Old School Toys with a Tech Twist

For some kids, it's the stuff of nightmares - toys coming to life. But for a many, it's a hobby, an art form, or even a career. We're talking about Lego-mation, or stop-action animation done with Lego bricks.

Stop action animation is the process of taking a series of still images and stringing them together so that the eye thinks they are one fluid movement. The trick comes in repositioning the objects in the picture slightly between each snapshot. It's the same concept as used in drawn animation (each frame of the movie consists of one hand-drawn cell), only stop action uses three dimensional props rather than artwork.

Lego bricks have become a favorite tool for stop action animators, for their versatility and popularity. Brickfilms.com showcases a wide range of stop action animation. Many of the films are suprisingly good, but it's best to preview them before sharing them with young family members. Oh, and make sure to have some extra Lego bricks on hand for the inspirational movie-making to follow!