How to Create a Lego Animation

Cool video huh? Guess what, you can do this too! Hello everyone, in this Instructable I'll be teaching you about what you need to make a Lego animation using IStopMotion and making a Lego guy walk. I hope you will have as mush fun as I do when making your animations.

If you like it Please vote for me in the Toy Building Blocks Contest. With out further or do lets get started.

These are some of the things you will need:

IStopMotion or some type of animation software

Lego base plate or a large brick surface

A Lego man

A camera*

And some tape

Optional and Suggested:

A set

Some extra bricks

Movie Editing software (such as iMovie)

and Artificial lighting

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*For a camera I suggest using an IPEVO

When you first open IStopMotion you realize you have some setting up to do before you make your animation.

Up top is where you name your movie. In the middle is where you have your saved movie go. Just leave the bar down below set at default. Something that is not in the picture is the Fps or frames per second. I highly suggest setting your Fps to 15 for your animation. If you want your animation to run smoother but take more effort your Fps should be higher than fifteen. If you want less work but a worse quality animation make your Fps lower than 15. As you can see 15 Fps is in the middle because your animation runs ok and it takes a little more work. After you name your movie, know where the movie is going to save to, and know the Fps, click create. After you click create and if you have an external camera click the source button on the top grey bar then click device and then click your external camera. Let your camera adjust to the scene before you take a picture. To take your first picture just click the red button in the middle or the spacebar. You have now learned how to set up your IStopMotion software and camera.

The only problem with lego base plates and bricks is that they move. To eliminate that get some tape and tape down your set. After you got your set taped down you need some good lighting. I use two desk lights that you can get from Home Depot or some place like that. If you want your shadow to be in back of the Lego guy put the light in front of him/her by a distance of about 2 feet. Play around with your lighting to make different shadows. I do not suggest using out side light because then you will get light flickers on your animation that makes it look worse.

In these four easy steps you can make your minifig walk! If you repeat these steps you can make a guy walk across the base plate.

First get your minifig in a standing position and take one picture.

Then put one leg up and the opposite arm half way up. Take a picture after you do that.

Lean in your minifig so he's slouching over his leg. Take a picture.

Finally move your minifig to the next peg in front of him. Take a picture.

If you want to make your lego guy go slower then take two (2) pictures instead of one.

Thank you for looking at my instructable! I hope you learned something new and have took away something from this. If you liked it please vote for me in the Toy Building Blocks challenge!