Topic: Brickfilm of the Week: Dr. Jobs & his Scary Laboratory (Feb 27, 2015)
This week’s Brickfilm of the Week is Dr. Jobs and his Scary Laboratory by Fumitaka Anzai.
Brickfilming is, like LEGO itself, an international phenomenon. Our beloved plastic bricks transcend international borders and language barriers with ease, and we’ve seen brickfilms and brickfilmers from around the world. However, while we’ve seen plenty of brickfilms from North America, Europe and Oceania, we’ve essentially seen no brickfilms from Asia. Dr. Jobs and his Scary Laboratory by Fumitaka Anzai is an exception. Released in 2005, this brickfilm caused a stir thanks to its impressive visual effects and extremely smooth animation that essentially had never before been achieved with LEGO. While Fumitaka Anzai did post this film on Brickfilms.com, he was not an active member, and very little is known about him.
Watch Dr. Jobs and his Scary Laboratory on YouTube
SPOILERY DISCUSSION BELOW!
Dr. Jobs and his Scary Laboratory is a fun film reminiscent of Saturday Morning Cartoons and every “inventor uses a Rube Goldberg machine to make breakfast” scene in every 90s movie. Its use of lighting and sound creative an immersive world, and it’s slow pace builds tension until it's released in an amusing sequence. This 5-minute film is actually listed as “Part 1,” and while a part 2 has never been completed, Fumitaka Anzai released a 13-minute rough cut that includes part 1 and a soundless part 2, which gives fascinating insight into his filmmaking process, including the use of rigs and (apparent) custom-printed faces.
What are your thoughts on Dr. Jobs and his Scary Laboratory? What did you like about it? What did you think of the visual effects and sound design? Did you have a favorite moment?