animation

VIDEO: Harrison breaks down the animation of Max the Axe – “I Don’t Advocate Drugs” Live in Ontario – Director’s Commentary

Fans of Max the Axe:  BEHOLD!  The Lego animated music video for “I Don’t Advocate Drugs” was a tour-de-force effort from Lego animator Harrison Kopp.  What you may not know is that Harrison packed the video full of Easter eggs that only diehard fans will catch.  Until now:  Please join Harrison and Mike for this very special breakdown of the entire video.

Thrills and chills:  Find out about the “next plane to Vegas”!  Is it concealing “Guns to Iran”?  Who owns a deadly snake, let alone two?  And where the heck is Pablo?

Enjoy this awesome breakdown.  Original music video at bottom.  Three cheers to the talent of Harrison!

From the album Live In Ontario, here is the second music video from the CD:  “I Don’t Advocate Drugs”.  This video was painstakingly animated, using real Lego bricks, by hand.  No AI here folks.  Bricks were collected to create these characters including all four members of the band:  Max the Axe (lead guitar), Uncle Meat (lead vocals), Mike Mitchell (bass), and Dr. Dave Haslam (drums).   Depicting a druggy trip and a stage performance by the band, look for several easter eggs referring to past Max the Axe songs, or even Dr Dave’s well-stated hatred of Transformers.

 

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 25: Visions of the Beast featuring Bob Cesca from Camp Chaos

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 25:  Visions of the Beast featuring Bob Cesca from Camp Chaos

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK #124

Back in 1999/2000, a little video called “Napster Bad!” went viral.  You know it, you shared it, you loved it.  Well, not Harrison because he was not born yet.  Bob Cesca (founder of Camp Chaos) created that video and many others, including official music videos for bands such as Motley Crue, Yes, and…Iron Maiden!

Bob is a talented jack of many trades, and also a massive Rush fan.  In this effortless interview, Bob tells us everything you wanted to know about him and Iron Maiden.  2003’s Visions of the Beast double DVD was a massive collection, and Camp Chaos did six music videos for it.  These videos mixed animation with the original familiar music video footage.  We break them all down in detail, including how to access the Easter Eggs.  How was he contacted by the Maiden camp?  How much input did Iron Maiden have on his creative process?  Why did he choose certain Eddies and settings, and how did he decide what to edit out of the originals to make way for animation?  It is a fascinating trip back in time, as current events impacted some of the videos, even though the songs themselves were oldies.  Hey…are there 10 ME-109s out of the sun…or not?

Bob also answered all our non-Maiden questions, such as why James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich have no noses in “Napster Bad”?

After Bob had answered all our questions, Harrison and Mike took a deep dive on the rest of the contents of the DVD set.  If you owned Visions of the Beast back in the day, own it now, or not yet…you will want to pop it in after this episode.

Please welcome Mr. Bob Cesca to Grab A Stack of Rock, and 50 Years of Iron Maiden!  Join us at the premiere in the comments tonight – we love interacting with you!

A big thanks to Tim Durling for introducing us to Bob!

Friday November 7 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T.  Enjoy on YouTube.

Past episodes:

Handy YouTube Playlist:

VIDEO: Going Ape – A Brickfilm Horror Short

My talented friend and co-host Harrison Kopp has spent the last several months not just working on 50 Years of Iron Maiden, but also his own original animated Lego horror story called Going Ape.  Entirely built, animated and scored by Harrison, his first completed Lego animation is 100% his own original work.  He felt that for his debut short film, it should be him doing all the creative work.  He was obviously right, because it turns out young Harrison is not bad at music either.

The top secret lab setting of Going Ape gives it an impending apocalyptic feel.  Just another day at the office?  Not this time as things gradually go awry at the San Jacinto Research Laboratory.  Not even the solid brick-built walls of the lab can protect the hapless scientists tonight.

Please enjoy Harrison’s first completed animated short, Going Ape.  Grab some popcorn!

Experimental Sunday Screening: Jen Beats Mike at Monopoly deluxe

For fun, this is a stop motion of our game of Monopoly.  I took a picture after every move and Jen beat me in about an hour.

It was a bloodbath.  Jen (the train) started strong with some railroad and utility purchases. Mike (the race car) got bogged down early on with a long string of bad rolls leading to only three properties owned.  Jen quickly snapped up the second utility, Park Place, and all four Railroads.  Mike collected all the Greens, and began building houses, but was wiped out by the Railroads.  When Jen finally bought the last property left, Boardwalk, it was all over.  The hotels built were never used.  It was the Electric Company that dealt the fatal blow and left Mike’s car piece in a wreck.

This deluxe Monopoly has old fashioned wooden houses and hotels, metal markers, organizers for all the cards and money, and proper storage for everything while boxed.  For a neat and tidy traditional game of Monopoly (or with whatever traditional rules you play with), this is our go-to version.

VIDEO: Stop-Motion Transformers Earthrise SCORPONOK from Scorpion to ‘Bot

From last  night’s show Cool Collectables, here’s the animation of Transformers Earthrise Scorponok transforming from Scorpion to robot mode.  This took about an hour to make.  Toy includes DK-19 upgrade kit by DNA Design,

Music is “Randy” by Max the Axe.

Sunday Screening: “Fort Max” unfinished clip

On Friday night’s LeBrain Train, G1 Fortress Maximus was my #4 favourite Transformer of all time.  I don’t have a G1, but I have an (even better) Encore reissue.  I mentioned during the show that although the figure is now in storage, I did film an animated Transformers movie starring the toy.  He featured in a big battle scene with Galvatron, an homage to their original fight in Marvel’s Transformers #79.  I filmed the whole thing on the May long weekend in 2013 but lost my script and never edited it together.

However I’ve dusted off a couple shots, edited them together and I present to you a clip from the unfinished film Transformers 4:  Fortress Maximus.*  Music is “Immortal” by Max the Axe, from Trillion Dollar Threats.

* The series is as follows:

  1. The Transformers:  Death and Rebirth of Optimus Prime (unreleased)
  2. Transformers 2: Revenge of the Schnauzers
  3. Transformers 3: The Ghost of Starscream (unreleased)
  4. Transformers 4: Fortress Maximus (unfinished)

 

Sunday Screening: The Sweater (1980)

On Friday’s LeBrain Train we discussed the Top Animated Films of all time.  The National Film Board of Canada came in with “The Sweater”, a classic short about a young Habs fan who receives a dreaded Leafs jersey instead.  It’s beautiful to look it, wonderful to watch, and heartfelt.  It’s only 10 minutes long so please enjoy “The Sweater”.

A Very Animated Four Hours: An Epic LeBrain Train List Show

Going into this show, I didn’t know what to expect.  I’m not a big animation guy, as you’ll see.  But this was one of the most fun shows we’ve ever done in the umpteen months of this show!  The discussions were funny, insightful, and passionate.  The picks were diverse with some consensus on key animated films.  There was a little bit of CanCon and a little bit of Kiss.  And a lot of fun.

Thank you to our awesome panel this week:

I also did a an unboxing of the brand new RSD Triumph Allied Forces 40th anniversary box set (Canadian edition).  You gotta see this puppy.  Check that out right at the start of the broadcast.  After which, the lists commence!

Thanks for watching everyone, this was a blast from beginning to end!

 

The LeBrain Train Gets Animated Friday Night

The LeBrain Train: 2000 Words or More with Mike and Friends

Episode 79 – Nigel Tufnel Top Ten Animated films

 

I agreed to this week’s theme before I really thought it through.  When it came down to making my actual list, I realized how few animated movies I’ve seen.  However this show will not suck.  Rob and Erik know their stuff, and I’m sure Kevin, Lana and Harrison will bring it.  That’s your panel this week:

BONUS:  Unboxing!  You will not believe what Deke and I scored this time.  That will happen in the pre-show segment before 7:00.  Show up around 6:45 if you want to see the musical bounty we hauled!

We also need to update you on the upcoming schedule and future plans.  Stay tuned!

Friday August 13, 7:00 PM E.S.T. on Facebook:  MikeLeBrain and YouTube:  Mike LeBrain.

And next week…