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Lego Maniacs

Aired November 13, 2003 - 15:13   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Legos provide hours of fun for lots of children and their dads every now and then, too. But some adults as well are not ready to put their favorite childhood toy away at all. This is -- Shaq bust? Is that what that is? That looks like the Mona Lisa.
It's one of the models made by Lego maniacs who want to play with Legos for a living. Yes, kids, you can do this for a living. Legoland launched the search for its next master builder yesterday in Washington.

And we have three finalists on their way to San Diego at the 1st of the year for the big main event. Screen left, John Balash, who did a wonderful owl. Aaron Sneary in the center, who did a lion -- excuse me, he's screen right. He did a lion and a kitten. In the middle, Daniel Krahn, who did a wonderful dog. I'm going to show you those in just a minute.

Let's start on the left-hand side of the screen.

John, how did you get the inspiration for doing the owl? As I understand it, you have a time limit and a certain number of pieces to play with? Is that how it works?

JOHN BALASH, LEGO MASTER FINALIST: Yes, that's correct.

When I heard the theme was animals, I am actually quite fond of animals, so I had taken some practice runs. And with the bricks available, I just came up with the owl. So...

O'BRIEN: And is part of the deal you have to use as many of the blocks as possible as you're given? Is that part of the deal?

BALASH: I didn't think that was part of the deal, but I used as much as possible.

All right.

Daniel, you came up with the dog. And explain where you got that inspiration, because you have to think quickly, don't you?

DANIEL KRAHN, LEGO MASTER FINALIST: Actually, my friends have a pit bull named Otto. And he's getting neutered later this week. So I decided I'd do a little tribute to him.

O'BRIEN: So we can't see that portion of the Lego model and how you represented that. and maybe that's just as well. How long did you have to make your neutered dog?

KRAHN: I had 45 minutes and we only got 2,000 bricks.

O'BRIEN: Forty-five minutes, 2,000 bricks.

Aaron, you went for a lion sitting beside a kitten.

AARON SNEARY, LEGO MASTER FINALIST: That's correct.

O'BRIEN: And I assume you had the same number of bricks, right?

SNEARY: All of us had 2,000 bricks, 45 minutes. It started out, actually... (CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: You had 2,000 bricks, but does the color matter? Do they give you the colors, or is it just 2,000 bricks, you choose the color?

SNEARY: It was a complete mix. There was quite a bit of different colors. I started out, actually, building a koala bear. You can't tell. I realized I did not have enough tan. And the legs of the koala bear turned into the front paws of the lion, because there was yellow.

O'BRIEN: Oh, how much of this is kind of freeform? You start with koala and end up with lion, Aaron.

SNEARY: Absolutely. I was just thinking on my feet. I knew I only had 45 minutes. My wife has actually been testing me, asking me to build things. And she's always asking me to build animals, so this was a really easy task for me.

O'BRIEN: Is your wife a big supporter, or does she sometimes say, would you grow up, Aaron, and move on, please?

SNEARY: Actually, she's a very big supporter. And I really appreciate all the help she gives me.

O'BRIEN: All right.

John, let me ask you. If you should prevail and get this job, are you going to drop everything and do it?

BALASH: Yes. I'm a junior in college at Notre Dame of Ohio. But I definitely think that I would try to pick up night classes out in California. And sorry, mom, I definitely would go out to California.

O'BRIEN: So that would be it? It's off to the left coast and fame and fortune as a master builder. And so much for the fighting Irish, huh?

BALASH: Yes, Legoland or bust.

(LAUGHTER)

O'BRIEN: Daniel, how about you? If you win, is this your future career?

KRAHN: Definitely. I've already made up my mind that, if I win, I'm going right out to San Diego to pick up that job and leaving school at Virginia Commonwealth University.

O'BRIEN: All right, there you heard it. They're all going to Legoland, should they win. They are off to San Diego 1st of the year. They say they aren't sworn enemies, at least just yet. And we wish them all well in the competition ahead. We'll keep you posted on their progress. Thanks, gentlemen. Good luck.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: All right.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired November 13, 2003 - 15:13   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Legos provide hours of fun for lots of children and their dads every now and then, too. But some adults as well are not ready to put their favorite childhood toy away at all. This is -- Shaq bust? Is that what that is? That looks like the Mona Lisa.
It's one of the models made by Lego maniacs who want to play with Legos for a living. Yes, kids, you can do this for a living. Legoland launched the search for its next master builder yesterday in Washington.

And we have three finalists on their way to San Diego at the 1st of the year for the big main event. Screen left, John Balash, who did a wonderful owl. Aaron Sneary in the center, who did a lion -- excuse me, he's screen right. He did a lion and a kitten. In the middle, Daniel Krahn, who did a wonderful dog. I'm going to show you those in just a minute.

Let's start on the left-hand side of the screen.

John, how did you get the inspiration for doing the owl? As I understand it, you have a time limit and a certain number of pieces to play with? Is that how it works?

JOHN BALASH, LEGO MASTER FINALIST: Yes, that's correct.

When I heard the theme was animals, I am actually quite fond of animals, so I had taken some practice runs. And with the bricks available, I just came up with the owl. So...

O'BRIEN: And is part of the deal you have to use as many of the blocks as possible as you're given? Is that part of the deal?

BALASH: I didn't think that was part of the deal, but I used as much as possible.

All right.

Daniel, you came up with the dog. And explain where you got that inspiration, because you have to think quickly, don't you?

DANIEL KRAHN, LEGO MASTER FINALIST: Actually, my friends have a pit bull named Otto. And he's getting neutered later this week. So I decided I'd do a little tribute to him.

O'BRIEN: So we can't see that portion of the Lego model and how you represented that. and maybe that's just as well. How long did you have to make your neutered dog?

KRAHN: I had 45 minutes and we only got 2,000 bricks.

O'BRIEN: Forty-five minutes, 2,000 bricks.

Aaron, you went for a lion sitting beside a kitten.

AARON SNEARY, LEGO MASTER FINALIST: That's correct.

O'BRIEN: And I assume you had the same number of bricks, right?

SNEARY: All of us had 2,000 bricks, 45 minutes. It started out, actually... (CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: You had 2,000 bricks, but does the color matter? Do they give you the colors, or is it just 2,000 bricks, you choose the color?

SNEARY: It was a complete mix. There was quite a bit of different colors. I started out, actually, building a koala bear. You can't tell. I realized I did not have enough tan. And the legs of the koala bear turned into the front paws of the lion, because there was yellow.

O'BRIEN: Oh, how much of this is kind of freeform? You start with koala and end up with lion, Aaron.

SNEARY: Absolutely. I was just thinking on my feet. I knew I only had 45 minutes. My wife has actually been testing me, asking me to build things. And she's always asking me to build animals, so this was a really easy task for me.

O'BRIEN: Is your wife a big supporter, or does she sometimes say, would you grow up, Aaron, and move on, please?

SNEARY: Actually, she's a very big supporter. And I really appreciate all the help she gives me.

O'BRIEN: All right.

John, let me ask you. If you should prevail and get this job, are you going to drop everything and do it?

BALASH: Yes. I'm a junior in college at Notre Dame of Ohio. But I definitely think that I would try to pick up night classes out in California. And sorry, mom, I definitely would go out to California.

O'BRIEN: So that would be it? It's off to the left coast and fame and fortune as a master builder. And so much for the fighting Irish, huh?

BALASH: Yes, Legoland or bust.

(LAUGHTER)

O'BRIEN: Daniel, how about you? If you win, is this your future career?

KRAHN: Definitely. I've already made up my mind that, if I win, I'm going right out to San Diego to pick up that job and leaving school at Virginia Commonwealth University.

O'BRIEN: All right, there you heard it. They're all going to Legoland, should they win. They are off to San Diego 1st of the year. They say they aren't sworn enemies, at least just yet. And we wish them all well in the competition ahead. We'll keep you posted on their progress. Thanks, gentlemen. Good luck.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: All right.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com