Lakan Duskin is 10 years old. This Lego stop-motion video was his 4th-grade final project.

school: Mary Collins at Cherry Valley, Petaluma CA. His teacher is Ms. Lisa Reid

Juror comments: As an extreme shark lover, I truly appreciate the work that went into creating this LEGO-animated film, Great White Sharks. The filming is impeccable and the message is one that everyone needs to hear. My hat’s off to ten-year-old filmmaker Lakan Duskin for creating such a terrific film.

Great White Sharks documents the life of a great white shark from birth to its death, which we discover is not usually due to natural causes. This film sheds light on the horrors of the true victims, the sharks themselves.

Stop motion is one of my all-time favorite types of films. There are no mistakes in the flow and natural motion of the LEGO-animated great white shark. It is impressive how well the sharks and other animals move about throughout the scenes, almost effortlessly. For a student film, this is extraordinarily well made. It does have rather an abrupt start, which I had to go back and listen to a second time to see if I missed something. Also, it is narrated by a child, presumably the filmmaker, and the narration is a bit rough. The shark finning scene perfectly represents how it is done in real life. The blue ocean LEGO blocks make a perfectly, imperfect ocean, one that resembles the actual ocean. The music fits most scenes. When there is comedy, there is comical music; when there is sorrow, there is sad music. However, the music cuts off rather awkwardly in the scene transitions. I love the shark trivia as well as the black background still scenes that offer interesting facts about sharks.

The message of this film suggests that, even though these predators of the ocean are stereotyped and categorized as mean and vicious, we learn that humans are more a danger to them than they are to us. Many people would enjoy and learn many new things about sharks from this film and it would change their perception of these beautiful creatures.

I give Great White Sharks 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 6 to 18, plus adults. It is made by a ten-year-old, with help from his mama. It shares a very important message that the whole family may find particularly interesting. This would make a wonderful addition to a student film festival. Reviewed by Ashleigh C. and Julie S., KIDS FIRST!