End
Jack D.
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"END" is a stop-motion animation LEGO film that was made for my Chapman Visual Supplement. I was challenged with the prompt,
"Without using dialogue, voice over or music with lyrics, create a film that is under two minutes and is about a character making a difficult decision. Show that the character is pulled in two different directions at an emotional level, visualize their process of consideration and show that they make a decision."
I had to brainstorm a lot of different ideas before I produced it. In such a short amount of time, It was rather difficult to introduce a character and then provide a tough decision. I eventually decided on the idea of a nuclear attack. I drew inspiration from Vasili Arkhipov, a senior officer on the Soviet B-59 submarine who refused permission to launch its nuclear torpedo in 1962. I found the idea of deciding whether to launch a nuke to be the ultimate decision.
After I had chosen a general direction that I wanted to take my film, I began to develop the story. I knew from the get-go that I would have the scene consist of two characters, and that one of them would pull a lever to arm the nuke, but the other would hesitate. Seeing as the original prompt specified that I was not allowed to have dialogue, I was going to have to rely heavily on visual metaphors.
From this point on, I began to story board the project. With a two minute limit for the film, I had to make sure that each shot was worth its time. I wanted the setting for the film to be a nuclear silo in the desert.
I used a free digital modeling and rendering software called "Blender" to assist me in some shots that were unrealistic for me to achieve practically. The convenience of using LEGO for a stop-motion animation film is that the figures are self supporting, and will not fall over when placed on a stud. The small scale of the scene also makes it easier to create large scale stories on a budget.
After I had finished story boarding, I began the production phase of the project. I shot my film on a DSLR camera, and used a stop-motion animation software called "Dragon Frame" to capture the images.
I cut my film using Premiere Pro as well as After Effects for compositing. My editing process is a very dynamic experience. I'll often move shots around, or create entirely new ones to help the film flow better.
I approached my sound design in a very straightforward manner. I like to imagine myself in the scene that I have created, and listen to the sounds that I might hear. The ambience of a scene might not seem important, but every detail can help to make a world feel more rich and lived in. For the control room as an example, I imagined that the sound of a low hum might be present. Perhaps from a radiator or some other computer. The clicking sound of dial turning. The rush of an air conditioner. My decision to set the film inside of a bunker was beneficial in the sense that there realistically wouldn't be a lot of noise. This saved me time during this phase of the project.
In the end, my film had a runtime just a few seconds over two minutes. There was a slight leeway in terms of how far over the limit I could go, and I knew that it would be fine.
Thanks, and I hope you enjoyed the film!
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For me, I've always found enjoyment through story telling. From simply talking with others, to developing original stories and producing stop-motion animation short films, I love stories. I love tackling challenging shots that require me to think outside of the box.
