Jam Pot Studios

I'm not 100% sure about making my own up (though it's not out of the question) but I do plan to keep using random MNOG Matoran. Like you say, it helps flesh things out, and nobody's really done anything with them before (well, except in MNOG 1.5: The Bohrok Swarms, which is awesomesauce). The plan is to eventually do other BIONICLE eras, and I've already given quite a bit of thought to when (it doesn't hurt to be prepared ). I have a few ideas for Metru and Hordika, but to do either of them would require me to make a small(ish) Kickstarter. The sets and props would be more difficult to make, and while I have all the Toa Metru, I only have Vakama Hordika. I'd also quite like to do Mangai, or Hagah, or something about the Voya Nui Resistance Team. My only problem with Inika and Mahri would be that in the canon they have very short timeframes, being part of an urgent mission, and so there's not much room for me to add canon. But anything not set on Mata Nui would probably require a Kickstarter, and I don't know that I have the following to get successfully funded. Of course, that's not to stop anyone else having a go at their own Inika or Mahri!

I'm not sure. While I can easily make Onu-Matoran without painting pieces, there aren't any decent substitutes for the pieces that would be needed for Le-Matoran. I may dye them, as was suggested here. I'm fine for every other Koro though, since they got official sets. I actually have two sets of bodies for Ta-, Ko- and Po-Matoran, which is handy.

All of them and more! I'm hoping that over the course of next year I might be able to do more than one episode for each Toa, plus some Matoran-centric episodes. I really like adding some of the more obscure Matoran, it helps make the island feel a lot more fleshed I think. I have plans to use Vohon and Kalama in the next Tahu episode (since I've already used Takua), if I get to it, and I'd love to try making some Le-Matoran.

Thanks! I'm tempted to have Kopaka be silent as a running gag through most of the series (though in a later episode he might have a speaking part, not 100% sure).

I'd welcome a hard reboot if it was, some way down the line, confirmed as an alternate universe. Like how you have the main Power Rangers continuity, from Mighty Morphin' to Megaforce, but RPM is another timeline with its own rules and its own, different set of physics. We know BIONICLE exists in a multiverse, so as long as they don't use that as an excuse to tell 2001's story again without any modifications, I'd welcome a hard reboot. That does also open all kinds of fanfic possibilities, not to mention (if they were restarted) a story serial team-up between the 'Olda' and 'Nuva' timelines. And yes, I'm a big Power Rangers fan. Sue me.

Click for Astray in the Drifts After a few technical difficulties, episode 3 of Nuva is here! I'm quite pleased with how this came out, although I had some problems with the sound editing and with the snow effects. the whole idea for this episode came from replaying MNOG II: if you go into Toudo's hut in Ko-Koro and try talking to him, he either takes aaages to form his answers or doesn't answer you at all. I wondered what it would take to get him to loud-shout, and who better to provoke him than Lewa? In addition, check out BIONICLE: The Untold Chapters, a playlist of of short films from various creators set in and around the adventures of the main BIONICLE storyline. A big thank you to Ids5621, TheBohrokMan and Vrahno for allowing me to add their films to this collection! Hopefully this will increase over time, with films from all across the BIONICLE saga. The next few episodes are written, but they may be a while away. I'm about to move into my university accomodation, and the amount of space I have to animate in and the time I'll have to do it will be greatly diminished (or Pehkui-ified, if you like). I may not even be able to animate at all until the Christmas holidays, though I'm going to do my best to get something out, whether it's BIONICLE or something else. As always, their releases will alternate between my YouTube channel and the Custom BIONICLE channel, so subscribe to both to stay up to date! I'm always on the lookout for new voice actors, for BIONICLE and regular LEGO brickfilms. If you'd like to voice for any future films, or want to audition for a specific BIONICLE character, PM me a demo reel of some kind and I'll let you know if I have a part for you, though I'm afraid I can by no means guarantee that I will. Please note that I am only looking for people with microphones of good-to-high quality, so that the audio in my films is relatively consistent. For the record, iPhone microphones are good (I'm voiced for other people recently using an iPhone mic and it sounds perfectly fine). If you have any feedback or suggestions, or things you'd like to see in a future short, feel free to post them! I'm constantly trying to think of ways to improve the series, or even ideas for a new series! Like I said, I can't guarantee I'll even get to the end of this series, but I hope to. -Jam Pot

Thanks! I may do more.

I'm all for a fandom name. Chroniclers is good, and I think Nuifans or Koronans could work. Nuifans most of all.

Well, he is not the only one. In Bionicle #2: Beware the Bohrok, the phrase "not liking what this might mean" appears in two adjacent paragraphs. And that was by Cathy Hapka.I was even less fond of Hapka. Her writing in general felt a bit flat, IMO.

To be honest, I'd rather see someone other than Greg write the new Bionicle. While he was okay for the first few years, he had a bunch of stock phrases he repeated, as well as making some strands of the story, like Tuyet's and Lewa/Tren Krom's, needlessly convoluted. By 2008, there was very little genuine humour or levity in the main storyline and the serials alike, to the point where I started to wonder why anyone would bother saving that world. The Dark Hunters were justifiably dark, and I can understand the antiheroism of the Order of Mata Nui (to a point), but even his approach to the supposedly good characters, like Matoran and Toa changed. He got too severe, in my opinion, which is a mistake seeing as no matter how big and diverse the fandom became, it's primary target was still children. Everything was grim with no or little light relief, which (mostly) made Bara Magna a welcome breath of fresh air, which I guess is what TLC intended it to be.

Looks kind of Incan to me, which would be an interesting aesthetic choice. I hope it's the Mask of Creation - so far, the story hasn't done justice to Artahka.

Whatever that chest armour piece is, it looks awesome. I also like the fact that he's dual-wielding dagger versions of Krakua's vibration blade.

The gold works really well: it's sort of a halfway point between brown and the yellows that Toa of Stone had later on. It also reminds me of the yellows browns on some of the Matoran in MNOG II. The red makes a great contrast, too.

**slow clap** It's nice to see an actual, physical Kapura. I was always disappointed that he never got a set of his own.

Yup. One smug little Fikou spider. I wonder why it was feeling so confident...do we think an infected Kanohi might have been at work? Honestly, that wasn't my intention, but it could be a funny nugget of headcanon.

If anyone else immediately thought of Power Rangers: In Space when you saw this contest, you had an awesome childhood. I'll try and give this a shot. I really like Ninjago as a theme, and this seems like a lot of fun. Maybe a stop-motion or something?

The second episode of my stop-motion series Nuva is here! Click for The Suva Scuffle This is the second episode of Nuva after Magnetic Mania, though I shot this first. The whole series is made in associated with my bros at Custom BIONICLE, and since this episode was set to go on their channel, I sort of handed it over and let them schedule it for whenever. Overall, I'm really pleased with how this turned out. I thought the backdrop would look a bit lame, but it seems to have come out okay. My only qualm would be the shot of the webbing, but I tried several times and this was still the best version. I can also confirm the names of the next three episodes! There are some more serious and Matoran-centric episodes coming... Ep3: Astray in the DriftsEp4: The Seventh StoneEp5: The EngineerI'm not sure when exactly these will all come out, but their releases will alternate between my YouTube channel and the Custom BIONICLE channel, so subscribe to both to stay up to date! Hopefully the series will run beyond five episodes, too, but these are the ones I have written so far. I'm also writing for Custom BIONICLE's series MATA, which you may or may not have seen, so keep watching that space too. The first episode proved to be a great success (by my standards, anyhoo) and so I'm hoping to be able to keep making these for quite a while. Like I said, they seem well-received, and I greatly enjoy making them. At the moment, my aim is to run through the Kal saga, right to the end of 03, though that would require me to get some sets I don't have(like Takanuva, and Jaller and Gukko) which I can't really afford. I don't have much to spend on sets either, but my improvisation seems to have served me well so far. Also, I'm always on the lookout for new voice actors, for BIONICLE and regular LEGO brickfilms. If you'd like to voice for any future films, or want to audition for a specific Nuva character, PM me a demo reel of some kind and I'll let you know if I have a part for you, though I'm afraid I can by no means guarantee that I will. Please note that I am only looking for people with microphones of good-to-high quality, so that the audio in my films is relatively consistent. For the record, iPhone microphones are good (I'm voiced for other people recently using an iPhone mic and it sounds perfectly fine). If you have any feedback or suggestions, or things you'd like to see in a future short, feel free to post them! Like I said, I can't guarantee I'll even get to the end of this series, but I hope to, whether BIONICLE comes back in 2015 or not. BIONICLE has been a huge influence on me as I've developed as a writer and filmmaker, so it's only natural for me to come full circle. -Jam Pot

Regarding the shoulders, that's actually a really good idea. I'll be sure to give it a go when I get around to my next team. As much as I would love to use different colours other than grey, they're the only colour I have in bulk. I missed out on most sets from 05 right through to the end thanks to strict parents, but I'm slowly clawing back and getting some sets. I might have enough yellow and light blue to give those a try. No Suva, I'm afraid. I came up with all that as backstory. Then again, if at some point in the future I do get around to animating (which seems unlikely at the moment) I'd build them some Suvas. Thanks for the feedback!

Sure! Send me an audition via PM. Cheers!

I would say Metus is a strong possibility. When Greg confirmed that Takanuva's destiny was to try and stop a Great Being civil war, he mentioned that Velika's side wanted autonomy over the people of Spherus Magna. Perhaps Metus was tasked with using the Skrall and Bone Hunters to take over in Velika's absence, and keep Velika's seat warm until the planet was reformed at the end of the 100,000 year cycle. Because of this I would also rule out Tuma, as if he was part of Velika's plan, then Metus would only have had a smaller role; he would still have been needed to betray Agori society, but Velika wouldn't have made him the revolution's leader. My next guess would be Atakus, because of the alien blade he carries. It was a tiny hint that the character would play a larger role, but it was never followed up. Throwaway suggestions would be Tarix (respected but reserved), Perditus (who never had a big role but still got a set) and Telluris. My reason for Telluris is that he was a bit of a nomad, so saw a lot of Bara Magna, but as an active and powerful threat few would question any 'snooping' or strange activities he performed. Definitie no's would be Kiina (she'd know about other worlds rather than wishing for them), Tuma (for reasons I've already stated), Tarduk (for reasons other people have stated), and Berix (you can't get away with the is-he-or-isn't-he-bad device more than once).

I haven't been subscribed to the magazine since I was about 14, and I don't really miss it. It was good for a free magazine, but still kinda' flimzy. That said, I'm not comfortable with the idea of an age limit on something like this, as it can be alienating for older fans. On the flipside, it's a free magazine coming out of LEGO's pocket, so it needs to be financially viable for them to publish, which it might not be if they're sending issues to every 13 year old, his older brother, his dad, his grandma and his grandma's cat.

Funnily enough, I'm constantly making brickfilms. My most recent one was a Pohatu Nuva short (which seems to be going down quite well). As for whether I'll animate these guys, it's certainly a possibility, though I'm currently stuck into a bunch of other projects (one of which sort of has a deadline) and about to go to uni. If I were to animate the Vakau, it'd be some time next year, after I've finished Nuva. As for a short story, I might be able to get onto that more quickly, given enough interest. I have a few ideas, and I've wanted to write something post-Stars for a while now, so I may give that a go.

I get it. The idea behind these weren't really the whole builds, more the united theme and the general aesthetics. I'm not a particularly skilled MOCer, but I like to think I can still create something that looks good, and not every good MOC necessarily needs to be something big or complex. I did also put a disclaimer at the top that they were essentially Metru builds. I know they're not for everyone. (they also took longer than 5 minutes, since I wrote their characters first and spent a while deciding which masks, tools and armour fitted them best)

I'm not sure about the shoulder pads but I like the torso and the colour scheme. I never pictured him with a Kakama but it's the only mask that came in burnt orange. The sword is cool, too.

Having recently gotten back into MOCing (to a limited extent) I decided I'd make some Metru-build Toa. Of all the Toa builds, the Metru were by far my favourite, and I find them the best for animation (mostly). Now I understand that looking at Metru-builds on their own isn't very interesting, so my challenge was to build three Toa who each had a different type of shield, and the Toa Vakau were the result. I might have got a bit carried away with their backstories...I may try this challenge again sometime but with a different theme. Any suggestions? The Toa of Vakau Nui Originally a team of six, three of the Toa Vakau were killed during the Reign of Shadows. The three that remain…well, it might be a stretch to call them a team. Though they hold the Three Virtues in high regard, as all Toa do, Unity is not something that comes naturally to them. Now that they have joined the rest of the Matoran Universe in moving to Spherus Magna, they must lead their Turaga-less Matoran to find a new home on this new world, and hope they can unite long enough to repel any obstacles in their path. With the prototype of a deadly Kanohi - the Thanicrosis, the Great Mask of Death - in Ponos’ custody, they are unknowingly the target of a team of Skakdi who would like nothing better than to possess the mask’s necromantic powers. Each of them has a Suva, which the Matoran of Vakau Nui have carried with them onto Spherus Magna. Toa PonosToa of IronMain imageNo weaponsLock and loadShieldHead and shouldersWearing the Vahi (coz I just bought it)Hard-working Toa of Iron, and leader of the current Toa Vakau, Ponos struggles to keep Xyleke and Kolasi from clashing, especially since he finds them both frustrating at the best of times. Ponos is a technological genius, able to build fine weapons out of virtually nothing, and rarely sticks to one Toa tool before building another.His current (and longest-standing) weapon is a cannon arm that doubles as a shield. The cannon fires bolts of pure elemental Iron energy powerful enough to tear through thick Protosteel, but he has to use these bolts wisely, as it is quite draining for him and takes him a moment to recharge. He also carries his multi-purpose shockwrench into battle, since that has the potential to be used as a weapon too.Ponos’ main mask is a Kanohi Voxon, the Mask of Lightning. His Suva also contains a Kernayn, a Tychon, a Ruru, an Arthron, and a Komata, the Mask of Ice. He has not yet collected his Golden Kanohi, as his Suva has space for a seventh mask.With the Thanicrosis. The Kanohi Thanicrosis, the Prototype Mask of Death, is a shapeshifting mask. In order to keep its true nature hidden, Ponos has managed to lock it in the shape of a noble Matatu. It does not have the power to instantly kill a target, but has a wide array of smaller necromantic abilities: decay, undeath, reanimation (like the Tryna), black lightning, and pain inducement are just a handful. It was entrusted to Ponos by Helryx in the thick of the Reign of Shadows; use of the mask by any being or any purpose has always been a one-way ticket to the Pit, and Ponos is well aware of the burden. He cannot allow it to fall into the wrong hands, whether they be Makuta, Skakdi, or even the other Toa Vakau.(building note: if you want to build the Thanicrosis' true form, it's Witch Doctor's helmet from HF, a piece which I currently don't own.) Toa XylekeToa of JungleMain imageClose upNo weaponsXyleke is sombre and often quiet, which Kolasi finds irritating. He is a skilled hunter who is known for holding grudges. He is instantly distrusting of anyone who is or has ever been affiliated with the Makuta or any of the other threats to the Matoran of Vakau Nui, and has a paranoid obsession that the Makuta of Metru Nui is not dead.Toa Xyleke carries a Biter Blade, as well as a sheild made from the hide of the Visorak that claimed one of his teammates.Xyleke’s main mask is a Kanohi Kernayn, the Mask of Forest Rahi. It gives him an affinity with forest Rahi, allowing him to communicate with forest Rahi and use a variety of minor powers based on their attributes. His Suva also contains a Voxon, a Tychon, a Ruru, an Arthron, and a Komata, the Mask of Ice. He has not yet collected his Golden Kanohi, as his Suva has space for a seventh mask. Toa KolasiToa of PsionicsMain imageClose upBackBattle poseShort-tempered, foul-mouthed and thoroughly antisocial, Kolasi has always lacked the calmness and precision that comes naturally to most Ce-Matoran. She is argumentative and constantly testing Ponos’ leadership. Part of her antisocial behaviour can be attributed to her frustration at not being able to access her telepathic powers; though she is a skilled telekinetic, she cannot enter the minds of others or project her own thoughts. She cannot even read basic emotions.She carries a Cerebax Sword, capable of channeling sizzling bolts of psionic energy, and though she bears a lightweight shield on her back, she rarely uses it, confident in her skill at deflecting attacks telekinetically.Kolasi’s main mask is a Kanohi Tychon, the Mask of Possbilities. Her Suva also contains a Voxon, a Kernayn (which she refuses to use, simply because it’s Xyleke’s main mask), a Ruru, an Arthron, and a Komata, the Mask of Ice. She has not yet collected her Golden Kanohi (though her Tychon is gold in colour), as her Suva has space for a seventh mask. Whaddaya think? I'm especially pleased with Xyleke and Ponos' shields, though Kolasi in general was a bit lazy. I might write a short story for these guys considering that I came up with so much backstory for them (though I already had the new mask ideas written down). Now that shields are done, any ideas for what my next Metru-build team challenge could be? Also, I made a nostalgia-fueled Toa Nuva stop-motion, so please check that out if you have a minute to spare. -Jam Pot