Changes: The Kingfisher

Revision as of 18:29, 13 July 2020

The Kingfisher is a short animated film that was created as part of THAC 12 and introduced the character of Gangster Folio Byrd. While it did not win, it has become a popular film with the fan base.

Film Details

Release Date: January 3, 2015
Running Time: 2 min.
MPAA Rating: PG
Director: Andrew Bermudez
Producer: Andrew Bermudez
Writer: Teresa Bermudez

Plot Summary

"Stop it! Stop it! You're ruining everything!"
-Theodore Taylor, Mustache Maniacs Film Co. is Coming to LEGO Dimensions!
Spoiler warning! This section contains details that reveal crucial plot points. If you do not want to find out what happens, skip to the next section.

The film starts with a man, Phil Byrd, walking along in the marina when he sees a Mob Boss overseeing the execution of one of his enemies. The Mob Boss' men throw the man into the water, leaving Phil in shock. As the mob glances over to see who was watching them, Phil runs off.

At the Police Station, Phil signs some paperwork, at the instructions of Captain Bill, in order to enter witness protection. Chase McCain guides Phil out of the station.

6 months later, Phil is walking down the street when a limo pulls up with the Mob Boss inside. He tries to propose an offer to keep Phil silent, but Phil has other plans. He shoots the Mob Boss, takes over his position as the proprietor of the Phoenix Casino, and renames himself Gangster Folio Byrd, the Kingfisher.

Production History

In December 2014, it was announced on Bricksinmotion.com that the next THAC contest would be held on January 2, 2015, a contest that Andrew Bermudez wanted to enter. While the last time that Mustache Maniacs Film Co. had entered was for THAC 8 in 2010, it was already confirmed that this one was going to be done differently, mainly because it was going to be part of Project U.

That day, the morning was started off by analyzing the mod elements (black brick connected to a blue brick and the letter N) and theme (a fresh start) and building the story around that. According to production documents, some of the ideas proposed included an alien moving to Earth, a man moving from the suburbs to the country, and a heart-broken man joining the army. One idea that was repeatedly shot down was a bear moving out of its cave and building a log cabin. Because of this, most studio conversations would usually end with "and someday, that bear is going to build his cabin." In 2020, this led to the development of How To Build a Log Cabin.

When the idea that eventually became The Kingfisher was settled upon, the story was going to feature generic characters, but Andrew Bermudez, pulling up the character of Gangster Folio from Legends of the Universe, decided to turn the narrative into an origin story. Filming sailed along briskly, ending production far sooner in the day than anticipated.

The film was released the next day, January 3, 2015. Initially, it didn't get much attention, but as the days went on, it garnered more views.

Audience Reception

While this film did not get into the THAC 12 top ten results, the film itself became the subject of astoundingly positive reviews. Despite its flaws, many people came to cherish the film, causing a surge of popularity for the main character, Phil "Folio" Byrd.

Characters

Gangster Folio Byrd (Al Bermudez)
Mob Boss (Wes Rudnick)
Captain Bill Stewart (Andrew Bermudez)
Chase McCain (n/a)
Hit Man #1 (n/a)
Hit Man #2 (n/a)

Credits

Andrew Bermudez - Director; Animator; Set Design; Art Director; Producer; Editor; Sound Design; Voice Actor
Teresa Bermudez - Writer; Assistant Director; Adviser
Al Bermudez - Voice Actor
Wes Rudnick - Voice Actor

Locations

LEGO City
LEGO City Marina
LEGO City Police Station
Phoenix Casino

Tropes

"Stop it! Stop it! You're ruining everything!"
-Theodore Taylor, Mustache Maniacs Film Co. is Coming to LEGO Dimensions!
Spoiler warning! This section contains details that reveal crucial plot points. If you do not want to find out what happens, skip to the next section.

The Kingfisher contains examples of the following tropes.

Combat Pragmatist: When the Mob Boss tries to get rid of Phil in front of the church, Phil responds by simply shooting the Mob Boss.
Continuity Nod: Inside the police station, the characters that appear in the police station are Captain Bill and Chase McCain.
He Knows Too Much: At the beginning of the film, Phil Byrd witnesses a mafia execution at the marina.
If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him: After Phil kills the Mob Boss, Phil takes his place and becomes a ruthless mob boss himself.
Inspiration Nod: This film takes design cues from The Godfather, even emulating that film's title design.
The Mafia: They form the antagonists of this film.
Protagonist Journey to Villain: Essentially, the plot of this film.
Starting a New Life: Phil Byrd does this, first by entering witness protection, then by killing the Mob Boss and taking his place.
Witness Protection: After seeing the mob hit at the marina, Phil Byrd goes into witness protection.

Trivia

The main character, Phil Byrd, was originally created for Legends of the Universe.
The reason that Wes Rudnick was cast as the Mob Boss is because he was visiting that day, and there was no one else to play the role.
The scene with Captain Bill helping Phil sign the paperwork was added because it was discovered that there wasn't enough animation in the film to meet the contest guidelines.
This film's visuals are inspired by the classic drama The Godfather.

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 == Production History ==
-In December 2014, it was announced on Bricksinmotion.com that the next THAC contest would be held on January 2, 2015, a contest that [[Andrew Bermudez]] wanted to enter. While the last time that [[Mustache Maniacs Film Co.]] had entered was for [http://brickfilms.wikia.com/wiki/Twenty-four_Hour_Animation_Contest#THAC_8 THAC 8] in 2010, it was already confirmed that this one was going to be done differently, mainly because it was going to be part of [[Project U]].
+In December 2014, it was announced on Bricksinmotion.com that the next THAC contest would be held on January 2, 2015, a contest that [[Andrew Bermudez]] wanted to enter. While the last time that [[Mustache Maniacs Film Co.]] [[When Barrels Fly|had entered]] was for [http://brickfilms.wikia.com/wiki/Twenty-four_Hour_Animation_Contest#THAC_8 THAC 8] in 2010, it was already confirmed that this one was going to be done differently, mainly because it was going to be part of [[Project U]].
-That day, the morning was started off by analyzing the mod elements (black brick connected to a blue brick and the letter N) and theme (a fresh start) and building the story around that. According to production documents, some of the ideas proposed included an alien moving to Earth, a man moving from the suburbs to the country, and a heart-broken man joining the army. One idea that was repeatedly shot down was a bear moving out of its cave and building a log cabin. Because of this, most studio conversations end with "and someday, that bear is going to build his cabin."
+That day, the morning was started off by analyzing the mod elements (black brick connected to a blue brick and the letter N) and theme (a fresh start) and building the story around that. According to production documents, some of the ideas proposed included an alien moving to Earth, a man moving from the suburbs to the country, and a heart-broken man joining the army. One idea that was repeatedly shot down was a bear moving out of its cave and building a log cabin. Because of this, most studio conversations would usually end with "and someday, that bear is going to build his cabin." In 2020, this led to the development of ''[[How To Build a Log Cabin]]''.
 When the idea that eventually became ''The Kingfisher'' was settled upon, the story was going to feature generic characters, but Andrew Bermudez, pulling up the character of Gangster Folio from ''[[Legends of the Universe]]'', decided to turn the narrative into an origin story. Filming sailed along briskly, ending production far sooner in the day than anticipated.