This week's 10K Club member comes from Paris, France and is a little bit younger than most 10K Club members we've had the pleasure of welcoming so far. Say hi to Adrien Sutter, a.k.a. SeigneurFett, the 17 year old creator of the Plum Creek - The Little House on the Prairie project. We know what you're thinking! How does a 17 year old come across the idea of building a project based on a TV show that had its heyday before he was even born? We were curious as well! Luckily, Adrien shares a little insight into what motivated him to create this project and tells more about his passion for LEGO as well!
Help us congratulate Adrien on becoming a part of the LEGO Ideas 10K Club!
About Yourself
- Where are you from?
I’m from Paris, in France.
- How old are you?
I’m 17.
- What do you study or do for a living?
I study mathematics and physics.
- What hobbies do you have?
Although I haven’t much time besides my studies, I enjoy playing the piano, and sometimes playing tennis or swimming. Obviously, I like watching TV series, such as Little House on the Prairie, but also Gotham or Homeland. I’m really fascinated by sciences.
- How and when did your interest for LEGO come about?
I think I started playing with LEGO when I was 3. My first set was one of the final duel sets (7200 or 7201). I also remember that I spent hours playing with the 7103 Jedi Duel set. These sets are the reason for my passion for LEGO bricks.
- What is your favourite official LEGO set? Why?
Well, there are alot of sets that I love! But my favourite is the 76023 UCS Tumbler. This reproduction of my favourite Batmobile looks so close to the real car, that I can only adore it.
- What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
A modified 1x1 brick with one stud on one side. This brick is very useful. I cannot build something without using it (there are a lot of these bricks in my Little House project).
- Is there a LEGO designer (official LEGO designer or fan designer) who you are inspired by and look up to? Who and why?
I really love Marcos Bessa’s work on official LEGO sets. He uses a lot of very interesting building techniques that I sometimes use for my creations.
I want also to talk of a french fan designer who makes me dream with his creations, and who is very sympathic: Jimmy Fortel (6kyubi6). He built within various themes and uses a lot of special building techniques. His work is always a source of inspiration for me.
- Is there one or more particular LEGO related websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by?
I am a member of the French forum BrickPirate. I visit and take part in discussions on the forum daily.
About Your Project
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
4 years ago, I discover the TV show Little House on the Prairie on French TV. As I became a big fan of the show, I wanted to create the most famous place of the story using LEGO bricks: Plum Creek, where the Ingalls have their house!
- What special challenges did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
The real house is made of wooden planks. It was quite difficult to find a good way to have this ‘planks’ effect on the house, with only smooth bricks or tiles. My brother finally told me about the SNOT technique that I ended up using, after which the house was quite easy to build. The carriage was also a challenge for me. I wanted to do something new, especially for the tarpaulin, without cloth or curved bricks. I decided to use a flex hose on which I fixed tiles.
- How long did it take to complete the model?
It took me about two years to finish since I started thinking of it. I first made a basic LDD version of the house and the barn. Then I left it aside, and made other things. I started building it with real bricks in January 2014, then left it aside for 6 months again. I built the barn in August 2014, and finally finished it in April 2015 for an exhibition in France.
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes?
I was so happy and so excited! I was not expecting it, when I submitted it in the summer of 2015! It took a bit more than a year to reach the incredible 10,000 votes. The project reached 1,000 votes quite quickly, but then during the next 6 months it only received about 300 new supports. I was quite disappointed, and I thought that the Little House project would never make it. Then some people, notably the Little House on the Prairie Facebook page, shared my project. It boosted the project. A lot of people saw it, some supported it, and with a lot of effort, the project reached the 10k milestone.
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
The whole model (with bases) counts about 4,000 bricks. I built it for myself, so I had no limits of bricks. But the house only (without its base and the barn) is made of 1,400 LEGO bricks. I used 200 bricks to build the carriage.
About LEGO Ideas
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas project?
I think you should build something that others would like, but most importantly, you must still have fun building it! You should take nice photos, with a neutral background (white is the best I think).
- What is your favourite LEGO Ideas project (besides your own of course)?
A project of Riskjockey: the Interstellar Ranger. I loved the movie of Christopher Nolan, and this project is so well executed! I’m sad that it hasn’t gathered a lot of supports. But I’m still hoping it will reach 10,000 votes and become a LEGO set.
- What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
LEGO Ideas allows you to share your LEGO creations with people from all over the world. I like the concept of gathering support and you can discuss with people that you would not have met otherwise. This platform is very convivial.
You have to share your project on as many webpages as you can! You should also share your project with people who aren’t LEGO fans. They could be interested in your project though. If you build something based on a film or a TV series like I did, try to contact actors or producers, they could help you on the promotion of your project
By
hasanjensen