Waukesha Times

Sam Slowik, a sophomore at Brookfield Central, has been making waves in the world of filmmaking with his stop-motion animated film "Learning to Fly." His film won the Best Overall award at the Elmbrook 3-Minute Film Festival this past winter and recently caught the attention of the Crossings International Film Festival, where it not only became a finalist but also earned him an Honorable Mention and a cash prize. He also received a Gold Ticket from each judge at the Elmbrook 3-Minute Film Festival, an honor each judge only bestows upon one submitted film in the competition.

Slowik meticulously animated "Learning to Fly" at 15 frames per second using his laptop and camera to tell a compelling story of persistence and friendship. “I came up with the plot as I was filming,” reflected Sam, “and honestly what’s a better story than failing over and over and getting help from a friend to succeed?”

The film took Sam approximately 80 hours over the course of two weeks to make with a total of 1,688 photos. He drew from a range of influences, from silent films to superhero/action movies and classic cartoons like Looney Tunes. Despite the challenges he faced, such as rigging the minifigure with sticky putty to flap its wings, Sam's dedication and attention to detail shine through in every frame of his film.

Looking forward, Sam is already planning his next project—an animated film inspired by themes explored in the video game "Lethal Company." His ambition and passion for storytelling through animation promise to lead him to continued successes in the future as he becomes what’s next in filmmaking.

Sam’s father has also submitted the stop-motion film to several area film festivals this season. Check out Sam’s film here and be sure to like and subscribe to stay tuned on his future projects.

###