LEGO Masters week 9 exit interview
Posted by MeganL,
Between a hiatus after Thanksgiving, and a delay scheduling interviews with contestants, it's finally time for the week 9 interview! Read on to learn more about the first episode that was aired during US Thanksgiving week, the final builds, and of course an interview with the team that was sent home.
Week 9 was dedicated to castle building! Each team was assigned a minifigure, and had to build that minifigure's castle with a story. The tallest castle would automatically be placed in the top two. And in what's become a theme for US LEGO Masters, each build would meet its fate with a wrecking ball.
While they didn't have the tallest build, brothers Brendan and Greg came in with their fourth win of the season.
Sadly, the team that went home was Austin and Justin.
You had to pivot in the middle of the episode as a result of some feedback. What was it like hearing that sort of feedback?
Justin: I really was expecting them to like the idea of our wizard taking over somebody else's castle, and it did not fly. They did not like it. What they didn't show was Austin and I really putting our heads together for a half an hour with no building whatsoever.
Austin: I (still) don't understand. I guess I could see their point of view on, “Hey, you’re building someone else's castle”, but the same time it's a fun story that we could have expressed. I feel like throughout the season, our storytelling abilities were kind of hit and miss. Sometimes they're like “Oh, this was fantastic.” And other times it was like “We don't know where you guys are going with this.”. So I don't know if that's a downfall on our storytelling abilities or just a difference of opinions. But anytime you have to do a switch in the middle of a build it is so hard to recover from, especially the farther you get along in the competition. Because it only gets harder. The competition gets better. I mean, everyone else had fantastic builds. And here we are like, “Oh, yeah, I guess we'll restart…. again.” Because that was the common theme for our team.
You won the mini-golf challenge. What was it like winning that challenge?
Justin: That was really, really exciting for us. At that point, they're all really great builders. I can't say enough about how much talent is in that room. And so for us to actually win a challenge was just…..that joy that you see in that one picture of us raising our arms up is just so real. It was fun. It was really, really fun.
Austin: I think it was a fantastic challenge. We both finally could come together and do well. Justin was totally nailing a lot of the sculpting, especially the blender. I wanted to make this oven work and at one point I just got so frustrated. I was like, “It's not going to work.” And Justin's like, “No, you could do this, figure it out.” And thank goodness we did because we had to reconfigure some mechanical steps and it worked. It all worked out. We took a chance. I think halfway through the competition we looked around and thought “We're just gonna go all out and if things work out, sweet, we'll do well. If they don't, then we're gonna go down in a blaze of glory.”
Justin: I really have to give credit to Austin on that one because he pulled that cake out. He was just like, “Oh, I'm putting Will on this thing.” And when I heard him say that I thought, “That is brilliant. That is so perfect.” It was a moment of genius from him, but it just really made the rest of that build.
Camp Lava was a great build. How did you come up with that idea?
Austin: So you didn’t see the first hour of us banging our heads against the door.
Justin: I had this idea of a natural disaster camp and Austin looked at me like I was talking another language. He was like, “What are you talking about, man?”, I was thinking like a tornado or a hurricane. And he asked, how are you going to build that? Then we just started talking and he asked, “What about a volcano?”. And he looked at me again like, “We can do that. What about surfing a volcano?”. Then he just pulls out this incredible mechanism. Austin just nailed the mechanism with the surfing wave while I was just trying to try to figure out how to make a not great looking volcano, as Jamie said in the show. With as large as that was, I think that was the most comfortable episode for Austin and myself because we had probably half an hour at the end where we're just touching on fine details because we didn't have to pivot. It was so refreshing.
Austin: I think it was a challenge that could utilise how we had developed during the show. Justin does exceedingly well at details and how minifigs should be positioned and placed and seeing how parts should work within a build. I spent a lot of time with that particular mechanism and was like, "I'm gonna make this work." We both had been to camp and outdoors forever. So we knew the general gestalt of what camp should have. Another thing wasn't shown we had the cabins for the campers were all different jeweled cabins, like igneous rocks. So I think it was just one of those times where we were like, "Oh, we can nail this one," and once it started flowing, it did great.
Justin: Oh, and then to Austin's credit, man. He makes that sign out of nowhere. He didn't even tell me he was making a sign, I just look over and I’m in awe of this thing that says “We Lava U”. It was so good, Austin. It was a really fun episode for us.
You’ve said you had to pivot a lot. What is the pivot that you are most proud of on the show?
Justin: Definitely Billy the Squid. That was the best pivot of the entire time. Unfortunately, for better or worse, we had to rebuild almost all of our builds at some point. But Billy the Squid we had to rebuild not once, not twice, but three times because we used those dang ball sockets. Jamie called us on it – he came over said “that may not work”. And then we swung and it didn't work. Then we had to rebuild the whole base and then it was rebuilt. It turns out we had to do another thing and rebuild that; it just got endless and endless and endless. But when Billy the Squid was like, what the second or third longest riding, even with the Stevens, I was like yes, redemption!
Austin: That pivot was really great. But my fingers hurt so bad after that episode because I was just slapping down brick as fast as I possibly could. Honestly, I think the other pivot that I'm most proud of, even though we got sent off on that last episode, was the wizard hat thing. It looked so good on TV. The top of the tower with the wizard hat and then when it gets hit by the cannonball it just floats off. I want to act like we planned that. We didn't plan that at all, but it looks so good on TV. I'm really proud of that, despite us being sent home on that episode.
What are some of the details of your builds that you wish had been shown?
Justin: Oh, I know. The magmen. Yes, absolutely. So we get to the camp episode. We made these little camp counsellors. They were the magma men or the magmen. I made them around the light bricks, so they actually glowed like lava would. All the camp counsellors glowed except there was one that is just charred black. He was the burnt out camp counsellor, and I'm so mad that they cut that from the show because I thought it was really funny.
Austin: I completely agree.
Justin: Our Jurassic World episode had some really cool stuff. I felt like that episode, they glanced over a lot of a lot of people's builds. But for instance, we had this nest for the pterodactyl that we built on top of the buildings and inside that nest were different pieces from all over the rest of the scene. So it actually looked like the pterodactyl was building a nest out of pieces from within the build itself. So I wish they would have showed that too.
Austin: Our spaceship, the inside of the spaceship a had rock climbing wall. We had a robot who's moving giant medicinal items around the back. They were like tongue depressors and pill bottles. None of that made it in. The thing that also was interesting is how they shot the angle of our builds. Sometimes we built it thinking that the camera would be in one particular location. And then they're like, no, no, we're shooting it from this side and like, oh, we can't see half of our build. So that was kind of an interesting part of building slash production. The magmen were awesome. The castle - the fighting between the two wizards. There's so much wizard spell action going on back and forth that I guess they showed in pictures but didn't really describe it on air. But there's only so much time within the show. Right? And you can't just focus on us the whole time even though they should.
What was the biggest challenge for you building on the set?
Justin: For Austin I can guarantee you it's going to be staying behind the table. Because we like to use all 360 of our desk. And there were constantly people from Production saying, “Austin, get behind the table. Austin, get behind the table.” And he'd look up and be like, “I'm trying to build!” it and like it was kind of a dislike but again, that was kind of fun.
Austin: That was by far the most annoying thing in the world. They’d say, “You have this much time. You need to do this. Tell us what you're doing." I'm like, “I'm trying to build a creation.” And they were like “you need to move away from the shot.” I was like, “F you!”. There’s a lot they can't show because of my foul mouth, which was partly on purpose at times, because I’d be, “I don't want to be filmed right now." So I just keep swearing. I know I shouldn't do that as a pediatrician. I guess sometimes the pressure gets to you. You're so frustrated. Please just let me finish this first.
Justin: Yeah, I think I'll say one other thing as far as one of the difficult things was not every team can get feedback at the same time. When Amy and Jamie would make their rounds, particularly earlier in the season, if you’re last in that kind of rotation, you've been building for probably an extra hour before you get feedback. And so if you have to pivot or if you have to make some adjustments, it really was sort of dependent on that and that was completely random at times. I'm not blaming anybody for that it was just that would make it tough sometimes to incorporate feedback.
Austin: Even natural stuff. Like it started out really cold in the morning and then get hot by the evening because of lights and just the weather. So you're like, "Oh man, I wish I had like a coat." But no, we're just in scrubs. By the afternoon everyone in sweaters is like "It's so hot in here."
Do you have any particular favourite memories with Will, Amy, or Jamie?
Justin: So Will, one time he had done something where he had injured his arm, and ultimately it was fine. But he came up to us, and he was like “I hurt my arm”. Austin and I are just kind of looking around like, is this a bit? He was like “No, no, I really hurt my arm” and then we were like, “Oh man, let's help you.” I just thought it was really funny with that one interaction with Will because he actually was coming to us for some help, and we first were treating it like it was a total joke. Because that's what Will does, he jokes all the time.
Austin: I thought that was really funny. Will said we need doctors every year.
Justin: I will say one thing I was most proud of was in that Jurassic World build I used the translucent chain - it's a neon yellow chain. And we used that to connect to a gas pump line that had been taken out by birds, so it's hanging. And then there's a bunch of them that are in a puddle. And Jamie in one part of the feedback said “I've never seen that that part used like that. That is excellent NPU.” I just remember like I almost fainted. I was so happy, Jamie loved this way I did this thing.
Austin: This was beginning of coming out of COVID and the work that we had to do and then the people we saw, everyone is traumatised from that. Being in a hospital watching death on a regular basis sucks the life out of you. So, when you go to a competition like this, you see all ages, everyone just bonding over this unique experience. It really restored a lot of faith in humanity for me. It really made me go, “Oh, there are good people out there not just arguing about one thing or another.” So that was really cool. And there were numerous special bonds that occurred during the filming of that show between many different teams, many different groups. I've made lifelong friends there to be sure. As far as Brickmasters and Will, due to the nature of the show, I mean, they're not allowed to really hang out with us because then they can show preferential treatment to certain teams. So throughout the show interactions, you get a sense of how they are, and after you leave, yu get to converse with them a little bit more. That was wonderful to see how good people they are.
Jamie was pretty emotional when you had to leave. What was it like saying goodbye?
Justin: You know, I think back to the spot where Austin and I were in and there's a lot of stress at that point. I don't think that either of us were shocked that we went home on that build. I think that it was a very good build and had it been judged differently, I don't think anybody would have been too surprised either. But, I think it was our time, I guess. And Austin and I had made our peace with that. And so saying goodbye to them was tough for sure. Being a lifelong AFOL and having Jamie and Amy tell you stuff week in and week out, about how they enjoy your builds or like your builds, or critique your builds, that's an opportunity of a lifetime. It was really hard to say goodbye to the judges of course but also to our colleagues and friends on the show.
Austin: My whole goal going into this was (not to be) the first eliminated, which of course is really funny because we almost were. But after that, it was kind of the cherry on top for me going beyond that, even winning a round. I was like, “This is unbelievable. How can we possibly do this?” This exceeded my wildest expectations. So when they said goodbye, I was like, “Yeah, okay, that's about right.” I didn't expect to get here. What the show didn't say and I'd like to say now is that we spent quite a bit of time thanking everyone that allowed us to do the show. All of our colleagues, all the nurses, all the techs, all the support had been absolutely fantastic since coming back to the hospital. Cheering us on every week, but of course we can't say anything. I really wish they had made the cut because they're just as important in this whole thing for allowing us to do that.
What advice would you give to new teams on how they can also be successful at LEGO Masters?
Austin: Be able to talk to people just in general, because you have to converse with not only your teammate, like eloquently to some degree, but you also have to be able to converse with the other teams, Will, the Brickmasters, let alone everyone else in production. You have to be able to communicate your thoughts, which is really hard sometimes, especially under pressure. I guess that's a good starting point.
Justin: It's sort of a tough question. I think that there are a lot of ideas that you can work on before the show and that kind of thing. But really when it comes down to it, the challenges are not what you expect them to be. I think maybe getting a little more comfortable with some things that you're not necessarily comfortable with. So motors and gearing, I worked on a little bit before the show, and I think that ultimately helped us. Maybe some things that you think that you might not be as strong in.
Austin: I also say this, even though we have access to 5 million bricks within the pit, which seems endless, you're always wanting that one little piece that isn't there. And you're like, “Where is this piece?” They're like, “Well, we're out”. “What do you mean you're out?”. And so learning how to like pivot or do work without certain things. I don't know how you could practice that. Maybe try to build like a tree without a brown or something? It's just one of those odd scenarios that kept happening to us.
The whole reason we did this show is because we deal with stress on a regular basis. We can handle that and then process information, so you tell me one thing, okay, do that, and we'll work from there. I completely agree with what Justin said about motors though. I mean, at least understand basic physics like pistons, how pistons work, that's a great motion to involve in multiple different avenues. And then obviously sculpting. I'll be honest, I had no idea how to do it before I went on the show. And by the end, I did a giant Wizard's hat. So a little practice there could do well.
As you say, you’re trained to handle stress. How did you deal with it on the show?
Austin: I mean, what they don't show is that every team at some point, usually multiple points, is stressed to the max. Whether it's brain fog or inability to do anything. It's just the nature of the beast. We are how we were trained for that. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. Yeah, there were multiple times where we just had stressful moments and just he'd look at me like “Dude, focus. Eat a Snickers. Take a minute and then come back to it.” And the same goes for me to him. I think because we've worked together for many years, and been under stressful situations, I think that helped us a lot. Probably more so than a lot of the other teams, excluding the Stevens who of course deal with the exact same stressors, not to say no one else deals with stress in life. I don't mean that at all. Just I guess it's more constant in our world.
Justin: Yeah, I would. I would agree. I think one thing that really benefited me was in the first episode, I had a moment where I was just frozen. I hit a mental wall and Austin just came over and said “Look, you take a deep breath, we're going to be fine.” After that episode, we both talked, and we got on each other's wavelength about internal signals. And it's like, “Look, if I'm doing this, this means I need a minute, or if I'm doing this come help me.” I think that really helped us to thrive in the middle of the season. So I thought that was very helpful for both of us. And I think part of that just goes back to our ability to communicate with one another, and we do that very well, especially at work and that's just something that we've done for a long time.
How did you get into the LEGO hobby?
Austin: I played with LEGO sets when I was young. And then stopped and then I had two boys. And I was like, oh yeah, this is really fun. Sure, this is cool. So we've built a few sets here and there and started acquiring the mound that stays in the centre of the playroom. Because that's what all kids ended up with. And that's pretty much it. And then Justin says “Hey, so I do this thing. I do LEGO and then I may interview for a TV show, want to go with me? Sure! Since this whole thing, the LEGO experience has gotten significantly more. Just yesterday, the kids were like, Hey, can we go to the stores for LEGO? Sure! I love seeing what they can create. It's a really good bonding experience for all three of us. The mound’s gotten a lot bigger. Don't ask me about anything organisational.
Justin: I've been building since I was a little kid. My mom was interviewed by our local paper and she told them that every birthday and every Christmas all I asked for was LEGO sets. So that's kind of where it was. I went through some some dark ages a little bit in high school and college but once I was in medical school, I started buying sets again. And then I really just rediscovered my passion for it. I joined the Albuquerque, New Mexico LUG, our local lug and then from there, it's just really taken off. It's really just become an integral part of my life.
What advice would you give to others who are just getting into the hobby?
Austin: Budget. Always budget
Justin: It's like anything else. It takes time to get good at. From my standpoint, going from building sets to building MOCs was a really big step. It can get frustrating at times because you're trying to figure out how to do things. It really just takes a lot of a lot of dedicated practice like anything else. If you work on the building, you'll figure out the techniques, and eventually you'll get to where you want to. Just keep at it and keep spending time with it.
Austin: As a serious answer, just make sure you're having fun. There's so many different avenues that Lego can provide, whether it's building MOCs and sculpting or mechanical or Technic or even murals or portraits or with buildings. I had no idea how different they truly are. They're like different art mediums. So do you like painting with watercolors or oils? Or do you like sculpting clay? Well, LEGO can provide avenues for both of those. And as long as you're having fun and being creative, then whatever doesn't matter.
This week's builds:
Many thanks to our friends at True North Bricks for their collaboration on this interview.
All photo credits: FOX
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5 comments on this article
This episode, more than any other, made me feel like the show had decided who was losing ahead of time… the reasoning behind them disliking the story just seemed really forced to me.
The fact the "influencers" are still on the show just reinforces the fact it's not a true building competition
I don't watch television so I don't see the episodes (I don't even know if this series is available to view in the UK?) but I do like to the read these exit interviews and see the builds. It would be nice though if the 'This weeks builds' section identified which team built what?
This week was interesting. Like yeah building a tall castle tower sure, but it needs to be cohesive and not just a random tower.
I can understand the Brick Masters saying you need to build for your character instead of your character being somewhere else. Technically I agree with them, but yeah it could have been a fun story, but wasn't exactly within the confines of the challenge as everyone else was doing. But I think their pivot worked anyway. But yeah timing probably got the best of them.
Will be skipping any further episodes—partnering up multiple teams just to send a team home that the show wants to be cut…is a bad look.
Any they’re just blowing up builds anyway. Imagine the Great British bake-off but with dynamite and random winners.