Channel 4 over in the UK has recently put out a brilliant documentary that chronicles some great behind the scenes action at LEGO. Many topics near and dear to the LEGO community's heart are touched upon and lots of notable LEGO fans are featured prominently.
Fortunately for those of us not in the UK, a kind YouTube user by the name of "Legoboy" has taken the time to post the documentary in its entirety for your viewing pleasure.
(Please note that the video embedded above was viewable at the time of this posting. If at some point in the future this video is no longer viewable please alert us as such and we will attempt to update this post with a working video.)
EDIT 3/5/2016: Channel 4 now has this documentary available on demand online.
Details: In the early days of motion pictures, they didn't have film reels or real video technology. Early on, moving pictures were created by using series of still frames in a circle, with slits between each one. Looking through the slits at the image on the other side while the circle was spinning would make it look like the image was moving.
If you remember what blog you're reading, this next part shouldn't surprise you - here's a an example of a zoetrope that works in this manner made out of LEGO. Much like the first example of this (based on a series of photographs taken by Eadweard Muybridge), this particular ones animates a horse's gallop.
Details: You may remember the spectacular pop-up model of Kinkaku-ji (the Temple of the Golden Pavilion) from a few years back. More recently, the builder has made another excellent pop-up temple - Nara, Japan's Todai-ji. This one also includes the Daibutsu inside the temple. Around the 1:52 mark, the video switches from a demonstration to CAD-based building instructions, complete with part counts for each step. All 8,816 pieces are accounted for, and there's a complete parts list with BrickLink part numbers at the end.
I've written about ball sculptures before, but the sad truth about round LEGO items is that they don't generally roll. This one, however, does. The video says it all, although you may have to squint a bit to make out how some of the plates with clips fit in.
This is the first great model of the Golden Pavilion that I've seen - and that fact is going to get lost in the shuffle due to just how unique this creation is. This thing is spectacular on several different levels. On the one hand, it's built to look like a LEGO set box - all the sides are assembled as mosaics, and the details (including letters in English and Japanese, as well as a "parts list" and "actual size" minifigs) are all spectacular, even though things are kept strictly at low resolutions to match the side they are on. On the other hand - it's a giant pop-up creation that folds out to construct the perfect minifig-scale model of the Golden Pavilion inside! The close-ups near the end of the clip provide some insight as to how this was done, but it still remains a mysterious marvel.
Details: NeXTSTORM is back with more NXT-based animatronic videos. We've previously featured his Pirates and Paradisa themed videos, and this time he turns his attention to the Space theme. The big twist? Figuratively, the use of cameras on a platform controlled by NXT motors. Literally, the whole middle of this thing is spinning. Once again, you need to watch the whole video to get the full effect. The "Found At" link above also contains a summary with a decent listing of what was used to make the magic happen.
Details: To promote their song "8-bit trip", the Swedish band rymdreglage decided to put together a BrickFilm as the music video for the song. It wound up being a pretty spectacular BrickFilm, very craftsmenlike in it's use of bricks and plates to create something of high-resolution look. One moment we're seeing a large sculpture build itself, the next we're seeing flawless mosaics animate a scene (or render various classic video game characters). Technically proficient and animated in a more professional manner than most BrickFilms I've seen, this one's a winner just on the merits as a LEGO creation, before you factor in how well the video game references work.
The only thing to critique about this viral video's run around the Internet? The BrickFilm is so good that it seems to be distracting us from the song it's supposed to promote.
Details: We previously featured an animated Pirates tale created by this builder, but now the brilliant motorized antics are applied to this gorgeous music-box style bignette featuring dancing minifigures. The video and pictures from the site above do a good job of summing this up, but I thought this information found on the related YouTube page was worth sharing here:
Recently, my daughter Alexandra told me that there are no much LEGO Mindstorms NXT projects for girls. So, after building arcade games, pirates, Bionicle robots, Power Miners vehicles, stadiums and other motorized/automated models (that both my sons have much enjoyed) it was time to create something just for her.
The idea was to build a classic (but fully automated) music-box with a ballerina. With the time, the original idea has changed a lot and finally 14 LEGO minifigs have been NXTfied so to dance in front of a Crystal Palace. The actual chorography (synchronization/NXT-G programming) was based on the famous Blue Danube by Johann Strauss. During video editing I decided to use a royalty free tune, to avoid any undesirable (due to copyright) incident. Thus youll be able to see only a portion of my minifigs dancing skills.
Dedicated to my princess Alexandra! (and to all FFOLs!)
Visit http://web.me.com/NeXTSTORM for more pictures.
Magic starts by pressing one of the transparent pink flowers which works as a secret button (NXT Touch Sensor). Then the two LEDs (one PF Light pair located at the base of the flowers stand) flashes and the music box opens (LEGO Pneumatics) by separating the NXTree construction in two pieces. After this, the Crystal Palace appears (Linear Actuator) and a center dance stage with 7 minifig couples is lifted (NXT motor) in front of it. The lights (7 PF Light pairs) of the Crystal Palace turn on, start dimming and then the dance commence.
The first (master) NXT Intelligent Brick which is mounted on the back of the box controls all the action. The brick is connected with one NXT motor, one NXT touch sensor, one HiTechnic IR-Link and one PF Light per using cable converters. Additionally, the master NXT brick controls PF Lights and Pneumatics via IR-Link and the slave NXT brick via Bluetooth. The second NXT Brick (slave) is responsible for the dance.
Elements of The magic NXTree and the Crystal Palace Dance: -Two Intelligent NXT Bricks -Three NXT Servo Motors -One NXT Touch Sensor -One NXT IR Link (HiTechnic) -One Converter Cable for Mindstorms NXT -Two Power Functions IR Receivers -Two Power Functions Polarity Switches -Three Power Functions M-Motors -Eight Power Functions Lights -Three Power Functions Extension Wires -One Power Functions Battery Box -One Linear Actuator -Two Pneumatic Cylinders -One Pneumatic Switch -One Pneumatic Airtank -One Pneumatic Small Pump -One Pneumatic Pump (Manual)
Thanks to my LEGO brother bazmarc (http://www.youtube.com/user/bazmarc) who gave the title of this movie (The Magical NXTree and the Crystal Palace Dance).
The movie was filmed at Vitina, Greece (http://www.maplandia.com/greece/pelopon issos/arkadhia/vitina/) on the 9th of August 2009.
Thank you ALL for watching and stay tuned (...or even better subscribe now) for more LEGO creations!
Details: Generally, when you see minifigs in an animated context, stop motion animation is used. This time, an NXT was used instead, controlling both NXT motors and Power Functions motors. There are more details (along with the actual video) on the website listed above - don't miss the photos, they're the only hints as to how this was done.
Details: On April 27th, 2008, the Ontario Brick Builders in Ontario, Canada, put out a public display at THE TORONTO TOY, TRAIN & DOLL COLLECTORS' SHOW (which has no website from what I can tell). The reason why I'm featuring video of this show instead of photos is that they took advantage of the opportunity to try out some exciting new ways of moving models. A Technic/Mindstorms-based mechanism lifts up a classic spaceship while a rover is maneuvered on the ground by a system of magnets. Custom-designed train and monorail cars are circling the layout too. Did I mention that this is CLASSIC Space too? I know some of the parts I see are newer, but the color scheme and many of the sets are pure 1978. If you're interested in seeing their other layouts, there are more links at http://news.lugnet.com/org/ca/obb/?n=153&t=i&v=a
Details: This clever little animation is a fun way to get a feel for the various challenges in this year's FIRST LEGO LEAGUE competition. Although LEGO® Robotics kits (either the original Mindstorms kit with the RCX or the LEGO® MINDSTORMS NXT), this animation shows minifigs solving the challenge with vehicles you might find in any LEGO® town. The theme of this year's contest is "Power Puzzle", so most of the tasks for the robot to do have a power-saving or power-generating theme. FIRST and LEGO have been teaming up for these tournaments for several years now with the goal of getting kids (of roughly junior-high age) into robotics. While most of the kids choose to navigate the challenges using dead reckoning, they do get hands-on experience with programming and learn a few things about constructing a sturdy robot chassis. In any given year, there are a few teams that rise above the pack, trying out more complex robotics ideas out and solving all of the challenges in that year's contest. You should be able to find out if there is an open tournament in your area at http://www.firstlegoleague.org/Calendar.aspx?pid=210 , but most of the local level tournaments have already passed.
I know that this isn't technically a LEGO model and that most people have seen this before, but I wanted to make sure I posted something today. This is not actually a sequence of LEGO models - almost all of the studs-up mosaics used were taken apart and reassembled differently to make the next frame. The effect, however, speaks for itself.
), this animation shows minifigs solving the challenge with vehicles you might find in any LEGO® town.
