LA’s billboard culture is long-standing. In the 1950s, you had the iconic “Methyl” ads created by the Foster and Kleiser ad agency. Many of the sign creators went on to become artists in their own right.
Billboards. Depending on personal tastes, opinions vary from “hate ‘em”, “tolerate ‘em”, “sorta of like ‘em”, to “love them!”. I fall into the last camp. By their nature, they’re created by professional artists at ad agencies. Sure, you have your personal injury lawyer and insurance ads, but many are very skillfully executed from an artistic aspect.
Zoning treatment varies wildly from region to region. Some cities, like Washington, DC, have a total ban. You won’t see a single one. Other cities have a fair, but not overwhelming, representation. Baltimore, NY, and Miami are examples. (Many in Miami are Spanish language which adds an interesting regional stamp.)
And…then….there is….LA. Jesus. I have to admire a city that doesn’t apologize for who it is and just lays it down. The billboards in LA are on an entirely different plane. They are in a different world in terms of size, quantity, and of particular note, artistic execution. They are in your face. They are massive. They are striking.
When you drive out of LAX in your rental car, you feel like you’re on a different planet. The message from the city is, “This is who we are. We are film, we are art, we are a commercial juggernaut, we are a place of energy and optimism.” It’s hard not to be swept away and feel uplifted. Let’s take a photographic journey through a few examples.
One note before I get into a few photos. The nature of photography is such that these images don’t come remotely close to capturing the size and impact of being there in person. Here we go…
Facing west down Sunset Blvd. Entire sides of mid-rise structures are covered with signage, most of it entertainment-related.
Leaving LAX’s car rental lot and hitting the 405 on my most recent trip, you’re hit with this massive image from Sky Posters, Inc.
LA does things that the rest of the country wouldn’t consider for a split second. Massive billboards aren’t just by the side of roads, they arc completely over them. Pretty hard to miss. The trend is towards LED signage because you can change imagery via programming. As big as this sign looks in the photo, it’s downright shocking in person. You’re looking westward towards the airport on Century Blvd.
Another Hollywood-themed ad on Century Blvd.
Bridging into our subject of interest, scene composition on our layouts, LA’s billboards extend well into the rail-served industrial regions. From a modeling standpoint, you have to be careful. You have a very narrow window to work with artistically. Get it right, “it” being billboard treatment, and you add some nice “snap” to your scenes. They are also a way of adding a regional stamp. If handled carelessly, however, you’ll end up with a dopey caricature that gives you that hokey “model railroady” look that you want to avoid. The best way to stay out of trouble is to copy ads that actually exist. Also, place your signs in locations that would be logical for your prototype. Finally, match the size of your models with those on your prototype. Regarding dimensions, if you err, do so on the small side. Better too small than too large.
A blank billboard across the street from the LAJ’s Horn Lead in Vernon.
A mid-sized billboard on Pacific Blvd., across from the entrance to Malibar Yard.
A sidenote on the art you chose, you can give yourself a lot of flexibility if you just model blank boards and then photoshop the artwork onto the blank.
As LA’s Central Manufacturing District (the area I model) evolves, older structures are being replaced by more modern concrete tilt-ups. Not ideal but that’s life. There is a bonus, though, and something unique to the area. A number of these tilt-ups are emblazoned with utterly massive and colorful logos. By copying that feature I would get another stamp that says, “this is LA”. The key is not to overdo the idea, model one large logo tilt-up framed by more mundane subjects. The nature of these boxy structures is that if I want variety, I could simply pluck a building off the layout and rotate in a different one.
Here are a few photos of the more iconic structures, the ones you see as drive about.
Crystal Promotions in Vernon. The lead to the LAJ Fruitland Team Track is in the foreground.
4 Seasons is one block to the west of Crystal Promotions. The track in the foreground has been abandoned.
C.R. Laurence is a few blocks north of Malabar Yard. That’s the lead to the yard on the left.
As you head into the Central Manufacturing District from the east, and cross the LA River, you’re greeted by the massive Alkam Home Fashion logo. Welcome to beautiful downtown Vernon baby!