Lego Masters: Interview with the second place team

Three teams made the final episode, with the charge of building whatever creation they wanted for 24 hours. After identifying the third place team, it was down to two. Read on for the interview with the runner up team.

After a very impressive season with some amazing builds, the runners up were Stephen and Stephen, the firefighters, with their build of Lake Louise.

The Stephen on the right has a nickname of Crash, so for the purposes of clarity in the interview, the individuals will be referred to as Stephen and Crash.

What are some of the details in your builds that you wish had been featured?

Stephen: Oh, there are lots and lots to be perfectly honest. I pride myself as a details guy and Crash and I gave ourselves ample time at the end of every challenge to make sure we could put details in. I actually have read some online commentaries that some people didn't like this season because the builders weren't doing very detailed builds, I can assure you, absolutely, everybody put in these little details. It's just by pure number of hours, you can't capture it all for TV purposes. You know, builders like Greg and Brandon and Nick and Stacey were notorious for having exceptional little content that was hidden all over. As far as we go, I do a lot of builds for conventions as well as kids events and for big demonstration purposes. And I found myself to be doing all kinds of Easter eggs and that was something Crash and I had a lot of fun with this season as well. So tucking in the tiny little details that 95% of the population will never see but I know it was there. One of my favourites to be honest is the treehouse challenge. If you've ever been to the LEGO house in Denmark, there's a big sculpture in the middle of it called the tree of creativity, and it was created by Stuart Harris. Stuart Harris is absolutely awesome and incredible designer and all around nice person but one of the things that he did on the main trunk section of the tree of creativity is he effectively carved/sculpted in little builds that were reminiscent of some of the earliest builds of LEGO lore, like the wooden toys. So the treehouse build you'll never see it, but in one of the little sections, I notched out a chunk of the sculpted box around the branches. And I did a little duck that was built into the bark of the tree. After the challenge was done, Brickmaster Jamie actually picked up on it, took a photo and said, “I’ll send this to Stuart.” So I love that that little detail.

Crash: The Invisible Man on the camp build, that's something no one picked up on. So that was pretty interesting. For me, some of the little details were for us and for the cast and for the crew. Can't really talk about them, but there was some stuff on there that makes me giggle every time I think about it.

Stephen: Yeah, we had a lot of hidden content, a lot of hidden jokes. Those are the fun stories. Those are the ones we talk about at conventions when people come by and ask us for specific stories. Crash and I are definitely live in the moment kind of guys, so we both made a point of enjoying our builds, and our builds were enjoyable because we included our friends and family and extra stories too. So it was good fun.

You’re experienced LEGO builders. What was the biggest challenge for you in adjusting to building there on the set?

Stephen: Oh, for me, it's time management. At home, there are projects that have been sitting here for days, weeks, months. There are projects that have been sitting there for years. So when it comes to a designing aspect of it, I have to revisit models occasionally. Sometimes I have to put them away until I have proper creative mindset for it. We simply did not have that as a luxury on the show. It would be pretty easy for me to put 30 hours into a project here at home but most of our challenges were in that 10 to 11 hour range plus or minus couple hours. So you had to be purposeful, you had to be mindful of the time you put into things and after about episode two, I think we found a recipe that worked pretty good for us as far as time management. We budgeted and allotted times for specific components of each build, knowing that we had to continually move forward for something that told the story. Because that was effectively what we were going to be judged on, the overall story. Crash kept me honest on that because sometimes I tried to revisit things too much, but we had to keep moving forward.

Crash: So I appreciate the compliment that we're experienced Lego builders, I don't build MOCs at all. I'm a set builder. All those modulars behind you (gesturing to my backdrop), that's what I do. You can see in the first episode, Steve says, “This isn't in my wheelhouse.” when we're trying to build a Technic frame. And I was like, “Alright, I'll do it.” I had no idea what I was doing, and Jamie comes up and says, “That's....interesting.” But it worked. Same with when we get to the camp build, and I'm trying to build a brick built figure for our giant on the side. They make a joke about it on the show where everyone's frantically running around with no time left. Then they cut to me, and I’m like “How do I build a butt.” I legit had no idea how to build a brick built figure. I had to go to Ethan, Dom, Nick and Justin to get tips on how to do it. So just new techniques. I'd never done curving Lego before the tree house build. So that was new to me. And then we ended up using it again in our final build. There was like all these little things. It was kind of nice being kind of virginal to some of these techniques, because I remember when we were building the final build and putting some trees together, Nick came over and looked at one of my trees and went “That's amazing. How did you figure that out?”. (shrugs) “I don’t know, bricks go together.” Time management is always a big thing. But if we keep each other honest, we're fine; but for me, the biggest thing was learning technique.

Are there any interactions with Will, Amy, and Jamie that didn't make it on the camera that you'd like to share?

Crash: That I can share? No.

Stephen: This is a big, big, big question.

Crash: Most of the table hits - especially with Will - he comes around, and he spends 10-12 minutes with each table to get content. For us, It was closer to half hour 45 minutes every time he hit the table. We would tell jokes and stories and talk hockey and just goof around. We had a lot of the same sensibilities. He and Steve are roughly the same age. Lot of same interests. It was great; he would literally camp out at our table and just hang out. it was awesome. As far as Amy and Jamie go, I mean, they showed up every day, and it was awesome to have them there, but the onscreen interactions never made it to TV. Like if you watch the episodes we didn't have them at our table in the final edit after Episode Two until the NASCAR episode. It was just not something that happened because it wasn't very dynamic. They were judging and didn't play with us. So the interaction was different. That's not to say they weren't awesome people off camera and talk to us and whatever, but they were there performing their role. Steve and I are not the type of people that will sit there and talk technique and critique for hours on end as a pair. So when it came to that type of stuff, it didn't make for a good solid interaction as far as TV is concerned. But Will would hang out for hours and hours if he could.

Stephen: The dynamic we had with Will was heartfelt and genuine. Many different stages of our time there, I just felt like I can't believe he is this down to earth and easygoing and approachable and charismatic. I can't say enough good things about him because I think you have this concept that maybe Hollywood personalities act their personalities, but I never got that impression. I felt like he was very legitimate and open and honest. As far as the Brickmasters, I’ve followed Jamie Berard’s career for a long time. He's a total mentor in the community for not just me, but a lot of other people. And there were a couple of times admittedly, my focus changed to try to impress Brickmaster Jamie. Like the Jurassic challenge kind of got away from us. It was very early in how we were trying to figure things out and the Brickmasters came to our table and said, “Okay, tell us about your story.” So we tell them the story. He goes, “Okay, what are you working on?” And he's a modular builder, a building builder, so I’m hammering in outrageously detailed components to the main floors of our buildings. Then he said, “Okay, so what is your story?” And we tell him the story, and he goes, “So what are you working on?”. Like, “Oh, apparently I'm working on the wrong thing, right now.” So to get feedback from them was amazing because they truly are. They're well respected in their field. It's my belief that Jamie Berard is perhaps the greatest designer that LEGO has ever hired. To get the feedback, the good, the bad, the indifferent, that meant the world to me. There was at least a couple of times where we got some good compliments throughout the judging from the Brickmasters and I would lean into Crash and go “Okay I can go home, now I'm totally satisfied.”

What was your favourite build during the season?

Crash: There are different ways to answer this. I loved the Dalmatian. That was a great build, because we got to do something really cool and different, and we took a different approach to it than any other teams. So that was awesome. The troll bridge, because I got to play with storytelling. But my favourite build was the bull rider. That was the one where I got to take the lead a little bit. Steve turned to me and went, “I have no idea how to do this.” I'm like, “Dude, I got this.” Steve built an amazing Technic frame that's probably still sitting on Jamie's desk somewhere in Denmark because it was that strong. There's no way they were taking that apart. We had an awesome story. I named the bull rider after a buddy of ours that used to ride bulls in high school. I got to put all these little goofy bits and pieces into the story and into the way he was dressed. I built cowboy boots that had rhinestones in them that don't show up on screen very much. That was when our little friendly competition with the doctors started, so I got to build a giant belt buckle with the same rodeos that they competed in as the doctors’ squid. Ours was bigger so we won it. That was a lot of fun to do, so that bull rider challenge is probably my favourite.

Stephen: As for me, the Dalmatian was my second favourite just simply from the fact that t was the first time that we had really stepped out there and went in a very different direction. I think you start looking around the room, there's this self-doubt that creeps in and make you want to make sure you're sticking to what everyone else is doing. But that one from very early on, we picked a direction that was super different. We were rewarded for that. I think we did a lot of things that went very well for that challenge, but personally I think it was just that stepping away from the norm, and the Brickmasters really enjoyed that little leap of faith. As far as my all-time favourite episode, it was the mini golf one. I was bummed we didn't get top two, but clearly there was a lot of really good builds in the room that day. So I can't say that we were robbed or anything. There was just a lot of really, really amazing content. The teams were really picking their game up by that stage. But when we walked out, it was the first challenge where I had this instant reference in my head. And I just said to Crash, “Follow my lead. I got this. I know exactly what I want to do for this one.” I tapped into that classic Yellow Castle. We played off of all kinds of the lore behind it. One of the things I'm most proud about of in that build never ever made it to show. You can basically see the corner of it in one of the photos, but where you tap the ball at the start the course there are these markers on either side. They are little tiny Yellow Castle turrets and within the middle of the castle turret is a brick built horse which is iconic to that year and model. They didn't have the one piece moulded horses back then. So you had to build up the slopes and plates and bricks. So I did a macro version about four or five times bigger than then the actual set. And it was just a very simple detail and almost nobody picked up on it except for Jamie Berard who took out his own personal camera, and took a photo of it and smiled as he walked away. Those little victories were so near and dear to me, but I love that build.

You had consistently great builds through the season. Where does the inspiration come from?

Crash: The first episode, Steve had a plan. He's like, “I want to get a Maltese Cross out.” So, so we built the Maltese cross because we knew that was something we were going to do at some point, so might as well knock it off the list right away. And then every build after that, especially with Jurassic World, we learned our lesson, pay attention to what the judges are telling you. Every little bit of advice or critique that Amy and Jamie gave us, we would take it to heart and incorporate it somehow in our build. Another reason why they don't show a lot of Amy and Jamie at our table on TV is because we were one of the few teams that actually listened. So there's no drama when they come to our table and telling us to do something, and we don't do it. They wanted more colour, we put more colour. They wanted different shapes, we put different shapes. if our story wasn't good, we changed the story. All of those things were really, really taken to heart. We really appreciated everything that they gave us and understood what they were trying to tell us with all of their little veiled messages.

Stephen: It was very interesting to me. I don't know if it's because that we work in an environment where we are constantly getting feedback and having to adapt on feedback. But it didn't make sense to me to not listen to the Brickmasters. They're two of the greatest minds in the business. So how could you not listen to them with a great deal of authority in the subject matter? So it was a no brainer for us to clue in and listen, and I think builders inherently have their own style. So we stuck with what we knew early on for style. But stylistically the Brickmasters who are judging us, wanted different things from us. So it was very easy for us to say, you want more colour, no problem, we’ll give you more colour, you want more energy, no problem, let's add energy. So when we got the feedback, we took it to heart we listened. We incorporated so that when we got to the judge's table, we could at least say we listened. We incorporated, here's our changes. This is what we did to make it more in line with what you guys wanted. So I think that worked in our favour.

Who was more intimidating, Amy or Jamie?

Stephen: Well, both Crash and I are tall guys. We're both over six feet tall. When Amy puts heels on, she's looking at us in the eyes and sometimes looking down. So she was a little bit intimidating. But than intimidation I have a profound respect for the designers, especially Jamie Berard. It's no secret. I'm totally fanboying over him. He's one of the greatest creators if not the best designer Lego was ever hired. So for me, that intimidation factor probably came out of my need to want to please him and want to make him happy and make sure that we were doing things within his vision. So realising those expectations was probably my biggest fear in that dynamic with the Brickmasters.

Crash: I think for me, it was not intimidation, but trying to please Amy was the hardest thing for me. I was super confident that Steve could pull up anything with technical skill that Jamie would be proud to look at. So I had no trepidation with Jamie's feedback. But anytime Amy would come by and give us some kind of note on story elements and colour elements, it was sometimes a little hard to try and incorporate some of that. Sometimes you have an idea in mind, and you have to do even a minor pivot it's a pain in the butt to try and make that change at certain points of your build. So I'm very happy with how everything happened with the judges. But I think of the two, Amy was probably the one that put the most fear into me, because there were times I had no idea how to make it work. But we pulled it off.

What was your overall takeaway from the whole experience?

Crash: I now have twenty-four new best friends. Yeah, like the doctors, that relationship that we had with them and still do is a bond that can't be broken unless something meteoric happens. So I think that’s the biggest victory that we could have asked for. Forget the money. It's the relationships that we forge. It's unreal at the bonds that were created on this show. And I'm very happy that Steve and I got to play a small role in creating those relationships.

Stephen: The human connection aspect of it was our trophy from beginning to end. Right from our time landing in Atlanta before filming, before it even officially started we forged these connections with people. We're all still engaged in one another's life. I really focus on what the outcome was, as opposed to what it wasn't. I wanted to focus on the fact that we made incredible connections and made incredible friends. We had the most privileged circumstance in the world where we got to remove ourselves from the day-to-day grind and throw ourselves into the deep end of our hobby. Nobody gets to be that lucky. That was such an honour and a privilege.

What’s next for you?

Crash: My next thing that I have to deal with is going to play hockey this afternoon. That's it. I'm not a fame seeker. I’m not somebody who's going to be on social media answering responses for everybody. This was fun. It was amazing to do. I'm super happy that Steve asked me to join him on the journey and that we got to do it and I got to meet some really cool people, but I don't build MOCs. I don't contribute to the LEGO community in a meaningful way as a builder. So for me, this is the end of the road. I'm gonna keep building my little Lego sets and my winter village, and that's about it.

Stephen: I am an active participant in a lot of local conventions. I got to spread my wings a little bit more. I've enjoyed the ride. And it's neat. The things that I didn't expect are the ones that I'm finding the most rewarding. Crash and I did a meet and greet at our local LEGO store. We advertised it and fans came and there was a woman that sent me a message and said oh my gosh, we missed it. We didn't see it until too late. Then she sent me this picture her kids were creating something just for us to see, and they came by the fire hall to visit me there. So the fan connection has been remarkable. I've enjoyed it thoroughly and finding that there's inspiration that other people are getting from some of the things that Crash and I did. I love it. I really do. I just think maybe I have an opportunity to give a little bit more now.

All photo credits: FOX

1 comment on this article

By winbrant in Canada, 27 Jan 2023 21:16

The two were the most consistent of the teams and it showed...if the title of LEGOMasters was more based on the whole and not just the individual builds they would have been very deserving of the title. Both of them share a career that very much puts them on the spot for long periods of time as well as the ability to adapt and pivot if required...all useful traits for this competition. They had great connection with all the other teams and the hosts and Stephen (Yoyo) is truly an ambassador for LEGO what with his passion and talent.