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		<title><![CDATA[Forums - Bricks in Motion - Brickfilming Discussion Week 9: Modding and Mega-bloks]]></title>
		<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/topic/19337/brickfilming-discussion-week-9-modding-and-megabloks/</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The most recent posts in Brickfilming Discussion Week 9: Modding and Mega-bloks.]]></description>
		<lastBuildDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2014 00:45:30 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Brickfilming Discussion Week 9: Modding and Mega-bloks]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327636/#p327636</link>
			<description><![CDATA[[quote=NathanWells]What is your opinion on using non-LEGO brands or elements (Mega-bloks, paper, clay, lights, other toys, etc) and/or modifying LEGO (cutting, melting, stickering, engraving, painting, etc) in brickfilms?[/quote]

As a LEGO fan, I'm strictly purist.  I'm entirely against doing anything to any LEGO pieces that can't be reverted back to its original state after modification.  The only time I'll cut or glue pieces are once they're already broken or unusable in some way.  By already, I mean I didn't intentionally do it.  Whether they break or I received them broken, it doesn't matter.  I don't really mind things like stickers if they come off after without leaving residue that I can't get off.

As a brickfilmer, I'd probably modify LEGO elements if I really felt the need to.  I care more about the piece fitting in.  If whatever I'm using looks out of place and will take the viewer out of the story, then I don't want it in there.  I don't care if it's a different brand or item entirely, a knock-off LEGO brand, even LEGO itself.  If it is distracting in the wrong way, I don't want it there.  Also the opposite, if I think the film would really benefit from the item being there (again, whatever that item is, it could be anything in the list Nathan gave), then I'll go for it.  Most likely even if it means modifying actual LEGO parts, if I think it's worth it.  There's my opinion on it; basically if it still fits, it's all cool.]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (JonnDthunDer)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2014 00:45:30 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327636/#p327636</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Brickfilming Discussion Week 9: Modding and Mega-bloks]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327324/#p327324</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Believe me, there is no limit to the evil that is YouTube.]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (Mr Vertigo)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2014 14:21:21 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327324/#p327324</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Brickfilming Discussion Week 9: Modding and Mega-bloks]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327322/#p327322</link>
			<description><![CDATA[He must know its been taken down. YouTube are evil, but no so evil that they won't send an email letting you know that one of your videos has been removed.]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (Max Butcher)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2014 13:47:58 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327322/#p327322</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Brickfilming Discussion Week 9: Modding and Mega-bloks]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327297/#p327297</link>
			<description><![CDATA[I think Megablocks and BestLock and other knock-off brands are lousy. Once, I got a Best Lock fire truck set...and the bricks were of such poor quality they wouldn't even lock together, and I was unable to finish it. I will, however, use their figures and accessories from time to time, as they are more detailed than Lego figures (sometimes, anyway). :| 

As for custom lego accessories and such, I am fine with using brickarms weapons (though not often because of the price), as long as it is necessary. For example, say I need a shotgun. Brickarms has a shotgun that you can recognize as a shotgun. However, If I need a knife, I use a Lego knife, instead of Brickarms, because it is not necessary to get an extremely detailed(and pricey) Brickarms knife. I do paint over Lego accessories from time to time (hats, swords, etc.), but usually only if I have them in large quantity and don't need 50 in the same color. I don't like breaking Lego, as it pains me to do so and I am afraid it will look bad, but I have done it once or twice. Usually, though, my altered Lego come from an accident, like me sitting on one by mistake, so I will use those.:P 


[quote=Sonjira]I'm pretty much okay with everything you listed except for Mega-Blocks. Literally everything else could add to the story and Brickfilm in some way, but Mega-Blocks/Imitation LEGO only serve to give films a cheap feel for me. There really is no substitute for the real deal in my mind.

But like i said, everything else may be used in some way that can enhance films. Like others stated, Magic Portal greatly benefited from using the non-LEGO elements as a way to juxtapose the characters into the real world. It was SUPPOSED to look out of place and strange.

But I think that several other Brickfilmers have used non-LEGO elements to great effect. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBLmmnF5Yyg]Captain Bulldog[/url] comes to mind as a great example of how to do this right.

(Speaking of Captain Bulldog, does anyone know where I could find the second part of his "Pilgrim's Son" Brickfilm? It seems to have been blocked due to using copyrighted music, and it's one of my favorite brickfilms so it would be sad to lose it.)[/quote]


Indeed, it has been removed, which really bums me out, because I only recently discovered his channel, and instantly became a huge fan of the "Pilgrims" series, so when I finished "Pilgrim's Son" part 1, and saw that part 2 had been taken down, I was all like, :jaw: "NO! Now I'll never know how the most epic brickfilm series about pilgrims ends!" I really hope he returns and re-uploads it: his videos are awesome! :D]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[eliasdhutchinson@gmail.com (texas_cheeto_hog)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2014 01:27:02 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327297/#p327297</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Brickfilming Discussion Week 9: Modding and Mega-bloks]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327281/#p327281</link>
			<description><![CDATA[BrickArms all the way! I love custom figs, too. Not when they're overly painted or customized. That's just too much. Some customisation is fine for me thouh. I loathe clonebrands, by the way. I'm sad about the fact that i actually have some.]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (WoutStopmotion)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2014 21:16:44 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327281/#p327281</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Brickfilming Discussion Week 9: Modding and Mega-bloks]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327271/#p327271</link>
			<description><![CDATA[By the way, I do have a lot of early Kre-O transformer sets, but they are not allowed to associate w/ my Lego, and I punish them if they do.]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (HoldingOurOwn)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2014 18:39:19 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327271/#p327271</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Brickfilming Discussion Week 9: Modding and Mega-bloks]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327260/#p327260</link>
			<description><![CDATA[I don't mind LEGO knock offs, but it looks really weird if you use them with LEGO. I have a bunch of LEGO knock offs because my friends give them to me as gifts, since they are cheaper I guess. I'm fine with that because, believe it or not, these can be super useful. I don't have much LEGO so when it comes to adding unseen structural support I can use those! As for modified LEGO pieces, I don't do it myself unless I need to, since my lack of bricks. As for destroying bricks for brickfilms, I don't actually care about that. I just wouldn't do it myself because it would be a waste.]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[rockydude411@yahoo.com (Rockydude411)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2014 15:57:26 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327260/#p327260</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Brickfilming Discussion Week 9: Modding and Mega-bloks]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327245/#p327245</link>
			<description><![CDATA[This is quite an interesting discussion this week, and I am glad it has finally come up.
I more or less, like anyone on this website, grew up with Lego as the ultimate toy, in which nothing could best it. Lego was the only construction toy I purchased for the better part of 13+ years, but that stopped after last summer, as I bought a few of the Halo Mega Bloks blindbags (which were priced at 79p) to see the quality of them, and the fact that I was a sort of Halo nerd.
I honestly have nothing against these third party brands, but if Lego stopped today, and these brands were to take over the toy industy like Lego was about to, then I would be annoyed.
Now on to modification. Great Gordan I do like it! For the better part of 3 years I have been sucked into the Non-purist community, which is a great place. I have managed to make custom minifigures and bricks, mainly just for show and tell, with them having little to none appearences in my film. A Brickfilm I have just started has a modified Lego piece, to allow it to move objects on animation.
A great topic for this week, Nathan!]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (Slurpy)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2014 08:28:57 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327245/#p327245</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Brickfilming Discussion Week 9: Modding and Mega-bloks]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327179/#p327179</link>
			<description><![CDATA[I don't particularly have anything against the other brands, although Mega Blox has a negative connotation for me because I had one set when I was little that just refused to stay together, which bugged me to no end. I tend to stick to the purist path because of my love of LEGO. When I started brickfilming I had no interest in film at all, but I loved LEGO, and the thought of bringing it to life was enticing. It wasn't about the film I was making, it was about the LEGO, so there was no place for clay, other brands, etc. I've grown quite a bit now, and I'm totally okay with clay, custom bricks, and the rest, as long as it suits the film. Look at Coffee and Carnage, clay really enhances the film in a way that say, red studs, couldn't. Some films are best kept purist, while others are appropriate for, or even made better by, the inclusion of elements from outside of the LEGO system.]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[backyardlegos@gmail.com (backyardlegos)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 02 Jul 2014 02:17:26 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327179/#p327179</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Brickfilming Discussion Week 9: Modding and Mega-bloks]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327176/#p327176</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Well, this has always been a touchy subject among AFOLs.
For me, it's less about brand, than it is about a consistent look and quality.

For example, back in 2012 Mega Bloks came on the site and asked people to participate in their contest.
Some of the members here made great entries that look fine as films. But every single one had a totally different look than a normal Lego film. No problem, not inferior, just different. It looked more like small toys in motion than Lego normally does, or at least that's what I think.

As for using then in an animation, I've nothing against it. But most knock-off stuff doesn't look right next to real Lego and thus sticks out in a bad way. That being said, if something can blend in, (Tyco) or has something that still looks right, (Brickarms, select other accessories.) then it can just hop right in unnoticed and I've no problem with it. But if something sticks out, there has to be a reason it's there. (Brickwarriors is worse than most,* but also some Brickforge and Mega-Bloks) It throws off the consistent world look like one yellow face in a crowd of fleshies. If all the figures are Mega-Bloks, then the film gains that look, and can continue on perfectly fine. It's the same reason Dulpo blocks don't go in a normal Lego city, not the brand, but the look.

And I hear that Mega is getting better quality, but I just don't like the super-detailed look, nor the appearance of the cheaper plastic. And their stuff really isn't that much better for the price. 

So that's my opinion. If it can blend in, use it. If not, either everything needs to have that look, or there needs to be a special reason. And that goes for background stuff as well. Real-life background plates usually don't look right, but when used well, Lifelites can really complement the scene. Clay usually gets a free pass from most, but if it's too visible it becomes distracting and needs to go. Stuff like paper backgrounds, and cloth in some circumstances, can look just fine. (Custom capes can be really sweet.) But complete other toys, (Say, Playmoblie) generally need to stay out unless the film. But many of these guidelines are null and void if the film is set in the real world. (Namechild's stuff embraces that real-world look and excels like no other, but that feel isn't for everyone or every film either.)

As for modding Lego, first, it has to be a good job. If it's terrible, there's absolutely no excuse. Assuming it's well done, customs can be great, stickers just fine, and engraving is permissible. It has a purpose, it looks good, and stuff like a tile with your name engraved on it can be really, really cool. 

But I flinch every time I see a Lego piece just destroyed. 
Why? I mean, once that scene is filmed, it's useless. There's no purpose, only wanton destruction that didn't need to harm the [s]Precious.[/s] Lego bricks. Sure, it can sometimes look amazing, but I feel the cost is too high. So no, I don't advocate destroying Lego. Now, limited modding maybe. It depends on the case. But generally unless the end result is something good and complete, it's best to leave it as is.


*This seems really hypocritical after seeing their generosity with the BRAWL prizes, but nevertheless it still sticks out a lot. But most custom accessory places lean a bit too far away from the Lego look, so it's not just them.]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (Pritchard Studios)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 02 Jul 2014 00:25:42 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327176/#p327176</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Brickfilming Discussion Week 9: Modding and Mega-bloks]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327166/#p327166</link>
			<description><![CDATA[I understand that nmmmmnnnngggnnnnngh... Mega Bloks have improved from the days that their bricks were inconsistently colored and the plastic was super-cheap.  But I follow what's going on inside the toy industry closely.  Mega-Bloks stole the tube coupling device that Lego invented and sold them as their own.  A court in Europe ruled (inexpicably to me) that Lego can not hold the patent to the tube coupling device, and Mega Brands won the right to use the stolen invention.  This led to other companies to follow suit and produce their own Lego knock-offs (Kre-O, C3, etc.)  You can't blame them for capitalizing on what is deemed legal, but it was because of Mega Brands' philosophy that I don't support them today.]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (HoldingOurOwn)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Tue, 01 Jul 2014 20:10:22 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327166/#p327166</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Brickfilming Discussion Week 9: Modding and Mega-bloks]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327134/#p327134</link>
			<description><![CDATA[I dislike cheap knockoffs of LEGO, including Mega Bloks, for the simple reason that if you mix their bricks with LEGO bricks you can see a vast difference in quality. If a wall is half-Mega Bloks and half-LEGO, it looks odd. Knockoffs are usually a much lower quality of plastic, which shows up really clearly both to the naked eye and on camera (and I hate the creepy-jointed Mega Bloks minifigures). I see no problem in playing with Mega Bloks, but for other blatant ripoffs that have no identity of their own I don't want to give them my money. It also annoys me how eBay is oversaturated with knockoff, low quality Star Wars and Superheroes minifigures. A lot of these will start circulating in peoples' collections with people assuming they're real.

Paper and card I have no problem using for backdrops. I don't have a lot of bricks for walls and stuff, so card backdrops are a massive blessing that allow me to make the sets I want without necessarily having to worry about not having enough of the right pieces.

Thanks to a friend who used to collect them but no longer has any interest in LEGO, I have a few Brickarms weapons. Though they're reasonably good quality, I never actually use them. I'm not sure why. One of them is green and perfect for the Joker (it's just a shame I don't have a Joker minifig).

As for modding LEGO pieces, I do decals all the time: printing off torsos and faces to pritt-stick onto a minifigure. Normally, they look pretty good (unless I'm trying to print a black torso, which rarely works as well as I'd like). It's pretty easy to find official-quality (or near enough) torso decals, and I only go for ones that I think are of said quality. How else would I be able to make [url=http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/11112/111120351/3111917-blue+lantern+saint+walker.jpg]Blue Lantern[/url], or [url=http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120101025815/marvel_dc/images/7/71/Wonder_Woman_Vol_1_600_Reprint.jpg][i]Odyssey[/i]-arc Wonder Woman[/url], or even simply a red leather jacket torso, if they don't (or in the case of the first two, probably will never) appear in a set?

I don't like actually damaging bricks though. We've all accidentally broken parts over the years, but it honestly feels wrong to pruposefully destroy a piece. Keshen8's recent Avicii commission was really good, but it was a little disturbing how many 2x4 bricks he drilled apart for that. I could never bring myself to do that. I find needless/recreational destruction in general quite unsettling.]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (jampot)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jun 2014 21:50:26 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327134/#p327134</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Brickfilming Discussion Week 9: Modding and Mega-bloks]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327132/#p327132</link>
			<description><![CDATA[I would happily eat at the same resturant every day provided it had a large menu, healthy options, and wasn't a bad deal. Luckily, LEGO fits this bill. 

Has anyone got the wine list?]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (Max Butcher)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jun 2014 21:37:13 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327132/#p327132</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Brickfilming Discussion Week 9: Modding and Mega-bloks]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327131/#p327131</link>
			<description><![CDATA[I'm pretty much okay with everything you listed except for Mega-Blocks. Literally everything else could add to the story and Brickfilm in some way, but Mega-Blocks/Imitation LEGO only serve to give films a cheap feel for me. There really is no substitute for the real deal in my mind.

But like i said, everything else may be used in some way that can enhance films. Like others stated, Magic Portal greatly benefited from using the non-LEGO elements as a way to juxtapose the characters into the real world. It was SUPPOSED to look out of place and strange.

But I think that several other Brickfilmers have used non-LEGO elements to great effect. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBLmmnF5Yyg]Captain Bulldog[/url] comes to mind as a great example of how to do this right.

(Speaking of Captain Bulldog, does anyone know where I could find the second part of his "Pilgrim's Son" Brickfilm? It seems to have been blocked due to using copyrighted music, and it's one of my favorite brickfilms so it would be sad to lose it.)]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (Sonjira)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jun 2014 20:57:29 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327131/#p327131</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Brickfilming Discussion Week 9: Modding and Mega-bloks]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327130/#p327130</link>
			<description><![CDATA[I don't like custom elements much.  Things like BrickArms tend to look hyper-detailed and therefore incongruous next to official LEGO stuff (although I do like the look of a few custom elements, and things like the BrickArms U-clip would be fantastically useful for MOCs).  They also tend to be horrendously expensive and I don't have the money for that sort of thing.  As far as megabloks and their ilk go, I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.  

As far as modifying LEGO elements themselves, I don't like it much either.  Unless you're really, really good at it, it invariably looks crude and amateurish, and ruins the look.  I shudder every time I see someone who deliberately damaged or "dirtied" a minifig to make it look "realistic" (modern military builders are especially egregious in this regard).  LEGO[i] isn't[/i] realistic to begin with, and if you do that it just looks like a four-year-old chewed on it, then stamped it into the dirt.  Plus, LEGO is expensive, so scuffing it up and damaging it isn't really a good idea under any circumstances.

At the end of the day, it just feels like cheating to me.  In my mind, it feels a lot more creative to build, say, a weapon out of official LEGO elements than relying on a custom element.  To me, that has always been part of the fun and challenge of LEGO.  Besides, it usually looks better too in comparison to hyper-detailed custom moulds.  

However, using miniature lights or a non-LEGO background backdrop (for skies and suchlike) is a completely different kettle of fish to me, and I'd be perfectly OK with using those.  Miniature lights (such as LifeLites) are  beautiful if used correctly, especially in night-time scenes, and it often helps immerse one into the atmosphere and scenery of a brickfilm.  I myself am contemplating possibly getting LifeLites at some point in the future, and I'll probably need to get a sky background very soon.

[quote=Dyland]To put things into perspective, would you ONLY eat at McDonalds for the rest of your life, or, do you think that you'll try some other fast food/home cooked meals ever again? ... Most people don't swear allegiance to one name-brand for their whole lives when it comes to food, clothes, or other appliances; so why do some brickfilmers refuse to animate with anything other than LEGO? - That's certainly a question in my mind that spawned just after reading Nathan's topic.[/quote]

To be perfectly honest, I don't understand this logic at all.  I feel your analogy would be more appropriate if a person only bought, say, Castle sets and considered all of LEGO's other themes inferior simply because they're different themes.  It's not as if LEGO and Megabloks are of equal quality; Megabloks is clearly an inferior knock-off brand that copies LEGO's system.  I mean, given the choice, would you rather buy a brand new Ferrari or a beaten-up Fiat Multipla?  Or would you pick a dubious unhygienic greasy diner with shady characters and food of mysterious origin (which possibly comes with complimentary "extra protein" and food poisoning) over a great restaurant with a good food-hygiene ratings, nice atmosphere and delicious food?]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (Mr Vertigo)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jun 2014 20:52:08 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/327130/#p327130</guid>
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