Sacramento siblings Nick Micheels and Kyndall Raydon share their whirlwind journey on LEGO Masters Season 5, along with the intense behind-the-scenes challenges.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — When Nick Micheels and his sister, Kyndall Raydon, received a last-minute call to fly out for LEGO Masters, they had no idea the whirlwind of creativity, pressure and sibling teamwork that awaited them.
The Sacramento duo appeared on Season 5 of the FOX competition series, where teams of LEGO builders are challenged to create ambitious designs under extreme time constraints.
“We didn’t find out we were going to go on the show until the night before,” Micheels says. “We got a call saying, ‘Hey, we need you to fly out tomorrow morning.’ It all happened very, very fast.”
The journey to the show began online. Producers discovered Nick through his Instagram, where he shares original LEGO creations known in the LEGO community as “MOCs,” short for My Own Creations.
“They originally found me through my Instagram,” Micheels says. “I’d done some fan designs and that’s how they reached out to see if I was interested in the show.”
When asked who he would bring as a teammate, Micheels didn’t hesitate. He said Kyndall’s creativity, energy and natural personality made her the perfect choice.
“She was high up on the list of someone I wanted to bring,” Micheels says. “She’s super creative, she already loves LEGO and she has the personality and vibes the show looks for.”
The two siblings said the opportunity to compete together made the experience unique.
“We don’t really argue,” Raydon says. “If anything, I was trying to keep Nick from panicking.”
Representing Sacramento on a national platform meant a lot to both of them.
“Sacramento’s creativity is exploding and we wanted to show that on a national stage,” Raydon says. “We’re not from the Bay Area– Sacramento.”
Micheels added that being one of the only West Coast teams made the experience even more meaningful.
“We really wanted to say, ‘We’re from Sacramento,” Micheels said.
Filming took place in Atlanta, Georgia, where contestants spent several weeks without returning home between episodes.
While challenges may appear seamless on TV, Micheels explained that builds are broken into multiple segments.
“You’re not building for ten hours straight,” Micheels says. “It’s usually broken up into chunks, but you’re still on set for about ten hours a day. It’s exhausting.”
Bathroom breaks actually count toward building time, Micheels said.
“If you need to go to the bathroom, that actually takes out of your building time. You can’t stop the clock,” Micheels said.
Despite having access to millions of LEGO bricks, contestants don’t get every part they might want.
“They told us they had the most bricks ever this season,” Micheels says. “But there were still pieces we were used to using that weren’t there. It really tested your problem-solving under pressure.”
The first challenge brought an unexpected twist: a Star Wars-themed build instead of the Sacramento-inspired ideas the siblings had prepared.
“We had ideas to build something inspired by Sacramento, the City of Trees, the Tower Bridge,” Micheels says. “Then we walked in and realized it was all Star Wars. We just looked at each other like, ‘Oh no.’”
Kyndall added that the sibling dynamic helped them navigate the stress during the competition.
“I was just trying to keep the pace moving where we would get stuck, instead of panicking,” Raydon said.
Contestants are never truly alone on set. Every moment is surrounded by cameras, crew members and boom mics. Yet camera operators are trained not to interact, which can be disorienting.
“I tried saying ‘excuse me’ to a camera operator once,” Micheels says. “He just ignored me completely. I realized very quickly, they do not exist.”
The show’s host, Will Arnett, also brought a different side to life on set. While his on-screen humor is family-friendly, the siblings saw a broader range of his comedic personality.
“He’s constantly doing bits that could never air,” Micheels says. “It actually helped everyone relax.”
Judges Jamie Bearard and Amy Corbett, both veteran LEGO designers, also made a lasting impression. Bearard is known for modular and architectural sets, while Corbett created the hugely popular LEGO Friends line.
“They’re exactly how they seem on TV, warm, kind and incredibly knowledgeable,” Micheels said.
Since appearing on LEGO Masters, Nick’s LEGO career has continued to flourish. Around the same time filming wrapped, he learned his fan-designed Twilight Cullen House had been approved for production and is now available on store shelves.
“I got to work directly with the LEGO Group to redesign it for production,” Micheels says. “That’s really been my focus since the show.”
Kyndall, meanwhile, emphasizes the pride of representing Sacramento.
“It means everything,” Raydon says. “People still think of it as a small cow town, but there’s so much creativity here.”
Even though their time on the show was brief, the siblings hope their story inspires others to explore creativity.
Micheels encourages fans to check out his LEGO creations, including the Cullen House, to support local talent.
“Go check it out,” Raydon says. “Support Sacramento and all the talent we have here.”
Watch the brick builders from Season 5:
ABC10: Watch, Download, Read