We bet that many of you have been forced into more online video calls than ever before over the past months. We also bet you're starting to get a bit tired of all those online meetings whilse you're sat in your living room (read: your professional home-office of course) in the same clothes you've been wearing for the last few days wondering what day of the week it is (...or is that just me?).
While we can't do much about your change of clothes or remind you which day it is everyday, we can help make your video calls much more fun for you, your colleagues and your friends. And it's all thanks to the LEGO Ideas community!
Over the past 2 weeks, LEGO fans from around the world have been participating in the "Create a Custom Background for Video Calls" Activity, submitting creative and fun LEGO brick builds to suit all sorts of occasions.
Are you the suit and tie professional? No problem, we've got a fancy conference room background for you. Miss travelling? LEGO Ideas members have you covered with a cool desert or Antarctic background (penguins included), or if you're the city get-away type there are cityscapes too! You can even escape to outer space if you're extra adventurous!
One of my personal favourites is the background that makes it look as though the meeting attendee is being chased down by a ferocious T-Rex!
There's a bit of everything to choose from and that's exactly what we love about the vivid imaginations of LEGO fans!
If you continue to build and submit video call backgrounds we'll continue to add them to the collection of downloadable backgrounds.
Show us how you use the backgrounds - #MyLEGOCall
We'd love to see how you use these backgrounds in your calls. Share a screenshot of your call on your favourite social media with the hashtag #MyLEGOCall or show us in the comments.
How to use the backgrounds?
Zoom:
- Download all backgrounds via the link above
- In your Zoom, click on Account Settings
- Find “Virtual Background”, click on the + icon. Now select your favourite background from those that you've just downloaded. Also make sure to de-select "Mirror my video".
Microsoft Teams
* Once you start using the backgrounds you'll notice that the LEGO logo and username is mirrored. Don't worry! It's only you that sees it this way. Others in the meeting see it regularly.
Windows
- Download all backgrounds via the link above
- Open "File Explorer" and paste the following %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Teams\Backgrounds\Uploads into path bar and press enter. Not sure what the path bar is? See image below
- Copy the background image files you downloaded into the folder that you just opened via the path bar
- You're ready to use your new LEGO brick-built background by selecting it during your video call
Mac
- Download all backgrounds via the link above
- Open your "Finder" window and click the “Go“ dropdown menu at the top and open “Go to folder...“, and paste the below path into the tool and hit "Go".
~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Teams/Backgrounds/Uploads - Copy the background image file you downloaded into the folder that you just opened
- You're ready to use your new LEGO brick-built background by selecting it during your video call
By
hasanjensen