Congratulations to already known member Anthony aka Lego_Is_Art and his second 10K Club creation The Tavern Under The Snow! His latest project represents his love for history - coupled with his passion for LEGO - but also a place of sharing and fun, where you can meet up with your family or friends.
ABOUT YOURSELF
- Who are you?
My name is Anthony Rohrbach.
- Where are you from?
I am from France. And I live in Versailles.
- How old are you?
I am 31 years old.
- What do you study or do for a living?
I am a simple salesman in the luxury trade.
- What hobbies do you have?
I am a great reader and at the same time a lover of writing. I like to invent stories, to create a universe.
I am also a sportsman. For me, a healthy mind must go with a healthy body.
And of course - you wouldn't have guessed it - I'm a big LEGO fan!
- Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website that you can share with us?
I have an Instagram account where you can find most of my LEGO creations.
https://www.instagram.com/lego_is_art_and_life/?hl=fr
- Have you created any LEGO MOCs (my own creations) that you’re particularly proud of? What is it, why are you proud of it and do you have a photo of it?
I have created many MOCs over the years, but it is true that I keep few of my creations.
I like to think that in order to build, you must first destroy. In fact, that's how I was able to create The Tavern Under The Snow. It is my favourite creation.
In the beginning, a few years ago, I had created an inn (which you can see on LEGO Ideas) and which is the basis of the tavern. The Tavern Under The Snow has the same fireplace, the same beds, etc...
You can see in the attached pictures the evolution of the tavern, and its final result.
- How and when did your interest in LEGO come about?
As far back as I can remember, I have always loved LEGO. In fact, one of the first sets I played with was LEGO 6090 Royal Knight's Castle. A set that my brother and I received for Christmas, and that I must have played with for hours and hours and hours!
After that, I accumulated a lot of LEGO over the years, filling my room, much to the annoyance of my parents - who stepped on the LEGO every time they cleaned.
This passion for LEGO has never been extinguished since.
- What is LEGO for you? What does it mean for you? How does it fit in your life? E.g. build, display, meetups, play the games or 'just' watch the cartoons.
To me, LEGO represents the fun of a whole childhood - and even today, when I share playtime with my nephews - but also the creativity of a lifetime.
Since I was a child, I have loved to create. I like to write, draw, paint, etc. LEGO is part of all of this. They allow you to let your imagination run wild. To relax. To escape. To create your own universe.
LEGO sets have a place in my heart because they have always been present in moments of joy and sharing.
- What is your favourite LEGO theme (current or past)? Why? And has any theme inspired your building style or preference in any particular way?
I think that as you can see - as much for my first LEGO set, or for my creations on LEGO Ideas for example - I am a big lover of the Castle theme.
But it's not the only one I like. There are also the LEGO System Ninja and the LEGO LEGOLAND Pirate System. I've always loved history, so those are themes I've always been hooked on.
- What is your favourite official LEGO set? Why?
My favourite official LEGO set ever is a very small set. It is the LEGO 4805 Castle Ninja Knights. A box containing 5 Samurai and Ninja figures - with their accessories.
It's true that there is no creation with this set, but it's my favourite for what it represents to me. It's from a time when I used to go shopping with my mother, and I loved to look for the LEGO section in the shops.
That's when I found this set, and at the same time got to know the Ninja theme. When I saw these little boxes, I was hooked. Then I looked for my money in my little scratch purse. I remember buying at least 5 boxes of this set in one go - lucky for me, they were on sale!
- What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
I thought long and hard about this question, and I had to admit defeat! It was impossible to answer. There are so many different LEGO elements that I couldn't choose just one.
- Is there a LEGO designer (official LEGO designer or fan designer) who you are inspired by and look up to? Who and why?
To be honest, not really. I like LEGO as a whole. I like to see the creations that are made with them, no matter who makes them. I like to see the workmanship and the energy that has gone into it.
- Is there one or more particular LEGO-related websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by?
The unofficial LEGO site I visit most often is probably the Hoth Bricks website. I like the information that was related there. It is clear and above all proven. No speculation, no invention etc...
ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
It is true that one might ask what the point of creating a medieval tavern is. For me, it represents my love for history - coupled with my passion for LEGO - but it also represents a place of sharing and fun. A place where you can meet up with your family or friends.
I wanted to imagine a place where a knight, after a long walk in the snow, would come to warm up by the fire and tell his adventures to anyone who would listen.
- How long was the process of making the project did, and what did you have to research as well. What kind of prep, research and design phases did you go through to produce your creation?
The work to create the tavern under the snow must have taken me about a week, with several hours of work per day. Of course, I'm only talking about the snow version. I had to add quite a few hours to make the additions for the other seasons.
As for the research, I spent a lot of time on the internet trying to find pictures of beautiful medieval buildings, but also many pictures concerning the seasons and their impact. I wanted to be able to tell at a glance which season it was.
As for the design itself, I had to think about how to make the tavern both pretty and functional. I didn't just want it to be a decorative object that you put on a piece of furniture and look at from time to time. I wanted it to be playable. So I had to think about how to get inside the building, how to put the figures inside and play with them. Of course, I love the Modular concept which was an inspiration for me. Also, I liked to add the walls that open up, to give the tavern a dollhouse look.
- What special challenges did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
Without a second thought, the roof! I spent a lot of time trying to find a way to make a roof that was solid, functional and aesthetically pleasing. With the snow falling on the roof, I had to find a way to recreate it well. In the end, I decided on a really simple roof with two different colours of tiles to give the snow a random coastline. You can see a roof like that on another of my creations - Millenium Faclon: The Christmas Village. In a way, I was inspired by my own inspiration.
https://ideas.lego.com/challenges/38647143-0192-4352-80ac-61fdfa754ff0/appl...
- If you could talk to yourself before you started on this project, what would you tell him/her? What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
I would just say be careful with the colours you use when creating a set in software! Because when I recreated the tavern in real life, I realised that some colours for certain elements either didn't exist or were very difficult to find.
Software is great for not limiting your imagination to the only pieces you have. But a LEGO created on software, is not the reality. So you have to think about creating something that could be created in real life.
So here you go, Anthony from the past, if you're listening to me, it's your future self warning you to be careful with the colours you use!
- How long did it take to complete the model? Did you finish it fairly quickly, or did it take a long time? And how did the build time compare to the time you spent promoting your Product Idea to reach 10,000 supporters?
It took me approximately as long to get all the pieces to recreate my tavern in real life, as it took me to reach 10,000 supports. That's about 6 months.
By the way, it should be noted that I only recreated the version under the snow in real, I now have to find all the pieces to create the other seasons.
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
The Tavern in the Snow was launched on 14 December 2020. It then reached 10,000 supporters on 01 June 2021, about 6 months later.
About the effect it had on me when I reached 10.000 supporters... It's hard to explain, I still have a hard time realizing it I think. I'm really happy to have achieved this. My child self would surely be proud of me!
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
On the software I used, the tavern is about 2600 LEGO bricks. In real life, I think it's a bit more, between 2700 and 2800.
- What is your favourite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
As I said before, I love the Modular system, with the floors lifting up to reveal the interior of the tavern. But it's true that I also love the walls that open up to reveal the kitchen, the food store or the living quarters above.
- If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
In order to create the Tavern Under The Snow, I used the website Mecabricks.com. Moreover, I would like to thank the inventors of the site. It is probably that without them, the tavern would never have existed.
https://www.mecabricks.com/fr/models/1k2qWmVovE0
- If you used custom stickers or prints for your design, how did you create them or where did you get them?
I did not use any custom stickers or prints to create the Tavern Under The Snow.
ABOUT LEGO IDEAS
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas project?
I don't know if I can give advice on how to succeed or not. I won't allow myself. However, I would like to say that above all you have to enjoy what you are doing. To want to build something, first of all for yourself, before trying to please others.
You must not only see the possible reward at the end. You have to see the whole adventure - to see your work grow little by little and become real.
So I can only wish anyone who wants to create a successful LEGO Ideas Product Ideas to put their heart and soul into it, and to have fun!
- What (if any) methods did you use to advertise and attract support to your Product Idea?
Initially, I didn't really need to advertise. My project - and I was the first one surprised - grew quite quickly in terms of supporters.
I think it was around the 6000 supporter mark that I really needed a boost and so I started "advertising" on Reddit, Instagram and Facebook.
I would like to thank all the people who have supported me and shared my work. Sincerely, thank you all!
- What is your favourite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)? Are there any Product Ideas you think have been overlooked?
As I said above, I love the Castle theme, so whenever a project is themed - and I think it's well done - I just love it.
If I had to choose just one, I'd probably talk about the LEGO Ideas Medieval Blacksmith that you've already got out in the shops. A really well made set that I recently bought for myself. I'm currently having fun transforming it so that it can stand next to my own tavern: The Medieval Blacksmith Under The Snow!
- What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
What I like about the LEGO Ideas website is the quality of the site - whether it's the website, which I find well done and easy to access, or the quality of the projects on it. I love to browse around and see the new projects that are born.
As for the tips I could give. I would tell anyone not to neglect the presentation or the photos of their project. It is after all your showcase, take care of it.
Also I would like to add to always take time to answer the messages that are left. Don't forget that without supporters, your project won't go far. So don't forget to thank them.
- Do you have plans to submit any other Product Ideas in the future? If yes, can you give us a hint of what that might be?
At the moment I have no other plans. As I am working on other projects - such as writing my first novel - I spend a little less time on LEGO. However, it's likely that in a year or two I'll be back with lots of new ideas that I'll have fun turning into reality.
By
Kamila9