CCR

Final update... this is it. This is the last post.

This whole experience has been very interesting and informative. I can't believe it's actually over.

I really hope that you do enjoy both the film opening and the CCR because I put hours of work into both.

Without further ado... my CCR!

~ fin ~

Three's A Crowd - Premiere

An update...

The final product is finally finished!

So please, sit back and grab a snack. I hope you enjoy.

Ladies and gentlemen.... I present to you "Three's A Crowd"

Goodbye May Seem Forever

An update... we're almost at the end.

Okay, so it's time to reflect on the development of this project. I have to say, it's been a journey (with many ups and downs). It feels good to finally be at the end of this project.

I learned a lot while making this project. For one thing, I learned that it's always good to plan everything out. It's so helpful and definitely worth the few minutes that it takes. Time management is a key factor in almost (if not) everything that we do, especially this project. It makes everything so much easier to break it up into small, doable sections instead of doing everything at once.

I learned that sometimes things don't go according to plan. This whole experience really showed me that not everything is going to turn out how I expect, or had originally planned, and that's okay. It's okay for things to change. I can't get too caught up in the little details or in the things that don't work. I realized that if something isn't working, I shouldn't force it to. I shouldn't be worried about changing something here and there if it's not working, because in the end it'll probably be better than the original.

Due to the pandemic, I had to think on my feet and come up with a (slightly) new idea for this project since I couldn't execute my original one under these circumstances. I don't know if the final result is better, but it's certainly different.

I'm not going to lie, I stressed out about the changes. I spent a good couple hours just staring at my project because I knew I couldn't execute my original plan with what I had and I didn't know what to do. All that did was waste my time. Logically, I know that I'm not going to stop stressing and freaking out over everything, but at least there'll be a little voice in my head telling me that it's okay and it'll work itself out.

I also learned that it's important to think of these things as a whole before getting into the details. It's so easy to get lost in the little things and not consider the whole. If you don't zoom out every once in a while, then you don't really know what the big picture looks like. Everything could be disjointed and unconnected. I like to start editing right away and create a sort of rough draft so I can visually see and hear what it would look like (basically turning the storyboard into a video).

I have a new respect for anyone that makes Lego stop motion videos. Believe me when I tell you that it is a lot of work. But it was also a lot of fun. Maybe I'll revisit the idea of making another one in the future (since I'll be at home for the foreseeable future).

Overall, this whole process has taught me a lot  about the process and given me some insight into what it takes to make a production.

Agony (It's fine, I'm fine)

A little update...

I'm stressing out. I have the first half of the opening basically done. The second half is what's stressing me out. Originally, I had planned on having the second half as the credits and having the detective pinning the credits on the board to also serve as clues.

I started working on it, but it's more difficult than I thought it was gonna be. It won't work the way I had planned it. I'm not exactly sure how to make it work or if I can. I might have to come up with a different variation or even a different idea.

I don't know what to do.

A Most Befuddling Thing

A little update...

It may sound silly, but I don't really know how to animate the Lego figures going to sit down in a chair. So, I went to YouTube to try to find a tutorial. I found nothing. Most of the results were for how to animate a Lego figure walking, which I already know from previous projects.

Instead of trying to look up a tutorial, I changed tactics. I looked up the YouTube channel of one of my favorite Lego animators, Michael Hickox (MICHAELHICKOXFilms). My plan was to go through each of his videos until I found a scene of the figures going to sit down and then dissect the video to figure out how he did it (sounds complex, I know).

Luckily for me, in the first video I watched, also his most recent (Tim and Ralph: Car Dealer), there is a scene of the figures getting up from sitting down in the beginning.

In order to figure out what was happening, I slowed down the playback speed so I could see the individual pictures that he took to get the final result.

Then, I watched the scene a few times before taking screenshots so I could just do the reverse of what he did. So, instead of having the figures getting up, the figures will be sitting down.

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He was able to do it in about five shots, so I should be able to do the same. I know, it won't be exactly the same for me, as the context will be different, but I'm going to try to adapt the process to fit my needs.

I probably overcomplicated everything, but at least I know how to do it now.

Fixer Upper (Transformation)

A little update...

Now that I have the characters and the props, I need a place to put everything. I was originally going to use part of a Lego set that I've had.

That's what it would have looked like. I decided to change the set for a few reasons. The first being that there were too many windows. There also weren't enough walls.

Initially, I looked up Lego police station sets that I could buy and build. That didn't work out because not only are Lego sets ridiculously expensive, there also wasn't anything that fit with what I needed.

So, I built a new set from scratch.

I took the pink "cushions" off of the chairs

This was the first mock-up that I made. I didn't like the purple colors, so I painted them blue.

I also added a window and taped black construction paper in at the back to serve as a one way mirror/window that are usually in interrogation rooms. (I also decided to switch the hat to hair because it'll be easier to deal with. In my first few tests at filming, the hat just kept getting in the way.)

I decided to add in another wall because the set seemed incomplete without it and it'll help to get more shots.

I added in an extra figure in the background. A friend pointed out how there is usually a deputy or partner in the room during interrogations. Seeing as how this is now being done with Lego figures and I won't need any other people to be physically present, I decided I should take her advice and add in another officer.

This is about what I was going for, and I think I accomplished that.