Sure, director Chris McKay has been at the helm of such irreverent shows as "Robot Chicken," where there are no limits to the skewering of pop culture icons in stop-motion animation glory. Still, when it came to handing the keys of its monolithic superhero brand over to McKay for "The LEGO Batman Movie," Warner Bros. and DC Comics had nothing but trust in McKay to use LEGO's bricks to help build a wonderful story about the Dark Knight and several other DC superheroes -- even though it parodies them. "I think in some ways they knew I would be OK because I have a giant Catwoman tattoo on my arm," McKay said with a laugh Tuesday in a phone conversation from Los Angeles. "Plus, I've expressed my love for DC comic books and some Warner Bros. movies in general, like Richard Donner's "Superman" and Tim Burton's "Batman," as movies that made an impression on me as a kid. "Yes, the companies want to be very careful in how they present these characters and under what circumstances, but fortunately, they do have a lot of trust and faith in me," McKay added.
"I've been really lucky that let me do the things I've been able to do with this movie. Yes, we make jokes, but they are loving, affectionate jokes involving these characters." McKay is no stranger to the DC/LEGO universe, having served as an editor and animation supervisor on the 2014 blockbuster "The LEGO Movie." Of course, that film featured LEGO Batman (voiced by Will Arnett), who now -- along with his alter-ego Bruce Wayne -- gets his own adventure in Gotham City, where he takes on such nefarious criminals as the Joker (Zack Galifianakis) and Harley Quinn (Jenny Slate). The film, opening in theaters and on IMAX screens nationwide on Friday, also stars Rosario Dawson as the voice of Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, Michael Cera as Dick Grayson/Robin and Ralph Fiennes as Wayne's loyal butler, Alfred Pennyworth. Behind-the-scenes footage from the film shows several of the actors in front their microphones, recording dialogue with their LEGO counterparts in hand, and McKay said they weren't the only ones who used the tiny characters to glean some inspiration.
"We had bowls of bricks in the conference rooms so people could play with stuff when we were having meetings, and if you look at the animators' desks, you'll see stuff they started collecting from the first movie that they used to work out animation or design problems, or just to have fun," McKay said. "I tried to promote that sense of play as much as possible and try to get LEGO to give us as many things as possible to do stuff. On the first movie, I had people doing building exercises with teams. We got a Death Star, Millennium Falcon and Star Destroyer, and split people up into teams to build stuff together. It was fun to see people get nerdy about all the details and geek out about it." Much like "The LEGO Movie," "The LEGO Batman Movie" has a distinct, stop-motion animated feel to it, And while the animation in both films is completely computer-generated, McKay - whose credits in addition to "Robot Chicken" include "Moral Orel" and "Titan Maximum" -- would love to somehow implement stop-motion into future LEGO movie projects.
In the meantime, he said, it's key to have people on the films that have stop-motion sensibilities. "One thing I try to do is hire stop-motion animators who know a little bit about CG," McKay said. "The rigs are simple enough for somebody who has a passing knowledge of CG to come in. On 'The LEGO Batman Movie,' I brought in one of my favorite stop-motion animators from 'Robot Chicken' -- her influence on the animation and her character animation was so great that I thought she was absolutely essential to making this movie." This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Jurors in Cosby trial to come from outside suburban Philly court Bill Cosby's criminal sexual assault trial will stay in Montgomery… 2 hours ago Mahershala Ali becomes first Muslim actor to win Oscar Of all the memorable moments at the Oscars Sunday night, Mahershala… 3 hours ago You had one job: Meet the firm behind the Oscars' biggest blunder Before Sunday night, PricewaterhouseCoopers was known to the general…
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Come Play With Us! Bricks & Minifigs® is your one-stop LEGO® shop! We are the largest toy store of our kind, specializing in only new and used LEGO® items. We buy and trade all things LEGO®, from tubs of bulk to storage unit sized collections. If it’s LEGO®, we’ll take it!!Enjoy our selection of individual minifigs, bulk bricks, components and accessories. With the largest assortment of new, used and retired sets we keep your collection growing! Bricks & Minifigs is built on the principle of the 3 R'sREBUILD with thousands of pieces to choose from ensuring you'll have those childhood sets rebuilt in no time.REUSE is our way or saying that we buy, sell and trade anything Lego brand and pay top dollar for it.REIMAGINE those sets you get from us by creating your own masterpiece straight from your imagination.e art and the stained glass from the 1500s. Our group of 12, from 8 yrs to 90+yrs, enjoyed various sections of the museum. The kids loved the old town, science and railroad exhibits.
The adults enjoyed Pamela JeffriesJesse DaubyKyle Hittner Museum. Museum to honor my amazing professor Katie Waters and her career as an e Brianna Lynn StoneMike BormanKimberly McClellanCindy Long GraysonKirsten Swanson BowenStephanie ShepardSee allEvansville Museum of Arts, History & Science added 24 new photos.Check out some of the fun we had at Super Saturday today. Special thanks to our super guests the American Society of Civil Engineers, the University of Evansville Engineering Department, the USI International Students, the Indiana Adoption Program and the Evansville Museum Docent Association! Missed the fun today? Make sure to mark your calendars for our next Super Saturday: Spring Break - Evansville on March 25th.Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science added an event.Super Saturday at the Evansville MuseumEvansville Museum of Arts, History & ScienceSee allEvansville Museum of Arts, History & Science shared their event.Today is the big day! Super Saturday begins at 11 am - you won't want to miss any of the fun.
Super Saturday at the Evansville MuseumEvansville Museum of Arts, History & ScienceEvansville Museum of Arts, History & ScienceMany misconceptions surround eclipses. Some people don’t understand the difference between a partial solar eclipse and a total solar eclipse. Evansville will only be partial, but if you ever see the glorious sight of a total one, you will never forget. We have tour packages into the path of totality August 21, 2017. Visit our website to sign up now to reserve your spot.Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science shared their event.Calling all families: Super Saturday is tomorrow! Visit the Museum for a fun day full of family-friendly engineering activities.Super Saturday at the Evansville MuseumEvansville Museum of Arts, History & ScienceEvansville Museum of Arts, History & ScienceThe Evansville Museum is excited to announce our brand new art parties! Spend a girls, guys, teens or family night out at the Museum! These super easy and educational workshops are perfect for friends to get together, have fun and learn something new.
All supplies are included and no art experience is necessary. Evansville Museum of Arts, History & ScienceThis 1901 photograph depicts the Old Post Office and Customhouse in its original configuration before the addition of wings to each side of the building in 1918. Designed by William Appleton Potter, the original building cost $236,000 and is in the Ruskinian Gothic style. Completed in 1879, it remained in use as a post office until 1969. This image first appeared in the book “Art Work of Evansville” that featured many buildings and scenes of the city in the early 20th century.Science with a Twist: March 15Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science shared Evansville Living's post.Our history curator Tom Lonnberg was in the latest edition of Evansville Living! Thank you Evansville Living for featuring one of our favorite people! # # #Evansville LivingTom Lonnberg is a man of history. The curator of history at the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science has an intimate relationship with local heritage.
/…/articl…/living-in-the-pastLiving in the Past | Evansville City View MagazineEvansville Museum of Arts, History & Science shared their event.Super Saturday is this weekend! You won't want to miss the return of our engineering activities!Super Saturday at the Evansville MuseumEvansville Museum of Arts, History & ScienceEvansville Museum of Arts, History & Science added an event.3Free Friday March 3Evansville Museum of Arts, History & ScienceEvansville Museum of Arts, History & Science shared Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana's upcoming events.The Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana is hosting a Children's International Film Festival at the Museum this Saturday and Sunday with movies at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Doors open at 10:00 a.m. Limited seating. First come, first seated. # # # #Upcoming Eventsby Arts Council of Southwestern IndianaArt Noir 2017 Closing ReceptionArts Council of Southwestern Indiana in Evansville, IndianaTotal Eclipse of the ArtsVictory Theatre in Evansville, IndianaEvansville Museum of Arts, History & Science added 2 new photos.
Happening tonight at 6:30. A screening of the film The Invisible Patients. This documentary, which was filmed in Evansville, is one of our Community Cultural Conversations. Introduction and Q&A by Nurse Practitioner Jessica McLeod who appears in the film.Tickets are $5 for Museum Members and Youth, $7 for Not-Yet-Members. Art Journaling is tonight! Bring a friend to this fun art experience. Absolute art beginners are invited (as well as experienced artists). You'll get to create personalized art in a social atmosphere.Art Journaling at the Evansville MuseumEvansville Museum of Arts, History & ScienceEvansville Museum of Arts, History & ScienceWith the opening of the new downtown DoubleTree hotel in Evansville earlier this week, it’s interesting to look at what is considered one the city’s early, fine accommodations. Known originally as the Sherwood House and later as the Randall, this hotel opened on the southeast corner of First and Locust Streets in 1839 when Evansville’s population was approximately 2,100.