Animating in Minecraft Part 1: Digital Animations

Most minecrafters have seen an animated Minecraft movie. They're a popular extension of the minecrafting world!

The first Minecraft animations were made digitally with 3D models based on characters and props from the game. As the game increased in popularity, new LEGO Minecraft sets, minifigs and action figures opened the door for stop motion movies set in the Minecraft universe.

This is great news for filmmakers, because 3D software tends to be complicated, expensive, or both. Stop motion films can be made faster and for less, with the loss of some flexibility in camera movement and realism.

In this post we'll go through some digital Minecraft animations, and in the next, we'll take a look at stop motion Minecraft animation. 

Digitally animated shorts like the ones below were put together with Cinema 4D, Blender and other 3D software. You can check out a series of Cinema 4D Minecraft tutorials by MinuteMinecraftParodies on their channel here.

The Great Escape

YouAlwaysWin puts an Inception-style twist on the scavenger puzzle game that's so popular this winter. Our hero thinks aloud, solving riddles to escape the maze of rooms...only to discover his progress was merely an illusion.

When Dreams Come True

Steve dreams of sailing the sky. He spends his time building trial aircraft, crashing it, and staring in amazement at the free-flying birds above him. Steve's yearning and struggle is told with inspiring detail by IndigoBlocks. Watch it again to count the number of separate "sets" and scenes. Can you imagine the render time?

Battle of the Bids

Featuring a compact set, Slamacow uses varied facial expressions and sharp, quick cuts to increase the tension between bidders. Edvard Grieg's iconic music heightens the stakes with familiar flair, punctuated by the salesman's timid attempt to halt WWIII.

Save Me

Realm Games spins a sentimental tale of sympathy and sacrifice between a snowman and its maker. As Olaf states in Disney's FROZEN flick, “Some people are worth melting for.” And maybe saving from zombies, too.

Trial and Error

Pig will do anything to taste the shiny red apple high above his twitching nose. Unfortunately, not everyone gets the concept of calling dibs! Other honorable mentions from WeedLion include Minecart Modifications and The Catch.