Brickfilm
Encyclopedia
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
made using LEGO
Lego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
, or other similar plastic construction toys resembling LEGO toys. They are usually created with stop motion
Stop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
animation, though CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
, traditional animation
Traditional animation
Traditional animation, is an animation technique where each frame is drawn by hand...
, and live action
Live action
In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...
films featuring plastic construction toys (or representations of them) are also usually considered brickfilms. The term 'brickfilm"' was coined by Jason Rowoldt, founder of Brickfilms.com.
Brickfilming history
The first known brickfilm was made between 1980 and 1989 in Perth, Western Australia by Lindsay FleayLindsay Fleay
Lindsay Fleay is an Australian Brickfilmer, Effect Manager and 3d animator best known for his Brickfilm The Magic Portal, The first known Brickfilm. He is also known for The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings films, Moulin Rouge! and Hero.-References:...
, called The Magic Portal
The Magic Portal
The Magic Portal is a 16-minute stop-motion film created by Lindsay Fleay in 1985. It is widely believed to be the first brickfilm ever made.- History :...
. It is considered the forerunner of modern brickfilms, and mixes both stop motion animation and live action. It was captured on 16 mm film and features animated LEGO, plasticine, and cardboard characters and objects.
The first DVD of the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a 1974 British comedy film written and performed by the comedy group Monty Python , and directed by Gilliam and Jones...
contained an extra in the form of a brickfilm of the "Camelot Song", produced by Spite Your Face Productions. Since then, there have been several times when brickfilms have been placed on DVDs along with the films which they emulate, such when Revenge of the Brick
LEGO Star Wars: Revenge of the Brick
Lego Star Wars: Revenge of the Brick is a brickfilm loosely based on Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Revenge of the Brick premiered on the Cartoon Network on 8 May 2005, at 7:00 p.m. EST. The movie can now be seen in QuickTime format on the Lego website or directly downloaded...
was featured on the second DVD volume of Star Wars: Clone Wars
Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003 TV series)
Star Wars: Clone Wars is an Annie Award-winning American animated television series set in the Star Wars galaxy. The series chronicles the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic under Chancellor Palpatine, and the Confederacy of Independent Systems under Count Dooku.Chronologically, the series...
TV series.
Brickfilming has recently become popular because of the availability of cheap cameras and animation software, and the growth of video-sharing sites such as YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. The LEGO Group officially encouraged the creation of brickfilms with the release of set #1349 LEGO Studios Steven Spielberg MovieMaker Set. Though no longer in production, it introduced many LEGO fans to the concept of brickfilming.
In recent times almost all brickfilming is digital based, with the frames captured using a variety of software via webcams or digital photo cameras.
Although brickfilms featuring minifigures are still the most dominant, making brickfilms with Bionicle
Bionicle
Bionicle is a line of toys by the LEGO Group marketed primarily for 5- to 16-year-olds. The line was launched on December 30, 2000 in Europe and June/July 2001 in Canada and the United States. "Bionicle" is a portmanteau constructed from the words "biological" and "chronicle"...
figures is also popular.
To date there has been no known brickfilm movie recorded on Blu-Ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
or The Obsolete HD DVD
HD DVD
HD DVD is a discontinued high-density optical disc format for storing data and high-definition video.Supported principally by Toshiba, HD DVD was envisioned to be the successor to the standard DVD format...
, with the exception of a lego version of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, included as a bonus feature in the aforementioned film.
LEGO Group and Brickfilming
Brickfilms are often used to help the LEGO Group advertise each new themes and sets. These are normally made using CGI animation. Some examples of themes where Brickfilms were used for advertising include: Star WarsLego Star Wars
Lego Star Wars is a Lego theme that incorporates the Star Wars saga. The first Lego Star Wars, released in 1999, included model 7140, the first Lego X-Wing. Star Wars was the first intellectual property to be licensed in Lego Group history . The first few sets based on the original trilogy were...
with Revenge of the Brick
LEGO Star Wars: Revenge of the Brick
Lego Star Wars: Revenge of the Brick is a brickfilm loosely based on Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Revenge of the Brick premiered on the Cartoon Network on 8 May 2005, at 7:00 p.m. EST. The movie can now be seen in QuickTime format on the Lego website or directly downloaded...
, Indiana Jones
Lego Indiana Jones
Lego Indiana Jones is a Lego theme based on the Indiana Jones film franchise, licensed from Lucasfilm. The exclusive franchise was first announced in June 2007, and followed the successful Lego Star Wars franchise, also with Lucasfilm...
with Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Brick
Lego Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Brick
Lego Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Brick is a 3-D computer-animated Lego movie directed by Peder Pedersen. It combines details from all four Indiana Jones features into one continuous adventure with a humorous twist, and includes several inside-jokes for fans of both the Indiana Jones...
, Power Miners
Lego Power Miners
Lego Power Miners is a product range - or "theme" - of the construction toy Lego. It is an influenced theme from the 1999 Rock Raiders line. Power Miners is based beneath the surface of the Lego World, wherein a team of 'Power Miners' investigate the cause of a series of severe earthquakes and...
, Atlantis
Lego Atlantis
Lego Atlantis is a product range of the construction toy Lego, themed around the underwater world of Atlantis. The range was announced in 2009, for launch in early 2010. Sets include models of buildable underwater vehicles, as well as 'heroic diver' and 'shark warrior' minifigures...
, most of Bionicle
Bionicle
Bionicle is a line of toys by the LEGO Group marketed primarily for 5- to 16-year-olds. The line was launched on December 30, 2000 in Europe and June/July 2001 in Canada and the United States. "Bionicle" is a portmanteau constructed from the words "biological" and "chronicle"...
s commercials and clips, and the new Lego Prince of Persia
Lego Prince of Persia
Lego Prince of Persia is a Lego theme based on the video game Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and the film of the same name. The first sets were released in April 2010.-Promotion and release:...
.
Brickfilming Communities
The brickfilming hobby has led to several online communities, including Brickfilms, Bricks in Motion, and Brickfilmer's Guild . Most of the brickfilms in these communities are downloaded from other video communities, such as YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
or Vimeo
Vimeo
Vimeo is a video-sharing website on which users can upload, share, and view videos. It was founded by Zach Klein and Jake Lodwick in November 2004...
. Some brickfilming festivals are also organized. Another annual brickfilm festival called Brickflix is held as part of the Brickmagic Lego Convention in Durham, North Carolina. The brickfilming sites boast large film directories where people can view all types of animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
s. They also both have forums where people can ask questions and even enter competitions that are hosted there. A new site Best Brick Films has made it easier for people around the world to view the most popular and best Brick Films.
LEGO On DVD
Not much known brick films had been on DVD and sold to the public (mostly ones that hadn't are brick films on YouTube). A very well-known brickfilm that has been on DVD and sold to the public is Jericho: The Promise Fulfilled, a 30 minute long film made by Shatter Point Entertainment, and Wars Of Humanity episode I and II.The film has been awarded many times such as Best Animation by Cape Fear Independent Film Festival 2009.