Since launching in 2020, LEGO World Builder has been revolutionizing how fans and brands can create and grow together. The first-of-its-kind platform — a partnership between Tongal and the LEGO Group — invites fans and creators from across the globe to develop and build their own LEGO worlds, stories, and characters. It gives fans the opportunity to help shape the future of the iconic brand, and the LEGO creative team access to a limitless new world of untapped talent and ideas.
Last week, a creator on the platform heard life-changing news that further builds on the success of the innovative venture. After being among more than 100 brick enthusiasts to respond to a prompt asking for ideas for a bottle episode of the Netflix series LEGO DREAMZzz, Shawn Boyd has been told that his concept is being made into a full-grown episode for the third season of the show, to be screened on Netflix next year.
Shawn, 27, from Rockford, Illinois, decided to set his bottle episode (a term for an episode of a series with a self-contained storyline) inside an actual bottle. That was one of many imaginative flourishes about Shawn’s pitch — which was based on the budding creators’ own struggles with writer’s block — that impressed the LEGO creative team
LEGO World Builder is used by more than 10,000 creators who have built more than 7,000 original worlds. Participants on the platform can co-create together, offering input and ideas to each other’s worlds. When LEGO option or buy a concept, all the creators that have contributed get paid. This is just the beginning for the potential of the platform, and fan-powered intellectual property more broadly. Fans are increasingly contributing their skills and ideas to help further grow their favorite franchises, and being rewarded for the value they create. Through Tongal, and LEGO World Builder, we are providing the platform to make this symbiotic relationship possible.
The LEGO Group has been using Tongal’s global creator platform to build and develop content since 2012, and LEGO World Builder is another example of how we put fans and community at the center of our work together. Dozens of animators from the Tongal community have been central to building Piece by Piece, the upcoming movie telling the life story of Pharrell Williams in LEGO animation. The Tongal creators have recreated Pharrell’s world in LEGO for the film, released in theaters on October 11, made by the LEGO Group in collaboration with Oscar-winning director Morgan Neville and his company Tremolo Productions, Focus Features, Pure Imagination Studios, and Pharrell’s creative collective i am OTHER.
Greenlit creator Shawn Boyd
Here, Tongal creator Shawn tells his story:
I first heard about LEGO World Builder a couple of years ago, when I read an article online about how LEGO had bought a world, called Holiday Heroes, that was created by a fan on the site. I looked into it more, and realized it was a perfect platform for me. I already loved writing and creating characters and stories, but I never really had an outlet to share my ideas. LEGO World Builder was a great fit, because not only can I share my worlds, but I also get feedback that helps to improve my storytelling. I really enjoy the communication and engagement with the LEGO community on the site. So far, I've submitted four original worlds, and four episode ideas for DREAMZzz.
I was really excited, and also a little surprised, that my idea was chosen to be made into a real episode of DREAMZzz. There are so many good episode ideas that people have posted, to have my world picked is amazing — a little unbelievable, to be honest.
The prompt said that LEGO was looking for a bottle episode for DREAMZzz — which is an episode where the storyline is contained within one episode. I decided to take that prompt literally, and have the entire episode take place inside a bottle! And in terms of the story and themes, I took inspiration from my own experiences with writer's block. Whenever I'm working on a project and get stuck, if I try to force myself to keep working and find new ideas, it never works out and I start to get more stressed about the project. But whenever I take a break, it helps me clear my mind. Often my best ideas come when I'm not thinking about the project at all.
Shawn's greenlit DREAMZzz pitch
Ever since I was a kid, I have Ioved expressing my creativity in a variety of way. I love writing stories and drawing. And while I have always enjoyed building with LEGO, it was the shows and movies that really got me hooked — Ninjago, The LEGO Movie, stuff like that. They tell great stories with fun characters, and have a lot of freedom to be creative in different themes and genres. LEGO has this unique charm to it that makes it easy to love. And it’s the perfect tool to create unique worlds that wouldn’t be possible in live action.
My storytelling is pretty much self-taught. I have written stories throughout my life, and then did lots of research into how to develop stories and characters, and learned as I went. Animation is my main passion. I've always loved to draw, and went to college to work towards my associate degree in art. I just love being creative. It really helps my mood. I have so many ideas in my mind, and getting them out somehow makes me feel better.
I hope this project opens up opportunities to work in the animation industry. My ultimate goal is to make my own movies and shows, so this is the first step. As I grew up, I stopped writing and drawing as much as I used to. But LEGO World Builder has been a huge help to me and was the perfect way to express my creativity again — not only have I been able to create new worlds, it has also encouraged me to develop my old ideas and flesh them out into full series. Whenever the community gives me feedback, I make sure I listen, and I have learned lots of tips along the way.
If you're a creator who wants to be connected to world-class brands, please check out our Open Projects. Or if your brand is interested in unleashing the power of our global creator community on your content, learn more here .
