LEGO Stop
Motion Animation
A Project by Noah Stobbe
Stop Motion
Animation
Stop motion animation is animating with individual
photos as frames. To make stop motion, one would
take a picture with one’s camera, move an object in
front of the camera, and take another picture. This
process is repeated over and over to make a video.
3-D Stop Motion
Three-dimensional stop motion is mostly
done with inanimate objects. These
objects are often small metal armatures
coated in clay, or plastic LEGO
minifigures.
Basic Laws of
Stop Motion
Keep a consistent lighting. Always try to
use a higher frame rate than 7 frames
per second. Never, ever bump the
camera or set!
Why Use LEGO?
Lego is made with a very high-quality plastic. It’s
pretty durable. Unlike clay structures, minifigures
are not likely to break at the slightest touch. The
average four-stud square LEGO brick can hold up
to 950 pounds before it is crushed!
Varying
Preferences
Some LEGO animators shoot their characters
standing on the traditional LEGO studded
platforms because they hold characters and
props still; others like to have a flat surface
instead because there are more options for
movement.
Clay Animating
Surface
The Brotherhood Workshop animators like to animate on a
clay surface because it holds the characters down while
still giving a full range of allowance for motion. This option
can damage your LEGO collection, but not all animators
care as much as I do about the sanitation of their LEGO.
Good Enough
The idea for stop motion is to make a sequence ‘good
enough’ to satisfy yourself and move on to another
sequence. Too much or too little perfectionism can be a
drawback. You don’t have to animate a sequence over and
over until it’s perfect, but you should still fix your larger
mistakes if you need to.