It's that time again! Another 10K interview today - this time, with Gerrit - aka xXgGhostXx. A big fan of the Castle theme, Gerrit has taken matters into his own hands and designed a large scale Castle Outpost which he feels the LEGO world needs. Tell us your favourite parts of the design!
ABOUT YOURSELF
- Who are you?
Gerrit.
- Where are you from?
I’m from Germany.
- How old are you?
21-years-old.
- What do you study or do for a living?
I study Business Administration and Engineering.
- What hobbies do you have?
I have a huge love for cinema. And everything about LEGO, obviously: Keeping up with the latest news and set releases, browsing awesome MOCs on Flickr and building (I just started switching from digital to physical).
- Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website that you can share with us?
My LEGO Ideas profile aside, I do share all my MOCs (that do not really fit here) on my Flickr.
- 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 MOC 'The Nature Strikes Back' was displayed in the LEGO House (and now in LEGOLAND Billund), after being a winner in the “Your Build in the World Famous LEGO House” contest in 2020.
It was built digitally, so I was very happy when I got the pieces and saw that it also worked out in real life.As I have just started a parts collection and creating physical MOCs, I have not built many incredibly large and detailed models yet, but they’re still worthy to show to the world.
- How and when did your interest in LEGO come about?
I think I was just two years old when I got Flash Turbo (4590), a small LEGO Racers pull-back car. I’ve always been a fan since then, although there have been some years where I wasn’t fully engaged in the hobby.
- 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.
As mentioned above, it’s quite significant to me: I keep an eye on the important news (and discuss them), browse through other fans’ MOCs and participate in contests. But of course, I’ve also enjoyed many of the video games, LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga remaining a legendary classic.
- What is your favourite LEGO theme (current or past)? Why? And has any theme inspired your building style or preference in any particular way?
A tough question, for sure, but when I have to name only one, it might be Creator Expert - especially the Modular Buildings! They always offer great part usages and a lot of different architectural styles.
- What is your favourite official LEGO set ever? Why?
This one is even harder, but I’ll go with 71741 Ninjago City Gardens. It is huge, colourful, packed with so many small details and mind-blowing building techniques. And they made me watch the Ninjago TV show. That’s always a win.
- What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
Probably the 32828 Bar 1L with 1 x 1 Round Plate with Hollow Stud, because the round shape of the plate makes it rotatable and the hollow stud, a short bar, and an accessory hole are the most useful types of connections, all combined into one piece!
- 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 so many highly skilled designers, but Jonas Kramm is probably my favourite because he does not only come up with the most inspiring part usages and building techniques but also has a large variety of MOCs, featuring all different themes and scales!
- Is there one or more particular LEGO-related websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by?
For all research regarding part and colour availability, Bricklink is the way to go. It helped a lot while designing my projects because I always try to use recent parts.
ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
Well, castles are cool and we haven’t gotten any in some years, right? (The Creator 3in1 version hadn’t been released back in early 2020.) I would love to see a large, detailed and more display-focused castle as an official LEGO set!
- 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?
If I remember correctly, I designed the Castle Outpost in just a week. Updating the design didn’t take that long, only a day or two.
- What special challenges did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
I think the 3000 parts limit was the biggest challenge, as detail and size contradict each other.
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
It took 605 days to reach 10k supporters, so it didn’t come as a big surprise when it finally happened, but I’m still very happy because I remember myself dreaming about a project of mine reaching that milestone since I knew LEGO Ideas existed.
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
I am pretty sure I nailed the magic 3000 parts, including the Minifigures and accessories.
- What is your favourite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
I think the round tower is interesting. It is built just like the Ideas Saturn V, but I managed to fit the interior into the structure and added some windows to it.
- If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
I used Bricklink’s Studio for both building and rendering.
- If you used custom stickers or prints for your design, how did you create them or where did you get them?
I created the knight’s prints with Paint (I’d use Photoshop today) and Bricklink’s Part Designer. It was a very frustrating process, but it paid off in the end.
ABOUT LEGO IDEAS
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas project?
Great photos might be the key, especially when no recognizable license is used in your project. The main image is what everybody will see browsing the Ideas page, so you should take all the time to pick the perfect angle and lighting for it.
- What (if any) methods did you use to advertise and attract support to your Product Idea?
I did not really advertise my model other than linking it to my other projects’ descriptions.
- What is your favourite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)? Are there any Product Ideas you think have been overlooked?
I would have loved to see the Discworld getting a set (either GlenBricker’s or BrickHammer’s)!
- What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
Actually, quite a lot of different things. Mainly, the influence on future products, but it’s also fun to participate in activities and contests. Before submitting an idea, you should make sure to keep it realistic. Focus on parts and colours that are still available. That might increase the chance of it getting produced (and still being close to your original submission).
- 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 have submitted other Product Ideas already and there might be more to come, as I am always working on some new ideas, although it’s hard to tell if and when they will hit the light.
