Interview with LEGO Masters judges, Brickmasters Amy and Jamie
Posted by MeganL,
An integral part of US LEGO Masters are the judges, Brickmasters Amy and Jamie. Of course, AFOLs know them first as LEGO set designers. Brickset had the opportunity to sit down with Amy and Jamie yesterday. Read on to learn how being on LEGO Masters has affected their work in Billund, how their judging style has changed, and what they think about the changes implemented this season.
How has your judging developed as the series has continued into its third season?
Jamie: The show has evolved nicely for us, as we have been able to move away somewhat from being very critical and serious judges and towards coaching the teams, at least to some degree. We definitely have more latitude now to talk to the builders and try to bring out the best in them, which is actually not dissimilar to how we work in Billund.
Amy: I think another of our major learnings has been expressing our thoughts more concisely and adapting our communication so everyone at home can understand, including those less familiar with LEGO. Those have been challenges from the beginning, learning how to judge for television presentation rather than for a small group with time to listen. Nowadays, we can come up with our one-liners for television and the home audience, separate to giving the teams more detailed feedback.
Jamie: Recognising our two audiences has probably been the biggest change, as we always want to give ample feedback to the teams, so they can improve with each challenge.
It sounds like editing might have become easier or been reduced, in that case.
Amy: There is still lots of editing to shorten our comments and interactions with the teams, but editing probably has got easier because we can more quickly communicate the soundbites for television.
Jamie: Yes, the trick we have developed is providing our immediate feedback to the team and then summing up for television afterwards.
Amy: We are always learning though and improving with each series. We want to support the teams as much as possible and need to be conscious that different teams need different types of feedback.
Jamie: I think the teams are more relaxed too, clapping when we arrive rather than freezing in expectation of the judges!
Knowing you both from watching past series probably helps them to feel at ease too.
Amy: The teams do their homework! They often include features which are intended to appeal directly to us. I like to see some colour and playful details, while creative ways of using bricks always attracts Jamie. We love to see the teams taking note of what catches our imagination throughout the series.
This season differs from the previous two as a team was sent home at the end of week one. Did you find it particularly difficult to send a team home so quickly, without seeing that much from them?
Amy: Yes, that was definitely a factor in what made it so difficult to send a team home almost immediately. Also, the teams were not expecting it. They were warned that anything can happen in this season, but perhaps everyone was feeling quite relaxed in the knowledge that we have never sent anyone home at the end of the first episode before. I think every team now knows that there is never a chance to relax in this competition.
Jamie: In general, there have already been some huge surprises this season and I think that gives a sense of where the show is going.
Another difference between this series and its predecessors is the introduction of a new team in week three. What prompted that idea and how has that affected the dynamic?
Jamie: We wanted to keep everyone on their toes this season and continuing to mix up the formula is fun. It was planned from the very beginning, before any footage was shot for this season, but the teams were unaware of that, of course! Their reactions were genuine and some builders already knew Ethan and Dom from social media, as well as their talent. There are definitely some interesting dynamics to come!
Amy: I think it is an exciting turn of events because it was so unexpected for the teams, as much as for the viewers at home. Everyone felt the need to push themselves even harder. I would also say that Ethan and Dom were not necessarily at an advantage because they missed the first couple of episodes, whereas other teams have already developed skills at building under time pressure and understanding what we are looking for, as the judges.
Ultimately, we are hoping it keeps the show fresh and surprising for the viewers. Anything can happen, clearly!
Have you found your judging style has changed over the course of three series? Maybe you are sometimes surprised or frustrated by how challenges are progressing.
Jamie: It is always difficult when we see a team encountering problems and we try to provide some guidance, but they do not necessarily hear our suggestions when under pressure. We have sometimes found that teams cannot instantly absorb advice and we want to give even more, but have to hold ourselves back. Everything is being done in full view of every team, so there have been occasions where one team has been influenced by advice we gave to another.
Sometimes we are surprised by things working in an unexpected way, but it is heart-wrenching when we can already see the writing on the wall from an early stage in a challenge. We really want people to do their best and only be eliminated because other teams were better, so the instances of people struggling to interpret the challenges or our guidance are hopefully getting rarer.
Amy: Of course, we are judges, but I think our favourite aspect of the role is being coaches for the teams. It can be frustrating for us both when teams are not quite understanding where they could improve and it is tempting to whisper in their ear and help, but we have to keep ourselves away to an extent.
Jamie: It is made even harder because our day-to-day jobs are quite the opposite. Developing actual products is a team effort and we are always working together with ideas. Whenever we are struggling, somebody else will come up with the solution. In this environment though, that degree of support is not there. We can share broad strokes of advice, but cannot go too far.
On that topic, how has working on LEGO Masters affected your work back in Billund?
Amy: There is usually some banter whenever Jamie and I walk into a room together in Billund! Otherwise, I would say it has improved my communication with different types of people and in different ways. Either expressing myself more clearly or helping my colleagues with solutions to design challenges.
Jamie: I would echo that, but also say I have become much more adaptive. The environment is so dynamic on the series and there is real pressure on us because we need to be ready to give our feedback in a split second, whenever Will turns to us for comments. I think the experience has been a huge benefit to us both.
Amy, last year you mentioned acquiring something from season two, but you could not divulge what it was at the time. Can you tell us now?
Amy: I can, it was actually a couple of macarons from Caleb and Jacob's impossible hat. I have two of those sitting in my living room.
Jamie, we also need to check in to make sure that you are still wearing the same pair of red glasses, for which you have become well-known!
Jamie: Yes, these are in fact the same red glasses. In fact, I can say that this season I wear a new colour as well! They only appear in one episode, but there is a new colour for 2022.
Amy: The power of these glasses is amazing. Jamie can walk around anywhere in the US without the glasses on and he becomes invisible, but as soon as the glasses go on, people recognise him!
So it sounds like you are now being recognised on the street?
Amy: Yes, but not too much, so it is a nice balance. We are in New York for work at the moment and went for a stroll earlier today, where a few people approached us across a couple of hours. We are always glad to hear that appreciation and stories from viewers about their experiences with the series. Someone actually complemented our outfits on the show today as well, so that was nice!
There have now been a few contestants from the various series of LEGO Masters who have become designers. Does the show provide good preparation for the role?
Jamie: As a starting point, I would probably not say the skill set from LEGO Masters is instantly transferrable to being a model designer. Needing to build at such a large scale and under such direct pressure is quite different to developing toys for children. Taking account of price points and play functions is really a separate skill.
Amy: Not to mention their creations being suitable for others to build.
Jamie: Absolutely. Perhaps the more important advantage is that we have a chance to spend a lot of time watching the builders and we can often see when they have additional skills. People adding those little extra features that we might have considered at work is a sure sign of those with talents applicable to working as a designer. We also see how the teams work under stress and when things could change at the last minute, which is sometimes important in our jobs too. Adapting to change and continually learning is vital.
Seeing the contestants on the show also gives a sense of their personality.
Jamie: Yes, we can see how an individual could contribute to the existing team dynamics in the design team. Talent is paramount, but having that person with wonderful energy and optimism is also so helpful.
What is the relationship between the different series internationally? I am always surprised by the degree of variety, despite the shared format.
Amy: There is one centralised LEGO Masters production team, which coordinates with the television companies and judges in each country. That gives us the best of both world, with synergy between series around the world, but also allows us to learn from each other. There are challenges, for instance, which prove really successful in one country and can then be repeated in others. I believe the hat challenge started on the US series, but has now appeared in several others.
Jamie: We have executive producers who often get together and discuss which challenges have gone more or less well, so there is a constant sense of experimentation going on.
Amy: The shows are always catered to their national audiences too, so the US series tends to be an outlier in some ways. If the show was a carbon copy between differing countries, it would probably not have been as successful.
Jamie: It is interesting when certain versions of the show also air in other countries with their own version, allowing viewers to give much broader feedback. They showed the US series in Denmark and one of our colleagues actually commented on how huge everything is on the US version and loving that about it! That would not be a view shared by all Danes though, so we embrace that variety.
Amy: I like hearing our dubbed voices in other languages too, particularly my Italian dubbing! Our colleagues always enjoy hearing those instances.
Another topic I find interesting is that the series started in the UK and that show was very different to its successors. What lessons were learnt from the original format?
Amy: We learnt so much from the UK series. It was definitely the test run for establishing what a LEGO building show would actually need and how the team dynamics could work. We were not sure whether people would want to watch if only adults were building, for example, so bringing kids into the competition also gave the show so much heart.
Jamie: A bit like the UK series, we also ran LEGO Masters in Germany, before stopping and reassessing the German market. Now it is back and stronger than ever because of what we have learnt from other countries, informing what would work in Germany.
The show has also developed over a period when the market for LEGO has changed so much.
Jamie: Yes, I am a firm believer that timing is everything, both for LEGO products and LEGO Masters. It feels like everything is an option, if you wait long enough!
Find more of our LEGO Masters coverage, including interviews with the recently eliminated teams, here.
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36 comments on this article
(Evidently the demographic of registered Brickset users that are interested in LEGO Masters, U.S. version, seems to be shrinking, as evidenced by the scant number of comments to other articles posted on the subject. Still, I appreciate the inside info gleaned from the interviews. Thank you, MeganL.)
I take issue with Jamie's comment, "It was planned from the very beginning," pertaining to the surprise addition of Ethan and Dom, AFTER the third team was eliminated. If that's true, I think that's a bad plan. Yes, I know the producers of LEGO Masters can do what they want (as another Brickset commenter pointed out in the week 3 exit interview article), but this decision smacks of some unfair play going on.
Indeed, on the show itself, one of the other contestants commented to the camera (shortly after the announcement of Ethan and Dom being added to the game) that it was unfair that they got to skip the first three builds (which presented challenges unique to each build), and essentially "cut in line." (Not her exact words, but that seemed to be the gist of it.) In that sense, it felt like Ethan and Dom essentially had a "Gold Brick quasi-immunity" for the first three rounds, being exempt from building anything in the competition for three rounds, and also exempt from being judged thereof.
I'd be very curious to see how the other contestants feel about that, as well. But maybe that was the whole point, some invented controversy to create drama therein.
Just the same, I disagree with that idea.
Very good interview! It's great to hear about how the show has changed and adapted both over time and for the multiple markets it is catered to. Personally, I wish that some of the other regions' shows could be broadcast in America as well, either on TV or a streaming platform. I think that would be a good way to keep excitement for the show alive during the sometimes lengthy "off-season".
Excellent interview. It's a shame that Amy and Jamie don't also just take over the bit of 'presenting' done by the pointless Will Arnett.
@cflyg said:
"(Evidently the demographic of registered Brickset users that are interested in LEGO Masters, U.S. version, seems to be shrinking, as evidenced by the scant number of comments to other articles posted on the subject. Still, I appreciate the inside info gleaned from the interviews. Thank you, MeganL.)
I take issue with Jamie's comment, "It was planned from the very beginning," pertaining to the surprise addition of Ethan and Dom, AFTER the third team was eliminated. If that's true, I think that's a bad plan. Yes, I know the producers of LEGO Masters can do what they want (as another Brickset commenter pointed out in the week 3 exit interview article), but this decision smacks of some unfair play going on.
Indeed, on the show itself, one of the other contestants commented to the camera (shortly after the announcement of Ethan and Dom being added to the game) that it was unfair that they got to skip the first three builds (which presented challenges unique to each build), and essentially "cut in line." (Not her exact words, but that seemed to be the gist of it.) In that sense, it felt like Ethan and Dom essentially had a "Gold Brick quasi-immunity" for the first three rounds, being exempt from building anything in the competition for three rounds, and also exempt from being judged thereof.
I'd be very curious to see how the other contestants feel about that, as well. But maybe that was the whole point, some invented controversy to create drama therein.
Just the same, I disagree with that idea."
Agreed that comments are getting scant. I've recently just stopped watching the show as they have "cringe" comedy during the show, and personally and I think most AFOLs would agree that we want to see more of the builds not the forced competition that the contestants can't act out. It's not survivor it's Lego Masters. Season one was beautiful and since then its just going downhill.
I'm definitely not a fan of the sudden insertion of another team mid-competition. It reminds me of "The Bachelor" when they introduce a new contestant just to stir the pot. It's a cheap gimmick and out of place in LEGO Masters.
I am certainly one of those registered brickset users who tuned out. After the flagrant rigging in the last two episodes of season 1, I lost interest, and was going to pick it up again this season and see how it has improved, but hearing that it's been sensationalized and not so much a lego building show anymore is disappointing. I just hope someone involved in this production looks at the rating they had the first season and gets this show back to being about good lego builds, not "storylines" with some lego theming.
I watch because I like LEGO and interested in what they can create...along with maybe picking up some ideas. I agree...Will is painful to watch. His dialogue seems so forced that it actually pushes me away. Not sure if this is being done for the younger crowd...definitely not for the AFOL.
@sjr60 said:
"Excellent interview. It's a shame that Amy and Jamie don't also just take over the bit of 'presenting' done by the pointless Will Arnett."
He may seem pointless to you, but I think he adds a lot of humor and fun to the show, and all of the contestants in the past have mentioned how fun and great he is. I think the builders appreciate him.
@tedgarb said:
"I am certainly one of those registered brickset users who tuned out. After the flagrant rigging in the last two episodes of season 1, I lost interest, and was going to pick it up again this season and see how it has improved, but hearing that it's been sensationalized and not so much a lego building show anymore is disappointing. I just hope someone involved in this production looks at the rating they had the first season and gets this show back to being about good lego builds, not "storylines" with some lego theming."
What is this flagrant rigging? I saw none of that. Some teams you could predict would win, but that speaks to their talents and skill.
I'll be honest I can't think of a single interest of mine that would translate to a reality show that I would watch. I think they are by far the lowest form of TV "entertainment". You only ever see what the producers want you to and, as it appears with this random adding of a new team, they will throw anything into the mix just to appear 'edgy'.
I accept that Lego Masters is a rung (or three) above Love Island but it is still the same ladder.
Just want to throw my voice out there and say that I still enjoy the show. I'm not a hardcore AFOL so some of the gripes people here have with the show don't transfer to me. I just find it to be a fun time with good laughs and cool builds. It's fun to root for a team doing well, and also sometimes morbidly amusing to see a team making something that's obviously going to fail. The show has a lot to offer to casual viewers.
I don't watch LEGO Masters because I don't want to have a heart attack or end up in the hospital for a stroke. The promos for season 1 had them destroying a model featuring straight (long) monorail track with a sledgehammer, whereupon I needed to turn off the tv to calm down. This show is gonna be the death of somebody, I swear.
..and no, I'm not joking. This isn't funny, it's torture for a certain segment of AFOL's.
What I don't understand is why every season has some contestants who it's blatantly obvious have little or no experience with Lego. There are hundreds, if not thousands of potential builders of all demographics they could get on the show who would build some amazing things...but then they go and cast people who have a severe lack of skills who you know are definitely going to be going home in the first few weeks.
WHY?!
Cast experienced builders and stop wasting our time with people who really don't know what they're doing.
My family looks forward to every episode of LEGO Masters.
We very much like Will as the host because he seems very personable and witty; always keeping the contestants on their toes with jokes and puns that may be good or dad-bad but he throws them out there, all the same. He also seems to get into the contestants’ builds and we can see when he really digs one.
We also like Amy and Jamie; it appears they really are trying to help the contestants, giving useful hints and feedback early in the builds. They also seem to be personable and nice, but at the same time quite serious about the builds.
I do appreciate this season’s twists because they’re throwing a monkey wrench into the works and making the show less predictable and the competition more intense.
The whole thing makes me wish I were retired so I could crack open all my sets, start building, and then try my hand at MOCs.
At this point, I'm convinced the entire show is scripted. From the awkward jokes the contestants have to participate in with Will, to the way they all laugh at EVERYTHING feels extra fake. If they leave in comments by the contestants about how they don't think adding new people is fair- they did that on purpose! The writers need drama!
Though, I really shouldn't be surprised- it's "reality TV" after all, which of course means fake. I think I just expected too much of this show.
@PDelahanty said:
"What I don't understand is why every season has some contestants who it's blatantly obvious have little or no experience with Lego. There are hundreds, if not thousands of potential builders of all demographics they could get on the show who would build some amazing things...but then they go and cast people who have a severe lack of skills who you know are definitely going to be going home in the first few weeks.
WHY?!
Cast experienced builders and stop wasting our time with people who really don't know what they're doing."
Because they don't make for 'entertaining' television?
@PetesBricks said:
"At this point, I'm convinced the entire show is scripted. From the awkward jokes the contestants have to participate in with Will, to the way they all laugh at EVERYTHING feels extra fake. If they leave in comments by the contestants about how they don't think adding new people is fair- they did that on purpose! The writers need drama!
Though, I really shouldn't be surprised- it's "reality TV" after all, which of course means fake. I think I just expected too much of this show."
It’s kind of like watching wrestling; you know it’s all scripted, but it’s still fun to watch the wrestlers play their over-the-top characters and go flying all over the ring.
Sort of the same thing here, except I think Will is working to pull some personality out of the contestants so we’ll better relate to them and want to follow their progress.
That was kinda like a poem.
Dig it.
@cflyg said:
"(Evidently the demographic of registered Brickset users that are interested in LEGO Masters, U.S. version, seems to be shrinking, as evidenced by the scant number of comments to other articles posted on the subject."
I tried posting a comment twice and it didn’t work, idk if anyone else is having this issue.
The addition of the new team is like having someone in a 5K marathon ride in a car for the first three miles and the network still expecting us to root for them. I have no idea what they are like as people, but I want to see them lose solely because they’ve been given an unfair advantage over everyone else. It’s the principle that bothers me.
The network should just let the challenges and builder’s talent speak for themselves. Season 1 tried to add a bunch of artificial drama, but it came across as cringeworthy at best. It’s LEGO. It’s a toy. We don’t need these gimmicks.
I’d also argue that it paints the new team in a bad light. Now everyone will see them as “those two guys that got a head start” rather than worthy opponents.
@PixelTheDragon said:
"The addition of the new team is like having someone in a 5K marathon ride in a car for the first three miles and the network still expecting us to root for them. I have no idea what they are like as people, but I want to see them lose solely because they’ve been given an unfair advantage over everyone else. It’s the principle that bothers me.
The network should just let the challenges and builder’s talent speak for themselves. Season 1 tried to add a bunch of artificial drama, but it came across as cringeworthy at best. It’s LEGO. It’s a toy. We don’t need these gimmicks.
I’d also argue that it paints the new team in a bad light. Now everyone will see them as “those two guys that got a head start” rather than worthy opponents.
"
Exactly, well said.
I really enjoy watching the show, unfortunately the FOX network seems to put the show on and then overwrite the time slot with stupid baseball games-one of the most boring sports.
I don't know why so many people here think the show is scripted, when not one contestant has ever mentioned having to learn lines of dialog. The contestants are just interacting naturally with one another. Unlike other "real" shows, this show does NOT involve contestants being manipulated be others. In fact just the opposite, they help one another out, from what I've read. I think Will does a good job breaking the tension for the builders while also downplaying himself as a "celebrity" very Lego Batmanish.
I really enjoyed this article with the interview with Amy and Jamie (my favorite designer). I like that they have been able to have a more coaching aspect to their roles as judges.
As for the new team that was added, they haven't been given any extra advantage, actually just the opposite. They are just starting and the other teams have had time to work together to develop their skills as a team. Thank
you Megan for your articles for Lego Masters, I look forward to them!
@kwickbrick said:
"I really enjoy watching the show, unfortunately the FOX network seems to put the show on and then overwrite the time slot with stupid baseball games-one of the most boring sports.
I don't know why so many people here think the show is scripted, when not one contestant has ever mentioned having to learn lines of dialog. The contestants are just interacting naturally with one another. Unlike other "real" shows, this show does NOT involve contestants being manipulated be others. In fact just the opposite, they help one another out, from what I've read. I think Will does a good job breaking the tension for the builders while also downplaying himself as a "celebrity" very Lego Batmanish.
I really enjoyed this article with the interview with Amy and Jamie (my favorite designer). I like that they have been able to have a more coaching aspect to their roles as judges.
As for the new team that was added, they haven't been given any extra advantage, actually just the opposite. They are just starting and the other teams have had time to work together to develop their skills as a team. Thank
you Megan for your articles for Lego Masters, I look forward to them! "
The reason I say they have an advantage is that each episode is another chance to slip up, and potentially be eliminated. The new team has, just by coming in later, essentially been given two free passes from potential elimination without having to do any work. The other contestants earned their right to stay. This team didn’t.
Also, I don’t think having an advantage by working together really applies. Odds are, the contestants on this show have collaborated before. They aren’t just pairing random people together who have never met each other.
@kwickbrick said:
"I really enjoy watching the show, unfortunately the FOX network seems to put the show on and then overwrite the time slot with stupid baseball games-one of the most boring sports.
I don't know why so many people here think the show is scripted, when not one contestant has ever mentioned having to learn lines of dialog. The contestants are just interacting naturally with one another. Unlike other "real" shows, this show does NOT involve contestants being manipulated be others. In fact just the opposite, they help one another out, from what I've read. I think Will does a good job breaking the tension for the builders while also downplaying himself as a "celebrity" very Lego Batmanish.
I really enjoyed this article with the interview with Amy and Jamie (my favorite designer). I like that they have been able to have a more coaching aspect to their roles as judges.
As for the new team that was added, they haven't been given any extra advantage, actually just the opposite. They are just starting and the other teams have had time to work together to develop their skills as a team. Thank
you Megan for your articles for Lego Masters, I look forward to them! "
There is a possibly that they all have to sign NDA's, so they can't say anything.
While this season may not be as strong as the first two, it is still "appointment" viewing in our house; i.e., it's the ONLY episodic television show that we watch "live" (instead of streaming days after air). My kids enjoy it, and my wife enjoys it, and that's enough for me!
@PDelahanty said:
"What I don't understand is why every season has some contestants who it's blatantly obvious have little or no experience with Lego. There are hundreds, if not thousands of potential builders of all demographics they could get on the show who would build some amazing things...but then they go and cast people who have a severe lack of skills who you know are definitely going to be going home in the first few weeks.
WHY?!
Cast experienced builders and stop wasting our time with people who really don't know what they're doing."
I doubt the issue is inexperience it is more likely pressure and time limitations. A lot of builders in the community are great builders but the process is much longer.
@karmajay said:
"I doubt the issue is inexperience it is more likely pressure and time limitations. A lot of builders in the community are great builders but the process is much longer."
Except they LITERALLY say in interviews that they have hardly built with Lego (either recently or AT ALL) until they became part of their team.
If you leave the window open in a tab for too long before making a comment it won't work :)
I really like the depth of this interview and the responses are intriguing - thanks Megan!
I do still feel like UK viewers are left in the lurch regarding our own series though. They say they learnt lessons from our first one but they’ve never been able to use those lessons to make a proper new series over here? Why is it so difficult to get commissioned over here?
At least I have Aussie Lego Masters Season 3 on UK tv at the moment to keep me preoccupied. I’m glad at least we get the US and Aus versions - even if there’s a significant delay between the airing dates.
Nice interview.
I like the show and watch it with the younger ones so I can avoid taking it too seriously.
Batman/Job is always welcome to make me laugh. Anyone who takes Will Arnett too seriously needs to seriously rewatch Arrested Development and the Lego movies. If he still gets on your nerves, then just pop a 'forget-me-now' and chill.
Jamie is just the best! Amy brings a tear to my eye every time she opens her mouth 'cause she reminds me how much I miss the Emerald Isle. Oh, there's also a lot of Lego!!
At least the US version gets a really famous designer in Jamie as a judge.
In Germany we get people no one knows and who don't really give the impression they are worthy judges. Plus, the host is cringeworthy.
I don't know anyone who watches the show over here. I have stopped watching mid-season this time. Just not interesting.
For me, the Australian version is the best in so many ways.
That show needs to be more like The Great British Bake-off. …No drama, and all people are interesting and charming in their own way.
@StyleCounselor said:
"
Amy brings a tear to my eye every time she opens her mouth 'cause she reminds me how much I miss the Emerald Isle. Oh, there's also a lot of Lego!!"
Emerald Isle????
She’s Scottish!
@MonsterFighter said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"
Amy brings a tear to my eye every time she opens her mouth 'cause she reminds me how much I miss the Emerald Isle. Oh, there's also a lot of Lego!!"
Emerald Isle????
She’s Scottish!
"
Alright! Fine!! It reminds me of hagis and smoky peat! There, happy now?!
@Trigger_ said:
" @cflyg said:
"(Evidently the demographic of registered Brickset users that are interested in LEGO Masters, U.S. version, seems to be shrinking, as evidenced by the scant number of comments to other articles posted on the subject."
I tried posting a comment twice and it didn’t work, idk if anyone else is having this issue."
I’ve had similar issues or even come back the next day and my comment was deleted! Can’t figure that one out.