For many young people, LEGOs–the tiny colored building blocks that can be stacked into anything from famous monuments to fantastical film sets–are a central component of childhood. 

From meticulously constructing a LEGO skyscraper to creating short stop-motion videos with LEGO figurines, those little colored bricks bring a youthful magic to whomever wields them.

However, for 16-year-old Preston Mutanga, LEGOs aren’t just stationary. Through advanced animation techniques, Mutanga brings familiar LEGO sets and characters to life. And despite being a teenager, his work was featured in the Oscar-nominated 2023 film "Spiderman: Across the Spider-Verse" because of it.