SteampunkDoc

So beautiful, so detailed, so expensive....I think I'm going to cry. Now, on to a review, because I feel like doing one. Ent: Eh, the head kinda got squashed down into the body, but other than that it's cool. Minfigures: Yea minifigs!....Oh wait, only one exclusive, or maybe two if Saruman's printing is different. Well, Gandalf has hair now, that's new. Tower Exterior: ​Squeeeee!!! It's gorgeous, and the tapering and shape actually look fairly accurate. It's got the stairs, the balcony, some nice windows, and lots of black. Tower Interior: Looks like a lot of stickers, but who cares, they look great. The ladder to the attic is a nice detail, and those top two rooms are very detailed for being so small. I'm really loving the other wizard's pictures. The bomb-making room is sweet with it's bars and stuff. The throne room looks amazing, and those yellow spheres are sweet. The bottom level has a nice dungeon-y feel, and makes a great basement. Overall, it looks fantastic, but is out of my price range....Sadly. Can't wait for a detailed review, as that's about as close to one of these as I'll ever get.

Enjoy? Oh yes, very much. I love all the browns and grays and blacks, they just lend such a great "dark and foreboding" feel, and match the henchmen's outfits perfectly. The bat coffin is perfect for this MOC, and everything from the rocks to the skeletons looks fantastic. Great MOC Nemo!

Thanks! And thanks for creating this great lesson, and taking the time to grade my work. But I have to ask, is there a reason Bilbo's speech bubble isn't going to his mouth?

@Oky, you're right, that mask does look pathetic. But looking on the bright side at least we got a good laugh out of it. Wow, thanks guys! There for a bit I was thinking nobody liked them enough to even comment. The HGTTG one is my favorite, so I'm glad ya'll like it. Gotta say though, I've only read parts of the book. I've watched the movie, but only first looked at it because of Martian Freeman. And I hope you didn't hurt yourself falling out of your chair, I hear that can be painful. I have some more picture ideas, but it may be a while before I can execute them. Thanks again!

"Doctor Who"-1996 Yeah, that crazy thing from the nineties...I watched it. And yes, it's a movie, not a TV episode. Cons: The cliche black leather and shades, the over the top cheesy Master, the quite stupid kid, and the dumb death of Seven, and the "Half-human" concept. And generally the whole nineties feel. (Thankfully the half-human idea was later retconned, but the death and general feel are still issues. The seventies and early eighties "feel" on DW is fine as it doesn't shine through as badly, (Most of the time) but I just can't stand certain decades cinematic aesthetics.) Pros: Paul MaGann, TARDIS room designs. (Wish we could have seen more of this Doctor, but I guess we'll just have to settle for the audios. Also, this console room is really cool) While this isn't my favorite classic series story, and isn't by far my favorite modern series story, it's worth a watch. And every respectable Whovian should see it at least once. I can really see how this bridges the gap between both eras, but that "Right-in-the-middle" quality also hurts it a bit.

Here, the pictures are 1600 X 900, but they're private, so I'm not sure if you can see/download them or not. http://www.flickr.co.../in/photostream and http://www.flickr.co.../in/photostream (One with, and one without Bilbo.) And yes, he is using the One Ring. Here's the new one:

1. GIMP, and I figured out the problem. It was not the program, it was the idiot trying to run it. 2. Done, and that's the original. Sadly I didn't account enough for the large speech bubbles when snapping the pic. 3. Alright, I'll keep that in mind. 4. And that's what I get for not proof-reading it a third time.

This is my first go at comics like this, so I can't promise much. Sorry. The real reason Smaug hid in Erebor for so many years.... Cumbersmaug Fans by SteampunkDoc, on Flickr And spoiler alert for the Hobbit book....Although nobody quite knows who is going to live/die in the movie. Bilbo's Guide to Adventure by SteampunkDoc, on Flickr And I've got one more, but it's currently tied up under review in the Academy. Hope you like 'em, and I hope you 'get' them. SteampunkDoc

Smauglock by SteampunkDoc, on Flickr Well, what all is completely horrible? Can't say I've ever done a comic like this before, but it's not half bad if I do say so myself. Never mind, I'm seeing a bunch of flaws already, I know it's bad, so try to break things to me easy.

Ha! The different hairs in the comic are ironic. Anyway, thanks for the great review, I was planning on getting this anyway, but large detailed pictures are always helpful. The movie accurate hair pieces looks great on Superman, and especially Lois. I'm really liking the MoS Superman figure, and just everything about Zod is really cool as well. (The mouth line on the main face tends to blend in with the beard and make that area look really odd.) I too am confused about the covered up details on the pod, but that just means I'll be ripping off the covers. That new gun is fantastic, And while the building is lack-luster, this is a must-buy set. Thanks again!

Well, I'm kinda surprised that this hasn't been brought up before, but Marvel has been doing 1-2 movies a year (Well, skipping 2009.) and that's still going strong. Audiences aren't sick yet, and yes, there is a big difference between the MCU and Star Wars, but if it's a good franchise, and if it gets out good movies, there is no reason that it can't work. That being said, Marvel doesn't have a lot of materiel already in place for that universe that will get stepped on in the process. There aren't any preconceived notions on where everything should go, and how it should play out. Somehow, I'm just not seeing Star Wars do that well in a rapid-fire format. With Marvel, you have separate movies that reference each other a lot, and are in the same universe, but contain different cast members, different directors, and different styles. With Star Wars, every other year will be back into the same trilogy, and the other years will be off to who knows where. And unless they're all in the same timeline, the flip-flop format may confuse more casual viewers. Another point to consider is that nobody knew what to expect with the MCU, so it got a fairly clean slate. Star Wars on the other hand already has huge exceptions and a lot of biased-ness on each side. There really weren't any notable Marvel movies using the current heroes before, so there wasn't a feeling of "They have to make it like the old ones or else!" Again, very unlike Star Wars, which is already a sharply divided franchise. The MCU has just got started, while Star Wars movies will have been made for three totally different generations. That being said, I'm no expert, and Star War's sheer popularity may fling these new movies to new heights....But if they're done wrong, they could mean new depths. And to help clear things up, I used to be a big Star Wars fan, but not really anymore. So that may be clouding my judgement a bit. So my opinion on these movies is somewhat neutral with maybe a tiny glimmer of hope. But like Alcarin more-or-less said, the trailers will tell us a lot.

It works, I enjoyed it. The scientist's voice fit the character well, but I'm not too keen on the recycling of the Doc Ock figure without any modifications. The yellow paper for walls worked, but real Lego is always preferred. The diagonal walk cycle is fairly choppy, there were some camera bumps, the animation as a whole could use a bit more easing, but it's not bad by any means. The sound design is well done, and well balanced, but there's one big flaw. I though the thumping at the start was some low drums that were going to build up to something a bit more action-y, but then something happened and the stuff that I thought was music stopped. Turns out it was just the footstep noise. Normal footsteps aren't that deeply pitched, and it wasn't synced up with the action at all. Also, without that, there's no music whatsoever. And this could really use a bit of atmospheric music to help set the tone. Still, you did a good job, and the punchline....Well, let's just say "It works." I do see a plot-hole (Sorta) in this, somebody with any gun experience, and at that range, could probably have hit the dummy. Showing the bullet hit right on the forehead marker, (A quick sharpie dot in the middle of the target) would have helped that aspect a lot. Also, shouldn't the dummy fall backwards?

How about this: Zod needs the ships on Krypton thanks to the red sun. He may or may not know about our yellow sun's effect on his race, so he brings the ships along anyway. Upon learning about his new-found powers, he keeps the ships around for intimidation tactics, and maybe because that's what he is used to, but doesn't really use them that much. Or I don't know, maybe he just likes driving around big spaceships. Sure, it would be frightening for a few super-fast people with flight to run around Metropolis, but what about bringing a huge spaceship over the city, flinging down a lot of threats, and then sending in the super-soldiers? Plus, we don't know what Zod and his cronies power levels will be, it may be below Superman's enough that they do want to use the ships. Or maybe the ship has big enough guns to actually hurt Superman, whereas he is nigh-invulnerable otherwise. And regarding the guns, they were trained in warfare WITH GUNS, so they would be more familiar with them, and would default to using them. They may be creatures of habit, (Like us puny humans) and just not want to put down the guns. Or maybe they're special guns that would be more effective against Superman than heat-vision. Remember, Kal-El is their main target, that's what they''ll be planning against.

What do you not like about 3 and 8? Yeah, it seems a lot of people don't like that hair piece for Eleven, problem is that can't agree on what's better. I've already got myself a TARDIS, and even built Four's interior. Although having it, and taking pictures of it, are two entirely different things. Villains on the other hand, will have to wait a while. Other, more important projects are in the way right now.

Ok....That was an odd combination of old trailer sections, and new clips.....But I don't care 'cuz that was pretty good! "Well, here it's an S." The bits about the old Kryptonian war, and Zod's looking for Jor-El's son were quite interesting, and sound like the're really going to add a new, fresh dynamic to this whole thing. I have to say I'm looking forward to this movie, and it might even be a game-changer for DC. Of course, it might not, but only time will tell.

Thanks! "Severe"? If anyhtin, I think he's too benign looking, but I may not be understanding correcting. Yeah, I wish I had that sleepy hair, but nothing short of another Bricklink order can fix that. More "crickety" you say? Well, just tell me if you find something. What? You must be converted! Thanks, but I think TLG could do a nice job of good 'ole Six. They've always enjoyed putting random colors on things!

Professor 'SteampunkDoc' here, and welcome to “Creating a Brick Flick: Part 1 - Pre Production.” This lesson will guide you through the very basics of making the perfect brick flick. Required Equipment: Patience/Time-Yeah, you’ll need a lot of both. Trust me. Computer-Just powerful enough to run the frame-capture software and some basic video/audio programs.You don't need anything super-fancy. Camera-Either a webcam advanced enough to enable manual controls, or a fancy digital camera/DSLR. Phone or tablet cameras are not recommended, and need software that’s $50USD just to adjust the settings and keep them on manual. (DarkDragon has done a tutorial on choosing a Camera, and you really should check it out.) Software- Frame capture programs are highly recommended, but only come free for webcams. They aren’t needed, with digital cameras, but lacking this step makes things a lot more difficult. MonkeyJam and Helium Frog are both used a lot, but also a bit buggy. Video software-Windows Movie Maker/iMovie, they’re super-basic, but free. And if used right, the results don’t look that bad. There are some really good and quite cheap video programs though, as long as you don’t mind sinking a bit of cash for a much better experience. (Sony Vegas Platinum 11 for one.) Audio software- If you plan on recording/mixing audio, plan on getting Audacity. It’s free, and beats out most paid programs. Individual frames-Photoshop or GIMP.-This isn’t usually needed unless you’re masking. Effects software-Don’t plan on spending any money on effect programs unless you want to spend several hundred dollars. Most everything can be done with a basic video editor and/or a photo editor. But don’t worry about the rest, you probably won’t start out with a Lego version of The Avengers complete with a CGI New York. And getting cool effects in-camera is nearly as effective, and a whole lot more fun. A Good Shooting Setup- You want a dark, closed-off room if possible. Plus a few lamps, an open desk, a wall, and a bunch of Lego. It’s pretty much the same as a normal MOC photography setup, but without an open door or windows letting any light in. LESSON #1: PRE-PRODUCTION THINKING UP AN IDEA So, you wanna make a brick flick, but you have got a problem. You don’t quite know where to start. Getting a basic idea is often one of the hardest parts. Normally these things start out as nothing more than a short thought, so if you ever get something that may be a cool idea, write it down. You may not use it for years, but you sure don’t want to forget it. And don't worry if the first thing thing pops into your head won't work. For that matter, I don't recommend going with your very first idea. Let it change, evolve and develop a bit before moving on. While I started out with a tale about a fiendish fish, that slowly evolved into a fiendish fisherman story, and that then evolved into the final tale of a frustrated fisherman. So, my final, finished idea could be stated like this: "A comedy short detailing the antics of a frustrated fisherman." GETTING A GOOD TITLE After you get an idea, you need a title. Of course, things such as titles can and often do change throughout production, but it’s a lot easier to organize the various elements if you have something to file them all under. You want your title to be catchy, not too long, and not too basic. Remember, when scrolling in a forum, people will only see two things about your film. The creator’s name, and the film title. And if you aren’t already famous and popular, you’ll have to rely solely on the title to bring viewers in. Here are some tips: Don’t name your film “Lego Star Wars-Clone Attack”-Why? It’s an AFOL site, so we know it’s Lego. Having the theme listed is an over-used trick to get more views and usually results in the film being written off as "N00b-ish" without it ever being seen. Lego Star Wars films are notorious for being the first thing new animators do, and are generally regarded as being on average lower quality than other shorts. Something like “The Destruction of Tatooine” sounds a lot more professional, and still gets the basic point across. It’s obviously Star Wars, and “Destruction” is a bit more ambiguous, and a lot more interesting than “Clone attack.” Keep your title creative and matching the film’s tone- Unless you purposely want to evoke a parody/comedy tone right off of the bat, you don’t want to have a title like: “Whatshisname and the Quest for the Golden Treasure of King Whatshisface in the land of Whoreallycares Part 2: The Temple of Obnoxiousness.” It can make a great title for a fun goofy film, but not for an R-rated ‘hack ‘n’ slash’ brickflick. If you want viewers to take your film seriously, show them that with a good title like “Unprofitable” “The Profession” or “How to Not Rob a Bank.” These hint a bit about the film’s content, but also get you thinking about it even before you’ve clicked the link. They’re also at least somewhat memorable. Generally short one word titles go with serious thrillers, but most movies don’t have more than a few words unless there is a really good reason for it. (Source material’s title, part of a franchise, Ect…) For my fisherman story, it’s going to be a comedy, so I’ll reflect that in a catchy, fun, and alliterated title: “Fred the Fed-up Frustrated Fisherman.” This gives viewers an idea behind the setting, (Cartoon-y) characters (Fred) and what the plot may be about. (Fred’s frustration) FLESHING THINGS OUT So, you have a title, and an idea. Next, you need a script. And this starts with fleshing out those original ideas. What is the basic story you want to tell? With Fred, I want him to have a bad day, give up on fishing, and then do something spectacular to redeem himself. Make a full character circle really. Hinckley has some fantastic lessons on the subject of creating and fleshing out characters and their stories, so if you haven’t, go check those out. (Lesson #1, and #2.) Anyway, our protagonist Fred will go through an arc in this. First, happily fishing, then getting mad, then giving up, sulking, and finally somehow doing something that will redeem himself. I also need to establish the other characters, like Fred’s rival, but if you’ve taken Hinckley’s lessons you should already know how to do that. This step is just a personal preference, but I also tend to write out, or at least think up the basic actions of the short before the actual scripting. For example: SCRIPTING So, I’ve got all that established and now it’s time to write a script. There are many, many different ways of writing/formatting a script. The more official, professional way is below, but if you’re just going to keep it to yourself, it doesn’t have to be this fancy. (But in the assignment it does.) Int. or Ext. PLACE, TIME Here goes a short but useful description of the setting, characters or important objects in the scene. This also includes any movements. SPEAKING CHARACTER’S NAME: What they say. SPECIAL TRANSITONS LIKE “FADE TO_” OR “CUT TO BLACK.” For example: There are also special dialogue markings such as “(V.O.) for a voice-over, and the little used (O.S.) for off-screen. I also recommend numbering each scene, such as adding “Scene #1” at the top of the example. It helps to keep things organized, and keep things straight during non-chronological filming. STORYBOARDING Once the script is done, you move on to storyboarding. This is a bit more controversial step, and not everybody does it. Well, not everybody does it physically. Some prefer to do this step all in their head, but it’s better to do real storyboards. Now, storyboards are somewhat similar to a comic, they are still frames/drawings that show what will be happening in that frame, where the camera will be pointing, and some basic details about that shot. They can range from simple sketches, to full-blown CGI renders. They could even be still shots of the set and characters. Their purpose is to give the animator a good idea of what will need to be in the shot, how much set needs to be built, and what movements will be performed. Here is an example of one of my hideous storyboards: (Click for larger size) As you can see, my drawing is horrendous, but hopefully you can still recognize what it is showing. Now, you don’t have to draw out your storyboards, you can instead render them in LDD, export the photos, and then add the text. Of course, while this looks a lot better, and is more clear and detailed, it takes a lot more time. Some people storyboard EVERYTHING, others only do the action sequences, and others don’t do it at all and only keep basic info in their head. It’s a preference thing, but it’s also very useful. You’re more than welcome to find what works best for you in all of this. Some storyboard, some don’t. Some can sit down and write a script without ever writing down an idea, and some don’t think up a title until the film is about to be released. You are more than welcome to experiment and find what works best for yourself. Only, you have to wait until after the test to do that. ASSIGNMENT: Find and write down a basic original idea. (No Licensed short this time, sorry.) Write this idea down in two sentences or less. And remember, your very first idea may not be what you end up with. At this stage, you want the ideas to evolve along. Just post the final idea that you decided on. Expand on your idea; write a paragraph or two detailing all the actions/events that will take place in your short. I’d like it to contain at least two locations, at least two talking characters. Get a good title, again, this can evolve along later, but you need something good to file everything under. Write your script. It doesn’t have to be long, a page or two is all that is necessary. And you don't want it too long, as you'll be animating it later. And finally, storyboard the entire thing. Present the above information in a new topic with the title of “Creating a Brick Flick: Part 1 - Pre Production”(You’ll need to post the idea, script, title, and storyboards.) The assignment will be graded on the creativity of the idea/script, naturalness of the dialogue, and overall quality of the work. Feel free to ask me any questions that you may have.

Thanks for the comment! Yes, the spiky and black hair parts would have been better, but I sadly don't have either. I do have the Henry Jones torso, but liked the "coat-less" look a bit more. Plus, The Doctor doesn't wear a vest underneath the coat, this is, in fact, more accurate.

You know, this section as a whole seems sadly lacking in the feedback department in regards to brickfilms. That's a shame. Anyway, this is not the first entry I've seen in the ReBrick contest, and while I've liked as many as I can, it's really hard to pick a favorite. It's a popularity contest to some degree, but skill-wise, it would be nearly impossible for me to pick one winner. To start off, I had to sit through a thirty-second unskippable ad to watch this, but don't worry, it was still worth it. The animation is a step above your normal, which makes it quite impressive. I loved the finger bit, and the whole robot "temper-tantrum" was hilarious, if unintentionally so. I thought that the videos couldn't have sound, but am apparently wrong. There was a slight buzzing noise throughout, and the lack of music took a bit away from the overall atmosphere. It's a great short, but subject to stiff competition. Good Luck!

Very nice! I too don't understand all the Aquaman hate, but if anything, this MOC should help that perception. The "Shark chariot" idea is really neat, and you've done a fair job of pulling it off. While the body of the chariot could use a bit more work, the rest of it, and the rest of the MOC, is top-notch. I'm assuming that this is an original idea, as a quick Google search yielded nothing. The design is not much more than several curved bricks in front, and wall with the needed holes in back. (The tentacles were a cool idea, but depending on the design aesthetic, may or may not be that great. ) I looks like you tried to do an atlantean stonework style, but the execution is just a bit too basic, and I think you could come up with a bit better, more detailed design. If you want to go the stonework style (Which would be pretty cool) you'll need to dump the tentacles. But if you were going for a more sleek, black, stingray inspired design, then keep them and change the body. Remember, you can draw designs from Lego podracer cockpits, and there are a ton of those out there. Sorry, if I sound negative, I'm not trying to be. It's a sweet concept that could definitively be fleshed-out into something great.

Looks great man! Obviously you're not the first to build this scene/location, but you've certainly brought your own style and spin to things. I'm not sure all the transparent pieces were the best color choices, but it looks cool, and that's all that really matters. The central platform is neat, and I like your round room technique. Something tells me this probably won't go that far on Cuusoo seeing as we got a similar scene with the Malibu Mansion set, but I wish you the best of luck anyway!

Well, I said I'd post 'em, so here they is. All eleven incarnations of The Doctor, all purist, and all-most all totally 'fantastic!' Group shot, they all look quite brilliant together, wouldn't you say? First through Third Doctors, can't say I like this first period of Who stories, but there are quite a number who do. The Third Doctor's fairly good though. 1: By far my weakest design, but all the good torsos for him are from the Harry Potter line which I didn't collect. 2: This one is pretty cool, just wish the head had a bit more of a smile. 3: Uses too many Balin parts, but other than that it's fairly cool. Fourth through Sixth, Four has some nice stories, Five had terrible companions, and I haven't seen much of Six. Just barely enough to say he's not as bad as they say. Oh, and "Would you like a Jelly Baby?" 4: It's a fair design, but prints with scarfs are few and far between. This is one of the more mediocre figures in my opinion. 5: I like this one, but again, while it's not that accurate to his looks, it seems to capture the right essence. 6: Meh, an ok design for this doctor. That's pretty much the only torso for him, but the rest just seems too plain. Seven and Eight, Seven is cool. Eight only got the one movie, but delivered an entertaining performance nevertheless. Still, it was a 90's movie, so it's not that great. 7: Interesting design, love the head, but the torso is a bit off. Tried the umbrella as you can see, but can't say I like it. 8: I really like this design. The torso/leg set is amazing, and the head/hair combo looks great. And now to Modern Who, which is in my opinion, the best of the best. (Except 'Love and Monsters') Nine left way too soon, but was excellent, Ten was great, and Eleven is my favorite. 9: The leather jacket is perfect, but this is a fairly simple design. Probably should have used the normal Lex head, but that was tied up on a different minifigure. 10: Again, quite simple build, no rare parts or anything. Please don't ask why only he gets a Sonic. And if only Lego made an overcoat... 11: Yes, Fezzes are cool, and so are bowties. Can't say I love the hair and head, but they're the best choices out there. Yet again, a pre-existing torso is perfect. There you go! Questions and comments are welcome, thanks for looking! Sorry for the poor pictures, that's the best I can do with my webcam right now. SteampunkDoc

On the set, I think it's a fine $20 set. We've been really spoiled with some of the offerings in that price bracket, and this isn't that much worse when you examine it. While it does suffer from the usual MoS aesthetic/design, which seems a step below other stuff, it's got three very desirable figures, and a nice selection of parts. Sure, two out of the three are in a cheaper set, but Zod's got his armor in this one, but you get Lois Lane, and for $8, the upgrade is sure worth it. And that's a new gun ain't it? Sure, there are two ADU guns, but that new one makes up for 'em. So yes, it's not on the level of some of the other $20 Superhero sets, but that doesn't make it terrible. I was thinking about getting just the cheapest set, but now I'll be sure to get this instead. Thanks for the pictures by the way! EDIT: Pros: Zod's armor, Lois Lane, new gun, non-flick-fire missile launcher. Cons: Stickers, nearly the same figures as a cheaper set, poor design.

Thanks man! Although I think the "Help Saruman out of his chair" feature is a bit...Odd. Love the sets though! The architecture is instantly recognizable, and I can't wait to get a hold of Palantír.

Haha! But the real question is, would you really do it?