» 5 End of the Year Brickfilming Contests

The year 2013 is nearing an end and many of the world’s brickfilmers will have some time off from school or work and hopefully be making a few brickfilms during their holiday break. If there are any brickfilmers looking to enter some contests, we have a great selection below.

One can choose between five notable brickfilming contests with deadlines between Christmas morning and the end of year. Two of the competitions do not even require that the brickfilm be made special for that particular contest, just as long as it was made in 2013. All of the contests have prizes. 🙂

BricksInMotion.com will be holding their annual Twenty-four Hour Animation Contest just a few days before the end of the year. THAC11 will start at 12pm GMT on Saturday December 28th, 2013. Brickfilmers that enter a THAC do all the idea-making, writing, recording, animating, editing and submitting in just one twenty-four hour period. It can be quite a grueling process. At the start time of the contest, details about THAC will be announced on BIM that will include the theme and mod elements. Although BIM has a few other official contests, I tend to view THAC as their most prestigious contest. Some notable past winners are Sméagol, Legoander, ForlornCreature, and SpastikChuwawa. The contest does have prizes from its sponsor Brickworld. Hazzat (Zoot Productions) is administering the contest announcement thread on BIM. Let’s hope for an on time start this year as there has been issues with that in the past.

A Repelling Spider is hosting another installment of Christmas in a Minute. The goal of the contest is to make a 20-60 second Christmas themed brickfilm that “can stand out and claim a victory”. There are prizes for the winners which were provided by contest sponsors Firestar Toys and Mighty Wanderer. The deadline is Christmas Eve, Tuesday December 24, 2013 at 11:59pm EST. For more information about this great contest, watch the announcement video here.

Members of the French brickfiming website Brick-à-Brack can enter Brickstars. Brick-à-Brack hosts their big annual brickfilm contest at the end of the year. Any film released in the year 2013 is eligible for this contest. Entries will be judged in several different categories such as Best Soundtrack, Best Production Design, Best Special Effects, Best Screenplay, Best Animation, and Best Brickfilmer. Other awards will also be given out for “Most Promising Video” and “Audience Award” that is voted on by Brick-à-Brack members. Past winners have included great brickfilmers such as France & Alex, Legoander, Aiwha, and Loïc F-B.

A sports themed brickfilming contest called OYO Video Challege II is being hosted and judged by thefourmonkeys. OYO Sportstoys is sponsoring the contest and providing prizes. OYO Sportstoys make LEGO compatible minfigures for NFL and Major League Baseball teams. The deadline is December 31st at 9pm EST. The rules are posted on a blog by thefourmonkeys on the Brickfilmer’s Guild. You can also checkout the announcement video here. The main directive for the contest is to show an OYO Sportstoys minifigure(s) in action. The deadline has passed for the free OYO minifigure, but prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. BigBudLego and PritchardStudios placed 1st and 2nd last year.

The Brickfilmer’s Guild is also back with the 2013 Brickfilmer’s Guild Animation Festival. The Brickfilmer’s Guild Animation Festival is the annual animation festival hosted on the Brickfilmer’s Guild and judged by thefourmonkeys and members of the Brickfilmer’s Guild (Member’s Choice). The festival is in its sophomore year and has slightly tweaked rules from last year. Only one brickfilm per person is allowed and there is a 10 minute time limit for the brickfilms. The festival is open to any brickfilmer including non-Brickfilmer’s Guild members. Honors will be mentioned for many categories and there will be a prize for Best Brickfilm. Last year, the Best Brickfilm went to the amazing brickfilmer namchild for his outstanding brickfilm entitled The Duel (LEGO).

I was hoping to report about a sixth brickfilming contest, but it appears that Megabloks Toymation will not have a 2013 edition. That’s too bad as the past winners have had some really great entries.

Happy competing!