LEGOMATION+PROJECT

OBJECTIVE Create a stop motion film using a digital camera, legos or other movable toys and animating using Windows Movie Maker. **STEPS** **HOW TO VIDEOS**  Make Mouths move  Brick Film School Episode 1: Getting Started   Brick Film School Episode 2: Basic Lighting   Brick Film School Episode 3: Stop-Motion Cameras for Brick Animation   Brick Film School: Walking   Brick Film School Ideas   Editing using Windows Movie Maker
 * 1) Brainstorm ideas.
 * 2) Make your teams of 3-5 people
 * 3) Team members get their job descriptions
 * 4) Storyboard
 * 5) Set Background creation
 * 6) Props and character creation
 * 7) Set construction
 * 8) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Filming and lighting
 * 9) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Frame editing
 * 10) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Sound Effects
 * 11) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Character Voices
 * 12) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Mood Music during scenes
 * 13) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> []
 * 14) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> []
 * 15) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> []
 * 16) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Title, Credits and blooper video
 * 17) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Start working on your job.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Masking Tutorial (How to make Legos jump or Fly) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> []

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">**How to use Blue Screen or Chroma Keying using Windows Movie Maker** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> <TransitionsAndEffects Version="1.0" > <Transitions> <TransitionDLL guid="{C5B19592-145E-11D3-9F04-006008039E37}" > <Transition name="Bluescreen" iconid="12" comment="Makes first clip show through blue areas of second clip"> <Param name="KeyType" value="1"/> <Param name="Similarity" value="100"/> <Param name="Progress" value="0.0"/> </Transition> </TransitionDLL> </Transitions> </TransitionsAndEffects>

As before, first make sure you have a **C:\Program Files\Movie Maker\Shared\AddOnTFX** folder; if not create one. Copy the code above into Notepad (Start > All Programs > Accessories > Notepad) Save the file into **C:\Program Files\Movie Maker\Shared\AddOnTFX** as **bluescreen.xml**.

When you restart WMM, you should have a new transition called **Bluescreen**. To use it: 1) Put your background image (or clip) on the timeline first. Make sure it is longer than the clip to be "bluescreened". 2) Put the bluescreen video clip next (footage in front of a bluescreen). 3) Put the "Bluescreen" transition between the two. 4) Grab the left edge of the blue-screen transition and move it as far as possible to the left (but not all the way or you'll lose it).

When you view it, you'll see the background clip showing through the blue areas of the foreground clip. It will probably be necessary to save the movie and re-import it to remove the few extra frames at the beginning before the blue-screen transition starts.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">STORY BOARD
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">1. Create a simple storyboard of 4 to 8 pictures that will be the main story of your Legomation. 2. Keep the story board simple using stick “people”. (use as many copies as necessary) 3. The storyboard should also have the parts of the background that will be in motion, i.e. clouds. 4. Character dialog should be included

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">BACKGROUND
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">1. Choose a background that will be used throughout the entire story. 2. Create a background for the Legomation set using PhotoShop or Paint.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">PROPS
1. Collect and bring in props to be used on the set. Look at Chicken Run, Hatching of the Movie for ideas of using commonplace objects. 2. Make additional props to be used on the set.

CHARACTERS
1. For the Legomation, characters will be made out of Lego

Character Requirements:

 * 1) Fits the theme
 * 2) Characters are 3 to 4 inches tall or long
 * 3) Expressive facial features
 * 4) 3 to 4 colors
 * 5) Character is easily movable
 * 6) Character stays together throughout the unit
 * 7) Produce at least 2 characters

SET CONSTRUCTION
1. Set up the painting background 2. Attach any movable part(s) to the background ie, clouds, birds. 3. Arrange the props for filming 4. Place the characters in their beginning pose.

FILMING YOUR ANIMATION
1. Using a digital camera take a photo of your characters in the beginning pose. 2. Slightly move the characters and possible the movable background parts. 3. Again take a photo. 4. Continue this process to capture the story’s theme. 5. Approximately 30 photos or 2 minutes of video should be shot.

FRAME EDITING
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">**Background** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Changing the background of your frames can be done easily as long as you plan out your shot carefully. Lets start with erasing the background of a frame. To do this easily we need to film each frame against a background that has a uniform color that is different from you base or lego characters. Blue, yellow and white are good choices. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> **Mouth moving** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">To make a mouth move we will start with a picture like this one. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Next Open your Image editing software this can be PhotoShop, GIMP or Paint. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Use the Pen Tool to draw a mouth like shown save this image as A1.png <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Now using the A1.png draw another line above the first and call it <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">A2.png
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> We want to edit each individual frame as needed, these are the special effects of your film. I will show you how to edit the following:
 * 1) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Background
 * 2) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Mouth moving
 * 3) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Masking to erase rig

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Now using the A2.png draw another line above the first and call it <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">A3.png

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Now using the A3.png draw another line above the first and call it <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">A4.png



<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">These four images will be used to make the mouth move while the Lego talks.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Now you want to record your voice using the sound recorder <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">This is found by going to Start > All Programs > Accessories > Sound Recorder

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">After recording you voice save it as something that you can recognize like "you shall not pass"

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Open Windows Movie Maker 2.6 and import the sound drag the sound onto the Timeline. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Zoom in so you can see the highs and lows of the audio clip these are used to place the pictures for the mouth moving, <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">We want the mouth to look realistic so we will place the moving mouth frames/pictures only where the audio lines are high. We will place pictures A1,A2,A3 in that order wherever there is audio and place a1 only in the spots with dead audio or no line. We save A4 and place it in the spots where the audio line goes the highest.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Notice how the images line up with the audio track. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Test it to make sure it looks correct.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">EDITING
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">1. Using the program Microsoft Movie Maker- Connect the digital video camera and download film clips 2. Open new Project 3. Import pictures 4. Click and Drag clips down to the storyboard 5. Click onto the first frame; press the play button on the preview screen 6. To insert Title Frame <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">7. To insert Credits Frame <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">8. To edit clips: <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">9. Repeat this number 7 until all the unwanted sections are cut out of the timeline. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">10. You may press play and watch the whole video throughout this process as many times as you want or need.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Tool in the menu Bar, choose add title and credits. Choose Title. Change the font and color by the corresponding icons. Make the title larger. You may also change the background color.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Change the Title Animation
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;"> Tool in the menu Bar, choose add title and credits. Choose Credits.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">In the top rectangle: Type: Created By, Produced By, or something you come up with.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">The boxes on the left will be in Large Font and the boxes on the right will be a small font. This is where you type Characters by: Joe P. (no last names) etc.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">List all the Characters in your film. Say Starring Jimmy Gummy bear, Legoman etc.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;"> Select the Timeline view
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Preview Window: Press play and the desired spot to “cut” the clip press the pause button- you may rewind the clip to the perfect spot if you do not press pause fast enough.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Press the CUT button
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Press play to continue to the end of this section that is to be cut.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Press pause to stop and press the CUT button again.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">On the timeline, click onto the “Cut” clip section to select it. Right click and select Cut from the menu. The section is gone.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Helpful Hints: <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">To speed up movie clips:
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;"> In Storyboard, Click on a video clip-choose Video Effects
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">On the bottom is a choice: Speed up Double. Click on this. You may do this many times to speed up the clip. You must repeat this for each clip.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Music and voice-overs are to be added at this time.

 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> [|Eyes Download]
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> [|Mouth Download]
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> [|Spongbob Example]
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Choose tools on the Menu Bar
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Choose Audio Level
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Slide the Audio Bar to the Far Right
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Click OK

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">To Add Voice Overs

 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;"> Plug in the Microphone in the front jack
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">In TimeLine, Click on the Microphone Icon
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Press Start Recording and begin your voice over
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Press Stop Recording when you are done
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">Save
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">You can also get the same effect by Narrating the time line

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">FINAL PROCEDURES and PRESENTATION
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">**Save As Movie** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">1. All projects will be transferred to a DVD or USB drive

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">REQUIREMENTS
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> **__Title and Credit's__ .......................**10 points <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> Movie name with Logo.............1 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> Storyboard Design....................1 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> Background Design...................1 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> Character Voices......................1 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> Director....................................1 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> Filming......................................1 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> Frame Editing............................1 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> Special Effects...........................1 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> Set Construction........................1 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> Company Name........................1
 * 1 || **Storyboard** || 25 Total ||
 * || 4-8 Storyboard pictures match the movie || 10 ||
 * || Storyboard dialog || 5 ||
 * || Storyboard materials all listed || 5 ||
 * || Page, Date, Project Name and Project Team all listed || 5 ||
 * 2 || **Set Construction** || 25 Total ||
 * || Background || 10 ||
 * || Ground || 5 ||
 * || 3D Props || 5 ||
 * || Characters in first pose || 5 ||
 * 3 || **Frame filming** || 10 Total ||
 * || 30+ Frames || 5 ||
 * || Use of good lighting || 5 ||
 * 4 || **Movie Editing Using Windows Movie Maker** || 25 Total ||
 * || Frames in correct order || 5 ||
 * || Unwanted lines erased using PhotoShop || 5 ||
 * || Dialog or narration matches frames || 5 ||
 * || Movement seamless without jumps || 10 ||
 * 5 ||
 * || **Total Points** || 125 ||
 * || Movement seamless without jumps || 10 ||
 * 5 ||
 * || **Total Points** || 125 ||
 * || **Total Points** || 125 ||