Studio Update: Winners for Ninjago Contest and New Picture Story are Announced!

By: Andrew Bermudez

(Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Headquarters; September 16, 2016)

     We've been busy this week with various projects, but we now have time to talk about what's been going on! Let's get started!

     To begin with, the winners for The Greatest Villain of All Time in Ninjago, which featured the release of Ninjago: Visions of Memories, were announced today. While our own film didn't win any prizes, we still congratulate all of the winners of the contest. You can find all of the winning entries by clicking here.

     Speaking of contests, we are still excited about THAC IV, which is coming this December/January. As of this writing, no details have been revealed, but on our end, we can confirm two things about our entry:

1. Our entry will flesh out another one of our characters, whether they've been previously introduced or not.
2. We will once again be hosting a live update, so that non-participants can track our progress throughout the day.

We'll let you know more about this film as the contest date approaches.
     One thing we can talk about, though, is a new, upcoming picture story that will be designed in the same vein as A Battle to Remember and True Identity. It's titled Express Delivery, and will concern a postal worker who is delivering a package to Cal State Fullerton's Visual Arts office, but a stray dog, for surprising reasons, seems to want to attack the postal worker! If you want to find out how this will play out, just wait until October 14, 2016 to find out!
     The last piece of news for today, though, is some very sad, and very shocking news, for all of us. Tyler Shefton, who might be best known in the Mustache Maniacs Film Co. fandom for playing Jack Smith in Kilroy Was Here!, George in Jolly Roger and the Pirate Queen, and X in Com 50-3: Raid on Central Island, passed away yesterday after a long battle with cancer. All of our hearts reach out to his brothers, his family, and his friends. We will always remember the joy, laughter, and charisma that he brought to each role that he played, and to honor him, our next two Wiki Mondays: Time Warp pages will be all about two of the characters he played: Jack Smith and George (a page already exists for X, which you can see here). Once again, we are all very saddened by this news. If you want to send out your thoughts and prayers, you can leave a comment below. We'll send our editor picks to the family to show how much their dearly departed brother is loved.
     That now concludes this update. Thank you for reading, and come back for more news and content.

All New Ask Mark Matthew!

By: Andrew Bermudez

(Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Headquarters; September 5, 2016)

     Today we bring you another 'Ask Mark Matthew,' containing 100% new material! Let's get started!

Doctor L. writes: what do you use for editing?

Mark: Over the years, we've used several pieces of editing software. Here's a quick timeline of everything that we've used.

• LEGO Studios Steven Spielberg Movie Maker Set: 2002-2004
• Pinnacle Studio 8: 2004
• Pinnacle Studio 9: 2004-2006
• Pinnacle Studio 12: 2007-2011
• Magix Movie Edit Pro 17: 2011-2012
• Adobe Premiere Pro CS6: 2013-Present

I hope this answers your question!

Shadow Warrior writes: why is the first episode [of Johnny Thunder and the Secret of Marco Polo] not avalible to See? sorry for bad english
Mark: While we do not have this problem here at the studio, my guess as to why you're having this problem is because part 1 was blocked in your country for copyright reasons. This is why we now compose our own music.

     That's it for today's edition of Ask Mark Matthew! Don't forget that if you have a question, post it where ever we'll be able to see it and respond. Until then, we'll be making movies!

Studio Update: "The Canon That Time Forgot" is Over!

By: Andrew Bermudez

(Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Headquarters; September 1, 2016)

     With most of August being uneventful, with the exception of the release of Ninjago: Visions of Memories, we have now come to September, with Labor Day weekend upon us! Let's get started!

     First off, "The Canon that Time Forgot" ended today with no entries. This means that no prizes will be handed out and that the contest will be suspended indefinitely. When we have refined the contest, we will revive it at a later date. Until then, however, you can write in the comments for this article about the contest and why you think it was so unpopular. We'll take these comments into consideration in the future.

     In other news, Labor Day weekend means that we have some new surprises coming! First, to compensate for the delay of the latest episode of Backstage Showcase, we're going to release the new episode on Monday! Here's the current release schedule for the next two episodes.

1. Episode 07 - Patrick Hooligans: September 5, 2016
2. Episode 08 - City of Stiix: September 10, 2016

After this, we're going to resume the standard release schedule for the episodes.

     In other news, it is confirmed that the winners of the Greatest Villain of All Time in Ninjago contest will be announced on September 19, 2016. We'll let you know that day if Ninjago: Visions of Memories won anything.

     Speaking of contests, THAC XIV will be kicking off this winter, and we'll be there with a new entry! In fact, we have a new policy that regards how we handle THAC entries.

Regulations Regarding THAC Entries:

 As the Mustache Maniacs Film Co. cinematic universe is constantly in need of expanding, all THAC entries from here on forward will concern one individual character from the universe and their back-story. For the sake of quality, THAC entries cannot exceed three minutes, excluding titles and credits. All rules regarding adherence to the official canon apply.

This is exciting news, because this means more character-driven videos will soon be available for your viewing! Because of this, expect our THAC XIV entry to be more like Rift than When Barrels Fly. These new regulations also pretty much guarantee a new THAC entry will be coming once every year.
     On the topic of new films, one film that is still coming along, but is falling behind, is Pharaoh's Quest: The Curse of Amset-Ra. We are still on the camp set, but are making steady progress. The good news is that much of the film's action, especially some of its important plot points, take place on this set. Because of that, getting these scenes done will be a major springboard for getting the rest of the film shot. In the meantime, here is a new screenshot to further tease the movie.

We won't say much about what's going on, but we're sure that you'll love it when the film is released late 2016/early 2017.
     In the meantime, a new Journey to Siberia comic page will debut alongside the next Backstage Showcase episode on Monday. Also coming that day are a new installment of Ask Mark Matthew and other surprises, so be sure to come back then for lots of fun!
     Now that all of that's done, it's time for our plugs with links. Click on the sentences for more info. SIGN UP FOR AUDITIONS TODAY!
Update - 9/7/2016: The six finalists for the Greatest Villain of All Time in Ninjago contest have been unveiled, and Ninjago: Visions of Memories was not among them. Therefore, we will not be winning anything, but we wish the best of luck to these six finalists!

"Ninjago: Visions of Memories" is Here!

By: Andrew Bermudez

(Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Headquarters; August 5, 2016)

     After several months in development, our latest film, Ninjago: Visions of Memories, has now arrived for public viewing! You can watch it on YouTube here, or by viewing the embedded video below.

     This release comes at a time when several studio projects are shifting gears. Pharaoh's Quest: The Curse of Amset-Ra is chugging along for a Fall 2016 release, and preliminary work has started for The Third Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Fan Choice Awards, which debuts in January. A Future in the Past will be begin filming as the filming for Pharaoh's Quest: The Curse of Amset-Ra winds down, but that film's pre-production is essentially done, even if some of the parts haven't been cast yet. On top of all this, there's talk of doing another THAC entry this winter to introduce another upcoming character. We will keep you informed.

     Now that all of that's done, it's time for our plugs with links. Click on the sentences for more info. SIGN UP FOR AUDITIONS TODAY! ENTER THE CANON THAT TIME FORGOT CONTEST!

All New Ask Mark Matthew!

By: Andrew Bermudez

(Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Headquarters; August 1, 2016)

     Today we bring you another 'Ask Mark Matthew,' containing 100% new material! Let's get started!

A Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Fan writes: Who are the new casting choices?

Mark: Because of a lack of auditions, the only two new casting choices would be Chad Fischer as Dareth and Brian Quexyz as Sensei Wu. Even then, the only reason for that would be because of Ninjago: Visions of Memories. Here's to hoping that round 6 turns out better!

HollywoodLego writes: I have another question, do you remember a motion orient expedition comic on lego.com? If so, name the elements from that comic that you put in The Secret of Marco Polo. Also, were the riddles in your movie taken from the comic?

Mark: Yes! We do remember the Orient Expedition online comics! They actually played a very crucial role in the writing process for Johnny Thunder and the Secret of Marco Polo, and while the script ended up being a loose adaption of the comics, here's everything from every version of the script that had some basis in the online comics, in order of appearance in the comics.

• At the beginning of the first comic, Johnny Thunder goes looking for The Horn of Africa (named after the geographic location). This beginning inspired the original beginning, when Johnny goes looking for the idol of the Wututu Bird, a character from Benin mythology. Just like in the comics, Lord Sinister is also there. Unlike in the comics, the temple does not flood.
• The main riddle "My greatest secret I hold with me, and you should follow my footsteps to me, and know the world to be more than land and sea" is an adaption of the first riddle in the comic, "My greatest secret, I take with me, but leave for a clue for the man who sees more than others see, and knows the world to be more than land and sea."
• Finding the map to India in Marco Polo's house is taken straight from the comics, as well as the clue "The sting of the jungle."
• Something not featured in the LEGO sets, but in the comics and in the film is Babloo's pet monkey Pampa. In both versions, they're background characters, but Pampa has less of a presence in the finished film. This is the only real character trait of Babloo's that stayed the same when he went from being a slave to an elephant herder and guide.
• In the comics, Lord Sinister and his men capture the adventurers at the Scorpion Palace, just like in the movie. However, the resolution is very different.
• The film's dogfight between the Aero Nomad and Lord Sinister's bi-plane is almost identical to the one in the comics. The only differences are that Lord Sinister is defeated by a flare rather than not watching where he is going and the fact that there are more characters on both vehicles.
• The yeti chase in the movie is almost identical to the one in the comics. The same goes for Pippin's discovery of the shrine and its gem. However, the movie widens the span of time between these two events.
• Just like in the comics, the movie features the Great Wall of China, albeit briefly. However, unlike in the comics, there was never a time in the script's development where Johnny and the adventurers would be locked up inside. This is mainly because the film takes place in the present day, since the wall has become a tourist attraction.
• Just like in the comics, a half-track is used to get across China.
• The entire revolution sub-plot was based directly off of Johnny's stop in Xi'an, China in the comics. Just like in the comics, this is where the adventurers meet Jing Lee.
• Just like in the comics, the adventurers reach the Dragon Fortress via rowboat, then by sneaking aboard a Chinese Junk. The film, just like in the comics, also places the Dragon Fortress at the edge of a lake.
• The secret entrance into the fortress is in the same place as it is in the comics and also serves the same purpose as in the comics.
• The scene when the adventurers get captured in the Dragon Fortress is almost identical to the same scene in the comics.
• Just like in the comics (and the Dragon Fortress LEGO set), turning the gears opens the chamber to the Golden Dragon in the film.

We would like to thank the Biomedia Project for archiving the original comics and making this comparison possible. We wouldn't have been able to do it without their contribution.

HENNY4315 writes: What software did you use [to make Ninjago: Visions of Memories]? Its really awesome!
Mark: For all of the film's animation sequencing, visual effects, image corrections, and compositing, we used Adobe After Effects. Once that was all done, the sound effects and music were spliced into place with Adobe Premiere Pro.

     That's it for today's edition of Ask Mark Matthew! Don't forget that if you have a question, post it where ever we'll be able to see it and respond. Until then, we'll be making movies!

LIVE UPDATE: Voting, a Contest, and Auditions End Today!

By: Andrew Bermudez

(Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Headquarters; July 31, 2016)

     Have you finished your entry for The Canon that Time Forgot yet? All entries are due today! And because of that, we're showcasing a brand-new live update! Throughout the day, we'll be updating this post with important information regarding The Canon that Time Forgot, The Third Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Fan Choice Awards, and round 5 auditions! Stay tuned for more info!
8:38 AM PDT: With a bit of a late start, this live update is now...well...live. Stay tuned for more news and announcements, as we show off some new stuff and some reminders!
11:42 AM PDT: I apologize for the lack of updates in the past few hours, but I've been busy listing some items on Ebay! If you are interested in buying some older LEGO sets, follow this link to Ebay and check out all that's being offered! Here's a quick look at some of the items for sale.

Garan (Starting Bid: $3.99)

The Batman Dragster: Catwoman Pursuit (Starting Bid: $9.99)

The Grand Tournament (Starting Bid: $29.99)

The Batcave: The Penguin and Mr. Freeze's Invasion (Starting Bid: $99.99)

     In other news, we're super excited about the public release of Ninjago: Visions of Memories this Friday. The film, in its Rebrick previews, has already become a hit, so we can't wait to show it off to everyone else! To build up the hype, here's a screenshot from the film of Lloyd Garmadon performing Airjitzu!

We have some more announcements to perform throughout the day, so keep on coming back for more news, teasers, and all that fun stuff!
1:29 PM PDT: Today is the last day for voting in The Third Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Fan Choice Awards, so check out the ballot, submit your votes, and get them to us by midnight tonight! For the sake of convenience, here's a re-post of the ballot.

The Third Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Fan Choice Awards is a chance for the fans to give back to the studio with their vote on their favorite films! Every nomination has been selected through a committee so that your voting process is as easy as possible! If you are not familiar with a movie, click on the movie's name to watch it! The only exceptions to this are for best original score, where the links take you to the respective soundtrack. 

Rules of Voting: Only one vote per category is allowed. To vote, copy the ballot below into a message on the "Contact Us" page on our website. Indicate in any manner (bold, italics, removing other choices, etc.) which nominee per category you are voting for. Once you are done, send the message. Your votes will then be counted!

Best Picture:
A Bite of MyJobs
Johnny Thunder and the Wisdom of the Ancients
Attack of the Fifty-Foot Hamster
Alpha Team: Mission Deep Jungle

Best Actor in a Leading Role:
Daniel Bermudez as Johnny Thunder (Johnny Thunder and the Wisdom of the Ancients)
Andrew Bermudez as Lord Sam Sinister (Johnny Thunder and the Wisdom of the Ancients)
Andrew Adkins as Dash Justice (Alpha Team: Mission Deep Jungle)
Dylan Johnson as Ogel (Alpha Team: Mission Deep Jungle)

Best Actress in a Leading Role:
Lauren Adkins as Pippin Reed Thunder (Johnny Thunder and the Wisdom of the Ancients)
An Pham as Sarah Thunder (Johnny Thunder and the Wisdom of the Ancients)
Jenna Gray as Super Hero Student (True Identity)
Elizabeth Scarheart as Cam Attaway (Alpha Team: Mission Deep Jungle)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
Garrett Schelske as Patrick Hooligans (Johnny Thunder and the Wisdom of the Ancients)
Wes Rudnick as Mob Boss (The Kingfisher)
Dylan Johnson as Flex (Alpha Team: Mission Deep Jungle)
Al Bermudez as Mr. Bruce Cunningham (Alpha Team: Mission Deep Jungle)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
Cathy Hoxie as Panicking Woman (Attack of the Fifty-Foot Hamster)
Teresa Bermudez as Nana (Attack of the Fifty-Foot Hamster)
Lauren Adkins as Radia (Alpha Team: Mission Deep Jungle)
Teresa Bermudez as Scientist (Rift)

Best Screenplay:
A Bite of MyJobs
Johnny Thunder and the Wisdom of the Ancients
Attack of the Fifty-Foot Hamster
Alpha Team: Mission Deep Jungle

Best Special Effects:
A Bite of MyJobs
Johnny Thunder and the Wisdom of the Ancients
Attack of the Fifty-Foot Hamster
Alpha Team: Mission Deep Jungle

Best Sound Design:
A Bite of MyJobs
Alms Pouch
Alpha Team: Mission Deep Jungle
Rift

Best Original Score:
A Bite of MyJobs
Johnny Thunder and the Wisdom of the Ancients
Alms Pouch
Alpha Team: Mission Deep Jungle

Best Short Film:
A Bite of MyJobs
The Kingfisher
Attack of the Fifty-Foot Hamster
Alms Pouch

If you want visual incentive to vote, we have some in the form of a brand-new teaser poster! We just finished it, and it's sure to get you hyped! Send out those votes today!

As stated on the poster, The Third Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Fan Choice Awards will be released January 20, 2017.
2:15 PM PDT: We wern't sure when we would launch this, if at all, but we are launching a brand-new paid service. Don't worry. This has nothing to do with our YouTube Red April Fool's Day joke. This actually builds off of the technology behind the DVD Archival Project. We are proud to present: The Remaster Masters!

This new service, soon to be promoted outside Mustache Maniacs Film Co., allows people to send in their abused photos and damaged video so that we can fix it and return it to them before a deadline specified by the client! It's not up and running yet, but the site should be ready to go in August. If you want to see an example of a restoration, one is provided below.

Image before restoration. Note the white blot on the left side of the image.

Image after restoration. Both the white blot and the image's border are now gone.

If you are looking to have some images or video restored, we'll let you know when The Remaster Masters debuts. We'll also be putting up a commercial that advertises the new site when it's ready to go. Stay tuned, fans!
2:39 PM PDT: Originally, The Canon that Time Forgot was going to end today, but after coming to a decision, we're moving the end date for the contest to August 31, 2016. The prizes, rules, and other specifications will remain the same. The updated contest video will be up later today.
4:56 PM PDT: The updated contest video for The Canon that Time Forgot is now online. You can see it here. We also would like to take this time to remind people that today is the last day for round 5 auditions. Here is our current roster for sign-ups:

Professor Heinrik Kowalski - Marcus Hutchinson
Tony Twister - Marcus Hutchinson
Baron Von Stuka IV - Marcus Hutchinson
Russell Spetre - Marcus Hutchinson; Jim Freeman
Judy - Chloe Zavaleta
Howard - Marcus Hutchinson
Dr. Frankenstein - Chloe Zavaleta
Theodore K. Monster - Jim Freeman
Marcus Von Welby - Marcus Hutchinson
Ernst - Jim Freeman
Philip Lugosi - Marcus Hutchinson
Pierre Newmorre - Marcus Hutchinson
Spy Clops - Marcus Hutchinson
Chief Marion Dunby - Jim Freeman
Officer Stanley Kenlow - Marcus Hutchinson
Vinnie Pappalardo - Marcus Hutchinson; Jim Freeman
Mikey Spoilers - Marcus Hutchinson
Felix Combo - Erasmus Zavaleta
Crab Vendor - Erasmus Zavaleta; Jordon Cooper
Sentinel One - Marcus Hutchinson
Valscone - Jim Freeman
Scooter - Jordon Cooper
Dr. Albert Overbuild - Jordon Cooper

We'll announce the results of round 5 auditions in next month's Ask Mark Matthew. Round 6 will start tomorrow and continue until the end of the year.
     In the meantime, our film crew is getting ready to film more of Pharaoh's Quest: The Curse of Amset-Ra! We'll share set photos when filming starts this evening.
7:12 PM PDT: We're getting ready to film more of Pharaoh's Quest: The Curse of Amset-Ra! We're filming on the Archibald's tent set today, so here is a snapshot of where we're at right now.

Pharaoh's Quest: The Curse of Amset-Ra will be released later this year.
8:50 PM PDT: We're done for the evening with filming and this update in general, but before we wrap up, here's a screenshot from today's shoot.

Good night, and we hope to see you again tomorrow for one last update.
8/1/2016 - 7:25 AM PDT: We have just received the last votes for the second fan choice awards, which are now over. We have compiled the final tally and winners, and writing for the script will begin this month. In other news, like mentioned before, you have until the end of this month to finish your entry for The Canon that Time Forgot, so that everyone's films can look great! Finally, there will be two updates to the website later today. First, a new play set will be out, and second, character bios will be added to the "Ninjago: Visions of Memories" page. Thank you for participating in this live update, as it will no longer be updated.

It's a Wrap! "Ninjago: Visions of Memories" Finishes Production!

By: Andrew Bermudez

(Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Headquarters; July 18, 2016)

     It's official: Ninjago: Visions of Memories has just finished production! "We are glad that production is over," said director Seth Masterson. "I'm not saying that we didn't have fun making the film, it's just that the deadline is fast approaching, so getting this film completed is a crucial step in getting this film done on time." In the meantime, we still do not have a composer attached to the movie, so once again, if anyone reading is interested in petitioning to compose the film's score, contact us via the Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Website with a demo reel of your work. The deadline for this will be July 29. Ninjago: Visions of Memories will be released August 5.

     In other news, after some set-backs, Pharaoh's Quest: The Curse of Amset-Ra will resume filming later this week. This next step in filming will be done on the Archibald Hale's tent set, where a bulk of the film takes place. Pharaoh's Quest: The Curse of Amset-Ra currently has a loose late-2016 release planned, but may change at any time.

     Finally, we have a new live update scheduled for July 31, 2016. It will begin roughly at 7:00 AM PDT and end about 24 hours later. However, this time, videos may be included in the live update! That's right: thanks to the new hardware set-up from the live interview earlier this year, we may be introducing videos throughout the day that will be showcasing news as it happens! Stay tuned for further details!

     Now that all of that's done, it's time for our plugs with links. Click on the sentences for more info. VOTE FOR THE THIRD FAN CHOICE AWARDS! SIGN UP FOR AUDITIONS TODAY! ENTER THE CANON THAT TIME FORGOT CONTEST!