Transformers: Beast Machines
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
103) Who would you love to work with, and whom do you admire the most in your profession? What is it about story editing that appeals to you?
In my profession? I admire Paul Dini. He's a genius, pure and simple, with a different angle on any story than anybody else can/will ever come up with. When I see his name on a script, I know I'm in for a great story -- always! (We've worked together several times in the past, and I've always had a blast.)Actually, Marty and I have worked with tons of people we've loved working with, such as Michael Reaves, Jeff Kline (the producer on Extreme Ghostbusters and Godzilla, who developed those series and deserves a *lot* of credit for why those series work so well!), Alan Burnett, and on and on and on.... and we've loved working with all of them. The upshot is that I get to work with lots of people I respect and admire, and they all always ask to work with us again, which makes me feel very, very successful ("success" being based far more on happiness in life and working environment than, say, purely monetary issues). All of the people we like working with like working with us. (Which doesn't completely answer your question, but gives you an idea of why I personally love what I'm doing professionally.) ((The short answer would be Steven Spielberg and George Lucas and James Cameron... but hell, that would be *anybody's* answer!))
What is it about Story Editing that appeals to me?
I get to spend a *lot* of time in one universe (as opposed to visiting/assimilating new shows/worlds on a biweekly basis as a writer on somebody else's series), and I get to shape that world. On "BattleTech", Marty and I got to write a novel for television! On "Beast Wars", we're getting to tell a longer novel, working with our favorite writers, and for a much larger audience! It's satisfying, *very* satisfying, largely because when the show is finished, the overall series is very much a reflection of the Story Editor's vision. And in the case of Beast Machines, Marty and I are extremely excited about how all of the elements are pulling together, in terms of characters, storylines, themes, rising conflicts...
Trust me, there's no better, more satisfying job than shaping a world and watching it grow. (Story Editing is thus not a job for just anybody... it's only for people with delusions of godhood!)
104) I have seen some of your work on series such as the X-Men, Batman, Superman, and the Gargoyles. From this I know you can make shows that have the maturity and depth that I want to see Transformers retain. Unfortunately, many fans have pointed out time and again their dislike for the Godzilla series. It isn't because of the writing, and I enjoy Godzilla a great deal, but the biggest complaint is the repetitiveness of the series (similar events occur every ep). Was being repetitive your idea, or the TV execs, or was it simply an inability to come up with anything else for the series to do? I could see some problem finding a challenge for Godzilla every episode otherwise. Also, will BM be more original, or will repetitiveness be a factor?
I don't think *anybody* would ever cop to being deliberately repetitive (even if they're writing songs for the Spice Girls!). Also, I don't think our episodes of Godzilla *were* especially repetitious. (Point out which ones you felt were especially redundant, so we can see what you're talking about.) We tried to have a variety of conflicts between our characters, so that character-beats wouldn't be repeated endlessly. And a variety of monsters, all revealed in new and (hopefully) interesting ways. If you feel we failed, then, hey, how can I disuade you? I just don't happen to feel that we did. I *like* the series! (And the yet-unaired episodes feature some of our very best work so far!)Will Beast Machines feel repetitive? Not to us, it won't! *You* tell us what *you* think when it airs. We welcome your comments - positive and critical alike.
And by the way, if you liked our "maturity and depth" in our previous shows, we've gone out of our way to highlight these elements in Beast Machines. Again: let us know what you think.
105) Will there be love relationships in "Beast Machines"? Will any of the characters have love interests? Especially the villains. You never see the main villain in cartoons have a love interest, is there a possibility of this happening in Beast Machines?
What an *interesting* question...! (In other words... "Wait for it...!")106) A while back near the beginning of season 3, Larry DiTillio said that if there was a fourth season there was a possibility that they would delve into the characters’ pasts, before the Beast Wars began. Since he is no longer writing, is there still a possibility that you will give us a glimpse of what life was like for them pre-Beast Wars?
Not *exactly*. But we are delving deeper into the characters themselves, giving them personal stakes that only get higher, and conflicts between one another that only get hotter. In other words, if you liked these characters before, you'll be fascinated by the directions we're going to be taking them.107) In beast wars we seldom saw the characters doing anything for fun, there was the time the predacons were playing cards, the time rattrap was playing video games, and I think that’s it. I like to think that war is not the only thing on their minds and that they do exercise some sort of recreation. Will we see anymore of this? Thanks!
Personally, Marty and I would love to give our characters "down time" and send them on the nice long vacation that I personally would like to be taking right now. Sadly, events will keep them from playing videogames, Chinese checkers, or Parchisi.108) When you're developing the personality for a villain, what do you look for inspiration?
The reason Why he is doing what he's doing! Badguys with no motivation, who are evil just for the sake of being evil? BO-RING! I like villains with a point of view, whose intentions are totally understandable from their own perspective. Who are not evil, but good, at least in their own minds! So whenever I have a villain, the first thing I want to know is what is he after and why!(Parenthetically, I think that the Nazis were ultimately fascinating -- and will continue to remain fascintating -- because they *were* so absolutely evil... and yet not a single one of them from Hitler on down to the lowliest footsoldier would ever have thought of himself as such. It's how these monsters justified their evil actions in their own minds -- in whatever passed for their souls -- that makes them so interesting. From their perspective, these "people" were actually doing the right thing... and were motivated (as twisted as this sounds) by love and not hate! Exploring a twisted brand of thinking like that is a gold-mind for people interested in the human condition, and it would be a mistake to merely dismiss the Nazis as just a bunch of crowd-following monsters. ((And it would be an even bigger mistake to try to justify their evil acts by apologizing for them -- which I am *not* doing here, believe me!))
(So I guess what I'm saying here is that whereas the Nazis made great villains in Raiders of the Lost Ark, they made for more *interesting* characters in, say, Schindler's List and Apt Pupil.)
(Two more great examples involve Satan. The reason that The Exorcist -- the greatest horror film of all time (Bar none! None!) ultimately doesn't work for me as a story is that everybody has a solid point of view (the little girl, her mother, the 2 priests, the detective) EXCEPT for the character who is driving the whole damn story: The Devil (or the demon Pazuzu, if you read the novel). Think of how much better that story would have been if we'd been given some understanding what the devil had to gain from making a little girl vomit green pea soup! It's the only failing in an otherwise GREAT film... but as far a failings go... it's a biggie!)
(On the other hand, Satan's viewpoint is expressed with wonderful clarity in Milton's Paradise Lost, which remains the single greatest work in the English language. Treating the fallen angel Lucifer as a vicious/childish malcontent, Milton eloquently illustrates *why* he was driven to usurp Heaven from God... and *why* he would never/will never learn from such a monumental failure... leading him to again defy God by defiling His Creation: Paradise! Milton thoroughly articulates Lucifer's viewpoint so that you know just what the devil is after and *why*... and it makes for a much more satisfying read. And for a much richer, less simplistic villain!)
(Saying the Devil is bad: duh, that's easy. Exploring what demons are driving this demon's soul: riveting in a way that will never, ever get stale!)
(Lastly, understanding someone's point of view is *not* the same thing as sympathizing with it! I'm not suggesting for a moment that we should ultimately sympathize with the Nazis or the Devil! I'm just saying that trying to understand what would motivate these people/characters make them richer *as* characters. Are we all clear?)
109) Do you have any tips for breaking into the industry? What kind of College courses did you take to get into your current line of work, and/or what would you suggest some one who wants to follow in your footsteps, so to speak, take in College in preparation?
Read! A lot! And write! A lot!Read things that you love, and try to understand *why* you love them.
And then try to create for yourself that thing (movie script, novel, short story) that you've always wanted to see but nobody's bothered to make yet. (Do NOT -- ever -- try to follow a trend that you see. By the time you see it, it's *over*, and your "fresh" take on it will seem a stale as last year's Wonder Bread.
How do you break into the business? Everybody I know did it his/her own way! No two success stories are ever alike.
110) Have you met your animation staff in person? How closely does the writing staff work with the storyboarders and animators?
We are working closely with Ace Fipke, our producer, and *he* works closely with the directors/animators. Marty and I *have* met many of them, but since our lookout is the writing, our basic relationships are with our team of writers.111) Did you get to pick your character staff from a selection of upcoming toys or did Hasbro just send over info on who was going to be in the show? Did you get to see the toys that didn't make the show?
For the first season, we were given a set of characters, and then we added one of our own (which Hasbro instantly wanted to make as a toy). For the second season, we're going to be adding some "new elements" (ie: new characters or old characters with new alterations).We did *not* make selections based on toy designs. The characters in the series, and the ones we are adding to it -- are informing Hasbro with toys to make. Their designs, based our our specifications, are informing the production company how to design the models. (We later get notes saying, "Oh, he doesn't have wings now" or "The bazooka arm is now a gatling gun" or whatever, based on production or toy-design needs.) So as you can see, there's a lot of back and forthing! Everybody has a major say, with us writers both giving cues and taking cues, with common sense as the final arbitor.
112) Will the faction symbols be different?
We'll see.113) Are you going to show any bloopers at the end of the episodes?
No plans for it so far! There's too much story already, with no time left over for bloopers. (Or would you rather we spent less time on story and more time on gags?)114) What is your favorite BW episode(s), and who is your favorite character on either side. Thanks for talking with us, it’s a promising sign.
You're very, very welcome.My favorite character is a young guy you haven't met yet... and my favorite episode is one you're going to be seeing in just a few short months!