Making a Splash: How Animatrix Brought LEGO Jaws to Life

After many successful projects, the LEGO Jaws animation stands out as a brilliant example of Animatrix’s hard work and talent. It not only showcased their skills but also proved their ability to blend realism with the playful world of LEGO.

When Your Reputation Speaks for Itself

The LEGO Jaws project was born from a strong partnership between Animatrix and LEGO. However, it was Animatrix’s stellar reputation that was the key factor in making them the ideal choice for such a challenging project.

“Our journey with LEGO began through our partners in Denmark,” recalls Dovydas Vilkelis , the head of Animatrix. “In the beginning, they didn’t have much LEGO projects. After we completed some smaller tasks, they secured the LEGO Overwatch project and brought us on board. Luckily, it became a huge hit. That’s when things really took off.”

Animatrix landed the LEGO Jaws project in a rather humorous way. A few months before the project began, Vilkelis visited LEGO’s advertising agency in Copenhagen to showcase their work. A few months later, when LEGO wanted to make the Jaws animation, they sent the same agency one of Animatrix’s previous works, LEGO Back to the Future, as a reference for quality. The agency remembered Vilkelis’ visit and chose Animatrix to create Jaws. “It was funny how LEGO wanted to make a new animation and sent our previous project as an example. After that, the agency had no choice but to choose us,” recalls Vilkelis. This marked the beginning of LEGO Jaws.

Jaws: From Sea to Screen

One of the project's biggest challenges was making the water look real while keeping the LEGO style. “We never had so much water in a single project,” recalls Tomas Juchnevic , the Director of Animation. Water is already tough to make because people can quickly spot if something doesn’t look right. In the world of LEGO, this challenge is even greater because the animation needs to blend realism with the blocky, stylized nature of LEGO bricks. While LEGO water is sometimes animated using brick-like effects, this project required the water to appear more lifelike.

“The hardest part was finding the right balance between making the water look dramatic and believable, but not too photo-realistic, while still fitting within the LEGO scale,” Juchnevic explains.

To overcome this challenge, the team took a strategic approach to the simulations. “We started by creating simulations for both wide and close-up shots of the water to speed up the VFX testing and rendering process,” explains Juchnevic. “After a few rounds of VFX and render tests, we realized everything was going to look fantastic.”

Thanks to these simulations and tests, Animatrix was able to deliver water effects that met the client’s high expectations. “The final result was something we were all proud of. It not only met but exceeded the client’s expectations,” adds Vilkelis.

Breathing Life into Bricks

Animating a project like LEGO Jaws requires careful attention to detail and a deep understanding of animation. The team had to ensure that the LEGO characters moved in a way that was true to their physical limitations while still creating dynamic and engaging sequences.

“One of the unique aspects of LEGO animation is mimicking stop-motion, which gives the impression that the animation is handmade,” says Vilkelis. “This can be challenging for animators at the beginning, but the work flows more smoothly once they get used to it. We always try to make the LEGO figures move as they would in real life so that when a child watches the animation, they feel like they could recreate the scenes themselves in their own room.”

This approach was especially important in LEGO Jaws, where the team had to animate a LEGO figure falling into the water. Sounds simple? Far from it! The challenge was to make this sequence visually impressive without breaking the illusion that it could happen in a child’s LEGO playset. “The goal was to make the water interaction look impactful yet remain playful,” Vilkelis notes. “Every single animation has to feel as if a child could do that with their own LEGO. Thus, we experimented with various techniques to get it just right.”

When Discipline and Fun Merge

The success of the LEGO Jaws project is a testament to Animatrix’s skill and dedication. By completing the project ahead of schedule, the team demonstrated their ability to deliver complex animations under tight deadlines without compromising on quality. “It felt like the team really leveled up,” says Juchnevic. “For me, this project proved that we can handle any extra challenge or project that comes our way.”

LEGO Jaws added to Animatrix's growing portfolio of high-profile LEGO collaborations, further solidifying their reputation as a premier animation and visual effects studio. Reflecting on the project, Vilkelis highlights the small details that made the animation shine. “I really love the little touches our team added to make the film more fun. For example, the LEGO animals and the crab on the pier brought an extra level of detail that made the animation more engaging and enjoyable.”

What Does the Future Hold for Animatrix?

While the LEGO Jaws project was a significant achievement, Animatrix is not staying put. The studio is currently working on new and exciting projects, including a short film titled Stolen Colors, funded by the Lithuanian Film Centre and developed in collaboration with partners from Norway and Bulgaria.

Animatrix’s ambitions also extend to the gaming industry and the broader world of animated films and series. Vilkelis expresses the studio’s future goals: “We aim to continue growing and take on more diverse projects. We want to work more in the gaming industry and with longer format projects. Our vision is to keep expanding our capabilities and deliver even more outstanding work.”

As Animatrix continues to push its boundaries, the LEGO Jaws project remains a shining example of its creativity, technical prowess, and commitment to excellence.