Stop Motion Effects: Running at the Speed of Light

This tutorial will demonstrate the technique involved with creating a fast running animation. It uses a blur technique, by using bricks.

Remember, these videos aren't meant to tell you exactly how to create these effects, in fact, I encourage you to use this tutorial to come up with some of your own ways to create these effects. It will help your improvisation skills too.

Pieces That You Need

You will need bricks of similar colour to that of the character you are using. Make sure that you have regular bricks and roof bricks

Animating the Blur

Now that you have the pieces ready, it's time to animate them. Set up the scene and place your character in.

Starting the Blur

Have some frames to build up to the run.

1: Brick Replacement

Build an angled object like the one shown, and move it forward a stud or two.

2: Long Blur

Make the blur longer by increasing the length of the bricks. Continue to increase the spacing intervals.

3: Continue

Continue this until you are close to the destination.

4: Slow Down

Shorten the length again, and decrease spacing intervals.

5: Head

Use the original head.

Slowing Down

Now add some final movements to allow the figure to come to a complete stop.

An example of this effect used in a film is seen in the video at the top.

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