Our 2014 three-way structure challenge

[ezdays]

Five years ago we had a three-way challenge that was very successful, so in keeping with our five-year anniversary celebration, we’ve had a request to do it again. We also had a similar one over at the other place, and it was also successful. Not being one to mess with success, we’re repeating to one from the summer of 2009 just as it was then.

OK, here’s the dealio (a word used by Gru in the movie “Despicable Me”) . We’re going to have a structure building challenge that we hope will suite everyone at every level of skill or modeling preferences. This one is all about structures. When we talk about structures, we’re not just talking buildings. Houses and factories are fine, but also think other things; water or oil tanks, bridges, boat docks, or grain elevators are just a few examples of what you can build. In order to keep things fair, we are limiting participation to two categories only. If you choose the kitbuild challenge, you can enter the kitbash one as well, but not the scratchbuild. If you enter the scratchbuild, you can also enter the kitbash, but not the kitbuild. The reasoning here is to keep the different skill levels apart and to let everyone complete at the level they feel is challenging to them, or at their preferred method of construction.

Kitbuild challenge will be as follows:
Just build a kit using only the parts in the box for the structure only. You may paint and weather the structure and make cosmetic changes, but you cannot add anything that does not come with the kit. You can add other details such as scenery around the structure. This will allow you to do from a "let it look like the picture on the box", to "I built it like the instructions says, but I've enhanced it with weathering, different paint and scenery". The choice is yours.

Kitbash challenge will be as follows:
Take any structure kit and make it into something different, or even take two or more kits and combine them for something else. You can use parts from other kits, but mainly, you must use your imagination. We cannot define this any more than that; the rest is up to you to figure out.

Scratchbuilt challenge will be as follows:

1. You can build something from your own imagination from scratch. You can use any common parts such as sheet goods and plastic strips. You can use pre-made windows, doors and any small detailed parts, but the structure itself needs to be original. Any structure will do and it can be any scale, just not full-scale…
   
2. This is not a requirement, but it would be neat to get a photograph of a structure, any structure, then scratchbuild a model of that structure. The idea here is to come as close to the real thing as you can. The picture of the original structure does not have to be taken by you, but if you choose to do this, you must also post a picture of it, or a link to it if you found it somewhere on the Net. The surrounding scenery and details, such as people, vehicles, and trees need not be the same.

The rules:

1. Pick the one or two challenges you’d like to enter, but you cannot enter both the kitbuild and scratchbuild together. This challenge is open to all registered members here.
   
2. Let us know in this thread which challenges you are going to enter. I will start a list and keep it updated based on your choices, but please post your intentions here before starting. We will keep things open so you can enter at any time before the end of the challenge, but it would be nice to know ahead of time who is going to be competing and where. This is the thread where we will keep track of these things, so this is where you’ll find the summary of who has entered which categories.
   
3. Start a new thread (or threads) as follows:
   o (your Screename’s) kitbuild 2014 summer challenge
   o (your Screenname’s) kitbash 2014 summer challenge
   o Or (your Screenname’s) scratchbuild 2014 summer challenge
   
4. Document your progress in pictures. Remember, we like lots of pictures. If you’re not skilled with a camera, either give it a try or get someone else to take the pictures. Just as long as you are the one that’s doing the work, we don't care who takes the pictures.
   
5. The contest will begin on Memorial Day, May 26, and end on Labor Day, September 1. That gives us all a few days to prepare and a bit over three months to actually work on and complete the projects.
   
6. You may start working on your projects anytime, but the challenges don't officially start until May 26. The idea is that everyone has at least three months to complete their challenges. Some may use this additional time to their advantage, other, like myself, may take this time to chill out a bit, or as some people say, "to procrastinate".

To answer a few questions ahead of time, just by definition:

• If you build a structure using Walther's modular parts and it follows one of their pre-defined plans, it is a "kit build"
  
• If you build a structure using Walther's modular parts and you dream up a unique structure, it is "kit bashing"
  
• "Cosmetic changes" on kit builds can include changes to or additional signage. More extensive changes such as adding roof details or lights takes it out of the realm of the intent of this challenge for kit builds, but not quite into the definition of kit bashing. I suggest these things be added after completing this challenge
  
• Scratchbuilding means that the basic or major parts of the structure are made from scratch and not kit parts. Small details such as windows, doors, lights, boxes, A/C units and fences to name a few can be from pre-made parts.

As usual, we will award certificates for those that complete their projects and for those that get a substantial portion completed. If we have enough entrants, we will run a voting poll to declare a winner in each category. The last time we ran a similar challenge, we had quite of few people that entered; we hope the same holds true this time.