There is a new LEGO Star Wars cartoon special coming to the Disney+ streaming service on August 5 that is all about summer fun! “LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation,” which is set shortly after the events of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” features the voices of “Weird Al” Yankovic, Yvette Nicole Brown, Kelly Marie Tran, Anthony Daniels, Billy Dee Williams, and returning cast members from previous “LEGO Star Wars” specials, and includes the new original song Scarif Beach Party performed by “Weird Al” Yankovic.Looking for a much-needed break from stormtroopers and TIE fighters, Finn arranges a surprise vacation for his friends Rey, Poe, Rose, Chewie, BB-8, R2-D2, and C-3PO, aboard the ultra-luxurious Galactic Starcruiser, the Halcyon. But Finn’s plan to have one last hurrah together quickly goes awry when he’s separated from the group. While searching for his friends, he encounters three Force ghosts: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Leia Organa, who each share their own unexpected stories of vacations gone wrong, helping him to understand that holidays are about more than just having fun.
“LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation” features the voices of: “Weird Al” Yankovic as Vic Vankoh; Yvette Nicole Brown as Colvett Valeria; Thomas Lennon as Wick Cooper; Paul F. Tompkins as Rad; Dee Bradley Baker as Boba Fett; Ashly Burch as the Tour Droid; Kyliegh Curran as Sidero; Anthony Daniels as C-3PO; Trevor Devall as Emperor Palpatine; Allie Feder as Sy Snootles; Jake Green as Poe Dameron; Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker; Ross Marquand as Han Solo; Omar Miller as Finn; Kevin Michael Richardson as Jabba the Hutt; Matt Sloan as Darth Vader; James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi; Kelly Marie Tran as Rose; Helen Sadler as Rey Skywalker; Billy Dee Williams as Lando (Holovid); Matthew Wood as Ben Solo; and Shelby Young as Leia Organa.
LEGO Star Wars cartoons are always goofy fun shows to watch. I'm geeked about seeing "LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation" just as the season is heating up. Looking forward to a lazy summer day cranking up the A/C and turning on the big screen to be transported back to a galaxy far, far away thanks to Disney+ and its lineup of Star Wars tv series and movies.
I had the opportunity to be at Comerica Park for Opening Day but unfortunately was tied up in court having to handle 50 traffic ticket hearings instead of being able to be at the ballpark watching the Detroit Tigers play. So, I appreciated this video from LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan that let me enjoy the spirit of the downtown festivities I missed out on participating in. Was geeked to view their LEGO-ized version of a parade on Woodward Avenue and the Tiger's baseball stadium.
LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan in the suburb of Auburn Hills located inside the Great Lakes Crossing mall has an impressive MINILAND that recreates downtown Detroit made out of more than a million LEGO building bricks. The Comerica Park replica itself is made from 25,000 LEGO bricks and weighs a whopping 250 pounds. It is filled with more than 400 LEGO mini-figures representing fans and players.
Visitors at this LEGOLAND Discovery Center can even interact with the stadium playing a pinball-style baseball game where they can “go to bat” and try to score everything from a single to a home run. The MINILAND often has special exhibits based upon current events such as a Thanksgiving Day parade and Christmas decorations to alter the appearance of its downtown streets and buildings. For Opening Day, the MINILAND had a baseball celebration parade on display and had a celebrity singing the National Anthem on the field of Comerica Park. It is always interesting to see what may be new in the MINILAND during a visit to LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan.
In addition to the MINILAND exhibit, LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan has two amusement rides (Kingdom Quest + Merlin's Apprentice), a 4D cinema, build-a-car race track and more. For directions and additional information, head over to legolanddiscoverycenter.com/michigan
In my opinion the best way to get children excited about learning is to get them associating educational endeavors with fun activities instead of them getting stuck into the mindset that schoolwork is a chore. This can be challenging but getting kids started off in their younger years playing with toys that are both entertaining and educational can help get them excited about wanting to learn new things and being creative as they grow older. Here are five examples of toys that inspired my own children to engage in imaginative play and lit a spark for them to be excited about discovering new experiences in life.
Both my son and daughter love LEGO! He enjoys the engineering aspect of these toys getting the most fun out of constructing buildings and vehicles. On the other hand, my daughter's favorite aspect of these toys is imagining adventures for the mini-figures in her Harry Potter and LEGO Friends playsets. With LEGO sets ranging from super heroes to space ships you are sure to find something to suit every interest your child could have.
LEGO can be pricey! My kids have been having lots of fun with the LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Moments Playsets. Build a storage case out of LEGO bricks that resembles a Harry Potter book case then open it up to build a Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry classroom complete with mini-figures of some of your favorite characters.
LEGO though won’t just keep you and your children occupied for hours; it will also teach your children the importance of patience and persistence. LEGO are also great for teaching your children how to work together as a team and giving them a sense of accomplishment once they have finished their project. The best part is that once you have completed building your wizarding school or battleship, you can take it apart and do it all again!
Kids kitchen toys and accessories can be great toys because they set a precedent for kids learning real life skills while having fun. A great way to get children interested in cooking and baking. Kitchen sets can easily be fitted into a playroom or bedroom and can even be used outside on sunny days so your children can play outside. These playtime kitchen toys and accessories are great for teaching children to use their imagination and share with others, as no doubt their siblings and friends will want to have a shot in the kitchen too. We've always had great experiences with Step2 products if you are shopping for a kitchen set for your little one.
All right this might not be a toy, but what child isn't amazed by a tree house? While this is not something that everyone can have as it requires having a big sturdy tree nearby, it is definitely worth doing if you can. Tree houses provide unlimited fun for children and give children a space of their own where they can play without feeling like their parents are constantly watching them.
Being in a tree house surrounded by nature can also be a calming influence for children and help reduce stress. They inspire an adventurous attitude that will promote in interest in exploration and discovery. If you are considering constructing one in your yard, Black & Decker has created a handy guide for tree house building.
This toy may not sound the most exciting, but you will be surprised at how long it will keep your children occupied. Wooden blocks allow a child’s imagination to flourish, as they can build almost anything they can think of with wooden blocks. Wooden blocks will help your children learn to share with others and be resilient, as often they will have to keep changing their blocks to make their desired object.
Puppets come in all shapes and sizes. You could purchase animal puppets, traditional puppets or even make your own sock puppets, and your children are bound to love them. Folkmanis creates some incredibly detailed puppets that are decently priced.
Puppets are not only good for your child’s imagination but help develop their confidence and speaking skills through puppet shows to friends and family members. Suppose you want to give your child more of a creative experience. In that case, you could help them make their own sock puppets at home using googly eyes and art materials as decorations, allowing them to express themselves creatively.
Puppets have always been one of my favorite toys and I've shared my appreciation of them with my kids. We are all looking forward to heading to The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation this summer to check out their special exhibit Jim Henson: Imagination Unlimited. It will be showcasing 25 original puppets crafted by the creator of The Muppets as well as character sketches, storyboards, costumes and other memorabilia from Henson Studios productions. If you are in the Detroit area check it out!
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The NHL's Redwings and NBA's Pistons have a new home in Detroit at the recently opened Little Caesars Arena in the city's downtown. That isn't the only cityscape Little Caesars Arena is altering though … a reproduction of the sports stadium has just joined Comerica Park, Ford Field and other Detroit landmarks within the Miniland display at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan. Being huge fans of our local sports teams, my kids and I were excited to be invited to the unveiling of this Little Caesars Arena model made entirely from LEGO toys.
We had a chance to meet Clint Parry, LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan's own Master Builder, who constructed this miniature LEGO reproduction of Little Caesars Arena. To call this a "miniature" model though may be an understatement though as this replica is 6 feet long and consists of more than 30,000 bricks. Parry spent 60 hours designing the model and more than 100 hours building it.
Some of the details he shared with us about this LEGO version of Little Caesars Arena is that it has more than 1,000 windows and 600 mini-figures within its layout. You could peek inside to see a hockey game being played on the ice rink during our visit, but Parry told us that this floor plan can be switched out to show mini-figures playing basketball on a hardwood court as well. So both the Red Wings and Pistons can be featured in this model of the home arena they share by switching some pieces in and out.
In addition to updating the Miniland with Little Caesars Arena, LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan also created a mock parade taking place. The annual Thanksgiving Day parade down historic Woodward Avenue in Detroit has been going on since 1924 and has become known as "America's Thanksgiving Parade." It was a nice touch to have it added to the Miniland display during the holiday season.
My son was really impressed with the Merlin balloon that was incorporated into the Miniland's parade. He brought up how much he liked it a number of times during our visit and on the drive home. By the way, Merlin Entertainments, which is the #1 company in Europe for operating entertainment attractions and the world's second largest attraction operator behind Disney, runs LEGOLAND locations so that parade balloon is also an Easter egg for their brand.
For the holiday season, Miniland has also received a coating of snow to give it a white Christmas feel. Check out one of my favorite place in Detroit, the Detroit Yacht Club on Belle Isle, covered in snow. I wonder if it will look like that in real life when my wife and I head over there next week for an annual Christmas party we always go to.
After the unveiling of Little Caesars Arena and walking around the Miniland, the kids spent some time making a LEGO build of their favorite Detroit sports team logo. Of course they picked the Old English D because they always see on the baseball caps I wear. Though I have to say the Detroit Lions logo template other kids were making with LEGO bricks looked really sharp.
While at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan for the Little Caesar Arena LEGO model unveiling, we also had some time to enjoy the other features that there are to enjoy there. We watched a 4D cinema show about the Legends of Chima, took a spin on the Merlin's Apprentice ride, battled beastly trolls and sneaky skeletons on the Kingdom Quest ride, and built LEGO cars that we raced on a test track. It is always a good time when our family visits LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan.
Both of my little ninjas are really into the LEGO NINJAGO toys and television show so they were really excited about seeing The LEGO NINJAGO Movie while off from school for the Christmas / New Year holiday break now that it is available on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital for viewing. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment kindly sent us a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital combo pack of the movie to watch. So we popped up some popcorn and enjoyed an afternoon watching The LEGO NINJAGO Movie.
In the battle for NINJAGO City, Lloyd (Dave Franco), high school student by day and Green Ninja by night, gets thrown into the ultimate adventure with his secret ninja warrior friends! Led by the wise and wisecracking Master Wu (Jackie Chan), they must defeat evil warlord Garmadon (Justin Theroux), The Worst Guy Ever, who also happens to be Lloyd's dad. On their courageous journey, they learn to band together to unleash their inner power in an epic showdown to save the city.
The LEGO NINJAGO Movie was one of my kids' favorite movies they saw at the movie theater this year so they were ecstatic to be able to add it to our home's library of films so they can watch it over and over again. The movie is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America for mild violence and rude humor. It is filled with martial arts fighting scenes along with the tongue-in-cheek humor that LEGO movies, television shows, and video have become known for. This animated action flick is family-friendly and is sure to entertain kids. In addition to the animated movie there are a number of bonus features included on Blu-ray that my children really enjoyed viewing:
Team Supreme: Building NINJAGO featurette
Rumble in the Bricks featurette
Which Way to the Ocean mini-movie
Zane's Stand Up Promo mini-movie
The Master: A LEGO NINJAGO Short mini-movie
Oh, Hush! music video
Everybody Have a Ninja Day music video
Baby Fight deleted scence
Gimme Some Outtakes spoof video
LEGO NINJAGO TV Series Sneak Peek
Commentary by Director Charlie Bean and Crew
Who is ready to get their Ninja on?! To share my family's enthusiasm about The LEGO NINJAGO Movie being available on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital, A GEEK DADDY has a prize pack to giveaway! Just complete the entries in the Rafflecopter form below before Monday, January 15, 2018 at 11:59 pm Michigan time (Eastern Time USA) for a chance to win a The LEGO NINJAGO Movie Blu-ray+DVD+Digital combo pack along with a LEGO NINJAGO toy. Must be a United States resident over 18 years old to participate.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
In addition to being available on Blu-ray and DVD, The LEGO NINJAGO Movie digital version is connected to the Movies Anywhere service. Movies Anywhere simplifies digital movie collections and enhances viewing experiences by allowing consumers to access their favorite digital movies in one place when purchased or redeemed through participating digital retailers. Movies Anywhere brings together the movies from Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Film, The Walt Disney Studios (including Disney, Pixar, Marvel Studios and LucasFilm), Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. With this service you can purchase a movie through iTunes and watch it on non-Apple devices like an Amazon Fire, Google Chromecast, Android smart phones or Roku streaming devices. You aren't locked into a retailers hardware so you can also get a movie from Amazon and watch it via Apple TV, iPhone or an iPad. Movies Anywhere gives consumers more control of how they watch the movies they purchase or redeem through codes included within Blu-ray and DVD packages.
Ninja go! Have yourself a great time watching The LEGO NINJAGO Movie on Blu-ray and DVD available now at retailers across the United States including Best Buy, FYE, Target Toys R Us and Walmart. Or purchase a digital download of the movie from Amazon Video, Google Play, iTunes, or Vudu and watch it through Movies Anywhere. For more information about The LEGO NINJAGO Movie, head over to legoninjago.com
Disclaimer & Rules: A Geek Daddy has not been financially compensated for this endorsement or hosting the giveaway but was provided the same items being provided as a prize for personal use. The prize is provided by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and A Geek Daddy is hosting the promotion as a benefit to our readers. Must be a US resident over the age of 18 to participate. One entry per mailing address and winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries. If you have already won this prize through another blog participating in this promotion, your entry will be disqualified. By participating in this promotion you waive any liability of any kind against the publisher of this blog as this is a free giveaway opportunity. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. No P.O. Boxes allowed for delivery of the prize. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will be responsible for shipping the prize to the selected winner. A Geek Daddy is not responsible for delivery of the prize.
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment along with TT Games and The LEGO Group have just announced that a The LEGO NINJAGO Movie video game will be released in conjunction with the upcoming theatrical film. The game licensed by The LEGO Group to be developed by TT Games and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment will be available on September 22, 2017, the same day as the movie opens in theaters across the United States, for Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
In the game, players battle their way through waves of enemies with honor and skill as their favorite ninjas Lloyd, Nya, Kai, Cole, Zane and Master Wu to defend their home island of Ninjago from the evil Lord Garmadon and his Shark Army. To do so, they must master the art of Ninjagility which allows them to traverse Ninjago by wall-running, high jumping, and battling foes of Ninjago to rank up and upgrade the ninja's combat skills. Players can harness the power of Spinjitzu combat to defend Ninjago together.
The game features eight large, action-packed locations based on the story from The LEGO NINJAGO Movie. Each location includes its own unique Challenger Dojo where players can put their combat skills to the test and battle with increasingly tougher enemies. And with Battle Maps, players can go up against their friends and family in four different game modes, with competitive split-screen local gameplay for up to four players.
Stay tuned for more information about this game from A GEEK DADDY as we get closer to its release date.
"Classic Space," the first downloadable themed content pack for the LEGO Worlds video game will be available to purchase beginning July 5, 2017 for $3.99. The expansion pack will include brand new quests, characters, builds, and vehicles inspired from the popular LEGO Space toy playsets. LEGO Worlds takes the fun of playing with the iconic building bricks and mini-figures and transports it to a digital playground where players can unleash their imaginations in creating unique landscapes and adventures in a sandbox environment themed around LEGO toys.
The new expansion pack will allow players to blast off and explore the farthest reaches of space! It will allow you to travel across the video games various Worlds in a Space Buggy, fly around in a Space Cruiser, excavate the new Moon biome with the Mineral Detector, or land a spaceship on the new Classic Space Theme World. If you you are a fan of LEGO's space themed physical toys you won't want to miss out playing with these digital reproductions in this video game. I know my kids will have a blast utilizing the "Classic Space" add-on within their LEGO Worlds experiences.
Last summer I really enjoyed relaxing with my kids watching the Disney XD animated television series THE FREEMAKER ADVENTURES. The show features two things that my kids and I both love --> LEGO and Star Wars! So it was really fun sharing some time watching a show that my kids and I equally enjoyed. Containing the quirky humor LEGO television shows and movies have become known for with the characters and places from the Star Wars galaxy has made this a splendid show that adults and children can watch together and mutually like. So it seems only fitting that the first show of Season 2 is debuting Fathers Day Weekend with the remainder of the episodes being broadcast later in the summer. You know I'm going to be watching with my family!
The show's story takes place between Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. THE FREEMAKER ADVENTURES
has introduced Star Wars fans to a new trio of characters, the Freemaker family consisting of three siblings — Rowan, his sister
Kordi, and their brother Zander — who salvage
parts to build and repair spaceships. They are joined in their adventures by their companion R0-GR, a salvaged Clone Wars era battle droid. When Rowan discovers he has a connection with the Force, the Freemakers become ensnared in the battle between the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance. Season 2 begins with the Freemakers being recruited by Admiral Ackbar (Return of the Jedi) and General Syndulla (Star Wars Rebels) for a special mission.
While waiting for episode one of LEGO Star Wars THE FREEMAKER ADVENTURES to debut on Disney XD on Saturday, June 17, 2017 (11:00 am ET/PT) head over to the LEGO or Disney XD websites to watch all of Season 1's episodes for FREE. While there you can also watch for FREE 5 new mini-episodes that are each five minutes long that bridge the gap between Season 1 & Season 2 of the THE FREEMAKER ADVENTURES. I'm not sure how long these will be available to view for free online so watch them while you can.
Season 2 of LEGO Star Wars THE FREEMAKER ADVENTURES officially begins on Monday July 31, 2017 with new episodes airing Monday through Thursday at 7 am ET/PT until Wednesday August 16. During 2016, THE FREEMAKER ADVENTURES ranked
as the Disney XD’s #2 animated series among Kids 2-11 and Boys 2-11
demographics, reaching over 55 million Total Viewers across the U.S.,
including over 21 million Kids 2-14 and more than 20 million Adults
18-49. From looking at the preview trailer, the show only looks to get better this year!
**A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free to review**
My daughter has been having a magical time playing as her favorite character from the HARRY POTTER novels and movies in the newly released Hermione Granger Fun Pack for the LEGO Dimensions video game. Like many kids, and adults too, she loves J.K. Rowling's fantasy stories and is thrilled with this addition to LEGO Dimensions. The Fun Pack comes with a LEGO mini-figure of the heroine from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry along with a buildable Buckbeak sidekick that can be created from LEGO bricks. Place either toy figure on the video game's LEGO Toy Pad to incorporate the characters into your LEGO Dimensions experience.
The Hermione Granger LEGO mini-figure provides you the ability to use two two magic spells while playing the game. Wingadium Leviosa allows players to levitate objects and Lumos can be used to light up dark places. Buckbeak can be ridden by other characters in the game plus has a Stomp Attack for smashing LEGO bricks. The griffin can also be rebuilt into either a Giant Owl or a Fierce Falcon which each also have unique in-game abilities.
Hermione can be incorporated into the game's master story or any of its story or level pack additions. Plus her LEGO mini-figure can be used to unlock a Wizarding World of Harry Potteradventure area where players can explore locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and Diagon Alley. There is also a Hogwarts' quidditch pitch themed Battle Arena that Hermione can access where you can compete with up the three other players in four different capture the flag type competitions.
Team up Hermione with Harry Potter and have them combat Lord Voldemort in the games adventure worlds and battle arenas when you also purchase the Harry Potter Team Pack. This expansion pack to LEGO Dimensions includes mini-figures of Harry and Voldemort as well as buildable vehicles of the Enchanted Car and Hogwarts Express. Or team up Hermione with the characters from J.K. Rowling's new wizarding adventure Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them when you purchase the LEGO Dimensions storypack based upon the movie.
Join Newt Scamander find his escaped magical creatures in New York City as you make your way through 6 action packed levels of gameplay. This storypack also unlocks a Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Adventure World and Battle Arena as well. How do you think Newt would fare teamed up with Hermione? What is great about LEGO Dimensions is you can recreate your favorite scenes from these wizarding world movies or you can create brand new adventures to embark upon.
While my son and daughter get a lot of enjoyment from playing LEGO Dimensions, my wife and I really like playing it too. The LEGO Dimensions video game provides is great for spending some family time together having fun. Hey you guuuys if you're are a fan of HARRY POTTER you definitely aren't going to want to miss out on adding the fun, team and story expansion pack to your gaming experience. Plus for those of you who grew up in the '80s and love The Goonies, LEGO Dimensions also has a storypack based upon that classic children's movie that is a great way to share its story and characters with your kids.
For more information about the video game and its expansion packs, please visit lego.com/en-us/dimensions
** A Geek Daddy received free admission to the featured attraction**
LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan celebrated its one year anniversary at Great Lakes Crossing mall in the Detroit suburb of Auburn Hills this weekend by adding a brand new addition to the fun activities this great entertainment attraction has to offer. My kids have been on a Ninjago kick lately playing with this LEGO toy line, watching the animated series on Netflix, and pretending to be these characters when they've been playing at school for recess. So they were really excited to find out that our local LEGOLAND Discovery Center was opening a NINJAGO TRAINING CAMP that we were going to get a sneak peek at before its official grand opening to the public.
A giant sculpture made from LEGO bricks of one of the Ninjago characters was guarding the entrance to LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan when we arrived. Berti, the LEGOLAND Discovery Center mascot, was there too greeting guests and welcoming them in. Kids were being encouraged to sign a card as they entered to congratulate Berti on his first year anniversary of living at Great Lakes Crossing. My son and daughter were more than eager to put their names on the card and all the kids around them seemed eagerly enthusiastic to wish Berti a happy birthday.
Then it was off to challenge ourselves in the Ninjago Training Camp. This new play zone has activities that will put kids reflexes and flexibility to the test. For people who have visited LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan before don't worry they didn't replace anything to add this area but rather expanded into what had previously been storage space. It really is a nice enhancement to the place with lots of fun things to do. The play area brings to life the ninja characters and their elemental dragons from the LEGO Ninjago collection through great interactive experiences.
There is a precision training drill where you can compete against someone else in a game that is similar to a giant-sized wall mounted version of Simon. Whoever is the quickest at repeating the random sequences of lit up panels on the wall by pressing them the quickest before time runs out wins this round of their Ninjago training.
The highlight of the Ninjago Training Camp is the maze! Do you have the flexibility to make it through without touching a laser beam obstacle?!
There is also a LEGO brick building area that lets kids construct a Ninjago fortress.
After we had a chance to play in the Ninjago Training Camp there was a ceremony for the official opening of the play area. Instead of a ribbon cutting though they had local karate students kick down a LEGO brick wall. A very nice way to kick things off for this entertaining new space.
My kids always enjoy visiting LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan and this new addition makes the place even better. For more information or to purchase tickets for a visit, please visit michigan.legolanddiscoverycenter.com/
If your kids are into Ninjago as much as mine here's a heads up that there is an animated feature film coming to theaters this fall. The LEGO Ninjago Movie is being released September 22, 2017.
My kids were thrilled to see a life size mock up of the batmobile from The LEGO Batman Movie at the Detroit Auto Show. They've watched The LEGO Movie on DVD more times than I can count and can't wait to see its sequel when it arrives at theaters on February 10th. As the twins checked out the model of Batman's car an display at the Chevrolet exhibit and talked about going to see the upcoming movie, my son exclaimed "wouldn't it be nice if we could make our very own LEGO movies?!"
With the hundreds of LEGO bricks my kids have collected over the yearsto work withthat wish actually might become a reality thanks to a new book I recently discovered. The LEGO Animation Book by David Pagano and David Pickett provides a comprehensive guide to creating stop-motion animation with your personal LEGO collection. Pagano is the founder of Paganomation, a New York-based production studio that specializes in creating memorable films utilizing LEGO bricks, and Pickett is the filmmaker behind the youtube channel BRICK 101 that provides its 300,000 subscribers with videos reviewing new LEGO products and showing off unique customized creations built from the toy company's plastic bricks. Together, the two also publish a LEGO animation blog called The Set Bump.
This dynamic duo share with readers in The LEGO Animation Book everything you need to know to make impressive animated movies using LEGO creationsthat you build yourself. Whether you have expensive professional quality equipment or just a smart phone, Pagano and Pickett guide readers on how to become the director of your very own LEGO movies. Some of the tips included in the book include:
+ Using animation principles like exaggeration, timing and spacing, and overlapping action;
+ Conveying action and emotion with plastic characters;
+ Adding detail and scope to films by building in different scales;
+ Creating special effects like explosions and flying minifigures;
+ Building camera dollies and rigs out of LEGO bricks;
+ Making sure stop-motion photos are light, frame, and capture consistent.
My kids are excited about the prospect of making their own movies and I appreciate how this 200 page paperback book walks readers step-by-step through the process of making stop-motion films with LEGO toys. Encouraging using camera mounts and custom making them from LEGO bricks was a great suggestion I probably wouldn't have otherwise thought of. Creating the illusion an object is in motion by moving the background instead of the principal thing being focused on really is helpful if you are just an average dad or mom having fun making a home movie with your kids just using physical props and don't have computer animation software to use for creating special effects. Though if you do want to get fancier with your movie productions, The LEGO Animation Book provides suggestions and recommendations for both free and paid options when it comes to stop-motion computer software.
A Geek Daddy was able to participate in some Q&A with the book's authors who refer to themselves as "brickfilmers" and they had some interesting things to say about their passion for LEGO and film making.
How in
the world did you get interested in LEGO animation?
DAVID PICKETT:
I’ve been building with LEGO bricks my entire life. I learned how to build
before I learned how to speak. My family got a video camera (one of the big old
ones that used tapes) when I was 8 and I was excited to make my own movies.
Naturally, all my actors and sets were built out of LEGO. Over the years I’ve
tried other creative mediums, but I always come back to LEGO filmmaking.
DAVID PAGANO:
As a kid, I was fascinated by
stop-motion animation and puppetry. I think it might have to do with the
magical nature of giving life to inanimate objects. Most people (especially
kids) already use LEGO bricks to create tiny worlds or stories. So, to take
those stories and put them on video was a straightforward next step.
Later on
in high school, I entered a LEGO Movie Making competition, and was actually
picked as a semi-finalist! The prize was a trip to the far-off land of…New York
City, which is where I lived. Still, it was one of the first times I saw
filmmaking as something I could turn into a career.
What is
your favorite thing you’ve ever built out of LEGOand filmed?
DAVIDPAGANO:
One recent thing I’m proud of is the quick-build scene in my Garbage Man film. It took around
eight hours to animate the transformation of a garbage truck into a giant
monster. In the final video, it lasts about eight seconds. The creators of The LEGO Movie liked it so much,
they put a two-second clip of it at the climax of the film.
DAVID PICKETT:
My last major LEGO animation was NNN Chapter 2 - Robots!It’s a 24-minute
animation I made over the course of three years, 200+ hours of animating time,
and thousands of LEGO bricks. It’s a wacky story about a bunch of fun
characters and it’s my favorite thing I’ve ever built. It was a true passion
project.
How
does stop-motion animation work, and what sort of equipment do you need?
DAVIDPAGANO:Stop-motion is an animation technique almost as old as
motion pictures themselves. It involves taking many still photographs of an
object. An animator moves the object a tiny amount after each photo is taken.
Then, the pictures are viewed in sequence (like a flipbook) and the illusion of
movement is achieved.
With
digital cameras becoming cheaper and more sophisticated every year, the
hardware to create LEGO animated films is easy to acquire. There’s no need to spend money on
fancy equipment; you probably have everything you need to get started sitting
around your house right now. We recommend starting with a smartphone, some desk
lamps and a bunch of LEGO bricks. For more detailed recommendations, check out
Chapter 6 of The LEGO Animation Book.
DAVID PICKETT: The thing we stress over and over in the book is that the best way to learn
animation is to actually animate. No amount of reading or watching tutorials on
YouTube can take the place of that. That’s why we included lots of hands-on
exercises in the book.We really want to inspire the next generation of LEGO filmmakers so that is why we've included almost all our secrets in The LEGO Animation Book.
The LEGO Animation Book is available from No Starch Press. No Starch Press focuses on publishing titles that are the finest in geek entertainment covering topics ranging from computer programming to filmmaking. You can purchase The LEGO Animation Book from the No Starch Press' website or at major book retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, Target, and Walmart.
Admit it! If you're a parent who has seen The LEGO Movie you have absolutely thought about creating your own films featuring the toys your kids have around your house. You know any kid who has seen the movie has dreamed of doing that too. The LEGO Animation Book gets A Geek Daddy nod of approval because it shows how anyone can become the director of his or her very own LEGO movie and making these films really are a great opportunity for kids and parents to work on a mutually enjoyable project together. Reading this book, learning to make the stop-motion films, and creating your own visual masterpieces really provides a nice chance for parents and children to bond together and make some extraordinary memories while having a lot of fun.
** A Geek Daddy received the featured book for FREE to review. Opinions are honest and my own**
