Lemon Zing FAQs

Q: Why does Mother sound like she's about ready to keel over in scene one? Was Edna McLego ill when this was filmed?

A: In fact, she was ill. Unbeknownst to the rest of us, while we were filming the first take of this scene, she was having an allergic reaction to the polymer in her wig. Her wig was built around a separate stud on top of her head, and when she removed the wig, the stud was completely disintegrated. Her head is alright now, but she did have respiritory problems for several weeks after shooting that scene. Ultimately, we ended up not even using that scene, for unrelated reasons, but we did use that audio, because she wasn't able to speak. In the final take, she doesn't move around nearly as much as she did in the original, so she sounds like she's exerting herself just standing there.

Q: How did you make that nifty running-water sound, that sounds like tiny, little water running into a tiny, little bathtub? And why does it continue on, even when water shouldn't be running?

A: What you're hearing was entirely unintentional, er, I mean, serendipitous. It's the sound of airplane engines sped up 70% . It makes nice Lego running water, though, doesn't it? I tried to be aware of ambient noises, but airplanes are such a constant part of my existence, living within spitting distance of an international airport, I honestly don't hear them. It took me ages to figure out what that sound was. Tinkle tinkle.

Q: Why does your audio sound like it was recorded on a Kid Pix microphone?

A. Because it was.

Q: Who did that awesome music? It sure doesn't sound like it was recorded on a Kid Pix microphone.

A. Jeff Oster is the mega-talented writer/artist of "Matt's Mood". You can hear the entire song on his CD called "Released", which we listened to constantly during the seven-hour drive to Legoland, and never got tired of. He's got some new stuff out now, so click on the link. It's all good.


Q: Wow! Alan Brickman is amazing! Will you and he be working together in the future?

A. You betcha. I've written the script for a re-make of a film called "Dark Harbor" which is just begging to be re-made in Lego. Alan Brickman will be playing "Dullard", who is my version of "David", who's played by Alan Rickman in the original. Man, that's confusing, isn't it? I don't think we'll start filming in earnest until September, though.

Q: What's "Sausage on a Skewer" supposed to be?

A: It's a parody of "Hot Dog on a Stick", which is a little fast-food place found in California malls. The young ladies (and as far as I can tell, it's always a young lady) who work there have to wear big, silly hats and squash lemons for their lemonade by doing a kind of full-body workout, which is kind of reminescent of Lucille Ball on the wine-making episode of "I Love Lucy"--only it's vaguely demeaning, in a slightly amusing way. You'll either know what I'm talking about or you won't. I attempted to replicate that, but soon realized that some things just can't be done in Lego.

Q: If no one has actually seen "Lemon Zing" yet, then how did it come to pass that so many of these questions have been frequently asked?

A: Wouldn't you like to know?