BRICKSTUDIO FILMS
BRICKFILMS, MOCS AND MORE!
About Brickstudio Films
Brickstudio Films is a YouTube channel dedicated to publishing monthly brickfilms and sometimes a modular building in between. I currently animate at 10 frames per second with my phone as a camera. My equipment includes 4 desk lamps, my computer with Stopmotion Studio Pro for animating, and Final Cut Pro for editing and effects.
Frequently Asked Questions
What programs do you use?
While animating I use my phone as a camera and control and record each frame with my computer using Stop Motion Studio Pro to connect the two devices. Once I have all the footage ready I use Final Cut Pro to edit and put everything together. This is where I do most of my work including transitions, titles, SFX, inserting audio, etc. For audio I use audacity to record when necessary and to change the audio to my needs.
What do you use to animate?
I use my iPhone 6s Plus as a camera and my 2015 MacBook Pro to edit the videos. For voices I use a Blue Yetti microphone.
What made you start this channel?
Actually many reasons! I have always loved watching videos by other animators and wanted to make my figures come to life too. Ever since I got my first Lego set, I always wished that my figures were living. At first I thought making Lego animations was going to be difficult and too time consuming for me. But I soon realized it was fun and definatly worth it!
What do you make?
I have a lot of different things to offer!
Where do you get your audio from?
When looking for a sound for my videos I usualy go to freesound.org or soundbible. If I can't find anything there I will get it from Final Cut Pro, my editing software. Finnaly if none of those scouces have the right sound effect I will record it myself and enhance it using audacity. The same goes for voices.
Where do you get all of your bricks from?
My favorite place to go for parts that I need quickly is bricklink. As long as you order domestic the package should come within a week, which is much better than ordering from pick-a-brick which can take up to 2 months, usualy one month. Pick-a-brick is another option, while it takes really long and you have much less variety, sometimes the parts can be cheeper, it's more reliable than bricklink sellers, and you can get a VIP discount which only certain bricklink sellers have. For custom prints (including my MOCs and figure) I use my own decal paper to put on the bricks
How do you keep your city clean?
I use a few products.
Brickfilming History of Brickstudio Films
I started in early 2016 with a minifigure test, then I made a story of two people's adventures in the mountains. Later that year I tried making a Lego school brickfilm but realized that I didn't have a proper camera, lighting system, enough lego bricks, or space to film. That was when I gave up and forgot about brickfilming for about 6 months. Finally in December that year, I got a proper camera and all the necessary equipment for filming, and got to work setting up my channel.
NikBrick and Brickstudio Films
Channel Information
NikBrick
NikBrick is the second channel of the Brickstudio Films brand which includes videos about what will be on the main channel in the near future. New videos every Saturday at 9:00 am EST
This channel includes the following content:
1. More MOC videos (smaller MOCs like gear I made for making videos will be featured here)
2. Work-in-progress MOC videos (including time-lapsed videos of building them)
3. storytimes
4. lego accessory (3rd party products) reviews
5. installing lights in the city
6. city updates (small changes, lights, new building, etc.)
Brickstudio Films
Brickstudio Films, the main channel, makes one brickfilm (a lego stop motion video) every single month and sometimes a MOC video in between. Expect new videos Every month at 3:pm EST
This channel includes the following content:
1. Brickfilms
2. MOCs
3. Occasionally storytime videos (mostly on NikBrick)
4. channel updates when necessary
5. Special events (ie. Falcon Heavy launch)
My First Brickfilms
Minifigure Test
This was my very first brickfilm. I used my computer camera for this as I had no other source, then put it together and edited it in iMovie
Mountain Brickfilm
This was my second brickfilm. I was unable to control light flicker or camera movement as all I had was my lego collection, my computer, and a camera for this. The camera was neither secured to the ground nor had a remote function, forcing me to press the button for each photo.
Lego School
This unfinished brickfilm was the first one that would have had a little more plot and a story to it. When I was making this I realized that I just did not have enough space on the table I was filming on, or the bricks to make more sets, so I abandoned this and all my other plans for brickfilming until I could get the supplies.
My First Creations
The images below show some of my first large lego projects
Old Church
This was the first lego building other than a house that I built.
Tall House
I was inspired to build this after I saw a similar house on TV. It consists of a garden below an elevated house.
Lego Mansion
This was a fairly large build for what I was used to at the time so I decided to build a lot of accessories into it. This building included a swimming pool on the roof, a chandelier, and a garage door that could fold and retract into the garage.
Lego Airplane and airport
This airplane was one of the largest lego vehicles, as well as lego projects I made at that time. If you look closely you can see that I tried to write "Lego Airlines" on the sides. It contained a large cargo bay, retractable landing gear- with the front one being able to turn- and 4 doors. It also had fully functional ailerons, elevator, and rudder.
Pizzaria
This may not be the oldest building on this list but it is the only one that has survived to this day. About every year I would add on to it in some way up until a couple of years ago. I will make a video on the latest design soon.
City Bistro
This was not an early creation but it still deserves a place on this list as it was my first lego Ideas project.