Interview: Kevin Szeto and Justin Ramsden
Posted by CapnRex101,
LEGO Ideas sets are a fascinating aspect of the LEGO product range and they seem to be becoming gradually more prevalent.
I have often wondered about the design of such sets and was delighted to be able to put some questions to Kevin Szeto, the creator of the Beatles Yellow Submarine project, and Justin Ramsden, the LEGO designer who produced the final model. You can find out more about 21306 The Beatles Yellow Submarine and the story behind its extraordinary success after the break...
Kevin Szeto
What inspired you to submit The Beatles Yellow Submarine to LEGO Ideas?
I've always been a fan of the Beatles. I was inspired to build a LEGO version of the Yellow Submarine, not so much as a tribute to the movie in particular, but as a tribute to the Beatles and their legacy as a whole. I think many will agree that their music is as relevant today as it was back in the 60s.
When did you discover that your project had been approved and what was your reaction upon finding out?
I discovered that my project was approved in early June, a couple of days before the official decision was announced. I was, of course, completely ecstatic. But I had to keep my excitement hidden until it was announced to the public. It was a very difficult couple of days!
To what extent did you supervise the alterations made to your original submission?
There were a couple of Skype meetings between myself and the LEGO team, where Justin showed me the prototype of the production version he was working on. I was happy to see the alterations and improvements, but I was not really doing any supervising per se. The submarine model was already in very capable hands!
Are you satisfied with all the changes that have been made?
I totally love the final version! Kudos to Justin and his team. While many changes were made, I am glad to see that a lot of the fundamental elements of my original model are still intact. Any changes only made it that much better. My absolute favourite change is the use of the hot dogs for the railings.
You currently have several other projects on LEGO Ideas which are meeting with a very positive reaction. Which of those would you most like to become an official LEGO set?
Interesting question. If I had to choose, it would have to be my San Francisco Cable Car. That vehicle is just so iconic. It is my most detailed model to date. And, everyone loves vehicles on tracks!
Do you intend to submit any other projects in the future?
Yes, definitely. I'm always thinking of new ideas for submissions, though I'm not working on anything in particular at the moment.
What advice would you have for other LEGO fans who are submitting a LEGO Ideas project?
Build something you are truly passionate about, rather than just the latest fad. Make sure the presentation is the best that it can be. The title/thumbnail image must be eye catching. Lastly, you must promote the creation in order to gain exposure. There are countless excellent, worthy projects that don't garner votes because hardly anybody sees them.
Justin Ramsden
Were you a fan of The Beatles and the Yellow Submarine film before working on 21306 The Beatles Yellow Submarine?
I was absolutely over the moon when I was told that I would be working on this LEGO Ideas project as it was amazing to be a part of such an iconic LEGO product release. I watched the film when I was growing up and was blown away by how surreal and inspirational it was. I’m also a massive fan of The Beatles having grown up with their music all my life (and even managing to see Sir Paul McCartney numerous times live in concert), so to see The Beatles in LEGO form is a dream come true.
Under what circumstances are designers chosen to work on LEGO Ideas projects?
In my case, it was a mixture of circumstances. The LEGO Ideas team are great in assigning designers that have an interest in the subject matter to work on LEGO Ideas projects. I also made as much time in my calendar so that I was available…!
Many would suggest that The Beatles Yellow Submarine is an unlikely subject matter for a LEGO set. Were you at all surprised when you learned of its success?
Not at all. I feel that besides being a tribute to one of the most iconic rock bands in history from our fans, the model translates really well into a LEGO model, due to its bright colours and fun nature. I’m just surprised that it wasn’t created sooner!
Did you find it easier to refine an existing model rather than creating one which is entirely your own?
I actually found it pretty much the same as our usual design process. Sometimes, when creating a ‘standard’ LEGO set, I would receive a ‘sketch’ design which had been created by a different designer and asked to refine it into a retail model…
To what extent does the process of designing a LEGO Ideas set differ from that of a 'standard' set?
Kevin’s submission model was a fantastic starting point and many of the ideas and details could be used in the final set. However, as a LEGO designer, I had to ensure that the retail version offered an enjoyable and stable LEGO building experience. This meant that the model went through exactly the same processes as designing a standard set.
At what stage was it decided that Jeremy Hillary Boob Ph.D. should appear in the set?
The inclusion of Jeremy Hillary Boob Ph.D. was decided towards the beginning of the design process. One of my fellow Designers (Michael Patton), mentioned to Austin (Carlson, one of the two fantastic Graphic Designers that worked on the model – the other being Thomas Parry), that the Scurrier from LEGO Nexo KnightsTM would perfectly depict Jeremy. We all agreed and felt that it was a fantastic inclusion that fans would really enjoy!
Many thanks for taking the time to talk to us!
Which LEGO employee or fan would you most like to interview and what questions would you ask? Let us know in the comments.
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14 comments on this article
I would love to have an interview with the SW set designer. I want to ask him/her that:
-Can we get an UT-AT along with some Galactic Marines againts the Octuparra Droid on Mygeeto?
-A battle of Utapau set with the phase II Cody and a few six legged crab droids?
Another person I would love to see an interview with is people in charge of the extra pieces department:
-Why aren't those pieces available in the Pick a Brick section?
I would like an interview with someone who had major involvement in Nexo Knights and I'd like to ask what inspired the space/castle combination. I'm also curious about whether the use of Technic elements for transformation features was intended from the start of the design process and had a big influence on set design.
Don't know many designers by name but would just suggest going with a new theme we haven't had a designer interviewed yet. My vote might be for a designer on the Elves theme. Might be fun to hear from a designer on some of the large projects like Big Ben from the Creator line.
An interview with Mixels designer Gemma Anderson is coming soon, guys. :-)
Great interview. Congratulations to Kevin and Justin for creating such a tremendous set!
I second @Lordmoral in that I would love to hear from a Star Wars designer. The process of getting confidential material for the new films must be very interesting.
Can you interview the LEGO historian to tell us all about failed models that were never brought to fruition?
Great interview, but can you dou an interview with LEGO City Designers? :D
Thank you for interviewing them and putting it here for us to read.
These articles make for a terrific read so thanks for posting. I had wondered about the Jeremy Hillary Boob figure as it's unusual to see a figure added to a submission like that.
Maybe you could talk to a City designer next time? I would love to know why they rarely produce public buildings like schools etc. and whether they have any plans to do so in future.
I'm probably most interested to hear how passionate and experienced Justin was with The Beatles before working on this project - it must have swung the work scheduling if he had been listening to them all his life! I'm not a fan of the Beatles (I like Paul McCartney post-Beatles though) - however I won't deny their impact on popular culture and I really did like the way this set shaped up!
I have to say though, a question I would like to ask, "is this a Lego set that is not for children?" But then, I guess increasingly many are exclusively adult-targeted. This isn't necessarily a good or bad thing, but I'd be interested to hear TLG's opinion. I would also ask "is there a dream licence out there you wish TLG had?" but that would be a real hot-button issue!
Thanks for the interview, these are always very insightful!
nice article. I'd also like to hear more about how designers work with movie IPs in parallel to the movie being made. What kind of communication do they have? What sort of editorial process is there with the IP owner for example.
PS. I would also like an interview with Justin Ramsden's shirt designer so they can explain their actions :)
This was great! Excellent questions I was wondering some of these same things myself. Thanks for this!
@joemmo : I shouldn't think it'll be too long till someone comes up with a LEGO Ideas submission based on creating Justin-style shirts.
@catwrangler I want that too!