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How to Make LEGO Films

Stop motion animation is a process by which individual pictures are strung together to give the illusion of motion. These pictures are taken one at a time and then brought into a video editing program and pushed together. LEGO products can be used to create these stop motion films. With a camera and the proper software, you can make LEGOs look as if they were moving around, talking to each other or building things.

Things You'll Need

  • Digital Camera
  • USB Cable
  • Video Editing Software, such as Windows Movie Maker or IMovie
  • Tripod (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Mount your camera on a tripod if you have one. If not, put the camera on a flat surface facing the workspace where you will put your LEGO pieces.

    • 2

      Arrange your LEGO pieces for your first set-up, or how you would like them to first appear. Take the first picture with your camera.

    • 3

      Move the pieces very slightly to begin your animation. Your animation will have between 8-16 frames per second, meaning each picture represents about .1 second. For example, move one character's leg a little bit if you want him to move in the film. Take a picture after you have moved your pieces.

    • 4

      Continue moving the pieces, taking a picture after one move them. Take as many pictures as you wish until your animation is complete.

    • 5

      Load your pictures onto your computer. Plug your USB cable into your camera and into your computer. Drag the pictures from your camera into a folder on your computer.

    • 6

      Open your video editing software. Drag your photos into a new project. Take each photo and drag each photo into your timeline. Define your duration for each picture as .125 seconds. This will give you eight frames per second. If you would like more frames per second for smoother animation, change the duration to a time that is less than this.

    • 7

      Add sound effects or voice recordings to your movie. Once you are finished, export the video by clicking "File" then "Export." Save your movie file and share it with friends.

Film Production

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