priapus

Redemption - WorkDoc

Added 2024-09-01 12:28:28 +0000 UTC

Background information on the Redemption project

Completed: 17 Nov 2024

You can download the images at the bottom of this post

While completing the “Mancave” series, I also started laying the groundwork for an upcoming new project. This time it will be a prison tale, based on the movie The Shawshank Redemption, and we’ll be exploring the harrowing journey of an innocent man wrongfully imprisoned, navigating the hard realities of prison life amidst rough and tough inmates. The series will be a story about human resilience and endurance, perseverance and stamina. But contrary to the movie, no one wants to escape this prison!

The prison setting

I wanted to do a jailhouse fantasy series for a long time, and for the settings of the exterior, I was, of course, inspired by the iconic scene from the movie: the dramatic arrival of a bus carrying new inmates slowly approaching the imposing and foreboding Shawshank Prison.

The Ohio State Reformatory, the filming location, turns out to be far more interesting and elaborate than expected. The curious bulk of stone and masonry that we see today is the remnants of a huge complex that resembled the mixture of a Victorian haunted mansion and a German Romanesque castle. It was built between 1886 and 1910 and remained in operation until 1990. Most of the grounds and support buildings, including the outer wall, have been demolished since the closing. The remaining facilities are currently being restored and are open to the public.

For recreating the main buildings, I used a floor plan, technical drawings and several pictures. A drone video of the setting also came in very handy. To recreate the surrounding facilities that were demolished was less easy, for there are not that many detailed images available, and only small sections are visible in the movie.

Prison bus and parked cars

Preparations for the opening scene where the bus arrives at the prison, following the driveway with parked cars. The original bus in the movie was a 1937 Ford V8 2-Ton Coach; mine is a compilation of several oldtimers with a 1959 Chevrolet Viking School Bus. I guess it does the trick from a distance.

The characters

While completing the building and its surroundings, I started working on the main character, the guards and the low-resolution characters for the large scenes.

In stark contrast to the film's protagonist, our hero thrives in the harsh world of prison, showcasing his resilience and adaptability as a tough, beefy individual who effortlessly navigates the gritty daily life behind bars.

The guard uniforms are a compilation of several different models, but they are workable and resemble the uniforms from that period, as portrayed in the movie. They are very intimidating.

Meanwhile, I've been working on the crowd of low-resolution characters. Like the scene in the movie, I want to start with a broad overview of the prison facilities and their inmates.

Fresh fish and fellow inmates cheering at the gate.

Prison interior

The warden and the reception of the new prisoners were, of course, also inspired by the scene from the movie. This time, the superintendent and his captain of the guards have a very different method of welcoming the new arrivals. The hall was inspired by images of the dilapidated interior of the original prison building.

The moment of redemption

While working on the shower scene, I unconsciously copied the iconic pose from the movie poster. Strange how the mind works and is this the moment of redemption for our here as well?

The Cell Block

For the cell block and the cell in the series, I used a DAZ model called Pentonville Prison. It is based on the original Pentonville Prison, opened in 1824 as an experimental facility to see if imprisonment could reform minor criminals. Conditions were harsh, but sentences were usually only 18 months long. It was considered such a success that Pentonville was used as a model for prisons built around the world.

Some tests of the block and cell

Back to the factory

In the third and final part of the series, we focus on the prison yard and the support buildings. Three thought inmates follow Andy into an abandoned industrial complex. Like a pack of wolves hunting its prey, Andy is hunted down by these ferocious and virile men.

For this scene, I returned to the factory model I used many years ago for the Shooting the Past series. It fits perfectly with what I had in mind for this project, and it's a great opportunity to explore the possibilities of this module a bit further.

Dead End

The large doors at the bottom of the engine room turn out to lead to a dead end, and Andy has no other option than to confront his pursuers and face the consequences.