It's Friday, which means another 10K interview! Today we meet Laurent Payette Bédard, a.k.a. Laurgo23, and their brilliant JACK SKELLINGTON'S HOUSE. A desire to see Tim Burton's iconic style in LEGO form inspired this creation and we're sure you are going to love it. Let Laurent see your support in the comments!
ABOUT YOURSELF
- Who are you?
Laurent Payette Bédard.
- Where are you from?
Québec City.
- How old are you?
29.
- What do you study or do for a living?
Work in a private LEGO Store.
- What hobbies do you have?
Video games, movies.
- Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website that you can share with us?
Instagram.
- 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 Shacktron from the TV show Gravity Falls is probably my biggest MOC yet. I'm proud of its “presence", and because it's awesome! It’s the second post pinned on my Instagram.
- How and when did your interest in LEGO products come about?
Maybe when I was 6 or 7 and my parents subscribed me to the LEGO Magazine.
- 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.
It's my everyday job. I verify sets from the last decades, sort pieces etc. In my free time, I like to create some MOCs. I have played almost every LEGO video game, too!
- 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 would say Star Wars, because I like the spaceships and the minifigs, but I prefer Elves for the nice coloured parts.
- What is your favourite official LEGO set ever? Why?
Ninjago City, because it’s full of nice techniques, parts and easter eggs about LEGO history.
- What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
I would say the bracket 1x1, because it allowes you to use some SNOT techniques. I also can’t wait for the new 1x1x2/3 rounded on one side and stud on the other, coming in the new Speed Champion in March!
- Is there one or more particular LEGO-related websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by?
Instagram and brothers-brick.com
ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
I'm a fan of the movie The Nightmare Before Christmas and wanted for a while to see a nice LEGO set that represents well that universe and style.
- 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?
I start working on the model mid September and finished it by Halloween 2022. I only used official pictures of the house from the film. There's not a lot of good pictures and the model change from scene to scene.
- What special challenges did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
The house has a lot of weird angles. That was the first challenge. After that, holding the house in place at the top of the stairs was my biggest problem. I didn’t want to make a visible stand underneath, so the hill at the back wasn’t planned, but I designed and built it in under 2 hours and it held the house from the back to create an invisible - but very visible - stand.
- 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?
If I had think about the hill at the back, I would have saved a lot of time on the base.
- 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 me about 6 weeks to finish in my spare time. And once on the website of LEGO Ideas, it took 17 days to get the 10,000 votes.
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
It was surreal. After a week, it was about 2500 votes. After two weeks, it was over 7000 votes and 10,000 two days later. I was thinking about putting an update around the 5000 mark, but I was already around 8000 when I posted it.
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
I think it’s around 2300-2500 pieces.
- What is your favourite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
I like the technique I used for the roof with the quarter circle 1x1. I also like how I did the windows with some trans-orange elements.
- If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
I usually used Stud.io for my renders, but this model was a bit complex for a 3D model.
ABOUT LEGO IDEAS
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas project?
Use an IP that is family-friendly, known worldwide, and not being adapted currently by an other company
- What (if any) methods did you use to advertise and attract support for your Product Idea?
I advertised on some Facebook and Reddit groups.
- What is your favourite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)? Are there any Product Ideas you think have been overlooked?
I wish for a Mystery Shack from Gravity Falls some days. The one by @ToppleGo8 was really nice.
- What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
Some of the most creative and original sets come from this site. You have to think about something that could appeal to a large audience.
