Did Transformers 4 Rip Off This Guy’s Design For The New Bumblebee?

[Megatron]

Did Transformers 4 Rip Off This Guy’s Design For The New Bumblebee? (http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2013/06/did-transformers-4-rip-off-this-guys-design-for-the-new-bumblebee/) (Gizmodo, 03/06/2013)

...Mr. Vengeance’s 1967 Camaro. It took seven years to build, with all of the blood, sweat, and tears you’d imagine. It’s famous around the web. It also looks exactly like the “new” Bumblebee from Transformers 4.

Click on the link above for the full article and pics.

(I hope I've posted this in the right place, as it's a discussion topic as well.)

[Demonac]

Remember this ad from the movie industry?

You wouldn't steal a car (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmZm8vNHBSU)

[Sharky]

not really.

not like he designed the parts or hand made the parts he just stuck a bunch of parts from other cars and stuck it on his car. i wonder if he saw a car and said that looks awesome and then replicated it..

its like someone seeing a picture of a wfc cliffjumper head stuck on a generations body and doing it themselves.

in the end they probably did research it online line saw some pics and thought it look good....just like jimbob, skeeter and the 4000 other people that have tried......if he didnt want that to happen then dont show it off....imitation is flattery but dont expect cash!

[SharkyMcShark]

not really.

not like he designed the parts or hand made the parts he just stuck a bunch of parts from other cars and stuck it on his car. i wonder if he saw a car and said that looks awesome and then replicated it..

its like someone seeing a picture of a wfc cliffjumper head stuck on a generations body and doing it themselves.

in the end they probably did research it online line saw some pics and thought it look good....just like jimbob, skeeter and the 4000 other people that have tried......if he didnt want that to happen then dont show it off....imitation is flattery but dont expect cash!

I'm with Other Sharky on this. I saw the article on Gizmodo yesterday and failed to see the big deal really.

Strap some aftermarket parts onto an existing car, then complain when some vaguely similar aftermarket parts are strapped onto an entirely different car
????
Profit

[Lint]

Y'know there was a time when one might have felt a bit honoured that a big movie production has taken inspiration from your work/designs.

But yes, message conveyed, Hasbro/Paramount are not overly original with their designs in this case.

[Jinto]

Remember this ad from the movie industry?

You wouldn't steal a car (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmZm8vNHBSU)

The IT Crowd did a much better version :)
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ALZZx1xmAzg&feature=fvwrel

[SMHFConvoy]

Still it took that guy 7 years to build his car the way he wanted it and Hasbro and Paramount are going to make money off his car's likeness. Disappointing really :-\

[Shirokaze]

I think the media has made this blow out of proportion, I don't really see how they could've "copied" it as such. Being pretty heavy into the modification scene myself, I really don't think one can copy somebody else's car because all ideas, styles and trends need to come from some place.

The modifications in question are all extremely popular for older cars, and one could easily make the stretch and argue that Mr Vengeance, the owner of the black Camaro, "copied" the 240Z from Wangan Midnight which began publication in 1990 because they both have over fenders and a front lip, while his Camaro uses a replica of the original Japanese Watanabe wheels found on the same 240Z.

In short, absolutely ridiculous.

[Megatron]

For me, the interesting thing about this article is not so much the ethical or legal implications of Mr Vengeance's Camaro design being stolen, or whether it actually was stolen (which is an interesting topic in itself no doubt), but rather, if this car was indeed the inspiration for TF4 Bumblebee, 1. Would Hasbro/Paramount, etc. ever admit to it, and 2. it would be nice if they did.

[Sinnertwin]

If i see a blue Sportivo in TF5...

[GoktimusPrime]

I agree with Mr Vengeance's comment - he's not looking for Paramount to pay him for "rights", but acknowledgement or thanks would be nice by the way of common courtesy. Then again who knows... maybe someone will mention him in the DVD or Blu Ray special features. But it would have been nice if they'd directly knowledged/thanked him.

Michael Bay/Paramount haven't done anything illegal or immoral... but just somewhat discourteous IMHO. Royalties are expensive. Good manners are free. :)

[ITZTRU]

If i see a blue Sportivo in TF5...

Hahaha. Nice one...

Seriously though...have a cry, Vengence. I read a reply comment on the article by someone who said something along the lines of

"If you didn't want anyone to copy it, you should not have shown it to anyone."

Which is exactly what I was thinking. All the cars I have (or wanted to) modify have been almost direct copies of examples I have seen online because I loved the way it looked. I research the name of the part and bam - it goes on my list of things to buy.

I don't see the need for hasbro or paramount to admit anything. Nor will they anyway (I don't think...)

[Sharky]

But it would have been nice if they'd directly knowledged/thanked him.


i do wonder if he thanked and acknowledged all the cars/customisers/car companies he got his ideas from i do doubt they were original ideas..

[Sinnertwin]

I'm curious, has Paramount has made any comments regardimg truckers who spray flames and Autobot insignias to their rigs? Do movie executives from the Fast and Furious franchise attend car shows and issue media statements regarding those replicating the vehicles which have appeared in their movies?

[Trent]

Welcome to the world of car modifying. Go to any boards, whether it be Boostlosers, Rexnet, Skylines Oz, RedlineGTi, whatever.

Take the "Church of the Super Aggressive Scooby Wheel Setup"* thread on NASIOC (which I can't seem to find anymore. They must have made it a members only thread and it's been that long that i've forgotten my login details :s) That thread is the bible of WRX wheel and suspension modifications. If you see an awesome wheel/offset/camber/coilover setup on a WRX, it's a good chance they copied it from someone in that thread. And so the world continues to turn.;)

Still, if they did copy that Camaro, it would have been nice to acknowledge the guys work. Which they may as yet do.

*I think that's the name of the thread. Once again it's been that long since I fell out of the scene...

[Sky Shadow]

That article is a waste of everyone's time.

[Megatron]

That article is a waste of everyone's time.
Ok.

[Sky Shadow]

Ok.

I don't mean that you linking to it isn't apropos - this is a Transformers website. I just mean that the article itself is idiotic and doesn't need to exist. It's not like the guy invented the car - he took a car that the Transformers films have the rights to and made a couple of changes. He even says Bumblebee is "one of my favourite toy characters of all time" so he was probably as much inspired by Bay Bumblebees as the new film's car was inspired by him. I invented the phrase "Gold Plastic Syndrome" and then it was used in the Transformers Allspark Almanac II! They didn't thank me! Boo hoo. :rolleyes:

[Deonasis]

He infers that he doesn't mind Bumblebee so I think he would be happy when he can choose between 50,000 transforming versions of "his" car. I know I'd be happy to have a transforming '94 Pulsar hatch.

[SkyWarp91]

Eh it's a sexy car nonetheless

[Megatron]

I don't mean that you linking to it isn't apropos - this is a Transformers website. I just mean that the article itself is idiotic and doesn't need to exist. It's not like the guy invented the car - he took a car that the Transformers films have the rights to and made a couple of changes. He even says Bumblebee is "one of my favourite toy characters of all time" so he was probably as much inspired by Bay Bumblebees as the new film's car was inspired by him. I invented the phrase "Gold Plastic Syndrome" and then it was used in the Transformers Allspark Almanac II! They didn't thank me! Boo hoo. :rolleyes:

Yes I figured that it wasn't about my linking to it. Some people may find the article interesting, and if Has/Para does make an official statement or comment about it then it can be posted in this thread as news. This is unlikely to happen of course, because they do seem to take fan made ideas without acknowledgment on a regular basis (not referring to this article or car specifically). Perhaps someone should ask them..