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New issue of FSM is very BLINGY.

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  • Member since
    December 2015
Posted by dcaponeII on Wednesday, November 17, 2010 7:07 PM

I seriously considered writing a letter to the editor when I got that issue of FSM.  I thought maybe they should change the title of the magazine to Fun-scale Modeling!!

I agree with the general tenor of these posts.  I saw this Enterprise at the Scalefest 2009 in Dallas.  We never even considered the "bling" when it came time to judge because of the rampant modeling defects in the build.  We did insist that the building shut off the music after about 5 minutes because we didn't want to hear it another second longer.

Even with the photos in the article (which we can assume put the model in its best light, pun intended) you can clearly see that the nacelles are badly out of alignment.  The ship would have corkscrewed its way to the final frontier.  Reports were that it did very well in another local contest which is judged by the attendees.  This is simply another reason for IPMS judging rules which strive to maintain craftsmanship and build quality above "bling"

I also have issues with the project on the front cover of the issue.  There are bad panel lines all over the Voodoo that hardly rise to the definition of Fine Scale Modeling...IMHO.  Fun-scale maybe but hardly fine.

  • Member since
    August 2009
  • From: Central IL
Posted by SLW 45 on Monday, November 8, 2010 10:49 PM

WOW STV that stardestroyer is amazing. And it should be in FSM

                 

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Philadelphia PA
Posted by smeagol the vile on Monday, November 8, 2010 11:06 AM

See, this is why I hate videos for looking at projects.  On the 'final' video he went so fast and it was nice and dark so you did not/could not see any of the flaws.  I just saw a rather uninteresting paint job on an enterprise that was rigged with LEDs nothing special.

 

Something like this diserves to be in FSM, not that

http://stardestroyerproject.com/24incher1.aspx

 

  • Member since
    June 2005
  • From: Oak Ridge, TN
Posted by Joe Brown on Monday, November 8, 2010 10:44 AM

smeagol the vile

I wish I could see a pic of this kit were all speaking of...

 

 

Be careful what you wish for...Indifferent

http://buildingultimatemodels.com/videos.htm

Joe

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Philadelphia PA
Posted by smeagol the vile on Saturday, November 6, 2010 10:05 PM

I wish I could see a pic of this kit were all speaking of,  No local carriers have FSM and the cost of a subscription is to high for me.

I will agree that lighting a kit can make it freaking awesome but its not everything  And even within the lighting spot there is a difference.  Putting neon lights in a startrek kit is not the same as that guy who installed a couple hundred LEDs into a 3 foot star destroyer kit and painted it well.

 

 

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Huntington, WV
Posted by Kugai on Saturday, November 6, 2010 3:24 PM

When I saw the article in FSM, the model looked very familiar.

Is this the same guy who was basically advertising the instructions for the electronics used in this model a while back?

As for the model itself, I haven't seen it in person, just the pics in FSM and internet ads, so I can't say much about the construction and such.  The lighting setup for the "Dicoprise" doesn't work for me.  Alternate ideas are one thing, but I prefer some "form follows fiunction" philosophy be applied, which I gues would be better phrased "photons follow function" when it comes to lighting, and this thing doesn't fit any such concept that I can see. But, then again, that's my personal preference.

If someone wants, they can take three of the Trek adversary sets and paint them in different neon color combinations ( I've seen it, neon yellow and orange, green and blue, and another I don't remember, a set for each combo, and a couple Vulcan shuttles in the same, all the paintjobs were uneven and patchy, back when the kits were discontinued and going for about $80 each ), but they shouldn't necessarily expect awestruck admiration to be a regular reaction.

That goes for me, too.  I have some projects in mind along the lines of the "Pimp My Valkyrie" from the Macross "Factory Satellite" site someone mentioned on a thread a while ago ( don't know whether to thank them or curse them for all the planned projects that link ended up inspiring ), but if and when I post them here I won't be surprised if someone out there doesn't like seeing a VF in some non-canon paint scheme that isn't a sensible camo pattern and has some kind of crossover gag involved. 

Of course, I also wouldn't expect to get an article in FSM with such a thing.

http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww122/randysmodels/No%20After%20Market%20Build%20Group/Group%20Badge/GBbadge2.jpghttp://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y211/razordws/GB%20Badges/WMIIIGBsmall.jpg

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Minneapolis, MN
New issue of FSM is very BLINGY.
Posted by rossjr on Friday, November 5, 2010 12:59 PM

I too saw the Disco-prise at the WonderFest in '09 and I was not impressed with the model build but I was with the electronics.

Like any article you have to step back and see if you can take something away from it.  In this case I would have liked to have learned more about his electronics, what and how he used them, how did he decide what to do, etc....  schematics...

No plans to cancel or stop subscribing though, plenty of other good material in the magazine.

Thanks FSM Staff!

  • Member since
    June 2006
  • From: Tampa, FL USA
Posted by The Mad Klingon on Friday, November 5, 2010 7:16 AM

His electronics are impressive but my issue is with the model.

  • Member since
    July 2010
Posted by Mad-Modeler on Thursday, November 4, 2010 6:06 PM

For details of the "Disco-Prize"(been called that) he got a book on it out.

He obviously put a lot of work into it.

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Atlanta, Ga.
Posted by MrSquid2U on Thursday, November 4, 2010 5:52 PM

Joe Brown

I saw this Enterprise at Wonderfest '09.  My reaction wasn't to talk about it, but rather, to build something with even more 'bling' to enter at Wonderfest '10.  So I did...

http://www.starshipmodeler.com/EVENTS/wfest2k10/DR_P5140017.jpg

http://www.starshipmodeler.com/EVENTS/wfest2k10/Humor8.jpg

http://www.starshipmodeler.com/EVENTS/wfest2k10/Vehicles167.jpg

And Blappy did something very similar...

http://www.starshipmodeler.com/EVENTS/wfest2k10/DR_P5140023.jpg

http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL826/444676/23178650/388673210.jpg

 

And yeah, I entered it.  Somehow, I didn't get 'Best of Show' even though Wonderfest really doesn't have that as an award category that I'm aware of.Geeked

 

 

 

"Needs more COWBELL."Wink

       

 

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: NYC, USA
Posted by waikong on Thursday, November 4, 2010 12:05 PM

The guy did say he wasn't building a replica of the studio model and obiviously he added obiviousl details and lights that wasn't in the origainl studio models.  I wouldn't necessarily do that, but its his model.  As to 'bling' overkill - I'll let that go as personal choice.  I build military stuff, but also enjoy all the what-ifs and kit-bash 'invented' WWII models also.

As to the build of the model itself, I wasn't a wonderfest, so I'll take others words that it was poorly built. But I sure can't tell that from the pictures in the magazine, and that's all the editors have to work with. So I think it would be a bit harsh to blame the editors for featuring a poorly built model.

Finally, I would love to see more quality Sci-Fi stuff in FSM. Instead of cancelling your subscription,  I encourage all sci-fi builders out there  to submit your own.  Get the builders of those great models you guys linked to submit them to FSM. I'm sure FSM has a very low backlog of SciFi articles. That will surely advance the support of Sci-Fi modelling more?

  • Member since
    January 2008
  • From: Massachusetts
Posted by tetsujin on Thursday, November 4, 2010 11:16 AM

Gamera

Frankly, it's his model and he can build it any way he wants. But why go though all the work if it's not going to resemble the 'real' ship? I mean yeah the Enterprise isn't real and all, but shouldn't a model be built to look like the movie prop???

Well, normally my inclination would be to do the same.  I think the studio model they made for The Motion Picture was amazing, I'd like to replicate that.

But I can't say this is the only way to go. If a builder has his own ideas of how the ship could have looked, wants to pull in design elements from different versions of the ship, or whatever, what's wrong with that?

---GEC
  • Member since
    June 2005
  • From: Oak Ridge, TN
Posted by Joe Brown on Wednesday, November 3, 2010 7:27 PM

- oops, double post! -

Joe

  • Member since
    June 2005
  • From: Oak Ridge, TN
Posted by Joe Brown on Wednesday, November 3, 2010 6:56 PM

I saw this Enterprise at Wonderfest '09.  My reaction wasn't to talk about it, but rather, to build something with even more 'bling' to enter at Wonderfest '10.  So I did...

http://www.starshipmodeler.com/EVENTS/wfest2k10/DR_P5140017.jpg

http://www.starshipmodeler.com/EVENTS/wfest2k10/Humor8.jpg

http://www.starshipmodeler.com/EVENTS/wfest2k10/Vehicles167.jpg

And Blappy did something very similar...

http://www.starshipmodeler.com/EVENTS/wfest2k10/DR_P5140023.jpg

http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL826/444676/23178650/388673210.jpg

 

And yeah, I entered it.  Somehow, I didn't get 'Best of Show' even though Wonderfest really doesn't have that as an award category that I'm aware of.Geeked

 

 

Joe

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Wednesday, November 3, 2010 3:00 PM

First off I have to say I admire all the work the guy put into the model.

Still when I saw the red nacelle lights the 'Huh' light went off.

Frankly, it's his model and he can build it anyway he wants. But why go though all the work if it's not going to resemble the 'real' ship? I mean yeah the Enterprise isn't real and all, but shouldn't a model be built to look like the movie prop??? 

My two cents anyway...

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    June 2006
  • From: Tampa, FL USA
Posted by The Mad Klingon on Wednesday, November 3, 2010 1:48 PM

Not much discussion regarding the subject here so I thought I post a couple of active links on two of the Sci-Fi Scale Model Boards.

http://www.starshipmodeler.net/talk/viewtopic.php?t=87962&sid=25140e061f6f0e558d2fd41cfc720284

http://www.resinilluminati.com/showthread.php?t=10611

I do this not to stir the pot but for the benefit of the FSM leadership.

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: North Carolina
Posted by Gunpla Master on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 6:13 PM

Cosmic J

LOL! Very subtle of you, MK.  I wondered what the reaction to that issue would be. Smile

DITTO!

/ ]

  • Member since
    August 2003
Posted by Arronax on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 8:22 AM

While I totally agree with the sci-fi modeling communities opinion about the Discoprise, what irritates me most is the quality of the FSM article.  It provides nothing more than a set of under construction photos that offer the reader nothing.  It's just simply not a good modeling article but seems to serve no purpose than to direct readers to Mr. Tregre's web site to buy his 175 page book.

My only hope is that it encourages outraged sci-fi modelers to contribute real sci-fi model building articles to take the bad taste out of everybody's mouth.

Jim

 

 

Jim

Winter Garden, Florida

 

  • Member since
    October 2008
Posted by eatthis on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 6:24 AM

pics or it didnt happen

 

snow + 4wd + escessive hp = :)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7egUIS70YM

  • Member since
    June 2006
  • From: Tampa, FL USA
Posted by The Mad Klingon on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 6:01 AM

Judging by some of the other sci-fi centric boards, overwhelmingly negative.

However, sci-fi is in the minority of subscribers so this misstep will have little impact on the publication itself. I just hope in the future more due diligence might be taken on future articles. The so-called Bling-O-Prise was the laughingstock of Wonderfest 09 and created problems for the judges when it took gold. So much so, WF officials finally had to admit they made a mistake and promised to do a better job in 2010. The professionals of FSM should have been aware of this.

Let me put it another way. What if the kit had been a 1/16 scale Tiger surrounded by chrome and flashy lights? Or maybe a poorly painted 1/32 P-38 Lightning with a drooping tail and obvious seams. Would these models have made into the pages of FSM? I don't think so.

FSM was taken in by the size and gaudiness of the build. Look past the size and the electronics and all you have is a poorly built model. Certainly not deserving of WF's top award nor a feature article in the country's premier scale model magazine.

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Louisville, KY.
Posted by Cosmic J on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 1:41 AM

LOL! Very subtle of you, MK.  I wondered what the reaction to that issue would be. Smile

  • Member since
    June 2006
  • From: Tampa, FL USA
New issue of FSM is very BLINGY.
Posted by The Mad Klingon on Monday, November 1, 2010 1:14 PM

While at Books-A-Million over the weekend I noticed the current issue of FSM on the shelve and couldn't resist taking a peek. Oh my. All kinds of BLING going on.

Matt - what were you thinking!

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