Bricks in Motion
We are a friendly filmmaking community devoted to the art of stop-motion animation using LEGO® and similar construction toys. Here, you can share your work, join our community of other brickfilmers, and participate in periodic animation contests!
A place to discuss, share, and create stop motion films.
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Oh, I see.
Well, I've already written a plan for my non-judged 2015 film. Anyone else got an idea of what they might do?
I think I've got a pretty good idea. 
All I can say at the moment is that it's going to be a narrated sort of clip.
I've been looking at the idea for a while and managed to write a short part/clip of the movie. It's ideal for this competition I think and hopefully I can continue with the project and release it afterwards.
I just want to clarify something.
I currently don't have a way to post pictures on BiM, so could I participate in the contest without posting production photos?
Just join Flickr, or use another free image-uploading service. Then you can copy the image's URL and paste it in the
[ img ] [ /img ]
brackets (minus the spaces), and it will post the image.
Last edited by Mr Vertigo (January 3, 2014 (01:55pm))
Oh alright. Thanks!
This looks cool, I think I will join the fun
Sounds like a great idea for a content, I may well join in. Just to clarify, the submission can be either a segment of the film, or a trailer for it?
You should ask a admin to move this to the Contest & Festivals Forum.
Last edited by Rockydude411 (January 4, 2014 (02:05pm))
You should ask a admin to move this to the Contest & Festivals Forum.
As far as my knowledge goes, Jampot was merely sharing an idea for a contest he thought about starting. I don't think he ever said it was official yet. But hey, I could be wrong. I don't know...
Yup, it's official. I've changed the title so it's no longer an idea, so it really should be moved to Contests and Festivals.
@Jayem, you're absolutely right - segment of a film, or a trailer for it.
There could be requirements like in THAC - a theme, or an item that must appear somewhere etc. Nothing too limiting, though.
Well is there gonna be one or not?
Cool contest! Not quite sure I could enter (or at least until summertime), but I see you're in need of judges. I'd be happy to judge if you're still in need of some. Are there any qualifications of any sort?
Last edited by LASF (January 10, 2014 (03:22pm))
no theme, no MOD element
Cool contest! While I probably wouldn't be able to enter, I see you're in need of judges. I'd be happy to judge if you're still in need of some. Are there any qualifications of any sort?
You'll need to be prepared to watch all the entries, read the synopses and production logs etc, which could take some time to go through depending on how many people enter. That's only to be expected though 
What I might also ask of you is to read a sheet that I'll be preparing some time in the year. It'll just explain what we're looking for, and it'll include how a blockbuster is structured, a little bit on demographics and mass audience appeal. Stuff like that. That's important to know, since a brickbuster is what the entrants will try to achieve.
Remember, if you're a judge you can still make a brickbuster (if you get the time in the summer) but it won't be entered for a prize or a place.
Last edited by jampot (January 11, 2014 (02:48am))
LASF wrote:Cool contest! While I probably wouldn't be able to enter, I see you're in need of judges. I'd be happy to judge if you're still in need of some. Are there any qualifications of any sort?
You'll need to be prepared to watch all the entries, read the synopses and production logs etc, which could take some time to go through depending on how many people enter. That's only to be expected though
What I might also ask of you is to read a sheet that I'll be preparing some time in the year. It'll just explain what we're looking for, and it'll include how a blockbuster is structured, a little bit on demographics and mass audience appeal. Stuff like that. That's important to know, since a brickbuster is what the entrants will try to achieve.
Remember, if you're a judge you can still make a brickbuster (if you get the time in the summer) but it won't be entered for a prize or a place.
I am prepared to do all of that. 
Besides, even if I wasn't a judge, I'd go through and watch all the entries and such anyways.
Also, I may still enter (even if I don't get a prize if I become a judge) when I get time since this contest seems so fun!
I was rereading the rules again and
A plot synopsis. Somewhere around 60 words, and no spoilers.
A full plot outline. Word count to be established later, though it should really be about 600 words (as you get on sites like Wikipedia.
Is this really nessasary? Especially since the entries will be a fake trailer or a part of a film.
I'm having a hard time deciding on whether I should make a trailer or a segment of a film. I think I will come up with a story first and then work my way from there.
Is the true purpose of this contest to make an 'epic', sort of over the top action-packed brickbuster, or should we try to make our film have a good story? Perhaps combine the two and get a good mixture of the two?
I suppose I've already answered myself, but my true question was this: what should we aim for in our film?
Last edited by BrickStory (January 11, 2014 (03:40am))
I really like the general idea of this contest, and I most definitely will give it a go.
That said, I'm finding a few of the rules to be overly prescriptive, especially with the given context of making a possibly mindblowing trailer. Honestly, I don't particularly like both the ideas of keeping a linear production log and having to comply with a mod theme.
I'm being the resident complainer, but I really don't think one's writing abilities/diligence in maintaining a logbook should influence their final score. We are making a trailer, not a fully-fledged movie - thus I don't think the inclusion of a mandatory progress logbook in the contest criteria is relevant or appropriate. It just reminds me of the annoying logbooks in my Drama class, of which everyone was expected to complete, yet most didn't, and in doing so, really affected their final mark, no matter how good an actor they actually were. That irritates me, to an extent. We should be judged ultimately on the quality of the meal itself, where all the effort went - not on the way we placed the cutlery, which is inconsequential, really.
Metaphors aside, the idea of having a mod theme, for a contest of such length and potential scope, really isn't necessary. I think it hinders potential creativity. It works for THAC, where people are hard pressed to come up with an idea in the meagre time they have, but for a contest over a year long, I think not. I'm fine with a mod element, but not with a mod theme.
I say axe the majority of the theory criteria, except for maybe the quick plot synopsis, a few production pictures (10 or so) and an optional poster. Maybe you could implement a pictorial logbook? Much more enjoyable and far quicker.
Anyways, to cap off a longish post, I do really, really like this contest, but it has a few iffy areas right now.
Last edited by Carousel (January 11, 2014 (02:00am))
I'll try and address everything in one post.
I was rereading the rules again and
A plot synopsis. Somewhere around 60 words, and no spoilers.
A full plot outline. Word count to be established later, though it should really be about 600 words (as you get on sites like Wikipedia.Is this really nessasary? Especially since the entries will be a fake trailer or a part of a film.
Well yes. You need to make it clear to the judges that there's actually a driving plot behind the rest of the 'film' If you made the trailer out of random sequences that you thought were cool without knowing what the story behind them was, chances are that the trailer wouldn't make sense. Less so for the film segment, since you're actually including a solid narrative there, but it's still important.
Besides, when Hollywood trailers are released, what do you get in their descriptions? Plot synopses. It's pretty essential.
'm having a hard time deciding on whether I should make a trailer or a segment of a film. I think I will come up with a story first and then work my way from there.
Is the true purpose of this contest to make an 'epic', sort of over the top action-packed brickbuster, or should we try to make our film have a good story? Perhaps combine the two and get a good mixture of the two?
I suppose I've already answered myself, but my true question was this: what should we aim for in our film?
A good question. Try to be a mixture; have a good story, but the aim is to make something of cinematic, blockbuster quality. You know: massive set pieces, action, whatever. The idea for this contest was essentially to create a flock of high-quality brickfilms, but without being too long to make (a year is still a long time, but if you were making a full film of your entry it would no doubt take a lot longer).
So basically, think Inception: fantastic story, and fantastic scope and scale. I hope I didn't make that explanation too convoluted… 
I'm being the resident complainer, but I really don't think one's writing abilities/diligence in maintaining a logbook should influence their final score. We are making a trailer, not a fully-fledged movie - thus I don't think the inclusion of a mandatory progress logbook in the contest criteria is relevant or appropriate. It just reminds me of the annoying logbooks in my Drama class, of which everyone was expected to complete, yet most didn't, and in doing so, really affected their final mark, no matter how good an actor they actually were. That irritates me, to an extent. We should be judged ultimately on the quality of the meal itself, where all the effort went - not on the way we placed the cutlery, which is inconsequential, really.
I see your point. The only problem is that since this is such a looooong contest, how do we actually follow what the participants are doing? But I see your point. I've changed it so that the logs are optional but the synopsis, outline and photos are not judged, but still required in order to enter.
Metaphors aside, the idea of having a mod theme, for a contest of such length and potential scope, really isn't necessary. I think it hinders potential creativity. It works for THAC, where people are hard pressed to come up with an idea in the meagre time they have, but for a contest over a year long, I think not. I'm fine with a mod element, but not with a mod theme.
It's a pretty broad theme, but we probably don't need one. And the mod element of the skull in the hat was a joke 
Last edited by jampot (January 11, 2014 (03:02am))
OK, everything is clear to me now. I do loooove massive set pieces!
I have started brainstorming ideas, and so far science fiction seems to be what I will go with, because it allows for a lot of sensational awesomeness.
Same. My not-an-entry is either going to have Grizeos attacking Earth or is going to feature my fantasy-heavy Vampire Council.
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