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Bricks in Motion
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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Holy Crap, that was actually very touching. You gotta tell her man!
While I can't exactly compare to Dave's epic story, which I very much hope turns out well, here's what i've got. Tell me what you think, I'm going through some issues with this.
First off, I'd like to note that i have an extremely mild form of OCD that runs in one side of my family. Associated with it are certain things I do when I'm nervous, like stuttering and shaking of my hands. I don't really notice the hand shaking, but my friends do, and if I shake a lot, people become curious. It can be embarrassing at times, because it's such an obvious tell. It has an effect on my confidence.
Anyway, off to my story.
So, I've like this girl for some time now. I've had a few previous endeavors, which pretty much failed due to nervousness/ confidence. I was going to ask her out, didn't, in a little incident where people made it hard. It's easy to make me visibly nervous, and people take advantage of that. Whether it is in good fun or not, I don't enjoy it.
For Easter break, a bunch of people from my class are going to Palm Springs, a pretty popular vacation place in California. It's a 2 hour drive, so it's easy. I was sort of sad, because there was a chance I couldn't go, since I'm going camping the three days before I head off to Palm Springs. Now that I'm going, I'm really nervous. Really. Nervous. It's like... I think about it, my hand shakes. Why?
Girl+Pools= Oh, Christ...
So, now that I'm paranoid about going, I'm not sure what I'll do... I hope I'll adjust. Whatcha think?
Ouch. 
NJSJ wrote:Every girl at my school thinks I'm weird because I like LEGO
Happens buddy. My advice is just not to mention it. That's what I did for when I went into secondary school. No one has since I started back in September 2007 and probably never will know.
I'm telling you, this isn't possible. At least not for me, now that I'm majoring in film. Every conversation I have about my major and/or interest in film goes something like this:
FRIEND
What is your major?ME
Film.FRIEND
Oh, neat, you like making movies?ME
Yeah, I've made a few short films and stuff before.FRIEND
Yeah? Like, with actors and everything? Who do you get to act in your movies?ME
Well, actually, I make animated movies.FRIEND
Oh, like cartoons? Neat.ME
Well, yeah, kind of. Stop-motion animation.FRIEND
What's stop-motion?ME
It's where you take a bunch of still-images to make a movie, like Chicken Run or Wallace and Gromit.FRIEND
Oh! You make clay-mation movies! That must take forever!ME
Well, yeah, kind of...and yeah, it takes a fair amount of time.FRIEND
So you make all your sets and models with clay and everything?ME
Oh, no, I use other kinds of models.FRIEND
What kind of models?ME
Uh...figurines.(FRIEND looks slightly less excited at this notion)
FRIEND
Oh...like action figures?ME
Well, no, not action figures. I actually use LEGO bricks and minifigures. But it's not quite as silly as it sounds!FRIEND
Ah...well, that's neat...see you later.ME
Yeah.
I will say that not everyone is taken aback by it, and they generally have more respect for it once they see some of the videos. In high school I was probably better known for music stuff (marching band, competitive solo contests, etc.) but I didn't try to hide the whole brickfilming thing, I entered my movies into local high school festivals and there was a little article in my high school newspaper about it.
[SNIP]
I will say that not everyone is taken aback by it, and they generally have more respect for it once they see some of the videos. In high school I was probably better known for music stuff (marching band, competitive solo contests, etc.) but I didn't try to hide the whole brickfilming thing, I entered my movies into local high school festivals and there was a little article in my high school newspaper about it.
I had a conversation very, very similar. Fortunately, they were pretty enthusiastic! 
Last edited by ImperialScouts (March 8, 2009 (12:02am))
Yeah. Friends who already know me always think it's neat. It's important to emphasize the filmmaking aspect and deemphasize the LEGO aspect, at least for me; it was never chiefly about the LEGO for me anyway. I'm not sure how some of the more avid AFOLs here, like Nathan Wells, would cope with this, though.
Thanks so much, guys. Your comments have really encouraged me. Not sure if I'll tell her too soon, but the notion is becoming increasingly more friendly.
As for you, LegoShark... you've got nothing to worry about, man. Sure, pools and girls together can be a deadly combination for us guys. Whether it's a matter of "am I hot enough?" or "Damn, she is absolutely gorgeous... better not stare too much," pools are a disaster case for plenty of fellas. The only advice that I can give you is that for most girls, confidence is the single most attractive thing. If a guy can be proud of himself and act confident, regardless of if it's real or forced, it's a strong turn-on. And besides, you're spending what, 4 or 5 hours max by the pool? Psh. Just think of how soon it'll be over, and you can be in your element, just hanging out at night, getting dinner or something.
Seriously, just take a few deep breaths, make some internal jokes about the situation, and instead of psyching yourself out about it, sit back and distract yourself, either by just relaxing and having fun, or by laughing at the really weird lookin' guy across the pool in a speedo. People are hard on themselves. They see each other every day, and notice imperfections that people don't usually see, and by paying attention to it, they wind up highlighting them to other people.
I think you'll be fine, LS. Just breathe and keep it real. You're gonna be the stud-o-da pool. I know it, haha.
GOOD LUCK, man!
-Dave
I used to get made fun of for playing with LEGO, but brickfilming saved me, as I'm known (positively) for it.
Hey, you make any more of those lego movies?
Hey, I watched your stuff on youtube
Ooh, show him the lego thing
Like that.
For a bunch of us, there's still hope.
I've never gotten any negative attention for being a fan of LEGO, I usually get positive stuff when people see it. They see the stuff on my shelves and ask me where I bought it, and I tell them which ones I built and which I bought, and they're usually impressed
Edit: I've never really thought of it that way, but Dave's point about confidence couldn't be any more true. Just being confident is a great value to have and will really improve your social status, just as long as you're not full of it 
Last edited by Riley (March 8, 2009 (08:19am))
I try not to mention the animations. Hell, I didnt even tell one of my closest freinds I made them untill a month ago (by accident)
-MRB
Yeah, in high school, I typically didn't mention the Brickfilming. I pursued live-action filming and some paper animation on the side, so I could actually show people my work without being slightly ashamed.
-Dave
Actually, Philip, I've noticed an interesting phenomenon while in college. When someone manages to convince me to tell them what I do as a hobby, they always think it is incredibly cool, especially after they've seen the films. I've even become comfortable to announcing it to an entire class when we're asked to introduce ourselves. I'm now known as "The LEGO guy" in my art class. I think it has to do with the (relative) maturity that college life brings. People in college left LEGO behind when they entered high school, and now that they are in college, they look back at LEGO fondly, instead of thinking "Ick, I'm too old for TOYS". When they see what can be done with their favorite childhood toy, they are amazed. This goes for brickfilming and LEGO model-making in general. Informing them that I was hired by the LEGO company helps a lot too, and also that I contribute to an extremely popular LEGO-related blog also helps.
At least that's my experience.
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