MEET THE MAKER: THE BUILDER BEHIND THE VISION
INTERVIEW BY GIORGIO D'ALBANO
48th episode: 
NICK TROTTA a.k.a GALACTIC PLASTIC
NICK TROTTA a.k.a GALACTIC PLASTICWhere are you from and what did you study?
I live in San Francisco. Before coming to California, waaaaay-back-when, my academic background was computer engineering
What do you do, what job do you do now?
I’m currently taking an opportunity for non-job-related pursuits, including travel and visits to fellow AFOLs. Previously I spent a fun twenty-plus years with Sony and PlayStation in various engineering activities
What inspired you to become a LEGO builder?
I love that it’s a physical construction medium, mixing a beautiful system of possibilities with real-world constraints. I love that designs are transferable, a worldwide community of builders can create and recreate and evolve one another’s work. And I love that it’s still a toy, brightly colored bits that invoke fun
Where do you get inspiration for your creations?
Spaceship(s)! I often begin a project with a “mood board” pulling visual language across various types of media, classic 2D game sprites, and other physical models
What is your favorite LEGO work that you have built so far?
I feel my designs are somewhat of-the-moment, a product of the elements available when they were designed, so I find it hard to rank work across the years. But… I probably have a special love for my 2020 spaceship The Heavenly Strike
What has been the most complex challenge you have faced as a LEGO builder?
I adore problem solving and can spend gobs of time trying to achieve a “perfect” fit, a certain color flow, or a particular line. This time investment has been trending larger-and-larger each year, taking longer on every new model, trying to harness power and possibilities from new parts. This means my most severe challenge was usually my most recent build
Do you have a favorite technique or a special method that you use in your constructions?
I think I utilize a wide variety of techniques and I’m always looking to expand on the toolset. I enjoy sharing how my models work (via design videos), kind of like “open source software”, perhaps inspiring or helping others to expand their toolsets too
What themes or subjects do you like to explore the most in your creations?
I’m all about space, but wish I could build well in a broader portfolio. I’m in awe of those that can flow between genres!
What is the largest or most ambitious project you have ever made?
Per answers above, my most ambitious project was my most recent model, the R-104 Metal Heart. It’s dense with problem solving, was a blast to sort out, and is super fun to assemble
What advice would you give to someone who wants to become an expert LEGO builder?
Experiment with spending much (much!) more time on a single model to see what happens: Make a rough physical sketch of the model, and then start over. Then take every subsection and start over. Keep iterating and refactoring. And in the end, commit to keeping the intact model on display
Link Construction Videos: https://www.youtube.com/@nicktrotta
Link Online Portfolio: https://galacticplastics.com/
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