It came from... Earth?

[Joe H]

Seems like their idea worked, doesn't it?

Someone isn't doing their job...

Nevertheless, these two won't have the last laugh... you can bet on that.

I hope you've all enjoyed my entry! Any feedback or suggestions are greatly appreciated, whether it be regarding the MOC, photography, picture formatting, or anything else!

Also, additional pictures can be found on my Flickr page. Be sure to check it out if you're interested in seeing some other perspectives. I realized that in the above pictures there aren't any good angles on the opposing side of the interior, but they can be seen on the said Flickr page.

Edited December 8, 2009 by SlyOwl

[Rick]

Very funny story. Highly original as well. And well-built!

[saberwing]

hahaha this one really made me laugh.

I love the scared captain and the UFO. The technique for the bed and the spilling wine works great!

I don't get the idea of the red bandana in the hands of the guy on top. What does it represent?

[Bricknave]

Bravo! I think that both the MOC and it's story is absolutely excellent!

The MOC is so detailed that there is barely anything in the MOC itself that I would criticize, other than the position of the whine that is spilling out of the goblet (genius idea). The whine should be spilling from the side of the cup that is the closet to the floor, rather than the side that is farthest from the floor, as it currently seems to be defying the laws of physics. This suggestion isn't really critical, but would help if you are going for 100% accuracy.

Edited November 15, 2009 by Bricknave

[Joe H]

I don't get the idea of the red bandana in the hands of the guy on top. What does it represent?

It's actually just supposed to be Jack holding his bandana in front of his mouth in an effort to hold back his laughter.

The whine should be spilling from the side of the cup that is the closet to the floor, rather than the side that is farthest from the floor, as it currently seems to be defying the laws of physics. This suggestion isn't really critical, but would help if you are going for 100% accuracy.

I agree with you 100%, and the only reason it isn't is because that position is very hard to maintain and is essentially a balancing act . So, I decided not to dwell on it too much. Also, I meant it to represent a cup just falling over, not one that has been down for a bit.

[MetroiD]

Wow, what a nice entry Joe! For a first MOC, this is quite impressive and I love how you've utilized a number of well-known smart techniques in order to give this one a more complete look. The blue/white/tan combination of water hitting the rocks and the colour nuances in the rocks both work very nicely here, although I'm not really sure why there's just one portion of the building which looks lighter than the other part of it. But then again, not everything requires a solid explanation and as long as it looks good - which in this case it does, at least to me - it's a more than welcome addition!

Before I continue with the MOC itself, I have to say that I think you need to tamper with some of those pics a bit in order to enhance their lighting and contrast. There's a quite prominent presence of shadows in the interior shots which in the case with the sleeping sentry works nicely, but in the captain's room it's just a bit too much and is making it hard for the viewer to recognise what it is they're looking at. While the angle is perfect, I feel that some additional lighting wouldn't go amiss there.

Back to the MOC -- and speaking about the captain's room, I really like it, it looks well aranged and thought out. The coathanger, the bed - everything in there looks just right. As to that issue with the wine pouring out of glass, I realize it can't have been the easiest of tasks balancing those pieces. Then again, I'm not really sure whether you needed to go to such great lengths for that, especially seeing as there's nothing that's causing the glass to be falling over in that very instant - not unless that black tile came off the Captain's bed when he was brutally awoken by the sight of the UFO.

So I'd suggest simply removing the black tile, letting the glass fall down on the floor and placing the plume alongside it (lying down instead of standing upright), so that it "leads" to the puddle of wine which has been created overnight (brilliant use of the red flower petal piece, by the way! Absolutely loving it!). That way you'd please the viewers who really want a realistic-looking scene. Of course, if you want to keep the glass as it is, I'd suggest using a rat that's just coming from underneath the bed as the main culprit there - otherwise I really don't see why it would end up falling in the first place.

Enough about the red red wine (yeah, I am going to a UB40 gig soon :) ). I also wanted to mention the wise selection of colours that make up the building's second floor - green and black complement each other very nicely, especially on top of those rocks. The roof technique also works great here, giving the front facade a gloomy look and feel, which is quite appropriate and desired, given the headache this here Captain must be suffering. What I'm not so sure about is the flag on the left-hand side of the building. And it's not the colours that bother me, it's its presence which I'm actually not that fond of. While I understand why it's there (after all, those are the captain's quarters), I just don't think it adds anything to the MOC. Instead, I think it just stands in the way when viewed from certain angles and doesn't quite let the viewer concentrate on that intricate machinery. Perhaps having a bit more solid chimney would look even nicer there - that way the viewers could also notice the smart use of white plumes as smoke...

And bearing in mind that the machine is almost as big as the house itself, it should be the focal point of this MOC. Which leads me to the next question - why did they ever have such a lifting mechanism on top of that house anyway? It's not a criticism in any way - I love it - I just thought you could add something in the story to explain its presence there.

The UFO is - quite obviously - brilliant and while I'm not sure whether pirates had ever pondered the existence of extra-terrestrial life forms, I must say this whole idea makes for a really hilarious entry :) The sentry sleeping on his job, Jack holding his bandana so that he doesn't laugh out too loud and Peter being a boy instead of an actual pirate (given his short legs, that's the assumption, right?) are all very nice touches as well - all of those show that you've really thought this out.

Which is why I'm adding this MOC to my list of favourites in this category and bookmarking it for future reference. Best of luck in the competition and keep MOCcing, you're a great builder!

P.S.: Whoa, I just noticed the length of my post... Sorry for the rant mate... :/

Edited November 15, 2009 by TheOtters

[curtisrlee]

Exellent! I like the wine spilling!

[Joe H]

Thanks for taking the time to provide all your thoughtful comments, TheOtters!

1. I'm not really sure why there's just one portion of the building which looks lighter than the other part of it.

2. Before I continue with the MOC itself, I have to say that I think you need to tamper with some of those pics a bit in order to enhance their lighting and contrast. There's a quite prominent presence of shadows in the interior shots which in the case with the sleeping sentry works nicely, but in the captain's room it's just a bit too much and is making it hard for the viewer to recognise what it is they're looking at. While the angle is perfect, I feel that some additional lighting wouldn't go amiss there.

3. Back to the MOC -- and speaking about the captain's room, I really like it, it looks well aranged and thought out. The coathanger, the bed - everything in there looks just right. As to that issue with the wine pouring out of glass (...) I'm not really sure whether you needed to go to such great lengths for that, especially seeing as there's nothing that's causing the glass to be falling over in that very instant - not unless that black tile came off the Captain's bed when he was brutally awoken by the sight of the UFO.

4. And bearing in mind that the machine is almost as big as the house itself, it should be the focal point of this MOC. Which leads me to the next question - why did they ever have such a lifting mechanism on top of that house anyway?

Just to provide some rationale for everything...

1. & 4. I probably should've mentioned this in the story section, but this building is supposed to part of a larger fortress (not present, since it's a medium category and I honestly don't have the time/bricks to build what I'd like to) built into a rocky beach. The two different colors, gray and white, are supposed to represent the rock and the fortress foundation, respectively. This building is situated over a semi-natural path to the beach, where you can see the beginning of a longer (again, not shown because it's a medium entry) dock. This section of the hypothetical fortress is a small peninsula jutting out of a more expansive cliff. If you can imagine the following... Behind this building would extend the roof (and rest of the building), which would be used as a staging area for cargo to be lifted up over the building, past the low cliffs, and onto a ship near the dock.

2. & 3. I agree that the lighting in the bedroom is borderline too dark, in terms of being able to see everything comfortably. It's quite hard to get light into that part of the building, without having too much and thus making it look odd. However, in light of the suggestions with the cup and the darkness, I will probably photograph the scene again and try to address both ideas together. The black tile you mention is indeed supposed to have came from the bed, as it was a pillow on it.

With this said, keep your eyes open for a revision on that photograph !

Edited November 15, 2009 by Joe H

[MetroiD]

Thanks for clearing that up Joe :] Once again, sorry for the seeming endless rant, I would have organised that into separate points myself if I'd realised I was being so long-winded... Need to work on that, I guess!

1. & 4. - Sounds awesome and I was actually hoping that this would be the case, I would have loved to see this MOC as a part of a larger diorama

2. & 3. - Glad you've taken that into consideration, looking forward to seeing what you'll come up with! Btw, if you decide to keep that pillow, I'd suggest changing its place with the book and using a white tile (this printed tile would be a perfect solution) to represent it... Just a thought :)

Edited November 15, 2009 by TheOtters

[badboytje88]

This is a very nice MOC, you've got a some great things going on here.I love the green tudor. It looks great. I like the fact that the house was build in the rock. Tehe trasision from rock to white wall was very nicely done. I'm not sure about the roof, but it is original! The whine pouring from the cup is lovely. I like the pirate holing his hat for his mouth to muffle his laugh. There are some things I would change:

- I suggest adding more red 1x2 tiles to the white walls.

- I don't like the blanket. Here you see a lovely brick built blanket:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/heather_legogirl/3712307500/

(Heather LEGOgirls creation)

That's it at the moment, I'll check it out later on, I'm too tired at the moment.

[Rick]

It's actually just supposed to be Jack holding his bandana in front of his mouth in an effort to hold back his laughter.

Hey, I got that! (so, the effect worked)

[marshal_banana]

Ha ha, thats funny. i love the idea and also the execution. Good MOC! Cheers!

[Zorro]

Very funny and well build entry indeed! I wish you much luck and fun with the contest!

Creative Critic ON.

[Big Cam]

THe design and technics used are great, I really like the bedroom area and the crane piece. My only question is how would pirates know what a UFO looks like?

[Joe H]

2. & 3. I agree that the lighting in the bedroom is borderline too dark, in terms of being able to see everything comfortably. It's quite hard to get light into that part of the building, without having too much and thus making it look odd. However, in light of the suggestions with the cup and the darkness, I will probably photograph the scene again and try to address both ideas together. The black tile you mention is indeed supposed to have came from the bed, as it was a pillow on it.

With this said, keep your eyes open for a revision on that photograph !

I've revised the image in question, and the design of the spilled wine. The lighting is still probably not the absolute best it could be to visualize some areas (i.e. behind the bed), but I think the new perspective and lighting is an improvement. Let me know if you have any further comments, thanks!

[MetroiD]

I've revised the image in question, and the design of the spilled wine.

And they both look much better! :) I see you've decided to keep the wine in its "caught red-spilled" state, but the additions you've made make the scene look as if it were happening right at this moment. That, and the improved lighting, work great there! Congrats and once again good luck Joe!

[Captain Blackmoor]

Today your entry will be blogged on the frontpage of Classic-Pirates.com!