Here we go again with the Diorama of Doom competition for 2009!
This year sees a bit of a change in the way entries are organised. Mainly, for an experiment, we're doing away with all the separate categories and stuff from last year as many of the lesser categories were not entered by very many people, which made them slightly redundant; so this year, we're simply combining them into the main category, with the proviso that unless you meet the requirements of having multiple companies represented on your entry, you may not win the First Place title of King or Queen of the DOD, along with the associated prize.
So; the rules:
What is it?The
Diorama of Doom is an ancient contest of skill, extending back through the aeons to 2006, run by the owners of the four companies that operate on the Forum of Doom, these being Heresy, Hasslefree, Black Scorpion and Eolith Miniatures. The aim of the contest is to thoroughly test the abilities of the entrants not only in their painting skills, but in their ability to tell a story within a painted miniatures scene, using figures only from the above companies as the main focus of that story. Such a scene is called a Diorama (or Vignette if you're posh). Thus, the contest focuses on Dioramas.
The RulesLevel Playing FieldYou may enter more than one diorama if you wish but you will be better served with one
really good one unless you are insanely talented and have lots of time on your hands.
All entries must be hitherto unseen on the internet, and should be started from scratch for the contest. We require a picture of your initial starting models alongside a verifiable piece of paper or similar showing the date you started, this picture being emailed on the same or next day.
When you email,
DO NOT SEND MASSIVE PICTURES OF YOUR BEDROOM OR LOUNGE with TINY DOTS WHERE THE MINIATURES ARE 
. Although the contest is not necessarily one of photographic skill,
if we can’t make out your entry, you
aren’t going to win . If your photograph is out of focus, how do you expect us to see what’s going on? Be sensible. You will need to photo your figures before assembly, and immediately prior to undercoating/painting, as if you win we’d like to be able to show people the extent of any conversions etc. Everyone loves to see those before and after shots! (You don't need to email these to use unless you win or want to show off your Work In Progress on the FOD.
File Size less than 300kbExample of a bad picture
http://www.heresyminiatures.com/images/badandgoodpics1.jpgExample of a bad picture
http://www.heresyminiatures.com/images/badandgoodpics2.jpgExample of a bad picture
http://www.heresyminiatures.com/images/badandgoodpics3.jpgExample of a bad picture turned into a reasonably good picture
http://www.heresyminiatures.com/images/badandgoodpics4.jpgDo NOT send pictures with massive file sizes either. We don’t want or need to receive files bigger than 300kb. There are plenty of photoshop-style art programs and photo-editing softwares, many basic ones for free, that you should be able to crop your photo to just the miniature and maybe even compress it (eg using an ‘Export JPEG’ command in Paint Shop Pro, and setting the compression to a value of 20, can reduce your file size from 1mb to around 50kb). As a guide, your photo shouldn’t take up more than about a quarter of your own monitor screen when viewed at 100% size. If properly comrpessed, it really shouldn't be more than 200kb.That’s plenty big. If we need bigger, we’ll ask you to send us them. If your entry is the size of your room, email us about it before sending lots of pics. Make sure that any compressed pics are copies of your original photo so that you still have a really high quality one to use also.
It is a good idea to make use of online free photogalleries to host your images, as this will help avoid slow downloading of emails and suchlike.
Size restrictionThis year, we are imposing a size restriction on the base of the diorama. You must keep your entry to the size of a cd, which is 120mm in diameter. You may use a 120mm square if preferred. You can of course go smaller. (For Andy, from Heresy, the ideal diorama is contained within the confines of a 50mm base). There is no restriction on the height of your entry, so think 3d and go up! You may overlap the edges of the base as long as you don’t touch the ground, ie you can have overhanging limbs or you technically could tether a zeppelin above the base as long as it stands up on that size of base or smaller! (The restriction of 120mm refers to the usable area of the diorama, you may mount the diorama on a slightly larger display plinth if you wish as long as you do not use such a plinth as part of the scene, so no overflowing grass etc!)
The Categories of DoomThis year, there is really only one category: The
Diorama of Doom. However, due to Eolith making mainly 54mm figures, we realise that getting them into a diorama alongside the majority of figures from the other three companies is quite tricky (Although not nearly impossible) without resorting to the old cliché of ‘statues’ which we won’t be counting towards your number of companies this year! You can of course use the Spyglass 28mm back catalogue as long as it is unpainted when you start the diorama. You can also convert figures as much as you like providing they are recognisably figures form a specific FOD company. In a change from the last few years, we have decided to include all categories in the main event this year, so you can enter a
Diorama of Sycophancy (using figures from just one company) in to the main contest, although this will not be eligible for the top prize and associated kudos thereof. To be clear, in order for it to qualify for the main prize, your diorama must have miniatures from at least two of the companies represented on the FOD
as the main focus of the story ie it is not enough to do an elaborate display of Black Scorpion figures interacting with each other and then bung a Heresy worm in the background halfway out of a pipe or behind a rock; the worm isn’t involved inthe story, it’s just a scenery detail. You could remove it without altering the story. This sort of scene would be counted as a
Diorama of Sycophancy by the judges (However, if a huge batch of slugs are attacking a couple of survivors, then they become part of the story and do count!) You must ensure that figures from at least two companies are somehow interacting with each other and/or the terrain around them in a natural and clearly discernible fashion. Take a look at
these entries from last year and you can instantly tell what is going on in each of the scenes.
Nor are the 2008 entries massive or containing thousands of figures, you’ll note. The judges will be looking for quality, not necessarily quantity. Think figures and detail per inch rather than inches per detail or figure. A good diorama is a scene that captures a moment in time like a photograph and tells a story to the viewer without any words.You need to present a clear theme so that anyone can look at your work and immediately tell what’s happening or has just happened, or is about to happen next. Think of it as a moment frozen in time or one of the best damn 'splash pages' you’ve ever seen in a comic book. (You know, when the big villain of the piece is revealed or the thought-dead hero is silhouetted in a doorway ready to face off against his foes)
-A special note for the uninspired or plain lazy – because we have merged the categories this year, you can actually enter a
Single Figure into the contest, providing that you give it a detailed scenic base, preferably one that tells it’s own story eg of a battle just lost. If you follow this path,. Your entry will count as a
Diorama of Sycophancy. If you just bung a load of grass on the base, it won’t. We’ll be looking for immense amounts of character and atmosphere from your one figure scene!
-A further new subcategory has been created for 2009 – Squad/Team/Gang/unit aka
Squad – Basically this consists of five or more figures, drawn from across the companies ranges, arranged in a presentation manner and clearly following a theme that connects each disparate individual into one cohesive unit. This could be a group of dungeoneering adventurers, a squad of highly trained mercenaries or whatever else you can devise. The ‘squad’ must clearly be identifiable as such, and should ideally be presented on a scenic base of some sort, although you are able to keep the individual models on their own individual bases within that displaybase. For this one category, the size restriction of 120mm square at maximum may be bent a little – if you need to arrange th e figures in a line, you can go beyond 120mm long up to 180mm long but not beyond 80mm deep if so. (This should allow for anyone using 50mm display bases for an ogre or some such model.)
The main Diorama of Doom uses figures from at least two of the four FOD companies to tell a story of some sort. In the event that we, the QOD judges, can’t decide between two favourite entries of equal skill, the entry that uses the most different companies’ figures but in clever and appropriate ways, will have the advantage; so the more the merrier, but two is the absolute minimum: why not test your
mad skillz to the limit by using at least
three but preferably
all four companies figures. There will be prizes for the winner and three runners up. Each of the four QOD companies plus our special guest arbitrator judge and resident Techlord, Fear_The_Squirrels, will choose their favourite entry and then decide between themselves (using a crazy complicated points system or just by throwing rocks at each other) the order of merit to give a Grand Winner. The prizes will be:
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Runner-Up (Close but no cigar) Will receive a nice subtle DOD IV hat
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3rd place Gets a T-Shirt and a Hat
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2nd place Gets a T-Shirt, a Hat, A Hooded Sweatshirt
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1st place Gets a T-Shirt, a Hat, A Hooded Sweatshirt and a Mystery Prize.
We will also be giving the best Diorama of Sycophancy a special item of clothing for their ready identification to other grovelling toadies at shows.
You will get to choose the type and size of hat, t-shirt, Hooded sweatshirt etc from a range of options, eg sleeveless t-shirt, or v-neck, etc Baseball Cap, Beanie or Army hat. Winners are obliged to posts a picture of themselves on the FOD, gawping like a loon whilst wearing their prize clothing.
Closing date for all entries is the 31st of October 2009. Judges decisions are final and no amount of confectionery or alcohol will change that. You need to bribe us long before we make a decision. Please bear in mind any dietary requirements of the judges before sending bribes.
FAQ’s•
Can I enter a model that I’ve already painted?No. Start a new one. We need to see the blank model first so everyone has the same amount of time to produce their end results. And yes, you could cheat by buying a new model of one you’ve already painted, photographing that one and entering the finished one, blah, blah. You sicken us. and just to reiterate, you cannot enter models already posted on the internet prior to this contest.
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Can I convert the models on the diorama?Yup. Do a good job, though, some of the talent on the FOD is crazy-good.
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Can I enter models from (company X, eg GW)?No, you idiot. What part of the rules above gave that idea? You can sneak a few bits on as scenery or detail eg some barrels, crates or similar, but this is a FOD contest. The main focus of the piece must be FOD related minis.
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How big can I make my entry?The base size is restricted to 120mm square; however, it can be as tall you like, and you can overhang the base a bit providing nothing touches the floor but you only have four months to finish it! Bear in mind that getting good photos of huge dioramas is difficult without a really good camera, and it’s primarily the relationship between the figures that we’re interested in, not how well you can build a fortress.
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I don’t own a camera...Well, you’re screwed then. Do you have a pal with a camera?
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Taking a good picture, hints and tips, setup advicehttp://forum-of-doom.com/index.php?board=29.0•
Who do I email my entries to?Email them to myself- Andy- (Big Boris) Kev/Sally (Hasslefriesian/Libertee) Steve (SteveB) or Adam (Mirlo) using the usual email addresses you find on our sites or by clicking the 'email user' icons on the FOD under our usernames on any posts we have made. Remember to keep the pictures small and under 300kb or we'll delete them and sneer at you. You can also post WIPs on the FOD, in the
DOD IV Wip/Starting pics board.•
Can I use resin scenery from other companies?Yes you can, although we’d prefer you to use our mates Fenris Games or Antenociti’s Workshop. As long as it’s all unpainted when you start, it’s all good.
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Do I have to be a member of the FOD to take part?No, but it would be nice if you joined up even if only to say Hi to the other contestants and kjeep any eye on our occasional news and stuff. The FOD's a nice place to hang out.
More stupid questions that we haven’t thought of will be added to this list as you ask them.
