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Bricks in Motion
Bricks in Motion
We are a friendly filmmaking community devoted to the art of stop-motion animation using LEGO® and similar construction toys. Here, you can share your work, join our community of other brickfilmers, and participate in periodic animation contests!
A place to discuss, share, and create stop motion films.
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Please don't use commercialism as an excuse to do some good in the world.
If people wanted to buy a DVD they'd ask you. Posting on here is spamming and frowned upon self-promotion. Especially if you're going to be making money.
Posting on here is spamming and frowned upon self-promotion.
Eh, I'd disagree. If you've got a brickfilm-related Kickstarter/DVD/whatever you can come and promote it here. The issue people have with HOO is that he appeared to be using charity as a promotional tool to sell his wares, which is a little questionable.
+1
CarrollFilms wrote:Posting on here is spamming and frowned upon self-promotion.
Eh, I'd disagree. If you've got a brickfilm-related Kickstarter/DVD/whatever you can come and promote it here. The issue people have is HOO appeared to just be using charity as a promotional tool to sell his wares, which is a little questionable.
Especially that kind of cut from his profit.
Why couldn't you post this in your original thread, instead of cluttering up an forum totally unrelated to this sort of thing?
Marketing and advertising: If you have a festival or contest you'd like to promote, that's great. If you're looking to sell or give away something that other brickfilmers, by nature of the hobby, would be interested in, that's also fine. But please don't make a thread to advertise a website or service, or that nice used car you're looking to sell.
You are all being downright awful to HoldingOurOwn! I don't see you guys criticizing like this when people like iguana or lucas try to promote their projects, I don't see why this one is such a big deal! Honestly you're all being pretty rude to someone who is trying to make a difference, however small. Seriously, this is uncool and you should leave him alone! I'm kind of appalled.
If you are so bent on helping people with autism, why don't you donate all of the money that people pay you? It seems like the real charity here is for you. I'm sorry if I seem harsh, I don't have anything against you. But this seems kind of like a plot to get more money.
from the site's rules wrote:Marketing and advertising: If you have a festival or contest you'd like to promote, that's great. If you're looking to sell or give away something that other brickfilmers, by nature of the hobby, would be interested in, that's also fine. But please don't make a thread to advertise a website or service, or that nice used car you're looking to sell.
You are all being downright awful to HoldingOurOwn! I don't see you guys criticizing like this when people like iguana or lucas try to promote their projects, I don't see why this one is such a big deal! Honestly you're all being pretty rude to someone who is trying to make a difference, however small. Seriously, this is uncool and you should leave him alone! I'm kind of appalled.
Hazzat has already answered your question.
And Mickey pointed out another obvious thing.
HOO, you probably could have posted this in the other thread as it's nothing too huge or different. Also, if somebody wanted to help by donating, they may be more likely to do so directly to enable their whole donation to reach the needy. Saying you'll donate is one thing, and perfectly fine, promoting the DVDs as ways to donate is slightly different and not quite so fine.
Everybody else, sure, he's somewhat using charity to promote his merchandise, but advertisers do that all the stinkin' time in the real world. He could have presented it differently, and we may not care for it here, but it's not something culturally unheard of. There's a lot of really strong opinions going on in this thread, so let's all try to keep things from going overboard. There's absolutely no need to get worked up about this.
If you agree with him, say so civilly. If not, please present that view respectfully and kindly.
Thanks
Also, in my opinion, since it is a brickfilming DVD, he is well within the rules to tell us that they are for sell.
His presentation may need adjusting, but the core concept (Selling DVDs) is good.
Gosh! First of all, Anyone who has a Kickstarter account should cancel it immediately, because I always saw that as nothing more than a beg/mooch web site! Secondly, I donate much more than the amount I raised here to autism and other charities throughout the year. I just don't go around telling people how much I give and to whom, because my reason is to actually help those causes, not say, "Look at me!" Voice talent from episode 2 gets a DVD free and I still donate $1 for those. I'm not making money on those DVDs.
Second, I didn't realize that even the smallest profit is so evil! Especially when those who purchased a DVD (or are getting one because they voice acted) are choosing a product they think they will like. The money from purchases mainly covers the cost of materials, free and promo discs, and goes to buying more DVD materials! The covers are color laser prints, I use standard DVD cases and LightScribe discs, and etch the cover. The DVDs are loaded with tons of extras because I care about the recipient of the product having a quality product that they can enjoy beyond the main feature. Brick7 deserves a lot of kudos for her incredible contribution to the commentary track, which is a real treat to those who get a DVD. Brickelodeon's assessment of making any money, after the cost of materials, on eight months of hard work (we all know how much work goes into our brickfilms) as self-charity is absurd.
Third, I didn't want to just sell the DVDs without giving back. That's why I chose to make the donations, not the other way around. I posted the info on the charity so others could donate if they choose without buying the DVD. The attacks I received (except for Carroll Films, who is known for this behavior, and needs to learn the definition of "spam"), took me by surprise.
And all this is in a thread thanking those who helped. And thanks to Topitmonkeydog & hazzat for at least defending a civil debate.
Pritchard, maybe my presentation does need adjusting, as you said. I've never been good with promotions, and am always open to constructive advice. Note CONSTRUCTIVE. Pritchard, when I make a mistake on this forum, and I have, you point it out politely and I learn from it. I thought this was a community where we help each other out, including supporting each others' brickfilm-related efforts... not meaning that everyone has to buy everyone else's dvds, but at least saying, "Cool beans!" to someone who took the time to make something tangible. Maybe this isn't so much the place anymore.
I just don't go around telling people how much I give and to whom, because my reason is to actually help those causes, not say, "Look at me!"
If you say this, I'm willing to take you at your word. However everything you've done with this Autism Awareness thing does come across as "Look at me!", so like you and Pritchard said, it might help to be a little more careful with this sort of thing in the future.
Smeagol, Believe me, helping people with autism is something very important to me. I was going to tell every1 that my dvd is available anyway, so I thought why not do something good out of it. I didn't expect this level of cynicism. Actually, as a fan of DVDs, I'd love to see more brickfilms on DVDs. I'd gladly buy or trade Joe Brickmond, Robota, Hitchkox films's brickfilms, Magic Portal, MobDeli's stuff, and many others' animations, for example.
I cannot fault you for supporting a charitable cause; good on you for doing so.
But as others have pointedly pointed out, the pitching of your charitable incentive can be easily interpreted as peddling one's wears behind the convenient façade of good intention. It needed to be more unambiguous on your intentions and dedication to the cause.
I think generating such a fuss over a comically small amount of raised money is the real problem here. You want this to be taken seriously - you act completely serious when presenting your final monetary sum - yet the amount you raised (frankly) is pitifully insignificant. Honestly, I think it will not make even a microscopic dent in Autism, yet you present it as a serious sum. I understand you have every right to be proud of your accomplishment, and I don't take the slightest disagreement to someone being charitable, but some perspective is needed.
The juxtaposition between the comical amount of money you raised and your sheer seriousness in doing so, paired with your questionable presentation, really kind of negates your original desire for a meaningful charitable drive (and thus you received those critical reactions).
Just my 6 dollars 2 cents.
No one ever expected a cure from $6. But $6 is 6 more than Faces of Autism had before, and having worked with them before, I know this organization is grateful and appreciative for this donation and any donation of any size. They don't consider it pitiful nor comical in the least. Did you know that a smaller contribution than that to Cross Catholic Outreach keeps a starving child nourished for a week? And raising $6 is not my accomplishment; it's that of those who helped. And I never expected the amount to be large, Carousel, nor did anyone else here.
And as I said before, anyone who just wants to donate may do so by clicking "Donate" hare. They accept paypal, but you may send donations through the mail (just don't send cash through the mail)
http://faces4autism.org/how-you-can-help/
Other ways to help children with autism and their families can be found here:
http://www.autismspeaks.org/ways-give?u … n=waysgive
This includes non-financial ways to help for those who can't afford it.
Once more: thank you.
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