Zap is a music video and the only brickfilm by David Betteridge. It is a video for a song of the same name by the band Ether Real and was commissioned by the band's record label Truelove Records. It is one of the earliest brickfilms that wasn't commissioned by The LEGO Company to receive a wide public release as it was shown by MTV and other music channels upon release.[1][2]
Betteridge mentions making the film in 1989, but it appears to have actually been made in 1991 due to a background appearance of a Koosh-Kin toy first released in 1991[3] and due to the song Zap being from 1991.[4]
Plot[]
The plot of Zap was based on select scenes from the film Apocalypse Now. A man goes to sleep and dreams of a surreal and colourful world. In this world, three men sail a boat down a river and use a device to make evildoers disappear. As their journey progresses, the world becomes more and more war-torn. They eventually sail their boat up a waterfall and reach the home of a god-like figure, after which the dream ends and the sleeping man wakes up.[5]
Crew[]
- David Betteridge - Director, Animator
- Phil Burgess - Animation Director
- Dan Betteridge - Art Director
Production[]
Zap was produced over three and a half months. Betteridge and co. were given a budget of £3000 which allowed them to shoot on 35mm film and use a hand-cranked camera from 1903, modified to include an animation motor.[1]
Similar to The Magic Portal from around the same time, The LEGO Company did not view Zap favourably and threatened to sue, although they never followed through with this threat.[2]