Model Making and Props degree student Molly helps to bring children’s train designs to life
Second year BA (Hons) Model Making and Props degree students have used their creative skills to bring sketches of children’s ‘dream trains’ to life.
The group was working on a live brief project with north east high tech prop specialists Orbital FX translating images sent in from youngsters across the world for an invention challenge called Next Stop: The Future!. Organised by S&DR200 and Little Inventors, the competition was part of celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of the first journey on the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR).
Model making student Molly Avery headed up a team of four including fellow students Sarah Elwin and Toby Smith to produce a design called ‘Stargazer’, then continued to work on two of the other models. The 28-year-old from Newcastle explained: “The challenge was for children to send whatever futuristic and imaginative ideas they had and we were then tasked to bring these sketches and ideas to life.”
Molly was originally contacted by Luke Daley, Director and Creative Engineer at OrbitalFX, who phoned her to ask whether she could help them out on the project. This was followed a couple of days later by an invitation to The Northern School of Art’s Model Making & Visual FX Lecturer lecturer John Noble and the other model making students.
“After a full briefing over Teams we were on our way,” she added. “We all divided up into groups and got to work on our pitches and budgeting proposals to send back over to Luke Daley. He then fed back to us all on individual group Teams meetings where we had in-depth discussions about our concepts and ideas and Luke contributed ideas that he and the Little Inventors client liked or disliked etc.
“We had some really good feedback from Luke as he is very knowledgeable and experienced and works to a high quality industry standard. To get all his thoughts, ideas and opinions was invaluable advice to receive.”
She explained, “We didn’t work directly with the children, all we had to go off were their sketches on the Little Inventors’ website. As long as the core concept of the train was the same, we had the creative freedom to decide how the trains and sets would look. Across our model making class we utilised skillsets like classical model making skills such as building, sculpting and casting – all to the correct scale, animatronics, 3D modelling and 3D printing and resin printing.”
The initial group collaboration work was a highlight for Molly, “I really enjoyed us all being able to utilise other students’ skillsets, for example like animatronics, and create a really impressive collaborative effort that we were all able to contribute to in our own way and where we each had our moment to shine.
“From a personal standpoint another thing that I am proud of is that I was able to meet the deadline of not just one project but three. Due to circumstances, Luke needed me to step in and continue to work on a further two additional models, the farm and the beach models, as well as my first initial group one. As a result I have developed a really strong working relationship Luke, and have become somebody that he can rely on to get the job done.”
Molly added: “Studying at the Northern School of Art has opened up so many doors for me. It has helped me grow in confidence and learn things I never would have considered before. Coming from a Makeup and SFX background and being a mature student, studying at the School has given me the opportunity to hone in on my existing skills and life experiences. This has allowed me to generate connections with industry partners that will aid me further into getting work into the film and TV industry.”
Luke Daley, Director and Creative Engineer at Orbital FX, said:
“Projects like this are exactly where education and industry should meet. Molly and the wider Model Making and Props cohort showed an exceptional level of professionalism, creativity and technical understanding. Translating children’s imagination into physical artefacts is not easy, but the students approached it with care, rigour and genuine respect for the original ideas. It was a genuine pleasure working with them, and Molly in particular demonstrated a level of reliability and leadership that you would expect from someone already working in industry.”
See more of Molly Avery‘s work on Instagram @mollyavery_mua
The Northern School of Art’s BA (Hons) Model Making and Props degree is a programme designed to help the dreamers, creators, and innovators of the entertainment world to bring their imaginations to life. Whether it’s crafting intricate miniatures, stunning props, or lifelike creatures for stop motion animation, this industry-focused programme offers the tools and mentorship to turn creative passion into a thriving career. Find out more HERE
