LucasLaughing Posted January 4, 2015 Posted January 4, 2015 Of the five habitable moons orbiting the gas giant Clovis, Clovis III was the ugliest (and if you'd been to the other four, you'd know what a bold statement that was). Swamps, slums and strip mines that stretched from horizon to horizon covered most of the planet; the Doonium hauled out of the mines was the only reason anyone (including us) was there. Officially, we were there to “assist and advise” the Clovian military, which was dealing with an indigenous uprising. Apparently, the beings who toiled in the mines grew tired of living in abject poverty while watching the ones who owned the mines get richer and richer. Lately, there'd been an upsurge in violence and sabotage, and our task was to poke around and see if it would take stormtroopers on the ground to make sure the supply of Doonium kept flowing. Birdman: I think we need to call off the Op - this isn't working. We were supposed to be raiding an insurgent safe house the next day, but the hand drawn map given to us by an informant didn't match up with the maps we'd gotten from the local military, and neither one lined up with the holo given to us by ImpIntel. I'm not just talking details – the different maps didn't even use the same units to measure distance. Crash: Why don't we use that compass you're always carrying as our baseline and calibrate everything to that? Romeo: I never knew Birdman had a compass... Crash: That's 'cause every time we go ground-side, Birdman and I hang out at the base while you go out looking for women with poor judgement. . Romeo: It's called gathering intel and - oh wow! That looks like ...is that The Compass of Destiny?! Birdman: Yeah it is. It belonged to my grandpa. Romeo: Hold on - your grandpop was Starman Jones?!? Crash: No ... but he was his stuntman for a handful of holoflicks. Crash: Wait - Starman who and the what compass?? Romeo: Starman Jones – the daring xeno-archeologist always getting into trouble and having outlandish adventures! Didn't you watch holo-dramas growing up?? Crash: No, we weren't allowed to watch holo-shows. Romeo: That explains so much... anyway, Birdman, tell us about the compass! Birdman: Well, for my 7th birthday I got to visit grandpa on the set. I loved it - the monsters, which were loud and scary even though they were fake ... ... the holocam bots darting around for close-up shots... ...and most especially, the actresses who thought I was adorable and fed me snacks from the crew table... The compass itself isn't much - they had at least a dozen of them in the props department, but I was really excited when he gave it to me after his scene had wrapped. As he gave it to me, he said: "Kid, in the story this compass helps the hero choose the right path. I want you to have it..." "So that it can tell me the right things to do?" I asked. "Uh, no," he said, "don't be daft, it's just a film prop. But, in the years to come, I hope it'll help remind you that there are right paths and wrong ones, and sometimes it takes a while to spot the difference." Birdman: ...And I dunno, guys; I'm not sure the Empire is backing the right side here. Crash: "Ours is not to question why..." Birdman: "We just shoot the other guy." Yeah, I know. It's just ... I've got a bad feeling about this one... Quote
Kodan Black Posted January 4, 2015 Posted January 4, 2015 Amazing. I'm basically speechless here. The concept is brilliant, there is a lot of humor, the film set is beyond words. It is like I'm in the high school league and you are in the pros! Quote
Lord Tyrus Posted January 4, 2015 Posted January 4, 2015 Film set looks fantastic, love the story too! Quote
markus1984 Posted January 5, 2015 Posted January 5, 2015 Yeah, i can also say the same! Great MOC`s with an really good story. The film set is my favorite - so big and clean but also much details! Like it! markus Quote
goatman461 Posted January 5, 2015 Posted January 5, 2015 Amazing shots. And I really like that last line and your transition from past to present. Quote
MKJoshA Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 Your holo table is amazing! Such a great idea! I also love your story and your idea of using a film set for your back story. Incredible all around! Quote
BEAVeR Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 Everything about this entry is incredible. From the title over the story over the big picture over the details... Warning: this might be a long content I really like your present scene. It's not big, it doesn't have any insane details. But it just looks so good, with some very nice textures, shapes, and a couple of surprises. The concept of that hologram is fantastic. It really looks like the next stage in maps. It contrasts really well with the ancient map on the wall. It's good that you didn't show any pieces connecting the holograms to the table, which would be quite weird. Still, it might have been better if there were no studs at all, but something more projector-like. Covering all those studs with 1x1 round tiles might already work. And don't come saying you have none. I can almost literally see the microfighter MF in that table . I love your hexagonal door, although it might be a bit too high for a minifig. I don't see an easy fix. However, the shape of the door doesn't fit perfectly in the hole, and that can be easily fixed by adding a plate between the top and bottom slopes of the door. Then it would fit perfectly, giving your scene a more polished look. You could give the door more detail as well, but I wouldn't overdo it. Maybe you could replace the two columns of 1*1 bricks in the middle with a stack of 1*2 plates, so that the seems would make for some nice detailing for once. But overall I like the interesting textures on the walls, like those crates (offsetting them like that makes the technique new again), and on the floor, like those grill tiles. The wall with the maps could use some more diagrams etc to give it a clearer function. I massively enjoy the in-universe feel you always try to deliver. Having three walls here really gives it the enclosed look it needs. It's a bit of a pity you can see the top of those inverted slope bricks at the top, because they seem supposed to support the ceiling. Those tops could be cropped of the picture, or you could re purpose them as indirect lighting. As for the lighting, I very much like those transparent slopes near the floor with the light shining true (or reflecting of?) it. It doesn't really show well though, so reducing the ambient lighting would again improve the in-universe effect. It's brilliant that you pay attention to that kind of details though! A final tip for better photography would be to build your creations with the eye on photography, from a practical point of view. In the first picture, it shows that it is a tight shot. To give you more freedom, you could build removable walls. That way you could comfortably photograph each and every corner of the build. Having a room all around the scene would be quite unique... and it would make the in-universe feel perfect, so that we can experience your stories to the fullest! The past scene is the real star ( ) though! You've created something new, something never seen before. But it works perfectly. And the more I look at it, the more interesting references and details I pick up on. It's clear that you based Starman Jones on Indiana Jones, but setting it in a perfect Star Wars setting (After some reseach, it appears that Starman Jones is an actual hero from a '53 novel. Not linked to SW of course. Maybe a reference to your own youth?). I really like how you translated IJ's fear of snakes into this incredible dianoga. After some research, I can confirm that this is the first decent attempt at recreating a dianoga monster in Lego, and it turned out beautiful. It is really dynamic and very threatening. Forget about those snakes, here is something really scary. The mix of different tentacle/tail/elephant trunk parts make it very organic. You really made the perfect choice there. And great attention to detail for giving it exactly seven tentacles! It also goes really well with that architecture. It is the perfect representation of what scifi archaelogy might look like. I can't stop thinking of the Chamber of Secrets though, especially with that snaky monster. Yet, it captures something alien and ancient. Excellent use by those prefab skull pieces by the way. You actually succeeded in making them look magnificent, as they were made for this purpose and this purpose only. The high brow and the thin mouth go perfectly with it. I'm wondering, might it be based on Pau'ans? The only thing that seems a bit off, is the nose part. You could have filled it in, or added a vertical bar, just to bring the prefab piece to an even higher level. And while that dot in the center of the brow is unfortunate, there is nothing to be done about it... Everything else around the set itself is lovely as well. I love those hydraulics that power the dianoga. It looks very dynamic and very functional. Everything about the set looks functional! The walls are just clean hangar walls, but for once, I welcome that. The floor is covered with all kinds of utilities. There's the water dispenser, the cookie bowl, the camera, the wealth of chairs, the spotlights and the fantastic crashmat (those half cylinders leading to it really give the impression of it being filled with air, something I thought I'd never see recreated in Lego.). There's even that secondary set. And everyone who is there, has his reasons. The actors at rest, the medical crew, the sound recorders, the people in control of the camera's, monsters... even the repair mechanic is there! And there are even safety stripes... It's really incredible that you thought about every single piece of the set! I can't imagine how you went through all the equipment and crew needed to make your scene complete. Deep respect for going that far to give us a realistic scene. So amazing work! Unbelievable! Normally I'd say the walls are too blank, but right here it's better they are. The only thing that could still be added, would be some props for future scenes standing in a corner. And a fire extinguish. And honestly, those are the only things I can think of. Your scene is that comprehensive. Let me say it again: it is just perfect. Do we still have some time to talk about the story? Of course, because it is great. It starts of once again as a regular looking mission. I still think no one can write a dialogue as realistic as you do: I've come to a stage where I go "Oh, that's sooo typical something for Romeo to say...", without making them a caricature. You're truly gifted in creating real characters. And while the humor is never far off, this story takes a meaningful turn at the end. It might just be a couple of sentence, but they come with a lot of weight, enhanced by the past story and the title of course. I find it really well chosen. The idea of a action hero inspiring you to be a real hero is highly interesting. I love how you manage to capture the magic from your childhood and let it speak about your present life. It's a really unique choice of scenes, talking about a lot without using buckets of words (I know I'm guilty!). That's some true storytelling. And some marvelous building. How can this not be This is probably the twentieth time I say it, but absolutely stunning work! I can't wait to see what the future has in store! Quote
Disco86 Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 Really different take on the category, and refreshingly thought. My favorite part is the holo city, I always enjoy a cool holo ! Quote
LucasLaughing Posted January 11, 2015 Author Posted January 11, 2015 Thanks for the kind comments and feedback everyone! And thanks for blogging me BEAVeR! BEAVeR - I like your idea of making removable walls to make photography easier - definitely going to incorporate that into the freebuild I'm working on. There is actually light coming through the slopes on the floor - I had a base built with some power function LED's hooked up, but they didn't end up coming through as well as I hoped. I probably just need to mess about more with my camera settings and try some different lighting set ups. I actually didn't know that there was a character named "Starman Jones" - I just wanted something that mixed a Star Wars sounding name with the good Dr. Jones Thanks again for the comments and feedback! Quote
Jacob Nion Posted January 11, 2015 Posted January 11, 2015 Awesome entry. What a wonderful and funny story. I really laughed a lot. It adds a lot to the daily routine of our favourite galaxy that's not shown in the films. Quote
VK-318 Posted February 4, 2015 Posted February 4, 2015 A bit late to comment, I suppose, but I love this entry. The Rebels may have more, and sometimes better, builders, but when it comes to storytelling, the Empire has it all the way. My hat is off to you, Birdman. Quote
Lord Tyrus Posted February 6, 2015 Posted February 6, 2015 A bit late to comment, I suppose, but I love this entry. The Rebels may have more, and sometimes better, builders, but when it comes to storytelling, the Empire has it all the way. My hat is off to you, Birdman. Yep, we do, BEAVeR, Lucas, Goatman, MstrOfPppts (Please tell me that's right! ), me... Well I have started writing a lot... Quote
LucasLaughing Posted February 12, 2015 Author Posted February 12, 2015 (edited) A bit late to comment, I suppose, but I love this entry. The Rebels may have more, and sometimes better, builders, but when it comes to storytelling, the Empire has it all the way. My hat is off to you, Birdman. Thanks VK! I agree, we have a very talented story-telling team and it's been cool to see people get more into telling their stories as the episodes go on. Yep, we do, BEAVeR, Lucas, Goatman, MstrOfPppts (Please tell me that's right! ), me... Well I have started writing a lot... I think you can definitely count yourself as part of the story telling team! I'm hoping you find a way to bring back troopers 27491 and 44783 ... perhaps they'll be reassigned to the ISB? Edited February 12, 2015 by LucasLaughing Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.