Build videos.

[Gern]

I spend lots of time looking at build videos in the hope of picking up tips to help with my modelling and find information about how well a kit builds. Is it just me, or is anyone else fed up of looking at videos where only 20% of the time is spent on the kit build and all the rest is devoted to fitting A/M parts and painting and weathering?

Even some sites that give lots of info about the kit seem to spend huge amounts of time counting rivets and checking for panel lines. I know this stuff is meat and drink to the serious modeller, but I'm in this for fun - not nightmares over whether I've got the exact shade of colour or whether I shouldn't have filled that seam but left a panel line! With the quality of kits, aftermarket parts and painting techniques available today, skilled modellers can produce truly outstanding results, but don't you think that maybe some of the fun has gone out of the hobby?

I did see a great build recently of the Tamiya Hiyakushiki Shitei III. I think the guy uses electrical cutters and paint brushes (he brush paints the whole kit) that most people would throw away. His weathering technique seems to consist of a single wash with some chipping done with a metal tool of some sort. But I get the impression he had lots of fun building the kit and I'd be well pleased to have something that good on my display shelf.

[boatman]

I spend lots of time looking at build videos in the hope of picking up tips to help with my modelling and find information about how well a kit builds. Is it just me, or is anyone else fed up of looking at videos where only 20% of the time is spent on the kit build and all the rest is devoted to fitting A/M parts and painting and weathering?

Even some sites that give lots of info about the kit seem to spend huge amounts of time counting rivets and checking for panel lines. I know this stuff is meat and drink to the serious modeller, but I'm in this for fun - not nightmares over whether I've got the exact shade of colour or whether I shouldn't have filled that seam but left a panel line! With the quality of kits, aftermarket parts and painting techniques available today, skilled modellers can produce truly outstanding results, but don't you think that maybe some of the fun has gone out of the hobby?

I did see a great build recently of the Tamiya Hiyakushiki Shitei III. I think the guy uses electrical cutters and paint brushes (he brush paints the whole kit) that most people would throw away. His weathering technique seems to consist of a single wash with some chipping done with a metal tool of some sort. But I get the impression he had lots of fun building the kit and I'd be well pleased to have something that good on my display shelf.

YES Gern i aggree but i think its up to the moddeler how serioue he wants to build the model as i dont i'll build a part on my ships that looks something like the real thing but not get stressed over it as i admit i got a bit stressed over my tiger build but that was due to crappy eletrics ESC 'S an motors an yes this modelin should be fun an enjoyable are you goin to put on a build thread soon ?
chrisb

[BattleshipBob]

It's much the same Gern with ships, often terrible music, no captions and fully built in 25 minutes! There are a few who I have picked up tips but not the norm

[Gern]

YES Gern i aggree but i think its up to the moddeler how serioue he wants to build the model as i dont i'll build a part on my ships that looks something like the real thing but not get stressed over it as i admit i got a bit stressed over my tiger build but that was due to crappy eletrics ESC 'S an motors an yes this modelin should be fun an enjoyable are you goin to put on a build thread soon ?
chrisb

Chris: I got some stuff I'm working on, but nothing worth posting. I'm struggling a bit with the shakes which has taken some of my mojo but I daresay I'll be posting something soon - I hope!

[Andy T]

I know what you mean, many so called build videos don't really show much of the actual building. I watch them where possible as part of my research, it's always good to know if there are any potential problems with the kit.

For me the worst are the so-called unboxing reviews. Sure, you've showed us what's in the box, but how can you possibly review, or give an option on whether it's a good kit or not until you have built it?

The prettiest plastic in the world wont make a great kit if it doesn't fit together!

[Gern]

I know what you mean, many so called build videos don't really show much of the actual building. I watch them where possible as part of my research, it's always good to know if there are any potential problems with the kit.

For me the worst are the so-called unboxing reviews. Sure, you've showed us what's in the box, but how can you possibly review, or give an option on whether it's a good kit or not until you have built it?

The prettiest plastic in the world wont make a great kit if it doesn't fit together!

You're absolutely right Andy! Just 'cos the parts look pretty on the sprues don't mean to say they're gonna fit together as they should. Which is why I don't bother watching unboxing vids.

[Waspie]

I watch them, sound off, subtitles on. Glean what I need, maybe a particular fit but in the main, I'm looking for potential or actual problems. Then that kit is struck off my 'wouldn't mind having a crack at that' list!!!

As for unboxing a kit - sorry but I would fall asleep.

I'm in this for the building not the unpacking!! :thumb2: :smiling5:

[Tworrs]

My solution to the never ending waffle and lousy loud music is skip though the video by skimming my cursor along the bottom of the video where it shows a small picture of what is on show, and if it looks interesting I click that segment.

[Ian M]

I would guess 95% of model building videos are "look how clever I am" the last 5% a split of Look at this great kit and look at this heap of poop. There is some Aussie dude. very blunt and calls it like he sees them. Builds pretty much out the box. Quite funny to watch (dodgy comments and swearing are used liberally).
Most of my modelling video watching is purely for the fun of it.

[Tim Marlow]

Must admit I watch very few build videos. I find they have too much “look at me” and not enough “look at this” in them. I have watched quite a lot of painting videos in the past though, mostly to explore techniques I didn’t quite get.

They seem to be very much in the two camps as you describe the Build vids. For a build review I would expect to be told what was good and what was bad. Unfortunately most of the content I’ve found falls into the realms of diatribe, undisguised hatred towards a company for no real reason, or advertising, both of the kit manufacturer and themselves. They are just an extension of the way magazine articles are written these days. Eye candy and little real substance. The delivery is also either so dull and earnest they send me to sleep, or have so much attempted zing and impact that they make me turn them off.

One of the best out there for figure painters, both in technique explanations and product reviews is Vince Ventruella because he shows the product or technique actually in use and compares products directly under the same conditions and shows the painting process in real time explaining what he is doing.

For kit reviews, when I was returning to the hobby and assuming it’s still out there, I found the Perth Military Modelling Site (PMMS) is good, telling as it is, warts and all. It’s content is more like the traditional magazine articles I used to read as a youngster though, and not actually in a video format.

Frankly, I think there are far better, both in build skills and communication, modellers and painters on here than is found in the vast majority of these vids. Most of the vids seem to be vanity projects that are trying to show off their skills to attract sponsors or patrons for money. No problem with that, it’s just not something I want to watch. Most of the time I find what they really show is that what Bob Ross did all those years ago in his “Joy of painting” TV series was nowhere near as easy as he made it seem….

[Mickc1440]

The majority of videos I watch relate to figure painting, Duncan Rhodes ex Games Workshop painter and another guy who goes by the title Sonic Sledgehammer. Both of these do their vids as teaching ones and I find them really useful.

[boatman]

Must admit I watch very few build videos. I find they have too much “look at me” and not enough “look at this” in them. I have watched quite a lot of painting videos in the past though, mostly to explore techniques I didn’t quite get.

They seem to be very much in the two camps as you describe the Build vids. For a build review I would expect to be told what was good and what was bad. Unfortunately most of the content I’ve found falls into the realms of diatribe, undisguised hatred towards a company for no real reason, or advertising, both of the kit manufacturer and themselves. They are just an extension of the way magazine articles are written these days. Eye candy and little real substance. The delivery is also either so dull and earnest they send me to sleep, or have so much attempted zing and impact that they make me turn them off.

One of the best out there for figure painters, both in technique explanations and product reviews is Vince Ventruella because he shows the product or technique actually in use and compares products directly under the same conditions and shows the painting process in real time explaining what he is doing.

For kit reviews, when I was returning to the hobby and assuming it’s still out there, I found the Perth Military Modelling Site (PMMS) is good, telling as it is, warts and all. It’s content is more like the traditional magazine articles I used to read as a youngster though, and not actually in a video format.

Frankly, I think there are far better, both in build skills and communication, modellers and painters on here than is found in the vast majority of these vids. Most of the vids seem to be vanity projects that are trying to show off their skills to attract sponsors or patrons for money. No problem with that, it’s just not something I want to watch. Most of the time I find what they really show is that what Bob Ross did all those years ago in his “Joy of painting” TV series was nowhere near as easy as he made it seem….

WELL Tim ive whatched quite a few tomcat builds on u tube an whats gets me is how the person doin the building jumps the build prossess in stages an you have to geuss what he did in between an most times the jumpd bits is what i wanted to see but what you have said sir is correct although im not good enough modeler to be a figure painter an not my hobby really but i have a look see
ATB chrisb

[Richard48]

I would guess 95% of model building videos are "look how clever I am" the last 5% a split of Look at this great kit and look at this heap of poop. There is some Aussie dude. very blunt and calls it like he sees them. Builds pretty much out the box. Quite funny to watch (dodgy comments and swearing are used liberally).
Most of my modelling video watching is purely for the fun of it.

Sounds like Herbert Erparderp.Slops the glue around and cusses a fair bit hehe.
Rich

[Guest]

I don’t like videos in general when they’re intended to explain things — I find it far easier to read an explanation at my own pace, not to mention the ability to skim through that to find the interesting parts, than to have to wade through a video trying to find the bit I actually want to know. But I guess that to modern people, writing and taking photographs is hard while filming and editing is easy.

[Guest]

I have three or four video makers/modellers that I look to for advice/ideas/solutions to fill the brain then work from there.
I find that like a lot of you it is not so much the 'build' but the finish that is the important part of the video to the video maker. And as I often quote one forum I joined, it was not so much the build but "Look at how fast I can build and paint the latest 1000 part kit in a week, and did not stop for breath" (sarcasm)
But I look at the video as an advisor and not a 'this is how you should do it' process, use them to give you the idea for your own model. For example groundwork for a vehicle/figure, sea effect for a ship or a landing ground for a plane/helecopter. Then go build your own....