Filming LEGO Friends Jungle TV spots

   Behind-the-scenes look at the creation and filming of the LEGO Friends Jungle Rescue sets TV spots reveals the secret to smooth helicopter rotor blade rotation.
   Recently LEGO Club posted details and images on their "Inside Scoop" section about the making of these commercials.  We're sharing it here, so you won't miss it! (Plus, it provides great ideas for making your own brick films.)

   "Hi, Nina here! I’ve joined the Heartlake City girls ‘on set’ to find out how a LEGO® Friends TV commercial is made."

   “It’s a busy day at the jungle base. Emma and Stephanie have just saved a baby panda from drowning. They return him to base, where Andrea treats it. Suddenly the alarm sounds! Olivia and Matthew, who are in the watchtower, have spotted a bear cub on a bridge that has collapsed...“

(Look at all those Pandas!)

   It all starts out with a STORYLINE like this. Usually it’s a very short story with a beginning, middle and end. It also has to include whatever LEGO sets that need to be featured.
    Then the director will create a STORYBOARD with the team. This is a kind of mini-comic to show the camera crew what scenes they need to film. The story has extra details, such as what the girls are holding, but it’s told very quickly and isn’t always in full sentences!
   Finally, there is a SCRIPT that has all the talking – the dialogue and voice-overs – written down.

Then it’s into the studio! The crew then use the storyboard and script as inspiration to build a SET where the LEGO models will be filmed.

   Set designers create a tiny detailed jungle for our adventure! The models are then carefully placed in it and powerful lights are set up to make everything look really pretty! 

   Setting up a SHOT – each small piece of film – takes ages, as the lights will probably be in different places for each one. Finally the camera operator ‘shoots’! 

The director will check the finished shot on a monitor before moving on to the next one. Each shot is filmed in whatever order is easiest. They will be edited together in the right order later.
...and how does our story end?

   “The girls have to work fast. They rush to the helicopter and the jeep. When they arrive at the broken bridge the girls coordinate the rescue operation. Stephanie and Andrea stand on the ground and direct Mia in the helicopter. Mia lowers the stretcher and Olivia and Emma grab the scared bear cub. The mission is successfully completed. Both the bear cub and the girls are relieved and excited.”

Here is the finished TVspot:

And here is the LEGO Club Inside Scoop link.

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 FriendsBricks.com