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	<title type="html"><![CDATA[Forums - Bricks in Motion - Lord Of The Thing - PART 1]]></title>
	<link rel="self" href="http://bricksinmotion.com/forums/feed/atom/topic/19376/"/>
	<updated>2014-07-15T12:13:22Z</updated>
	<generator>PunBB</generator>
	<id>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/topic/19376/lord-of-the-thing-part-1/</id>
		<entry>
			<title type="html"><![CDATA[Re: Lord Of The Thing - PART 1]]></title>
			<link rel="alternate" href="https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/328050/#p328050"/>
			<content type="html"><![CDATA[OK, the biggest complaint was voice acting and swearing. The swearing has been fixed, and I'm in the process of recording the lines for part 2. 

So...[url=http://www.bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/328049/#p328049]here's the casting call. GO![/url]]]></content>
			<author>
				<name><![CDATA[Max Butcher]]></name>
				<uri>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/user/239/</uri>
			</author>
			<updated>2014-07-15T12:13:22Z</updated>
			<id>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/328050/#p328050</id>
		</entry>
		<entry>
			<title type="html"><![CDATA[Re: Lord Of The Thing - PART 1]]></title>
			<link rel="alternate" href="https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327906/#p327906"/>
			<content type="html"><![CDATA[[quote=Harborlight Productions]
I can't believe most of you are trying to argue against why swear words are unnecessary. They are bad for a reason you know. :P [/quote]

They are bad for a reason - to be used to express extreme emotion. It's just about using them wisely.

Now I'll stop.]]></content>
			<author>
				<name><![CDATA[jampot]]></name>
				<uri>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/user/189/</uri>
			</author>
			<updated>2014-07-12T17:27:07Z</updated>
			<id>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327906/#p327906</id>
		</entry>
		<entry>
			<title type="html"><![CDATA[Re: Lord Of The Thing - PART 1]]></title>
			<link rel="alternate" href="https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327902/#p327902"/>
			<content type="html"><![CDATA[[quote=Mickey][quote=Harborlight Productions]Look at The Lord of the Rings. It had not one swear throughout the whole thing and it was fantastic.[/quote]
I know you're talking about the movies in particular. But, if you were to look on page 722 in [i]The Two Towers[/i]. The D word is muttered by an Orc when he talks about a "rebel".

And just take a look at any episode of [i]Game of Thrones[/i]! That's in a medieval setting, and almost every swear word in the book is used there.[/quote]

I can't believe most of you are trying to argue against why swear words are unnecessary. They are bad for a reason you know. :P 

I can't seem to state my opinion without you guys trying to defend yourselves. I wasn't even getting at you, not even Max. I simply stated an opinion. :D Now please stop.]]></content>
			<author>
				<name><![CDATA[Harborlight]]></name>
				<uri>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/user/131974/</uri>
			</author>
			<updated>2014-07-12T17:16:18Z</updated>
			<id>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327902/#p327902</id>
		</entry>
		<entry>
			<title type="html"><![CDATA[Re: Lord Of The Thing - PART 1]]></title>
			<link rel="alternate" href="https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327892/#p327892"/>
			<content type="html"><![CDATA[[quote=Harborlight Productions]Look at The Lord of the Rings. It had not one swear throughout the whole thing and it was fantastic.[/quote]
I know you're talking about the movies in particular. But, if you were to look on page 722 in [i]The Two Towers[/i]. The D word is muttered by an Orc when he talks about a "rebel".

And just take a look at any episode of [i]Game of Thrones[/i]! That's in a medieval setting, and almost every swear word in the book is used there.]]></content>
			<author>
				<name><![CDATA[Mickey]]></name>
				<uri>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/user/3007/</uri>
			</author>
			<updated>2014-07-12T16:09:53Z</updated>
			<id>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327892/#p327892</id>
		</entry>
		<entry>
			<title type="html"><![CDATA[Re: Lord Of The Thing - PART 1]]></title>
			<link rel="alternate" href="https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327884/#p327884"/>
			<content type="html"><![CDATA[[quote=END films][quote=FlyingMinifig] [spoiler]The "badly explained science" joke was hilarious.  I really want to see a scene where a random nerdy scientist pops up out of nowhere and attempts to actually explain it (preferably in the most technobabble-ey way possible) before suddenly being violently disposed of by John Redwood or some random peasant/barbarian/quamdiddlypuff....[/spoiler] [/quote]
That sounds very entertaining.[/quote]

I really like this idea.]]></content>
			<author>
				<name><![CDATA[jampot]]></name>
				<uri>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/user/189/</uri>
			</author>
			<updated>2014-07-12T11:50:55Z</updated>
			<id>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327884/#p327884</id>
		</entry>
		<entry>
			<title type="html"><![CDATA[Re: Lord Of The Thing - PART 1]]></title>
			<link rel="alternate" href="https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327881/#p327881"/>
			<content type="html"><![CDATA[I just shared my opinion on the matter. I am not here to convince anyone of my opinion, or start a fight. 

Max, this video series is hosted by BrickUltra and many kids stay tuned with what they show on there. I would suggest putting a rating in the description or something telling the audience what is going to be in the movie. You may be fine with cuss words and sexual jokes, but some other people are not. If you do that it would be great! :)

;)]]></content>
			<author>
				<name><![CDATA[Harborlight]]></name>
				<uri>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/user/131974/</uri>
			</author>
			<updated>2014-07-12T11:46:46Z</updated>
			<id>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327881/#p327881</id>
		</entry>
		<entry>
			<title type="html"><![CDATA[Re: Lord Of The Thing - PART 1]]></title>
			<link rel="alternate" href="https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327854/#p327854"/>
			<content type="html"><![CDATA[[quote=Max Butcher][quote]And I find it odd that a king who is addressed as "Your Grace" is in charge of an empire...[/quote] 

Oh...ELF! [/quote]

I actually like it though, it seems to fit quite well with the style of the film.  Perhaps even have a character who constantly gets the king's title wrong as a running joke (calling him Your Lordshipness/Honour/Highness/Holiness/O Great One, etc.).  It's also interesting that "Elf" is both an expletive and name of a race... (this must make certain diplomatic negotiations rather awkward...)

[quote=Harborlight Productions]I'm not offended, I just think it's unnecessary to add it to a film with a medieval setting. Look at The Lord of the Rings. It had not one swear throughout the whole thing and it was fantastic. As in language I kinda meant dialog. The sexual joke was really out of place and inappropriate no matter how funny some think it is.  We must remember this is a kids theme and kids watch these Lego videos. So we must watch what we put in them.[/quote]

Well, Max is the one who created this film, so he's free to choose what he wants to put in it.  I personally didn't find it too jarring.  "Arrrgh" would probably go over the heads of most kids anyways. I did find the aforementioned joke a bit off, though mainly because I personally find it fairly cliched and overused (though again, kids probably wouldn't get it anyways).  Still, many popular professionally made kids' shows often do this sort of thing as well (just look at [i]Adventure Time[/i]...).  And why would setting a film in a medieval/fantasy setting preclude it from having "offensive" content?  Historically speaking, the middle ages, if anything, were a lot more openly violent/crude/offensive (we are, after all, talking about an age in which public execution was considered a form of entertainment...).

Having said all that, it for obvious reasons isn't a good idea to put offensive content in a film if you intend it to be family-friendly.  And I think it would be funnier to use "family-friendly replacements" or fantasy expletives in a really over-the-top way instead of bad language--like saying "lymphatic heck!" or "bodily-fluid-covered geographical-opposite-location-of-heaven" instead of, well, you know.]]></content>
			<author>
				<name><![CDATA[Mr Vertigo]]></name>
				<uri>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/user/127487/</uri>
			</author>
			<updated>2014-07-11T22:17:47Z</updated>
			<id>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327854/#p327854</id>
		</entry>
		<entry>
			<title type="html"><![CDATA[Re: Lord Of The Thing - PART 1]]></title>
			<link rel="alternate" href="https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327853/#p327853"/>
			<content type="html"><![CDATA[[quote=Harborlight Productions][quote=Harborlight Productions]I question the language in this movie. It wasn't very necessary and didn't really fit the setting.[/quote]

[quote=Max Butcher]Which langauge? The very, very mild cuss words (its fair enough if your offended, although I only count two of them - 'bloody', which you find in kids films, and 'shove it up your AARRRGGHH' which is heavily masked) Or the fact that the dialogue is fairly modern, and not like Tolkein's psuedo-Shakespearean writing?[/quote]


I'm not offended, I just think it's unnecessary to add it to a film with a medieval setting. Look at The Lord of the Rings. It had not one swear throughout the whole thing and it was fantastic. As in language I kinda meant dialog. The sexual joke was really out of place and inappropriate no matter how funny some think it is.  We must remember this is a kids theme and kids watch these Lego videos. So we must watch what we put in them. :)

Besides all that I liked your film. :)[/quote]
I myself am not a fan of sex jokes but to a kid that joke wouldn't necessarily mean that (unless they have sense of humor of a teenager or an adult already which would be sad). A kid could think that he meant the guy was wimpy in general. Also it's Max's own theme not LEGO's theme so it up to him what fits the theme and what doesn't.]]></content>
			<author>
				<name><![CDATA[END films]]></name>
				<uri>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/user/126316/</uri>
			</author>
			<updated>2014-07-11T22:01:36Z</updated>
			<id>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327853/#p327853</id>
		</entry>
		<entry>
			<title type="html"><![CDATA[Re: Lord Of The Thing - PART 1]]></title>
			<link rel="alternate" href="https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327852/#p327852"/>
			<content type="html"><![CDATA[[quote=Harborlight Productions][quote=Harborlight Productions]I question the language in this movie. It wasn't very necessary and didn't really fit the setting.[/quote]

[quote=Max Butcher]Which langauge? The very, very mild cuss words (its fair enough if your offended, although I only count two of them - 'bloody', which you find in kids films, and 'shove it up your AARRRGGHH' which is heavily masked) Or the fact that the dialogue is fairly modern, and not like Tolkein's psuedo-Shakespearean writing?[/quote]

I'm not offended, I just think it's unnecessary to add it to a film with a medieval setting. Look at The Lord of the Rings. It had not one swear throughout the whole thing and it was fantastic. As in language I kinda meant dialog. The sexual joke was really out of place and inappropriate no matter how funny some think it is.  We must remember this is a kids theme and kids watch these Lego videos. So we must watch what we put in them. :)[/quote]

I'm afraid I disagree. Brickfilming's a filmmaking medium, not a genre, and as long as you properly signpost that there's going to be violence, language or sexual references, then it's fine. I didn't flinch at them at all; if I hadn't read this thread after watching, I would never have considered it a problem.

You make a good point about [i]Lord of the Rings[/i] - it was fantastic and didn't have any offensive language - but I don't see how a medieval setting makes bad language inappropriate. Some of the most offensive words in the English language, including [i]the[/i] most offensive, predate the Viking Age itself. That's 700 AD at the latest. Cussing is nothing if not medieval - it's only in modern times that we have become more conservative in our dialect.

It's just about what you want your film to be. If you want to make a fun, family-friendly adventure film, then keep language and sexual references to a minimum. If you want to make a comedic, screwball deconstruction of popularised fantasy whilst taking a miserly and disdainful tone, as Max has, then you can get away with a lot worse than he has with [i]Lord of the Thing[/i]. Even in a brickfilm.

But that's my opinion. I'm not saying you're wrong. Plus, [url=http://www.bricksinmotion.com/forums/topic/19156/brickfilming-discussion-week-5-for-mature-audiences-only/]Our Lord Nathaniel made a thread for this[/url].]]></content>
			<author>
				<name><![CDATA[jampot]]></name>
				<uri>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/user/189/</uri>
			</author>
			<updated>2014-07-11T21:57:58Z</updated>
			<id>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327852/#p327852</id>
		</entry>
		<entry>
			<title type="html"><![CDATA[Re: Lord Of The Thing - PART 1]]></title>
			<link rel="alternate" href="https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327847/#p327847"/>
			<content type="html"><![CDATA[[quote=Harborlight Productions]I question the language in this movie. It wasn't very necessary and didn't really fit the setting.[/quote]

[quote=Max Butcher]Which langauge? The very, very mild cuss words (its fair enough if your offended, although I only count two of them - 'bloody', which you find in kids films, and 'shove it up your AARRRGGHH' which is heavily masked) Or the fact that the dialogue is fairly modern, and not like Tolkein's psuedo-Shakespearean writing?[/quote]


I'm not offended, I just think it's unnecessary to add it to a film with a medieval setting. Look at The Lord of the Rings. It had not one swear throughout the whole thing and it was fantastic. As in language I kinda meant dialog. The sexual joke was really out of place and inappropriate no matter how funny some think it is.  We must remember this is a kids theme and kids watch these Lego videos. So we must watch what we put in them. :)

Besides all that I liked your film. :)]]></content>
			<author>
				<name><![CDATA[Harborlight]]></name>
				<uri>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/user/131974/</uri>
			</author>
			<updated>2014-07-11T20:54:23Z</updated>
			<id>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327847/#p327847</id>
		</entry>
		<entry>
			<title type="html"><![CDATA[Re: Lord Of The Thing - PART 1]]></title>
			<link rel="alternate" href="https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327814/#p327814"/>
			<content type="html"><![CDATA[I really liked it. I love the Monty Python feel to it.
More please.]]></content>
			<author>
				<name><![CDATA[Antonio Ferrara]]></name>
				<uri>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/user/4198/</uri>
			</author>
			<updated>2014-07-11T04:01:25Z</updated>
			<id>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327814/#p327814</id>
		</entry>
		<entry>
			<title type="html"><![CDATA[Re: Lord Of The Thing - PART 1]]></title>
			<link rel="alternate" href="https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327801/#p327801"/>
			<content type="html"><![CDATA[I loved this! I am a hater of all bad words, but the way you used them was so funny!! I feel like this is the lego version of Monty Python and the search for the Holy Grail.]]></content>
			<author>
				<name><![CDATA[Brickelodeon]]></name>
				<uri>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/user/131671/</uri>
			</author>
			<updated>2014-07-11T00:31:32Z</updated>
			<id>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327801/#p327801</id>
		</entry>
		<entry>
			<title type="html"><![CDATA[Re: Lord Of The Thing - PART 1]]></title>
			<link rel="alternate" href="https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327790/#p327790"/>
			<content type="html"><![CDATA[Enjoyed it. Didn't find the language offensive or unnecessary.

Nicely done, Butch.]]></content>
			<author>
				<name><![CDATA[jampot]]></name>
				<uri>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/user/189/</uri>
			</author>
			<updated>2014-07-10T22:38:50Z</updated>
			<id>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327790/#p327790</id>
		</entry>
		<entry>
			<title type="html"><![CDATA[Re: Lord Of The Thing - PART 1]]></title>
			<link rel="alternate" href="https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327784/#p327784"/>
			<content type="html"><![CDATA[Wait, you've played the old Thief games? Back when they said [i]-taffer-[/i], I miss those days. And I understand wanting to keep it family friendly, [url=http://www.beaverandsteve.com/index.php?comic=317]sometimes family friendly can be even funnier[/url]

I look forward to the next episode.]]></content>
			<author>
				<name><![CDATA[SlothPaladin]]></name>
				<uri>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/user/411/</uri>
			</author>
			<updated>2014-07-10T22:19:48Z</updated>
			<id>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327784/#p327784</id>
		</entry>
		<entry>
			<title type="html"><![CDATA[Re: Lord Of The Thing - PART 1]]></title>
			<link rel="alternate" href="https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327783/#p327783"/>
			<content type="html"><![CDATA[Wow. Not only is everyone's feedback fair, its also really detailed and helpful. Thanks so much guys, and please keep it coming. I want to make this series as good as it possibly can be. 

[quote=Harborlight Productions]I question the language in this movie. It wasn't very necessary and didn't really fit the setting.[/quote]

Which langauge? The very, very mild cuss words (its fair enough if your offended, although I only count two of them - 'bloody', which you find in kids films, and 'shove it up your AARRRGGHH' which is heavily masked) Or the fact that the dialogue is fairly modern, and not like Tolkein's psuedo-Shakespearean writing?

[quote=backyardlegos]The problem is the delivery. I hardly found myself laughing at any of the jokes, but a few seconds after hearing each one...I think here it would have been wiser to get some other people to do voices for you. I know there are some capable voice actors here who would have been willing to help.[/quote] 

I'll definitely look into this. I've always been distrustful of using other people (unless its for feedback and criticism)...and this distrust has always been a bit unjustified. 

The problem is that this part had over 100 lines of dialogue in it. I could and should have assigned minor characters such as the Halberd-Shopper, the Merchant, and the Capitol-Gate Guard to other people - but I have no choice really but to play all four major characters (John, Whitebeard, Wormface, and The King) myself or else this'll never get made. Even with the thing split into parts, and with part 2 shaping up to be slightly shorter, asking someone to record about 40 lines at once is way too much. 

[quote=togfox]The youtube says the next part is due in August so not sure how feedback on part 1 will help part 2[/quote] 

It's helped a lot. I've almost finished a first draft of part 2 - but the great thing about writing is that it can easily be re-written. 

[quote]Animation wise, that whole head bopping about when talking was a little too exagerated for me.  Keen to see what others think.  I was watching one of them talk and i was feeling dizzy trying to track him lean back and forth.[/quote]

Right. I've always run out of ideas when it comes to animating dialogue. I'm trying to be more inventive with the next part. Whilst there will always be points when characters have to stand face-to-face and produce rhetoric, I'm trying to do stuff like have characters talk whilst walking and performing other activities to liven things up a bit. I'll also try to reduce bobbing. 

[quote=SlothPaladin]It was pretty enjoyable but I feel like it could have been edited down quite a bit as some of the dialog dragged in places, some of the crude humor was funny, some of it fell a little flat.[/quote] 

A lot of dialogue was already cut, but evidently I didn't cut enough. I'll try to make it more to the point next time. 

[quote]It also would have been nice if you had add a back light to the characters on the green screen, you were getting some really bad green bleed around the edges.[/quote] 

Um...I didn't use a greenscreen. I've [i]never[/i] used a greenscreen. Where precisely did you see bleeding? 

[quote][spoiler]I really wanted the wizard to pop in and say 'I'm a mother !@#$%^& WIZARD!' but I can understand why you didn't use language like that, but I think it would have been a lot funnier.[/spoiler][/quote]

Alas! It's very difficult to find out just how old the people who watch my stuff are - but for now I'm trying to keep this a family show. Although, I'm completely ripping off [i]The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy[/i] and the [i]Thief[/i] videogames by putting in fictional cuss words that are obviously censoring much stronger language. 

[quote]something like this might be a good idea to story board out so you can edit the film down to a quicker more entertaining pace so you don't waste time on animation you just cut out.[/quote]

I might try that. I can't draw (that's why I animate with LEGO) but I could always do stick-figures. I'm making an effort to at least script actions more - as before my scripts would just be a dry list of all the dialogue. 

[quote=FlyingMinifig]Also, there's quite a lot of flickering (especially in John's blacksmith shop, with the reflective surfaces).[/quote]  

I only found out how many times the set 'caught my best side' when I played it back. I would have re-shot all of it, but I was being driven mad by animating nothing but dialogue in such a small set (this is the only time I've dismalted a set by throwing it on the floor) that I decided I would try and fix it in post...to no avail. 

[quote]And I find it odd that a king who is addressed as "Your Grace" is in charge of an empire...[/quote] 

Oh...ELF! 

[quote](Also I had no idea Kevin MacLeod composed the Egmont Overture.  This guy is totally going to be the next Beethoven...)[/quote]

I know! I couldn't believe it myself - but I guess he's just that much of a genius...]]></content>
			<author>
				<name><![CDATA[Max Butcher]]></name>
				<uri>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/user/239/</uri>
			</author>
			<updated>2014-07-10T22:14:58Z</updated>
			<id>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327783/#p327783</id>
		</entry>
</feed>
