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		<title><![CDATA[Forums - Bricks in Motion - Alex and Derrick: Five Years Later]]></title>
		<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/topic/18842/alex-and-derrick-five-years-later/</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The most recent posts in Alex and Derrick: Five Years Later.]]></description>
		<lastBuildDate>Thu, 24 Apr 2014 11:55:43 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Alex and Derrick: Five Years Later]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/323075/#p323075</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Albeit late to the partay, I really have to comment that your sets alone are an inspiration. Your stamina & talent in such an endeavour is really commendable, but myself, i can't help worrying for you mental stability in undertaking such a feat. Regardless, you pulled them off very well. Sets aside, I also enjoyed the autobiographical nature of it. 

Dope/10 
Well done.]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (Carousel)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Thu, 24 Apr 2014 11:55:43 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/323075/#p323075</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Alex and Derrick: Five Years Later]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/323048/#p323048</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Thank you everyone! It means a lot to me! I'm happy to be "officially" back. This film took a long time to complete, but I think it was absolutely worth it.

[quote=dewfilms]Also liked the 'hearts/in love' animation. 
We need more of that Looney Tunes animation style.[/quote]

I've begun to really like the feel of more bouncy, cartoony animation in brickfilms. The animation and visual style of The LEGO Movie definitely was an influence. I do want to explore more cartoony animation in the future.


[quote=jstudios]I can't imagine having to build such an intricate set to have appear for a few seconds.[/quote]

I believe there are 34 different sets featured in this film, appearing over an average of 5 seconds each. I'm glad I did it for this film, but it's not something I want to do again. It was a little disheartening during the editing process to realize my film was not even going to hit the 3 minute mark when I had worked for months on dozens of sets. However, I think the effect I was looking for was achieved, and overall I am satisfied. I doubt I will ever approach such an extreme number-of-sets to seconds-in-film ratio again.


[quote=backyardlegos]I certainly wasn't expecting it to be that fast paced, but your set direction really makes a lot of sense now.[/quote]

Neither did I! Each montage shot actually contained about 5 seconds of raw animation, but during editing I realized the pace had to be lightning quick, so almost everything was cut down to about 2 seconds. Most shots didn't suffer from these cuts, but it did pain me to trim down three shots in particular: the break-up in the restaurant (Alex's ex actually throws the ring at him before exiting, leaving the ring spinning on the ground), the rats in the kitchen (what you see is just the core of the animation, originally there is more animation before and after Alex swings the broom), and the gym (there is a funny background event that is mostly obscured in the final cut).


[quote=LASF]So, like Sean said, does this mean we will see a comeback with Alex and Derrick?[/quote]

Yep! I have two Alex and Derrick scripts already scripted! One is a direct follow-up to Five Years Later and is relatively short, and the other is a longer, more complex film that will probably be slightly longer that Five Years Later. However, I want to make a few films that aren't Alex and Derrick first.


[quote=BrickStory]what do you think of animating minifigs on a smooth surface? I see you didn't include any difficult movements and walk-cycles when working with sets with smooth floors, but still- do you think something like that would be too difficult? I've been contemplating whether it would be worth it for quite a while now.[/quote]

Animating on a smooth surface does present more challenges, but I do like the freedom of movement provided. Plus, I generally prefer the look of tiled floors now for my brickfilms. I feel studs present a very textured look better suited for natural terrain (grass, sand, etc), while tiles better fit the look of wooden floors, carpet, concrete, etc. I haven't animated a true, extensive walk cycle on tiles yet, though, so I may be regretting this aesthetic choice later. But, it is a new challenge to conquer!


[quote=Dyland]As for animation, it's a MAJOR improvement from your late-THAC film, however there still are one or two minor bumps in the road - all of which, are an improvement from your first film. But, these few little moments don't effect the film in any way.[/quote]

Five Years Later was animated both before and after The Meek and the Bold, and I do think it shows. Some animation is a little weak, but I did get a lot of my mojo back while animating The Meek and the Bold, and I can see the animation improvements. Five Years Later was not shot chronologically, but the beginning shot with Alex and Derrick's old apartment was the first shot I animated, and the ending shot with the guitar was the last shot animated, so it is an interesting comparison. My goal for each film I make I make an improvement or challenge myself in some way.


[quote=TheLoginProductions]I can honestly say that when I first saw the apartment change, I was scared. But then, I took a really good look at it and saw that, in the end, it was really a great decision. In some of your first films, especially your old Alex and Derrick sets, things looked a little cheesy, but, back then, it worked. However, now, the sets were awesome, and the animation only makes the movie that much better. I love it![/quote]

Changing the look of the apartment set was very important to me, and one of the biggest things I worried about. It was both practical and symbolic. After many years, the old apartment design just didn't fit my aesthetic, especially the gaudy, bright red walls. I knew it needed an update, and the time skip in Five Years Later is exactly what I needed. The change was also important to emphasize that over five years, things DO change. Designing the new apartment took a considerable amount of time, because not only did it have to live up to my (unreasonably high) standards of set design, but it had to be suitable for animating a variety of Alex and Derrick stories that might not even be written yet.

I chose tan as the main color because it is mellow, subdued and warm. A dark tan tiled floor complimented the walls and didn't stand out. To emphasize the newer, modern look, I replaced the old upward lamps with a new modern-looking lamp at the left of the door. I also removed Derrick's misprinted Charizard card and case. I'm sure it's still around, it just doesn't have a place in the living room.

I was loath to replace the classic green couch, but it had two significant problems. First, the seating area was only four studs wide, which really only sat one minifigure comfortably because of their bulky arms (though I could get around this awkwardly and shove two characters in there, as seen in Slapstick). Second, when seated, a minifigure towered over minifigures who stood near the couch, since the seating area of the couch was four plates high. This made the composition of shots awkward. So for the new couch, I cut the seating height in half, and widened the couch. It can now sit two figures comfortably, with no bumping elbows.

Instead of a small table to the side of the couch, I placed a coffee table in front of the couch. Under the table I placed a rug, both to secure the table and to sneak in some studs that minifigures could attach to when standing. I chose shades of blue for the rug to compliment the warm walls. The back wall was looking bare so I added some blocky modern art.

In the old apartment, the computer was located against the left wall, and the kitchen was open on the right wall. I replaced the computer with some shelves, telephone and boombox. The computer, if it needs to show up in future films, will probably be wherever Derrick’s Charizard card is. I hid the kitchen behind a new door so I wouldn’t have to worry about avoiding shooting the right wall. Previously the kitchen was only built for Material Possessions, and all other films set in Alex and Derrick’s apartment avoided looking at that wall.

My biggest problem was the doors. Surprisingly, LEGO makes very few solid doors, instead opting for door designs that have windows in them. This didn’t work for me, but timing turned out to be on my side. Just as I was starting to face my door dilemma, the Simpsons LEGO house was announced, and it had just the doors I needed. When the house was released a month later, I snatched up some doors on Bricklink.

Whew, I went into a lot more depth that I expected there.


[quote=Rockydude411Bricks]So I assume this isn't continuous to Derrekking Ball, right?[/quote]

Chronologically, Derricking Ball takes place after Five Years Later.


[quote=Willow Tree]the one aspect of the short that surprised me the most was the almost seem-less voice acting for Alex and Derrick compared to five years ago.[/quote]

I was also surprised I was able to get the voices down almost immediately. Derrick is harder, of course, but if I have a line I can lapse into his voice pretty easily now. One interesting thing about Derrick’s voice is I have difficulty maintaining his voice if his dialog is longer than a few sentences. As a result, his dialog usually has to be more snippy than Alex’s.


[quote=Squid]II usually do films with only a few sets that can be filmed for a great many angles, but this makes me want to use more one-shot sets.[/quote]

Conversely, seeing your set-design and animation methods makes me want to try my hand at building a single set or two and animating on it from many different angles. I think I need a better studio set up for that to work, though.


[quote=BWJC]Also, that is the best Lego Minecraft sequence I have ever seen. Perhaps you could remake all the Pixelated Pickaxe episodes in Lego? :P[/quote]

Oh nooo. That won’t be happening! :P But I am very happy with how the Minecraft sequence came out. Of all four of the video game sequences, I think the Minecraft sequence best captures the feel of the game.


[quote=GEF]Great movie, I recognized some of the sets as far back as the Contrast contest, was this the movie originally meant for it?[/quote]

Five Years Later was written months before the Contrast contest, but when Contrast was announced I did consider attempting to enter with Five Years Later. Of course, that didn’t happen because of how long it took to complete.


[quote=FlyingMinifig]So... is this autobiographical?[/quote]

Almost completely, including a few things that might surprise you guys. Both Alex and Derrick reflect different parts of my personality, life experience, and interests. I did embellish Alex’s story a bit for humor’s sake, but even some of the more unusual events in his life are taken from my life.

Hope I covered all of the questions! Let me know if you want to know anything else!]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (Nathan Wells)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 23 Apr 2014 20:54:18 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/323048/#p323048</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Alex and Derrick: Five Years Later]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/322154/#p322154</link>
			<description><![CDATA[It's called "personal taste."]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[sean.m.carroll95@gmail.com (CarrollFilms)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Mon, 07 Apr 2014 18:18:34 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/322154/#p322154</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Alex and Derrick: Five Years Later]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/322096/#p322096</link>
			<description><![CDATA[[quote=Just Kidden]to be honest, never really been a fan of your films[/quote]

whut

how can u not like Nathan's films
its like saying you dont like choclate or you prefer mega bloks to lego
there are some things u just dont do
u just dont go around saying things like that]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (Mr Vertigo)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Sun, 06 Apr 2014 18:31:00 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/322096/#p322096</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Alex and Derrick: Five Years Later]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/322092/#p322092</link>
			<description><![CDATA[to be honest, never really been a fan of your films, but i REALLY enjoyed this. it was well done and enjoyable, had good animation and sets and was funny and had good comedic timing

really enjoyed it, hope you continue to make films of this quality]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (Just Kidden)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Sun, 06 Apr 2014 17:06:17 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/322092/#p322092</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Alex and Derrick: Five Years Later]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/322085/#p322085</link>
			<description><![CDATA[So... is this autobiographical?

This is great.  The sets are absolutely beautiful, I'll probably be pausing this a lot just so I can look at them more closely.  It's actually almost a shame that most of them only appear for a second or so because they look so amazing.  I also love the re-designed apartment.

Also I loved the [parrots].

[spoiler]The ending was hilarious as well (this is probably your easiest-to-spot cameo yet..[/spoiler]

It's great to see you back!  I can't wait to see what you'll be doing next.]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (Mr Vertigo)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Sun, 06 Apr 2014 13:07:38 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/322085/#p322085</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Alex and Derrick: Five Years Later]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/322016/#p322016</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Great movie, I recognized some of the sets as far back as the Contrast contest, was this the movie originally meant for it?

Like the others said, amazing sets for how short most of the scenes were, and a great film in general. Hope to see you making a few more.]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (GEF)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Sat, 05 Apr 2014 02:15:31 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/322016/#p322016</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Alex and Derrick: Five Years Later]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/321918/#p321918</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Now I realize why the estimated release date kept getting pushed back, (from what, last fall? And then January, February, March...) those sets are gorgeous! The attention to detail is superb. Oh, and:
[quote=Sméagol]I enjoyed how weirdly autobiographical it all was.[/quote]
Also, that is the best Lego Minecraft sequence I have ever seen. Perhaps you could remake all the Pixelated Pickaxe episodes in Lego? :P]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[bwjclego@gmail.com (BWJC)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Thu, 03 Apr 2014 02:22:11 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/321918/#p321918</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Alex and Derrick: Five Years Later]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/321902/#p321902</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Lovely animation and sets. I enjoyed how weirdly autobiographical it all was.]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (Sméagol)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 02 Apr 2014 23:43:32 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/321902/#p321902</guid>
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		<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Re: Alex and Derrick: Five Years Later]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/321899/#p321899</link>
			<description><![CDATA[The animation and set designs are your best yet.
Welcome back :)]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (CJAproductionsINC)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 02 Apr 2014 22:51:22 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/321899/#p321899</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Alex and Derrick: Five Years Later]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/321871/#p321871</link>
			<description><![CDATA[It's a beautiful film.

I love how You've gone through so many sets in such a short time.  Also, it's really interesting seeing the contrast between your old and new room design, which makes me think that those five years were an entire waste playing video games, at least he did some great redecorating.

I usually do films with only a few sets that can be filmed for a great many angles, but this makes me want to use more one-shot sets.]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (Squid)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 02 Apr 2014 17:09:41 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/321871/#p321871</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Alex and Derrick: Five Years Later]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/321857/#p321857</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Alex and Derrick: Five Years Later, a tale of a bonding between two long-lost acquaintances. 

This brickfilm brings back the nostalgia of the, now, reignited Alex and Derrick shorts. I felt the same emotions watching this film as I did watching the previous shorts. Alex and Derrick continue to give off the same quirky, creative, and exhilarating style. The animation was both fluid and distinctive, with only a few minor bumps in the road. Quite possibly, my favorite bit of animation was the heart emotion in the restaurant sequence. As stated by several others, the set design was outstanding, truly an achievement of visual excellence. The attention to detail is definitely praise worthy, and I enjoyed the transformation of the dynamic duos' apartment. Though, the one aspect of the short that surprised me the most was the almost seem-less voice acting for Alex and Derrick compared to five years ago. 

This is a definite highly recommended and re-watchable brickfilm. Much appreciation to you, Nathan! Excellent job!]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[nateolantern@gmail.com (Willow Tree)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 02 Apr 2014 16:09:55 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/321857/#p321857</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Alex and Derrick: Five Years Later]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/321800/#p321800</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Nice work Nathan, that was awesome.  The most impressive thing to me was the detailed sets for every little shot.  Even if I was a talented set designer, I'm not sure if I'd have the patience to do all that work for a second of footage.  I hope that this is just the first of a slew of new Alex and Derrick videos!]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (Fancypants)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Tue, 01 Apr 2014 23:02:24 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/321800/#p321800</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Alex and Derrick: Five Years Later]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/321786/#p321786</link>
			<description><![CDATA[YES. JUST YES. ONLY YES.

It's brilliantly detailed, and I love all the nods and humourous bits in there ("...we talked about our feelings, we had arguements..."). Welcome back, Alex and Derrick.]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (Mickey)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Tue, 01 Apr 2014 22:02:10 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/321786/#p321786</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Re: Alex and Derrick: Five Years Later]]></title>
			<link>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/321782/#p321782</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Absolutely brilliant, Nathan. I don't think I've ever seen a brickfilm with so much detail for so many scenes before. Brings me back to '06 when i used to spend so much time watching and re-watching your brickfilms, and this re-invigorated my love for Alex & Derrick <3]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (Onion)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Tue, 01 Apr 2014 21:58:06 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://bricksinmotion.com/forums/post/321782/#p321782</guid>
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