21 replies to this topic

[ThaukaFilms]

Description: Two friends were transformed into identical flowers which grew in the field. Bonnie can set free only one of them. Who will get saved and how she will recognize the right one - her husband Ed, or her lover Barney?

Music by Johannes Brahms (Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80) as performed by the Skidmore College Orchestra.

Edited by darkdragon, 10 September 2012 - 03:05 AM.
Indexed

[Hinckley]

That is incredibly well done. Excellent job with the lighting. This is your film, correct?

[ThaukaFilms]

Hinckley, on 17 August 2012 - 07:50 AM, said:

That is incredibly well done. Excellent job with the lighting. This is your film, correct?

Thank you very much! yes, I did this. Doing it this way (using Fabuland figures in sets built with classic Lego bricks) came while looking at your creations - they are really incredible! As to your last Fabuland creation (the apothecary) - maybe I am wrong, but weren't those brown Fabuland chests you included recently revived in the Pirate Code board game?

Maybe those five of yours are coming from these sets?

Edited by Hinckley, 17 August 2012 - 04:59 PM.

[Darkdragon]

Amazing work. I love the specific lighting for each scene and the focus shifting you did. The animation is wonderfully smooth. Bravo and welcome to EB.  Looking forward to more films from you.

[Cecilie]

Wow, very nice film! And lovely use of the Fabuland figures to tell the story

[Hinckley]

ThaukaFilms, on 17 August 2012 - 08:05 AM, said:

Thank you very much! yes, I did this. Doing it this way (using Fabuland figures in sets built with classic Lego bricks) came while looking at your creations - they are really incredible! As to your last Fabuland creation (the apothecary) - maybe I am wrong, but weren't those brown Fabuland chests you included recently revived in the Pirate Code board game?
Maybe those five of yours are coming from these sets?

No, they're original brown. I have a habit of buying every FABULAND lot I see on eBay and supplementing it with occasional Bricklink FABULAND buying sprees. The amount of FABULAND LEGO elements I own is obscene. Thank you, though! I forgot they had brought that piece back.

As far as your movie goes, it's beautiful. Thanks for coming here and sharing it with us.

[Darkdragon]

Congrats on front page too!  

[ThaukaFilms]

Thank you very much for your kind comments and encouragement for further work. The frontpage listing is a real honor (obviously I am fully aware it wouldn't happen if it weren't for a soft spot for all things Fabuland in hearts of the respective moderators ;))!

As to the lighting, I am much indebted to Maxime Marion who posted his Droits d'auteur movie in this forum. I got the same IKEA JANSJÖ LED lamps as well after watching that movie, and they really work great.

I really would like to find a way how to make it look like that Fabuland figures can walk and do the full steps (including some sort of appearance of bending the legs backwards just like a regular Lego minfigs can do, as their legs movement is not restrained to 90 degrees as for Fabuland figs). So far I haven't been very successful with my own trials. If anyone has any idea or it had been already solved, it'd be much appreciated if you could let me know.

Edited by ThaukaFilms, 17 August 2012 - 07:42 PM.

[Hinckley]

ThaukaFilms, on 17 August 2012 - 07:42 PM, said:

I really would like to find a way how to make it look like that Fabuland figures can walk and do the full steps (including some sort of appearance of bending the legs backwards just like a regular Lego minfigs can do, as their legs movement is not restrained to 90 degrees as for Fabuland figs). So far I haven't been very successful with my own trials. If anyone has any idea or it had been already solved, it'd be much appreciated if you could let me know.

It is a bit of a goosestep isn't it?

ThaukaFilms, on 17 August 2012 - 07:42 PM, said:

Thank you very much for your kind comments and encouragement for further work. The frontpage listing is a real honor (obviously I am fully aware it wouldn't happen if it weren't for a soft spot for all things Fabuland in hearts of the respective moderators ;))!

Of course there is that but we do our best to highlight all outstanding work here and your definitely is outstanding.

ThaukaFilms, on 17 August 2012 - 07:42 PM, said:

As to the lighting, I am much indebted to Maxime Marion who posted his Droits d'auteur movie in this forum. I got the same IKEA JANSJÖ LED lamps as well after watching that movie, and they really work great.

Thanks for sharing your technique! I'm totally planning to do a stop motion test today. As if I didn't already have enough to do...

[Darkdragon]

Well, it's not really common thing to try, but the LEGO Technic figs are very articulated AND the Fabuland heads fit on them. Just and idea, don't shoot me please Hinckley.

Personally, I really think the fabuland heads look awesome on the Technic bodies and lend themselves to some really fun and dynamic animation.  

[Hinckley]

darkdragon, on 17 August 2012 - 08:19 PM, said:

Well, it's not really common thing to try, but the LEGO Technic figs are very articulated AND the Fabuland heads fit on them. Just and idea, don't shoot me please Hinckley.

Personally, I really think the fabuland heads look awesome on the Technic bodies and lend themselves to some really fun and dynamic animation.  

Creepy...

[Darkdragon]

Not creepy. Cool. You'll be a convert if I ever get an animation posted. You didn't like my fireman?  

Hinckley, on 17 August 2012 - 08:18 PM, said:

Thanks for sharing your technique! I'm totally planning to do a stop motion test today. As if I didn't already have enough to do...

I see a delay in Forest II.  

[ThaukaFilms]

Hinckley, on 17 August 2012 - 08:18 PM, said:

It is a bit of a goosestep isn't it?

Yeah, 'goosestep' might be the best word description. They (Fabuland figs) also look a bit like as if they would be afraid of some poop calamity coming into their pants if they got their legs loose a bit more in my walking attempts.

Hah, the Technic figure is very clever!

Edited by ThaukaFilms, 17 August 2012 - 08:45 PM.

[just2good]

Job well done, 'ThaukaFilms'. That must of took a lot of time and effort to make. Hope to see more films from you in the future (I subscribed, by the way).

[dr_spock]

Well done.      Makes me wonder what would happen if Bonnie picked the other one.

[Ferrik]

That's an amazing video with a great storyline.

[oo7]

It's really flattering to know one of my models has inspired your film set, thanks for indicating it in your video description (and thanks to Hinckley for bringing it into my purview by frontpaging). What might have prompted the Japanese themes from the story perspective, may I ask? Oh, and I love the choice of music too!

[ThaukaFilms]

just2good, on 17 August 2012 - 11:47 PM, said:

Job well done, 'ThaukaFilms'. That must of took a lot of time and effort to make. Hope to see more films from you in the future (I subscribed, by the way).

Thank you. How much time it took - filming itself and editing (I only had to add the titles and align it with music, that was all) took me four nights (about 5 hours per night). Building sets (field, main hall, bedroom) took me one evening per set scene. However, please note that the main hall set is largely based on already existing MOC built by Nathan/oo7; ditto for the steampunk tractor design by SirNadroj. This greatly sped up the set creation, I believe. I don't think I could come up with such awesome works on my own. So you can kinda say that it took about 7 nights to create what you see in the video.
Yes, I would like to do more Fabuland videos - it seems like a good niche, as there aren't really that many Fabuland videos on youtube. But it might take some time to find another script/tale worth re-telling. Besides that I have a normal job and all ;)

dr_spock, on 18 August 2012 - 02:41 AM, said:

Well done.      Makes me wonder what would happen if Bonnie picked the other one.

Hah, now here's some material for alternative video ;)!

oo7, on 18 August 2012 - 01:38 PM, said:

It's really flattering to know one of my models has inspired your film set, thanks for indicating it in your video description (and thanks to Hinckley for bringing it into my purview by frontpaging). What might have prompted the Japanese themes from the story perspective, may I ask? Oh, and I love the choice of music too!

Hi! I hope the indication was OK - otherwise please let me know the way you would like to be credited. I am much indebted to you - actually the other wall in the main hall (with Paradisa umbrella on the wall) was created following your wall building technique from Fishery Cannery as well - awesome work!

Japanese theme - well, I was watching Ikiru by Kurosawa the other day and it came to my mind it might be great to set the traditional German story in some unexpected, exotic (well at least for me as I am from Europe) environment - that it might be more interesting/stimulating to people. You know like when Kurosawa was setting Shakespeare in feudal Japan - you surely would remember Throne of Blood more than if it were a 'traditional' Macbeth set in Scotland in the appropriate time period (unless, of course, you do it like Orson Welles). And then I came over your MOC which showed me how I could possibly do it.
So I ended up with on the first glance rather wild mix of a traditional fairy tale/Fabuland/feudal Japan/steampunkish elements and Brahms music, but which seemed to actually work.

BTW I also re-created your 晩鐘 bell. Unfortunately it was too big to fit fully in the frame view on the field :(.

Edited by ThaukaFilms, 18 August 2012 - 08:55 PM.

[purpleparadox]

Very nice! The animation is so smooth, it's quite a pleasure to watch. I'm looking forward to more brickfilms from you!

[fallentomato]

Thanks for sharing this!   Fabuland animations are a real rarity and this one might be the best animated of the ones out there. After watching it about half a dozen times I think I understand what's really going on.  

         <- The progression of my emotions while watching again and again.

I think my absolute favorite moment is the sweeling lighting and music in the bedroom at 1:20. The horses randomly turning into cows, pigs, and sheep is nice too.

This film had such an impact on me that it drove me to write a blog post rounding up all the Fabuland animations I could find. Again, great work!

[ThaukaFilms]

fallentomato, on 22 August 2012 - 08:58 PM, said:

Thanks for sharing this!   Fabuland animations are a real rarity and this one might be the best animated of the ones out there. After watching it about half a dozen times I think I understand what's really going on.  

         <- The progression of my emotions while watching again and again.

I think my absolute favorite moment is the sweeling lighting and music in the bedroom at 1:20. The horses randomly turning into cows, pigs, and sheep is nice too.

This film had such an impact on me that it drove me to write a blog post rounding up all the Fabuland animations I could find. Again, great work!

You are very observant guy indeed, David Pickett ;). I am so glad to see that someone took time to look at the video more than once and really think about what he/she might be really watching. I don't intend to give any full explanations. Let's just say that I really intended to create something that would work on multiple levels: simple straight-forward story for children with a bit of simple meteorological fact mixed in, and something to think about for more observant parents/adults as well.

As to the Fabuland theme selection, I guess I can explain at least that. The reasoning was quite prosaic. I found out there aren't that many Fabuland stop motion videos after all, so if I do it with Fabuland figures, it's more likely the video would get noticed by people than if I would do it with classic minifigs. If it weren't for the Fabuland factor, it would hardly get frontpaged on Eurobricks. Second, I actually do not have that much experience with stop motion movies (this is only the second one), and I found out it is much easier for me to do little movements with Fabuland heads than with classic minifigs. Fabuland heads also offer much larger range of movements thanks to the neck design. Third, Fabuland figures are more children-friendly than regular minifigs.

I checked your blog. The franky job video is great - it really makes you thinking. Just like what I hoped to achieve with this little Grimm story as well. BTW I like The Nightly News at Nine very much. I also read some interview of yours way back where you were explaining the stop-motion movie making process. It was very helpful to see what does it take - thank you very much for that!

Edited by ThaukaFilms, 24 August 2012 - 09:52 AM.

[fallentomato]

ThaukaFilms, on 24 August 2012 - 09:51 AM, said:

You are very observant guy indeed, David Pickett ;). I am so glad to see that someone took time to look at the video more than once and really think about what he/she might be really watching. I don't intend to give any full explanations. Let's just say that I really intended to create something that would work on multiple levels: simple straight-forward story for children with a bit of simple meteorological fact mixed in, and something to think about for more observant parents/adults as well.

As to the Fabuland theme selection, I guess I can explain at least that. The reasoning was quite prosaic. I found out there aren't that many Fabuland stop motion videos after all, so if I do it with Fabuland figures, it's more likely the video would get noticed by people than if I would do it with classic minifigs. If it weren't for the Fabuland factor, it would hardly get frontpaged on Eurobricks. Second, I actually do not have that much experience with stop motion movies (this is only the second one), and I found out it is much easier for me to do little movements with Fabuland heads than with classic minifigs. Fabuland heads also offer much larger range of movements thanks to the neck design. Third, Fabuland figures are more children-friendly than regular minifigs.

I checked your blog. The franky job video is great - it really makes you thinking. Just like what I hoped to achieve with this little Grimm story as well. BTW I like The Nightly News at Nine very much. I also read some interview of yours way back where you were explaining the stop-motion movie making process. It was very helpful to see what does it take - thank you very much for that!

I try to be observant   It's a nice change of pace to see a brick animation that really rewards it.  

The Fabuland heads are really great for their range of movement. I really need to put one on a Belville body and animate with that...

I'm honored to hear that my interview was helpful, I've done several of them and am never quite sure who reads/listens to them, so it's always nice to hear that (especially coming from someone who has made a great animation)