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Mini World
Jurassic Expo at Mini-World
Exhibition
3 avenue de Bohlen - 69120 Vaulx-en-Velin04 28 29 09 19 See more
The miniature set designer Maxime Sellem is passionate about his job at Mini World Lyon.
Maxime became fascinated with the world of miniature models at a very young age: “my parents had a model shop on Place Saint-Nizier in Lyon.” He was obsessed with radio-controlled aircraft and decided he would make a career of it: “I’ve always loved building models. After training as a landscape designer, I specialised at a design school.”
In 2014, he joined Mini World and has been recreating “imaginary worlds” there ever since, including countryside, town and mountain scenes. For the model of Lyon, a huge project, it took him 50,000 hours of work to complete the 35,000 characters and the thousand buildings in the scene, including iconic landmarks like the Tour Part-Dieu skyscraper, the Hôtel-Dieu building, Fourvière Basilica and the City Hall. This building was “particularly complex to reproduce, with all the details of the roofs and interiors. I really love modelling famous buildings and, who knows, maybe one day I’ll get around to the Chrysler Building?”
Each miniature work is built using the same process: “the plans and drawings are done on a computer, then the cutting is done by laser. Everything is made in 2D. The assembly and gluing phases enable us to go into 3D and recreate a living scene. The set design and lighting produce the sense of wonder…
I love putting movement into the models, through the choice of vehicles, characters and vegetation, as in the new exhibition dedicated to Jurassic World, where I created a lush jungle.”
His future plans?
His future plans include models of cult films, series and video games for Mini World Lyon and there is also talk of opening a Mini World London…
The Jurassic Expo
Discover dinosaurs that featured in the Jurassic Park franchise, including Tyrannosaurus Rex, Dilophosaurus and Triceratops, all life-sized and animated in an ultrarealistic way. You’d be forgiven for thinking they’re alive!
Until 7 July 2023