Kalais

Escape II - Star Wars animation

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title-with-characterss.jpg

Note: admins allowed me to post this and Eurobricks is official media partner for this project. Thank you :)

 

UPDATE!

Hello,
first of all I wanted to thank you all who supported my project! You are awesome!

And straight to the point - I decided to refund all of your donations.

$257 USD raised by 10 backers is just 4% of my goal and I think keeping it would be not fair to you. After all fees and and local taxes I would receive like half of that sum.

This kind of money will not speed up the process of movie making. As for equipment I managed to get almost all missing pieces. The only thing I need now is time.

So of course Escape II will be made. With no budget it will be much harder. But I will make it anyway :) I will probably delete some scenes and make it with less frames per second to speed up process and make it cheap as possible.

If you would like to support this movie in less direct way please make purchase at my Bricklink shop. Big part of earnings from this shop goes into production of the brickfilm.

Link to Bricklink Store - https://store.bricklink.com/Kalais

Thx for the support!
Kind regards,
Dominik aka Kalais

P.S. Everyone who supported project on Indiegogo will get constant 10% discount at my Bricklink Shop for 6 months (till 1 July 2019) for all loose LEGO parts! Please send email to the bricks@kalais.net with name and email used on Indiegogo donation and your bricklink account name to receive the coupons. Thanks!

-----

ORGINAL POST:

Hello all,
I will start with super short version because in this times probably less and less people like to read long texts ;)

I am making LEGO Star Was fanfilm stop motion animation. I wan't to quit my job to focus only on making this film! :) I know this is crazy but I am willing to do it :)

I started crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. You can find there much more info (text, images, video), very simple test teaser/trailer and you can support it there. Link:
https://igg.me/at/escape2

Pitch video:


Thanks!
Dominik aka Kalais

SOME TEST IMAGES

Scenery sample:
scenery-01.jpg
scenery-02.jpg

Test shots:
test-shot-01.jpg
test-shot-02.jpg
test-shot-03.jpg
test-shot-04.jpg

Storyboard/animatic sample:
storyboard-sample.jpg

P.S. And for those who would like to read even more there is some kind of press-release text here:

SYNOPSIS
Escape – Episode II is a big Star Wars fan production. It is LEGO stop motion animation with a totally new story from the galaxy far, far away.... Empire forces led by Darth Vader are on the hunt for a Jedi Knight who survived the Jedi Purge. It is an  animation full of great adventures with rebels, Empire and bounty hunters. Filled with great locations and spaceships. You will meet both already well known characters and a new heroes.

Story is told with epic shots in beautiful custom brick-built sceneries and with dynamic action scenes.

Animation will be available for free to watch on YouTube.

The pre-production of animation is almost complete and now it is going into production stage and looking for funding via crowdfunding at Indiegogo.

AUTHOR
Dominik Skarbek-Kruszewski aka Kalais is a professional graphic designer, photographer and film maker. He is also a big fan of Star Wars and LEGO! He creates custom models, dioramas and animations. He made several LEGO stop motion videos including commissioned videos for the LEGO Group. You can view his works at YouTube, LEGO Blog, LEGO Life App, The LEGO Batman Movie DVD/BLU-Ray and they are even displayed at Ninjago City buildings at The LEGO Ninjago Movie.
 
FUNDING
He started this project 2 years ago. Stop motion animation is very time consuming. Besides pre-production (scenario, storyboard, animatic, designing everything, building scenery etc.) you need to take a lot of photos. Usually few seconds of the animation can take you the whole day of work. Running time of Escape – Episode 2 will be around 10 minutes and making it after work would take him another 2 or 3 years to finish...

This is why he would like to quit his job for 1-2 months and spend all his working time on the making (and finishing) this animation.

Also the crowd-funding money would get him better camera/lens, professional software for stop-motion animation, some additional lights and some more LEGO bricks for the scenery.

LINK
https://igg.me/at/escape2

Edited by Kalais
update

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I'll give my honest opinion.

I think the work is really good. And it clearly takes a lot of time, patience, skill, and I really like the look of your mocs used for it. 

 

Here is where my problem occurs. Including all the competitions you've won from WB and TLG to get your fan films featured, I see this as someone's hobby that they're enjoying. And want to finish it sooner than later, and so want the day to day responsibilities of adult life taken away/given to them, as well as cool new equipment to use, and to buy more lego. From what you've already achieved, would be a great portfolio to go for a job in the relevant industry.

What happens after you've made the 10 minute film? Will your current job take you back? Will you have to look for work elsewhere? Are you hoping this film will help get your foot in the doors of the animation film world job-wise? 

Everybody pays for your hobby to make a short film, and then what? 

While I applaud you for your efforts with stop motion thus far, I will choose not to help as I feel there are more worthwhile causes requiring funding than someone to live carefree for a few months with extras, when there are people struggling to make ends meet. 

If it takes 2-3 years, then it takes 2-3 years. 

I feel this is less of a start up business idea and more of a 'pay for me to live so I can finish a hobby project quicker' kinda thing, ie; someone who wants free money because they're impatient and see a chance for a quick and easy out. 

 

 

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8 hours ago, Fuppylodders said:

I'll give my honest opinion.

I think the work is really good. And it clearly takes a lot of time, patience, skill, and I really like the look of your mocs used for it. 

Thx :)

8 hours ago, Fuppylodders said:

Here is where my problem occurs. (...)

Not sure where to start ;) I will try to reply to everything you said. After I made film the most important thing will be that the film will be complete and I will be able to make next, better, film ;) Yes, it is hobby, and it is something I love doing and I have thousands of ideas for next films (and mocs), which I would like to make before I die ;) 

My current job will take me back since I'm a freelancer with my own small company. I finished all big projects I had to do and I am ready to take a break from the work. After movie is made I can easily back to what I was doing. I will have better skills and yes, my portfolio will be better, and that will give me better work possibilities in animation/photo projects. This would be really nice, to make more commissioned stop motion projects. But is that the most important thing? No. Not everything I make in my life must be pure profit. Of course it would be "better" if I work all the time and provide to my family and abandon all my hobbies. But what life that would be? I can't look at life only in profit terms because in that case the best would be work and sleep (to be more efficient at work) only... And that is not life I would enjoy ;)

Of course there are a lot of more worthwhile causes requiring funding. You are 100% right. But we all spend money for different kind of things which are not always so, hmmm, looking for word, noble? like saving someones life etc. and I am not forcing anyone to funding this fanfilm project. Everyone decides what he/she wants to spend own money on. You have choose not to support it and I understand you and I am totally fine with that.

Business idea? I've never said it is a business idea. It is a hobby, it is creativity, it is maybe some kind of art? People always donated to creators/painters/artists. They had (not sure what's the word in English) patrons? Campaign like this is 21st century version of that. You like someones creative work and you help him to become better in what he is doing, help him to make more creative pieces. That's how it always worked.

Of course I am not some famous Renaissance painter but also I am not asking for big house, feasts with lords/kings everyday and tons of money ;)

 

 

 

 

 

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Looks good, but...I don't know if this has a future man...Lucasfilm is not great at supporting fan media projects, I can see this getting shot down faster than a green-skinned bounty hunter in a shady cantina.

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Good luck with all your endeavours but asking AFOL's to pay for you to quit your job and play with Lego full time might be a bit of a stretch for some. Given the chance I'd certainly start a topic that said "I want to quite my boring job, can you fund my Lego hobby?" but I'm guessing mods would soon put me in the naughty corner :classic:

Fair play though, If you don't ask you don't get.

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8 hours ago, brobert said:

Looks good, but...I don't know if this has a future man...Lucasfilm is not great at supporting fan media projects, I can see this getting shot down faster than a green-skinned bounty hunter in a shady cantina.

Thx. As for shot down - they make contests for fanfilms so they kinda supporting those kind of projects. There are also plenty of Star Wars fanfilms on the Indiegogo and Kickstarter. I followed all rules for fanfilms and I double checked them before even starting this project.

If you think about that KOTOR "mod" thing - it was totally different thing. Those guys went to far with copyrighted materials. Of course Disney could resolve that in some other, better, ways...

6 hours ago, That Orange Thing said:

Good luck with all your endeavours but asking AFOL's to pay for you to quit your job and play with Lego full time might be a bit of a stretch for some. Given the chance I'd certainly start a topic that said "I want to quite my boring job, can you fund my Lego hobby?" but I'm guessing mods would soon put me in the naughty corner :classic:

Fair play though, If you don't ask you don't get.

Well, more or less that's how all film projects on kickstarter or indiegogo works - people donate to filmmakers so they can make a movie. It is not like I am asking to buy me LEGO sets so I can play with them ;) It is about making epic movie which you can watch and enjoy later for free. 

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On 10/27/2018 at 8:52 PM, Kalais said:

Thx :)Not sure where to start ;).... 

I appreciate your response, I respect your views too. You are right, everyone is free to donate to who or what they want to, regardless of what it is :classic:

I admire your passion for it, it is easily clear to see how much you enjoy doing it. I wish you luck with it :thumbup:

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Hello all!
Thx for all donations! There is still a lot left to reach the campaign goal. Even 1 USD can help so if you like this projects please help it!

Btw. I made some test scene yesterday. It was shot in 12 Frames Per Second, instead of 24. If campaign fail I might consider shooting whole movie at this frame-rate to save time and lower the budget.

P.S. I also tested Lightsabre blue light (made with external (placed behind the scene) LEDs), but I am not sure I will use it. It gives some blue/purple lightning to the scene and I am not sure it look good. Gives some kind of light flicker. What do you think?

lsbr-light.gif

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@Kalais It looks really good. I like the force moves :D The light definitely makes it look interesting and adds some extra... realism? Not sure if that's the correct word. But I would go for less bluish and more white. This one really brings some purple tint to the reflections and that doesn't seem to correspond with the lightsaber color.

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If I could offer one piece of advice if you go through with cutting down on the frame rate, it is to drop nowhere below 16fps.  16fps is where photographers first realized that photos can become stitched together as video, and is generally considered the lowest frame rate  where filmmakers can get away with shooting.  I know it adds to the total frames, but the difference will be significant.

-Christian

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On 11/5/2018 at 1:11 PM, Kristof said:

@Kalais It looks really good. I like the force moves :D The light definitely makes it look interesting and adds some extra... realism? Not sure if that's the correct word. But I would go for less bluish and more white. This one really brings some purple tint to the reflections and that doesn't seem to correspond with the lightsaber color.

Thx! Yeah, that purple is bothering me mainly.

On 11/5/2018 at 10:41 PM, Cjd223 said:

If I could offer one piece of advice if you go through with cutting down on the frame rate, it is to drop nowhere below 16fps.  16fps is where photographers first realized that photos can become stitched together as video, and is generally considered the lowest frame rate  where filmmakers can get away with shooting.  I know it adds to the total frames, but the difference will be significant.

-Christian

I know. But I rather lower frame rate then abandon this project somewhere in the middle coz I got not enough time. I don't want to stuck with unfinished movie. Btw. I think it was 15 fps. Also early computer games with cinematic cutscenes was using 15 FPS and it was kinda standard for some time. 12FPS is absolute minimum but it is acceptable in the industry. If I decide to go for 12 FPS it would be so called twos at 24 - technically it would be 24fps but most of the frames would be double.

On 11/6/2018 at 2:21 AM, JarJarBonks said:

Looking great! I wish you good luck!

Thx! :)

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When I was making Escape - Episode 1 Star Wars stop motion I had very limited number of bricks and wanted to create this Jedi-space-samurai-type of character. I ended up with version 1. Now I have a bit more bricks and I am thinking about changing hair to newer molds. What do you think? Which one is the best in you opinion?

jedi-version.jpg

P.S. If you haven't seen 1st episode - it is here. You can see there hero in version 1.

 

 

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Honestly, I am not too crazy about either of them :D I know that's not particularly helpful comment but it just kind of looks like a minifig that a kid would make out of old spare bodyparts laying around. Maybe that was almost intentional? Or what is the reason for the old alien theme legs and vintage space torso? :)

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Hello,
first of all I wanted to thank you all who supported my project! You are awesome!

And straight to the point - I decided to refund all of your donations.

$257 USD raised by 10 backers is just 4% of my goal and I think keeping it would be not fair to you. After all fees and and local taxes I would receive like half of that sum.

This kind of money will not speed up the process of movie making. As for equipment I managed to get almost all missing pieces. The only thing I need now is time.

So of course Escape II will be made. With no budget it will be much harder. But I will make it anyway :) I will probably delete some scenes and make it with less frames per second to speed up process and make it cheap as possible.

If you would like to support this movie in less direct way please make purchase at my Bricklink shop. Big part of earnings from this shop goes into production of the brickfilm.

Link to Bricklink Store - https://store.bricklink.com/Kalais

Thx for the support!
Kind regards,
Dominik aka Kalais

P.S. Everyone who supported project on Indiegogo will get constant 10% discount at my Bricklink Shop for 6 months (till 1 July 2019) for all loose LEGO parts! Please send email to the bricks@kalais.net with name and email used on Indiegogo donation and your bricklink account name to receive the coupons. Thanks!

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