As a brickfilmer, I get asked lots of questions about how I make my brickfilms. There are also people who ask for advice on how they should start. So, I was very happy to see that Kevin Ulrich of Brotherhood Workshop answered those questions (and more) in these two videos.

Kevin has been making brickfilms for 10 years now, which explains why he is so good. It’s been only three years for me, so I still have time to improve. I hope you learn some tricks, and find as much motivation in Kevin’s words as I did. (Pay close attention at the “good enough” part.)

How I Became A Stop Motion Animator | Interview With Kevin Ulrich

Getting Started In Stop Motion Animation

In this brickfilm, there is one thing I would like to share with you, one very simple thing that impressed me a lot (and made me laugh too). Watch it first, then read on.

The first time I saw “Alien,” I was very young and scared. But this remake made me laugh because it’s so simple.

Did you see it? Bricktease used a simple piece called “robot arm” to impersonate the bursting alien coming out of the poor guy’s chest. I call that brilliant. Well-animated, a single piece can make you remember a famous character, in a famous scene, in a classic sci-fi movie.

The Simpsons House 71006

Yes, you can now build Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Marge and Homer’s house out of LEGO bricks. And we even have the minifigs to go with it.

But this is not the first time that those yellow fellows were made out of LEGO. Nope.

The couch gag in LEGO

Here is a compilation of Simpsons couch gags, with the LEGO version starting at 1:24. You can check out the many other versions, too.

Fan-made LEGO Simpsons opening credits

Made by a 13 year old boy, this brickfilm now has more than 10 million views.

And a LEGO ad with The Simpsons

Just WOW! You can check out a whole gallery of others like that one here.

I don’t know if you were planning on doing a brickfilm with the new Simpsons minifigs, but I know I am.

Check out this interview with the directors and listen carefully, right at the beginning, when they talk about “pouring over all the crazy movies people are making.” That’s us, gentlemen.

Indeed, everything is awesome!

This year’s theme was “A Mistaken Identity.” You know, when you see someone and think they are someone else. In THAC, the theme can be interpreted however the participants like (and they did so in very creative ways).

If you like to play the game, you can try to spot the mod element. In every frame of the movie, there must be a red brick connected to a grey brick or the there must be the letter T visible in any way (printed, built, or anything creative that looks like a T). That is a way to make sure the participants produced their brickfilms within the 24 hour time frame of the contest.

It would take you over 2 hours to watch all 76 brickfilms made for THAC11, but I picked out the best ones for you. Just for the fun of it, here’s my favorites in categories I just made up.

Best overall performance

“The Does” by A&M Studios

“The Does” takes us into a classic family sitcom with a nice setup and good animation. As the director says… well, you’ll see. I only want to point out that it is a very good use of different minifig’s heads.

“Con” by AquaMorph Productions

Based on a good narration, the animation is well done and really helps to tell the story.
Very good lightning… I love all those back lights.

“The Code’s Game” by AniMax

I don’t know the show they are referring to, but I catch the gist. What I like is the way there is a helicopter in the movie… without ever seeing it.

Best Space Themed movie (aka MonsieurCaron’s favorite)

“Sector Se7en” by Spencer Olson Films

Wow, the best short in my opinon. And it’s in Space, what can I ask more? The use of SFX for the holograph and the flying is very well done.

“The Supervisor” by Legoander

WOW. This is a simple yet effective little story. And well animated robots and humans.

“Planet of the Sneeuwpop” by Annoying Noises Productions

You gotta love the way those spacemen teleport.

Best use of microscale

“Expectation” by Loïc F-B

Loïc F-B made good use of lightning in his film. I love his city landscape in forced perspective. I’m taking notes here for my own movies.

“The Key” by Binding Brick

Making the spaceship in microscale was a great idea. A nice montage that goes well with the music.

Most amazing integration of the mod element

“Mental” by Chris Wynn

The way the MOD element (the letter T) is hidden is just awesome. Check the white walls.

Best use of Chima

“AX 2” by PritchardStudios

Good use of Chima minifig and Chi bricks. I like the way we switch between worlds.

Best dream sequence

“No Crawme Steals Christmas” by Brickhead Productions

You must see that cop sleeveless ! And… is that a song or what ? It’s a great movie!

“How I survived” by Sean Willets

I could have put this one into the “Best use of microscale” too.

Best plot twist

“The Liberator” by Bluper8

There’s a good twist in this story.

“The Police Delivery” by ForlornCreature

Another well animated good short story.

“Magnus Lapsus” by Mighty Wanderer

Nice smooth animation and good voice acting… except for the end. NOOoooo

Best non-English language

“Fish tale” by soppenjim

Very funny use of the theme. The spoken language is Norwegian. Don’t worry, there’s subtitles.

You can wath all 76 brickfilms on this playlist.

As you know, the C in THAC is for Contest, but I prefer to look a this event as a Challenge. If you can make a good brickfilm within 24 hours, you’re a winner, you made the challenge. Tell us which one is your favorite brickfilm in this year’s THAC and why… because there are so many ways a brickfilm can be great!

Scientists at IBM made a stop-motion movie by moving atoms and taking picture with a microscope. Now, if you think you have big clumsy fingers when you move your minifigure, think of those scientists who had move carbon monoxide molecules (two atoms stacked on top of each other) to animate their movie.

I’m a teacher and I’m very proud when one of my students show me their very first brickfilm. LEGO bricks open them to the world of movie-making and computers. I think that this “small” movie can make some kids start loving science (as well as movie-making) and maybe change the world. LEGO bricks can make kids start loving sciences and arts… and science and arts have the power to make people better.

Enjoy !

A Boy And His Atom: The World’s Smallest Movie – YouTube

Moving Atoms: Making The World’s Smallest Movie – YouTube

Plot

Henri is pursued by SACOM ( a fictional music protection agency possibly based on SACEM) for illegally downloading the song “Brick Lady,” from the Internet. He calls his friend Edmond for help and together they try to escape SACOM and its obsessed boss Vince Stub. And they do it with “style” (according to Edmond, “style” can’t be described, sorry.)

I must first point out the excellent script. Everything helps the story, there is nothing to cut. What happens in the beginning is referred to later (even if it’s only for a joke). Everything has a meaning. When the story concludes, you’ll know what I mean.

There’s a lot of great metafictional humor too. Henri and Edmond are plastic minifigures, and they know it. Yes. When Edmond want to cheer up his friend, he tell him this story (no spoilers here).

When I was a kid, I wanted to be an acrobat. But someday, I realized that I was only a plastic figure, and that I don’t have neither elbow nor knee joint. But one day, my uncle came to me and told me that I must never give up though I’m only a figure… Where there’s a will, there’s a way and I could be much more than a piece of plastic. 

Not only do they know they are made of plastic, but they also know that they are in a movie. “We’re in the middle of a dynamic montage.”  says Edmond to Henri right in the middle of… a montage! And sometime they refer to the script writer or the film’s direction.  If you like these kind of jokes, see their first adventure, “The New Neighbor,” for even more.

Technique and Animation

Maxime Morin’s work on lightning is amazing, it changes a lot, going from day light to sunset to night. The camera angles too must be mentioned, they are various and creative for a brickfilm, and gives you the feeling your watching a Hollywood movie. And speaking of camera angles, there’s a scene where Henri is hiding himself behind other minifigs by moving exactly as they do (Edmond calls that “the axis trick”). Look carefully and you’ll see that he’s there. That scene is not only funny, it’s a chef d’œuvre (masterpiece) of brickfilm animation.

“Copyright” is Maxime Morin’s personal project. It took him around 9 to 10 months of work in a three years period. He did all the animation and asked his friends to help with voices and post-production. As Maxime Morin works in the video business, it was easy for him to find friends who were passionate about his project, pro or not. I must mention that the French voices are very professional, as is the sound design… and everything else.

Oh! Did I mention that Henri & Edmond is in French? Don’t worry, there’s English subtitles.

But the song is in English. “Brick Lady” performed by “The Dragonflies” is not only the music of this brickfilm, it’s also part of the story.  In fact, the movie’s official Original Soundtrack is available on Bandcamp.

There is more to say, but I will stop here. On the other hand, Henri & Edmond won’t stop here because there is a third movie coming out soon. The title is “Plastic Love.” See their Facebook page for the poster.

“Henri & Edmond – Droit d’auteur” – YouTube

Behind the scenes – YouTube

Storyboard – YouTube

Recording Sessions – Youtube