Welcome to today's 10K Club interview. Back for another try with COMMUNITY, Ivan Guerrero (a.k.a. BulldoozerBuilder) has pulled out all the stops on this fantastic project. Fans of the show, be prepared to be blown away by the incredible level of detail Ivan has managed to capture in his creation. Show your support for Ivan down below!
ABOUT YOURSELF
- Who are you?
Hello, my name is Ivan Guerrero! I use the LEGO Ideas username “BulldoozerBuilder” – named after some of my favourite Muppet characters – the hardworking builders of Fraggle Rock known as the Doozers.
- Where are you from?
I’m from the Philippines.
- What do you study or do for a living?
I produce and direct videos and commercials.
- What hobbies do you have?
Aside from designing with LEGO products, I also enjoy reading comic books and collecting memorabilia from my favourite movies. I like building miniatures too.
- Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website that you can share with us?
You can follow my LEGO works on Instagram at @bulldoozerbricks and on Facebook.
- 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 recently designed a MOC for my niece, my sister and my wife. It’s based on Hello Kitty and the characters of Sanrio. They have been asking me for years now to create this set for them. I figured that since there are millions of other Sanrio fans around the world as well, I ought to submit it on LEGO Ideas. You can check it out here.
- How and when did your interest in LEGO products come about?
I was exposed to LEGO building at a very young age but fell out of the habit of building when I was a teenager. I rediscovered my love of LEGO products just a few years ago, mostly because of LEGO Ideas sets and LEGO Dimensions packs that featured characters based on my favourite movies.
- 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.
For me, LEGO products are an amazing medium for creative expression. Just like paint or clay, using LEGO bricks is an art form just waiting to be explored and shaped. It has its own techniques and nuances that are ripe for experimentation. There are an infinite number of ways to design and build too. At the same time, there is also something about constructing with interlocking bricks that I find both satisfying and challenging. It’s like building a jigsaw puzzle, but you don’t really know what the puzzle will look like until you’re finished.
- 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’m a big fan of the LEGO Ghostbusters sets. In fact, my wife recently gifted me with the LEGO Ecto-1 (10274) set. The sets from that line gave us some of the most accurate representations of the Ghostbusters vehicles and the firehouse in toy form. Those sets also inspired me to incorporate Easter eggs and hidden details in all my own creations.
- What is your favourite official LEGO set ever? Why?
One of my all-time favourite LEGO sets is the Ghostbusters Firehouse Headquarters (75827). This is the set that re-ignited my love for LEGO and taught me how to start building my own MOCs.
- What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
One thing I try to incorporate into all my builds is an animal part. Nearly all my projects have pets in them. As a pet owner myself, I consider it to be something of a trademark of all my builds to feature some sort of animal. My Community set is no exception. It includes a little monkey minifig (77864pb01) based on Troy’s pet and a mouse part based on Troy and Abed’s lab mouse, Fievel.
- Is there a LEGO designer (official LEGO designer or fan designer) who you are inspired by and look up to? Who and why?
There are several. I’m always fond of seeing the projects of my fellow LEGO Ideas designers, like Brent Waller (BrentWaller), Pablo Sánchez (Bricky_Brick), Marcos Garavelli (Brickester), Truman Cheng (legotruman), Lionel Martin (Castor-Troy), Mehdi Rustamov (dimexart) and Lendy Tayag (len_d69). I’m in awe of how they continuously elevate their LEGO-building techniques with each project.
- Is there one or more particular LEGO-related websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by?
I regularly check out the social media posts of Brick Fanatics, Back2brick2, Republic_studs, Lego_rick_, TiagoCatarino, Ashnflash, JANGBRiCKS, and Tips & Bricks. Check ‘em out when you get the chance!
ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
I’ve been a fan of the show Community since it first came out back in 2009. The show was produced by Dan Harmon, of Rick and Morty fame, and the Russo Brothers, who went on to direct several Marvel movies because of their work on Community. While on the surface the show may appear to be a simple sitcom, Community is actually a densely-layered comedy that subverts expectations of what a sitcom is and can be. The meta-humor and genre-bending format have always been my favourite parts. You never really know what kind of episode you’re getting when you tune in. Across six seasons and two networks, Community took aim at nearly every kind of story genre -- from Spaghetti Western movies, to zombie thrillers, to claymation Christmas specials, to 8-bit video games, to science-fiction epics about the multiverse.
While the series ended back in 2015, the Community fan base has remained very active online and passionate about the show — creating fan art, an annual convention, and even a video game. Ever since the show went off the air, the show’s actors have remained close with each other and with the fans. Many of them have become household names and starred in several films and TV shows of their own. Fun fact: Several of Community’s lead actors have had some fun associations with LEGO through the years. Community has even had a hidden Easter Egg in the game LEGO Dimensions.
For several years now, fans have been campaigning for a Community movie to happen, rallying under the hashtag #SixSeasonsandaMovie. In mid-2022, it was finally announced that the movie was finally in production!
- 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?
The first time I submitted this project, it was an intense, week-long project. With the global lockdown happening, I spent my time rewatching several key episodes from the show and taking reference photos of different rooms and props. I also did a lot of reading on the Community Wiki. It was a big help that the show has been thoroughly catalogued by fans. Several relatives are also fans of the show, so their input on what to include in the set came in very handy.
My initial design was only supposed to consist of the study room. As I began working on the ventilation system, however, I realized the set felt incomplete without hints of other places in Greendale Community College. The project quickly began to take form after that. I wanted the set to feel as complete as possible, but make use of a very compact space and part count. I spent the last two days of my week designing all the flyers and posters. Since the show takes place on a college campus, I had to make a ton of signage for walls and bulletin boards.
When the project did not pass the LEGO 10K review, I received a ton of letters from Community fans asking me to resubmit. I kept telling everyone I would, but at the right time. In the meantime, I spent several months making minor refinements to the initial design – changing out whole portions of the build and packing a lot more episode references and details. The letters and comments from fans continued monthly for about a year and a half. All the while, I was biding my time to make more improvements on the set. When a rumour got out that the Community movie was going to happen, I decided to quickly wrap up the project and submit it immediately.
Some of the fun new additions that I’ve added to this new version include a burning “floor is lava” game section, the wild west-themed Fort Hawthorne, additional costumes for the Dean, and the ability to transform the minifigures into zombies or their multiversal “darkest timeline” versions. - What special challenges did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
One of the biggest challenges I had building this set was finding a way to capture the show’s uniquely, irreverent format. Unlike shows like Friends or Big Bang Theory, Community wasn’t shot in front of a studio audience. Many of their best episodes were filmed like mini-movies with action, science fiction, fantasy, documentary, mystery, or animation genres. In constructing the set, I was very conscious of including space for these stories to happen, while building a very compact representation of a college campus.
I deliberately only built three walls in the set, so that the characters could “break the fourth wall.” I also wanted it to appear like the characters had a self-awareness of being transformed into LEGO toys, in the same way that they transformed into stop-motion toys, action figures, and puppets in previous episodes. Essentially, the set is like a new episode of Community, and we are all part of that show. Take a look and see what I mean on my YouTube channel
Lastly, I also wanted to include hidden Easter eggs in the set, the same way that Community hides jokes in the background that are only noticeable after watching an episode a second or third time. I tried to incorporate this by hiding little references and meta-humor jokes. For instance, while the set is essentially a diorama, it also has a mini diorama of the set (and an even smaller diorama inside that one) – a reference to the diorama from the episode “Paradigms of Human Memory.”
- 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 think my biggest takeaway from this project was learning how amazing and supportive the Community fan base can be. Both times I submitted this project on LEGO Ideas, it has been an overwhelmingly positive experience for me because of the tremendous outpour of support from both the actors and the fans of the show. I’ve submitted projects on LEGO Ideas before, but this is the first time I’ve actually received messages from several people saying that my design brought tears to their eyes. If I had known how active on social media Community fans are, I would have been more active in the fan community years before I made this project.
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
The first time I submitted the project on LEGO Ideas, it took me 9 days to reach 10k votes. I was ecstatic by the turnout and by the speed it took to get there.
This second time I submitted, it took me exactly one month to get to 10k votes. To promote the set, I posted a new social media post nearly every day. I know there were tons of Community fans around the world counting down the votes each day. The design finally reached 10k exactly on October 19th – a day that holds special meaning to Community fans.
Based on the original, but postponed air date of Community, "that's October 19th", means those great moments in life when the unfair world we live in suddenly makes sense and everything is set right.
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
I used between 1,500-1,700 bricks to build the set, including parts for the additional and alternate costumes of the main characters.
- What is your favourite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
I’m quite happy with the way the ventilation system functions as a storage area for the various little props from different episodes. If you’ve seen the episode “Paradigms of Human Memory,“ you’ll recall that the vent was used as a repository of lost items from previous shows. It provided me with a very organic way to incorporate a lot of tiny props that hold special meaning to fans.
My favourite addition to this new set is the tribal weapon used by anthropology professor June Bauer (played by Betty White). Just like on the show, the weapon can also break apart into several separate tools.
- If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
The model was initially built using LEGO Digital Designer and the new version was refined using Studio.
- If you used custom stickers or prints for your design, how did you create them or where did you get them?
My custom stickers were created using Adobe Photoshop and PartDesigner. Each design was based on actual props from the show.
ABOUT LEGO IDEAS
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas project?
Whenever I build a set, I spend a considerable amount of time researching a film or TV show, and the stories behind-the-scenes. I want the set to be an authentic experience for fans, made by a superfan like myself. I try to put in as many easter eggs and hidden references in the set as I can, so that it becomes a very fulfilling project. I also think that storytelling is key when building a set like this. You want to be able to create the building blocks for many stories to play out as the set is being built or played with. I’ve also learned to value "playability" — making sure that my projects have a fun factor that fans will want to play with over and over again.
- What (if any) methods did you use to advertise and attract support for your Product Idea?
It was a big help that I had active social media accounts on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter for my LEGO Ideas projects. These were the primary platforms that I used to campaign. A big part of my promotions was the use of the hashtags #SixSeasonsandaLEGOset and #AndaLEGOset as a rallying cry for Community fans. I would say that the hashtag was instrumental in getting the word out to other Community fan accounts. At some point, my posts were even shared by several actors from the show, including Joel McHale, Yvette Nicole Brown, Ken Jeong, and Chevy Chase.
- What is your favourite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)? Are there any Product Ideas you think have been overlooked?
My all-time favourite LEGO Ideas product is Voltron by len_d69. Not only did it capture the likeness of the old toy line and cartoon perfectly, it also made use of some ingenious building techniques that allow it to break apart and transform. I think that’s quite an achievement. As for Product Ideas that are up for voting, I would definitely like to see these sets become a reality someday: Pixar’s Luxo Jr. Lamp by T0BY1KENOBI7280, Shark Submersible from Tintin by George Brickman, and The Praxinoscope by Mantichore.
- What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
I always tell people who plan to submit on LEGO Ideas to 'create what you love.' It’s important that you create something that you will enjoy. When you have fun and play with your creations, it will come across in the build, and fans will like it even more. Chances are, if you enjoyed building it, others will too.
- 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’ve got an ever-growing list of Ideas I’d like to submit. How I decide which project goes next is really based on timing, audience interest, and my overall love for the build. My list continues to shift around constantly based on those three factors, so I’m not entirely sure which one will come next.I also try my best to do something very different from the previous project each time I submit. So while you might be a fan of my previous works, my next project will probably be something unexpected.
