Showing posts with label Inside LEGO. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Inside LEGO. Show all posts

30 November 2023

LEGO® Monkie Kid™ 80054 Megapolis City: interview with designer Wen Xiaodong

Posted by Caz Mockett

Want to see more of the thrilling 2024 LEGO® Monkie Kid™ set, 80054 Megapolis City 5th Anniversary? Senior Designer/ Show Producer 温笑冬 (Wēn Xiàodōng) told us more about the set and its Easter eggs when I met him at the Recognised LEGO® Fan Media Days in Billund, Denmark in September. In advance of our set review next week, here are the highlights of our interview, with photography by Boris Vanrillaer of Stuck in Plastic.

 

28 November 2023

LEGO® part 4042: Curved Bar with Axle End and 1 x 1 Round Plate

Posted by Elspeth De Montes

Thomas Jenkins thought it was time to take a closer look at an interesting new element that has been appearing in more and more sets since its release earlier this year.


Bar Curved with Axle End and 1 x 1 Round Plate is a bended element we first noticed in two LEGO® Marvel sets earlier this year, but do you know which set it was originally designed for? Read on to find out more...

06 November 2023

LEGO® 80113 Family Reunion Celebration: interview with designer Niels Frederiksen

Posted by Caz Mockett
In September, I was lucky enough to attend the Recognised LEGO® Fan Media Days in Billund, Denmark on behalf of New Elementary, along with our guest photographer, Boris Vanrillaer of Stuck in Plastic.

We had the opportunity to talk to Niels Mølgård Frederiksen (above right), Associate Creative Lead for LEGO® Monkie Kid and designer of the latest LEGO® Spring Festival release, 80113 Family Reunion Celebration.

28 July 2023

LEGO® part 4190: The Pagoda Plate

Posted by Thomas Jenkins
As soon as the first images of sets 21060 Himeji Castle and 10315 Tranquil Garden surfaced, we spotted a new plate that required our attention. With set 21060 now in hand, I take a closer look at the new element we are calling the "Pagoda Plate".


I love a good LEGO roof technique. I’ve built a few in my time as a New E. contributor including shrines, fishmongers, and Hobbit holes. So, if you’re anything like me, you’ll love this exciting new LEGO element! Join me as I take a closer look.

24 March 2023

LEGO® ICONS™ set review: 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell

Posted by Ben Davies

In a previous article, I took a careful look at the numerous new element designs, decorations, and recolours that appear in the forthcoming 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell set from the LEGO® ICONS™ theme. Today, I'll be expanding upon that by taking a look at the building process and finished model, with additional insight from Senior Graphic Designer, Ashwin Visser, who New Elementary spoke to at Recognized LEGO Fan Media Days in September 2022.

04 March 2023

LEGO® element design interview: 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell

Posted by Tim Johnson


No single designer is ever wholly responsible for a LEGO® set, so to get a better understanding of the new elements in 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell, we spoke to four of them! Our very own ‘Council of Elements’ comprises three element designers: LEGO Senior Designer Mani Zamani, LEGO Senior Designer Gitte Thorsen and LEGO Design Master Yoel Mazur; as well as one of the model designers, LEGO Design Master Wes Talbott.

09 February 2023

LEGO® Speed Champions review: 76916 Porsche 963

Posted by Thomas Jenkins

The Porsche 963 is the German automobile manufacturer's newest race car and draws inspiration from the 956 and 962 from Porsche's 1980s racing days. It was revealed last year at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and just made its racing debut last month at Daytona. Better still, next month it's getting a brick-built replica in LEGO® Speed Champions 76916 Porsche 963, which we are looking at today.

06 February 2023

LEGO® Speed Champions interview: Christopher Stamp discusses new parts 3385 and 3387

Posted by Thomas Jenkins


Previously, we teased several new LEGO® Speed Champions elements that will be appearing in the March 2023 lineup. Today, we share another excerpt from our discussion with the theme's creative lead, Christopher Leslie Stamp, discussing another two new moulds in depth: a chassis and a wheel arch. 

31 December 2022

LEGO® Speed Champions interview: Christopher Stamp discusses new part 3386

Posted by Thomas Jenkins

During Skaerbaek Fan Media Days 2022, New Elementary’s Tim Johnson and Francesco Spreafico had the opportunity to chat with LEGO® Speed Champions Design Manager Christopher Leslie Stamp about the new sets to be released in 2023. As part of this, Chris unveiled several new elements that will be appearing in the March wave of sets.

We will be telling you more about the sets and elements soon, but today we share with you our discussion about one particularly interesting element, which Chris considers “a game changer”!

15 November 2022

LEGO® 10307 Eiffel Tower: Designer interview with Rok Žgalin Kobe

Posted by Tim Johnson

The next LEGO® ICONS™set will be the tallest LEGO set to date: a new version of that most iconic of landmarks, the Eiffel Tower. We got to speak with LEGO Senior Designer Rok Žgalin Kobe at Fan Media Days in Billund, Denmark in September. Rok discusses their approach, and the challenges of designing such a huge set. 

01 October 2022

LEGO® Star Wars™ set review: 75331 The Razor Crest

Posted by Thomas Jenkins

In part 1 of our review, we took a look at the parts contained in LEGOⓇ Star Wars 75331 The Razor Crest and at 6187 pieces, there was a lot to unpack. Today our attention turns to the build of this Ultimate Collector Series model, and we even have some insight from the designers for you.

01 July 2022

LEGO® Speed Champions interview with Christopher Stamp: Iconic Movie and TV Vehicles

Posted by Kev Levell

We were thrilled to be invited for a chat with LEGO® Speed Champions Design Manager Christopher Leslie Stamp about the upcoming sets 76911 007 Aston Martin DB5 and 79612 Fast & Furious 1970 Dodge Charger R/T, which we reviewed yesterday.
Kev Levell took the passenger's seat as Chris jumped behind the steering wheel and took us for a drive around the new sets and elements! The transcription has been edited for clarity, readability and narrative flow.

03 May 2022

LEGO® Horizon Forbidden West review & interview: 76989 Tallneck

Posted by Zachary Hill

Products in this article were provided by LEGO®; the author's opinions are their own.

Role-playing games elicit high hopes. Players expect a deep story, stunning graphics, and fulfilling gameplay, and only the best games spawn a successful franchise. Horizon Forbidden West solidifies the impact left by Aloy and her robo-dino co-stars of Horizon Zero Dawn, and now just three months after the sequel’s release a LEGO® set celebrating the series has just hit the shelves.


30 March 2022

LEGO® Star Wars review: 75329 Death Star Trench Run, 75330 Dagobah Jedi Training & 75339 Death Star Trash Compactor

Posted by tobymac

Products in this article were provided by LEGO®; the author's opinions are their own.


Today I’m taking a look at a new line of sets labelled as the ‘LEGO® STAR WARS Diorama Collection’. As you might guess from the name, each consists of a diorama depicting an iconic scene from the Star Wars movies. The 3 sets are:

  • 75330 Dagobah Jedi Training Diorama from The Empire Strikes Back, with 1,000 parts (I love that round number!), RRP 119.99 AUD / 109.99 CAD / 79.99 EUR/ 69.99 GBD / 79.99 US.
  • 75339 Death Star Trash Compactor Diorama from A New Hope, with 802 parts, RRP 149.99 AUD / 119.99 CAD / 89.99 EUR / 79.99 GBD / 89.99 USD.
  • 75329 Death Star Trench Run from A New Hope, with 665 parts, RRP 89.99 AUD / 79.99 CAD / 59.99 EUR/ 54.99 GBD / 59.99 USD.

They are available from 26 April 2022 and you can pre-order now – please consider using our affiliate links, New Elementary may get a commission: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'.

03 February 2022

LEGO® Speed Champions 2022: Interview with Christopher Stamp

Posted by Admin


The 2022 range of LEGO® Speed Champions has been revealed, and we were excited to once again speak to LEGO Design Manager Specialist Christopher Leslie Stamp. Tim Johnson and Ben Davies had a quick video chat with Chris at Fan Media Days in May 2021 where he told us about the highlights of each set: 76906 1970 Ferrari 512 M, 76907 Lotus Evija, 76908 Lamborghini Countach, 76909 Mercedes-AMG F1 W12 E Performance & Mercedes-AMG Project One, and 76910 Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro and Aston Martin Vantage GT3.

10 November 2021

LEGO® Element Development: the Friends Hoop – Interview with Poul A Thomsen

Posted by Admin

Alexandre Campos and TobyMac complete our current run of Element Developer Q&As today as we speak to Poul A Thomsen, Mechanical Engineer at the LEGO Group, about the LEGO® Friends “hoop element” (77107). Then, Alex and Toby investigate the geometry of this new element. Transcripts were edited for clarity, readability and narrative flow.


Curved LEGO Technic beams, most notably the Technic Gear Rack 1/4 Circle 11 x 11 35 Teeth (24121), aren't common, and any addition is welcome. Indeed, another "banana gear" was just revealed yesterday in the upcoming LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series 75313 AT-AT!  But today we are here to talk about the Technic Beam Round 11 x 11, revealed earlier this year in LEGO Friends. As you might guess from its name, is a Technic beam that is round and has a diameter of 11 modules.

03 November 2021

LEGO® Element Development: the Candelabra – Interview with Henrik Skallebæk

Posted by Admin

Eero Okkonen (@eerookkonen) resumes our series of Element Developer Q&As today as we speak to Henrik Skallebæk, Senior Mechanical Engineer at the LEGO Group, about the LEGO® Candelabra piece (73117). Then, Eero presents an original MOC using this new element. Transcripts were edited for clarity, readability and narrative flow.


The 3-armed candlestick was specifically designed for the LEGO® version of candlewax-and-brass character Lumiere, from Disney's animated film Beauty and the Beast. However, the piece made its debut in the LEGO Harry Potter theme.

27 October 2021

LEGO® Extended Line: Designer interview with Mel Caddick

Posted by Admin

We are skipping our regular Element Developer slot this week to instead bring you a different LEGO® employee interview! In May, New Elementary had the opportunity to chat with Mel Caddick during the 2021 Recognised LEGO Fan Media Days. Caz Mockett and Francesco Spreafico asked Mel some interesting questions to find out more about an unusual department: LEGO® Extended Line. This transcript has been edited for brevity and readability.


Caz Mockett:
Thanks for taking part in our interview Mel, would you like to introduce yourself for our readers, please?

Mel Caddick: My name is Mel Caddick and I'm originally from Australia, and I've been here in Denmark since 2008 working for The LEGO Group, so almost 13 years this year. I'm a Senior Designer in LEGO® Extended Line.

23 October 2021

LEGO® Speed Champions 76905 Ford GT Heritage Edition and Bronco R: Set review, MOC and interview with Christopher Stamp

Posted by Admin

Tim Goddard (@tim_goddard928) presents a bumper article for you today about LEGO® Speed Champions 46905 Ford GT Heritage Edition and Bronco R! Not only does Tim include our interview with LEGO® Design Manager Specialist Christopher Leslie Stamp, he analyses the set and its parts, and creates an original MOC with its parts. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

Images of set 76905 and Christopher Stamp ©2021 The LEGO Group

Ford: the backbone of American automotives. Today we look at a set comprising two of their most famous offerings, with a very special bonus – some exclusive comments from the LEGO® Speed Champions design lead, Christopher Stamp, taken from an interview with New Elementary earlier this year. From Chris we learn about why the set was not originally part of the 2021 line up, why these vehicles were chosen, and where the new 1x5 plate really came from.

20 October 2021

LEGO® Element Development: the Escalator Link – Interview with Stephan Breum Steen

Posted by Admin

Thomas Jenkins (@thomas_jenkins_bricks) continues our series of Element Developer Q&As, once again with Stephan Breum Steen, Senior Mechanical Engineer in the Novelty Element Development department at the LEGO Group. This time Stephan answers our questions about the LEGO® Escalator Link Chain with Panel and Centre Divider (69900). Then, Thomas provides additional analysis and MOCs. Transcripts were edited for clarity, readability and narrative flow.