about RSp and what a good teacher Coach is…he cares enough about the hobby to want us all to be better. Mike, thanks for the inspiration as always!!
Great video and warranted. I have noticed the same patterns. To the point where shows will loose their clout if the level on hand doesn't break some walls.
I love that another norwegian took one of the Best of at SMC . Per Olav Lund, he did the one with the whale fishermen that get knocked over by the whale
I’m not sure I fully comprehend your position because I lack the context of what modeling was like 10+ years ago. I recently got into modeling two years ago inspired by Nightshift - he has referenced some of your work so I came to check it out. All I know is that I’m either doing this hobby incorrectly because sometimes I walk away with my body in pain. I am building a b17 for a friend trying to replicate the plane his dad flew during the war. I think I have almost 1,000 photos including screenshots from old models. This hobby certainly takes a tremendous amount of dedication. I just finished a diorama for a wwi artillery piece and while I think it looks okay I definitely see the need for improvement. However it took so much work just to get it to that point. Also it takes time away from family and I personally feel like I work slow and deliberately so there’s a serious time component to this hobby. I think I’m just rambling at this point but look forward to checking out your work.
@@matijalisec3059 that was my idea also. But Moson is not longer a great show. Famous modeller no longer go there and quality of AFV models is worse than the SMC. Also the competition is a joke when you see how bad models can win a gold.
@@tomasbrablc4641 I guess the grass is always greener on the other side. If you study the results carefully, you will find the very same models and people in Moson or even at the Sumperk show :-) Both big shows have their internal problems, Moson is plagued by the bureaucratic scoring system, which can be gamed and it is prone to melt down at a higher number of entries, as the judges are unable to determine exactly where their scoring activity will lead, and what level or medal will be the result. I understand your disappointment, but most of the shows are like this, it just takes you some time as an outsider to recognize the patterns. As an internal judge or part of the organisational team, the mechanics become more clear but even more disappointing. For SMC the friendships, real and digital social networks outside the competition tables seem to be a bigger issue though. I think that is the main reason why the public outrage is directed towards the lack of innovation, but no one is dealing with the friends issue, which is very real and painful for some. Suggest you take a trip and see it yourself, how does it work out when you have a bunch of famous modellers, but the famous modelling is not present in any big numbers anymore and social mechanics takes over. SMC is rather a community not really a Competition.
Those are true words. I've seen so many same setups. Even the same grade of weathering. Of the 1000 models there were only about 8 that really stood out. Very little dioramas that really told a story.
Great imput and i have to agree, i have been to a few small model exhibitions and found everyones model are the same. Someone post on a facebook page about what colour for a Sherman i think and of course eveyone had a option of what brabd of olive drab to use i got on and told him to panit it pink, your model paint it what you want everyone is so scared of what people say and think they don't express themselves, modellers have gone soft! The whole world has gone soft.
Thank you Mr. Rinaldi! I love these more ranty / philosophical videos. I am a little over a year into the hobby so I don't have that much experience with the culture of the hobby. But I have been getting mentored by some very skillful old heads and they share the same sentiment, ESPECIALLY when it comes to online forums and groups. People are afraid to give constructive criticism and it's holding our fellow modellers back! Since my start I have only ever seen cheers and praises on any post I find, extremely rare to see a comment like "Hey that looks good! But *blank* could use some work".... I have heard tales of mean folks being overly negative and nagging the flaws of a persons model, but to be frank I've just never seen it! Thank you for everything you've done and contributed to the hobby sir!
I have built models my whole life as a pro and for fun. Master modelers never stop taking risks. In fact they embrace failure because that is where the silver lining is. Despite the pain, when the fun is over, it's all over. That is where I am going - to the end of fun. 😉
"We've become SOFT" As a 68 yr old Modeler and a pre-social media follower, you hit it on the nail! Modelers have become conservative in their showmanship. I for one applaud your honesty. The hobby of armor modeling is better off because of you. Best Wishes for the books!
Man you have a clear vision about what is going on alright ! indeed the models and diorama's look splendid but the themes are mostly repeating.... i also don't say WAUW that much anymore. I still love to look at others work though an love to model myself (age 61, 30years modelling) and still learning and trying to come up with something original. What you say is definitely inspiring and wíll motivate to rethink our posibilities as creators.... if somebody created heaven and earth in seven days out of nothing.... think what wé can do with al the materials and tools in a whole year hahaa 😋 Thanks for venting your thoughts Mike 👍 To all... Happy Modelling 🤟🙂✌ (Peter, Netherlands)
Interesting points, which indeed ruffle feathers as you expected. Lots of elements I can relate to, for example about how different levels of maturity should be given different challenges as well. I can understand some people feel this “rant” is [insert whatever negative qualifier here], and I attribute that to the fact that, well, it’s a tough call to say “master level entries don’t surprise me any longer”. It’s a very personal thing, and your viewpoint is not that of any modeler, addressing the “masters” only as a matter of fact, so pretty much a private discussion put out in public, which can trigger defensive reactions. Also interesting to listen and read about your own evolution, and how you have evolved over the years. Some will remain fierce competitors, maybe focused on their own growth in et certain area of proficiency, others seem to become “coaches”, putting their attention to making others grow. I’m not just talking modeling here, just a perspective on how we change in our professional endeavors as we grow older maybe. I also think you are personally attracting a lot of criticism for the difficulties you encounter in meeting your commitments as a publisher. This gets amalgamated with the rest, which I believe is unfair, this has nothing to do with what you and your fellow judges felt at the show. I won’t say anything about the state of the “master modeling world”, as I am definitely not in that league and keep discovering works and modelers that absolutely amaze me every day. Maybe just one question: could your impression of a stagnating level of inspiration not be at least partially the result of all your accumulated experience ?
Thank you Robin, and regarding your question many to whom I was speaking to and referencing with shows past have been around the same length of time, or longer in some cases. My breadth of experience is matched in this area and don't think that is a factor overall when we step back and gauge the entirety of the last 15-20 years as a collective of modelers. Maybe what is lost (and better for me to emphasis), is the joy of this being so motivated and energized to derive fresh perspectives. In comparison, many felt it was an "attack" on technical technique/product skills, and missed some obvious implications of my comments. It had much less to do with that than the intangibles, which were stark in their lack of presence. My point has as much to do with moving the viewer, getting them to feel something more than gazing upon a simplistic clarity of the subject in front of them. I will expand on this topic soon --> age/era/intention of region, life of the machine, story (what is good or better variations vs a lot of cliches that are populating tables today).
I may be wrong, but I believe Mike's point was not about techniques, but about an artistic vision and overall concept when it comes to modelling. If that's the case, I think Mike is 100% correct. I've been thinking the same thing for a few years now. It's pretty obvious when you look around, especially at some of the bigger, more popular youtube channels, for example. They are almost indistinguishable from each other. It's all become stale. I'm not surprised at who this video has upset the most. Some of the backlash is pretty comical to me. Mike will just move on flexing his artistic muscle, while the scolds at 'The real Housewives of scale modelling podcasts' will still be debating how to apply decals, complaining about an aerial not fitting properly on an otherwise great kit, or talking about which mottling stencil is the best. Is it any surprise they're confused by Mike's video?
I started to notice the “play it safe approach” back in 2018/19 at SMW Telford. Everything was build and weathered to look a certain way. Nothing really stood out, nothing grabbed your attention. The dioramas were all very similar in approach and of similar themes. I’m still seeing it today on social media, it’s all built/ weathered to certain parameter. I don’t think it’s just armour modelling as your talking about in the video, I think it’s across the whole hobby.
One point I think you’re missing (imho) is that the overall technical level is super high right now, that was not the case 10-15 years ago. That’s why you (and everyone else) didn’t had a blow out view of the competition. The level of weathering, story telling, figures is so high it will take some years or more until someone take it to a next level. Mainly due to social media, master publications like yours, how to videos, books etc, so the wow factors is diluted… everyone is already costumed to see great works, we are also costumed to see brilliant works at. the tip of our fingers. I think one good way forward regarding competition should be like in wine competitions… Making a blind competition, names and any indication of author are covered. That could help improve the “friendship” zone issue. Last note, 48 with 16 scale doesn’t make any sense… Also, the industry should explore more the mingle of models, there is no sense having the majority of planes in 32 and the majority of vehicles in 35 its just plain dumb. Anyway,I think this video will age like fine 2023 Madeira wine mate. great take overall Michael. Greetings from Portugal.
Greetings from Portland and allow me to clarify. You've made good points with some partially incorrect assumptions. I'll take your points in order: 1) Technical skill prowess was discussed immediately out of the gate -- it's not true. The impression that today's guys are better at the techniques, they're not. This is quickly becoming a myth. The quality was okay in person, not as great as some think they are, or said another way -- todays modeler photograph better for IG rather than when you get up close to it. Lots of clumsy chipping, stains, streaks, out of scale, lack refinement and took away from the piece upon inspection. WAY too many guys leaning on varnishes. It was something I'll speak to soon (again lol). The lower classes yes, lots of new(er) modelers with good quality sooner, but the work produced at the top or Masters level from 2003-2018 is staggeringly good and the stuff today is not in the same league. Not even close. I disagree with the last point, many guys are simply not familiar up close with top level work anymore, since before 2018. Social media is working against this because many top guys shy away from the limelight, and with a premiere event to compete in -- they don't. As I said, remove Per Olav Lund's piece, and that changes the show dramatically. In fact, I questioned many of the models placed into Masters class as actually qualified to be at the level to begin with. Some pieces in the Standard class were better in many ways. Also, low quality social media images hide a lot. This is coming out, I could see it. Many wouldn't hold up to a true DSLR with real lens and 300dpi print on paper. 2) All competition work is blind. Competitors are given a number to put on the base or model and we use it to grade with. What is happening is because it is a small community with intense social media presence, many guys share the bulk of the project online long before a show. Word gets around, we recognize styles, etc. Has nothing to do with a name being presented. 3) 32/35 crossover will come. Give it time. :) Hope this helps! Cheers
@@rs.p thanks for the detailed answer. Im forced to agree with you Michael. After I posted this comment I went and checked a couple of videos of the show and photos from models. I was a bit shocked by what I saw. I wont go that far and state it was a lack of skill from the modeller but it seemed just a lazy approach to weathering and finishing… dull, lack of depth and layering, incongruent tones with the rest of the diorama…. overall lack of dust in a dusty diorama. for ex… etc and so on…I also was struck by the color intensity, too vibrant, which gives a “toy feeling” to the work… I still feel it could be from the overall poor lighting of the photographs but still… I think it comes all down to some lack of patience from modellers going for a detailed weathering. Regarding SMC competition, where I saw great technical paint work was on the fantasy themes. I also see this kind of approach on YT videos, I agree with you regarding photograph and light. When I check “monster dioramas” with my kids for them to see the construction and painting process start to finish, most of times the lack of depth specially in painting and finishing, its almost a parody. YT thumbnails are very misleading. Everything seems great on a small frame, but when I check the video its very patent the lack of patience and overall superficiality on the approach. I did not know competitions were already blind… I never went to one! :)
Totally agree with what you say. I have seen several of the videos doing the rounds and there were only two armour builds that jumped out at me without closer scrutiny. My question to you coach is it the finish you are questioning or the composition/originality of the model? Do you as a judge want to see less Tigers, Stugs, or Panthers and see more scratch built/3D printed original builds/compositions? I am off to the International IPMS Show at Telford, England next month and it will be interesting to see what builds are on show in the competition arena.
Subject matter is less important than guys think, it can play a part, but I don't think we need to turn the hobby upside down and become who can build the most original from new technology either. That will discourage more people than encourage, in fact I suspect classes will emerge for what 3D is doing. Story Steve, that's crucial to top level modeling. Emotion, mood, make us feel something, it's not my job as a judge to determine how exciting or boring your subject choice is.
Thats a relief! I like to take usual subjects/models and then add that mood, emotion, time and most importantly realism. Realism of not only the main subject but also the stowage, the steering wheel, the tracks, the jerry can etc etc and then once put together creates a time line of use and time spent in the field. As far as I am concerned this can only be created by constant layering of colour and substances. Take care my friend and speak soon.
My pleasure Steve, thank you. I'll also add in judges should not judge a person's style or choice of styles. If it clashes with a judge's personal taste that is a part to discuss at length, since I feel it's adversely affecting the hobby too. I'll share my thoughts on that coming up.
I have more coming but my notes- yes, there are other genres that follow what scale armor modelers are doing..🙋🏽♂️...as a person who is, has been, following you and your techniques, if anything of mine is on a table for judging, as far as I am concerned, I am going to get the honest treatment as everyone else; I am not a friend I am a contestant. There are ways to make sure that happens...
SMC Its a worthy Successor of Euro and a good brother of MosonCon. The euro crowd is so much expressive and artistic. The Us guys are Kinda the old fuddly duddy. There an old guard that very stuck in the runt of 'Shep and verlinden" and a younger crowd that respects the old but also hates the dogma. There will always Be a competitor Who comes in to a show and comes with his metaphorical dick out and whacks it on the table and says by his work, There a new level. There are times too when "friends" allow each other to Rest on past achievements. and there is "playing to judges" Especially in a Friend but judges group too.
I'm not a good enough modeller/military historian to be qualified to comment on the standard of the modelling. I model for fun. One classification of modelling was missed. They are my toys. I was unable to model for years because I took it all to seriously, so I learned to chill out and leave it to those with the necessary aptitude and ability to do the good stuff. My background is in art and design, and so I look at dioramas and to some extent vehicles through aesthetic appreciation and what looks cool. With a bit of history thrown in. With that proviso out of the way so you know where I'm coming from, what I have seen on video and photos look suggests that a lack of appreciation of composition and unity of the whole work, both in formal terms as well as narrative. It maybe that the mediation of images of the dioramas, and the lighting do not help but one issue I see is that individual parts are painted discretely. Painting 3 dimensional objects is a tricky business for all sorts of reasons, as they are object affected by the light source of the environment they exist in. However, all that said, in one diorama I noticed that two vehicles with different camo schemes looked like they didn't belong together. I appreciate that "accurate colours" is a preoccupation with modellers, but a competent painter wouldn't approach a composition in such a manner. There has to be something that ties the two objects together. That may mean experimentation in how the two vehicles are painted. Many of the builds I have seen seem to throw everything at the diorama. Which makes me think that people are trying too hard. The old adage, less is more holds true. This also applies to narrative. Too often the dioramas had too much going on. This is misplaced ambition imho. Too many incidental and discrete vignettes stuck together rather than groups that make the composition flow. Sorry to pick out one individual, as I mean no disrespect. The modeller is far more talented than I am, but I want to illustrate my point about narrative unity. The scene is (presumably) set in the Ardennes, winter of 1944-5. It comprises of a Sherman tank with soldiers, standing around looking into the distance. In the foreground, a soldier holds a wounded comrade who may be dying. The drama is so incongruous with the stillness of the standing soldiers who re either oblivious to the injured man, or totally apathetic to his plight. There are two scenes being played out. They should have been kept separate. Again, it's not pushing boundaries to throw the kitchen sink at a project. Less is more. TL;DR. I'm a very average modeller who isn't worthy to tie the bootlaces of you guys. But I know a bit about aesthetics. Maybe understanding formal artistic concepts will improve your models? With apologies for the essay.
So let me get this straight: You start off by saying that you basically suck at building models but then go on to criticize people who compete at it on a master level? Dude - are you serious?
@@twelve_birds Good grief. Are you being deliberately obtuse or does it come naturally. I was criticising the aesthetics of the dioramas, and poor choices that adversely affect the narratives. I don't need to have ever built a model in my life to do that, bab. I have a MA and years of experience in the visual arts. What is a diorama if not a visual representation in a 3 dimensional medium. If, as said, there is a conservative and cautious attitude, one way of pushing forward and progressing the hobby is bringing in perspectives from outside of the hobby. One way to remain in a rut is to consider what is accepted within the modelling community. SMH
I dont like to make waves or enemies in this hobby, and I hope this comment reflects that. Ive sort of taken a step back from the hobby for the last couple months due to family life, mental health, and a pretty terrible experience at a recent show(what you had mentioed about judging hits pretty close to home on that topic lol), which have sapped any interest in getting to the bench. My take on much of what is going on in the hobby is that people are much more focused on the technique of things and just busting out models as fast as possible. Some people can do that, others can't. Unfortunately the ones who can't just get kinda kicked to the wayside. I build armor, and demolition derby cars. Cant see colors worth a shit so I really struggle with armor, and none of the car guys care about builds unless it's shiny paint or a nascar. Really sucks trying to enjoy this hobby anymore when you hardly get any feedback from people unless you just "tow the company line", so to speak. Build anything different? Most people just scroll on past. Build a "destroyed" car, and people just bitch or don't even give anything a true look to appreciate the work, details, scratch building, or the 2 dozen steps in the paint/weathering/finishing process. There certainly are some circles that seem to have the "pat on the back" mentality, but i have noticed it far more on the automotive side than the armor side. The armor stuff seems to be more in 2 camps: the artistic side, or the technique side. And people like me who enjoy both sides, are just gettinf tired of it. Nobody has to be "right" or "wrong", there is no single "correct" answer in my humble opinion. To me, you absolutely HAVE to take from both sides to make a great model, its just a downer that everything is so devisive nowadays. I can see points from both sides, and I wish more people would do the same. Sorry for the little rant, just wanted to vent a little frustration from the middle ground.
It's a great observation and holds up from what I see and hear too. There's places to be seen if you have a desire to work on stuff outside the norm, and often we have trouble finding them in the congestion of modern day social media. The divisiveness is coming from a few loud areas more than overall, and what you see and feel is commendable. It's the human aspect of a hobby becoming a microcosm of the world today, we're a bit more disconnected than previous years. Tougher to see others perspectives or embrace something outside their specific bubble. Scanning ahead the future of the hobby is bright, and encouraging those to push themselves is always part of the process. Not everyone will be on board though.
So I see Mike is getting a little flamed for taking such a bold stance on this subject. As someone who doesn’t compete in world class competitions and my scale modeling life only started 2-3 years, I’ve tried to just stay on the sidelines and observe but I think I have to put my 1 cent in on the subject. I have observed that most negative comments I’ve read are from people that obviously don’t follow or appreciate his work. I literally laughed out loud when I read a couple comments about mike not innovating anything since the TA series. Books aren’t the only thing in the world fellas. Idk if these are just old dudes who don’t know that there is a world outside of physical publications and FB or they just don’t want to take the effort to look into something or maybe they are just echoing what other FB fuds are yammering about. I personally have seen mike evolve his techniques, in front of my eyes, just over the past 2 years! No one else is doing what he’s doing in the armor world imo. Not only have I seen his techniques evolve and improve but, in turn, I’ve seen my own techniques evolve and improve! The guy is crazy, constantly pushing me and others to do different things that might seem out of the box to the western modeling world To try new techniques and genres outside of our main avenues of interest. I get people are upset but maybe it just strikes close to home for some people? Idk. I just know I need to keep pushing my own expectations and try to exceed them at the same time.
It's been a life of model building for me especially tanks. Starting at 6, now I'm 59. There were so many failures along the way LOL!🤣🤣I gave up the hobby several times. But you live and learn: about 15 years ago i returned to it and started to dabble. I still had all those failed models and I got the idea of using them as guinea pigs. I think a lot of guys make the mistake of trying new techniques on models in progress, which they have already invested much time and expense on. When they screw it up, they hit a wall, they start to fear new things. Preferring to stick to the tried and true. That's just my humble opinion. Trying crazy new techniques on those old models, old toys and train sets, even just pieces of plastic helped me to break new ground. Man I had a lot of fun and people took notice, next thing I was published and editors were asking for articles. This isn't my real name but you know me, though i haven't done any model work for 7 years. Maybe someone can take something away from what I've written. Have a great day Mike!
Ok, I felt that and I wasn't even there. A lot of what you said resonates with myself and others in the train genre, in my opinion. One of the many reasons I followed you here from the start "Coach" was to...step up my game and get away from the "playing it safe" mentality. I fell that anyone doing any type of modeling should hear this. Thank you for being a coach, Mike. Anyone who has followed you should know that you are here for a reason and have been doing this for a reach...cosch us up!! Build the confidence!! Help us all evolve!!💙🍻
I have also been present at SMC 23 and in my opinion one of the best events, which you notice and coach is completely right in that everyone plays it safe, although there were some very nice parts. But it is striking that usually the builders with the most medals will probably run to have them present again next year..
Man, I don’t think this is the direction to go; crapping on other modelers I don’t think is the best course of action. It’s appearing to alienate a lot of people. My feed is full of people not agreeing with your take to put it lightly
That's a bit like the pot calling the kettle black given where your feed is located lol... I'll play along Ian. How is this crapping…? By challenging the status quo to do better? It’s alienating lol… that alone simply confirms my opinion--the hobby is soft. Especially the armor crowd. I didn’t post it for agreement, I posted to challenge this hobby to up its game. You'd think a group that pretends to personify this concept would be the champions of this topic, and yet again you guys let the hobby down. You've clearly never competed against Mig, Adam, Phil, Marijn, Chris Clayton, or the entirety of the Blue Shirts setting down the collective groupings with a flex you've not experienced before--or so many other top guys that put forth a drive to see our world in a fresh light. You guys might want to watch again in its entirety. Or go study the works from 2005-2018 and see what was made…this hobby needs a wake up call. But also stop the misinterpretation too, there was some excellent work on display. To stand and judge to determine between a high silver and what is gold going forward to leading the way for others type level work, I take seriously. If you guys are that thinned skinned, you feel in judging at a top show this was some form of frivolous retort that I/we are "crapping" on someone, that's a childish response at best. Those "upset" on this might want to understand it's not just my opinion, and our judging group didn't even enter a piece from Class 40 into the BoS portion, and that alone should tell you that it's time to put your head back in the game and push. Push yourselves, push your friends, push those in your feed. I’ll repeat - the vast majority of armor on display was safe, little to no risks were taken at the top, and no fresh/new points of view or creative elements that challenged others from the competitive standpoint were on display. Technical brilliance on many for sure, they were noted, but what is the true state of gold medal level work is also at stake here. If you and others can’t understand that, perhaps rethink what you believe world class competition work entails, or you can tighten your bootstraps and get to work. Prove me wrong Ian, please.
@@cfranko1860 alexandre Deauchamp, Lester plaskitt, Evan McCallum, andrey Grechkin, Pete usher, spud Murphy, to name a few. Also Robert Crombeecke who runs SMC is pretty pissed about this whole thing too.
@@iBonezModels It's a shame you guys can't get past the thought we need to do better and push harder. We saw this with big fights on ML over judging, this is nothing new. And will always happen, it's how you respond that matters most. I stand by my comments -- what was on display was judged fairly and on point. You've answered none of my questions Ian. You've put forward nothing of substance to illustrate the comparison of today's work is not actually ahead of those from the past. You've made no points to debate, backed by anything other than saying feathers are ruffled, which I already point out in the video to begin with. You either don't get it or don't know what crapping on someone actually means. My point was nothing of the sort. No one has made an argument or debated my opinion as a judge otherwise, except in closed off private groups with a lot of hurt egos. If this is how you believe makes you alienated, then there is some serious confidence issues behind the scenes. Someone please site examples of which I point out and bring forth a real adult level debate. If we can't discuss that part of what is happening, that is was a very safe display with little to no risks being taken--in a healthy manner, (which was what actually happened on the judging floor that night BTW), then the hobby is going to have a real challenge down the road. As a judging group we were largely in tune the entire time, same with the head judges too. Was their great work, yes, but it was largely a safe play at it. You guys can't get past you think it's personal or intentional either, and that to me is the biggest disappointment seeing your comments Ian (reputedly speaking for so many others). That's about the most childish response to something like this. We are discussing the top level ideals and directions here...
@@rs.p mob mentality took over the facebook feeds were you are not present, factual discussion is not possible right now, I think you hit the nail on the head and the pain is real for some...
Good advice on the whole, I'm just a shitty model builder in a shitty shed,I used to share my work on social media until the naysayers pulled holes in my work, now I just build models for me 😉👍
I always thought this show was the World cup of Modeling. The Best of the BEST. This is what happens when everyone gets a prize you know, no losers cause we cant hurt anyone's feelings anymore. Not that I mean to discourage anyone from modeling ,its that average has no place in a "Masters Class".
@@mandeladoak7811 Maybe those standards need revisiting. The point being made is quality and finesse of the models in the "Master Class" has fallen off in his (and many others) opinion. NO, I wasn't there. Nor am I an IPMS card holder. If you believe Your work can go up against the Adam Wilder's or Mirko Bayerl's and other likewise skilled builders than you want/need to be in the "Master Class" and if not, then WHY are you in the Master Class? As I stated above this was a Best of the BEST modeling competition ,Right..? Or was it a Japanese type of show where there is NO Competition but a show case of modeling. I would not discourage anyone from this hobby but there's a reason it's called a Master's Class.
Yes! Your soooo right Mike it’s called creative criticism some people can handle this type of criticism or judging then there is the non-handlers when comes to model competitions it’s a way different world everyone wants to see clean armor and not weathering I feel that at my competitions they like to give the medals to clean rivet counted models not the models that have been weathered and has had time to put their time into that model
Man! Needed to hear this…how many times do I get to a point and I struggle with the risk of screwing up. Mike, your passion for wanting the best out of us and this hobby is what keeps me coming back.
Absolutely right !. You gotta push yourself . I scale model to best replicate WW2 to the best of my ability . I like too compete in show's , check where my skill level is at , never have any expectation . See what all the ohter work is like & what i need too work on . Most deffinately no participation trophy"s
Interesting commentary on your experience at SMC. I have never had the pleasure of visiting a top notch model competition yet. The plan is to hopefully visit one day when my schedule allows the time. Regarding your critique, I hear you on so many levels. I’m not a 7 days a week, 365 modeler. So I haven’t earned my stripes to really discuss or debate the topic. I can however concur with you on taking chances since I teach hs art. The well known artist took those risks. Even to the point where they developed their own style or movement like the Impressionist. I will try to find a way to elevate my game in the near future.👍🏾
Hi Mike, not attended SMC for a few years.. maybe 8 years now. Have to say I did see some images of the competition entries and had my own thoughts. But you are far better at explanations, thoughts etc that I would ever be... hope to bump into you some day. Regards Andy
That would be great to see you again, it has been at least that long! Take care, and hope to catch up soon.
I was at the SMC but I missed you. And the whole Europe and the best of America ;) was there. Great to see that the SMC amd the whole modelling worldd de has expanded. Hope to see you next year at the anniversary!
The modelling layout, judging and personalities also show how attitudes are towards the hobby when people juggle between it as a lifestyle or a Olympic sport (looking at you, IPMS)
Damn, I didn’t even go to SMC or anything and I hate feeling like I disappointed Coach. But that’s what rocks about RSp and what a good teacher Coach is…he cares enough about the hobby to want us all to be better. Mike, thanks for the inspiration as always!!
Great video and warranted. I have noticed the same patterns. To the point where shows will loose their clout if the level on hand doesn't break some walls.
I love that another norwegian took one of the Best of at SMC . Per Olav Lund, he did the one with the whale fishermen that get knocked over by the whale
I’m not sure I fully comprehend your position because I lack the context of what modeling was like 10+ years ago. I recently got into modeling two years ago inspired by Nightshift - he has referenced some of your work so I came to check it out. All I know is that I’m either doing this hobby incorrectly because sometimes I walk away with my body in pain. I am building a b17 for a friend trying to replicate the plane his dad flew during the war. I think I have almost 1,000 photos including screenshots from old models. This hobby certainly takes a tremendous amount of dedication. I just finished a diorama for a wwi artillery piece and while I think it looks okay I definitely see the need for improvement. However it took so much work just to get it to that point. Also it takes time away from family and I personally feel like I work slow and deliberately so there’s a serious time component to this hobby. I think I’m just rambling at this point but look forward to checking out your work.
Out of curiosity - if the SMC is the second best show in Europe, what’s no.1?
Mosonmagyarovar perhaps
@@matijalisec3059 that was my idea also. But Moson is not longer a great show. Famous modeller no longer go there and quality of AFV models is worse than the SMC. Also the competition is a joke when you see how bad models can win a gold.
@@tomasbrablc4641 I guess the grass is always greener on the other side. If you study the results carefully, you will find the very same models and people in Moson or even at the Sumperk show :-) Both big shows have their internal problems, Moson is plagued by the bureaucratic scoring system, which can be gamed and it is prone to melt down at a higher number of entries, as the judges are unable to determine exactly where their scoring activity will lead, and what level or medal will be the result. I understand your disappointment, but most of the shows are like this, it just takes you some time as an outsider to recognize the patterns. As an internal judge or part of the organisational team, the mechanics become more clear but even more disappointing. For SMC the friendships, real and digital social networks outside the competition tables seem to be a bigger issue though. I think that is the main reason why the public outrage is directed towards the lack of innovation, but no one is dealing with the friends issue, which is very real and painful for some. Suggest you take a trip and see it yourself, how does it work out when you have a bunch of famous modellers, but the famous modelling is not present in any big numbers anymore and social mechanics takes over. SMC is rather a community not really a Competition.
Those are true words. I've seen so many same setups. Even the same grade of weathering. Of the 1000 models there were only about 8 that really stood out. Very little dioramas that really told a story.
That would have been great to be there !
Great imput and i have to agree, i have been to a few small model exhibitions and found everyones model are the same. Someone post on a facebook page about what colour for a Sherman i think and of course eveyone had a option of what brabd of olive drab to use i got on and told him to panit it pink, your model paint it what you want everyone is so scared of what people say and think they don't express themselves, modellers have gone soft! The whole world has gone soft.
Thank you Mr. Rinaldi! I love these more ranty / philosophical videos. I am a little over a year into the hobby so I don't have that much experience with the culture of the hobby. But I have been getting mentored by some very skillful old heads and they share the same sentiment, ESPECIALLY when it comes to online forums and groups. People are afraid to give constructive criticism and it's holding our fellow modellers back! Since my start I have only ever seen cheers and praises on any post I find, extremely rare to see a comment like "Hey that looks good! But *blank* could use some work"....
I have heard tales of mean folks being overly negative and nagging the flaws of a persons model, but to be frank I've just never seen it!
Thank you for everything you've done and contributed to the hobby sir!
I have built models my whole life as a pro and for fun. Master modelers never stop taking risks. In fact they embrace failure because that is where the silver lining is. Despite the pain, when the fun is over, it's all over. That is where I am going - to the end of fun. 😉
"We've become SOFT" As a 68 yr old Modeler and a pre-social media follower, you hit it on the nail! Modelers have become conservative in their showmanship. I for one applaud your honesty. The hobby of armor modeling is better off because of you. Best Wishes for the books!
Man you have a clear vision about what is going on alright ! indeed the models and diorama's look splendid but the themes are mostly repeating.... i also don't say WAUW that much
anymore.
I still love to look at others work though an love to model myself (age 61, 30years modelling) and still learning and trying to come up with something original.
What you say is definitely inspiring and wíll motivate to rethink our posibilities as creators.... if somebody created heaven and earth in seven days out of nothing.... think what wé can do
with al the materials and tools in a whole year hahaa 😋
Thanks for venting your thoughts Mike 👍
To all... Happy Modelling 🤟🙂✌
(Peter, Netherlands)
Interesting points, which indeed ruffle feathers as you expected.
Lots of elements I can relate to, for example about how different levels of maturity should be given different challenges as well.
I can understand some people feel this “rant” is [insert whatever negative qualifier here], and I attribute that to the fact that, well, it’s a tough call to say “master level entries don’t surprise me any longer”. It’s a very personal thing, and your viewpoint is not that of any modeler, addressing the “masters” only as a matter of fact, so pretty much a private discussion put out in public, which can trigger defensive reactions.
Also interesting to listen and read about your own evolution, and how you have evolved over the years. Some will remain fierce competitors, maybe focused on their own growth in et certain area of proficiency, others seem to become “coaches”, putting their attention to making others grow. I’m not just talking modeling here, just a perspective on how we change in our professional endeavors as we grow older maybe.
I also think you are personally attracting a lot of criticism for the difficulties you encounter in meeting your commitments as a publisher. This gets amalgamated with the rest, which I believe is unfair, this has nothing to do with what you and your fellow judges felt at the show.
I won’t say anything about the state of the “master modeling world”, as I am definitely not in that league and keep discovering works and modelers that absolutely amaze me every day.
Maybe just one question: could your impression of a stagnating level of inspiration not be at least partially the result of all your accumulated experience ?
Thank you Robin, and regarding your question many to whom I was speaking to and referencing with shows past have been around the same length of time, or longer in some cases. My breadth of experience is matched in this area and don't think that is a factor overall when we step back and gauge the entirety of the last 15-20 years as a collective of modelers.
Maybe what is lost (and better for me to emphasis), is the joy of this being so motivated and energized to derive fresh perspectives. In comparison, many felt it was an "attack" on technical technique/product skills, and missed some obvious implications of my comments. It had much less to do with that than the intangibles, which were stark in their lack of presence.
My point has as much to do with moving the viewer, getting them to feel something more than gazing upon a simplistic clarity of the subject in front of them. I will expand on this topic soon --> age/era/intention of region, life of the machine, story (what is good or better variations vs a lot of cliches that are populating tables today).
I may be wrong, but I believe Mike's point was not about techniques, but about an artistic vision and overall concept when it comes to modelling. If that's the case, I think Mike is 100% correct. I've been thinking the same thing for a few years now. It's pretty obvious when you look around, especially at some of the bigger, more popular youtube channels, for example. They are almost indistinguishable from each other. It's all become stale. I'm not surprised at who this video has upset the most. Some of the backlash is pretty comical to me. Mike will just move on flexing his artistic muscle, while the scolds at 'The real Housewives of scale modelling podcasts' will still be debating how to apply decals, complaining about an aerial not fitting properly on an otherwise great kit, or talking about which mottling stencil is the best. Is it any surprise they're confused by Mike's video?
I started to notice the “play it safe approach” back in 2018/19 at SMW Telford. Everything was build and weathered to look a certain way. Nothing really stood out, nothing grabbed your attention. The dioramas were all very similar in approach and of similar themes.
I’m still seeing it today on social media, it’s all built/ weathered to certain parameter. I don’t think it’s just armour modelling as your talking about in the video, I think it’s across the whole hobby.
One point I think you’re missing (imho) is that the overall technical level is super high right now, that was not the case 10-15 years ago. That’s why you (and everyone else) didn’t had a blow out view of the competition. The level of weathering, story telling, figures is so high it will take some years or more until someone take it to a next level. Mainly due to social media, master publications like yours, how to videos, books etc, so the wow factors is diluted… everyone is already costumed to see great works, we are also costumed to see brilliant works at. the tip of our fingers.
I think one good way forward regarding competition should be like in wine competitions… Making a blind competition, names and any indication of author are covered. That could help improve the “friendship” zone issue.
Last note, 48 with 16 scale doesn’t make any sense… Also, the industry should explore more the mingle of models, there is no sense having the majority of planes in 32 and the majority of vehicles in 35 its just plain dumb.
Anyway,I think this video will age like fine 2023 Madeira wine mate. great take overall Michael. Greetings from Portugal.
Greetings from Portland and allow me to clarify. You've made good points with some partially incorrect assumptions. I'll take your points in order:
1) Technical skill prowess was discussed immediately out of the gate -- it's not true. The impression that today's guys are better at the techniques, they're not. This is quickly becoming a myth. The quality was okay in person, not as great as some think they are, or said another way -- todays modeler photograph better for IG rather than when you get up close to it. Lots of clumsy chipping, stains, streaks, out of scale, lack refinement and took away from the piece upon inspection.
WAY too many guys leaning on varnishes. It was something I'll speak to soon (again lol).
The lower classes yes, lots of new(er) modelers with good quality sooner, but the work produced at the top or Masters level from 2003-2018 is staggeringly good and the stuff today is not in the same league. Not even close.
I disagree with the last point, many guys are simply not familiar up close with top level work anymore, since before 2018. Social media is working against this because many top guys shy away from the limelight, and with a premiere event to compete in -- they don't. As I said, remove Per Olav Lund's piece, and that changes the show dramatically. In fact, I questioned many of the models placed into Masters class as actually qualified to be at the level to begin with. Some pieces in the Standard class were better in many ways.
Also, low quality social media images hide a lot. This is coming out, I could see it. Many wouldn't hold up to a true DSLR with real lens and 300dpi print on paper.
2) All competition work is blind. Competitors are given a number to put on the base or model and we use it to grade with. What is happening is because it is a small community with intense social media presence, many guys share the bulk of the project online long before a show. Word gets around, we recognize styles, etc. Has nothing to do with a name being presented.
3) 32/35 crossover will come. Give it time. :)
Hope this helps! Cheers
@@rs.p thanks for the detailed answer.
Im forced to agree with you Michael. After I posted this comment I went and checked a couple of videos of the show and photos from models. I was a bit shocked by what I saw. I wont go that far and state it was a lack of skill from the modeller but it seemed just a lazy approach to weathering and finishing… dull, lack of depth and layering, incongruent tones with the rest of the diorama…. overall lack of dust in a dusty diorama. for ex… etc and so on…I also was struck by the color intensity, too vibrant, which gives a “toy feeling” to the work… I still feel it could be from the overall poor lighting of the photographs but still…
I think it comes all down to some lack of patience from modellers going for a detailed weathering.
Regarding SMC competition, where I saw great technical paint work was on the fantasy themes.
I also see this kind of approach on YT videos, I agree with you regarding photograph and light. When I check “monster dioramas” with my kids for them to see the construction and painting process start to finish, most of times the lack of depth specially in painting and finishing, its almost a parody. YT thumbnails are very misleading. Everything seems great on a small frame, but when I check the video its very patent the lack of patience and overall superficiality on the approach.
I did not know competitions were already blind… I never went to one! :)
Totally agree with what you say. I have seen several of the videos doing the rounds and there were only two armour builds that jumped out at me without closer scrutiny. My question to you coach is it the finish you are questioning or the composition/originality of the model? Do you as a judge want to see less Tigers, Stugs, or Panthers and see more scratch built/3D printed original builds/compositions? I am off to the International IPMS Show at Telford, England next month and it will be interesting to see what builds are on show in the competition arena.
Subject matter is less important than guys think, it can play a part, but I don't think we need to turn the hobby upside down and become who can build the most original from new technology either. That will discourage more people than encourage, in fact I suspect classes will emerge for what 3D is doing.
Story Steve, that's crucial to top level modeling. Emotion, mood, make us feel something, it's not my job as a judge to determine how exciting or boring your subject choice is.
Thats a relief! I like to take usual subjects/models and then add that mood, emotion, time and most importantly realism. Realism of not only the main subject but also the stowage, the steering wheel, the tracks, the jerry can etc etc and then once put together creates a time line of use and time spent in the field. As far as I am concerned this can only be created by constant layering of colour and substances. Take care my friend and speak soon.
My pleasure Steve, thank you. I'll also add in judges should not judge a person's style or choice of styles. If it clashes with a judge's personal taste that is a part to discuss at length, since I feel it's adversely affecting the hobby too. I'll share my thoughts on that coming up.
..... and as always we don't make mistakes, we just have happy accidents. RIP Bob
P.S Just seen that FriulModels are coming back into business soon. Hallelujah!!
I have more coming but my notes- yes, there are other genres that follow what scale armor modelers are doing..🙋🏽♂️...as a person who is, has been, following you and your techniques, if anything of mine is on a table for judging, as far as I am concerned, I am going to get the honest treatment as everyone else; I am not a friend I am a contestant. There are ways to make sure that happens...
Well said Mike , Been feeling the same way for many years now . Appreciate you saying what needs to be said .
I've enjoyed your videos and your books. Thanks for your help.
SMC Its a worthy Successor of Euro and a good brother of MosonCon. The euro crowd is so much expressive and artistic. The Us guys are Kinda the old fuddly duddy. There an old guard that very stuck in the runt of 'Shep and verlinden" and a younger crowd that respects the old but also hates the dogma.
There will always Be a competitor Who comes in to a show and comes with his metaphorical dick out and whacks it on the table and says by his work, There a new level. There are times too when "friends" allow each other to Rest on past achievements. and there is "playing to judges" Especially in a Friend but judges group too.
I'm not a good enough modeller/military historian to be qualified to comment on the standard of the modelling.
I model for fun. One classification of modelling was missed. They are my toys. I was unable to model for years because I took it all to seriously, so I learned to chill out and leave it to those with the necessary aptitude and ability to do the good stuff.
My background is in art and design, and so I look at dioramas and to some extent vehicles through aesthetic appreciation and what looks cool. With a bit of history thrown in.
With that proviso out of the way so you know where I'm coming from, what I have seen on video and photos look suggests that a lack of appreciation of composition and unity of the whole work, both in formal terms as well as narrative.
It maybe that the mediation of images of the dioramas, and the lighting do not help but one issue I see is that individual parts are painted discretely. Painting 3 dimensional objects is a tricky business for all sorts of reasons, as they are object affected by the light source of the environment they exist in.
However, all that said, in one diorama I noticed that two vehicles with different camo schemes looked like they didn't belong together.
I appreciate that "accurate colours" is a preoccupation with modellers, but a competent painter wouldn't approach a composition in such a manner. There has to be something that ties the two objects together. That may mean experimentation in how the two vehicles are painted.
Many of the builds I have seen seem to throw everything at the diorama.
Which makes me think that people are trying too hard. The old adage, less is more holds true.
This also applies to narrative.
Too often the dioramas had too much going on. This is misplaced ambition imho.
Too many incidental and discrete vignettes stuck together rather than groups that make the composition flow.
Sorry to pick out one individual, as I mean no disrespect. The modeller is far more talented than I am, but I want to illustrate my point about narrative unity.
The scene is (presumably) set in the Ardennes, winter of 1944-5. It comprises of a Sherman tank with soldiers, standing around looking into the distance. In the foreground, a soldier holds a wounded comrade who may be dying.
The drama is so incongruous with the stillness of the standing soldiers who re either oblivious to the injured man, or totally apathetic to his plight.
There are two scenes being played out. They should have been kept separate.
Again, it's not pushing boundaries to throw the kitchen sink at a project. Less is more.
TL;DR. I'm a very average modeller who isn't worthy to tie the bootlaces of you guys.
But I know a bit about aesthetics. Maybe understanding formal artistic concepts will improve your models?
With apologies for the essay.
So let me get this straight: You start off by saying that you basically suck at building models but then go on to criticize people who compete at it on a master level? Dude - are you serious?
@@twelve_birds
Good grief.
Are you being deliberately obtuse or does it come naturally.
I was criticising the aesthetics of the dioramas, and poor choices that adversely affect the narratives.
I don't need to have ever built a model in my life to do that, bab.
I have a MA and years of experience in the visual arts.
What is a diorama if not a visual representation in a 3 dimensional medium.
If, as said, there is a conservative and cautious attitude, one way of pushing forward and progressing the hobby is bringing in perspectives from outside of the hobby.
One way to remain in a rut is to consider what is accepted within the modelling community.
SMH
Spot on… many modelers do mot understand the artistic part of their hobby. This is especially true when they get into vignettes or dioramas.
Amen to that!
Hell yeah!
As long as the incentive structures stay the same as to what wins, change will be slow.
I feel triggered and need my safe space after watching angry Rinaldi yell at me for being basic. :)
I dont like to make waves or enemies in this hobby, and I hope this comment reflects that.
Ive sort of taken a step back from the hobby for the last couple months due to family life, mental health, and a pretty terrible experience at a recent show(what you had mentioed about judging hits pretty close to home on that topic lol), which have sapped any interest in getting to the bench.
My take on much of what is going on in the hobby is that people are much more focused on the technique of things and just busting out models as fast as possible. Some people can do that, others can't. Unfortunately the ones who can't just get kinda kicked to the wayside. I build armor, and demolition derby cars. Cant see colors worth a shit so I really struggle with armor, and none of the car guys care about builds unless it's shiny paint or a nascar. Really sucks trying to enjoy this hobby anymore when you hardly get any feedback from people unless you just "tow the company line", so to speak. Build anything different? Most people just scroll on past. Build a "destroyed" car, and people just bitch or don't even give anything a true look to appreciate the work, details, scratch building, or the 2 dozen steps in the paint/weathering/finishing process.
There certainly are some circles that seem to have the "pat on the back" mentality, but i have noticed it far more on the automotive side than the armor side. The armor stuff seems to be more in 2 camps: the artistic side, or the technique side. And people like me who enjoy both sides, are just gettinf tired of it. Nobody has to be "right" or "wrong", there is no single "correct" answer in my humble opinion. To me, you absolutely HAVE to take from both sides to make a great model, its just a downer that everything is so devisive nowadays. I can see points from both sides, and I wish more people would do the same.
Sorry for the little rant, just wanted to vent a little frustration from the middle ground.
Also, sorry for the typos. Thumbs are big, phone is small lol
It's a great observation and holds up from what I see and hear too. There's places to be seen if you have a desire to work on stuff outside the norm, and often we have trouble finding them in the congestion of modern day social media.
The divisiveness is coming from a few loud areas more than overall, and what you see and feel is commendable. It's the human aspect of a hobby becoming a microcosm of the world today, we're a bit more disconnected than previous years. Tougher to see others perspectives or embrace something outside their specific bubble.
Scanning ahead the future of the hobby is bright, and encouraging those to push themselves is always part of the process. Not everyone will be on board though.
Model for yourself and show them if it's not a hassle or to expensive. Please don't give up on the hobby because obviously you love it.
I very much agree. We generally do the same thing, out of fear, we know how to start but not how to finish, etc.
So I see Mike is getting a little flamed for taking such a bold stance on this subject. As someone who doesn’t compete in world class competitions and my scale modeling life only started 2-3 years, I’ve tried to just stay on the sidelines and observe but I think I have to put my 1 cent in on the subject. I have observed that most negative comments I’ve read are from people that obviously don’t follow or appreciate his work. I literally laughed out loud when I read a couple comments about mike not innovating anything since the TA series. Books aren’t the only thing in the world fellas. Idk if these are just old dudes who don’t know that there is a world outside of physical publications and FB or they just don’t want to take the effort to look into something or maybe they are just echoing what other FB fuds are yammering about.
I personally have seen mike evolve his techniques, in front of my eyes, just over the past 2 years! No one else is doing what he’s doing in the armor world imo. Not only have I seen his techniques evolve and improve but, in turn, I’ve seen my own techniques evolve and improve! The guy is crazy, constantly pushing me and others to do different things that might seem out of the box to the western modeling world To try new techniques and genres outside of our main avenues of interest. I get people are upset but maybe it just strikes close to home for some people? Idk. I just know I need to keep pushing my own expectations and try to exceed them at the same time.
It's been a life of model building for me especially tanks. Starting at 6, now I'm 59. There were so many failures along the way LOL!🤣🤣I gave up the hobby several times. But you live and learn: about 15 years ago i returned to it and started to dabble. I still had all those failed models and I got the idea of using them as guinea pigs. I think a lot of guys make the mistake of trying new techniques on models in progress, which they have already invested much time and expense on. When they screw it up, they hit a wall, they start to fear new things. Preferring to stick to the tried and true. That's just my humble opinion.
Trying crazy new techniques on those old models, old toys and train sets, even just pieces of plastic helped me to break new ground. Man I had a lot of fun and people took notice, next thing I was published and editors were asking for articles. This isn't my real name but you know me, though i haven't done any model work for 7 years. Maybe someone can take something away from what I've written. Have a great day Mike!
You nailed a great point John, couldn't agree more.
Ok, I felt that and I wasn't even there. A lot of what you said resonates with myself and others in the train genre, in my opinion. One of the many reasons I followed you here from the start "Coach" was to...step up my game and get away from the "playing it safe" mentality. I fell that anyone doing any type of modeling should hear this. Thank you for being a coach, Mike. Anyone who has followed you should know that you are here for a reason and have been doing this for a reach...cosch us up!! Build the confidence!! Help us all evolve!!💙🍻
I have also been present at SMC 23 and in my opinion one of the best events, which you notice and coach is completely right in that everyone plays it safe, although there were some very nice parts. But it is striking that usually the builders with the most medals will probably run to have them present again next year..
Breath of fresh air, need more of the back story. More thoughts to fellow 🤔
Well, the World is changing and it is obviously on every level.
People are soft for anything.
Agreed.
What does "People are soft for anything" mean?
Man, I don’t think this is the direction to go; crapping on other modelers I don’t think is the best course of action. It’s appearing to alienate a lot of people. My feed is full of people not agreeing with your take to put it lightly
That's a bit like the pot calling the kettle black given where your feed is located lol... I'll play along Ian.
How is this crapping…? By challenging the status quo to do better? It’s alienating lol… that alone simply confirms my opinion--the hobby is soft. Especially the armor crowd.
I didn’t post it for agreement, I posted to challenge this hobby to up its game. You'd think a group that pretends to personify this concept would be the champions of this topic, and yet again you guys let the hobby down. You've clearly never competed against Mig, Adam, Phil, Marijn, Chris Clayton, or the entirety of the Blue Shirts setting down the collective groupings with a flex you've not experienced before--or so many other top guys that put forth a drive to see our world in a fresh light.
You guys might want to watch again in its entirety. Or go study the works from 2005-2018 and see what was made…this hobby needs a wake up call.
But also stop the misinterpretation too, there was some excellent work on display. To stand and judge to determine between a high silver and what is gold going forward to leading the way for others type level work, I take seriously. If you guys are that thinned skinned, you feel in judging at a top show this was some form of frivolous retort that I/we are "crapping" on someone, that's a childish response at best.
Those "upset" on this might want to understand it's not just my opinion, and our judging group didn't even enter a piece from Class 40 into the BoS portion, and that alone should tell you that it's time to put your head back in the game and push. Push yourselves, push your friends, push those in your feed.
I’ll repeat - the vast majority of armor on display was safe, little to no risks were taken at the top, and no fresh/new points of view or creative elements that challenged others from the competitive standpoint were on display. Technical brilliance on many for sure, they were noted, but what is the true state of gold medal level work is also at stake here.
If you and others can’t understand that, perhaps rethink what you believe world class competition work entails, or you can tighten your bootstraps and get to work.
Prove me wrong Ian, please.
Not sure who you’re following but I don’t really see anyone disagreeing
@@cfranko1860 alexandre Deauchamp, Lester plaskitt, Evan McCallum, andrey Grechkin, Pete usher, spud Murphy, to name a few. Also Robert Crombeecke who runs SMC is pretty pissed about this whole thing too.
@@iBonezModels It's a shame you guys can't get past the thought we need to do better and push harder. We saw this with big fights on ML over judging, this is nothing new. And will always happen, it's how you respond that matters most.
I stand by my comments -- what was on display was judged fairly and on point.
You've answered none of my questions Ian. You've put forward nothing of substance to illustrate the comparison of today's work is not actually ahead of those from the past. You've made no points to debate, backed by anything other than saying feathers are ruffled, which I already point out in the video to begin with.
You either don't get it or don't know what crapping on someone actually means. My point was nothing of the sort.
No one has made an argument or debated my opinion as a judge otherwise, except in closed off private groups with a lot of hurt egos.
If this is how you believe makes you alienated, then there is some serious confidence issues behind the scenes.
Someone please site examples of which I point out and bring forth a real adult level debate. If we can't discuss that part of what is happening, that is was a very safe display with little to no risks being taken--in a healthy manner, (which was what actually happened on the judging floor that night BTW), then the hobby is going to have a real challenge down the road. As a judging group we were largely in tune the entire time, same with the head judges too.
Was their great work, yes, but it was largely a safe play at it.
You guys can't get past you think it's personal or intentional either, and that to me is the biggest disappointment seeing your comments Ian (reputedly speaking for so many others). That's about the most childish response to something like this. We are discussing the top level ideals and directions here...
@@rs.p mob mentality took over the facebook feeds were you are not present, factual discussion is not possible right now, I think you hit the nail on the head and the pain is real for some...
'When you're catching flak you know you're over the target'.
Well said Mike! ❤
Good advice on the whole, I'm just a shitty model builder in a shitty shed,I used to share my work on social media until the naysayers pulled holes in my work, now I just build models for me 😉👍
I always thought this show was the World cup of Modeling. The Best of the BEST. This is what happens when everyone gets a prize you know, no losers cause we cant hurt anyone's feelings anymore. Not that I mean to discourage anyone from modeling ,its that average has no place in a "Masters Class".
How does everyone get a prize?
You either meet the standards, or you don’t. If you don’t, you don’t get a prize.
@@mandeladoak7811 Maybe those standards need revisiting. The point being made is quality and finesse of the models in the "Master Class" has fallen off in his (and many others) opinion. NO, I wasn't there. Nor am I an IPMS card holder. If you believe Your work can go up against the Adam Wilder's or Mirko Bayerl's and other likewise skilled builders than you want/need to be in the "Master Class" and if not, then WHY are you in the Master Class? As I stated above this was a Best of the BEST modeling competition ,Right..? Or was it a Japanese type of show where there is NO Competition but a show case of modeling. I would not discourage anyone from this hobby but there's a reason it's called a Master's Class.
Yes! Your soooo right Mike it’s called creative criticism some people can handle this type of criticism or judging then there is the non-handlers when comes to model competitions it’s a way different world everyone wants to see clean armor and not weathering I feel that at my competitions they like to give the medals to clean rivet counted models not the models that have been weathered and has had time to put their time into that model