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Holy LEGO Blocks, Batman!

Posted by timothy on from the in-your-copious-free-time dept.

Decaffeinated Jedi writes "Students at the Digital Animation and Visual Effects (DAVE) School are working on a film that will bring everyone's favorite caped crusader to life through the magic of computer-generated LEGO blocks. 'Batman: New Times' features Adam West as the voice of Batman, Mark Hammil as the Joker, Dick Van Dyke as Commissioner Gordon, and Courtney Thorne-Smith as Catwoman. A rather impressive trailer is available now."

25 of 272 comments (clear)

  1. Direct link to movie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative


    ftp://ftp.newtek.com/multimedia/movies/Batman_Net. mov

    1. Re:Direct link to movie by TorKlingberg · · Score: 2, Informative

      I can now get the video by doing

      mplayer -vc qtsvq3 -nosound Batman_Net.mov

      No sound yet though.

  2. Legos? by TomHandy · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's odd, they keep mentioning LEGOs, but these are using the C3 Construction Blocks (they even have a banner link to them). I know "LEGO" as a term has probably gone the way of kleenex and xerox as brand names that are now used to refer to just about anything that is at all like them, but it seems like since they are actually utilizing a specific company's products and model kits here, they would not refer to them as LEGOs.

    1. Re:Legos? by Jay+Maynard · · Score: 2, Informative

      The only difference between the C3 blocks they used and LEGOs is that the former don't have the "LEGO" embossed on the tops of the bumps. They're compatible, and you could build everything in the movie from LEGOs (aside from the characters themselves, which are custom made on the generic LEGO character body).

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    2. Re:Legos? by slim · · Score: 4, Informative
      "Lego" or "Lego Bricks": Not "Legos".
      See the rec.toys.lego FAQ:


      Dear Parents and Children
      The word LEGO(R) is a brand name and is very special to all of us in the LEGO Group Companies. We would sincerely like your help in keeping it special. Please always refer to our bricks as 'LEGO Bricks or Toys' and not 'LEGOS.' By doing so, you will be helping to protect and preserve a brand of which we are very proud and that stands for quality the world over. Thank you!

      Susan Williams
      Consumer Services (Susan's name is a pseudonym for the service dptmt.)



    3. Re:Legos? by Anm · · Score: 3, Informative

      Pictures prove the grandparent's argument:
      http://www.toymania.com/toyshows/tf2004/full/tf04p layalong34.shtml
      http://www.toymania.com/toyshows/tf2004/playalong4 .shtml

      This had nothing to do with legos proper.

    4. Re:Legos? by stanmann · · Score: 2, Informative

      And of course, in point of fact, and I've tried the minimate, the megablok, and several other "knock off/compatible" and none match the strength and flexibility of Lego.

      --
      Food not Bombs is a nice platitude but it breaks down when you notice that the Bombees are usually well fed
  3. Forget the trailer by FatBobSmith · · Score: 5, Informative

    The movie is already done and it's quite good.

    http://www.daveschool.com/BATMAN/index.html

    1. Re:Forget the trailer by alanjstr · · Score: 2, Informative

      The "Play Movie" link just goes to the trailer

  4. MIRROR by ghoda_x · · Score: 3, Informative

    http://www.daveschool.com.nyud.net:8090/projects/B ATMAN/assets/pages/DS_BATMANTRAILER.html

    --

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    - Archimedes
    1. Re:MIRROR by TheSHAD0W · · Score: 2, Informative

      n/m I was able to download the file and put up a torrent myself.

  5. Re:Trailer Down Already? by X43B · · Score: 3, Informative

    How many times will people have to post the FAQ before people stop asking that question?

  6. Proofread please! by hellfire · · Score: 4, Informative

    I personally hate when someone misspells my own name, especially when my name is right in front of their friggin nose. I also hate when slashdot doesn't even proofread their own articles, when the correct spelling of other people's names is right in front of them.

    Mark Hamill people...Hamill!! It's right there on the front page of the link! Lazy lazy lazy... sheesh.

    --

    "All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"

  7. Re:Forget Lego... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Hey, if you think the letter "s" needs special protection from the other letters, why didn't you write deliciou's? There's no apostrophe in making plurals, dumbass.

  8. Not a mirror, but here are some "stills shots" by Nova+Express · · Score: 3, Informative
    Still shots from the film can be found here. Although, are they really "still shots" if they're not technically shots...

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    http://www.lawrenceperson.com/

  9. BitTorrent link by TheSHAD0W · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://degreez.net/Batman_Net.mov.torrent

  10. Re:Doesn't say. How much? by Jay+Maynard · · Score: 3, Informative

    The stars were recruited for the project, and the voices were all done specifically for it. Mark Hamill was, as I understand it, quite pleased to finally do the Joker opposite Adam West. I'm told the actors all had a good time. Adam West certainly left his usual toothmarks all over the (virtual) scenery...

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    Disinfect the GNU General Public Virus!
  11. Re:West? Hammil? Van Dyke? by Jay+Maynard · · Score: 3, Informative

    William "Proton" Vaughn is, in addition to an instructor at the DAVE School, the official Lightwave Evangelist for Newtek. As such, he's been to Dick Van Dyke's house to teach him the finer points of using Lightwave, and became friends with him. He asked Van Dyke if he'd be interested in doing the project, and got an enthusiastic "yes!". After that, they just asked the other actors if they'd be interested, and they all signed on.

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    Disinfect the GNU General Public Virus!
  12. More Legomation by cdmafoa · · Score: 2, Informative

    Legomation has a long and storied history. Check out some old school work at WDLN.tv.

  13. Re:Not playable under Linux? by serverleader · · Score: 2, Informative

    I recommend you to install mplayerplug-in for mozilla or firefox ... works great... http://mplayerplug-in.sourceforge.net/

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  14. trailer? by bbkingadrock · · Score: 2, Informative

    trailer? it is 12 minutes long, including credits. this IS the movie.

    also, the credits do say "based on C3 Batman", for those wondering

  15. Re:Doesn't say. How much? by Jay+Maynard · · Score: 3, Informative

    You weren't paying attention, were you? The scoring is original (done by Sound-o-Rama specifically for this project), the voice acting is original for this project, and the scripting is original for this project.

    The school worked with the designers of the LEGO-style blocks (I was told they were LEGO-compatible, but I'll take a previous poster's word that they're not), and it wouldn't surprise me at all to hear that WB decided they liked it and decided to leave them alone.

    Your paranoid ravings are just that.

    --
    Disinfect the GNU General Public Virus!
  16. Re:Legos! Legos! Legos! by slim · · Score: 2, Informative

    (Is a Lego brick "a lego"
    What else would it be?

    "A Lego brick": but at least you've clarified to me the usage that Americans have somehow adopted (I wonder how it happened).

    If it helps you understand, calling a Lego brick "a Lego" is, to a European, kind of like calling a grain of sugar "a sugar".

  17. Other Good Batman Fan Films by JMPrice · · Score: 3, Informative

    While we're on the subject, let me point out two other excellent fan films.

    The first three minutes of Batman: Dead End capture the grittiness of Batman and Gotham better than any Warner Brothers film. After three minutes it goes nutso, but then it still looks really good.

    Also, check out the "trailer" for Grayson. The guy spent $18,000 of his own money to produce the trailer. Maybe if he can convince the powers that be to finance the project, he could get a whole movie made.

  18. Re:This is a by neil313 · · Score: 3, Informative

    his name is Jeff Albertson
    a quick search for 'Jeff Albertson' shows:
    Jeff Albertson
    "my name is Jeff Albertson, but everyone calls me Comic Book Guy"