Those of you who are into stop motion LEGO animation know how daunting the task can be. So imagine if you’re out to make a full length movie (1 hour and 44 minutes to be exact) out of millions of LEGO bricks, and bring to life one of the most iconic superheroes around.
This is exactly what the tech savvy team of animators at special effects studio Animal Logic have in mind when they were tasked to create The LEGO Batman Movie. So how did they actually pull this off and came up with a totally awesome film? Mike Seymour of Wired.com’s Design FX gives us an insider look at how the film was animated inside the studios of Animal Logic. Check this out.
The facts on how The LEGO Batman Movie was made are simply mind-blowing.
- 220 million distinct LEGO bricks and pieces (rendered digitally) were used to recreate Gotham City.
- If Gotham City, as seen in the film, were made into an actual, physical set, then you’ll be needing lots of space equivalent to the size of 6 ½ football fields.
- The LEGO Batman Movie is significantly larger than its predecessor, The LEGO Movie, in terms of all the LEGO elements used which was approximately at around three trillion elements.
- The team of animators at Animal Logic used what they call as replacement animation in bringing to life Batman’s subtle facial expressions and body movement. This means that they actually replace Batman’s cowl and arms and legs each time he is animated, to create a fluid, more organic movement of the superhero’s minifig version. This means that every part of Batman is replaced on every scene that he goes through.
- That 7-second scene where Robin accidentally bumped his head on the dashboard of the Batmobile took 45 takes and several months to work out.
If you were amazed by Animal Logic’s tireless work on The LEGO Batman Movie, then you may want to pick up a copy of DK’s The LEGO Batman Movie: The Making of the Movie now available at 47% off via Amazon.
Journey beyond the on-screen world of The LEGO® Batman™ Movie and get an inside look at how the animated movie was created with The LEGO® Batman™ Movie: The Making of the Movie.
Packed with stunning concept art, sketches, artwork, inspiration, and LEGO builds, the book tells the fascinating story of how The LEGO Batman Movie was made. Find out how your favorite heroes, villains, vehicles, and locations were created for the movie. Learn about each development stage of the movie, from the initial idea and storyboarding to recording the dialogue and special effects. Created in full collaboration with the LEGO Group and Warner Bros., The Making of The LEGO Batman Movie features exclusive insights from the filmmakers, animators, LEGO designers, and actors.