avilabrick hits a strike with the Retro Bowling Alley! Read their 10K Club Interview in full here on LEGO Ideas. Be sure to congratulate them in the comments down below too :D
About Yourself
- Who are you?
avilabrick!
- Where are you from?
California, U.S.
- How old are you?
23 years old.
- What do you do for a living?
I work at a dumpling house.
- What hobbies do you have?
Building with LEGO, drawing, 3D modeling, baking, and screenwriting.
- Have you created any LEGO MOCs (my own creations) that you’re particularly proud of? What is it, why are you proud it and do you have a photo of it?
I have found that there are a lot of fans of my Modular Arcade, and particularly of the Skee Ball machine. I’m inspired by several fan interpretations of the model as well as other arcade machines that people have come up with.
- How and when did your interest for LEGO come about?
I was about 5 to 6 years old when I received my first LEGO set. I always enjoyed playing with my hands, and was immediately hooked.
- What is LEGO for you? What does it mean for you? How does it fit in your life? E.g. build, display, meetups, play the games.. or 'just' watch the cartoons.
It means a time to zone out and relax! I find it very soothing to sit down with a bowl of snacks and a 2000+ piece set. It is very satisfying to finally complete a big set, to say the least.
- 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’ve always loved CREATOR, and loved discovering different building techniques through the CREATOR 3 in 1 sets, and how very few pieces could be utilized in various ways.
- What is your favourite official LEGO set? Why?
It has to be the Saturn V Rocket. I eagerly awaited through each stage of the initial LEGO Ideas submission, then to the shelves.
- What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
3001. As a kid, this would be the first piece I would sort out in my collection, and used as a foundation for all my builds. Now, it is very satisfying to utilize in a complex set that normally calls for special elements.
- Is there a LEGO designer (official LEGO designer or fan designer) who you are inspired by and look up to? Who and why?
Jonas Kramm.
- Is there one or more particular LEGO related websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by?
BrickLink, Flickr, and Instagram.
About Your Project
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
Retro architecture from the 70’s and 80’s.
- How long was the process of making the project did, 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?
For this project, I gathered several reference photos of the interior and exterior of bowling alleys, as well as some inspirational models from Flickr and Instagram.
- What special challenges did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
The roof and the exterior of the bowling alley was really frustrating. Most actual bowling alleys are plain, and do not have windows or intricate architecture styles. I took this as a challenge and wanted to make a LEGO version that was appealing.
- 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 project took about 6 months to design and complete.
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
This project took a little longer to reach 10,000 votes. I was actually pretty surprised!
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
2424 pieces.
- What is your favourite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
I really like how the two bowling pins came out at the front of the bowling alley.
- If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
I designed with LDD, retouched with Mecabricks, and finally rendered with Blender.
- If you used custom stickers or prints for your design, how did you create them or where did you get them?
I designed most custom prints with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
About LEGO Ideas
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas project?
Do your research, plan, sketch ideas, and look into the possible fan base your model might have. Are those fans maybe into LEGO as well? Trends are always changing, so try not to make something too cliche. But if you are, do it right with a unique take on it.
- What is your favourite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)?
Saturn V Rocket, hands down.
- What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea
I would recommend digitally designing your idea and rendering it with a 3D software. This provides more freedom than if you were to build physically with cost and design limitations. Although, a basic understanding of how basic elements work together will provide an idea of the stability of the project.
- 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?
For now, no projects are in the works, although I do keep an eye out for inspiration.
By
JacobM366