Bricks in Motion
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I've noticed that in the past, many brickfilms included profanity. However, there are no new videos using profanity, so I'd just like to know, what are your opinions on profanity in a brickfilm? One person I asked thinks it's fine if it advances the plot or shows the personality of a character, but can sometimes be unnecessary. What do you think?
Here's an old thread on the same subject.
Some quick thoughts:
1-I don't support bad language in or out of brickfilms. I usually find it crude and unnecessary and often used in a way that adds nothing to the conversation or sentence. Plus, the more one uses it, the less power it holds and thus it looses any edge or special meaning it may have had.
2- After judging the Brickfilmer's Guilde entries, I can guarantee you that profanity is still being used in brickfilms.
Eh, it's fine ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I tend to not use it if it doesn not make it better, but sometimes a well placed f-word can really make a joke much funnier. People who avoid swearing at all costs won't find this to be true but not every film has to be for every person.
But for the most part I try to avoid words if at all possible. I feel like most Brickfilms as a whole have WAY to much dialog, and it adds very little to the stories people are trying to tell. I feel like you have to ask what adding dialog (of any kind, profane or not) adds to your film, and if it's possible to tell it better without that dialog you need to remove it.
Last edited by SlothPaladin (January 22, 2019 (11:52pm))
These are my thoughts:
If you want to have your film viewed, you have to plan for your target audience.
If you make a a ton of funny/light hearted films, then you might draw in kids/families.
If you make mature films, you are more likely to reach a older audience.
If you are known for your fun films but then make a mature film, you might alienate your audience, as (let’s say parents) as they were not expecting that kind of content on your channel. And might unsubscribe to stay away from such content. Ofc others might love it.
It’s kinda the same issue with guns for LEGO. The thing is, I am a warm blooded American. I know what a gun is and I don’t fear it. Some people fear guns for the tool that it is.
For LEGO being an international product, they have to deal with countries where guns are feared beyond the tool that they are. And as a company they chose to stay away from guns to keep their target audience as wide as possible.
As a famous book once read “the word is sharper than any two edged sword, cutting to the marrow.” It’s up to you to choose if you want bullets in your film.
At the end of the day it’s yours to decide. Like lechnology said, “whatever you do, do what you want. It’s your brickfilm, not ours.”
T_D
I think it's just the same as having strong language in a live action movie. A lot of people do swear a lot in real life (I know I do when I get a little angry lol), so it's natural for there to be strong language in brickfilms, just as in any film medium. Of course, as is the case with animated movies in general, brickfilms are most associated with a family friendly image, so there's always going to be that feeling that impressionable children might see the films, but honestly, this is the case with anything. You can try as hard as you can to censor what should be viewed, but you can't censor real life. As long as the right amount of warning is given beforehand, you should be fine.
There's always going to be the case when a film becomes overly gratuitous and it's the same with pretty much anything. Everything in moderation after all, but then again, if your character is the type of person who swears gratuitously, it's going to be for a reason. If you think it will benefit your film and it's used within reason, go for it! It's your film 
I think a lot of people have the same idea here.
Do what you want. You know what your target audience is when writing anyway, so write accordingly. If you feel like a character needs to say a bad word, do it if you want. Or, if you're second guessing it, leave it out. I especially find that in films with external voice actors, it's best to leave the profanity out since a lot of people don't like that to go with their name. Or just give them the whole script ahead of time and let them decide if they want to attach themselves to it or not (which I personally think is best anyway).
To say that LEGO is all for Children is wrong obviously, because we're not kids and we're watching and making brickfilms. LEGO is a medium, you're the artist.
That being said, I don't put profanity in my brickfilms, nor do I really watch brickfilms with profanity. This is purely on personal principle and because I don't like profanity that much. (I mean, I can overlook some, but I just prefer not to).
That being said, cursing for the sake of it just makes the film look dumb. Even in real movies (well, good ones), characters only curse when they mean it instead of just throwing it around willy nilly if it's not natural.
You asked the right person! 
One person I asked thinks it's fine if it advances the plot or shows the personality of a character, but can sometimes be unnecessary. What do you think?
Can't state it any better..
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