Which filming and editing setups produce the best visual results for intricate AFOL builds?

1. Why two camps dominate: “Real bricks with cinema craft” vs “CG or hybrid for perfection”

Animal Logic and the LEGO films pursued a hybrid approach—building models brick‑by‑brick, digitizing them and applying a photoreal, stop‑motion look—because pure stop‑motion at feature scale was impractical yet the “handmade” aesthetic was essential ^{[2] [1]}. Conversely, community stop‑motion and brickfilm creators rely on physical sets and practical techniques because those methods are accessible and produce the tactile detail viewers expect ^{[5] [3]}.

2. Cameras and framing: get low, get close, and stabilize

Community guidance stresses bringing the camera down to minifigure eye level to avoid a toy‑like high angle and to sell scale ^[3]. That advice pairs with general cinematography for small subjects: use macro or close‑focus lenses, a sturdy tripod or locked rig so the camera never shifts between frames ^{[3] [6]}. The LEGO/film coverage additionally shows that modeling and layout tools (Maya, XSI, LDD) were central when assets were digitized, which implies different capture lenses/approaches if you’re scanning or photographing parts for CG ^{[7] [2]}.

3. Lighting: cinematic, controllable, and flicker‑free

Stop‑motion guides warn that uncontrolled light causes flicker; BrickNerd recommends blocking out ambient light and using multiple, continuous sources (three‑point or more) to maintain even exposure across frames ^[4]. The LEGO Movie team treated lighting as a cinematic tool—spotlights, atmospheric particulates, and deliberate “gags” to direct attention—showing the payoff of careful, film‑style lighting for scale and drama ^{[8] [3]}.

4. Stabilization and anti‑flicker practices for frame‑by‑frame work

Practical tips for brickfilms repeatedly emphasize a fixed base (taped baseplates), locked cameras, and eliminating changing light sources (sunlight, room lights, screens) that introduce flicker between frames ^{[6] [4]}. For stop‑motion, “everything needs to be held perfectly still” while you film each exposure; that extends to set, camera, and environmental control ^[3].

5. Editing workflows: frame blending, puppet rigs, and the CGI option

Community editors use simple frame‑capture tools and then ensure smooth walk cycles with many subtle in‑betweens; BrickNerd and Instructables both describe workflows where careful incremental movement plus consistent capture produce smooth motion ^{[4] [9]}. For more ambitious results, the film industry converts physical concepts into digital assets (Maya/XSI pipelines) and composites tactile lighting and micro‑imperfections to retain the handmade feel—this hybrid editing gives full control over motion blur, camera moves and environmental effects that are hard to do practically ^{[7] [2]}.

6. Practical, budget‑sensitive setups that work

For hobbyists the sources recommend: a DSLR or mirrorless camera with a macro or short tele lens, tripod or copy stand, taped baseplates, three continuous lights, and software for frame capture and timeline editing ^{[3] [6] [4]}. For teams or pros, the route shown by Animal Logic—scan or model bricks in Maya/XSI, build a controlled lighting rig (physical or virtual), and composite—is more resource‑intensive but yields cinema‑level polish ^{[2] [7]}.

7. Tradeoffs, agendas, and what reporting doesn’t cover

Studio coverage (Animal Logic, LEGO films) emphasizes visual fidelity and narrative control and implicitly promotes high‑budget hybrid pipelines as the “best” for photorealism ^{[2] [1]}. Community guides prioritize accessibility and avoidance of technical flicker or set motion ^{[4] [3]}. Available sources do not mention specific consumer‑native camera models optimized for AFOL macro cinematography beyond general framing/lens advice (not found in current reporting).

8. Bottom line — choose by goal and budget

If your goal is tactile authenticity on a hobby budget, use low camera angles, locked cameras/tripods, taped baseplates, multi‑point continuous lighting, and careful frame capture ^{[3] [6] [4]}. If your goal is photoreal cinematic output and you have resources, consider modeling/scan+CG hybrid pipelines modeled on The LEGO Movie: digitize assets, render with photoreal lighting, and composite film‑style effects for a stop‑motion look without the frame‑by‑frame constraints ^{[2] [7]}.

If you want, I can produce a concise gear checklist (camera/lens, lighting, capture software, editing pipeline) tailored to three budgets: hobby, enthusiast, and pro—tell me which tier you want first.