Welcome back to the next set of 10K interviews! Introducing the first members of this period, congratulations to FACEBRICKUP aka Jody Padulano and Roberto Ceruti. These collaborators are no stranger to the 10K club, but this product idea harkens back to the Forestmen and Castle themes of their childhood, and seeks to share their shared love of the themes with you! What is your favourite part of the set?
ABOUT YOURSELF
- Who are you?
Jody Padulano.
Roberto Ceruti.
- Where are you from?
J: Rome, Italy. Now living in Cremona, Italy.
R: Bergamo, Italy. Now living in Varese (Lake Maggiore).
- How old are you?
J: 42.
R: 41.
- What do you study or do for a living?
J: I am an informatics engineer.
R: I am a plumber, specialising in boilers.
- What hobbies do you have?
J: Comics, video games, movies, acting and the LEGO hobby, of course.R: I love everything that is creative; composing music, editing videos, photography and manual work. But in first place, I’d say my passion for LEGO bricks.
- Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website that you can share with us?
J: No I’ve not.
R: Yes, brickup - here’s a lot of what I do. I also have a Facebook page.
- 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?
J: I’ve got the ones on LEGO Ideas and I am very humble, so I don’t like to share much of the other ones.
R: I'm very tied to Captain Hook's ship and Aladdin's Cave of Wonders, my first real MOC, which allowed me to enter the magical world of AFOLS, going to places and meeting people. I met several friends. Jody is one of them.
- How and when did your interest for LEGO come about?
J: I received a Castle in 2009 and I was brought back to the hobby.
R: I think, like many, as a child, when I was getting LEGO sets for birthday or Christmas.
- What is the LEGO hobby 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.
J: It’s a difficult question to answer since it really means a lot to me. Like, I own a Facebook page talking about LEGO, and a YouTube channel centred on the same topic… I just go to every meetup, I build a lot… should I go on? I mean, sometimes I even ask myself if I have a life besides LEGO. Just kidding!
R: The LEGO hobby for me is passion, creativity, entertainment, and 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 bricks, and having a good time.
- What is your favourite LEGO theme (current or past)? Why? And has any theme inspired your building style or preference in any particular way?
J: Pirates. That’s where it all started. But nowadays, Castle too.
R: 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!
- What is your favourite official LEGO set ever? Why?
J: 6285 The Black Seas Barracuda. It was a present from my mother. I’ll never forget the day. I was just a kid, but that set was something… great. It has always been my favourite toy. Now I own 6 of that ship.
R- If I have to think of past sets, my heart forbids me to tell a specific set, but if I had to that, it would be my first set: the City Monorail. If I have to think of an actual set, no doubt it’s Pirates of Barracuda Bay!
- What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
J: Perhaps 4085 because I used it to hold items for my minifigures. My minifigures always need a spare weapon or tool, and a 4085 can always be a good friend for that.
R: I like part 87087, brick 1x1 with a stud on the side, and every part that allows me to build with a new perspective and new results. I like to find new uses for the parts.
- Is there a LEGO designer (official LEGO designer or fan designer) who you are inspired by and look up to? Who and why?
J: Daniel Krentz. I miss him. He was a great person. And he set up my dreams.
R: I would have to deeply thank an Italian fan designer that, alas, is not among us anymore. If I didn’t meet him, I wouldn’t have started building my MOCs and I would just be a set builder.
- Is there one or more particular LEGO-related websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by?
J: Bricklink or brickset. They are very useful.
R: Actually, no.
ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
J: Besides pirates, I was really fond of Forestmen when I was a kid but didn’t really have a lot of those. So it’s out of nostalgia, giving everyone the chance to have something I did not.
R: This theme has been always one of my favourite ones. Knights and Forestmen shared with me the best moments of my childhood. I miss them a lot. I'd very much want new themed sets with today's parts and techniques, a fantastic mix.
- 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?
J: It took a lot of time, because we both wanted it to have a special look, recalling the old sets and being “new” at the same time.
R: We took inspiration from 6054, but we wanted to adjust it to nowadays. It took a lot of time because we had to find a balance between novelty and respect for the original mood of the set we were inspired by.
- What special challenges did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
J: When I recreated the model in real LEGO parts to show it at the Skaerbaek fan Weekend, I had a lot of fun and trouble creating the base. I wanted it to look authentic.
R: For sure, the tree that begins into the structure and grows outside it has been the most challenging part, but it was worth the effort!
- If you could talk to yourself before you started on this project, what would you tell him? What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
J: Well, I’d say to myself not to give up because people will love this. I didn’t expect that. I thought that we were loving it and a small bunch of people. Instead, look at us. 10K!
R: Surely being confident, never giving up, because passion and love towards this theme joins together a lot of fans like me, and this is a special bond that brought us up to 10K.
- 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?
J: From the initial idea to the final model, 3 months. It was more difficult to gather the votes than to build the model. It was also very funny.
R: 3 months building. They were a lot more relaxing than the time spent gathering votes... there were some days in which we nearly lost hope, but some days we were euphoric! It was a special adventure.
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
J: It took several months, but when we were at around 8500 and a lot of time was still available, we started believing it. And it was like a relief.
R: I concur with Jody.
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
J: Well, to be honest I really didn’t count them. Really, this is a hard question. Let’s say “a lot”. Can I say “a lot” and get away with it?
R: Around 1300 parts, depending on the season. In summer we have a lot of leaves. In fall, much less!
- What is your favourite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
J: I liked the tree growing inside the building! That’s something I really wanted to be there.
R: I love the chance to bend the tree branches and leaves in order to create more realism in the MOC.
- If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
J: We used Stud.io
R: Stud.io
- If you used custom stickers or prints for your design, how did you create them or where did you get them?
J: Model has no custom stickers.
R: A minifigure has been studied with a new torso, realized with Adobe Illustrator.
ABOUT LEGO IDEAS
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas project?
J: Just believe in yourself, other people will, if you believe first. And brace yourself; a rollercoaster of hope and work will start then.
R: No secrets. Just passion and iron will!
- What (if any) methods did you use to advertise and attract support to your Product Idea?
J: Well, honestly, I told nearly everyone I know. On socials, too, a lot.
R: We were interviewed by newspapers, YouTube channels, but our big efforts have been always on social media, using both Facebook and Instagram.
- What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
J: Vote for my ongoing project!
R: The idea of seeing your project in a LEGO store is something that would be even greater than a dream. I really can't imagine how I would react.
- What is your favourite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)? Are there any Product Ideas you think have been overlooked?
J: My favourite one is Pirates of Barracuda Bay. This was an easy one.
R: I'd like to see something that amazes... like the Jazz Quartet!
- 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?
J: The Neverending Story (40th anniversary) is going as we are speaking!R: We already started a new adventure! Let's save Fantasia together!
