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Mominator — Mini Erik updated again
Published: 2010-12-07 16:39:08 +0000 UTC; Views: 1923; Favourites: 21; Downloads: 23
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As you can see, I've added LOTS of stuff since posting the previous photo of Mini Erik: a coffin (a nod to the novel), Ayesha (a nod to Kay), blueprints and sheets of music scattered across the floor (a nod to the movie), and Erik's mini-theater!Only a couple last things to add - a "stone" surface and some more (covered) mirrors.
Some day I'll get around to it.
Barb
Hmm . . . this didn't come up in the Phantom of the Opera category under the keywords, so I'm trying it again with the keywords here.
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Comments: 65
Thank you!
Most of the furniture is Bespaq, and of course suitable accessories purchased, but the "sketches" of Christine came from various DA artists (with permission to post from about half of them. The others never responded to my request), and the tiny theater and "dolls" on the desk were made by me. Essentially reduced sized photos printed out and backed with cardboard for support, and a stage "floor" added (more cardboard.)
Some day I plan to give the walls a "stone" appearance - when I'm not too lazy and the motivation strikes (
Right now all this is living in a box. We recently moved to another state and I just have not gotten around to setting the tableau back up. Again, laziness.
Barb
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That's amazing!! Do you make all the furniture yourself?? and the statues?
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No, I bought the majority of the furniture and accessories through different sellers on eBay, though some of it was purchased from online miniature sellers. The only item I made was the theater on the desktop.
The blueprints and some of the music were freebies from a website or two - I merely printed and cut them out. The "artwork" of Christine were pictures people had posted to DA that I saved, reduced the size to the correct scale, then printed out and "hung" on the wall (which will be "stone" someday - whenever I get around to it.
Barb
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wow, 
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I think the most time consuming part of it was the acquisition of all the various bits and pieces. Erik came first, and he inspired me to start trolling for the rest of the stuff. I haven't added anything for a while (still haven't figured out how to create a tiny chandelier for Erik's miniature theater
There is also a section of 3 audience seats (they can be seen in an earlier photo or two) to represent the audience/theater, but there isn't really any room for them anymore. Besides, I doubt Erik would be happy to know people were watching him in his home.
Barb
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AAAAAAWWWWWWW!!!!
*Goes into squeals of excited fangirling*
why didnt i ever have a dolls house like that? This little scene is ADORABLE, and so pretty x
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Thank you for the squees.
You know, it's not too late for you to have a doll house. I didn't start collecting doll house miniatures until after getting married (35 years ago! 
I did make Erik's miniature theater myself. It was quite easy, just a bit time consuming. It you want to know the details I'd be happy to provide them.
Barb
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hmm, I think I might just have a go and try my own
thanks for inspiring me 
Signed
P.L
haha x
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So freaking elaborate and detailed and incredible, I am in shock at how awesome this is!
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Thank you!
I made/printed out a few of the items (miniature stage, blueprints and some of the sheet music, portraits of Christine), but most of it came from eBay or miniature shops.
Unfortunately, it's been long enough since the 2004 movie came out that PotO specific miniatures are no longer easy to find.
Barb
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IWANTTHISMORETHANLIFEITSELF
But seriously, this is INCREDIBLE
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Thank you.
I obtained most of the items from either eBay or a couple of shops that sell miniatures online.
Unfortunately, the gal who made the mini Erik doesn't seem to be selling them anymore. Probably wouldn't be too much trouble to make one, just find a miniature Victorian gentleman and make him a mask (Fimo or Sculpey) and an opera cape.
Poor Erik, he doesn't have a doll house or doll house-sized opera house, in which to reside. He only gets part of a shelf on a small entertainment center.
Barb
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Sorry, Erik is mine! 
Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine.
La la la. 
(Ahem)
I got much of what you see on eBay, including Erik and the chandelier, though I did make a few of the items myself. The "portraits" of Christine were all previously posted by artists here on DA, I merely saved copies of them, reduced them in size, then printed them out - making sure each artist was credited properly. (Only about half of them responded to my requests for permission to use them.)
I also made Erik's "mini stage" and dolls. It was quite easy, actually:
THEATER BOXES AND PROSCENIUM:
1. Print out reduced sized copies of the 2004 movie theater set & 2004 "Don Juan" concept art (1:12 scale) and cut out the box/proscenium picture.
2. Cut out the curtains, LEAVING THE "LIMELIGHTS" AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STAGE INTACT. (There is now a hole in your picture.)
3. Print out the "Don Juan" picture so the printed portion is about 3/4" wider than the hole you have just made.
4. Cut out the "Don Juan" picture and set it aside for later.
5. Cut out a piece of cardboard larger than the theater set picture.
6. Fold the picture inward at the points where the "theater boxes" on the left and right meet the stage. If you've done this correctly, your paper will now be "U" shaped, with the legs of the "U" pointing toward you as you view the printed side.
7. Cut a hole in the cardboard a little bit larger than the hole in your picture where the curtains used to be.
8. Place the folded picture over the cardboard, making sure to match the holes so that no cardboard shows through. Carefully mark the cardboard where the picture folds are, then remove the picture.
9. Score (make a shallow cut in the surface of) the cardboard along these lines. DO NOT CUT ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE CARDBOARD!
10. Turn the cardboard over so the score marks face away from you.
11. Fold the cardboard TOWARD you at the scores. Don't worry if the cardboard splits at the scoring.
12. Glue the picture to the cardboard, carefully matching the holes and folds.
13. Trim away the excess cardboard around the outer edges.
STAGE:
1. Measure from fold to fold on the Box/Proscenium piece you just made. Add 1/2" to the measurement and cut out a rectangle that long and about 1 1/2 inch wide.
2. Score the cardboard about 1/4" from the edges on all four sides of the rectangle.
3. Cut out the small squares where the scoring intersects at the corners. (It should now look like a rectangle with a notch at each corner.)
4. Fold along the scoring and measure the height of the "stage" against the height of the limelights of the box/proscenium piece. If too tall for the bottom of the opening of the box/proscenium piece, or if the edges of the stage aren't all the same height when folded, trim the edges until the top of the stage is flush with, or slightly lower than, the limelights.
5. If you wish, "paint" the stage at this time. (I used a brown marker.)
6. Tape together the four corners of the stage - it should now look like a little box lid.
7. Tape or glue the stage to the bottom back of the box/proscenium piece. Not only does this give you a stage upon which to place your "dolls," but it will also stabilize the mini stage so it doesn't tip over backwards.
BACKDROP:
1. Measure the width of the back of the proscenium piece between the two folds.
2. Take the "Don Juan piece and lightly draw (pencil) a vertical line down the center of it on the BACK of the paper.
3. Measure 1/2 the width of the proscenium opening on either side of the center line and draw a line. (You should now have 3 vertical lines on the back of the "Don Juan" picture.)
4. Draw another line 1/4" outside each of the previous two lines. (Now there are 5 vertical lines on the back of "Don Juan.")
5. Ignoring the center line, fold the "Don Juan" piece along the two inner lines so that you once again have a "U" shaped piece where the legs are bent TOWARD you when the picture is facing you.
6. Fold in the opposite direction along the lines that are 1/4" from the previous fold lines.
7. Tape or glue the "flaps" you just created to the back of the proscenium piece, resting the bottom of the "Don Juan" piece on the "stage," making sure to match the widest part of the "Don Juan" backdrop to the opening.
The "backdrop" should set back from the stage opening by about 1/4", giving the mini stage the illusion of depth. If measured correctly, there should not be any white showing at the sides of the stage.
DOLLS:
1. Print out reduced sized pictures of "Don Juan" and "Aminta" and carefully cut them out. (I used actual photos of Gerry and Emmy I found on the internet.)
At 1:12 scale they will be TINY! Only about 1/2" tall.
2. Cut out two small rectangles of cardboard - about 3/8" long and about 1/8" wide.
3. If you wish, you can "paint" the cardboard to match the stage so they can't be seen easily.
3. Fold the tiny rectangles into "L" shapes, then glue to the back of the "dolls" so that the bottom of the "L" allows them to stand. You can glue them in place, or use something like Tacky Wax, which will hold them down but allow you to easily reposition them any time you want.
Wow, aren't you sorry you got me started?
Barb
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Okay, then Mini Erik is all yours...but full sized Erik is all mine! MWAHAHAHAHAHA! okay anywho...
No I aint sorry, this is really helpful and interesting. Now I will make my own mini Erik's lair someday!
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That's okay. I've had a full-sized Eric of my very own for nearly 35 years. Almost 40 if you count the time we knew each other BEFORE we got married.
Barb
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You have a full sized Erik/Eric?!
...lucky...
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Thanks.
(I rather think it's Wee Erik who is awesome, though.)
Barb
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Thank you. (I am rather partial to it.
Barb
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OMG!! IS beautifull!!! *.*
all the little candles and the mini teater is awesome aww
u did all of this?
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Thank you.
The only thing I made was the miniature theater (well, the "drawings" of Christine, too. More on that in a bit.) Everything else was purchased - mostly off of eBay. All I did was decide where stuff went.
I DID make the "drawings" but the art is not mine. They're just printouts of other people's work here on DA. The artists were all credited with the earlier version of this photo.
The mini theater was quite easy to make. It's just tiny printouts of set photos and artist conceptual drawings, cut out and glued to cardboard. (Haven't figured out how to make a mini chandelier yet.) Even the "dolls" of Don Juan and Aminta were cut from reduced-size printouts of movie photos , with tiny "L" shaped bits of cardboard glued to the back so they would stand up. (They can actually be repositioned!)
I'm so glad you like my PotO tableau.
Barb
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I see. Anyway, the way you put them all together is awesome
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Thank you . . . I think. I hadn't meant for it to look funny, but I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Barb
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sorry, i didn't mean to say it looks dumb o silly, i just think it's weird to see something like that... which is why i think it's so special.
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I've been collecting miniatures for 33 years, but only recently started working on the PotO tableau. It's mostly the ALW movie, but there are a couple of nods to Leroux (the coffin) and Susan Kay's "Phantom" (Ayesha - you can see her begging Erik for attention. 
Most miniature enthusiasts will have a shadowbox or doll house they've designed, though not nearly as cluttered as Mini Erik's lair. (I had to make sure it was in keeping with the movie, after all.
There are even miniature lamps, lights, candelabra and chandeliers that can be hooked up to electricity to really light up.
A member of royalty - I think of the British Crown - had at least one doll house that had actual running water! Of course, when you're a member of the royal family, you have the best artisans vying for your patronage, whatever your interests might be.
One of my favorite pieces (not in the PotO tableau) is a tiny compass I picked up at an antique store about 25 years ago. The housing is sterling silver, it has a BEVELED glass top, and the compass actually works.
There's a HUGE miniature collection at Knott's Berry Farm. I can't remember the name of the woman whose collection it was, but I'll bet if you google "Knott's Berry Farm" and "miniature collection" it'll come up.
Her collection makes mine look like . . . well, like nothing. Check it out if you're interested. AMAZING stuff!
Barb
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Wow!!! Thanks for the info. I'll check it out later!
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Wow! It looks amazing!!! I'm so happy you're sharing it, thanks so much!!!
The miniature theatre looks so perfect!! It's soo cool! Especially also the figures! Can I ask how you got/made them? Does he even have a rose lying there?
The coffin is an awesome addition! I love Ayesha, and especially her position, it looks like she's pulling on Erik's cape.
I've been staring at it for really long, what is that square little thing on the chair, on the left of the jewellery box?
Thankyou so much again!!
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Hi!!
Thank you. All that's left are more mirrors and the "rocky" walls.
The miniature theater was fairly easy, actually. I printed out a picture of the actual design for the full-sized stage set, and cut out the curtain. Then I took a piece of cardboard and cut it down to fit the picture, making sure to also cut a hole where the missing curtains had been and glued them together, then bent the sides forward (where the theater boxes are.)
For the stage floor, I took more cardboard and cut it down to the right size, colored it brown with a marker (to look like wood), then folded all four edges down about 1/8 of an inch (and taped them together - it looks kind of like a tiny box lid) and glued it to the bottom of the first piece.
Then I printed out a set design for "Don Juan Triumphant", folded it in a "U" shape and taped the sides to the back of the first part. The "U" shape of the taped part gives it depth and makes it LOOK like a stage.
The dolls were the easiest. I printed out VERY reduced photos of "Don Juan" and "Aminta", cut them out, then glued them to two very tiny pieces of cardboard folded into "L" shapes (the "L" shaped cardboard allows the "dolls" to stand) and used Tacky Wax (a soft, removable wax used to keep miniatures from accidentally moving out of place) to hold them onto the stage.
Yes, there is a rose on the desk. It came from the big pot of roses in the right of the picture. (I had to snip it out with scissors.)
An eBay seller made Ayesha for me. I had lost the bid on another siamese cat she made, so I wrote and asked if she could make another one, and she offered to make one for me. She asked what sort of pose I wanted the cat in (I had no idea what I wanted at first) and this is what I came up with. Not only can Ayesha beg for some attention from Erik, it's also a good pose for reaching for an item.
That square thing on the chair is a theater program. (The gold thing which can't be seen clearly on the seat is a pair of opera glasses on a long handle.)
The really amusing thing about the program is it's for "The Phantom of the Opera"!! The program and opera glasses were a set that I bought from an online miniature store. I don't know if the picture on the program was merely coincidental, or if the seller actually chose a set that had the PotO program because I had told her it was for my PotO tableau.
Makes me smile whenever I think about it, though.
Barb
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Thankyou so much for explaining!! It looks really awesome... I can't get over how much it looks like his miniature theatre.
I really love that you even have those light-holder things (I'm sorry that I don't know what they're called) that are in front of the stage, ...these ones [link] .
I think (to me) the dolls really look totally three-dimensional, like they were actually carved from wood or wax, which is so awesome.
Ooh are those roses tied together?
Aww, that's awesome that the ebay seller made another Ayesha for you, especially because you could pick her pose too (which is really great!)! Was the original one different?
What's the picture on the program of? It looks to me like a person (or something similar) running, but as it's an actual POTO program I guess it's something very different.
That's really amazing that it's from POTO! It's a bit like with the whole miniature set... He has a miniature set in his home, and his home again is a miniature set in your home. (I'm sorry this is silly and ramble-ish).
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Frankly, since I used a photograph of the REAL Opera Populaire theater set, it only sort of looks like Erik's miniature stage, but it's good enough for me. (Otherwise I would have to had create my own screen capture of the mini stage.)
Here's a link to the official PotO movie site:
[link]
Once you've entered the site itself, go to the right side of the screen and click on "set design." This will pull down a window. Choose the "Opera Populaire" (the very first choice - at the top of the list) and click on it. The photo I used is the third one.
I have to guess the "dolls" appear three-dimensional because of the angle I took the picture. They really are just flat pieces of paper.
You're amazed about the miniature stage set in my miniature PotO tableau, but there really are tiny little doll houses for miniature children to "play" with. I have one - it's about 2 inches tall.
Actually, the miniature stage is about two inches tall, too.
The roses aren't tied together, but they ARE glued into the pot. The stems are wire, so they take a bit of effort to cut.
Well darn, after doing a bit of research, I find I was wrong about the program cover being from a "Phantom of the Opera" picture. Instead, it's a . . . movie poster or book cover, I think . . . about a character (thief) called "Fantômas."
You can see a much better picture here:
[link]
Ayesha is quite different from the original Siamese cat I bid on. That one was in a sort of low, walking pose; kind of like she was investigating something. I liked her, but I MUCH prefer the one the woman custom made for me.
Those lightholder things are called limelights. They were replaced by electric lights in the late 19th century, but the term is still in use today. Here's an interesting Wikipedia entry about them:
[link]
You can't tell from the picture, but I did NOT cut out the spaces between the stage lights. It's a solid strip. The "stage" is glued directly to the back of the strip, so they are actually lower - in comparison to the stage floor - than they should be. I could make it a little more accurate (cut out the spaces between and lower the stage "floor" a little, but what I made works, so why go to all the trouble?
Barb
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Ooh, but, I think as you used a real photograph of the OP for your miniature set your version is technically at least as good as Erik's.
Thankyou for the link! I'm really glad they kept the movie site open, they have some great pictures there!
You must be right about it being the angle of the picture that makes the dolls look so three-dimensional. They're really cool either way, I really couldn't tell that they are not three-dimenisonal!
Wow that's amazing that there are tiny doll houses for miniature children to play with! Sounds like a lot of work and really tricky.
Thanks a lot for the picture of Fantômas! I couldn't stop trying to figure out what's on the cover!
And thanks a lot too for the link about limelights!! That's really cool! I never really wondered where terms like "to be in the limelight" are coming from. Thankyou!!
I'm glad you like this version of Ayesha more than the original one!
Ooh I think the stage really looks fantastic the way it is!!
Thanks a lot for the reply!!
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I must admit, I'm surprised Warner Brothers has left the "Phantom of the Opera" website up. The movie came out six years ago,didn't do that well at the box office here in the States (though it did do better in Europe), and WB shut down the discussion/blog portion of the site two or three years ago.
Thank you for the kind words regarding the mini theater. I am rather pleased with it, and it's nice to know other people feel the same way.
You're welcome for the links. Isn't the internet WONDERFUL for that kind of stuff?
Barb
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Me too! I remember looking at it a couple of years ago and then forgetting about it and finally looking it up again last year or so and I was really surprised (in a good way) that it was still up, and that it still is now too.
I never checked out the discussion forum (I think I failed at finding it already
I really honestly think you have every reason to be proud of your mini theatre and the entire tableau!! (I hope that doesn't sound patronizing!
You know there are so many times when I feel like "I have no idea what I'd do/how I'd find that/figure that out without the internet." It's almost a little bit scary.
I hope it's okay to wish you a very merry and happy Christmas! Thanks again so much for all your pictures!
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Of COURSE it's okay to wish me a merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas to you, too!
Barb
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Thankyou!!
And a Happy New Year to you!
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So, how has your new year been so far?
Barb
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Oh thanks a lot for asking! It's been good. How about you(rs)?
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Not bad. Not much to talk about, really. Has school started back up for you?
Barb
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Same here
Yes, school started back right after NYE for me.
Did you get a break from work over the Christmas/New Year's holidays?
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I'm lucky that I work for a small, family owned business. We get five days off per year: Easter, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. It would be worse if I worked for a large retailer, such as WalMart (as my daughter does.) They got Christmas off, but that won't last much longer. The plan is to build a Super WalMart, and once that goes in, they will be open 365 days a year.
So, to answer your question, yes I DID get Christmas and New Year's off.
What did you get for Christmas? (I got a couple of BIG Lego sets!
Barb
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I'm glad you got Christmas and NYE off! I'm really sorry your daughter might have to work on these days soon! Would she at least perhaps get some extra bonus for that?
Ooh are these Lego sets theme based? Like... temples, or pirate ships or maybe castles and such?
I got mainly money and gift certificates. From my mom I got Swarovski earrings, and I got the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Playstation game.
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I don't know if WalMart employees get paid any extra for working holidays or not.
When the one here opened, employees were paid time-and-a-half for working on Sundays (a regular wage at $10.00 an hour would be $15.00 per at time-and-a-half), but by the time she was hired, workers on Sundays were only given an extra $1.00 per hour for working on Sundays. (Employees hired under the old time-and-a-half system still get paid that rate if they work on Sundays. However, WalMart won't schedule them to work Sundays because that costs too much money.)
As of early this month, WalMart is no longer offering new employees even that extra dollar an hour on Sundays. My daughter, and any employee hired before the change, will still get the extra pay, but WalMart will probably change those people's schedules around so those people don't work on Sundays. With the economy so bad and jobs so hard to come by, people can't really complain without fear of losing their jobs to someone who would just be happy to BE employed.
Once they've built the Super WalMart here, it's going to be opened every day of the year, even the holidays.
I suppose the Lego sets I got are themed. Nothing as cool as castles or pirate ships, but they ARE part of . . . gee, I guess you'd call it "City" or "Downtown." He gave me the "Green Grocer" for my birthday last year, and I got the "Fire Brigade" (an old-fashioned fire station) and the "Grand Emporium" (a department store) for Christmas.
I think they're more European in appearance than American, but I live in California, so what do I know?
I LOVE Legos. I've got space ships from 25 years ago, a (not pirate) sailing ship that is about 20 years old, all the Harry Potter Legos, some castle/medieval sets (20 - 25 years old), and even some Star Wars sets. (I'm hoping Eric will get me the Death Star for my birthday this year.
I don't do much with them after I put them together - it's the building/construction of the sets that I like the best.
So, have you beaten your Buffy game yet?
Barb
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Oh no, that really sucks that the newer employees don't get any extra payment for Sundays.
Hmm I thought, perhaps, because holidays have a status which is somewhat similar to Sundays (maybe even a slightly higher one 
I really hope your daughter might get to keep her holidays free.
Thanks for explaining the way Walmart (used to) pay(s) its employees!
Ooh those Legos you got are really pretty though! (I googled the images)
Hmm, the Grand Emporium (if I googled the right picture 
[link]
actually reminds me a little bit of the mall in our city:
[link]
(sorry I couldn't find a bigger picture!)
It's been renovated recently but it's technically a really old building. And newer stores (or buildings in general) don't really look like that anymore.
They built a completely new store close to it two years ago and it looks completely different:
[link]
(you can see the other older building in the back on the left)
(sorry for spamming this post with so many pics!
So I think you're right, the Lego set looks (to me) a lot like it was inspired by older buildings.
Are most buildings in California pretty new?
LOL now that would be an idea! A Lego PIRATE-SPACE SHIP!
Your collection sounds awesome
I love building stuff together. We never had much Lego, as a kid we had more Duplos (I think they belong to Lego and have the same built but they are bigger, which I guess makes them easier for kids) and when I was a bit older I once got one of these 3-D Puzzles for Christmas, of the Basil Cathedral of Moscow:[link]
That really makes me think I'd love to have something like that again *sigh*. It's really so much fun!
LOL I got to admit I'm not very far yet in my Buffy game, more due to time issues than anything else though. Luckily for me it's not too difficult (I'm a lousy video gamer), but it's really fun! The actual actors who play the roles dubbed it, so it really has the feeling of the show somewhat. And I think maybe Joss Whedon or whoever else wrote the scripts helped writing for the game too, because the way the characters talk and act feels really pretty true and similar to the series, which I think makes it so much fun.
Sorry this reply is so long!
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