Twelve Bucks is the perfect example of how a brickfilm can become a classic in it's own right. The stylized lighting, jammin' soundtrack, and atmospheric feel is really great. Right from the start, it perfectly sets up the narrative, giving the viewer a bit of a clue that not everything is as it seems.

I get a sense that Twelve Bucks was inspired by the works of Quentin Tarantino... Being especially reminiscent of Kill Bill or Pulp Fiction, right down to the mood, the highly stylized world, and, or course, that music! That's actually kind of interesting, since, Kill Bill wasn't released until 5 years later!

I'm not that big of a fan of the animation at times. However, since this brickfilm is such an "earlier" one, I can let it slide. It's still really ambitious, and has techniques and shots that even professional animators would find intriguing.

Overall, I liked Twelve Bucks. It's nothing super special by today's standards, however, it's still awesome to watch. Another great little gem that I'm glad has been brought back up to my attention through Brickfilm of the Week. I'll look forward to seeing more, like Twelve Bucks, in the future!

This was awesome.  Thanks Natahan, and anyone else who helps out with this, for picking these out.  You have brought so many great brickfilms to my attention that were made well before my interest in brickfilming.  I would probably have never seen these otherwise.

It is an important brickfilm, and, I agree, should be watched by any brickfilmer who aspires to take their films in a more serious direction when it comes to storytelling. However, the lighting just stands out as slightly unprofessional in some instances. Perhaps this is just a creative difference, however, shots like that at 0:37 - 0:44, 2:04 - 2:12, and 4:35 - 4:41 aren't to my liking.

They seem to have a bit of lighting flicker. (which, could be a side effect from poor resolution... which I can let slide) However, they are also too dark, and, seem to lack good contrast. Everything's just light or too dark; there's no in-between. I'd like to be able to see the detail of the protagonist's face a bit more in the close ups. As it is, you can tell a "fill light" wasn't used.

Personally, I would have lit his back a bit more, to give a nice crisp edge of light to his shaded side - or, I would have lit his face more, while having the room a bit darker. I think that this would have given a better overall visual for when he's watching TV.

Just as there are examples of poor lighting (in my opinion), there are also some examples of great lighting!

The city-street car driving aerial shot, for example, holds up very well, and is certainly a spectacle! Another good example of excellent lighting is the TV screen's glare. It only seems to flash one or two solid colors somewhere between blue and green, and, certainly ads to the overall atmospheric feel of the film.

I suspect that Rob Weychert had some professional cinematography experience or education - but only some. While he's able to pull off great shots with excellent lighting sometimes, he also creates some rather dull shots, that make the overall composition hard to take in.

Overall, it's got much more positives going for it than it does negatives; however, I definitely think that there are shots within Twelve Bucks that others can learn from...

I assembled a large list of pre-2000 brickfilms with links here: http://www.bricksinmotion.com/forums/po … 8/#p336298

Also, Dyland, it must be a creative difference because you just listed some of my favourite shots. I love how the lighting actually appears to be coming from an in-set source, and so it makes perfect sense that there would be darker areas. I can't help but feel that you must be too used to the standard flat, even lighting in brickfilms. I'm not sure how there is even a debate here because if Sloth says its some of the best lighting going, then, y'know. That's all I'll say further; I don't want this thread to be totally derailed by lighting snobbery. Also, I'm not sure what point there is to meticulously picking apart minute details; it's a great film that I hope everyone can enjoy.

Spoilery rant / film discussion below.

As a fan of the work of Andy Boyer and Dave Lennie, digital version of which are comparable to this film as far as quality and resolution, this also stands as one of my favorites despite the (minute) limitations.

To digress for but a moment, Hearts of Darkness, by Boyer and Lennie, is easily one of the best brickfilms I've seen, and not because it had perfect lighting etc., it just managed to hold a certain spirit and mood in storytelling that I haven't felt in a long time. It's weirdly wonderful, poetic, and dramatic, and it sucks the audience into a world that is engaging, mysterious, and at times just bizarre.

Twelve Bucks also accomplished that. I guess what I like about the film is that it's moody. It's sexy. Good voice-overs that actually work are a rarity in brickfilms, and TB knocks that out of the ballpark. There's a very definite laid-back, mysterious feel that is established by the repetitive shots, the narration, and the lighting. And it fits the story of the film, which is mysterious in its own right. I love the main character's ignorance to the true significance of the job he's really working, and the grimly humorous revelation the viewer comes to at the close of the film. Irony of that sort, especially one which leaves a lingering impression, is genius. I still remember lines from this film to this day. Same goes for a bunch of older Lego films.

As far as the technical stuff goes, it's easy to forget what people were working with 12+ years ago. I think some of the Boyer and Lennie films were shot with a VHS camera. There are a lot of luxuries afforded by modern tech that weren't available then.