Congratulations to Thomas LAJON (aka LEt.sGO) from France and his two 10K Club creations Medieval Tavern and The Medieval Fortress! Both projects are linked and inspiration comes from the rich medieval history of Normandy where Thomas comes from.
ABOUT YOURSELF
- Who are you?
My name is Thomas LAJON. In the LEGO community, I chose to use the pseudonym LEt'sGO.
- Where are you from?
I live in Paris, but I am from Normandy, France. It’s my heartland.
- How old are you?
I’m 25.
- What do you study or do for a living?
I’m a director and a screenwriter. I’m still a "beginner", but step by step, I’m building my nest.
- What hobbies do you have?
Other than LEGO bricks which take a lot of my time? I have a subscription to a movie theater. I play the trumpet and go bouldering.
- Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website that you can share with us?
I don’t have a personal website, but I share my creations on social media, especially on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/letsgolegobrick/
https://www.facebook.com/letsgolegobrick
https://twitter.com/letsgolegobrick
- 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?
The Lost City. It's a MOC that I made just before the tavern. If we find certain common characteristics, like the open back, the set provides a completely different atmosphere. And that's what I'm proud of with the Lost City. I have instilled a mysterious atmosphere of a lost place, where nature has regained its rights. It is a ruin that tells a story.
I’m also proud of another MOC: the Orient Express. It’s the very first one I made for LEGO Ideas, in digital version. I love technical machines: planes, rockets, trains... It was perfect to start with.
- How and when did your interest in LEGO come about?
I got my first LEGO box when I was four years old, and it was a long story that lasted until I was fourteen. At that age, I received sets for Christmas and even though I loved them, I took a break from them because I was made fun of. I was told that LEGO bricks were only for children...
Then, a few years later, a LEGO Store arrived in Paris. It awakened something in me... My girlfriend made the first step in 2017 by offering me the first set of a LEGO collection that keeps growing!
- 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.
LEGO is two things to me.
The first one is the creative part, which is infinite (only the number of pieces limits us..) This concept of interlocking bricks is fantastic, better than a 3D puzzle because you can combine them in almost any way. At the same time, it’s not model making, we represent things but with an abstract part, which puts our imagination into work. In short, it’s a creative tool that stimulates imagination and intelligence, because there is also a great part of technicality.
The second one is sharing. Since I have been doing LEGO, I have shared wonderful and incredibly special moments, especially with my little brother, when we were younger. We had our LEGO bricks in a mezzanine. It was our den where we built, deconstructed, rebuilt and played (sometimes in secret when it was late..) I also remember the plans we made to acquire new sets, parents who took us to the toy store where we drooled over the shelves filled with boxes we dreamed of!
Today the passion and the sharing continue with my friends and my girlfriend, (because I got her involved)!
- What is your favourite LEGO theme (current or past)? Why? And has any theme inspired your building style or preference in any particular way?
Impossible to say because I am a jack of all trades! As a kid, I played a lot with LEGO City, Exoforce, Harry Potter and Star Wars.
Today, I explore a little bit of everything, depending on my favorites! My latest acquisitions: the Tantive IV, Hogwarts (71043), the Treehouse, the Shuttle Discovery and R2-D2 (I have not built them all yet, to enjoy each set and take time).
- What is your favourite official LEGO set? Why?
I cannot say. Each set is different, with its own history and construction techniques.
I like when I discover new things that I have never seen in a build before.
I appreciate the presence of technical elements in a set, like in the space shuttle Discovery or in an X-wing (Star Wars). It creates something more: the model is not frozen.
I also like when the abstract side of the brick is used to the fullest, in micro-scale sets like Hogwarts (71043) for example.
- What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
The 4 x 2 brick is the base of the base, so I could easily say it is my favorite. But I like the more complex pieces. Like #87087 (Modified Brick 1 x 1 with Stud on 1 Side).
- Is there one or more particular LEGO-related websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by?
Hoth Bricks (https://www.hothbricks.com/), to whom I say thank you for his work.
ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
The two projects are linked.
I am from Normandy, a region with an extraordinarily rich medieval history partly known thanks to William the Brave, Duke of Normandy who conquered England. We have many castles and magnificent half-timbered buildings.
When The Medieval Blacksmith came out, I saw the sign of a resurgence of medieval themes and thought, “it is time”.
The Medieval Tavern had already reached 10K and I had also entered the Fortress when the Bricklink Designer Program launched the first round of crowdfunding, including the Castle in the Forest by Povoq. Its success confirmed my impression: AFOLs want knight stories again and I am actually very happy to have made these proposals on LEGO Ideas, no matter what happens.
- 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?
For both projects, it took me about a week to complete them digitally on Stud.io.
To realize them, I first made sketches in a notebook, then I relied on photographic references of existing buildings. For some elements, I also observed the official sets to unlock some techniques, for the foliage on the Tavern for example.
- What special challenges did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
The Medieval Tavern: From the beginning, I set myself the goal of making this second building unstable. It was difficult to give this illusion without playing with the half-interlocked pieces.
The Medieval Fortress: When we imagine a fortress, it is very often something massive and grey, even sinister. I didn't want to give that impression. So, I tried to create a fortress with a living aspect: in the color schemes, with the vegetation, in the structure: goodbye to the four towers and the dungeon in the middle! I wanted different spaces, arranged in a less orderly way like the real castles built and modified over time so that none of them are symmetrical.
- 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?
The preparatory work is important. I have too much of a tendency to make the parts one after the other and to link them as best I can. I think that having a global vision is essential to get to the point, to gain efficiency, both in the form and in the number of pieces used.
- 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?
For both projects, it took me about a week to complete them digitally on Stud.io.
The time spent creating it seems like a drop in the bucket compared to the time spent promoting it. But the pleasure is not the same.
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
It was an incredible thing. When the number of votes increases, it is really a roller coaster of emotions. I am incredibly happy and at the same time, it's a relief to have reached the end.
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
The Medieval Tavern: 2946 bricks.
The Medieval Fortress: 2956 bricks.
- What is your favourite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
The Medieval Tavern: One thing I liked to do was to give relief to a "flat" construction, an inherent characteristic of having an open back.
I was able to bring relief by using different wall colors, different textures of materials: brick, stone, wood. These renderings were interesting to recreate.
I am particularly pleased with the wooden walkway that connects the two buildings. It brings something unique to the building.
Another part that made me think a lot was the staging of the characters. What is the story of each of them? What do they want? I had a lot of fun imagining that and building the scenes accordingly.
The Medieval Fortress: One of the things I love about this project, which I had thought about quite a bit beforehand, is its accessibility: the open back, the two movable quarters to open up the bowels of the fortress, and the removable floor and roofs. You can access different parts of the castle and also present it in different ways: tightened or extended.
- If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
I used Stud.io by Bricklink.
ABOUT LEGO IDEAS
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas project?
My only advice is to use your imagination. Making LEGO MOCs is about turning plastic bricks into something that tells a story and inspires.
- What (if any) methods did you use to advertise and attract support to your Product Idea?
I was able to promote my project thanks to the great LEGO community on the Internet. There are many Facebook groups dedicated to LEGO Ideas or themes like LEGO Castle/Knights, etc.
Fans are very eager to see new stories of knights and fortresses being born in LEGO.
I also think I was incredibly lucky. A chance that I owe to this AFOL community.
I sincerely thank everyone who supported me, sent messages and shared the project. Without them, none of this would have been possible. Each project is an adventure that 10,000 of us share.
- What is your favourite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)? Are there any Product Ideas you think have been overlooked?
I had a crush on the treehouse. It is a jewel of poetry. It inspires nature and escape. It incorporates the "DIY construction" aspect, like what we do with our LEGO bricks. We are close to the mise en abîme.
I also loved the concept of Steamboat Willie, done in black and white. The rendering is magnificent... It is a pity that it went off the shelves before I decided to buy it!
Can I say that ideas have been overlooked: yes, of course.
There are so many incredible ideas, and the keyhole is so narrow!
First, there are the ones that do not make it on LEGO Ideas, because of lack of visibility. It is indeed awfully hard to promote a project and there is inevitably a part of luck. These are mysterious and multi-factorial laws, which we are sometimes powerless against.
And among the few ideas that reach the 10K mark, there is also a choice that must be made by LEGO according to their own criteria. To choose is to give up. Of course, there are beautiful projects that will never see the light of day.
But I’m delighted that the Bricklink Designer Program allows some of them to exist in a different way, it is a nice initiative and I hope it will last in time!
- What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
This platform is a gold mine of ideas! The social part is limited, but the number of projects is huge! So I advise everyone who would like to publish an idea to take great care of the presentation, especially the images. People have to click on the project. Show everything that can seduce!
- 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?
Yes, I intend to present new projects: I have tons of ideas!
I already have two projects that are ready and that I will publish soon: a small square inspired by Brazilian favelas and a new medieval project.
By
Kamila9