.png)
Stop motion newbies usually love to start making brickfilm or ©LEGO stop motion videos.
And it is completely understandable.
You learn how to animate stop motion through a constant trial and error, so working with something as handy and fun as a ©LEGO puppet definitely makes the process easier.
However, you should still be ready to face some common challenges.
Although, animating a stop motion ©LEGO video is very easy, beginners usually keep making the following mistakes:
-Inconsistent lighting
-Camera shake
-Not enough frames
Wanna learn how to make a ©LEGO stop motion video like a pro?
Let’s start going through the basics:
1. Ideas
Needless to say, you first need to come up with an idea before you take the leap and start animating your stop motion video for the first time.
So start thinking about a first concept and write an outline.
Remember: the simpler the idea is, the more time you’ll have to explore the art form and learn how to animate with stop motion properly.
Having just one or two characters and sets to start with is also beneficial so that you don’t spend too much time building up your ©LEGO set.
Can’t come up with an idea for your stop motion brickfilm?
Head over to youtube, there are tons of them!
Here’s an example:
2. Set, puppets and materials
Your set will have to be big enough for your camera not to get anything else in the frame, especially if you don’t have a wide range of zoom lenses.
Your set can be made 100% out of ©LEGO, a real-life set, a painted background, or a combination of the three.
Unlike a common claymation stop motion film, a ©LEGO or brickfilm would be so much easier for you to set.
For instance, your puppets would come as they are, and building your scenario won’t take you longer than 1 or 2 hours (unless your film is set in a pirate ship or something as crazy, and cool, as that)
You just need to create your props and transform that space into your preferred story setting.
When it comes to your ©LEGO Minifigures you can get them at any toy store or even Amazon.
3. Frame rate
As you might already know, this is how stop motion works:
Stop your puppet +Take a frame +Repeat again + Play it back and Voila! You would have created the illusion of motion
The normal frame rate for a professional stop motion production is 24 frames (pictures) per second.
However, you can make your stop motion animation work with as little as 8 frames per second.
It won’t look as smooth as if you were doing 24 or at least 12 frames per second but you will still create an illusion of movement.
Before you start animating your brickfilm you’ll need to decide how many frames or pictures per second you would like to capture.
Check out the following video to understand how your frame rate will affect your stop motion video:
4. Camera and Lighting
You’ll need to secure your camera so it doesn’t move. Get your DSLR camera or phone into a tripod and use dutch tape to secure then into the ground or to a surface.
After that cover your windows completely so that no natural light gets through them and set your lights in a triangle shape. This is a standard lighting set up:
Sourced from Biteable. 3 point lighting system.
Your lights will also need to be steady and you’ll have to remember to avoid getting in their way while you shoot.
Once everything’s in place check how your frame looks in your camera preview and make any changes before starting with your stop motion animation.
Just to make your life a bit easier I have written a series of articles that explain these topics individually.
5. Stop motion software
Use any stop motion animation software that allows you to make variable “frame per second-time settings”
If you want to see a full guide on this subject, head over to my article on “ Best 7 stop motion animation software in 2020”
Make sure your software suits your level of expertise, devices, and needs.
A stop motion software will help you keep track of your production.
This means you’ll be able to check every single frame you take and play your animation back in order to spot your mistakes.
You will also be able to correct them before going further with your ©LEGO animation.
But the best part is, with some of them you could even incorporate sound and visual effects into your film!
6. Making your stop motion ©LEGO film
There are several stop motion ©LEGO techniques you can master to create your brickfilm.
If you head over to youtube, you’ll find an endless list of tutorials that will help you create cool tricks such as “ease in-ease out”, making your Minifigure walk, or even making ©LEGO waves.
Here is an example:
But before you consider learning these awesome tricks you should gain some experience with stop motion.
This is how you make a stop motion video:
-You set up your camera and character
-Pause your puppet and take a picture.
-Move your puppet and take another picture.
-You then repeat this process up to 24 times per second
-When you play those pictures back in sequence the character moves.
But of course nothing’s as easy as it sounds and you will have to learn through trial and error.
Follow my 7 top stop motion tricks and your ©LEGO brickfilm will shine.
Keep it steady
Shoot in manual and check that your camera is always in focus.
Secure your camera in a sturdy tripod to avoid shaking.
Don’t touch your camera
Use a remote shutter release to take your frames. Do not touch your camera as you shoot since your frames will shake if you do so.
Use a battery adapter power cable to prevent your camera from running out of batteries and having the same issue.
Keep your lighting consistent
Wear dark clothes
Use artificial lighting and cover your windows.
Watch your frame rate
Capture at least 1 frame per movement
Take at least 8 frames per second. Remember that for better results 12 or 24 frames per second will be best.
Remember to shoot extra time at the beginning and end of a stop motion scene. It will give you more editing options.
For a more detailed guide check “ 7 stop motion beginners mistakes and how to avoid them”.
7. Edit your Brickfilm
So you have finished shooting your ©LEGO film.
Now what?
Take your frames or finished film into an editing software and add additional effects (like sound or music) or transitions (fades in and out or opening and finishing credits and title).
If you are making your ©LEGO film with a stop motion animation software you might be able to edit your film there.
Not to worry if you’ve not used a stop motion software either.
There’s a simple way to convert your frames into a scene using an editing software.
You usually just need to put your pictures into their timeline, select and right-click on them and then click on the option “Nest”.
You will then need to transform those 8/12 or 24 pictures into 1 second by right-clicking on “Speed” and amending the sequence time frame.
If you notice your animation is not working exactly as you were expecting this might be due to an error during the shoot (i.e not taking enough frames per second).
But again, this is not the end of the world, change your sequence speed and you’ll be fine.
Remember to be creative and explore exciting possibilities.
Above all be patient and have fun!
-Ana