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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Will do for you 
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MATT
Are the applications still open?
Yes and no... we're always on the lookout for talented writers who are interested in joining the panel, but we're not actively searching for new members at the moment (so the inbox doesn't get checked very often).
Note the "talented writer" part. Two recent submissions misspelled "application" in the subject line. They were not opened.
(so the inbox doesn't get checked very often)
One small problem- does that inbox ever get full? I ask because my inbox says sometimes: exceeding limit of 200
Or something similar. Is the inbox unlimited?
And thunderbolt, I've been waiting for a couple months, and no reply: Will we get a notification if denied?
And I'll probably get denied anyways.
Two recent submissions misspelled "application" in the subject line. They were not open
Dangit.
I sent my application and it was read, but nothing was sent back...
I think this means I just failed. 
Dangit.
I sent my application and it was read, but nothing was sent back...
I think this means I just failed.
It's okay, I bet they're just writing an essay as a response and it's taking so long. When did you send it?
Ages ago but it's only been read in the last 48 hours.
Nah I'm not worried, I just didn't know if they reply or not.
Just sent in an application.
Guys, this is getting ridiculous...
The reviewing of films is lagging more than 6 months behind...
Please lower you standards for (committed) reviewers, and get some film reviews done!
Boardron
The problem is basically that the review panel system is not viable anymore because the community isn't as large as it was at the height of brickfilms.com days with regard to older members who make for good reviewers, but we still get a lot of submissions. I don't think a directory that is staffed by reviewers who are frankly not very good writers would be worth having. Part of the problem also comes from the fact that we get a lot of very similar beginner-level films. Even when they have decent production values it's hard to consistently write good reviews. When the films you're reviewing are all kind of mediocre and similar to each other the reviews tend to also be mediocre and similar to each other, so I'm starting to think that individually reviewing as many films as we do is maybe not the best option. I want to revise the system significantly and I'll be trying get something going with that over the next month or so. Running this site is basically a hobby for me and all the review staff are volunteers, too.
Remember, the directory is really just meant to be an end catalog of films we want to recommend to the public. Timeliness really shouldn't matter a lot for that purpose, and the releases forum is a good place to get actual feedback on your film, aimed at you. (In my opinion, it is desirable to have at least some time between the initial posting and acceptance into the directory because it gives good films the second wave of exposure that they deserve.) Directory reviews and ratings are intended more as a recommendation to potential viewers.
In the mean time, we always have the Releases forum and YouTube and Vimeo and Brickshelf and a dozen other video/file hosting sites. People also write their own reviews in the forums and comment of the videos. I'm not saying that these should be replacements for the directory, which is much more polished, neat, and effective in getting views and good reviews. But c'mon! We make stop-motion animation! We have patience! Use it!
Smeagol, I agree with the fact that a fundamental revision of the submission and reviewing system is a necessity. The problem with the current system is that (obviously) the reviewers (yes, all volunteers) are unable to keep up the large stream of (mostly mediocre) entries. But currently, the only way of getting your film in the "releases" section is to submit it into the directory. This leads people to the expectation that their film will actually be reviewed.
So why not come up with a method that once a film has been released and proven to be of sufficient quality, then it gets entered into the review queue. That should limit the number of review work to only the higher quality entries. So let's say that a film has to be promoted / sponsored (is that the correct word? I'm not a native English speaker) for review by at least x BiM members before it gets on the queue...
Just an idea...
Anyway, to react to Golden's message: yes, we all have patience, but honestly, I expect that the backlog only will become larger, right up to the moment that nobody believes their film will be reviewed anymore...
Last edited by boardron (June 11, 2011 (06:00am))
While I agree with Smeagol that the directory is mostly filled with mediocre films and that it's mostly volunteers doing the work, I agree with boardron that films aren't being reviewed as often. Being that no film released in 2011 has been reviewed yet, I really believe that it would be for the good of the community if the panel accepted more reviewers. Last year when the panel said they were looking for more reviewers, they only selected one member, and then a few months later, the panel is struggling worse then ever. I know that the panel doesn't want reviewers who don't have good grammar, or drag on and on and on about the film, it might be the solution. Besides, since the majority of the panel is unactive (I don't even see Noodle on here anymore), I think the best solution is to add more reviewers (Of course, suitable reviewers).
How about this:
1. Members submit reviews
2. If they are decent, the review panel will take them on for a 2 months trial
3. If they are consistent and offer well put together review, then they'll be accepted
4. After this, they have to keep up 1 or more reviews a week, unless they are away, in which case they'd inform either Smeagol or Noodle
5. So long as they do these things they can stay on the panel.
This therefore separates the good from the bad, whilst keeping the review panel running smoothly.
Thoughts?
What about THIS.
We could ditch the idea of having dedicated reviewers go over every single film in the submission queue. Instead, we use a community driven system, where we have ratings and stuff, but rather than having a small group of reviewers write reviews for the good films, we take user reviews from the forums and quote it where the regular review would be. Of course, many films don't get any good reviews in the forums, but it's an idea...
Or how about this: Get the community to write the reviews, and the Review Panal either approves or rejects them. In this case, multiple reviews of the same film could be published, and some may show both the good and bad sides of a film.
^^ YES. That would be very efficient, and it would give multiple perspectives on a film. But it might make the review panel's job worse...
Mcoov wins.
NXTManiac's 2nd.
I fail.
EDIT: Question however - if the review panel don't have enough time to review films, how will they have enough time to look over a load of users' reviews and pick the best? 
The Review Panel would be doing essentially the same thing to the reviews that they currently do to the films: checking that they live up to a standard. The frameworks would probably include:
Mostly correct English spelling and grammar (At least no silly 3rd Grader mistakes).
Reviewer isn't merely making things up.
The review is insightful and competent.
The last bullet is mostly up to the discretion of the Review Panel member/Filter.
Should a person wish to review a film, they would click a button next to "Directory Link" on the film's thread that would say "Review this Film.", and would be presented with a box, much like to one used to write posts here on the forums. Reviews published would not only be sent in for an analysis by the Review Panel, but would also be immediately posted on the film's thread. This would partly prevent people from submitting reviews that simply say "ZOMG BEST LEGGO MUVVY EVER!!1!".
Reviews might not be published should the film not be categorized as "Recommended".
Last edited by mcoov (June 11, 2011 (01:48pm))
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