Bricks in Motion
We are a friendly filmmaking community devoted to the art of stop-motion animation using LEGO® and similar construction toys. Here, you can share your work, join our community of other brickfilmers, and participate in periodic animation contests!
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Don't read 50 shades of grey.
World War Z has made over 400 million dollars. Man of Steel has made over 600 million dollars. Both more than doubled their budgets.
Neither are doing as well as Hollywood wanted. I remember them moaning that Star Trek: Into Darkness wasn't the mega-ultra-smash hit they wanted it to be (it wasn't because the film was bad - it was because there were about three other science fiction blockbusters out at the same time). More films these days are losing money after their first weekend then before, mostly due to Hollywood's over-reliance on the hype machine rather than actual quality. Their desperately trying to use 3D and IMAX to make cinema tickets more expensive, but its still not working because people have realised that unless you actually shoot the film in 3D or IMAX it makes absolutely no difference. Their still making money, but not nearly as much. Bear in mind also that not all the profit goes back to the studio.
My local cinema actually introduced technology in one screen that made the seat vibrate at certain moments. Judging by the fact that a few months later the feature was quietly dropped suggests how well that scheme worked. (Its still there, but the establishment has clearly given up on it)
TV is just crap? Really? Many critics argue that this is the golden age of television.
Maybe US TV is just awesome, but for every Game of Thrones (which I would see if Sky Anytime would upload all the episodes, rather than just all of Series 3. Same goes with Mad Men and Sherlock) there are about a million blisteringly awful soap operas, reality TV shows, talks shows, antique shows, and the like. Sky Atlantic is the best TV channel ever, because its the only channel over here that broadcasts over half the shows you've mentioned. I bought a TV license for University, but cancelled it when I realised that you don't actually need a TV signal - you just need an On Demand service like Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, or Sky Anytime and a DVD player. I'm not technically watching TV. The phrase 'watching TV' no longer applies because I'm not watching a broadcasted television show that I've spent a week waiting for. I'm basically watching really long films that have been split into several mini-parts.
TV seems to be going down the "You want the good stuff? Go online and find it yourself!" route that music took - a route gaming is catching onto (particularly with the success of Minecraft, DayZ, Black Mesa, and Slender), but film needs to hurry up with. There are very few feature length amateur films available for free online because most independent films are carted around festivals before being put on cheap DVD's and then forgotten forever. TV shows are starting to go straight to Netflix , why don't films? Or why don't people who make Kickstarter independent films release the film on YouTube? Or Blip? Or Springboard? Or any video player that grants you ad revenue? Why make a film and then just put it onto a few DVD's? Why go into all that effort if only the people who donate $10 or more get to actually see the finished product?
Sorry, I'm going on-topic. Hold on...
As for books, have you heard of a little novel called 50 Shades of Gray?
It's magnificentA lot of people read it. Wool is another notable Kindle success story. Oh and the reason these books have been successful is because nobody reads anymore. Right.
I can't find the link, but there was a research study that found out exactly how many people actually read 50 Shades of Grey after buying it. Not that many, it turned out. Also, I find it incredibly depressing that your using a pulp adult novel as evidence that the art of literature is alive and kicking.
Perhaps most depressing of all is the fact that a first time author with a notable publisher backing him sells just over a thousand copies worldwide (which is nothing considering this is stocked in book-stores) despite positive reviews - and its only when the author turns out to be JK Rowling the book suddenly does well. So if your a first time novelist and your not secretly JK Rowling then good bloody luck!
Your link is slightly optimistic though. But it doesn't say what precisely people are reading, though at least they are actually reading...
Neither are doing as well as Hollywood wanted.
World War Z was expected to flop; it exceeded expectations. Man of Steel under performed in comparison to other anchor films (Spider-man and The Amazing Spider-man most notably). The main financial goal for MoS to reach was $500m+ and they reached that goal pretty solidly.
Max does bring up some good points. There's nothing really good on TV anymore. Thank goodness for some shows like Gravity Falls that I do like, however. But, things aren't the way they were when I was little. They had so many good things on TV, like Ed, Edd, n Eddy, Rugrats, Jimmy Neutron, Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide--among many others. I grew up with those shows, and the networks won't bother to re-run even those. Now, they have to make way for TV shows that nobody really likes. I mean, the newer seasons of The Fairly OddParents and SpongeBob kinda suck. But, there were many episodes--in the earlier seasons--that I really liked. When are they gonna stop? I mean, are they gonna make 500 more SpongeBob episodes? Don't they ever run out of ideas?
A little off-topic here. Sorry.
There is Nick-at-Nite, though. Thanks to that, I got my start on classic family-friendly sitcoms like Full House and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air with Will Smith. Great shows, guys. I love them. I also watched some of the first season of Monk. But, then I realised it's not something you'd wanna watch with your whole family. 
There are some Weather Channel shows and some Travel Channel shows that I'll watch when there's nothing else on. Now that I give it a bit more thought, why should I be complaining? There's tons of good stuff out there? Even if you're watching something on Netflix. There's stuff out there for everyone!
As for the music of today, true--it's not what it used to be. I'll be listening to Take On Me by A-Ha and wish that I was in the 80s. I think I'd rather be in any decade other than today. My taste in music ranges anywhere from the 50s to the 80s--and some 90s. I like a few songs from today, though. But very few. There's not much life in today's music, in my opinion. It doesn't really make me want to start dancing or anything.
And I'm sick of Gangnam Style. I mean, who isn't?
Last edited by Mickey (July 18, 2013 (11:29pm))
Mickey, there is very little good on TV today. That is one of the reasons I decided to make my own series! But if you like domestic sitcoms, try THE MIDDLE on ABC. Very funny, well-written stuff.
I believe the attitude that there is 'nothing good on TV anymore' is a complete misconception - you're merely looking in the wrong places. Huge, prime-time television series have really reached their maturity, and with the wide abundance of such superbly great shows, one could go as far as to say that we are experiencing a Golden Age in that field.
For Example:
- Game of Thrones
- Mad Men
- The Walking Dead
- Breaking Bad
- True Blood
- House of Cards
- Boardwalk Empire
- Adventure Time
- Vikings
- Downton Abbey
- Broadchurch
- Gravity Falls
- Community
The list can roll on.
I believe the attitude that there is 'nothing good on TV anymore' is a complete misconception - you're merely looking in the wrong places. Huge, prime-time television series have really reached their maturity, and with the wide abundance of such superbly great shows, one could go as far as to say that we are experiencing a Golden Age in that field.
For Example:
- Game of Thrones
- Mad Men
- The Walking Dead
- Breaking Bad
- True Blood
- House of Cards
- Boardwalk Empire
- Adventure Time
- Vikings
- Downton Abbey
- Broadchurch
- Gravity Falls
- CommunityThe list can roll on.
I hate how if my friends saw this list they would probably say: "Hey! If Adventure Time is on here, shouldn't Regular Show be there? *adurdur*"
One major problem I have is that people are always saying that the past was better, and now we are in decline when its simply not true. For example, take all the talk about the most recent generation criticizing them for their "luxury, bad manners, contempt for authority, disrespect to elders, and a love for chatter in place of exercise. …" Except I just used a guy from 1907's summary of Hellenistic (Ancient Greek) texts discussing the youth. And the Romans had the same problem, and so did people from the 50s. While there are bad movies and bad tv shows, there always have been, and there always will be along with good tv shows and good movies.
I mean, the newer seasons of The Fairly OddParents and SpongeBob kinda suck.
While I agree with you about TFOP, I disagree with you about SpongeBob. I find the newer seasons to be even funnier than the old ones, with a select few classics being the best overall (The movie is still the best, IMO).
As for the music of today, true--it's not what it used to be. I'll be listening to Take On Me by A-Ha and wish that I was in the 80s. I think I'd rather be in any decade other than today. My taste in music ranges anywhere from the 50s to the 80s--and some 90s. I like a few songs from today, though. But very few. There's not much life in today's music, in my opinion. It doesn't really make me want to start dancing or anything.
And I'm sick of Gangnam Style. I mean, who isn't?
Music is more subjective, but I do enjoy today's taste in music. I actually like the techno dance stuff because it's just fun to listen to. Agh, I'm getting off topic.
As I'll reinforce, today's TV is really no worse than TV in the 80's. People have given numerous examples of good shows, whether perceived or real is up for the viewer to decide.
Mickey wrote:I mean, the newer seasons of The Fairly OddParents and SpongeBob kinda suck.
I disagree with you about SpongeBob. I find the newer seasons to be even funnier than the old ones, with a select few classics being the best overall.
I just lost a little respect for you. 
I just lost a little respect for you.
Well, I respect your opinion, whatever it may be. I just think that people unnecessarily rip on the new SpongeBob episodes endlessly without a reasonable cause to back it up.
ok juggernaut please explain to us why the new spongebob episodes deserve any recognition as being more than a piece of complete and utter poop
please explain 
History is the worlds greatest spamblocker. The only problem is that its only in retrospect, once the spam has been cleared, we can see just how good things are. Also, as comforting as it is knowing that the stuff we hate will be forgotten - we still have to endure it when it comes out.
I think that's why I hate Hollywood. In recent years they have stopped caring about quality. They just want to take the audiences money and run. They not only don't care that your going to forget about the film a few months later, they want you to forget about it. I feel bad for bashing The Great Gatsby, because at least the film was made just because the Director wanted to tell this story in his own way. He wasn't hired to do it because a producer thought it could make a lot of money, and he wasn't doing it because he wanted to add a ballroom to his mansion. Yes, is based off-of a novel - but its a public domain novel, so its not technically a franchise.
Why don't I just go to my local art-house cinema? Because I don't have one. I've been turning to gaming (and trying to get more into TV, to not much success sadly) because both are an art-form where you don't have to make a special trip just to experience something that may or may not suck. The drive to the next town, the queue, the extortionate prices, and the annoying people are all worth it if the film is actually good...but film hasn't been good recently. Why should I have to wait until December to see all the Oscar-bait - which I used to despise because they were all clearly trying too hard to please everyone, but now I applaud because I would rather a person tried too hard then not at all.
This is why more independent filmmakers need to post their films online. Stick ads at the beginning and end of the film, and your going to make so much more money that carting it around festivals that no-one goes to, or putting it onto DVD's that no-one will buy.
I believe the attitude that there is 'nothing good on TV anymore' is a complete misconception - you're merely looking in the wrong places...
The list can roll on.
Also, the doctor.
ok juggernaut please explain to us why the new spongebob episodes deserve any recognition as being more than a piece of complete and utter poop
please explain
I personally like how the newer episodes made the characters more extreme. They show Spongebob being a carefree idiot, Patrick being an oblivious and careless, Squidward being arrogant and angry, etc. I personally like how the newer episodes conveyed these attitudes.
$0.02
Just Kidden wrote:ok juggernaut please explain to us why the new spongebob episodes deserve any recognition as being more than a piece of complete and utter poop
please explain
I personally like how the newer episodes made the characters more extreme. They show Spongebob being a carefree idiot, Patrick being an oblivious and careless, Squidward being arrogant and angry, etc. I personally like how the newer episodes conveyed these attitudes.
$0.02
Yes but, in the beginning of the show, Spongebob isn't meant to be a carefree idiot at all. That's just what the writers have slowly molded him in to because he used to be a silly character while also had a voice of reason. They've turned Patrick into a complete jerk who LITERALLY is as smart as a new born baby. And Squidward is pretty much a snobby, depressed jerk who hates everyone. The whole show has really lost its luster and creativity. It is a real disappointment to see the show go down this way. But hey, we all have our opinions.
And why does Patrick have that weird tooth sticking out of his lips? He didn't always have that. Patrick used to be a normal character; but now he's just plain dumb.
Rian Johnson director of looper has been announced to direct episodes eight and nine of the new Star Wars films. Awesome for that. In terms of behind the scenes, rian Johnson only directed a few indies and shorts. Before looper, he was in the business for close to 15 years before his big break. The director of Godzilla, who's name I forget, a tapped to direct Godzilla two and three, and a Star Wars film. Almost 40, and made one film before Godzilla. Godzilla is only his second gig, and he didn't do that great of a job, either, but that is another story. It's hard enough to find directing work alone. Multiple filmmaking sites say the best chance that you have in the film industry is to get out there, and make movies. Great! With what? Air? You need money. Making films are never cheap. Some of us don't have fan bases to fund our films on kickstarter, like rob Thomas, director of Veronica Mars. Eraser head, by epic director David Lynch took five years to make. How did a mere film student get the money? Borrowing money from friends and family, bank. He even took a paper route. This field is a battle in every way.
Best regards,
Rogue.
Best regards,
Rogue.
Rouge?
Making fun of a troll.
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