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The Brickfilm Feature: IP Films

The Brickfilm Showcase Aug 12, 2017

This article is a guest post by member nswihart.


Dare I bring up the subject?

Yes.

It’s time.

It’s way PASTime.

IP Logos


There seems to exist a common popularity, amongst Brickfilmers, of  using characters, stories, and media that originate with and belong to  someone else, most commonly corporate entities.

I’m referring to Intellectual Property Films (aka IP Films).

The convenience of utilizing recognizable mini-figures from pop  culture with preexisting back stories argues the point we can make IP  brickfilms. Companies manufactured them; we buy them at the store, why  can’t we use them in brickfilms? I counter that argument with The LEGO®  Company’s own mission statement: "Our ultimate purpose is to inspire and  develop children to think creatively, reason systematically and release  their potential to shape their own future -- experiencing the endless  human possibility."

Does recycling characters and stories from pop culture, demonstrate creative thinking?

It can, but all-too-often we see brickfilms resulting from IP that don’t.
I realize in bringing this up, I open a criticism of brickfilming  itself. The bricks aren’t something we made ourselves. Indeed, a  corporation invented them, developed them, manufactured them, patented  and trademarked them and sold them TO US. The very notion of our films’  originality, hinges on the reality that these companies encourage  creativity with their products. These interlocking bricks are so  pervasive and universal they are more than toys. They are a medium.
While we may own some bricks, we do not own Darth Vader. He belongs  to Disney (apropos if you ask me). Some use IP source materials as a  crutch to generate stories that will get attention due to ease of  recognition, but others use it as a medium to surpass re-production and  mimicry. Despite not owning the Marvel Universe you can use the IP source material as a medium to explore ideas!

Let’s examine a few well-made IP films that have used their source  material as a medium to enrich our enjoyment of tales, stories, and  characters we already know and love. (continue reading in forums)

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