Tucson Standard

After years of sharing his work on social media, first-year University of Arizona Student Liam Mohajeri Norris is taking his building talents to television as a contestant on season three of the competitive series "LEGO Masters" on FOX.

It will be Norris' biggest stage, and his biggest challenge, he said, in a release from UA.

"Not only are you building under a timer, but you also have to build these really large, beautiful models that will look good on TV," he said. "That's very different than what I and most Lego builders usually build."

Norris, an aspiring screenwriter and director, will compete alongside his mother, Emily, who also happens to be his biggest supporter.

"As his mother, I was the natural provider of Lego sets and his sounding board," she said. "I am his 'ooh and ahh' team."

The stakes are high, but so is the ceiling on what one can create with the LEGO tools at their disposal, Emily Norris said.

"It's such a joy," she said. "There's this amazing brick pit with over 5 million pieces and 3,300 different kinds of bricks. It's amazing to have this gorgeous display of Legos at your fingertips."

That's a necessary component of the process, Liam said, because everything is bigger on "LEGO Masters."

"On TV, our builds need to be big and recognizable from across the room," he explained in the release. "There is a balcony that the judges stand on. They need to be able to know what your build is while seeing it from the balcony. You have to be able to convey the story through an instantly recognizable build."

Building with LEGOs has been a lifelong passion for Norris, he added.

"When I was about 13 years old, I started a Lego design club for the kids in the community and I started participating in LEGO Ideas, where you can submit projects that could get made into actual sets if they get enough supporters," he said.

This is no mere labor of love for Liam, nor is it a simple hobby. He's using the experience to gain skills he can use in his career, taking full advantage of the time to learn more about film and TV production while on the set of the show.

"I talked to every producer and director I could," he said. "I learned a lot about presenting on camera, how to advertise and how to network and connect. These are important in film and television, but also as general life skills."

Building with LEGOs is also a good mental activity, he explained.

"Lego requires problem solving," Norris said. "It's relaxing and helps me reset."

"LEGO Masters" premiered Sept. 21 on FOX.