Bricks in Motion
We are a friendly filmmaking community devoted to the art of stop-motion animation using LEGO® and similar construction toys. Here, you can share your work, join our community of other brickfilmers, and participate in periodic animation contests!
A place to discuss, share, and create stop motion films.
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I can't think of anything! 
Oh well, I would only have next week to attempt to make it anyway. Good luck everyone else!
Are you allowed to make a trailer before the deadline or not?
So I have a question. Say I used stormtrooper minifigures as soldiers of an evil empire. Would that count as violating copyrighted stuff? Sort of like what thefourmonkeys did with Galactic Smugglers? I'll probably give them a different helmet, but in case I get lazy or don't have enough helmets I'd like to check.
I'm not familiar with Galactic Smugglers. I'd rather you use different helmets or something to make them distinct from Storm Troopers, but as long as you don't refer to them as Storm Troopers and it is clear that the story doesn't take place in the Star Wars universe I won't disqualify you for it. If you can, definitely try to avoid using theme characters in their entirety.
Trailers are fine. If you give away too much of the plot and think someone has copied from you as a result I can't really do anything about it though, so be careful.
Would it be possible to enter both BRAWL and Contrast simultaneously?
Theoretically, someone could combine both the theme for Contrast and the secret BRAWL theme into a single film and make it in one week according to the rules of both contests.
Of course, there'd be a major downside since you couldn't make the film public until well after the BRAWL deadline when Contrast ends. It also may be difficult to combine both themes, and focusing on both may cause you to lose.
Still, it's an interesting idea.
I suppose it would be possible; I wouldn't stop someone from doing so provided they follow all of the rules. Whether it's advisable is a different matter- my reasoning in making this a longer contest was to get deeper and more polished entries than BRAWL or THAC typically allow for. It is a shame that the contests cut into each other.
I suppose it would be possible; I wouldn't stop someone from doing so provided they follow all of the rules. Whether it's advisable is a different matter- my reasoning in making this a longer contest was to get deeper and more polished entries than BRAWL or THAC typically allow for. It is a shame that the contests cut into each other.
I'm starting to consider it.
I won't have access to my ability to animate until the start of BRAWL, I will enter BRAWL in almost any possible scenario, and after BRAWL, I'm going to probably be to tired and unmotivated to use the remaining time in Contrast.
So the only plausible way for me to enter Contrast would be to make the double entry.
I did make my favourite brickfilm in just 18 days, so I might actually be able to do it well. It would be interesting to take on two contests with one film.
I'll probably do it if I can actually think up an idea that fits both and is good.
Though, I am getting a little dry of Contrast ideas after throwing them everywhere for free.
I'm in something of a dilemma.
I want to enter this contest, and I have two possible ideas for an entry. The trouble is, I'm not sure which one to go for. One idea would be extremely well fitted to the contest theme, and would most likely be the easier to animate. However, I think the other idea (which is the first idea I had--and incidentally is something I'd like to work on regardless of the contest) would be much more interesting for me personally to work on. The problem here is that this film would probably be much longer, and since it's still a pretty raw idea I'd need to develop it a lot more (as well as write a script and polish the idea in general). Also, I'm not sure if it would fit the contest theme quite as well (though it would most likely still work).
There's the issue of time, as I have quite a bit of work to do this summer (In case you're interested, I have to write 4,000 word Extended Essay, work on summer coursework, write another essay, and do some general revision--the I.B. Diploma isn't exactly tailored to letting students have a lot of free time...). Then I'm also going to be gone for a week and thus be unable to animate, and my brother (currently in University) will also be coming back to my house for most of August (which might be problematic, since I use his room as my animating studio as it's the really only place in the house suitable for animation).
And finally, I feel like I'm stuck in a bit of a rut regarding animating itself. I've been trying to work at a higher FPS, but so far the results seem disappointing. To be fair, I haven't practiced it that much, and I'm sure I'll get better with more practice (and I tend to be something of a perfectionist to boot) but at this point it feel rather discouraging.
I've kind of gone on long enough here, so I guess the bottom line is: Do you have any suggestions as to what I should do? Which idea should I focus on--should I work on my better-themed idea, and "save" the other one for later? Should I even bother entering this contest at all? 
Idea 'A', if you have the time.
#1, It's a better theme and more likely to place higher.
#2, It's easier/quicker to animate.
#3, You're more likely to do the other one later on, so this way both could theoretically be filmed at some point.
#4, It's already a more concrete idea, allowing you to get into the filming phase faster.
Now, the FPS looked fine in LEGO: The Time Machine, it was just little animation issues that needed to be fixed. I wouldn't bother trying to experiment as well as film a movie at the same time, but that's me.
And yes, enter.
I'm in something of a dilemma.
I want to enter this contest, and I have two possible ideas for an entry. The trouble is, I'm not sure which one to go for. One idea would be extremely well fitted to the contest theme, and would most likely be the easier to animate. However, I think the other idea (which is the first idea I had--and incidentally is something I'd like to work on regardless of the contest) would be much more interesting for me personally to work on. The problem here is that this film would probably be much longer, and since it's still a pretty raw idea I'd need to develop it a lot more (as well as write a script and polish the idea in general). Also, I'm not sure if it would fit the contest theme quite as well (though it would most likely still work).
It would probably be best to use the idea that you feel would more likely be finished in time for the contest.
The second longer film would take more time, thus you may not finish it in time, and the first idea could be a better choice.
You could then make the second film sometime after the contest with now restrictions.
But, if you wanted some more exact advice, you could tell a specific person (such as me or another brickfilmer) the exact details of each of your ideas. That individual could then give you a better analysis of the two options and could probably advise you better.
Or... you could leave it to chance.
Unbiased, unprejudiced... fair.
Wow, that's a sweet frame. How do you get the light to not shine anywhere else, though?
And FlyingMinifig, if you need someone to talk to about your entry, I might be able to help. I don't know if I'm going to enter or not, since my original idea was pretty bad, but I might as well offer my services to others.
Wow, that's a sweet frame. How do you get the light to not shine anywhere else, though?
That's not my frame. It's a picture from Flickr I used in my post merely to punctuate a Dark Knight reference.
I did make it so that clicking on the picture would bring you to the source of the image on Flickr so people could know of its origin and not credit me for it.
You could ask ScareChrome how he did it, but I would guess that he merely made sure that the background was very far away from the subject as so none of the light from his flashlight would touch it.
At my Summer Camp, the theme is "opposites". So, the theme of this contest is a breeze for me.
Mighty Wanderer wrote:Wow, that's a sweet frame. How do you get the light to not shine anywhere else, though?
That's not my frame. It's a picture from Flickr I used in my post merely to punctuate a Dark Knight reference.
I did make it so that clicking on the picture would bring you to the source of the image on Flickr so people could know of its origin and not credit me for it.
You could ask ScareChrome how he did it, but I would guess that he merely made sure that the background was very far away from the subject as so none of the light from his flashlight would touch it.
Oh. 
Well, that's what I was assuming anyway.
Thanks for the advice so far. 
I'm tending towards idea A now--aside from anything else it will give me a chance to improve my animation skillz.
Now, the FPS looked fine in LEGO: The Time Machine, it was just little animation issues that needed to be fixed. I wouldn't bother trying to experiment as well as film a movie at the same time, but that's me.
I shot The Time Machine at 10 FPS (I thought it was 15, but do to my editing program acting stupid it turned out to be 10). Now I'm trying to shoot at 15 FPS, but since I don't have a suitable direct frame-capture setup I basically have to shoot "blind" which means it often takes a long time to notice set bumps... and I don't have instant playback so it takes a lot longer to adjust the movements between frames. Also, I don't think I ever mentioned experimenting, but I would disagree--a lack of innovation makes films dull and same-ey. Of course, it would be counter-productive to do something extreme that could fail and waste a lot of time.
But, if you wanted some more exact advice, you could tell a specific person (such as me or another brickfilmer) the exact details of each of your ideas. That individual could then give you a better analysis of the two options and could probably advise you better.
And FlyingMinifig, if you need someone to talk to about your entry, I might be able to help. I don't know if I'm going to enter or not, since my original idea was pretty bad, but I might as well offer my services to others.
Thanks for the offers, I'll keep them in mind. Though, Squid, if you intend on entering this contest, I'm not sure how this would work out...
What prevents you from using a free program like MonkeyJam? What kind of camera do you use?
Nathan 1st of all hello
2nd, some cameras can't stream to computers. That might be his problem.
I use a pretty basic point-and-shoot digital camera. It's the Canon Digital Ixus 95IS. However, I think it isn't compatible with any frame-capture programs (it isn't compatible with any remote shutter releases).
I just animated and edited the third scene of my film which brought me to staying up until half past 4 in the morning. Yay.
The scene is actually executed quite well though in my opinion and I'm suddenly quite motivated to finish this. Let's hope I can speed animate those last scenes once I get home.
Also, being done with this scene means I could probably also enter BRAWL as well.
I use a pretty basic point-and-shoot digital camera. It's the Canon Digital Ixus 95IS. However, I think it isn't compatible with any frame-capture programs (it isn't compatible with any remote shutter releases).
I've got the Ixus 240HS. good for filming (1080p) but no connecting to animating programs
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