Today we will talk about The Trulli of Alberobello. The theme of this project comes from Italy, which is also home to the creator - Renato. Building with LEGO bricks means relaxation for him and he recently rediscovered the joy of building. Congratulations Renato Lovicario RennaWSL and welcome to the 10k Club!
ABOUT YOURSELF
- Who are you?
Renato Lovicario
- Where are you from?
Bari
- How old are you?
44
- What do you study or do for a living?
Graphic designer
- What hobbies do you have?
LEGO buildings – LEGO MOC – Music – Reading
- 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’ve created a few LEGO MOC:
Ilvatech: a futuristic version of ILVA, that is a local steel mill. It contains a Hangar, 2 Mechs, and all the necessary stuff to make them work. I’m very proud of it since it’s the first MOC I’ve taken in a LEGO event and it was really appreciated.
A Gas Monkey Garage LEGO version: it is a reproduction of the entire garage, with some produced cars. I’m proud of it because it is full of details and I really enjoyed rebuilding the custom cars they pimp.
- How and when did your interest in LEGO come about?
Since childhood, I’ve always been attracted by LEGO bricks. Then the dark age came in which I didn’t touch any brick. And then at the age of 40, I took again a brick in my hands and I think I’ll never let them go again.
- What is LEGO for you? What does it mean for you? How does it fit in your life? E.g. build, display, meetups, play games, or 'just' watch cartoons.
LEGO is a pleasant distraction from all the common problems that anybody has in his life.
- 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 like the Space theme very much because it was my favourite as a child. It has inspired of course some of my buildings, e.g. Ilvatech.
- What is your favourite official LEGO set? Why?
LEGO Creator Nasa Apollo 11 Lunar Lander 10266. It’s my favourite because it has a very peculiar shape.
- What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
Tiles are certainly my favourite element because I don’t like seeing studs.
ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
It comes from my land.
- 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?
It took 3 months to build. I build it up without any software, so the old way: brick on brick.
- What special challenges did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
Certainly, the roof was the most challenging and frustrating part. But it was really nice to see it completed.
- 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 ask myself if it’s worth investing all the money I’ve spent to complete this project. :)
- 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 3 months to build it, as I said before, and then it took 43 days to reach 10k supporters. But the effort to promote was really hard since it was the first project I sent to LEGO Ideas.
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
It’s a big satisfaction to reach the goal. It’s an indescribable feeling, but the real dream now is to have it on the shelves.
- What is your favourite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
I don’t use many building techniques, since I leave my creativity flow.
- If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
No, the model was built for real.
- If you used custom stickers or prints for your design, how did you create them or where did you get them?
I’ve created them with photoshop and printed them by myself.
ABOUT LEGO IDEAS
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas project?
For sure creating something that is original and cheap to build.
- What (if any) methods did you use to advertise and attract support to your Product Idea?
I’ve used mainly social media like Facebook and Instagram.
- What is your favourite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)? Are there any Product Ideas you think have been overlooked?
The Tree House is my favourite because it’s very well made and it has a lot of bricks.
- What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
Keep it simple and popular, I’ve noticed that the more popular is the Idea, the fastest it reaches 10k supporters.
- 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?
I’m not sure if I want to upload other projects, but if I will it would probably be a sort of loft.
By
Kamila9