Young Lego expert makes film for Paisley city of culture bid

A 17-year-old Lego builder and film-maker is helping to promote Paisley's bid to become UK City of Culture 2021.

Morgan Spence made a short Lego animation which features some of the town's best-known buildings, products and celebrities.

Singer Paolo Nutini, actor Gerard Butler and artist and playwright John Byrne are among those recreated as Lego figures for the film.

Morgan said he wanted to show off what Paisley had given to the world.

"I've used large models such as the Paisley Abbey and the town hall," he said.

"I decided to go for a wide range of different characters spanning through the decades so it would be a wide-appealing film."

Morgan, who is from Kilbarchan in Renfrewshire, started to get noticed about two years ago for his Lego animations of famous film scenes.

The 6th year pupil at Johnstone High School has since featured on top US talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! and hit the headlines when he made a film for a Birmingham man's marriage proposal.

"In my couple of years in the animation industry it's been a bit of a shock - especially being so young," he said.

"It's interesting to see how one thing leads to another."

Morgan Spence, 17, first got noticed for his Lego animations of famous film scenes

Paolo Nutini on stage at T in the Park

Journalist and broadcaster Andrew Neil on the set of the BBC's Daily Politics show

Playwright and artist John Byrne in his studio

The three-minute Paisley animation took Morgan about four months to complete.

"The process I use is called stop motion and that's quite a time-lengthy process," he said.

"Every one second of film requires 15 individual pictures."

One of Morgan's story boards for the film

The film was launched at St Charles' primary School in Paisley in front of a primary seven class,

Pupil Corinne Lafferty said: "It was really well animated and I enjoyed all the characters in it.

"I think we should win the bid because the culture in Paisley is amazing."

Pupil Madysann Wilson said she was impressed with Morgan's patience as a film-maker and enjoyed seeing Paolo Nutini featured.

"One of our classmates is cousins with him, so it was kind of funny to see that," she said.

"I definitely think this film will help us win the bid."

Renfrewshire Council leader Mark Macmillan said Paisley's bid to become UK's city of culture was about changing perceptions.

"It's about changing the future of the town and the economy around the town," he said.

"It's about celebrating our past, while showing that we're going to have this vibrant and colourful future."