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| Constructing BrickJournal is happy to present this interview with one of the model builders at a LEGOLAND park! Interview by Melody Krützfeldt |
How long have you been at LEGOLAND Windsor? Has your position always been the same and what is the best part about working for the park?
I trained at university as an industrial model maker. My work was all contract work but I made models of new buildings for architects and also made models and special effects for film and television. I was contacted by an architect in the Windsor area who asked if I could work on a model. It was for a new development in Windsor and had to show the landscape with all the proposed new buildings and installations…
I started initially at what is now known as LEGOLAND Windsor in the summer of 1992. I was employed on a short term contract to make a model of the terrain the park was to be built on – this model was made in materials other than LEGO. The work on the models took about eight weeks to complete, and the project at this time was called ‘LEGO WORLD’
After making the landscape model I was contacted by the park concept team and was offered an interview for a job building models in LEGO. The interview was very informal, but involved being given a box of mixed LEGO elements, I was then given a choice of three items to design and build! We were given pens, paper and one hour. I built a parrot. The interview team liked the model and the drawings/ designs that supported the model and I was offered a job.
I was one of about 30 model makers working in a studio in central Windsor. We, along with a similar team in Billund, Denmark, then spent the next three to four years researching miniland buildings, and designing and building models for the rides and getting everything ready for the Windsor park opening in 1996.
In 1996, after LEGOLAND Windsor opened. I was moved to work on the LEGOLAND California project. I was then moved to production supervisor/cluster manager on a lot of the Californian miniland models. Each cluster/area in miniland was given a ‘manager’ to oversee the production but to also ensure that all the models were at the correct scale and size. But each area also required power, water, and control cables to be designed so when the models were installed everything
could be connected and wired-up to allow the animations to work…
In 1999 California opened so I returned to the Windsor park. The studio in central Windsor was to close as the lease for the building was up for renewal. It was decided to move the staff up to the main site to work on the park. In 1999 I was promoted to ‘chief model maker’ looking after the day to day operations of the park, and the models in it, – and I now manage the team of model makers and the animators/engineers who make the models move.
In 2000 I was also invited to join the group of LEGO master builders. As a result I went to the worldwide launch of the ‘make and create’ range.
The best part about working in the park is that every day is different! You can be doing repairs to models one minute and then be designing new builds later in the same day.
It’s great to be out and about in the park on a sunny day hearing the visitors having a good time.
How many other Model Makers do you work with? Have you seen many come and go since you have been there? I currently work with seven model makers and six animators. When we were based down in central Windsor I was part of a team of 30 modelmakers. In 1999 it was decided to split this big team up and some staff went to the park in Denmark, some went to set up the park Model shop in California, while others moved to other parts of the LEGO company. I went to the Windsor park; since then the team has not changed a great deal, model makers generally stay here – they don’t leave – I think we have only had one model maker leave our employment in the last five years! How different is the park today from when you first started? What would you consider to be your best model within the park? And what is the most difficult model you have built so far? I think this is probably the hardest question to answer- best model in the park…. all of them! I suppose the most challenging model was the Empire State Building in miniland in Carlsbad. Apart from the fact it’s huge and I made it single-handedly, the model needed to be designed with the fibre optic lighting and also with a steel structure through the centre of it, as California is prone to earthquakes and I did not want it to fall over! It’s also the same model that was made for the Toys “R” Us store in New York’s Times Square. |
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How have the park and your work changed since Merlin Entertainment took over?
Since Merlin has taken over our day-to-day work has not really changed, it’s business as usual. We have, however, been involved with lots of ideas and designs for possible new models and locations. We built the new miniland London area for Windsor, we also produced some new models for other Merlin attractions to promote LEGOLAND parks so Sealife centres in the UK now feature LEGO.
Merlin is definitely investing heavily in new models, new rides and new areas for the parks. There is also an impressive programme for new ‘LEGO locations’ like the Berlin LEGOLAND Discovery Centre. You will be seeing more LEGO models in the near future!
Merlin’s plans are for steady growth of the LEGOLAND brand.
What are Merlin’s plans with incorporating Sealife into the park and what will you be participating in?
Merlin opened the new Atlantis attraction in Billund this year, which incorporates the Sealife aquarium brands within LEGOLAND. The fish tanks feature LEGO models and LEGO theming. I think if this attraction is well-received then this could be rolled out elsewhere.
I know there are designs and plans already to potentially add a Sealife type attraction at other LEGOLAND locations. Watch this space!
| What would you consider to be your most favourite element and colour of all time? Favourite element has to be the classic 8 stud brick. It’s what everyone thinks about when they think of LEGO it's also the basis of nearly every model we ever build. As for favourite color — then I like the good old classic retail colours, red, blue, yellow, black...I suppose I am a bit of a traditionalist! What LEGO element would you like to see LEGO produce that has not already been produced? I wish LEGO produced a long jumper plate...Say a 2x4 jumper plate, not just 1x2. I love to build boats in LEGO, and the stepped contours in the hulls mean we often build in jumpers, having jumpers in 1×2 is great, but 2×4 or 2×6 or 2×8 would be great, it would allow for a quicker and much stronger build! How many bricks/elements would you estimate to be held within your studios? And how many bricks/elements do you go through within 1 year? I would guess we have around 25,000 kilograms of stock at present here at Windsor. Some is old and deleted stock as we have some models that are now ten years old which we need to repair and maintain. We try and keep a small stock of the most commonly used parts, but we often special order the parts we need for new models we are designing. The quantity of bricks we use each year varies dramatically; during the build of miniland London we used a whole truckload! |
Are you ever asked to build anything outside of the park for other companies, projects or other LL parks?
Yes we have built models for external companies before. These are usually businesses that LEGO run promotions with so they become ‘business partners’. We once built a purple and white cow for Suchard chocolate! We also built a train for Virgin trains in London Euston.
We often build models for other parks, it’s the only way at times we get our requirement for new models fulfilled. Our colleagues in the United States and Denmark have built models for us in the past. We also repay the favour.We’ve built about 60% of the models for California and about 25% of the models for the German park (Günzberg). We all help each other out with both model building and with brick supply!
Is model making just your profession or would you also consider yourself an AFOL? What about the other model makers you work with?
For me, model making is both my job and my hobby. If I am not at work building models then I can often be found in my studio at the end of my garden creating stuff. I fly radio controlled planes and I build radio controlled submarines!
Am I an AFOL ? – then yes, I would say yes.
I have LEGO at home and with a young family I also have Duplo all over the house. My daughter loves Duplo, my son is now leaving Duplo and building with LEGO so he and I build together. I generally build and he makes all the design changes! Boats are of particular interest to me!
The other thing is sometimes I go home and use Technic LEGO to work out animation techniques/movements – it’s a great design tool to replicate the simple movements required in the new models we are designing.
Most of the model makers here have some LEGO at home. It seems the Star Wars stuff is a big hit with a lot of the team…
Many AFOLs cringe at the thought of modifying their bricks, what are your thoughts with having to cut or paint parts to get the right look? It is something you do your best to try and avoid or does it mean very little to you?
LEGO bricks are perfectly formed – why modify them? We avoid cutting or painting at all costs, we have only had to paint LEGO a couple of times and we have had to obtain written consent form the LEGO legal department prior to any painting! But when replicating the queens crown jewels we needed gold elements we had no option but to paint bricks, and especially as the queen was coming to visit and view the models!
The cutting of bricks is only done if the model is damaged and needs repairing, as each brick is bonded together with a chemical cement its often very difficult to remove the individual damaged brick without totally destroying a large section of the model, so it sometimes requires cutting out, it is then replaced. The only other time we need to cut or modify the bricks is if we need to install motors, or mechanisms inside the model to make it move or if we need to add a metal structure to satisfy the safety inspectors!
Is there ever a day that you find your job monotonous?
No, never… and that’s after 15 years!
How do people react to your job outside of the park?
A lot of people don’t believe what I do for my job. They think I am joking, or they ask for free entry tickets to the park!!
Most people are genuinely interested, many see it as a great ’fun job’ – they often ask what we do when the park is closed. But there is the serious side to it: design is a career and it constantly evolves and develops. It’s not just a ‘job’ and the park is a business, so we all have to meet business targets. We also work often very long hours, we have to carry out a lot of maintenance and also comply with safety legislation – the model makers also take part in park special events, TV and Radio and media interviews, exhibitions, and shows. Also staff with my experience and length of service take part in park management duties for the day to day running of the park, so I can be asked to deal with anything from a broken model to
a flood or gas leak!
What would you be doing if you were not building with LEGO all day?
If I was not doing this I think I would go back to making models for the film and TV industry.
What would your advice be to anyone who dreams of becoming a model builder for a LEGOLAND park? And are there any special requirements needed to be a model maker?
My recommendation would be to document/photograph your creations, designs and drawings – create a ‘portfolio’ that shows your models and designs, this helps when we recruit. A picture paints a thousand words!
The only qualification/skill we look for in a model maker is a desire/ passion for LEGO, everything else can be developed or be learnt so keep building!
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