Special Project Auditions - FAQ

[Mister Phes]

For the first time ever YOU have the opportunity

to contribute to a Eurobricks Forum Skin!

We need dozens of Minifig photos for the exciting and innovative banner!

We’re looking for:

• Photographers with a good camera and a wide range of LEGO Pirate minifigures
• Image Editors with the skill to remove backgrounds from photos

You can DO BOTH but you'll need to audition for both!

Your rewards for helping:

• Access to an exclusive hidden forum in which you will be amongst the first to witness this revolutionary new forum skin!
• An acknowledgement - everybody's whose work is selected will be fully credited. If you're a professional you can even include your website URL and contact details.
• A commemorative tag - the more you quality images you contribute, the more valuable tag you receive. BUT BEWARE! We'll place a voodoo curse on anybody who contributes a substandard effort, and trust us when we say you don't want to be wearing that tag!Learn more about the tag benefits.

How to audition

• Read the information below so you understand exactly what is required.
• Ask any questions you have in this thread.
• When you are ready to submit, please do so in the Special Project Auditions - Submissions thread.

What we’re looking for…

• Minifigures from LEGO sets

  Pirates, Soldiers (blue coats), Imperial Guards (red coats), Islanders (natives), Imperial Armada (conquistadors), Pirates II (released in 2009-2010) and Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean.

• Custom Minifigures

  The Dutch, Portuguese, East India Trading Company, Colonisation of Central America, undead pirates, etc.

• Mesoamerican Civilisations

  Aztec, Maya, Inca, Olmec, Toltec, etc.

What we’re NOT looking for…

• Sigfigs or avatars

  it wouldn’t be fair to permanently feature somebody’s forum identity over others.

• 4+/Jackstone Pirates sets

  those oversized pirates which were released in 2004. Although their accessories may work with standard SYSTEM Pirate minfigures.

• Pirates from outside the Caribbean

  Vikings, Space Pirates, Steampunk, Medieval Pirates, Barbary Corsairs, etc.

• Minfigs & Elements from Imitation/Counterfeit or Competing Brands

  The minifigures and pieces you use MUST be authentic LEGO, with the exception of elements from custom LEGO manufacturers such Brickarms, Brickforge, Citizen Brick, etc. These are acceptable.

The blasted Rules

• The photography must be decent!

  We will NOT accept low resolution images nor include images which contain artefacts (graininess), aliasing (jagged edges), chromatic aberration (colour fringing), focal defects (blurriness), mismatched impedance (ghosting), oversaturation or any noticeable visual distortion.

• The image editing must be decent!

  We will not accept images if the background hasn't been cleanly removed. Each minifigure and any accessories must have a smooth edge with no obvious trace of the background remaining.

  DO NOT use Microsoft Paint!

• Edited Images MUST HAVE alpha transparency

  The background must be transparent in PNG format with an 8 bit alpha channel. NO transparent GIFs will be accepted!

• The minifigure/LEGO elements MUST be shown entirely within the photo

  Please do not submit photos with minifigures/elements which cannot be fully seen. E.g. peaking in from the side or from the waist up. If they were to be added to the banner, whatever part(s) aren't visible would simply look cut off in the banner.

• The minfigure(s) must isolated against a neutral coloured background

  Backgrounds with multiple colours can be a lot more challenging to edit.

  The background will need to be manually removed and this is much easier if it contrasts with the minifgure and is a constant colour. You may however, remove the background yourself, but be sure to save the image as a 32bit PNG file to ensure it retains its transparency.

• No lighting techniques or harsh shadows

  Please photograph your minfigure(s) in consistent lighting.

• No watermarks, logos, signatures or other branding

  Please ensure your photos are free from visual distractions.

• No Background Spill

  “Spill” is the term used in film and photography when a background colour reflects onto a foreground element. For example: a minifigure photographed against a blue background has traces of blue along its boundary.

• No flash highlights

  These are when the flash reflects off the minifigure causing white highlights or shines.

• Nothing too crude or offensive!

  Keep your minifigure’s anitcs clever and tactful.

• Our decision is final

  We decide which minifigures and edited images will appear in the skin and how they will be arranged.

Acknowledgement

Everybody who contributes minifigure photography will receive an acknowledgement in Announcement Thread when the skin is complete.

Upon request additional information can be included such your website, Deviant Art account, Facebook Page or other contact details.

Agreement

By submitting photos you've taken or images you've edited you grant us permission to use them in anyway we see fit (relating to the Forum Skin), for an indefinite period of time without compensation, remuneration or reward.

[Brickington]

Hopefully I can help out with this! Is there a deadline for the submissions? Also is my avatar image the type of quality you're shooting for?

[Mister Phes]

Hopefully I can help out with this! Is there a deadline for the submissions?

Not as yet, when we feel we have enough photos we'll close. But that could come sooner than you expect!

Also is my avatar image the type of quality you're shooting for?

Yes, preferably a larger image though which shows the entirity of the the minifigure.

I also have one question : does the minifigure have to be "in motion" (for example raising the sword, or with head turned) or standing like the Brickset ones : http://www.brickset....nifigs/gallery/?

Ideally a mixture of both!

The more different poses and motions the better, but minifigures standing front-on like in your example are perfectly acceptable.

[Legonardo]

Can you submit for both photography and editing?

[Mister Phes]

Yes, indeed you can!

[Legonardo]

great! ill be there

[Piratedave84]

Does it need to be single figs?

I am asking because I would be wiiling to contribute a photo of my 100+ strong redcoat (new style) army

Edited March 22, 2013 by Piratedave84

[Mister Phes]

Does it need to be single figs?

Single minifigs are preferable because they're a lot easier to resize and position than groups.

Small groups of two or three may work, but anything more becomes a logstical issue getting the right prospective.

I am asking because I would be wiiling to contribute a photo of my 100+ strong redcoat (new style) army

It's unlikely your would photo would work with the banner's background unfortunately. It's a lovely seascape with both sea and land which means there is a finite amount of ground space to place the minifigures.

Although, having not seen it I can't say for sure.

[Piratedave84]

I might just photograph it and submit it; maybe it could be used later!

Should they be on base plates?

Edited March 22, 2013 by Piratedave84

[Mister Phes]

No, we want to isolate the minifigures as much as possible so they can be placed into any background environment

Here's an example of a group minifigure shot which works - note how each minifigure is 100% visible with no background or foreground elements interfering.

[Piratedave84]

Last one; I promise!

Once taken, can the pictures be grouped into one big pic?

[Mister Phes]

It would be easier for the image editors if they were seperate.

Everyone needs to know who is working on which photo to avoid editing the same photo. So if a bunch of photos are in the one image, it makes things more difficult keep track of.

But why would you want to group them?

You can upload multiple attachments if you switch to the Flash uploader.

[Brickington]

I'm away from the bricks until tommorrw

EDIT: OMG, can't believe I posted that. What I meant to say is I am away from the bricks today. And I fly in back to my hometown tomorrow, so pictures should be in (hopefully) by the next few days.

Edited March 23, 2013 by Brickington

[Piratedave84]

I can take photos; I would need someone to edit them though!

Do we need to state here which figs we are working on?

[Mister Phes]

I can take photos; I would need someone to edit them though!

We're looking for seperate photographers and image editors, not strictly people who can do both.

Though, we are quite happy to take people who can do both, however those people will need to audition for both photography and image editing.

Do we need to state here which figs we are working on?

It may be useful to mention the sub-theme to avoid acculuating too many of a particular type of minifigure.

[Sebeus I]

Once public you can find my pictures in 1280x960 format in my brickshelf folder, specifically for the new skin.

Since I have some more time now I'll gladly take more pictures if someone has a specific Idea about a minifigure(s)/attributes/... combination so feel free to send me a message .

My pictures are not of the best quality but decent, I try to get the best out of my camera.

[Grimmbeard]

Here's a few photos I have taken for this project! If you want anymore or need me to change something, please let me know.

Don't mean to barge in but I would also suggest putting that hand all the way in

Edited March 24, 2013 by Grimmbeard

[Mister Phes]

Thank you Sebeus!

However, half of those have already been used so I shall just link them in the existing Pirate Minifig Photos thread.

Nonetheless, you have proven yourself to be good photographer, so you you have passed the audition.

If you wish to contribute more pirate minifigure photography, you shall be granted access to the hidden forum.

[Brickington]

Don't mean to barge in but I would also suggest putting that hand all the way in

I do not understand what you are trying to say. Can you please clarify?

[Sebeus I]

All right, whenever an Idea pops up I'll take pictures.

I've taken some Armada soldiers pictures but this one with the shiny armor is a difficult one (I can see my reflection in the armor).

[Mister Phes]

You look great! I experienced the same issue with my original Sigfig but managed to edit the relection out.

Access to the forum you shall have.

But remember, we're actulally looking for non-custom minifigures, like they've come straight from an official LEGO set, moreso than the custom combinations.

So if you can shoot off dozens of photos of non-custom pirate minifigs in any pose imaginable, that would be great also.

[Grimmbeard]

I do not understand what you are trying to say. Can you please clarify?

My bad, must of accidently posted it in the wrong thread (they all look the same ) On the photos you submitted the pirate's hand wasn't all the way in.

Edited March 24, 2013 by Grimmbeard

[Legonardo]

Ok im rather confused, where are photos of pirate figures submitted?

[Mister Phes]

As stated in the first post of this thread:

When you are ready to submit, please do so in the Special Project Auditions - Submissions thread.

[Mister Phes]

Thank you for the wonderful submissions!

Keep `em comin'!