Hello again Rainybox. I am not familiar with Grain gel. The windows I put in my boxes are usually made from clear sheet styrene or from packaging like the sort of thing ready made salads come in at the co-op. I had never thought of texturing the ones on my models as they are quite a bit smaller than the 1/6th- 1/7th scale jobs some folks are making here. ( I made the ones in those pictures at 1/17th and 1/48th). Perspex would seem to my mind a bit thick.
I suppose if I were to try and achieve a textured window, I would sculpt it in an epoxy putty first then make a mould in silicone and take a casting in clear resin. That way I would most likely do the frames as an integral part so all I had to do would be to cast the lot. It would be an easy job to make the window one that could be opened if so desired. A simple spigot sticking out of each bottom corner would do the trick. ( Of course you would need to make an 'arm' with a hook or a triangular wedge with a right angled lip to stop the window falling all the way in!)
Milliput or Kneadatite greenstuff is great for sculpting. Or both. Look up the website for them. I use styrene strip for things like window frames, nice and neat, and all you need is polystyrene cement. Liquid poly (I always use Revell's as it has a handy needle like depositor)* is best. Incidentally, always use PVA when gluing clear parts on models. It stops the clouding that some other glues create. As it dries clear, you can also cut and peal away with a sharp scalpel, any excess or over spill.
I once worked in the film industry in Bristol back in a different incarnation. I got into it by accident, and I didnt stay at it for very long. Most of the things they will have you building are cartoon style figures, but its good to learn how to make moulds and take castings. Bone-up on your human and animal anatomy - figure sculpting and drawing are vital. Scenery building is pretty easy, and usually all gets thrown in a skip at the end of a shoot. Lots of polystyrene foam ( That annoying pollutant the washing machines come in) PVA glue and sand and all painted dark earthy colours and covered in flock. We used bags and bags of model railway flock ( Woodland scenics do the best ones, the rest all seem to be very garish) and bags of died lichen. I could not believe the waste! I use lots of bits of smashed up slate and mudstone for my scenery here, Slates have no scale when they are shattered and as I think I said before the dust is a good weathering powder.
Good luck with it all!
*= Depositor; Ive been reading lots about insect anatomy and keep thinking 'ovipositor'! There is a proper name but a cannot think of it! Applicator? Oh...B....cks to it!
