Develop Your Sense of Story » The critique round-up site Rotten Tomatoes, which granted The LEGO Movie a 96% rating, offers this concise summary: Boasting beautiful animation, a charming voice cast, laugh-a-minute gags, and a surprisingly thoughtful story, The Lego Movie is colorful fun for all ages. Surprising thoughtful stories have strong thematic structures at their core. They have a purpose, some message they are trying to argue. The LEGO Movie continues this trend by resting its "beautiful animation" and "laugh-a-minute gags" atop a strong and well-developed storyform. Balanced and fully argued, this form beneath the laughs accounts for the film's rampant success--and repeat viewings. The Dramatica theory of story defines a storyform as "the structural and dynamic skeleton of a story." Most films struggle with completing one storyform. Writer/directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were clever enough to fuse two skeletons together, reinforcing their argument by doubling up.
Without giving too much away, the central story and the substory that surrounds it both address concerns of creativity (OS Concern of Conceiving). They both end in success, with one's resolution leading to the other (Story Outcome of Success). And they both leave the Audience feeling fulfilled emotionally (Story Judgment of Good). Their difference lies in the resolve of the Main Character. In the main story construction worker and Main Character Emmet Brickowski (Chris Pratt) struggles with being a nobody. Everyone knows him, but no one really knows him. in fact, jonone even thinks about him (Main Character Throughline of Fixed Attitude, Main Character Concern of Contemplations). Along comes Influence Character Wildstyle (Elizabeth Banks) who focuses on what she can do in the here and now with what pieces are in front of her (Influence Character Concern of The Present). Her name suggests an uncomfortability with her lack of status as a Master Builder (Influence Character Throughline of Situation) and frequently ends up labelling her as a "DJ".
Unlike Emmet, people have a name and a classification for Wildstyle, and it impacts him. While Emmet falls for Wildstyle in an instant, it takes her quite a bit longer. Emmet is a horrible builder. Their relationship develops around teaching Emmet to build like the best of them (Relationship Story Throughline of Activity). With all four Throughlines firmly set in place (Main Character, Influence Character, Relationship Story and Overall Story) the central story begins its argument for out-of-the-box thinking. Emmet eventually overcomes the blindness of "Everything is Awesome" and embraces his own unique, if occasionally flawed, potential (Main Character Resolve of Change). This change of perspective allows the substory to play out its take on the argument at hand. The Main Character here remains Steadfast in their Resolve while the Influence Character Changes (vague identities intentional...spoilers!). The emotional home run witnessed from that change cements the Author's arugment that new ideas are best, and leads back into the successful resolution of the main story.
Two storyforms, one argument. One from the perspective of the unaware, the other from the position of unwavering imagination. By offering both in support of one message, the Authors of this film open up their viewpoint to all. No matter where one sits in regards to the power of ideas, they can't help but become a part of this story and thus become influenced by its stance. On the surface The LEGO Movie excels because of its wit and charm. The structure below takes responsibility for capturing our attention and opening our hearts to its message.Jay BirthdayBirthday LegoFun Desserts For KidsBirthday Treats To Take To School For BoysSchool Treats For KidsFun Foods For KidsSchool Snack Ideas For KidsFun Kids SnacksBoy Birthday CakeForwardLego Rice Krispie Treats from The Stay At Home Chef. Perfect for a Lego Birthday Party or a birthday treat for school. Kids will go crazy over these! Complete recipe and instructions with video tutorial.One of the fun activities of the Christmas holiday season is building your own LEGO Christmas decorations.
Of course, LEGO releases various Christmas-themed sets every year, like the LEGO Winter Village collection, and small decorative sets and holiday ornaments. And, you can also build your own decorations with the help of LEGO customizers like Chris McVeigh.Here you can download instruction for a whole range of custom LEGO models that can be used as gifts or decorative items. The instructions are free to download, but you will have to source the parts yourself. If you don’t have a large LEGO collection, or you don’t want to spend time getting the needed LEGO pieces from BrickLink sellers or LEGO’s own Pick-A-Brick store, you can also buy kits which include both the instructions and the parts. Recently Chris also released a book with many of his most popular Christmas decorations and other small sets, titled: The LEGO Christmas Ornaments Book – 15 Designs to Spread Holiday Cheer. The book is hardbound with 213 pages, thick, glossy, high-quality paper, and a charming small size (7.3 x 0.8 x 7.3 inches).
Each of the fifteen models is introduced with beautiful and tastefully presented photography, followed by a parts-list and step-by-step instructions with large and very clear images. Below is the official description of the book with more detail: Every year, families deck their trees with strings of popcorn, popsicle sticks, and gingerbread—but why not use LEGO? This holiday season, LEGO fans can build lasting memories by making their own DIY ornaments with the help of The LEGO Christmas Ornaments Book. This new release from No Starch Press promises to liven up the holidays with its collection of hands-on projects that the whole family can build and enjoy for years to come. With colorful graphics and detailed instructions, The LEGO Christmas Ornaments Book is the perfect gift for do-it-yourselfers and crafters. The 15 designs in the book include holiday classics like a wreath, snowflake, poinsettia, Christmas tree, and gingerbread house; fun stuff like a computer, arcade machine, and cheeseburger;
and even simple geometric designs like a bow, barrel, and lantern. As author Chris McVeigh explains, “Whether you’re looking for a traditionally-shaped ornament or want to add something fun and quirky to your tree, there’s something for everyone in this book!” Each chapter opens with a project overview that features the finished ornament and then walks readers through detailed, step-by-step building instructions. And because not every reader has a massive LEGO collection, the book shows alternate color options, so readers can put their own unique twist on each ornament. According to No Starch Press founder Bill Pollock, “This book is great for anyone looking to easily add personality to their Christmas decorations. What a simple yet creative way for the whole family to have fun together while making something cool!” The LEGO Christmas Ornaments Book is officially recommended for ages 8 and up, but I would say that they are more appropriate for teen and adult builders.
They are fairly complex in design and could be difficult for younger children with less coordination and dexterity to put together. Plus, these are just decorations, not action sets – which is what younger kids tend to prefer. But if you get this book for an older child, teen or adult LEGO fan, I’m certain that they would enjoy it. I would also note that the models in the book are the same as what can be found on Chris’s website. I still think it is good to have the instructions in a nicely presented book form, but I just wanted to make sure you know that’s what you are getting. Simple models that can be made with just a few parts are a red poinsettia, a white snowflake, and a green and red Christmas wreath. I think even younger kids would enjoy these models, and would have the attention-span to put them together. More advanced models include a holiday ornament shaped like a present, barrel-shaped, ball-shaped, bow-shaped and lantern-shaped ornaments, a frill ornament, a Christmas tree, and a gingerbread house.
All of these advanced models require some specialty parts, so make sure you have the pieces before you begin building. Chris does include some alternate color variations for inspiration, or when you don’t have the exact colors. Because of the fairly complex building steps, these models are more appropriate for older kids, teens and adult builders. Other models include an arcade machine, a computer, a camera and a burger. They can be used as fun holiday ornaments or as small gifts and decorations. They are also pretty complex, so I think they would be more enjoyable by advanced LEGO builders. Below is a video-review of the book, so you can see it in more detail: In summary, I would say that this is a very nice book that any LEGO fan would enjoy. I think the age recommendation is set a bit lower than I would have suggested. My own recommendation would be 12 and up (except for the first three models, which could be fun for younger children as well). While the book only includes 15 different models, keep in mind that the geometric ornaments can have a virtually unlimited variation of colors and shapes.
If you plan to introduce making LEGO ornaments as a yearly holiday tradition, this book will become an invaluable resource for years to come. The regular price is $19.95, but you can currently get the book 30% off on Amazon. Here is the link: THE LEGO CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS BOOK ON AMAZON Also, it is a good idea to check Chris’ website this time of the year, as he usually adds more Christmas designs. For example, he added a new snowman and Santa decoration, as well as a couple of new geometric ornaments. With LEGO regularly releasing new parts and colors, there is always room for more! What do you think? Have you been using Chris’ designs to build holiday ornaments? Are you planning to build any this year? Do you think you would get the book either for yourself or as a gift for someone else? Feel free to share in the comment section below! And if you have the book already, you are welcome to share your own review! And you might also like to check out the following related posts: