Do you like to spill the beans or spring a surprise?

[Commodore Hornbricker]

I myself like to drop hints about MOC's I am working on. I don't really know why but it is fun for me. Maybe it helps keep me motivated.

I don't really like to post WIP pictures because the pictures themselves are a lot of work for me but I have found a lot of people do, especially when it comes to ship building...I wonder why that is about ships inparticular. I have found others who seem to like to hold on to their MOC as a secret and then post the final.

How do you handle this and why?

[meschepers]

First off, this is a great idea for a new thread. I am interested to see what other people think and why.

Personally, I like the idea of building impulsively. I for one will decide what it is I want to build and not take any pictures until I am finished. I feel that stopping to take pictures would break my concentration as I am not one who plans ahead extensively. Currently I have a medium sized ship that I am finishing that I hope to get a few parts for in the next few days, as well as getting some sails made and installed. Once I get those on then I hope to take some pictures and get them uploaded here.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy seeing the WIP stuff that people put on here, it gives a real insight to what techniques they use when they build. For my own uses though I have to say that I like to take my pictures when the model is finished.

[Captain Blackmoor]

I post WIP pictures from the build so other people can give suggestions and critisism. When you post the final product it is already almost too late to change things. And everyone comments on how great it is, but you only learn from your own experience then.

I really liked the making of the Prince of Wales thread a lot for example, I've learned quite much from it.

That's how I do it!

[Pirate Pete]

Personally, I like the idea of building impulsively. I for one will decide what it is I want to build and not take any pictures until I am finished. I feel that stopping to take pictures would break my concentration as I am not one who plans ahead extensively. Currently I have a medium sized ship that I am finishing that I hope to get a few parts for in the next few days, as well as getting some sails made and installed. Once I get those on then I hope to take some pictures and get them uploaded here.

I completely agree. Taking pictures makes me lose my concentration.

[Joey Lock]

I dont give away many secrets because I do not want people to copy Techniques or certain sizes.

All I can say about the HMS Unicorn is that it is 12 mid sections, So thats gonna be one big ship.

[cole]

Well, I'm not a pirate builder, but I always "Spring a surprise". That's mostly because none of my MOCs ever take longer than three days. I think if were building a large MOC, I would probably take pictures at the half-way point, but I don't have the bricks for something large enough to do that.

[Commodore Hornbricker]

I dont give away many secrets because I do not want people to copy Techniques or certain sizes.

All I can say about the HMS Unicorn is that it is 12 mid sections, So thats gonna be one big ship.

I think you like to tease and drop hints here and there though. That's me as well.

[Dreamweb]

I prefer to post the final thing. A MOC that is not finished seems... well, incomplete. Besides, as someone once said, the last 10% of your building process, when you concentrate on small details and decorative stuff are actually what makes your creation look good... However, on occasion I've made exceptions from this rule and posted some WIP pictures. But all in all I think a MOC should be announced in a single hit - that makes the final effect better.

[Admiral Croissant]

Another nice thing about WIP-posts is not only that you can learn from other people's suggestions, but it's also very useful for ohter people because in the building progress you can see very good what building techniques are used, at least that's what I like about WIP's.

[commander]

I dont give away many secrets because I do not want people to copy Techniques or certain sizes.

All I can say about the HMS Unicorn is that it is 12 mid sections, So thats gonna be one big ship.

you mean it isnt even doneyet?

[Captain Blackmoor]

Building large ships can take several months...

[Derfel Cadarn]

Sometimes if im building something really big then i will post a few teaser pics, but i usually wait untill its finished. It really depends on what im building and how well its turning out.

[fenris]

As I'm new to this forum, I can only talk about how i handle it in e.g. my Lego Star Wars forum... as I build relatively fast and spontaneously I don't plan too long and like the idea of presenting a completely finished MOC, because on a photo most modells don`t look as good as in reality and unfinished even more...

[brickzone]

I'm so tempted to post photos of my current project, an Agents base, but I've only two areas in it left to kit out so I'll just be patient. I guess I prefer to spring a surprise, although I have this time already given a small sneak preview.

It's a good point about it being a lot of work to take photos! I also only take them in good daylight now as artificial light messes up the colours even with a good camera and attempts at post-processing. I've been using a nice camera of my brother's (a digital SLR) and taking the photos from a decent distance back but zooming in, and I'll probably use a tripod next time I do this (you have to be very steady/take multiple times otherwise).

[Peppermint_M]

Well. Nearly all of my MOCs are three hour jobs. From idea to full build in that space of time, granted I do little else while for the whole three hours (sometimes my legs go numb...). Then I photograph and post within a few days, unless it is a series of MOCs. I have two big builds, one I have been dropping a few hints that I am doing it, but nothing about what it is or how it will look (beyond a length) another is my Inferno HQ that I have been posting about and is being built in sections so that one is a WIP that I post about.

I want my other project to be a big surprise. I have only been discussing it with my little brother and my nerdy friend, to figure out how it should look and which elements of different inspirations I should use. I hope to have it done within six months (collectiong together the parts will take a long time, and I anticipate the build to take a few days) as at the moment I am in the planning stage.

[Rijkvv]

I only post it when it's finished. I have a lot of ideas for MOC's, but never enough pieces. So I design almost everything with MLCad. When I order parts, I start with building it, but I try to order as many parts as I can (and what's needed), so when I recieved my bricks I can finish a MOC. And it's not worth it to make pictures of the building progress. I used to upload MLCad pictures, but now I don't, because most of them will never be built.

[Matn]

I like to make work in progress pictures for big projects. But only when I'm ran out of pieces. For instance, when I was building Hogwarts: part 1, I ran out of pieces and then I took a WIP photo. And then when I got my pieces I made it and made some final photos of the first part. And then I can get tips so I can adjust it very quickly. I get an idea and I build it. If I ran out of pieces, I take some WIP photos to show what I'm doing at this moment. With my latest MOC (the Burrow) I have not made any WIP shots. I got the idea and I said on Flickr that I will make it. And then I work on the MOC, and all the pieces I needed were in my possesion, so the next day when it was finished I uploaded photos of it.

So, for small things I don't do it. And then again, if I take WIP photos it's because I've got nothing to do and that I have to wait for more pieces. I think it's fun to watch other people their work in progress because you can always learn something of it and you can give comments and tips while the person is building.

EDIT: now that I think of it, I am building some medieval houses now for another project and I've ran out of pieces. Normally I would make some WIP shots, but it isn't so interesting to show it. Because I'm only at the first stages. And making work in progress photos of houses isn't interesting I think. And you get a bigger "wow"-effect when you upload the final subject from the start, if you know what I mean.

Edited July 5, 2009 by Matn

[CP5670]

I wait until the MOC is completely finished (which can take anywhere between a few days to multiple years). I don't care about keeping anything a secret, but it takes so long to set up and take good pictures that it isn't worthwhile to photograph unfinished models, except in cases where I abandon the project halfway through.