"Filmmaker seeking help from Modellers/gamers." Topic

Hi all,
I'm not a modeller or a gamer but I need some help.
I'm a filmmaker and I need a specific diorama as a prop for my new film.
The film is about an old WWII veteran who has a bunch of WWII soldiers laid out on a table. He served in India so he has British, Sikh, Gurkha and Japanese soldiers posed as if in battle.
I'm basically asking around the model/gaming community, looking for someone who might have a set of soldiers like this that they would be prepared to loan for inclusion in the film.
Unfortunately we are a VERY small production house, so there is no money involved in the production and we could only offer a credit on the film, copy of the finished DVD, invites to screenings, etc. But we would take extremely good care of the soldiers and they would be seen at plenty of international film festivals!
If anyone has any advice they could offer me I'd be extremely gratefull as I've not got any good leads so far.
I know I'm asking a lot but there must be someone out there who can help me???
Thanks in advance, Mark.

An obvious question would be – where are you?

Sorry, yeah, I'm in the south of England, Surrey. But postage could be covered.

Yes--where are you and how retro do you want them to be??

How retro? Not sure I understand. They can look however you want as long as they look like WWII Allied soldiers as described above.

Perry Miniatures minght be the chaps to ask as they produced minis for Lord of the rings and will have no doubt a lot of what you want in their collection

Can you tell us more about this movie? Is it an anti-war movie, what is the gist of the film. A feeble old man who's lost his mind and now plays with toy soldiers? A moving portrayal of a man's Heroic past?

This may be important to some.

By retro, I think archstanton73 means do you want it to look like He (the character)recently bought the models, or that He's had them for 40-50 years.

If that's the case, then probably the best bet would be get some sets of toy soldiers, like from Britains.

Try here
link
for some traditional toy soldier sets.
There are a variety of sets India themed.

OK, He is at the end of his life and is in a home. A young Asian man is doing some volunteer work at the home and is looking after him. They initially don't get on, but the young man discovers the old mans soldiers and asks about them. The old man explains that they are his antiques and remind him of his youth. He tells the young man about his time during WWII in India fighting alongside Sikhs and Gurkhas. As he describes his battles, we see close ups of the soldiers with rousing music and sound effects of war. The young man is a Sikh and they find they have a bond and the young man learns a respect for the old guy. When the old guy suffers a heart attack and passes away, the young man is very moved and goes to hold his dead hand… in his hand is a model of a Sikh soldier that he had explained was a good friend and comrade. The young Asian man keeps the Sikh soldier as a memento of his friend. Hope this helps.

"The old man explains that they are his antiques and remind him of his youth."

Definitely Britains style toy soldiers then, in 54mm.

I agree with Mike, you want Britains.

Look up the number for the Guards Toy Soldier Shop, on Birdcage Walk in London. Ask for Lynn Kenwood, who used to run the William Britains Collectors Club. He can no doubt put you in contact with someone who has the figs you need.

Good luck!

Yep,

Britains in 54mm would be ideal for what you are up to. They are 'period correct' and they are a lot bigger than most that we play with -- would show up better in your filming.

mjc

If you need any runners for your production let me know – my daughter is on the look out for running work experience and I can help with any WWII questions/detail you might need :-)

As to the question, Britains metal or even Airfix plastics which I have in the attic somewhere would work, especially if the paint job is done in a style which looks 'weathered' – the Sikh figure could be a conversion job!

Rich J

These Britians need to be pre-war models, with Sikhs and Gurkhas, and perhaps some post-war British types, that he added later, after the war.

If these are from his youth, then they were before he saw service, so bought in the 1930's Or did he buy them after the war, not from his childhood, but perhaps trying to relive that time and recreate those younger, happier days. Maybe a few old figures from the past, with post war figures to be the majority of the collection.

However, would some one just out of the hell of WW2 in the east be buying toy soldiers.

Note that the prewar figures are more colorful than the post war figures. More colorful, but now faded and chipped, not pristine like new ones would be.

Here is an example of Pre-war Gurkas
picture

I think I have Sikhs on the office computer. Also British types. Australians.
These would all be available from collectors in UK, as Flintloque notes.

Charlie Prosek (who passed away, was it last year?) fought at Chosin Resivoir in Korea as a Combat Marine. He indeed said it was hell. Despite that, he fell in love with Miniature Wargaming a while later, not sure how long later but in his old age not only did he paint mini's and play with mini's but opened a mini shop which he ran until his last days. So, it seems plausible to me.

You've all been very helpful, thanks a lot. Speak again soon, when I've tried some of the contacts.

I see no problem with an ex-soldier buying figures, look at one of the leading lights of Wargaming in the UK in its earlier days. Brig Peter Young MC, he didn't exactly sit behind a desk for WW2…

What a shame! I just spoke to Lynn Kenwood at The Guards Toy Soldier Shop on Birdcage Walk and he said he would absolutely, definatley not get involved as he had had a bad experience in the past with lending his soldiers to a filmmaker. :( I tried to explain that we only needed them for a day and he could be there to keep an eye on things, etc. but he was adamant. Oh well. I'll try and contact Britain…

…apparently I need to speak to Sam Kiff the Sales Director. Anyone know Sam??? Can I drop your name??

Well I just spoke to someone at King & Country and he was quite helpful. Although he didn't think they had everything I need, he suggest I go to the show at the Royal National Hotel on the 27th of this month. He said it would be a great place to meet people and maybe even pick up some figures on the cheap.

Mark,

That combination of armies is pretty much only going to be present in the collection of someone interested in either the Malayan or Burmese Campaigns, both of which are pretty obscure in wargaming circles. Richard Clarke of the TooFatLardies (TFL) there in the UK may well either have them or could point you in the right direction. TFL offer a module called "Defence of the Lion Gate" for their WWII Rules and its full of scenarios and pictures of the armies of the Far Eastern Theatre. Google "Too Fat Lardies" and you're there.

This character was perhaps 20-24 at the end of war. He would have been 40 in 1965 when wargaming figures -- scruby, hinton hunt, mini figs became available. There were Surens and Stadden 30mm figs then but not WW2. I do not recall any WW2 figures until Airfix in the late 60's and those are not "antiques and remind him of his youth."

When were the first lead WW2 figures --30mm SAE figures and Erickson 54mm in the early 1960's. But none from wargame figure makers until late 70's to 80's. Scruby did have some 25mm figs in mid 70's but they were nazi and USA.

Thus I suggest that modern day wargame figures are not from the Character's youth. It must be Britians. Some pre-war sets from his youth,
auction

then post war lead,
auction

and even some Deetail sets which would have Japanese
auction

and far East British, or at least 8th Army.
auction

He might have been a life-long collector
auction

They don't have to be wargaming soldiers as such, just toy soldiers.

nsoloman99,
I've visited the TFL site but can't find any contact details, any ideas?

I've left a message for LardyRich (from TFL) on another site so hopefuly he'll follow the link here.

Mark

If you go to vislardica.com and look in the AARs there are pictures from the TFL Malaya Day which has plenty of Indian, British and Japanese troops. They're all in 15mm though.

Actually, there are loads of pics of Malaya/Burma etc in the AARs. Try any of the AARs from Fall of the Lion Gate as well.

As an example:

picture

I am in a group of 54mm wargamers, and we have examples of all the figures you want in that scale.

We have helped out on similar productions before, though the last time Britains were used and I set them up etc for Sam Kiff. That was not a good experience for Britains as £3,000.00 GBP worth of figures were loaned but hardly appeared in the final film! Britains no longer make the figures you are looking for, and old sets would be very valuable.

Contact me direct mikedotblakeuk@btinternetdotcom if we can help.

If none of the above advice helps, drop me a line and I'll paint some toy soldiers up for you, suitably old fashioned and aged. martinrw73@hotmaildotcom

Mark has not come back to say so but we provided all the figures and he made the film!

imdb.com/title/tt1961608

Too late for a spoiler alert. Now I don't need to see the film.