Surely we've all wanted to visit Wonka's Chocolate Factory, and this interview from duo Roberto Ceruti and Jody Padulano, a.k.a. 2PPL takes us there, with the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Here We Go Again!. Please enjoy this 10K Club Interview and be sure to show your support, and find out more below:
ABOUT YOURSELF
- Who are you?
RC: My name is Roberto Ceruti.
JP: And my name is Jody Padulano
- Where are you from?
RC: I was born in San Giovanni Bianco, Bergamo, Italy, but now living in Ispra, Varese, Italy.
JP: I was born in Rome, Italy but now living in Cremona, Italy
- How old are you?
We both are 44 years old.
- What do you study or do for a living?
RC: I am a plumber, specializing in boilers
JP: I am an informatics teacher.
- What hobbies do you have?
RC: I love everything that is about creativity, like composing music, editing videos, photography, and manual work. But in the first place, I’d say my passion for LEGO.
JP: I love creating and playing games, spacing from video games to table games. I wrote 3 books about LEGO and of course, that’s my biggest passion as well
- Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website that you can share with us?
RC: Yes, my Facebook page and my Flickr profile.
JP: I have a Facebook page, in which I put my things.
- 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?
RC: My latest moc is NEVERLAND by Peter Pan, which saw me busy for 2 years of work and which I am taking to many exhibitions and museums. Right now I'm finishing a new jungle and playground-themed moc, with moving water, which I'll present in a month, fingers crossed!
JP: I’ve been around the AFOL community since the late 2000’s. I made several MOCs but I also like to display classic LEGO settings, honoring the sets I had when I was a child.
- How and when did your interest in LEGO products come about?
RC: I think, like many, as a child, when I was getting LEGO sets for birthday or Christmas.
JP: I have always played with LEGO since I can remember. I must thank my mother for this. One day I had a little tear in my eye because turning the pages of the 1984 catalog, I discovered that she bought me nearly all the city sets that were depicted there!
- What is the LEGO hobby to you? What does it mean to you? How does it fit in your life? E.g. build, display, meetups, play the games or 'just' watch the cartoons.
RC: LEGO for me is passion, creativity, entertainment, challenge ... It fills all my free time and my extra-family thoughts, and sometimes it goes even further! I have to behave! I love spending days at LEGO events with friends, talking about everything, not just LEGO, having a good time.
JP: It’s very difficult to shrink what it means to me in a simple answer. I’d say it slowly became a lifestyle. People know me as “that LEGO guy” and sometimes it feels even a bit odd. But When I come home and I realize I am literally surrounded by LEGO bricks, I must admit they’re right.
- What is your favourite LEGO theme (current or past)? Why? And has any theme inspired your building style or preference in any particular way?
RC: I love Pirates and Castle, they are the basis of my passion. My style has no particular inspiration: it is the mirror of me in normal life, that is, the search for details, or the element of surprise. I don't consider myself a great builder, but step by step, I often find myself satisfied and happy with the work done, and very proud!
JP: I’ve grown with Pirates. Really, I didn’t know I was that fond into pirates, ships, fortresses and the like until I got my first ship. Now, as an adult, I love castles most. But I believe it’s just a reflection of what I found interesting growing.
- What is your favourite official LEGO set ever? Why?
RC: If I have to think to past sets, my heart forbids me to tell a specific set… but if I had to that would be my first set: the City Monorail. If I have to think an actual set, no doubts it’s Pirates of Barracuda Bay!
JP: I have a deep bond with the Black Seas Barracuda because I was old enough to understand that my mother was giving me an expensive present. It may have been my overall childhood favourite toy!
- What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
RC: I like part 87087, brick 1x1 with stud on side, and every part that allow me to build with a new perspective and new results. I like to find new uses for the parts.
JP: I am fond of minifigures. If it has to be a non-minifigure part, it’s part 4085 because I always placed them in my builds in order to provide my minifigures of useful tools.
- Is there one or more particular LEGO-related websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by?
JP: I am an old member of Eurobricks. But I would surely say Brickset too. These communities are powerful.
ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
RC: I’ve read the book and it was perfectly fitting with my LEGO idea of nostalgia mixed with innocence. I thought that it had to become a LEGO model, so I was very inspired.
JP: The song “A World of Pure Imagination” is something that accompanies me sometimes when I build. This was just… consequential!
- How long was the process of making the project, 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?
RC: It took about 4 or 5 months. We spent a lot of time designing the set, chatting, laughing. We started by recreating the iconic scene from the movie, but felt that wasn't enough, so we tried to incorporate elements from both the movie, book, musical, etc. We took many steps back many times we weren't completely thrilled with the design. We changed a lot of pieces compared to the original project that reached 10K the first time, thanks to the new pieces created by LEGO in recent years, it was fun to update it and make it even more delicious!
JP: Roberto was really creative with this! I had some ideas but I couldn't concentrate and he had the superpower to transfer them from simple ideas to shapes in LEGO bricks.
- What special challenges did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
RC: If I have to name one on top: the bridge! I had really some problems into making it the way I wanted. So it was with the candy tree. It had to look like a tree but not too much and like a candy but not too much! The motorized waterfall was something that I was already thinking about in another MOC so I thought to place it here too.
JP: I’d honestly say: what he said.
- 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?
RC: Honestly? Nothing. I would leave everything like this so that i can enjoy every moment. What we did took us here. I couldn’t wish anything better.
JP: I’d say just “brace yourself, for a fantastic journey it’s about to begin”.
- 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?
RC: I would say 1 or 2 months to update the project from the original template, and I believe 2 or 3 months to reach 10,000 supporters, also receiving our first Staff Pick!
JP: He said the numbers. I would add that I was amazed by the feedback the community gave us! I was very satisfied with the model, but I am super critical of myself. Instead, people kept saying it was one of the best blueprints they'd ever seen. I was really surprised!
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
RC: We have different characters, but certainly the emotion that passed through us in that moment was joy! Reaching 10k for the second time has great value for me. Perhaps in those 10k there are many important things for us, for our personal stories, for our lives... A thought that has always accompanied us is that we would have liked to include 5 golden tickets from all over the world in the SET, so as to win a visit to the LEGO factory for 5 lucky people... it would be a truly beautiful dream for them too, like for Charlie!
JP: I've spent years looking up to all the great designers who hit 10k many times, and now I'm happy to be one of them. Maybe I could inspire other people now by giving them courage to try!
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
RC: 2150 Minifigures excluded
- What is your favourite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
RC: I’d say the waterfall on top, the bridge, and all the small colorfoul details that make a difference in the MOC.
JP: The waterfall for me too.
- If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
RC: We used stud.io
ABOUT LEGO IDEAS
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas project?
RC: I'm just a simple builder to give advice to other people. All I can say is to have fun and feel free to show off your creativity!
JP: I still feel we did a good job, but the idea behind it was the key to success. People liked the idea of having a set featuring Willy Wonka and Charlie.
- What (if any) methods did you use to advertise and attract support to your Product Idea?
RC: Simply Facebook and Instagram for the first 2, 3 days. Once this was done, the project went on its own, always remaining in the top positions on the Home Page.
- What is your favourite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)?
RC: The Pirate Bay is sublime, awesome work has been done by the LEGO designers! The rejected ideas that I would have liked have been many over the years, but only for personal taste. We cannot all think equally. At each review there is happiness and disappointment, it is normal.
JP: My favourite set is of course the Pirates of Barracuda Bay but I have many of them. My first one was the DeLorean Time Machine. So beautiful!
- What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
RC: As I said before, I’m not thinking myself as someone in the position to give so much advices. I’d say “just have fun!”
JP: Believe me I am thankful to The LEGO Company as I know no other toy company that does anything like this! It’s so wonderful! So I’d just give the advice to not feel sad if people do not like your project. If you do, that’s all that counts.
- Do you have plans to submit any other Product Ideas in the future? If yes, can you give us a hint what that might be?
RC: We have a project going on with 3733 votes right now which is THE MANEKI NEKO. We love it. It was an idea that came like lightning! And yes, we have many more ideas to come up with, time will tell.
JP: I was about to say something, but he beat me to it.
By
JacobM366