Mega Construx™ Model Designer Q&A *OFFICIAL THREAD*

[Red__Spartan003]

On a scale of 1 to 10, how difficult would you say it is working at Mega Construx?

[Psizzle]

What did you guys study in university? What advice would you give aspiring kiddos like me?

[MCX_Team]

When you do big builds like those is there a support structure inside or is it all Bloks? Also I love 3d modelling, I do it a lot, mainly lightwave which seems to not lend itself to many jobs opportunities hehe. Whats your favorite 3d modelling app?

Kalthoum: When it's large we do have to build structures to make sure the builds are safe and secure. Usually, they are made out of metal like most sculptures this size.

Max: We can't talk about some of the softwares that we use here on site unfortunately due to legal reasons :(

[MCX_Team]

Do you map out the build first with a blue print or something first?

Michelle: Often what we do is do a rough sketch or find reference images for the build that we're going to create. From these sketches, we make a "master" build, which is a preliminary rough build, usually made out of blocks of the same color, with the purpose of exploration and experimentation, finding the right shape, etc.

Max: On the computer we also use a software to plan our pixel art. If the build is very complicated we plan to build it in 3D first, and then we start the physical build. It varies project by project, but we always try to start in the most efficient way to begin the complicated builds that require more planning.

[TimboSlyce]

How are the big builds made? Are they built from bottom up? or built in sections? I particularly like the Destiny 2 one where the big guy smashes through the wall.

P.S. You guys are amazing at what you do!

[MCX_Team]

What did you guys study in university? What advice would you give aspiring kiddos like me?

Max: I studied animation. It was totally unrelated, but I got a lot of experience with 3d modeling afterwards, and ended up here! My advice is draw a lot! Draw, draw more, and draw again! Build stuff out of blocks, learn digital media. Be observant.

Kalthoum: My advice is always try to think out of the box. Don't take anything for granted, always try to see things in a different way. Never give up!! Understand how all of the blocks you have at your disposal work. Once you've mastered this, you can start to sculpt with bricks.

Michelle: As I mentioned, I studied theatre and did a lot of maquette design, which lends itself to the skills you need to build with blocks! My advice would be: Be dynamic with your builds, always pay attention to the special pieces and try to use them to your advantage. That's something MEGA does really well, create different parts to meet the needs of the builds.

[MCX_Team]

On a scale of 1 to 10, how difficult would you say it is working at Mega Construx?

Max:
Michelle: For me, I can't really put a number on it, but I think a big difficulty that we have working for a company is time constraints. When you're working on your own you don't have time constraints. Meeting deadlines is always something that you have to be aware of and keep in mind when sculpting with blocks.

Kalthoum: I agree, it's always challenging because we always have to deliver on time. We have a lot of big ideas, and we often find ourselves wanting to make things bigger and better, but sometimes we have to scale back the idea to make sure that we meet our time constraints.

[OnionBunn]

What's the biggest difference between what you do as a model designer and what a regular toy designer does? Did you ever want to be a toy designer instead of a model designer?

[OnionBunn]

What would be your dream model to build? Do you have a favorite character or vehicle from TV movies or games you would love to turn into a big build?

[MCX_Team]

How are the big builds made? Are they built from bottom up? or built in sections? I particularly like the Destiny 2 one where the big guy smashes through the wall.

P.S. You guys are amazing at what you do!

Max: Well thank you! It really depends on the build. Fun fact: this was built lying on the floor! It was so funny to see him finally stand up at the end... a big "WOW!" moment for us!

Kalthoum, Michelle, Max: Exactly. For the build you mentioned, it was built in an unusual way. Instead of going from bottom to top, which is the usual way of building, we went from back to front (his chest). Often with the build builds, the main part of them is one piece, with an attachable head/accessories. The wall behind him was build separately, and then integrated around the character. Basically, he's trapped in it! Also like we mentioned, there is often a metal structure that supports the build, and that is the case with this build as well. The challenge with that was planning ahead of time, pre-planning to make sure that everything to fits together. There were a lot of different pieces that ended up coming together nicely for this project.

Kalthoum: Thanks for the kind words, it is really rewarding when fans give us feedback like this -- it makes it all worth it!