How Richard's childhood passion led him to a unique career with a Japanese company
This week we caught up with Richard, one of our popular adventure guides from Hungary. Richard has been an enthusiastic Lego collector since he was a child, and is now among our most popular guides. Kids can't get enough of Richard's Lego and dinosaur themed adventures, as well as his energetic and engaging personality!
We asked some questions about his experience working with Mimmy, as well as his advice to aspiring adventure guides. Check out the interview below!
Question: What made you interested in
working with Mimmy Adventure?
Answer: I started an Instagram account about 2 years ago, and I started posting my Lego figures there; mostly my Lego castles, as I had a big collection. About a year ago I stumbled upon Mimmy, who at the time were gathering guides. They were interested in my stuff, and I was really interested in teaching English with Lego!
When I was little I watched so many Lego videos on YouTube, but although there was background music during the videos, there were no spoken words, and I thought commentary would have made the experience better. I also really love to teach, and so this was an amazing opportunity for me! Since then I’ve been conducting various different kinds of adventures - I’ve also been doing adventures about dinosaurs, which were another big part of my childhood!
Question: Have you ever tried making YouTube videos yourself?
Answer:
Actually, yes! When I was in primary school, from 5th to 7th grade I had
a YouTube channel! I made gameplay videos and it was a lot of fun. I had a
small fanbase, but I stopped making them in 8th grade. There was one very
important thing I learned from that experience - video editing. When I started
doing adventures here, I benefitted from that. I usually do videos with a
little pre-recorded footage, and I edit it in. There were some really good
things that came from my YouTube experience!
Question: As a content creator, how is Mimmy Adventure different from YouTube for you?
Answer: First of all, I don’t think a video could ever give the same feeling of interaction as an adventure with Mimmy does. Yes, there are comment sections and livestreams, but it’s not the same as having the kids on screen in front of you and showing you their own toys! It’s so great to see them! I do some drawing sessions at the end of my adventures too, and the kids show me theirs. I don’t think I’ve experienced that with YouTube, and I don’t think I will. I really think the interaction is what gives Mimmy its magic.
Question: As a content creator, are there any benefits for you that you enjoy while doing Mimmy Adventure instead of YouTube?
Answer: I think that I’ve found an audience
that really appreciates my content, and I don’t think I could have found an
audience like this as fast on YouTube. I’m the type of person that really likes
to meet people and connect. On YouTube I couldn't feel the same way. I really
like to watch videos there, but as a content creator I don’t think it served
the purpose I was looking for. Interaction is a 2-way thing, from both my side
and the kids’ side.
Question : Which do you think is more time-consuming; making a YouTube video versus an adventure?
Answer: It really depends on the type of content you make. Making one adventure from scratch takes time for me, but it gets easier after that. With YouTube it’s always new content from scratch. I think it would take more time to make regular YouTube videos at the pace I do adventures, and it doesn’t pay off quite as well. For example, maybe 10 people watch my video, and one person hits the like button. And I don’t have the instant interaction.
Question: What is it about making dinosaur and Lego content that you enjoy?
Answer: Well, for me it's the joy of these activities. I've collected a lot of Lego during
the last 2 years and I don't play with it the same way I used to,
but I really like organizing it and making dioramas. I really like to look at it; it's a stress
reliever for me. And then when I can show the kids, it's so much fun! I love
showing my interests to others, because they don't get tired of it! They don't get tired of looking at awesome knights, because it's a kid thing to love knights and horses and dragons! It's just so amazing to see that they're interested in what I'm showing them; what I'm interested in, they're also interested in! Combining teaching with my hobby is the best thing for
me.
Question: What different impact in terms of learning do you think you have on the kids, especially about Hungary, which can’t be compared to learning about it from a textbook or from Google?
Answer:
Speaking from my own experience, I learnt Russian in secondary school,
where I just went to regular classes. Then one day real people from Russia came
to our class, and it was so different to see them face to face. I could ask
them questions, and they could show their culture to us in real time. Putting
it into this perspective, when I'm saying Szia! directly to the kids (hello is Hungarian),
it's very different from hearing someone saying it in a video. Or when I show them my garden,
they may say, ‘Oh, that looks like my garden, but it’s also different! We don’t
have those trees!’ I’ve shown them the fields outside my city, which was
amazing because they were covered in snow and ice.
I think when you show kids your country
face-to-face and interact with it, it’s totally different to showing them a
video. It’s more like a 3D experience than a 2D one.
Question: What would you like to say to those that admire your work and would want to apply as guides?
Answer: There are 2 ways you can do an adventure; either scripted or unscripted. Scripted adventures are probably the safer option, because you won’t struggle with them. For me it’s more fun to do an unscripted adventure, as the interaction with the kids is more natural. However I did my first unscripted adventure after about 6 months, as I felt I needed more experience first. I advise new guides to do scripted adventures at first, to get a feeling for it. An unscripted adventure is fun, but it needs experience – this is an important thing to take away as a new guide.
Also I’m sure that everyone who applies
will love it if they show something they like! The most important thing is to do something you’re enthusiastic about, and the kids will be enthusiastic too! You should do something that you like, and you will transfer that feeling, and that happiness.
Question: What tips do you have for new applicants to help them make their application to Mimmy Adventure more appealing?
Answer: First of all, be sure not to use copyrighted material!
Also, you should think about what you liked as a kid. It's always the things that are moving, glowing, sparkling or colorful that attract kids! You have to fascinate them, and choose an adventure type that you can always make more out of. I don't mean 'more of' as a quantity, but as a quality; you can always improve on it. I can always show kids a bigger Lego castle, because I can always make one. You have to think like a kid before choosing an adventure; what did you like to see as a kid? Also, think about what you didn't like as a kid - what you thought was boring will be boring for them too!
Catch up with Richard via his Instagram @legowiththekindcrusader !
If you have a hobby you want to share with
kids here in Japan. let us know!! Check out our main recruitment site at
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