The LEGO Animation Book: Make Your Own LEGO Movies!

by David Pagano, David Pickett

Overview

Have you ever wondered what your LEGO creations would look like on the big screen? The LEGO Animation Book will show you how to bring your models to life with stop-motion animation—no experience required! Follow step-by-step instructions to make your first animation, and then explore the entire filmmaking process, from storyboards to post-production.

Along the way, you’ll learn how to:
–Create special effects like explosions and flying minifigures
–Convey action and emotion with your minifigure actors
–Design sets for animation—make three buildings look like an entire city!
–Light, frame, and capture consistent photos
–Add detail and scope to your films by building in different scales
–Build camera dollies and rigs out of LEGO bricks
–Choose cameras, software, and other essential animation tools

Dive into the world of animation and discover a whole new way to play!

For ages 10+

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781593277413
Publisher:	No Starch Press
Publication date:	10/16/2016
Pages:	216
Sales rank:	359,393
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	1030L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 Years

About the Author

David Pagano is a LEGO animator and writer and the founder of Paganomation, a NY-based production studio. His work has appeared everywhere from BrickJournal to the Wall Street Journal.
David Pickett is the LEGO filmmaker behind BRICK 101 and Nightly News at Nine. Together, they run the LEGO animation blog The Set Bump.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Chapter 1: The Basics
Chapter 2: Animation the Minifigure
Chapter 3: Animation Principles
Chapter 4: Building for Brickfilms
Chapter 5: Working in Different Scales
Chapter 6: Tools of the Trade
Chapter 7: The Creative Process
Chapter 8: Cinematography and Production
Chapter 9: Post-Production
Conclusion

Editorial Reviews

Aspiring LEGO stop-motion filmmakers need look no further: this is the book that will launch your career…or at least give you a good beginning.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Ever since the release of The LEGO Movie, I’ve wondered how I could create my own stop-motion videos with my ever-growing LEGO collection. Thanks to the genius minds of David Pagano and David Pickett, I had the opportunity to learn with The LEGO Animation Book.”
—Rory Bristol, GeekDad

“This is an excellent book that covers everything from cameras and software to animating minifigures, building sets and post-production.”
—Brickset

“As a LEGO fan I can say that this book is one of the coolest things I have read on the craft of playing with LEGO— it is highly recommended!”
—The School Librarian

“The whole way through there is excellent imagery to support the text and methodology behind how to create and produce your very own brickfilm. It is great if you are starting from scratch for the very first time, although that’s not to say that a seasoned pro wouldn’t learn a thing or two from these guys.”
—Brick Fanatics

“Creating a Brickfilm can seem like a tricky affair, but the book's authors make it really easy to get started. We look forward to seeing what’s next from No Starch Press, not to mention all these great new Brickfilms born out of this great book.”
—The Bricks Fans

“Overall, if you have a passion for making LEGO stop-motion videos but don’t know where to begin, The LEGO Animation Book is a great starting point...If you’ve already made some videos before but want to hone in on some aspects that you want to improve on, this book is also a good resource to have in your library.”
—The Brick Fan

“Whether you have just started or already have some experience making brick films, The LEGO Animation Book is a must have tool to take your stop-motion efforts to the next level.”
—Hispabrick Magazine

“Everything is awesome with this book that teaches basic animation principles, acting methods for minifigures and tips for creating sets and special effects.”
—The Maker Mom

“The LEGO Animation Book is enthusiastically recommended for dedicated LEGO fans from ages 8 to 88 and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal and community library collections.”
—Midwest Book Review

"The book is about 8 x 8 inches – the perfect size for a handy manual. The soft cover and the pages are all very high quality, with bold and brilliant color images, and nice big text. Flipping through the book the first time, you know it is going to be good."
—The Brick Blogger

"The LEGO Animation Book is perfect if you’re just starting with LEGO stop-motion or stop-motion animation at all. More advanced readers may also find clever pointers, suggestions and ideas."
—Ninja Brick

From the Publisher