Interest in Generic Troops and Western Civilians: Modern 28mm

[Nimrod]

Very nice list so far.
If there is African heads for these models then i'm definitely buy some figures:)

[gimzod]

Any idea how long before this Kickstarter would get of the ground?

[commissarmoody]

I am guessing they would have to collect their thoughts and figure out how they want to start first and find a sculpture and work around them.

[arget8]

Exactly,

At the moment I'm looking for a either 3D or traditional sculptor that would work for this project and produce minis that I think can compare to Empress's moderns in both scale and quality. If anyone knows Tony Boustead or a way to contact him, I would appreciate it as he does Empress's modern range and would be perfect. I have also sent Paul Hicks a message along with several others. I'm trying to figure out who would be best suited for the project as well as available and reasonably economical so I wont have to kick start 30,000 dollars or something crazy. If anyone has any opinions or suggestions I would appreciate it.

Gunnar Lopez

[AKULA]

At the moment I'm looking for a either 3D or traditional sculptor that would work for this project and produce minis that I think can compare to Empress's moderns in both scale and quality. If anyone knows Tony Boustead or a way to contact him, I would appreciate it as he does Empress's modern range and would be perfect. I have also sent Paul Hicks a message along with several others. I'm trying to figure out who would be best suited for the project as well as available and reasonably economical so I wont have to kick start 30,000 dollars or something crazy. If anyone has any opinions or suggestions I would appreciate it.

Tony Boustead is now pretty much devoted to the ever-expanding Empress moderns - trust me I've asked  

As you've asked for opinions, here is my nickel-worth:

"Available" is an interesting term - most decent sculptors won't block out time in their schedule for a Kickstarter that may (or may not) fund when there is plenty of work around, especially if they havent had any dealings with you previously.

You could always look to fund this yourself,  start small, get some dollies made, and then build up the range gradually - you really don't need $10,000's to do it.

Have you worked out the following yet:

-What you are prepared to pay per green?
-Will you be using concept sketches (any cost for these)?
-What will go in each mould?
-How many moulds would you need made? Master Moulds AND Production Moulds
-Cost per mould?
-Approx cost per spin?
-What would be your break even price?
-How many castings would you need to sell at this price to not lose money?

Using dollies would reduce the eventual cost per finished figure, but adds another layer of mouldmaking costs, AND adds time to the whole process.

If you go down the Kickstarter route you also need to factor in:

-Postage
-Packaging
-Kickstarter fees

If you've got answers to all of the above, you can work out pricing for the production castings.

How does this price compare to other similar figures which are already available (often made by the same sculptor)?

Then, and only then is it worth contacting two or three sculptors (no guarantee that your chosen sculptor will be available if and when your KS funds - most sculptors will want an outline brief, and an idea of number of greens before giving you a quote for the commission, so if you haven't done your sums before you contact them you will look daft.

I'm really not trying to put you off, but I've seen a lot of people start with an idea, and end up disappointing a lot of punters and or put themselves in severe financial difficulty.

If it helps, I've created 3 different "ranges" totalling more than 100 individual poses with minimal startup funding - not a Kickstarter in sight, and no financial risk to those that have supported the projects so far.

 

[arget8]

Thank you AKULA, it's nice to get opinions from people who have actually done it.

I figured, Tony wouldn't be able to do it, but  I figured I would ask about it.

At this point, I'm just trying to judge which sculptors will be interested in the project and what they would charge for the commission based off what I am looking for.

I am in the brainstorming/planning phase here. As such, I have no solid plans for the actual implementation of any plans. I'm just trying to figure out the costs of each thing that you have on your list.

-Cost of greens: No more than 150 GBP at a very max, but I think that they will be relatively simple sculpts, so that shouldn't be an issue as I have been hearing around 120 GBP anyway. The plan is to commission test sculpts before any possible kickstarter, but that is in the future anyway.
-At the moment, no concept sketches, pictures should hopefully be enough.
-I've been told that about 16 figures will go into most industrial molds, but that is something I haven't fully researched yet.
-Cost per mold is up in the air as it depends on who I go with, but I've been told around 60-100 GBP.
-Around 1 GBP per mini to cast is what I've heard, but like I said, I haven't done a ton of researching yet.

As you can see, the plan is still in the infancy stage, but I wanted to figure out what the market wants and needs and then base my project on that. I have a long way to go on this project, but I'm excited about the possibilities.

Gunnar

[AKULA]

-Cost of greens: No more than 150 GBP at a very max, but I think that they will be relatively simple sculpts, so that shouldn't be an issue as I have been hearing around 120 GBP anyway.

Generally speaking you get what you pay for.... a lot of the well-known sculptors will be in the range of 150-200 GBP but dependent upon number of greens, and detail.

Your figures per mould/spin etc are a pretty good ball park figure to work upon - well worth considering getting some dollies and weapons made and cast up first - may seem like an unnecessary additional time/cost hurdle but given the number of figures you are talking about, it would save you money in the long run, and bring the overall cost per figure down towards the 120 GBP figure you want.

 

[arget8]

That is also why I'm considering 3D sculpts, they have the potential to be cheaper for what I am looking to do.

[Arlequín]

Not withstanding its assistance to arget8's project, this is a great help to all those who've considered starting their own range and just assume it's easy, cheap and that sculptors are just sat twiddling their thumbs waiting for your proposal.


Nice going guys. 

[AKULA]

That is also why I'm considering 3D sculpts, they have the potential to be cheaper for what I am looking to do.

Of course you can go to someone who is a 3D wiz, but I'd advise caution - if they don't have a background in more traditional sculpting they may not have the same feel for what a mouldmaker can turn into a castable miniature, eg "realistic" weapons with barrels that are too brittle.

Some putty-pushers are now playing around with zbrush or similar (thinking of the likes of Ian Mountain, Kev White, whereas Andrew Rae has transitioned entirely to 3D) ...they may be more expensive, but you get what you pay for (in this case, years of experience of delivering physical end product not just renders).... What looks well-defined on a computer screen doesn't always translate into the final product (thinking of a lot of KS that funded using renders, with an end-product that was soft-detailed, eg Wargames Factory zombies).

If you go down the 3D route its well worth getting hold of some physical end product that the sculptor has been commissioned for, rather than just viewing renders.

Best of luck either way.

 

[commissarmoody]

And don't forget the G36 for generic military.  Seems lots of military and paramilitary forces are using them. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heckler_%26_Koch_G36

[Johnno]

A few years ago, I reached out to a sculptor and got some prices regarding my own line of figures.
My problem was the conversion rate. Being on the wrong side of the pond and having to convert $ to £ was a killer for me.
The initial start up just scared me. I was quoted  £150 per sculpt but would have been paying over $250. I also believe in the "Go big or go home" approach. I planned a complete range from the start (40-60 figures) It was too much for me. Kickstarter wasn't yet available to Canadians.
Anyways, I wish you luck. Its a brave foray into a tough field. I'd really recommend having some of the figures already sculpted prior to launching a KS. A well known sculptor is good but an unknown company saying trust me with your hard earned cash prior to producing results is not.

[arget8]

That is pretty much what I have gathered from other people as well. If this comes to fruition, I will be having 3D sculpts made and physical sculpts printed and cast up as examples of the product as I agree that I wouldn't feel super confident with backing a kickstarter with no proof of the quality I would receive.

The G36 is another that I would eventually like to incorporate, which is why 3D sculpting could be even more useful, as the sculptor wouldn't have to do more than pop the weapon on the sculpt and change the pose to fit it, rather than sculpting the arms from scratch on an armless mini, which can get pretty pricey.

At the moment, I've been in talks with people who have experience with 3D sculpting, manufacturers and other industry innovators to get an idea of what kind of budget and timeline I would be looking at so I can start doing some serious planning.

If anyone would like an idea of the quality and style of sculpts I'm looking to have, check out the Skirmish Sangin blog: http://skirmishsangin.blogspot.com/

I am in no way affiliated with Radio Dish Dash, but they are producing exactly (style and quality-wise) what I would like to produce with their Mogadishu Rangers range. I have held on of their sculpts in my hands and it was fantastic, so that is what I want to do.

Gunnar

[commissarmoody]

I think Specter mins also used 3D sculpts.  And aside from the guns needing a bit of thicking turned out pretty nice.