Animation and bricks

Today I'm talking about animation.

One of the things I’ve always had an love of is animation. From my early days I’ve watched all sorts, anything I could watch. Of course, like many, my first true loves came from Disney and Warner Brothers.

So it shouldn’t be any surprise that as I grew thoughts of becoming an animator entered my mind.

I had signed up for an animation course through the National Film Board to be taught at their main street animation studio. Of course, a week before it was to begin, I wound up getting a job as a welder. The course was to be held evenings and the job was an evening shift position. I was devastated.

The idea of animation kinda went away for awhile. I had books of course, but life and personal bad habits kept me from affording the materials I would need to begin.

Like I couldn’t afford some round doweling and didn’t already own a hole punch. But it had to be perfect don’t you know.

There was also the belief that I would fail if I put myself out so why try? Right?

Flash forward about twenty years and technology has caught up.

Enter LEGO.

Yes. Childrens building blocks. A child's toy. Tiny bricks of pain and hurting (when stepped on in the middle of the night. Or really at any time.)

LEGO.

I had come across a toy at a local store that had poseable stick men that you could use to pose against a green screen, included as part of the box. I figured it could be a good gift for the kids, teach them stop motion animation, something to keep them busy. So I started looking into it, seeing what stop motion apps were available and one of the first that I came across was LEGO's proprietary stop motion app. That led me to think, I still have all my old LEGO, I had given it to my step-son, so why not look into it.

I had come across LEGO animations before and many of them are amazing. Check out The Desert Soldier by Jordan Tseng above. Then visit his Blogger page. He doesn't just use LEGO to make his stop motion creations. He's made animations using a variety of toys. And he's young. And I hate him a little.

So I figured I would give it a shot. Here's a test animation I did of a LEGO figure walking,

I have some ideas for a series of animations. I just need to get at it and continue to practice animation. I'll keep you updated as I make progress.

~Brother K'Bob