A Million Little Bricks

by Sarah Herman

  BRICKFILMS

  For some, simply building with LEGO bricks is not enough. With the increased availability of home video cameras and editing software in the 1980s and ‘90s, amateur filmmakers began creating their own stop-motion animations using a variety of materials. LEGO toys, being an easy-to-build-and-dismantle material with its own minifigure scale and smiley-face characters, made the perfect subject for these short animations. Creating a simple LEGO film, or “brickfilm,” as they have become known, involves making a scene entirely or in part from LEGO bricks, recording the still image, and then altering the environment (such as moving a minifigure one step forward) before recording again to create movement when the shots are edited together. As fans began sharing their videos on websites like YouTube, so the appreciation for brickfilms began to grow—this LEGO building off-shoot now has its own dedicated community websites such as BricksinMotion.com and Brickfilms.com. Here, filmmakers and fans share their movies, ideas and tips, enter contests, and even recruit others to work with them on projects. LEGO films are often shown at fan conventions and there are even brickfilm festivals and awards highlighting the very best of what’s on offer. The LEGO Group has even shot its own brickfilms such as 2002’s LEGO Star Wars: The Han Solo Affair LEGO Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Brick to promote its toy lines and dedicated an entire theme to the hobby. The Steven Spielberg Moviemaker set was the first toy in the 2000–2002 Studios theme. Endorsed by the Oscar-winning director, this kit included a camera and computer software to edit a LEGO film, as well as various LEGO parts to re-create an iconic movie movement. The theme may have been short-lived but the LEGO Group’s recognition of this popular medium introduced many fans to the idea of using LEGO to make short films, and provided basic tools for young, budding brickfilm-makers.

  Nowhere is the AFOL community more evident than at a LEGO convention. Similar to the fandoms of other toys and products collected by adults, LEGO fans of all ages can benefit from the dedication of the older members of the community to organize and run various unofficial events. With LEGO toys’ international popularity and family-friendly appeal, there are events hosted by LEGO communities all over the world. From small model shows and displays to convention halls packed with builders from a host of different countries, and lines of excitable fans, the LEGO convention is a sight to behold. And why would fans of a toy travel all over the world to hang out in a windowless convention hall? As Brick Journal editor Joe Meno put it so simply, “Being with like-minded people is the primary thing. The other thing would be learning from each other.”

  Some LEGO events take up entire convention centers or halls (such as BrickCon, pictured) and are filled with AFOLS and members of the public eager to see the impressive creations on display. © Jordan Schwartz

  At the larger events, which are often stretched over a long weekend, convention halls will be sectioned off into different table areas for builders to display their MOCs in an appropriate context. Most builders will have built and disassembled their creations at home in preparation for the event, but occasionally new builds appear at the convention spurred on by the creativity of their surroundings. Some AFOLs build big, re-creating landmark buildings or impressive sculptures, some choose the other end of the spectrum, building in micro-scale—whole cities covering a table-top— while the vast majority build in minifigure scale, resulting in a room populated with more little yellow faces than you would’ve thought possible.

  Building is the main reason most of these fans pay the exhibitor’s fee and spend four days in a large room with lots of little bricks. And while there is not much ego on display, most events give out prizes for the best builds in a number of categories, so a friendly competitive spirit encourages fans to show the best of their latest creations. Men quite clearly outnumber women at these events, but the atmosphere is far from boisterous. Builders wander the floor observing the creativity and building techniques of others, reuniting with friends they know well from the online community but rarely see in person. And while there is a slight club atmosphere, new builders as well as younger fans are welcomed into the fold with open arms—especially considering some of the most prolific and popular builders are still teenagers.

  Some of the most attended and well-known conventions as of 2010 include:

  LEGO World—Every autumn, the LEGO community descends on the small Dutch riverside city of Zwolle for what, as the name may suggest, is one of the world’s largest LEGO events. It boasts giant LEGO buildings, world-record-breaking attempts, a petting zoo, laser show, and a LEGO World party with live music and performances; this truly is a celebration of the LEGO brand and LEGO toys suitable for all ages.

  Brickworld—With one of the largest LEGO-buying populations in the world, and only one LEGOLAND to call their own (until LEGOLAND Florida opened in 2011), it’s no surprise that the United States is home to a fair few LEGO conventions. Repeatedly hailed as the largest LEGO fan event in North America, this June gathering of builders, hosted in Chicago, draws big names from across the world to come and share their work. Founded by AFOLs in 2007, the popular public event, which receives a fair amount of media attention, has helped to overcome the stigma attached to the idea of adults playing with LEGO.

  BrickCon—Formerly known as North-West BrickCon, this convention and public exhibition has been held every year in Seattle since 2002. Growing steadily in attendance each year, some 375 builders contributed to the displays in 2009, while 9,300 members of the public paid to come along and enjoy their hard work. There are plenty of community builds, contests, seminars, and presentations to keep all the attendees busy throughout the weekend.

  Brickvention—First held in 2006 in Melbourne, this was Australia’s first LEGO convention. The inaugural year saw some 35 registered LEGO fans and 150 members of the public attend—this figure jumped dramatically to 1,000 in 2009, encouraging the event to occupy a larger space in 2010. The convention is usually held in January.

  BrickFair—A large two-day event held in August every year in Washington, D.C. with predominantly American, Canadian, and British attendees. BrickFairs past have included a theater room playing brickfilms all weekend long, as well as interactive models and a large Stay & Play area to keep little hands busy.

  BrickFest—Originally held in Virginia, this Portland, Oregon-based event has been held every year since 2000 (with the exception of 2010), drawing public crowds of up to 4,000. Past highlights have included an appearance by Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen in 2005, and author Allan Bedford signing copies of his popular book The Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Guide in 2006. The organizers also hosted a new event in 2011 called BricKids.

  U.K. LEGO events—Currently, there are no dedicated U.K. LEGO conventions on the same scale as the above events. The U.K. forum for AFOLs, The Brickish Association, regularly posts photographs and information about events involving LEGO models and builders. Often these include LEGO Train displays at transport museums, or exhibitions at other educational centers. There is also the Petersfield LEGO Show—2010 was its seventh year—and Brickish regularly hosts its own member events.

  * * *

  The AFOL movement witnessed both online and at public events is growing steadily and as technology develops easier and more accessible ways for LEGO lovers to communicate and share information, so the community will expand. While sales of LEGO products to adults for adults are relatively low when compared to the amount of money spent buying LEGO toys for children, the AFOL community’s presence and buying power is significant. To make sure the company is well-connected to the community, there is the LEGO Ambassador Program—comprising (in 2010) of forty ambassadors in twenty-two countries around the world. Ambassadors are volunteer positions held by AFOLs who are voted in by LEGO User Groups, lasting for one year. Their role is to work with the LEGO Community team to give a voice to the fans and to actively engage with the community online and at events. Due to the growth in fan events and AFOL groups, especially in North America, the LEGO Group’s Community
team includes a Community Relations Coordinator to act as a go-between, acting as a point of contact within the LEGO Group for the fans and attending events across the country as the embodied voice of TLG. Whether they want more realistic Train designs, less Big Ugly Rock Pieces (BURPs), or more pink bricks, LEGO fans now have many ways to let the suits and designers in Billund know.

  No matter their size or subject matter, AFOLS take MOC building to the extreme, as can be seen with Jordan Schwartz’s “Rapunzel’s Tower.” © Jordan Schwartz

  Alex Eylar’s “Relativity” build proves that if you can imagine it, it can be built—even if it doesn’t look possible. © Alex Eylar

  For the younger LEGO fans, however, the LEGO Club is still one of the most popular ways to connect to the brand and to the community. The earliest official LEGO Clubs were created in Canada in 1966 and Sweden in 1967. Soon clubs were popping up all over the LEGO map and many of them had their own official newsletters and magazines to keep in touch with their fans. Titles varied from country to country—while U.K. fans read Bricks ’n Pieces, fans in the United States received Brick Kicks then LEGO Mania Magazine, and Germany’s kids could subscribe to World Club Magazine. These were gradually phased out and replaced by LEGO Magazine and then LEGO Club Magazine in 2008. There is also a junior version of the current magazine for children under seven. The magazine is free and is the face of the LEGO Club around the world. For those who want more, there is a constantly evolving website dedicated to the Club, which provides fans with news, building tips, events information, and most importantly an uploading and viewing gallery to show off their latest models, and with 2.7 million members worldwide at the last count, they have to be doing something right.

  BUILDING TIPS

  Building with LEGO bricks is child’s play—suitable for all ages (given the right type of brick) and all skill levels, especially if you follow the LEGO Group’s carefully created, universally understood directions. But for those who want to create something truly outside of the box, then a little more imagination is required. Approaching MOC building, especially as an adult who may not have played with LEGO in many years, can be a daunting challenge, but as any LEGO convention reveals, it’s always a fun one. Here, BrickJournal contributor and prolific MOC builder Jordan Schwartz presents his top tips for making the most out of making whatever you want.

  • The first step in creating a MOC is being inspired. Anything can be an inspiration. Part of the fun of the medium is thinking of a subject in your head and seeing it in person when you are finished building it—a positively rewarding experience!

  • From a quick doodle to a complicated blueprint, sketching your ideas on paper can help you visualize your dream LEGO build.

  • If you plan on building something for accuracy or realism, do research first. Photographs and other three-dimensional models can be excellent references. Bear in mind, though, it is almost impossible to perfectly match a LEGO creation to its real-life counterpart so there’s no shame in changing a few details to more easily realize the subject in LEGO bricks.

  • Sorting, although time-consuming and often difficult, can help the building process go smoothly. It is common to sort by color or element type, but if you know your collection and previous MOCs themselves well enough, keeping the broken MOCs in separate containers can help you pinpoint the locations of specific elements.

  • Just because your planned MOC is small doesn’t mean you will complete it in a short period of time. Oftentimes, the smaller MOCs require the most detail and can take just as long to complete as something larger. When beginning a project for fun, don’t set a deadline for yourself.

  • If you are not happy with the way something looks, change it! There are over 20,000 different LEGO elements out there so there’s always another way to create the look you’re trying to achieve.

  • Get feedback. A MOC is never finished, and by showing your model to friends, or posting a photograph online, other LEGO fans may suggest ways you could improve certain techniques or features to make it even better.

  • Don’t restrict yourself to building in one theme. Although we all have our preferences—from space to castle and everything in between—try your hand at something new. You will notice that techniques you thought only worked for one theme serve a different purpose altogether for another.

  • Most importantly, build often. The more you build, the better you get.

  LEGO.com is a growing force and one of the most visited toy manufacturer websites in the world. Through registering with My LEGO Network, fans of all ages can connect, trade their LEGO toys, and display their latest creations. According to a 2008 survey conducted by Nielsen, 25 percent (98,000 people) of LEGO.com’s U.K. audience were under twelve years old, making it the fourth most visited website for that age group in Britain. This popularity can be put down to the combination of the online shop, the LEGO Club, and the vast number of games, comics, and interactive elements across nearly 90,000 separate pages. The website is also widely accessed by teachers who can access and download teaching materials for children as young as eighteen months.

  BRICKJOURNAL

  Kids might have the LEGO Club Magazine to read all the latest LEGO news in, but they’re not the only LEGO fans appreciating the written word. While not exclusive to AFOLs, BrickJournal started out as a digital-only magazine in 2005 and has since become available in stores across North America. While it’s not an official LEGO publication, TLG provided seed funding for the publication’s first year in print, and are supportive in providing materials and interview access for the magazine. Each issue focuses on different aspects of the LEGO world, including news, new products, features, and LEGO builders (professionals and amateurs), with in-depth features on LEGOLAND parks, the LEGO Group’s history, specific themes, and conventions. Despite the abundance of online LEGO fan material, Editor Joe Meno doesn’t feel threatened. “Websites and blogs haven’t really affected the sales of BrickJournal,” he said. “This is mainly because the magazine is a different format—it’s not something that is constantly changing. BrickJournal comes out as a publication that people can stop and take their time to read. The articles we write have different content from the websites, too.” But he’s also quick to recognize the importance of the online community. “There has been a lot of expansion in the community recently—the growth of community conventions is evidence of that. The web is behind a lot of this, as it’s easy to search online about building. The increase in events has also created a higher number of places for community people to meet.”

  As much as LEGO really is all fun and games, it’s also an educational tool that prides itself on its long-standing relationship with educators and school organizations. The Educational Products Department (renamed Dacta in 1989, and now known as LEGO Education) was established in 1980 to collaborate with education experts to design LEGO “toys” that could benefit a learning environment. Over the years, these toys have included oversize softer bricks (9020), tiled letters, numbers, and mosaic sets (9530 and 9531), as well as sets to encourage children to learn about real life through play (available with either larger doll-like play figures or minifigures), large sets filled with LEGO brick elements, and larger kits for older children to learn about structures, machines, and mechanisms and robotics. Many of the products available to schools are similar to those the students might have played with at home such as LEGO MINDSTORMS, but the accompanying teaching materials show how LEGO products can be used to educate children both socially and scientifically in an engaging and interactive way.

  LEGO for a Living

  For many LEGO fans, young and old, being paid to design models and build with LEGO bricks is the ultimate dream. For a lucky few, this dream is their reality and their job is that of a LEGO builder. Walking around the Miniland areas at LEGOLAND parks and marveling at the intricate replicas of iconic landmarks, it doesn’t take a LEGO expert to deduce that an enormous amount of time and skill is devoted to creating and maintaining these
giant models. As with any job, however, there is a hierarchy of roles in the LEGO model designing/building department and not all of them require the creative input and freedom aspiring model makers may take for granted. Bottom-of-the-ladder roles such as LEGO copy builders see employees (predominantly at a large facility in the Czech Republic) assembling exact replicas of the same LEGO model en masse in a factory-style production. These LEGO creations, which are often sets available to buy, are shipped all over the world for display use in LEGO stores and other toy retailers to promote certain products. At the other end of the career spectrum are the highly coveted positions of model designers who create the sets that go into production and are purchased around the world. Other Master Builders work for LEGOLAND parks or at model shops in the Czech Republic, Denmark, and the United States creating models to be displayed in LEGO stores and at other LEGO events. Master Builders, who previously had to build half-scale prototypes for their giant creations, are now assisted by advanced computer software that allows them to perfect the model virtually before sitting down with a big pile of bricks. For some models, one builder may be directing and managing a group who interpret their blueprints, and will also oversee the final quality control of the model shop’s output.