Welcome to another 10K Club interview! Today we meet Toby, a.k.a. T0BY1KENOBI20506, and his DISNEY PIXAR’S LUXO JR. project. Inspired by the world's (maybe) most famous and playful lamp, Toby has created this iconic product idea. Share your support and comments in the section below!
ABOUT YOURSELF
- Who are you?
Toby Brett.
- Where are you from?
London, United Kingdom.
- How old are you?
I’m 18 years old.
- What do you study or do for a living?
I’m a first-year physics student at the University of Manchester.
- What hobbies do you have?
I enjoy playing and watching football, chess, playing guitar, and model railways.
- Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website that you can share with us?
I have an Instagram page (@toby1kenobi_lego): Toby Brett (@toby1kenobi_lego) • Instagram photos and videos
- 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?
My Star Wars Battle of Endor MOC, initially created for a contest on Lego Ideas, is one of my proudest creations!
- How and when did your interest in LEGO products come about?
I’ve been playing with Lego for as long as I can remember!
- 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.
I love building official sets and designing MOCs (both digitally and with real bricks) in my spare time. I have also displayed my creations at Lego Exhibitions.
- What is your favourite LEGO theme (current or past)? Why? And has any theme inspired your building style or preference in any particular way?
It has to be Star Wars!
- What is your favourite official LEGO set ever? Why?
A very tough question, I love the Apollo 11 Lunar Lander (set 10266).
- What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
I use ‘SNOT’ techniques quite often so I’ll go for the 1x1 brick with 4 studs (part 4733).
ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
I’m a huge fan of all the Pixar films which have been a big part of my childhood and Luxo Jr is the mascot that perfectly sums up my love for these movies.
- 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?
It took a few weeks to make. I spent a lot of time looking at many different photos of Luxo Jr to make my model as screen-accurate and recognisable as possible.
- What special challenges did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
Making the model stable enough to stand up on its own was a challenge, especially when I originally designed the model digitally, but I eventually managed it when I built Luxo using real bricks. Creating a smooth sphere for the Luxo ball was also very hard.
- If you could talk to yourself before you started on this project, what would you tell them? What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
I’d tell myself to be more patient - I probably wasted far too much time refreshing my page to see if I’d gained any more votes!
- 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?
The original model took a few weeks to finish, but it was redesigned and refined every now and then over a couple of years after posting it. I didn’t spend too much time promoting it compared to the build time.
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
It felt amazing - one of the happiest moments of my life and also a huge relief! The product idea that finally reached 10,000 votes was the third version of this model I have posted, it took about 11 months.
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
224 pieces.
- What is your favourite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
I find how I built the ball quite satisfying as the first prototype was very blocky, but by the final version, I think it became impressively smooth for the scale.
- If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
Bricklink’s Studio.
- If you used custom stickers or prints for your design, how did you create them or where did you get them?
I used Bricklink’s Part Designer to create printed pieces.
ABOUT LEGO IDEAS
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas project?
I think presentation is one of the most important qualities of a good product idea. There are thousands of product ideas and it doesn't matter how good your model may be, people will only see one image of it before they decide to click on it or to scroll past: so an eye-catching and clear cover image is essential
- What (if any) methods did you use to advertise and attract support to your Product Idea?
I shared my idea on Instagram, Facebook, and Reddit, and also at a Lego convention.
- What is your favourite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)? Are there any Product Ideas you think have been overlooked?
I own both The Globe (set 21332) and the Saturn V rocket (set 92176) both of which are incredible sets from fantastic product ideas.
- What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
My favourite thing about this platform is how anyone can become a Lego designer, you just need the right idea. My advice is go for it! You probably won't reach 10k votes straight away but there’s nothing to lose if you don’t! Learn from your mistakes and other people’s successes. Once you have something you want to share with the world, never give up!
- 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?
I definitely have plans for more product ideas, but I’m not sure quite what yet!
By
Hani2