If you are new to brickfilms, then you may be thinking how on earth do I create one!? While this page is by no means the definitive guide on how to make a brickfilm, it is meant to give you a few pointers on what to do and ways to improve your skills.
General Tips[]
If you already know how to Brickfilm and just want some tips on ways to improve then the Tips and Tricks page is the one for you! Another good place for general advice is to visit one of the online Brickfilming Communities.
Pre-Production[]
Before you make a brickfilm, you'll really need to plan out what you're going to do.
Scripting[]
Scripting is the process of writing out what your characters will say and do. You can also add things such as how the camera is positioned. Scripting is important so you know what you are animating and also useful for anyone that is helping you make your brickfilm.
Storyboarding[]
Storyboards are drawings of how the scene will look and what characters will say and do. This is usful for knowing how to position your characters and camera.
Voice recording[]
Before actually beginning to animate some brickfilmers like to record all of the voices for their characters. This means that they can time their animation perfectly to match their film's character's lines and also get an idea of what their characters sound like which could possibly have an effect on how they move. A free program that is popular with brickfilmers for recording sounds is Audacity.
Choosing a camera[]
There are many types of cameras to choose from. A common one is a webcam. You can pretty much use any camera as long as you can import your images to the computer. When looking for a camera for brickfilming you should consider its range of focus, settings and manual focus vs auto focus. Although many people are fine with auto focus on a camera, taking the route of buying a manual camera is the better choice to most because it allows for techniques such as pull focus and having focus changes during shots.
Production[]
Setting up[]
For you begin animating you need to create a set (or multiple sets) for your film. A good series of tutorials about set building for brickfilms (especially with limited LEGO bricks supplies) by the brickfilming 'legend' Nathan Wells can be found on YouTube here.
Before animating you also need to consider lighting, your camera set-up and whether you are going to use any Frame Capturing Software or not.
Filming[]
Assuming you have have already chosen a camera it is time to begin animating!
Animating
Post-Production[]
Editing[]
Video Effects[]
Sound Effects[]
I have found that soundbible.com has worked quite good for me
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Final[]
Sharing your videos[]
One of the greatest joys of brickfilming is sharing your completed works with others. The most popular place to do so at present is of course YouTube, however the popularity of this video sharing website means that your brickfilm (however good) can often become buried among millions of other videos. As a result of this problem many brickfilmers choose to share their videos on brickfilming communities such as Bricks In Motion which has a dedicated directory section. By opting to share your video on a brickfilming specific website you can benefit from constructive criticism and tips from some of the current 'experts' at brickfilming.
Another way you can share your videos is by entering an increasing amount of Brickfilming Competitions and Festivals - from these you can publicize your film as well be in the running to win prizes.
Sources[]
http://www.builderbrothersstudios.webs.com/Animation%20Guide.html