YAP | EDITORIALS
YAP | INTERVIEWS
I met our artist, Andrew
West, over 5 years ago in a little videogame shop in North Vancouver, British
Columbia. We struck a fast friendship out of our mutual love for games, anime,
and comic books…and a mutual distaste for the way modern society seems to insult
our collective intelligence on a day-to-day basis. I promised him that one day
I would write something special - an epic story that he could illustrate and
perhaps, just for fun, we could publish ourselves.
FLASH forward (pun intended) to 8 months ago - I'm crashing at a neighbour's
pad (briefly homeless…but that's another story) and working on scripting some
videogames for Electronic Arts Canada. The neighbor showed an avid interest
in my contract work and, after many late-night chats over pots of tea and sessions
of MP3 'borrowing', another bond was forged. It just so happened that said neighbour,
a pre-legal (at least by alcoholic standards) Ian Kirby, was a hero with multimedia
and web design…and a friend of Andrew's.
More tea. More mind-altering conversations into the wee hours. More synchronicities.
An idea was birthed on
a sunny afternoon on the back porch that's down a ways on East Kings Rd - three
creators talked about what was missing in modern-day storytelling and decided
to take a chance. They knew that there were others like themselves. There had
to be.
For those who want to lose themselves in a mystery…
For those who wish to relive the scary stories told under blankets with flashlights
on…
For those who are bored of clicking to make something dance/explode/vomit/excrete…
For those who know that something's wrong.
Put your headphones on. Turn out the lights. Breathe deeply.
This is for you.
-Brooke Burgess-
I met our writer/director/producer/creator,
over 5 years ago. It seems like it was just yesterday that we were discussing
vids and anime and other stuff at his store - the store will remain nameless.
Brooke Burgess of course being the clerk at said store - again nameless. Thus
a friendship was spawned. As for Ian Kirby, our friendly neighbourhood Flash-master-flex?
Well, we met at a local high school, which we both attended.
Synchronicities????? Well, either way…we’ve been buds ever since.
Fast-forward some amount of time…BOOM. Brooke Burgess and Ian Kirby collide.
But actually, I don’t even remember how the lovers met. ;-)
Brooke came to me with an idea. An offer I couldn’t refuse. It wasn’t like my
life was going anywhere. So we decided to create a world. He handed me an archaic
storyline and I did up some crude character designs, and Ian did his own crazy
design/flash magic. And very much like the universe, Broken Saints came with
a bang. Of course, at that time we didn’t even have that name. It was always
on the tip of everyone’s tongues - after some tea, tears, and tantrums we finally
emancipated ourselves and gave it a name.
Fast forward to NOW. Broken
Saints is out and we hope the world can enjoy it. There was a lot of love put
into it, and even more to come. As a child I watched all kinds of cartoons and
read comics. Great stories have always kept me up at night for days. Ultimately,
it is my wish that Broken Saints can do the same for all the viewers.
So sit back relax, turn the lights down low, and enjoy the fruits of our labour.
Cheers,
Andrew West
"We'll add your site
to our links section next week...what would coincide nicely with that would
be an editorial from you on our site. Make it about whatever you want - you
can focus on comics in general, storytelling, artwork...heck, rabid ferrets
if you wish :-)"
And with that e-mail, I began to wonder exactly what Brooke was thinking when
he was writing that to me. Sometimes I gotta wonder about him, writing exactly
like I do.....being the director//writer/producer of Broken Saints......He's
certifiable, that's for damn sure. Giving me space to work my ramblings is dangerous,
as you can probably see by my own website, which is now linked from this wonderful
website. Like I said, he's certifiable.
Then I began to think about something else......what the hell should I ramble
on about in an editorial for another website! I'm used to rambling for my own,
and I already reviewed Broken Saints on my own site......So what? Rabid ferrets?
Hell, I don't know anything about rabid ferrets. Hell, I don't know anything
about ferrets period! Comic books are my bag. I know a thing or three about
comics. I don't know much else about anything though, unless you include my
brush with the occult or my Star Trek addiction. (Original series and The Next
Generation......none of the other junk that bears the name of Star Trek) So
I guess I should ramble on about comics for a while......that makes sense considering
that's what I know the most about.
Now that I've decided what
subject to ramble on about.......What about comics should I talk about? Storytelling,
artwork, graphics, websites, writing.......The list is endless about what I
can write about......Damn......editorializing for another site is harder than
I thought! Hmmm.....once again I should probably talk about what I know. Creating
books, drawing and writing and publishing......Oh geez......once again I've
got a choice to make.
Creating comics is a rough business. You start with small steps, like an idea,
then slowly move up further and further through the food chain until you have
a plot. From the plot come character designs, from the character designs and
plot you get the script. Then you draw it out (or if you're not artistically
inclined have it drawn out for you). If you're lucky, you've already got a place
to publish your work. Otherwise you're stuck looking for a place for a helluva
long time until you realize that it'd be cheaper to self-publish in this bastardized
industry.
You see, that's why we need the revolution - The revolution of the independents.
A group of independents that just create for the sheer joy of it, bringing you
works like Twilight: Liturgy, Broken Saints, and other great titles that I haven't
found yet. (But I know that they're out there!) And ya' see, the fans are needed
in this revolution. It's the fans that make or break us We need your input -
your participation - beyond anything else!
We the creators have a
huge responsibility. We're here to entertain YOU. We need your help to make
this revolution noticed, and I know that you're up for it. Countless times I've
read your gripes and bitches about the current state of the industry…your worries
about weak plots and characterization, and artwork that has been going downhill
for the past decade. We're here to say we've been listening, and these are our
responses to your complaints: A revolution will begin with us, and then be put
into your hands. What revolution am I talking about? Well, it's certainly not
Joe Quesada becoming EIC of Marvel Comics. That's a small step that might actually
be too little too late. Now I'm not down on Joey da Q or anything...I'm just
saying that one step isn't enough. The entire system of comic books needs this
overhaul, and we're just the beginning. It's not the Warren Ellises, the Alan
Moores, or even the Neil Gaimans that will save our industry. While I admire
each of these individuals beyond all belief, and yes even call them my heroes
at times, I know that the salvation of the industry falls with you, the fans,
and getting more of you onto our websites, buying our publications if we publish
offline, and letting us know what YOU want to see!
The revolution of the independents...it's born with us, but truly begins with
you.
Martin R. Oakley
Creator - Bloodstained Productions - www.bloodstainedproductions.com
BROOKE
BURGESS
Planet
Gamecube Interview- 05.10.01
Back before the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Brooke took the 5 hours over two evenings to engage in an AIM Chat/Interview with Planet Gamecube cub-reporter Mike Orlando. Normally one to leap at a press opportunity, Brooke was suprisingly leery or this one, since there wasn't a lot of concrete stuff to discuss concerning Broken Saints videogame developments...YET. However, Mike proved to be a quick with the retorts and thorough with his research (and it didn't hurt that he was Canadian :) )
Mike Orlando: Let's start
off with the big question: Is Broken Saints making a video game for the Nintendo
Gamecube?
Brooke Burgess: I am negotiating with several publishers with that as my goal,
yes.
Mike O. : Would you be able to disclose the name of any of these publishers
at this current time?
Brooke B. : My round squishy bits may end up sacrificed were that the case.
;) So I'd say a big no there, fellah.
Mike O. : Lets turn the conversation to your website and online comic, Broken
Saints for a minute. How long was Broken Saints been in planning before you
started going live?
Brooke B. : Approximately 6 months. Character designs, storylines, and initial
technologies were all covered during this period.
Mike O. : How many stages of production are there in getting each episode together?
Brooke B. : Whoa...(pardon the Keanu-ism)...It starts with me devising a shotlist,
which then goes to Andrew for storyboarding and shot approval. After Ian approves
the number of shots (file size approximations) and special effects plans, we
move onto colouring and inking. Then Ian and I do layout, mix audio (and create
effects), and work on special effects. I lay in the final dialogue and fine
tune as the last stage. So what's that...7?
Mike O. : Wow. What was the inspiration for Broken Saints?
Brooke B. : I've wanted to write a big story arc in the graphic novel medium
for ages...I was triggered to the poetry and possibilities by such classics
as The Watchmen by Alan Moore and The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller. But
it wasn't until reading Neil Gaiman's Sandman Anthology that I knew I had to
give this a shot.
Mike O. : That's quite a list. What (if any) were some of your previous comics
projects?
Brooke B. : None...but I've been writing for a LONG time, always with a dramatic
sensibility ;) Lots of plays, short films, weird projects, etc. Even working
in the games industry let me spread my wings a little when it came to level
design and cinematic creation. Comics are essentially more passionate and detailed
storyboards for film, as far as I'm concerned.
Mike O. : The gaming industry? Well, I didn't see that aspect popping up in
this interview, but we may as well explore it. What stage are you currently
at in finding a developer for the potential Broken Saints videogame?
Brooke B. : Cute...let's see...what can I say... Currently, I'm discussing particulars
of the property and game design with multiple publishers. We're discussing platforms
right now...it seems that some publishers aren't as keen on making a Nintendo-only
original concept title as I am.
Mike O. : Why would you like to see Broken Saints an exclusive Gamecube game?
What personal and business advantages does that decision yield?
Brooke B. : Well, personally I'm a great advocate of Nintendo platforms and
their design philosophy. After the beating they took in the 32/64 bit race due
to lack of diversity and 3rd party support, it just seems to make sense that
a mature and ORIGINAL title could work wonders for them...creatively and fiscally.
Mike O. : Your praise for Nintendo has been noticed through your own words,
and hints on your website, such as various pass codes which correspond with
up and coming Nintendo products. Why so much respect for the big N?
Brooke B. : I respect master storytellers in ANY medium...be it Shakespeare
in theatre, Tolkien in literature, Moore and Gaiman in comics, Lynch/Gilliam/Kubrick
in film, etc. Nintendo, and more specifically Miyamoto-san, are masters of their
craft, and immerse you in the medium in a way - even with an action game - that
tells a compelling story.
Mike O. : And my psychiatrist told me it was wrong to love both Kubrick and
Nintendo. If this Broken Saints game were to materialize, what genre would the
game most likely turn out to play as?
Brooke B. : Not many games have really hit me cerebrally/psychologically...sure,
there are some PC titles, but I've always felt that console games are more engaging
and immersive (the whole pick-up and play philosophy). The last game to do that
for me was a little title on the SNES called Shadowrun. It was an action RPG
with a wicked storyline, interesting characters, a disturbing world, and pretty
decent interfaces. If Broken Saints were to become a game, it would end up in
that sort of mould...with major twists, of course ;)
Mike O. : With what is known, would the potential BS game mimic the storyline
and characters of the comic, be a completely new story with new faces, or a
bit of both?
Brooke B. : Depends on whether there's a GBA version or not :-)
Mike O. : You're getting ahead of me, but we might as well jump to the GBA section!
Are their currently any plans for a GBA Broken Saints videogame?
Brooke B. : Well...I can't say that I'm against the idea. I love what I've seen
of the platform so far. Our 2D art-style certainly lends itself to the medium...even
the screen size seems perfect for a Flash comic :) The only drawback would be
turning by my cousin Tobias' amazing music into MIDI loops. If the sound was
decent with headphones on, then I'd definitely humour the idea...in conjunction
with a Gamecube version, of course.
Mike O. : Excellent! There were not nearly enough action/adventure/RPG's with
atmosphere on the GBC (understandable considering the medium and technology),
and a B.S. GBA game would fill in a potential void in the same genre for sure!
Moving back to the Gamecube side of things; Was a B.S. game always in your minds
or was it something that came about? The elemental aspect of character bios
seemed to suggest an RPG from the get go...
Brooke B. : Umm...I'd like to say that a game was at the forefront of our thinking
from day one...but it honestly wasn't. Sure, there were a few daydreams, but
I really had to see how much of an impact the story would make on the WWW audience
first before moving forward with any plans of moving BS into other mediums.
That said, as we started designing the website, I just had this visual of a
presentation akin to a videogame front-end. Ian and Andrew smelled what I was
cooking, and the rest is history (and currently...conjecture :))
Mike O. : Excellent. In your opinion, which genre has least reached it's full
potential with the quality and innovation of its corresponding games? And, no,
F.R.E.E. isn't a genre!
Brooke B. : Haha...so what you're asking is which gameplay style has yet to
truly evolve on current/pending hardware?
Mike O. : Yes, and not just the recent generation we went through, but accumulating
every generation of videogames, which genre hasn't lived up to the task in comparison
with its brothers?
Brooke B. : Hmm...this might surprise you, but I'd have to say that SHOOTERS
have yet to really the relative envelope. I'm not talking FPS like Half Life
or Perfect Dark, but stuff more in the vein of Starfox or even Contra. My favourite
arcade game of all-time was a classic from Williams called Robotron (I actually
have it standing in my living room right now - and it WORKS!)...it had the perfect
balance of Fight-or-Flight that keeps you on a totally different mental/physical
plane. You are constantly in a raw state of SURVIVAL. There were moments in
Starfox 64 that touched on this sensation in 3D, but I'm hoping that future
developers plan on creating some stellar shooting experiences that bring back
the glory days of "twitch" gameplay.
Mike O. : Wow, surprising answer! Mixing 'shooter' with 'broken saints' has
suddenly made Sin and Punishment pop into my head. Which currently released
or upcoming Next Gen (((PS2/XBOX/NGC))) game(s) display a similar production
and/or art style that you envision in the potential BS game?
Brooke B. : Hmm...from what little I know of the titles, I would have to say
that Silicon Knights' offerings - Too Human and Eternal Darkness - would come
close in terms of what I'd like to see BS become on the Cube. I also think that
Silent Hill GBA is a great template to build upon.
Mike O. : My fondness for Silicon Knights is never hidden (damn, we Canadians
rule!), and I agree that the SH series does share a similar dark, yet... off
theme, that at least the current episodes of Broken Saints show. It is unfortunate
that the GBA version of Silent Hill has the same amount of gameplay as your
comic though ;). Back to the potential game, were Nintendo to have some sort
of an online network announced or implemented by the time the BS game had began
initial development, would you consider giving the title online features? If
so, to what degree?
Brooke B. : I'm actually working on integrating online elements into the design
now, so I'm open to suggestions :-) I've been cruising the BS Forums for opinions,
playing a little Phantasy Star Online, and yapping with some designer/producer
pals who are online pros...I think that the focus would have to be on the single
player experience (it would just be too difficult to integrate multiple players
and still create a disturbing atmosphere for all)...that said, I could definitely
see possibilities for downloading new chapters and areas to explore, gaining
clues on the website or in the game that give you expanded access. Anything
that doesn't cheapen the story.
Mike O. : While PSO is one of my most favorite games, it really shows how introducing
mass multiplayer can eliminate the chance for a deep story, let alone any plot.
A couple of very quick questions ; FMV or In Game Cinematics?
Brooke B. : In-Game Cinematics, most definitely...I've championed them for a
long time, as the transition is much less jarring for the player.
Mike O. : Amen. 2D/pixels or 3D/polygons?
Brooke B. : Depends on the game and platform! I think that GBA will offer a
wonderful chance to resurrect sprites and 2D gameplay...as we've seen with titles
like Guilty Gear X and the SFAlpha series, 2D art can be stunning and effective
in the right context. Polygons are wonderful when a sense of visual depth is
required - which is the case for 99% of games today :-) Do I think that polys
and BS are a match made in heaven? Perhaps...if the polys were cell-shaded and
the environments were rich enough...perhaps.
Mike O. : Cell shaded? Interesting! And GGX is a beautiful game, you'll get
no argument here.
Digital or Analog? Which is better in general for gaming, and for your idea
of your game?
Brooke B. : Moving forward, the benefits of analog are obvious - greater control,
plain and simple. Not just for 'transportation' titles (racing, vehicular stuff,
sports), but obviously for action/platform games as well. It will be a LONG
time before anything matches that sensation of running Mario in a circle for
the first time on the N64. Brilliant. For Broken Saints though, I think that
digital control would be fine, since advancing the story would be less about
precise motions and more about choices made.
Mike O. : This next one is assuming that the title will turn out to be akin
to Shadow Run, Zelda, and Final Fantasy. Action or Turn/Menu based... or other?
Brooke B. : You'd know the answer to that one if you played Shadowrun ;-) I'd
rather not comment on specifics of gameplay right now, as I'm crossing my fingers
for some innovations to happen.
Mike Orlando: What do you feel Nintendo's main strengths and weaknesses are?
Brooke Burgess: It's strength IS it's weakness...it manages it's own business
affairs and game creation/releases with an iron fist...this creates a tier of
software and an intimacy with hardware that NO 3rd party publisher can match.
So...you get the best games in the world, but you also frustrate 3rd parties,
which, as we've seen, can shoot you in the foot.
Mike O. : Do you, as a potential 3rd-party feel threatened or frustrated?
Brooke B. : Not at all, because I'm not looking to release the next technical
masterpiece or groundbreaking all-ages franchise catalyst. I want to tell a
good story with decent control for the player...and anyone, third party or not...can
do that.
Mike O. : What are your thoughts on the current state of the gaming industry?
Brooke B. : ... (thought you meant Monopoly there for a second ;))
Mike O. : Ha!
Brooke B. : Let's put it this way...all entertainment mediums are suffering
for quality content right now. Most films suck. Most music licks. Most TV blows
(are you sensing a theme here?) :) Games are no different...and it's a reflection
of current cultural trends. All entertainment forms are. So, I'm hoping that
someone (nudge, nudge, Nintendo) can resurrect that sense of wonder that games
used to inspire. I haven't felt that way since Ocarina of Time :(
Mike O. : The best game of all time. It will be hard to live up to, or even
come close to those standards, but not impossible for sure. In your opinion,
which market is more important to a console's success : Japan, North America,
or the combination of the other assorted markets such as Europe and Australia?
Brooke B. : Well, even though raw numbers would say North America, I think we
can look at past trends and see that Japan is the litmus for a console's success.
I don't necessarily know why (other than the fact that I think gamers/companies
in Japan perceive interactive entertainment as more of an art form, so the cream
tends to rise). But all you have to do is look at history...umm, except for
some handhelds...and Neo Geo...and Turbo-Graf...nevermind :)
Mike O. : Finally, an inconclusive answer! If you want to live up to Nintendo's
standards, you're going to have to produce more than one of those! (But wait
until after this interview, of course…)
Broken Saints is located in Vancouver, Canada and there have been many rumors
that Nintendo may be starting up a 'Nintendo Of Canada', specifically in British
Columbia, which would be a developer. Have you heard anything surrounding this
rumor?
Brooke B. : I've heard the rumblings. I can't say that I'm not excited by the
idea.
Mike O. : Damn straight! For you, what is the biggest reason to develop for
the Gamecube as a 3rd party, big or small?
Brooke B. : I think that you have an untapped audience of hardcore gamers...educated
players who grew up with Nintendo...looking for games that will grow with them,
games that were developed with the same design philosophy as internally-developed
Nintendo games have always had. Right now, there are almost NO third-parties
that are driven to tell compelling stories with their games. You could argue
Square/Enix, but my feeling is that we've played all of their best stuff in
the 8 and 16 bit eras anyway. We're discussing platforms right now...it seems
that some publishers aren't as keen on making a Nintendo-only original concept
title as I am.
Mike O. : You sir, obviously have not played the Bouncer! An epic masterpiece,
for sure! ;) Speaking of Square, Yamauchi has been very outspoken on his, and
Nintendo's opinions of Square when it comes to the GBA. What is your stance
on 'outspoken' developers like Jason Rubin, Lorne Lanning, and Denis Dyack?
Is a little friendly ribbing lively and fun, or disrespectful and embarrassing?
Brooke B. : I'm all for the ribbing. I think that along with healthy corporate
competition should follow a degree of frankness. I for one cannot STOMACH niceties
and politics...it gives me hives. If something sucks, I say so...so why can't
companies or their key representatives?
Mike O. : Because you might hurt their feelings! Alright, we've heard your opinions
on the Gaming Industry, but we don't know what role you have played in it. Tell
us about your first experience with the gaming community.
Brooke B. : Well...first I played games. Then I sold games (at a Microplay in
North Vancouver, Canada). Then I sold some more games as a part-owner of a specialty
store. One day a man came in and we chatted about game design, and how nothing
today really compares to the old 2-bit days of Atari and Intellivision (I was
humouring him at the time, but there was some truth in it). After a few months
of discourse, it turned out that the man was a big shot at EA Canada, and he
basically offered me an Assistant Producer's position on the spot. Then I did
my 3 years in the trenches at EAC. :)
Mike O. : So what exactly does one do as an Assistant Producer at EA Canada?
Brooke B. : Fetch coffee...cover asses...kiss said asses ;) But seriously...
High and low-level game design, scripted sequences, dialogue generation, sound
design (guiding the technicians), ADR, lots of QA, marketing tidbits, too many
meetings, and e-mail, e-mail, E-MAIL. Basically you're a jack-of-all trades.
Mike O. : Why, thank you!
Brooke B. : Sassy bastard.
Mike O. : Hey, the Canucks are out of the playoffs, what am I supposed to be,
nice? Ha! Anyway, sir, do you still hold the same position at EAC or a different
one?
Brooke B. : I am no longer a full-time employee of Electronic Arts Canada...no.
The relationship is still a pleasant one, however, as I do contracts for them
on occasion.
Mike O. : Mob contracts!!! ;) So that's why there's never any real competition
in the sports genre. RUN VISUAL CONCEPTS!!! Seriously though, what sort of contracts?
Brooke B. : They primarily consider me a 'writing resource', so I'm usually
hired to generate dialogue, or 'doctor' existing dialogue in specific games.
Mike O. : Any recent games our readers may have heard of?
Brooke B. : A couple, in fact. I was responsible for the original story and
character creation for Bond Racing PSX (I did some mission design and dialogue
as well, but a lot got discarded during the crunch to get it out the door before
Xmas)...as well, I managed the entire rewrite, translation, and recording for
KESSEN on PS2.
Mike O. : Interesting. Have you had a hand in developing any game(s) for the
Cube yet by any chance?
Brooke B. : Umm...no comment.
Mike O. : Now that's what I'm talking about. I think you'll do just fine developing
for the Cube. I heard that you were the producer on Beetle Adventure Racing.
First off-dude, it was (& is) a great game! What exactly was your role?
What part of B.A.R. is pure Brooke Burgess?
Brooke B. : It actually isn't that accurate, but there is SOME Brooke Burgess
in there. Producer Scott Blackwood was the indomitable will behind BAR, and
Art Director Scott Jackson also had a huge impact on the design of the game.
I put a lot of my energy into Beetle Battle (the multi-player game, but all
of us contributed to that), the front-end vibe, all the cheats/codes, but most
of all my thing was SOUND (not music, as Scott B also championed this category).
N64 games were traditionally considered to be sickly sounding, and no-one was
eager to take on the task. I worked with an excellent sound tech at Paradigm
to create a 'scape that was pretty damned immersive considering the hardware/coding
limitations. Anyone who watches Broken Saints can tell you that audio plays
a VITAL role in that project...and in my cinematic sensibilities.
Mike O. : Perfect, let's get to the comic. What programs are used to create
a finished chapter in BS? As far as the visuals go, aside from the obvious computer
effects, is the core of each episode hand drawn and scanned in, drawn on the
computer or a mixture of both?
Brooke B. : Drawn in Photoshop and Painter 6 on a Wacom tablet by the inimitable
Andrew West :)
Mike O. : What size is the tablet?
Brooke B. : I think it's the largest...I think something like 9X12? Don't quote
me on that size though.
Mike O. : Lucky bastard! I have a 6x8 I think. Quality products for sure. ONLY
AT HTTP://WWW.WACOM.COM ! <http://www.wacom.com> Do you have anything
to say about the good people over at Wacom, Brooke, or would you like to inform
us about the other programs/utensils used to make a finished BS chapter?
Brooke B. : Let's move away from product whoring for now ;) Of course, we use
Flash 5 authoring (thanks to the lovely folks at http://www.macromedia.com)
and some Dreamweaver for the website. Sound Forge for audio. Adobe Illustrator
for some stuff. Umm...Microsoft Word :)
Mike O. : Think we'll get anything for the plugs?
Brooke B. : Send your cheque or money order to...
Mike O. : I think I've already sold my soul to Satan. Speaking of the Devil,
have you caught any heat for the religious overtones / spiritual aspect of Broken
Saints?
Brooke B. : Not at all...In fact, most readers have been overjoyed that someone's
finally taking the medium beyond cheap gore and flatulence. (***Note: since
this interview, several subscribers have asked to be REMOVED from our mailing
list due to 'religious conflicts'. We haven't been called Satanists persay,
but we are rubbing a few rhubarbs the wrong way =) BB)
Mike O. : Right. As long as you admit that Conker rocks the Cazbah, I am relieved
to hear this. What is your opinion on the recent lawsuit revealed by some parents
involved in the Columbine incident?
Brooke B. : Parents should try actually PARENTING. 'nuff said.
Mike O. : I'd comment, but I'll just get myself in trouble. People who know
me already know my stance on the subject, in that what they're doing is a crock
of sh- oh yeah! I wasn't going to comment. Moving on…
As you mentioned earlier, music and sound plays a large part in Broken Saints.
What kind of music inspires you, and what do you and fellow BS staffers like
to listen to during a long days work?
Brooke B. : I'm really inspired by the darker side of Classical music...Requiems
and the like (totally OLD-school death metal :)), but really it's a case of
anything that moves me emotionally. However, in the office Ian and Andrew control
the flow of MP3s, and that tends to be quite the interesting spectrum covered.
Mike O. : What similarities have you encountered in making Broken Saints (the
comic) that is comparable to game development?
Brooke B. : The necessity of milestones...tuning...the QA process...creative
squabbles ;)
Mike O. : I see. In your opinion, what are some of the biggest problems with
comics in recent years?
Brooke B. : Derivative storylines...the sense of 'been there, done that'. Sure,
there are some exceptions, but other mediums are becoming so dynamic with effects
tools and narrative styles that the comic industry in general can't keep up.
Foil/chrome/embossed covers just don't cut the mustard.
Mike O. : What are some of your favorite comics? All time and current?
Brooke B. : 100 Bullets is cool...Smith's run on Green Arrow right now is interesting...JLA...I'm
a big DC/Vertigo fan. As for older stuff, I worship the stories of Grant Morrisson,
Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, and Frank Miller. Do your research, and you'll know
what titles I'm talking about ;)
Mike O. : Um... I know who Big Moose is... Many people in the funnybook business
have attributed the decline of comics to video games rising in popularity. The
Saints are attempting to dip their feet into both pools -what are your thoughts
on the matter?
Brooke B. : I think that interactive stories can definitely eat into comic sales,
because they essentially tap into the same 'escapist' vein. We used to read
comics because we could imagine ourselves with certain powers in certain situations...with
games, we HAVE those powers in those same situations.
Mike O. : That's an interesting outlook on the situation. Moving away from reality
a second, If you could have any super power, what would it be?
Brooke B. : As far as super-powers were concerned, comic-wise I'd have to go
with Green Lantern! To be able to construct ANYTHING out of sheer WILLPOWER?
Wow. What would I do with it...hmm...world peace, and lots of green chicks (my
own personal She Hulk sounds dandy).
If you check-out my BIO at BS, you'll see the other power that I'd dig: Karmic
Gravity. Basically, this would allow the good people to fly :)
Mike O. : Sounds good to me! After Broken Saints pt.24 what next?
Brooke B. : For the first time in my life I'm not 'projecting'...that is, I'm
living in the present to the greatest degree possible. Once it's done, I'm sure
my next challenge will present itself.
Mike O. : As I write this, Ch. 6 is about to go live. We've met all the key
characters & they're about to meet each other. What should viewers expect
for the next phase of B.S.?
Brooke B. : Easy tiger...who said they're about to meet each other ;) Viewers
should expect to slowly discover more about what links the four, as well as
how far-reaching the implications are. Oh, and you can expect to be creeped
out...A LOT.
Mike O. : Um...thanks? Seriously, I cannot wait. Alright, time for some opinions
on random matters that are hopefully related enough to Nintendo that they won't
be cut. What are your top 3 most forward looked to games?
Brooke B. : Zelda Cubed...duh...Starfox cubed (not Adventures)...and a three-way
tie between Mario/Luigi's Mansion/Wave Race Cubed/and Super Smash Bros...oh
wait...there's one more for that OTHER system: Soul Caliber 2
Mike O. : Wave Race is going to be killer for sure. What would you most like
to see Nintendo announce at E3?
Brooke B. : I'd like them announce their plans for Interactive Entertainment
Domination...ahem...but seriously, I'd love to hear more about their blooming
ties with Namco (Soul...cough...Caliber), Sega (Sonic in SSB?!?), and Capcom
(2-D figthers on the cube, dammit). I'd also kill for a BIG surprise or two
- and something tells me we might get just that :)
Mike O. : I pray every night that Nintendo would sign a contract with Konami,
granting Nintendo exclusitivity to Konami's big sequel. I think you know what
I'm talking about. Zombies Ate My Neighbours 2 Baby!! Oh man. If you could have
full creative control on an established Nintendo franchise game for the Cube,
which one would you choose, and why?
Brooke B. : STARFOX. I know stories, and I know shooters, and I think that a
slightly more mature version of Fox and the gang with communication/mulitplayer/online
features, intense space/planet battles, and mind-bending bosses/effects would
rule the roost.
Mike O. : And you'd give Slippy back a man's voice, right? RIGHT?? Oh Slippy,
why? Sigh. Anyway, Which developers hold the most respect in your books, and
why?
Brooke B. : EAD1,2,3...Yu Suzuki's teams...some of the Stamper Bros. stuff...Hideo
Kojima...guys that can tell good stories in an ENGAGING way.
Mike O. : Interesting. What is your most memorable gaming moment?
Brooke B. : I have a couple...missing a third-year mass comm. theory exam so
I could break 6 million on Robotron...getting to the 156th level on D&D
Treasures of Tarmin for Intellivision...beating Cliffhanger the Laserdisc game
(based on the Lupin anime series)...running Mario in a circle and riding Epona
with Link. Ah...the memories :)
Mike O. : For me, it was watching that cutscene in Final Fantasy 8. Man. What
positiv es do you see in the NGC's controller when compared to the Dual Shock
2 or the Xbox controller? What negatives?
Brooke B. : Well, it looks like it's modeled a little after the Virtual Boy
controller...say what you will about the dearly departed Boy, but the controller
just felt 'right' in your hands. I also love the 'beaner' buttons and the camera
stick. Great design. Unfortunately, I still think that they threw the digital
pad in as an afterthought.
Mike O. : FINALLY, someone understands my Virtual Boy comparison! Where are
your babies, I want to have them! Pick one : NES, SNES, N64, or Gamecube. Why?
I guess you can throw in Virtual Boy too.
Brooke B. : SNES. Best combination of quality gaming experiences and acceptable
technology levels (good sound and visuals). Of course, I haven't seen the Cube
yet ;)
Mike O. : So close though... Aside from comics and gaming, do you have any other
special interests or hobbies?
Brooke B. : Film nut. Travel enthusiast. Appreciator of the female form.
Mike O. : Female form? Err.. he means calligraphy, kids! Ha ha ha! Do you have
any advice to people out there looking to make their own comics?
Brooke B. : Online tools make it a LOT more feasible/affordable than print publishing,
and you have the opportunity to reach a MASSIVE audience....there's nothing
stopping you but time and desire.
Mike O. : Alright, time for a little word association. I'll say a word, you
tell me what first springs to mind...
Brooke B. : OK
Mike O. : Miyamoto.
Brooke B. : Brilliance.
Mike O. : X-Box.
Brooke B. : Hype.
Mike O. : Canada.
Brooke B. : Proud.
Mike O. : Raimi.
Brooke B. : Paranoid...that, or Sam ;)
Mike O. : Heh, NDA.
Brooke B. : Cage.
Mike O. : Nintendo.
Brooke B. : Respect.
Mike O. : Broken Saints.
Brooke B. : Me...and Andrew..and Ian.
Mike O. : Go teamwork!!
Brooke B. : Hahaha...Well, the 'me' meant I often feel like a Broken Saint...the
three of us do...hence the title of the series.
Mike O. : Which one rumor that you've heard that involves Nintendo excites you
the most?
Brooke B. : Capcom becoming a Second Party.
Mike O. : That is an exciting prospect. Final question I'll ask. Who is going
to win the Stanley Cup?
Brooke B. : GO LEAFS GO!
Mike O. : Oh wait, that wasn't my final question.
Brooke B. : Easy tiger. Meesa needs some sleep.
Mike O. : Alright. Finally, is there anything you'd like to say to the readers
of Planet Gamecube in particular?
Brooke B. : Don't buy crap...your gaming dollars hold more weight than you know.
By buying only compelling software, companies will get the hint to MAKE only
compelling software. If we eat the slop they feed us, we'll just be fed more
slop.
Mike O. : Well Brooke, I'd just like to thank you for allowing me to chat with
you for not only one, but two days to fill up this massive interview. I know
I speak on behalf of all of Planet Gamecube and our loyal readers when I say
keep up the good work at Broken Saints.com, find a publisher, and lets see a
BS Gamecube game!
Brooke B. : Thank you for letting me vent, man...Word is bond!!!
With that final
exchange, Brooke bid Michael a fond adieu...and
spent the remainder of his evening drinking aftershave and downloading fine
barnyard adventures on Bearshare. He wishes the thank Mike and the gang at planetgamecube.com
for yet another opportunity to poison the youth of today.
It was a sunny Sunday afternoon in North Vancouver when we dragged Andrew away from his PC and out into the sun for his first ever interview, and the first site interview for Broken Saints. We had to make this quick, as his skin was crying out for sunscreen...
BS: So Mr. West...let's cut to the chase, shall we. What's the deal with you
and Broken Saints?
ANDREW: Have you read my EDITORIAL? Why don't you do some research, you freak ;)
BS: Ouch. Score one for the angry Irishman. Seriously, why are involved in this project - for FREE, no less?
ANDREW: Because it's fun...'cause one day I MIGHT get paid...umm...'cause I'm working on elevating my skill level and my sense of discipline (smirks).
BS: Okay...(returns smirk)
ANDREW: Hey! Don't make that face at me, you punk! ;)
BS: Easy, tiger...
ANDREW: I'm lucky. I get to be an instrumental part in telling an amazing story with two...umm...wonderful fellows (stifling laughter)
BS: Alright. Why don't you tell us something about Ian and Brooke then?
ANDREW: Didn't you read THEIR editorials? Their BIOS? Man, you really are a hump.
BS: Tell us something about them we DON'T already know!
ANDREW: (tilting head and staring off pensively) Hmm...okay...let's see. Umm...Brooke's new haircut is cool. Ian may look pretty, but his forehead's slanted. I'm probably just jealous that Ian's office chair is nicer than mine. Uhh...Brooke has impressive muscles. (laughing out loud now) Hey, I'll admit that the working dynamic gets me totally stoked. They're great to work with. Of course, I'm usually wearing headphones.
BS: Describe a typical Broken Saints workday.
ANDREW: From when I get up? Ok. I get to Ian's place around 7:45AM. Turn on the computer. Do 2 hours of e-mail. We have our tea-time meeting for an hour at 10AM. Then I head back downstairs for a few minutes of work. Play some guitar for inspiration. Have lunch for an hour. Sit in the sun and 'brainstorm". Go back inside and do a picture or two. Go home. (suddenly realizing what he's said) Oh shit...they're gonna read this, aren't they?
BS: Just like I read your editorial. Well Andrew, your job sounds extremely taxing. What's the office vibe like?
ANDREW: It's comfy. Nice. As I said, it's Ian's pad...his parents are nice and clean. ;) I've got a glass-topped desk...that's phat with a 'ph'. It's never boring. We've got some cool distractions.
BS: What tools do you use?
ANDREW: What are you implying? (laughter) Corel Painter 6...Photoshop 6 and Illustrator 9...Umm...I use a lot of Internet Explorer too. ;) As for hardware, it's a WACOM tablet (9X12), an underclocked SONY Gigahertz PC (we underclock it so pussy Painter can work without crashing everything).
BS: You mentioned headphones. What music inspires your best work?
ANDREW: I dunno. I'd have to say, at least for me, more obscure whack shit. Right now, I'm loving Radiohead, Dave Matthews, and Steve Vai (Brooke makes the Heavy Metal salute in the background). Sometimes I like the wannabe gangsta rap crap. It amuses me. If my headphones are off, then whatever MP3 Ian is playing is fine. But trust me...my headphones stay ON. Ian plays the same song until it's beyond dead.
IAN: (poking his slanted head around the corner) It's true. It's true. I shant deny it.
BS: So, how do you feel about all the accolades and fans the site and story have garnered? You must be pretty impressed with it all.
ANDREW: Until the 3 of us get on the cover of Teen People or Tigerbeat, well, I won't be content.
BS: Plans to form a Broken Saints boy band?
ANDREW: Exactly.
BS: Your credits blurb mentions your dream of doing character designs for the videogame industry. What game stuff turns your crank?
ANDREW: Currently? Guilty Gear X is sweet. Soul Caliber rocks, especially Voldo. Umm...I hate Square and the Final fantasy series, at least everything after Chrono Trigger on the SNES, but I do respect their character designs. Of course, there's Capcom and Street Fighter 2...so good.
BS: Whoa, someone's got a beat-'em-up obsession. I guess that explains the similarities between SF2's Sagat and Oran's design, hmm?
ANDREW: Man, everyone says that. Sagat's bald and scarred. Oran's bald and scarred. Call the lab...they must be twins. (smiling)
BS: Then what's your obsession with the follicly-challenged. Both Kami and Oran have smooth pates.
ANDREW: Well, I attribute that to the big influence that Mr Clean had on me in my formative years. He's very manly.
BS: Umm...that's creepy. Did Ian and/or Brooke have any input on the characters?
ANDREW: Yup. I let them offer their ideas...then I ignored them and did my own thing ;)
BS: How do you think the project's going so far?
ANDREW: Great. We're getting mad awards...people love us...what else could you want? It's hard keeping up with things, though...oh, and paying for bandwidth's a bitch. All we need now is that call from Nintendo...hello, Peter Main =)
BS: So, eveyone wants to know...why Nintendo???
ANDREW: No other company entices me to play games like they do. Their stuff is DEEP. Sega's pretty good, too...but Nintendo's consistent. I can hide in my room for days and live on only Nintendo gameplay...it's that good.
BS: So...when you're locked in your room for hours, and you're not playing games, what else do you do to pass the time. And please...no answers that involve the word 'lotion'.
ANDREW: Your Mom. (laughing) I like playing guitar. Umm...I spend WAY too much time watching TV.
BS: Favourite show?
ANDREW: Has to be the Simpsons. The laughs just keep bringing me back.
BS: Sometimes culinary tastes say a lot about a person. If you could only eat ONE food, what would it be?
ANDREW: Oh man...that's a toss-up. Either spaghetti...or hot wings. My Mom cooks both at a level of mastery. Hmm...but I'd have to say that in the end, RICE wins. You can't hate rice. Hating rice is a crime.
BS: Andrew your favourite beverage to wash your snacks down?
ANDREW: Water.
BS: You're so chic.
ANDREW: You're actually writing that down? (smiling) I like chocolate milk, too.
BS: What about all the hormones?
ANDREW: The hormones help me feel like a man's man.
BS: Dude...your poor testicles.
ANDREW: (misheard) What? I've got four testicles???
(laughing our collective asses off)
BS: Anyway...where do you see Broken Saints going? Any artistic changes or narrative directions you can share?
ANDREW: See, I can't answer that. I only know the story up 'til Chapter 11.
BS: What? Brooke hasn't told you the rest?
ANDREW: Nope. He's a secretive man. We're in the dark. As far as art goes, Chapter 7 is going to be different - I used charcoal for a good portion of that. Some other cool painting styles coming up in the next few. But what I really want to focus on is improving my watercolour techniques.
BS: Some of your watercolour work is profound. A lot of people say that your style is more about emotion that traditional technique. What makes you 'feel' a picture or scene.
ANDREW: Sometimes the right music. A mood. Just a vibe that day. Something I saw on TV or in a movie the night before. A dream. Random shit.
BS: What work are you most proud of from the series/
ANDREW: My own? Umm...I really hate my chapter work. How about we just talk about the Concept Art ;)
BS: How about the pics of Shan in Jazzball? Some of those are sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.
ANDREW: Hehehe...yeah. Those were fun, but Brooke wanted to take it even further...really pornographic...he pushed for the last picture of the boys in G-strings...take that for what it's worth. (uproarious laughter and threats of injury)
BS: How about effects? Any single moment stand out for you?
ANDREW: Hmm. Probably the end of the fight scene in Chapter 3. That's the part where Oran starts to shake like crazy and come towards the camera. That was just nuts...right before he cuts Hassan. Nice effect.
BS: Favourite chapter overall?
ANDREW: 4 or 5.
BS: Really? Those two seem to be the least popular in the guestbook and on the forums.
ANDREW: I like them because I feel they represent the best storytelling in the series so far.
BS: How do you see the characters evolving?
ANDREW: They all get freaky cyborg attachments by Chapter 16. That's so we can sell action figures. Then the aliens invade. Then...umm...shit, I can't be serious about this! ;)
BS: Anything you're looking forward to trying on the series?
ANDREW: I just want to start viewing my work as 'professional'. Right now I would still classify myself as 'substandard'. I want to look down after I've finished a pic and say "WOW". I guess I just want to impress myself for a change.
BS: What's your biggest strength?
ANDREW: Sketching. I feel my pictures are much better BEFORE I ink them.
BS: Biggest weakness?
ANDREW: Like I said...inking. My line work isn't consistent. My hands aren't steady enough to do it justice. You might have heard the joke from chasing Amy about inkers being "tracers". Inking is fucking hard...you can't be some geek off the street and hope to ink. No way.
BS: Other than character art and art direction, what do you bring to the Broken Saints table?
ANDREW: Assholic tendencies. If Ian or Brooke show me work that sucks, I'll tell them.
BS: And how do they react to your...umm...candor?
ANDREW: They love it...they always praise me. (breathless gasps and nasal guffaws in the background)
BS: And when they aren't praising you?
ANDREW: They curse the fact that I was born.
BS: What would you do if you couldn't do art?
ANDREW: I'd be a pro snowboarder. That's where I feel totally free. Either that...or a minimum wage cook at a mountain populated by pro boarders ;)
BS: Finally, any other dreams besides Broken Saints and boarding?
ANDREW: Nope. No dreams. I get to draw...that's a dream. Actually, my dreams draw me. Does that sound weird?
BS: After watching Broken Saints...not at all.
END OF INTERVIEW...
IAN
KIRBY :
Interview- AUGUST
20th - 9:30AM to 12PM
Legend of AIM chat - SaintCubed = webmaster / iandkirby = duh!!!
SaintCubed: We've finally been able to get ahold of what is perhaps the busiest of the Saintly beavers - Ian Kirby. Say hello the the people, I-dawg!
iandkirby: welcome all!
SaintCubed: Let's start
at the beginning....how did you get involved with the genesis of Broken Saints?
Iandkirby: :)
SaintCubed: you are going to say more than a goofy-assed smiley-face, yes??? ;-)
iandkirby: it all goes back to the roots of andrew and brooke. i met andrew through high school then met brooke last year. brooke mentioned the idea to me and i told him the knowledge i had in the internet and...it just started. i was just thinking today how fast it has gone. when you're working on something you love time flies!
SaintCubed: Gotta love a good segue - what exactly IS (or WAS) your internet/technical knowledge at the time. A lot of people want to know what's entailed in starting a project of this scope.
iandkirby: i've spent most of my life in front of a computer, as sad as that might be, so it has all come fairly easily to me. i've had one since i was born. radioshack t100 or something. 1981 baby! i started with 3d animation and photoshop when i was 13 and got into flash just before brokensaints. photoshop is so essential in what we do so i was lucky i had a strong knowledge in that. i spend equal time in photoshop as i do flash making brokensaints. programs are easy to learn. if you learn one they (generally) follow the same ideas.
SaintCubed: So you just learned Flash last year?
iandkirby: well...about 6 months before broken saints i was playing around with it.
SaintCubed: "Playing around"...nice. See kids, we're not encouraging you to drop out of school...but sometimes "self-taught" is the way to go!!! OK...so while we're on the subject of Flash, let's break it down in more detail. Describe the process of putting Andrew's art, Tobias' music, and Brooke's text into Flash...and how it all comes together.
iandkirby: ahh.. yes the shitmix.....um. it starts with me reading throught the shotlist (or at least as much as my attention span can handle) and then bringing in all of andrew's shots into photoshop. he works at 1060x640 so it leaves me some room for manipulation. i'll then do some basic airbrushing for shading and try to give some shots more depth. drew's art looks pretty sweet anyway. i just try and give it a few touches. i'll then break up shots into layers for export as a *png for flash. i try to not always use 24bit alpha png's if i don't have to. as soon as you bring in an alpha channel your file size will start to choke. if i can mask out an object (if it has a hard edge) i will just use a vector mask in flash. after laying in shots into the timeline, with many questions for brooke, i'll start working on certain effects for the chapter. brooke and i will then start placing dialogue and adjusting timing. we're always tweaking the chapter throughout the process. the last layer to overlay is the audio. we'll jump into soundforge and mix up the loops to best suit the situation/characters we need. then it's a quick test on some slower machines...and then we launch the bisznatch!
SaintCubed: Cool...looks like the tech-heads are finally getting some of that sweet 411 ;-) So...all things considered, what would you say are the biggest strengths and weaknesses of working in Flash? Any times you were frustrated? Any times where you were surprised by what you COULD do?
iandkirby: frustration is a big one. no matter what medium you work in you are always going to be limited. whether it be by the software, the time constraints or budget. we're a little screwed in all of those areas. :-) flash is not built for what we're doing. for any editors out there, imagine trying to create a film which will play sometimes at 14fps or maybe 20fps. oh yeah, and the audio will play at the regular rate and end early if the timeline only plays at 14fps. these things make it pretty tough. b-bone always give me a tip on this: the better i learn how to deal with the constraints the easier it will be to work in another medium or program or an INFERNO! yeah bitch. if only we could edit the whole thing on an inferno. come on....you guys wouldn't mind dowloading 1 gig quicktime movies for each chapter right!
SaintCubed: Is Flash buggy at all? I've had the player crash at the weirdest times.
iandkirby: :-)
SaintCubed: (gotta love playing the naive interviewer)
iandkirby: flash doesn't deal with certain aspects of audio or memory very well. mixing stream sounds and event sounds in a flash 5 movie for more than 20 seconds will make your life living hell until you figure it out. :-)
SaintCubed: For the uninitiated,
try to explain the difference between EVENTS and STREAMS. Actually, this is
a good opportunity to explain how you guys make the audio in BS sound so good...there's
really nothing like it online. Care to spill some beans?
iandkirby: event sounds are cued events. as it is playing through the flash
movie it will get to a keyframe which tells a certain loop to start. it will
be set to loop for however many times you want. the only problem is that the
loop will end early if you're on a mac or a slower computer. macs tend to play
flash movies a lot slower than pc comps. now you have the problem of audio ending
early. this is why flash has stream sounds. stream sounds with skip frames to
keep up with the visuals. now there is a little hitch. you cant mix the two!!!!
you could in flash 4. not flash 5 though. also the audio quality of streams
tends to suck and your file size will be larger because of the fact that if
you loop a stream it won't just save the loop it will save the audio looping
and looping etc. this is why we prefer to use event sounds (which keeps the
audio sounding rich). we fix the problem of it ending early by using a cut-off
sound (like the creepy gong :-) ) or doing an action-scripted master volume
fadeout. if there is a portion which is imperative the visuals play at 20fps
(like chapter 3 fight scene) we use an audio clip with no sound as a stream.
if you embed it in a movieclip it doesn't screw up everything else. to make
this simple we avoid streams at all costs. brooke and i strongly believe that
framerate is what lets you get lost in the broken saints atmosphere. if it jutters
and chugs for even a frame you can be sucked out of the mood we've created.
now come on... ask me some non techie questions!
SaintCubed: Ahh...the old FRAMERATE debate. Definitely something you hear popping up in the videogame industry all the time! But, as they say in the game world, you work within the limits of your hardware platform. So...back to Flash (one last tech question...THEN we can start talking about how you make your hair do that fucked-up thing it does). What effect that you've made for the series truly surprised you? When did the 'limits' of Flash not feel like 'limits'?
iandkirby: give me a minute to think about that one
SaintCubed: (cue Jeopardy
music.....dodahdodododahdo - dodahdodahDEE - dododododo - dodahdodododahd-
DEE-dododahdodahdo)
iandkirby: each time we work on a chapter i'm surprised. i think we break the limits with each launch. the effects in chapter 2 (end freakout) are pretty sweet, but i also really like the elegance of the flash in "lomalogi". it doesn't always have to be in your face. i really like the subtleties. i used to want to work in CG as a 3d effects man but most of it is so over-the-top. i think the best effects i could work with, in the film industry, would be like the colourization they're using in Lord of the Rings. anything which your eye doesn't dis-associate with the natural images your seeing. it's the same for broken saints.
SaintCubed: excellent. So that's what you'd like to do after BS is done...work in films? What particular area?
iandkirby: wow...after it's done. it has already been a full year of our lives. brooke has really showed me i want to create stories. i want to affect people's feelings/attitudes. the best way to do that right now is through television/film. the internet is still pretty huge, but the bottleneck is tight right now. i would love to work on a film. DOP/assistant direct/edit. the dream is to keep working with brooke and andrew. we all fill perfect gaps in each others talents. so if anyone is out there who wants to give us a wad of cash to make a GOOD MOVIE let us know. we won't lose as much as final fantasy....i promise!
SaintCubed: What type of story would you guys want to tell together in a flick? BS wouldn't exactly cram that well into two hours! ;-)
iandkirby: now that's brookes job............:-)
SaintCubed: Oooh...nice and dodgy...you should work in politics!
iandkirby: thank you (cue visual of Ian fixing his hair for a photo-op)
SaintCubed: So...when we interviewed Andrew, he seemed reluctant to share any dirt on what goes on behind the scenes. Any stories during the production process? All-nighters? Pranks? Evil nicknames? Creepy downloads? Didja' film anything that SHOULD be online? ;-)
iandkirby: i'm sure we
have a few too many stories. i'm glad we don't stream audio of our daily conversation
- which tends to go from intellectual to the level of 12 year olds in a split-second.
don't you all worry. we'll have some more films online soon.
SaintCubed: Ok....that's part of the question answered. Gimme more!!!
iandkirby: Hmm...ok. we tend to swap around nicknames fairly often. when i was
working at switch (probably being a brat) my boss, catherine, called me "shittykid".
that's hung around a while. "pledge" got kicked around too. "kirby"
seems to be the one which sticks....probably helps that it's my last name. we
had a good all nighter when we launched the proposal for switch last year (www.kirbydesign.com/brokensaints)
that was a bit crazy. we developed a trailer, temp site, temp logo, the characters,
the broken saints working title - which has now remained "broken saints"
- all in three days. working around the clock without sleep, and then i jumped
on a plane to europe the next day for a couple months! oh yes....relaxing times.
got back september 1st, 2000 and went to work the next day at 6am.
another all nighter was pretty funny. you see, switch interactive is housed
near a vancouver club called the "odyssey". now this club is a hardcore
gay bar. we pulled an all-nighter at Switch to make sure everything was ready
for the site launch on January 17th. of course, we had to go out and blow off
steam with several - or more - drinks. We returned to the office at 2AM and
got monster hit on by many males. good fun! they were reaching through the office's
mail box trying to get us to come out - like they were some gay Resident Evil!
"come out and play with us" reaching in....freaky stuff. But please...I
want to make sure it's clear that we here at broken saints support the gay and
lesbian community thoroughly - we even have an award! (he's serious folks -
check out the Awards section for the proof!)
SaintCubed: Ok...you've been pretty revealing...but tell us some more intimate stuff ;-) Hmm....Andrew said that you listen to quite the array of music whilst you work. Favourites?
iandkirby: now here's a wide range....metallica to les miserables. not so much metallica now though. dave matthews is rad, actually pretty sick of my mp3's right now. swollen members, spooks. random shit. i should give you all a link to my 9 gigs of mp3's. godspeed you black emperor is really nice. was just introduced to that. radiohead makes me drool a fair amount. third eye blind lest we forget. i really need music to work...it's a nice ambience for me.
SaintCubed: Ok...but now it's time to dish on your comrades...anything we should know about working with 'Drew and Brooke? C'mon...the People are chanting...they want to KNOW!!!
iandkirby: we have an interesting working method here. andrew will get into his zone and throw his headphones on. i'll play my music all day. brooke will work upstairs handling the PR and writing, coming downstairs to check that all is well....maybe i do like those tech questions. they're less incriminating!
SaintCubed: You mentioned
that Brooke is upstairs and you guys are downstairs...I've read that you all
work at your house. Correct?
iandkirby: yeah, we all work out of my parents house. we're really lucky as
the tea is provided and the office space comes dirt cheap....free. it's an awesome
place. i couldn't really see us working on it anywhere else right now. we have
a lot of space for when we enjoy pressing each others buttons as well as lots
of windows and high ceilings. even a gazeebo outside for our lunch time affairs!
of course, it would be nice if it didn't rain so much in vancouver..;)
SaintCubed: Yeah...but I've seen those snaps in BTS - you must be looking forward to a 'wet' winter - being snowboard nuts and all.
iandkirby: YEAH!!!! riding! it'll be nice. but i think i prefer the work in the summer - that's why brokensaints is buying an island in fiji....right.....please.....anyone???
SaintCubed: With FREE rooms for BS fans! Toooooootalllllly!!!!! What other activites do you partake in to blow off steam (and please...remember that SOME of our viewers our minors)?
iandkirby: just started a little mountain biking. it's almost a crime not to with these mountains here. a little ultimate frisbee. mostly just having a beer. oh yeah.... the occasional reefer. not so often. how can we help it. we live in british columbia. chilling with buddies. can't complain there.
SaintCubed: Sounds aces.
(But again, Broken Saints.com does not endorse the use of illegal substances
for anything other than medicinal use or personal spiritual development...or
watching a really cool internet series in the dark.)
So you're having fun...but this has got to cost you, right? There ain't no advertising
on the site, so you guys must be shelling out a pretty penny on bandwidth and
stuff. How are you supporting all this?
iandkirby: well for now it's the savings. we're doing ok for now. mostly just trying to get small contract jobs on the side for flash work / design. i still don't have much time for it. ah well.... it's all good for now. once the savings go, that's what visa is for!!!! a lot of people don't understand the bandwidth thing. picture it like we rent a small apartment each month for brokensaints. thank you to everyone who has watched it! it really keeps us going. don't think we don't check the stats every day!
SaintCubed: Ok...but let's say that this thing becomes a HUGE hit (and evidence seems to point squarely in that direction) - then what? Bandwidth costs will shoot through the roof, and it's not like you guys are millionaires. I guess what I'm saying is...any sugar daddies on the horizon?
iandkirby: let's hope so. there are little nibbles here and there. if it does shoot through the roof i would hope that one of the millions of people would realize the potential that the broken saints' story has.
SaintCubed: Ahh...the potential. So you don't see BS ending with its online incarnation after Chapter 24?
iandkirby: at first yes...but
now with the growing interest from everyone i would love to give them more.
we're not sure which way it will go just yet but i really hope that more people
discover broken saints, maybe not just online. i wouldn't be dissapointed if
it ended at 24 chapters. it's still an amazing thing for 3 guys to do.
SaintCubed: But I guess what we all want to know is if BS will branch out to
other mediums. Would you want to see it on TV, and in what form? What about
those videogame rumours? How would you personally like to see Broken Saints
continue?
iandkirby: personally i would like to see as film or television. brooke has mentioned to me that it is just too much content to squeeze into a feature and he's right. it would probably work best as a television series. brooke loves twin peaks, and would like to see it have a cult following like that.
iandkirby: a videogame would be nice, but i would personally feel more comfortable making a television series, just because of my experience in acting/video/editing is more than in games. It's something that i would love...a dream.
SaintCubed: Well, a dream is how it all begins...and some say that waking from that dream is how it all ends. On that note, thanks so much for your time - and tell the fans before you go what they can expect for the second half of the series.
iandkirby: as anything would do, it's maturing. expect the flash to mature, the artwork, and the development of the story. Thanks for all of your support...and stay tuned!!!
SaintCubed: And as you yourselves would say..."Word is Bond"!
Alessandro Longo interviews
Brooke for Italy's Internet News
09.04.01
Why and how did it happen
to decide to publish a cartoon?
I have been a fan of graphic literature (comic books) for over 20 years. I've
always wanted to write a comic, but there are only a few big companies in North
America that publish them, and it's difficult for an unknown writer to convince
them to do an original series.
My good friend Andrew West (the Broken Saints artist) has been drawing as a
hobby for years. We began talking 5 years ago about possibly doing a comic book
and printing/publishing it ourselves. I would occasionally write down ideas
for a story (at the time VERY different from what Broken Saints is now), and
Andrew would do sketches.
Time passed and I was working as a producer at Electronic Arts - a huge videogame
company - and I was bored with my job. I wanted to tell stories, and it was
impossible to do in my current position. I quit 2 years ago, and my original
plan was to travel and then write a book. When I came back from traveling in
the South Pacific, Andrew introduced me to Ian Kirby - an extremely talented
graphic designer - who was playing with Flash technology (the program that lets
us animate the series and set it to music).
It felt like destiny. We had an artist, a talented technician, and a writer/director.
I gathered my philosophical thoughts from my trip and transformed them into
the story of Broken Saints. Instead of using voices and trying to make a real
'cartoon', Flash allowed the three of us to do the comic with very little money
invested.
What are the creative goals of this work? Is there a poetic ideal, the intention
to spread a message or to open a new artistic horizon?
I saw too many creators using Flash to make bad jokes, show toilet humour, promote
violence, and titillate with sexual content. Here was an amazing tool that was
being used for the lowest forms of entertainment. My initial goals were as follows:
As to the second part of
this question - YES. There IS a poetic ideal (I admire the prose of others in
the field like Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore), and I always wondered if I could
tell an interesting and ongoing story with lots of symbolism. And yes...there
IS a message that I'm trying to convey without being overly dramatic. I'm tired
of stories that have nothing to teach us as human beings - especially in a world
that could use some personal and social wisdom.
Of what does the originaly consist of this cartoon, in your opinion?
If I understand you correctly, you're asking me what parts of our project I
think are 'original', yes?
Andrew's art style is influenced by Japanese manga/anime, but he adds a Western
style of shading and emotion that makes it unique.
Ian's effects are very cinematic - not many people use Flash to convey smoothness
and flow with their scene transitions, let alone emotion. We try to combine
music, sound, and visual impact to hypnotize the viewers. There are some small
influences, but most of the work stands on its own.
The story is new - as far as I know! :) I've been deeply touched by such works
as Gaiman's SANDMAN series, Moore's WATCHMEN, Sam Keith's THE MAXX...and especially
by David Lynch's TWIN PEAKS. I want to tell stories that take the reader/viewer
to another world that is very much like their own. After being 'there', they
will come 'home' and see their lives differently.
Finally, most Flash cartoons are very short, use voice, and aren't created to
be a continuing story. We do LONG chapters (12-25 minutes), use the printed
word, and though each chapter can entertain on its own it is still part of an
epic story. For the internet, that is very original.
Why internet? Do you believe it's the proper means for work like yours,
creative and deep, not commercial?
We chose the internet because of our skills. Andrew can make pictures...Ian
can manipulate pictures and sound...and I can write and direct.
People have been trying for years to recreate 'TV' or 'Movies' on the internet.
Most people still don't see the web as a place for compelling and intelligent
entertainment. Instead, they see it as a place to find pictures (mainly pornography),
download music (MP3s), and read articles.
Broken Saints combines moving pictures, beautiful music, and interesting text.
We combine all three elements that people are comfotable with on the internet
to make something absolutely unique.
Is it the proper medium for our work? It is wonderful for what it is - it allows
us to showcase our skills and tell a story GLOBALLY, without having to worry
about the influence of censorship, media ownership, and advertisers.
Would I like to do more with the concept? Yes, other mediums like TV and film
are intriguing...but I would always want it to be rooted in the storytelling
experience and framework of the internet series.
What do you think about the relationship between internet and art?
Like any medium or tool, the internet exists how it is perceived. Art can be
anywhere - in the sky, at the depths of the ocean, in food, in the face of a
beautiful stranger - the medium does not define the art itself.
However, as Marshall McLuhan said, "The medium IS the message". The
average 'consumer' defines the internet medium as a place to find information
and shop. Companies define the internet medium as a place to sell and advertise
goods. Governments define the internet as a place where anarchy and lawlessness
exists.
Until appreciators of art begin to see the web as a place to experience creations,
then it will be a struggle for artists to use it as anything but a promotional
tool. People are limited by their experience and see artistic concepts as existing
in pre-defined boxes.
Our job is to tear those boxes apart and show the world that art exists everywhere.
HISTORIES OF INTERNET
ART INTERVIEW
April 19, 2001:
*How would you describe
"Broken Saints" in one to two sentences?
A mature graphic novel in Flash with original artwork, haunting music, and gripping
storylines. Broken Saints creates a hypnotic aura that compels readers/viewers
to experience the cryptic saga that ensnares its four very different protagonists.
*With rapidly the changing
technology around us how do you plan to make sure that people can still view
Broken Saints (i.e. do you plan to eventually upgrade it, archive it, or was
it intended to be a temporary work?)
The Broken Saints story was originally intended to be 'finite'; a dramatic series
of arcs was created that would conclude after 24 chapters, so we originally
had a 'wait-and-see' attitude where it concerns the future of the site. Presently,
the BS property is being courted by representatives from different entertainment
mediums, so there is the possibility that the site/story would continue in an
upgraded format...as long as the fans are still there :)
*When looking at internet
art works, do you personally prefer more image based ("flashy") pieces?
CONTENT has always been the key to keeping my interest/attention-span. I want
to experience art in ANY medium that compels me to think, challenges my perceptions,
and invites me to revisit it with fresh senses. Much of the image-based material
online may be briefly titillating (almost a reflection of the stalwart of web
content - pornography), but it has no creative wherewithal. At the same time,
text-based sites may contain fascinating content that evolves at a regular pace,
but the process of text 'consumption' from a computer monitor leaves me feeling
detached. Before I began with Broken Saints, I examined what forms the web audience
was most comfortable with, and the three types of content that surfers were
most enamored/familiar with were: pictures, text, and (more recently) music.
Being such a huge fan of graphic literature, here was the perfect opportunity
to create something that would evolve the comic medium AND present the net audience
with something novel that still combined the primary forms they were accustomed
to. So again, it all boils down to content...though imagery is indeed part of
the message.
*Is there a goal/mission
statement behind Broken Saints?
Tell a damn compelling story that is thought-provoking, socially aware, and
more than a little bit creepy. I'm tired of the lowbrow 'assault' in Western
media, and the growing popularity of Broken Saints proves that there is a chunk
of society that is famished for this type of storytelling.
Brooke Burgess
BROOKE'S INTERVIEW FOR BLOODSTAINED PRODUCTIONS
10.20.01 Our old friend Martin Oakley got ahold of Brooke for
a candid one on one.
Questions:
#1: Would you please tell the viewers a little bit about yourself?
Okey dokey! Brooke Matthew Burgess is the name...and currently Broken Saints
is my game. I was raised in Nova Scotia, on the east coast of Canada. Finished
my honours university degree (BA) in 1993 and moved to the 'left' coast to pursue
a writing/directing/acting career. After some mild successes with vast gaping
holes in between, I was tapped to work as a producer at Electronic Arts Canada
on famous videogame franchises like Need For Speed, Kessen, SSX, and Bond. It
was here that my desire to tell stories was re-awakened (probably from the drudgery
of cranking our mass-market franchises, yet seeing the potential to do so much
more), and in a moment of passion and blind faith I quit EA and went travelling
in the South Pacific for half a year.
My original plan was to write a novel about my experiences, and what I sensed
was the current zeitgeist seething under the surface of popular culture and
western ideals. I wanted to create a piece of believable fiction that inspired
those in my generation (and the forward-thinking young-un's coming up) to look
beyond themselves...past consumer existence and apathy...and see that there
was this invisible abyss between the Western way of life and true happiness.
When I returned home and discussed the idea and shared my notes with close friends,
I still had to pay the mounting bills...so I returned to contract my writing
services for the videogame industry.
That's when some interesting synchronicities began popping their fateful heads
out of the proverbial sand... :)
#2: What is Broken Saints?
Just like we pimp it to the press (and anyone who's awake enough to listen)...Broken
Saints is a 24-Chapter graphic literature 'event' using Macromedia's Flash technology
to tell a story online. By combining hypnotic and original music, gripping effects,
anime-inspired artwork, and a compelling storyline, I hope to tell a version
of the story mentioned above that digs into the collective psyche and inspires
people to re-examine their place (and personal responsibilities) in the world.
The BS 'universe' is also a haven for like-minded thinkers, philosophers, paranoids,
and spiritual seekers. The site is a place that creates a distinct feeling upon
arrival...a sense that you've come somewhere mystical, strange, haunting...and
at the same time TRUTHFUL.
#3: How did you come up with BS?
Well, as I was saying earlier, I came home from my jaunt around New Zealand,
Australia, the Cooks, Fiji, Tonga, etc, and was eager to tell an important story.
I had all of the elements in place on paper and in my head, but I still wasn't
sure that it was ready to be a novel yet...it was as if I got a sense that people
weren't taking traditional art forms seriously at that time, and yet ANOTHER
book claiming 'revelations about life' could get lost amongst the heaps of dreck.
It was then that I started confabbing with Andrew (BS artist) about possibly
following through on an old idea of ours and self-publishing a comic for newstands.
I still had a little money left over from my trip, and had this gripping compulsion
to spend it on something 'good'. One night, we were over at Ian's (BS flash
designer), and we mentioned our thought. He suggested the possibility of using
Flash technology that he was fiddling with at the time (this was in the Spring
of 2000)....and I immediately saw the potential.
Days later, I started reworking the story into this massive serial opera that
linked four protagonists (symbolic of the four pagan elements) in their search
for a great and elusive Truth...a truth that was contained within, but somehow
triggered by a lurking evil on the cusp of their collective consciousness. Andrew
started doing sketches based on my character descriptions, and Ian started doing
tests in Flash with moving bitmaps and world bubbles. One afternoon, we were
sitting on the back porch at Ian's and brainstorming on the title. I wanted
something with juxtaposition - something that said, in two words, that 'good'
and 'evil' are within us all. I wanted something that reflected the inherent
emotions and beliefs of these four very different characters. After an hour
or so of bouncing stuff against the wall to see what stuck, two words remained:
Broken...Saints.
#4: How much do you love BSPRD? (*laughs* I put in joke questions all the
time, but please answer them.)
A strange time to ask, but I respect your desperation ;) We've been yapping
for what...8 months now? Sheesh, I knew you before you were married! You were
the first interview/editorial for the original BS site with Switch Interactive,
and ever since you showed interest in our little opus I've been aching to see
the fruits of the Bloodstained labours. I know a little about what you're working
on, and can say that I'm genuinely excited...but to be honest, I'm mmore thrilled
about such a swell guy becoming a proud papa!!!
#5: What is your goal with BS?
I think I'll do this one in point form, as the goals tend to change and evolve
as the project progresses:
tell a long but finite story in the vein of those who inspired me: Neil Gaiman,
Frank Miller, Grant Morisson, Alan Moore, and David Lynch
give a shot in the arm to the comic medium, and show traditional publishers
that comics can truly transcend their current limitations
reach a global audience with art, prose, and music that will touch them deeply
and make them think
raise Flash narratives out of the sad pit of fart-jokes, decaptations, and tentacle-porn
showcase the skills of some very talented friends, and perhaps make a move to
an entertainment medium with more serious penetration
be a pioneer...but without the 'coonskin cap
#6: How do you go about creating each chapter? (Basically how you write it,
what ian does, what andrew does, etc)
Well, here's a list of tasks in relatively chronological order. If you drop
by the site, go to the FAQ to read a more detailed breakdown:
The story is mapped out right to the end. Specific events have to occur in specific
places, so I take into account those major events and create a shot list for
Andrew.
Andrew and I go over what he has to draw, attempting to edit and/or shortcut
where we can in order to speed things along. We discuss what pictures and characters
need to be layered (in order to allow for simple animation later), sketch out
backgrounds for major scenes, and has out the emotions involved in that particular
chapter. Andrew usually pitches a certain art style to reflect that mood, and
then he throws on his headphones and ignores us for two weeks.
Ian and I get together and discuss effects and potential troublespots (areas
where framerate might suffer). I give him a list of appropriate sound effects
and he goes hunting online or through our stash to get the majority of them.
We also talk about music for each scene, hack together some test loops in Sound
Forge, and then he presses his nose against the monitor and starts playing with
potential effects.
Normally, while Andrew is working on art for a chapter, Ian and I start mixing the previous chapter. The first stage is comprised of art tweaks (Ian often adds extra shadow or luminescence to a shot to gel better with his planned effects). After that, he places the shots according to the shot list and then begins to implement effects.
While Ian's beavering
away, I'm gathering quotes for the introduction and close of the chapter, doing
PR stuff, and creating a dialogue skeleton. Once all the shots are basically
in place, Ian sends me a Flash file that I can FF, REW, and pause in order to
get a general sense of flow. With this, I begin writing the dialogue and thoughts
for each scene/character. People often ask why I wait until then to write specifics
- and yes, to answer your inevitable question...I AM a procrastinator. But I
find that getting a good sense of the finsihed art and shot flow really helps
me connect to the story and brings out better work on my end that I may have
missed from the shot list alone.
I sit with Ian for a few days as he places dialogue bubbles and thought clusters.
We spend lots of time tweaking each fade, movement, sizing, etc.
The next few days are always the hardest and most satisfying - audio placement. Music gets added to the mix, and we tweak each scene with audio effects that emphasize story peaks and valleys and crucial thoughts/actions.
Finally, we test
the 'beta' version of the chapter on slower machines to check for fluidity and
audio glitches. After some tweaks, the credits titles, and chapter 'cover' are
placed and we post it on the site.
#7: If someone wants to contact the BS crew how would they go about it?
Finally...an EASY question. Anyone can just drop us a line at info@brokensaints.
Even as our popularity starts to swell, we still pride ourselves on responding
to almost ALL of our mail within a week ;)
#8: What are some of your influences?
Well, I'd have to divide this into mediums.
COMICS
I've always loved the four-colour format...the best escape a kid could have.
When I was young, my parents rewarded my belly-aching during trips and at malls
by buying the odd Fantastic Four or Spiderman book. As I got a little older
(and had an allowance that provided a modest disposable income), I found myself
veering away from Marvel titles and towards the Silver Age greats of DC: Superman,
Batman, Flash, and especially Green Lantern. I fell in love with GL, as here
was a normal guy that used the strength of his WILL to deal with problems...both
mundane and interplanetary.In my early teens I was veered back to Marvel during
the initial push of the X-men and related titles. Spiderman was also solid back
then. I started to see an increasing complexity in storylines with titles like
Alpha Flight and the Avengers, and it really appealed to maturing tastes. Then
I was gripped by DC's Legion of Superheroes - specifically, a four-part mini-series
called the Great Darkness saga. Brilliant storytelling. This great era in comics
was capped off by the massive Crisis on Infinite Earths...after which I briefly
lost interest and no longer had the money to support my superhero 'jones'.
But then, a call sounded in comic shops across the land. Frank Miller's The
Dark Knight Returns hit me, the sales charts, and pop culture like a thunderbolt.
Mature...desperate...profound...intense...poetic...timely. Love at first read.
The mature reader's renaissance continued with incredible works like Grant Morisson's
Arkham Asylum and Alan Moore's The Killing Joke and The Watchmen...and Neil
Gaiman picked up where they left off with his literate, creepy, touching, magical,
and disturbing Sandman series.
FILM
The first film to show me that endings didn't have to be happy but stories could
still be magical was Terry Gilliam's TIME BANDITS. I was a changed kid when
I left the theater that day. I continued to enjoy his works, and was staggered
by Brazil, the Adventures of Baron Munchausen, and 12 Monkeys. As my taste in
film continued to mature, my new hero emerged: David Lynch. His foray into television
was so bizarre...so completely original and compelling...that I simply had to
explore his film work. WOW. Do yourself a favour and spend a week watching Blue
Velvet, Wild at Heart, Elephant Man, Eraserhead, Dune, Lost Highway, the Straight
Story, and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. Your life will change.
TV
I watched WAY too much tube as a kid....but again, my tastes shifted and expanded
rather quickly. I found myself drawn to unconventional storytelling and deeper
characters...and I LOVED the cliffhanger style. DOCTOR WHO was my first taste
of this, and I can still vividly recall the paper mache monsters and rubber
tentacles with glee. (and I still remember my terror over the four part chiller
'Stones of Blood' in the Key to Time saga - amazing!). There was goofy little
show that was only on in Canada during my teens - a spooky soap reminiscent
of Dark Shadows and others of the genre - called Strange Paradise. Each episode
was a cliffhanger, and the plot revolved around a reclusive millionaire who
had sold his soul to the devil for a chance to resurrect his wife. Pretty bad
acting...horrific 70's hair and dress...but a genuinely interesting storyline.
In my teens I got my first real taste of anime with Battle of the Planets (the
US remake of the Gatchaman series) and I was hooked. I gobbled up Voltron, Thundercats,
and Robotech soon afterwards...and I think the Japanese style definitely influences
my shot-creation style. Live action TV mostly bored me in the 80's, with the
exception of re-runs like Barney Miller, All in the Family, Battlestar Galactica,
and the mind-bending The Prisoner series...and then along came Twin Peaks. How
could a little show about a little town with simple people that you could see
living down the street from you inspire such a fire in the North American viewing
'belly'? So creepy...so profound...so cool...so intense...so surreal...so artistic...so
original...so life-altering. My biggest BS influence - bar none.
#9: In your opinion, how do comic books fit in with popular culture?
I really liked Shylaman's point in Unbreakable - that the graphic novel is an
art form that records historical trends, albeit chock full of hyperbole and
marketing. We are symbolic creatures by NATURE. The combination of pictures
and text will endure in some form or another for the forseeable future. In fact,
that was part of the reason why we chose to do BS online...people are familiar
and COMFORTABLE with viewing/manipulating pictures and text online. It hits
a different part of the psyche. It's archetypal.
And like animation, it also allows creators to tell different types of stories.
Some may argue that with the price of live-action effects dropping and digital
film-making exploding, the days of animation and hand-drawn narratives are numbered.
I heartily disagree. Hand-drawn storytelling, either in comic form on animated
for TV and film, allows a writer to speak certain truths in a more mainstream
way that live action shows would NEVER risk. Watch an episode of the Simpsons,
or the Family Guy, or the Maxx, or Aeon Flux...you just couldn't say those things
with real people - at least not yet. The same goes for comics; it's the comic
creator's responsibility to push cultural boundaries and use their characters
to speak against injustice and be social barometers.
#10: What would you change in the comic book industry if you were in charge?
I'd allow for easier entry by fledgling talents and the support of independent
publishers and creators through distribution and retail channels. I'd also move
away from glossy materials and 'deluxe editions', reduce prices, and release
more titles. Look how huge the manga industry is in Japan and Korea - dizzying.
There's no reason why it can't be like that here. I think that declining sales
and readership is a direct reflection of the major publishers trying to push
style over substance. Good work will find an audience...if you write it, they
will come :)
#11: Any plans on a video game or comic book version of BS?
It's just a matter of striking the right partnership. I will not send my baby
to the dogs. The publisher or game developer or tv producer or film company
would have to prove to me that they GET it...on multiple levels.
#12: On average how long does it take to produce a chapter of BS?
3 weeks...but that allows us a little leeway to update the website, brainstorm
new ideas, do concept art, and create promotional materials. 4 weeks if the
chapter's extra big!
#13: Why a non-profit site? Why not popups and ads?
I don't want to bastardize the experience. I convinced the lads early on that
what we're doing would mean even more if we pay for it ourselves. For the first
6 months of the project (6 chapters), we had some generous support from a Vancouver
design firm called Switch Interactive (www.switchinteractive.com). After that,
we were on our own and had to make some tough decisions. I think our fans really
appreciate the little oasis from commercialism that we've given them, and I've
always felt violated by pop-ups. How can you create a mystical mood with flow
and creepiness if there's a fucking ad for peep-cameras or penis extensions
slamming you in the face at every turn...it's sickening! This is our gift to
the world...and if someday we're rewarded for our efforts, then that's some
sweet icing to some already damn fine cake.
#14: Is there a thematic message to Broken Saints?
Indeed, a few...that you can't live with guilt...that you have to accept that
you're the product of all of your choices up to this very moment...that the
most loving thing you can do is to sacrifice something you cherish...that you
can't live in fear...that you need to see yourself reflected in every person
you meet...and that you have a responsibility to make existence better for everyone
- including yourself.
#15: Anything else you'd like to mention?
Mad love out to my homies Toby T in Berlin (if you keep fingering those keys
you're gonna go blind!), Pledgemaster K on Kings (when's the next flight to
Dallas, yo?), and the original homeskillet...A South West. Word is Bond!
TOBIAS TINKER REVEALS ALL!
11.20.01 After countless attempts to arrange
something over AIM or Messanger, Tobias finally decided that a simple email
interview was probably the best way to go. What follows is an incredibly in-depth
look at this talented creator and Broken Saints contributor.
1. So...Tobias Tinker, eh? Sounds pretty damned artsy, if you ask me. Is that your real name...or some fruity nom de plume?
A bit of both, I suppose.
And I spell it with no capitals, which everyone always forgets and which I know
is pretentious and ridiculous but I've been doing it since highschool and old
habits die hard. So, 'tobias' is my middle name, my birth name being Michael,
but I got sick of being just another Mike (I knew deep in my heart that I was
somehow DIFFERENT and that having the same name as 12 of my friends was somehow
WRONG) and gradually experimented with different permutations. This was also
driven at one low career point by my being on welfare and concerned about doing
shows under my real name, with posters around town and whatnot, so by various
turns I was michael tobias, tobias tinker, tobias tobias (still use this one
sometimes for fun)... As for tinker, do you actually think I would have MADE
THAT UP? a source of much teasing and consequent suffering as a child. But there
you go.
2. Why did you hook up with the BS crew? It's obvious they couldn't pay you, and it's not like people are sending you royalty cheques for your MP3s.
No, I've been noticing
that too. Strange, no? One MP3 fan expressed regret that all my tunes were not
available for free download (as opposed to streaming preview, which requires
a grand total of FOUR ADDITIONAL MOUSECLICKS in the Temporary Internet Files
folder to
'pirate') - and I wrote back that the tunes were not free to produce, why should
they be free to download? If you want them you can get them but I'm sorry, I'm
not going to roll out the red carpet! But I digress...
It is no great secret (or
at least not for us; perhaps it is for
others?) that Brooke is my first cousin. So that would be the reason we know
each other and why he was familiar with my work and felt OK about asking me
to use it for free, given that BS was not (and, for the moment, is not) in the
position to pay a composer properly when they're all working so hard for no
coin themselves. However, it was a no-brainer for me, as the catalogue was more
or less just sitting there and I have no aptitude whatsoever at marketing myself
or my work, so anything that gets a bit of an audience is good value in my book.
It's worked out rather well, not in terms of people actually forking out and
buying the CD's (see above) but in terms of exposure that could one day turn
into opportunities when I need them.
3. So...you've known Brooke a LONG time! Any incriminating tales? Here's your chance to pull away the curtain a little.
Would that be the red curtain in chapter 6? Funnily enough I work against a backdrop of big red curtains every night and I do get that wierd Lynch-y feeling once in a while... Ummm, let me think. Only that Brooke's legendary humility has not been a constant condition (any more than my own - maybe I should keep my mouth shut!)... there were a few years there, let me tell you.
4. What was your first thought when the gang asked to use your music?
My first thought was that the stuff I knew Brooke was most interested in using, the Passage material, was the stuff that I actually personally DON'T OWN. However this hurdle was cleared with an official endorsement by DataSpace Creative arts who produced the record and own the copyright in the recording (I have unlimited license on the publishing). I was intrigued with what Brooked had in mind, he explained the basic premise and the kinds of subtexts and such that he wanted to draw into the story. I also had and have a lot of respect for Brooke and, by implication, any talented creative people he trusts enough to launch such a large and demanding project with - not just on the level of talent but integrity, the reasons they are doing what they are. I am happy that things have worked out, but certainly had no idea it would take off the way it has.
5. And what was your first thought when you heard the butchered sections of your masterpieces?
I'm not sure if the entry is still there but I have one of the first entries in the BS guestbook, where I wrote that my experience of chapter 1 was 'rather like coming home and discovering that someone has seriously re-arranged the furniture'... I wouldn't call it butchering however... I have been largely very happy with how the material has been used, how it sounds in the chapters, how it has been combined with sound design that I am quite impressed with, speaking as a bit of an insider to that world.
6. Did you ever see this going 'anywhere'? Were you waiting to get a mail from the gang that said "Thanks for you help, T...it's Chapter 5, and we're broke."?
Hmm. Well, it's chapter 14, isn't it, and I KNOW they're broke, but they are the little engine that could, and seem committed to following through on this mad beautiful enterprise (violins please). So I'm along for the ride as ever, though I feel bad that due to circumstance I work about one-tenth as hard as any of the others on any of this yet they insist on giving me way more of the credit than I feel is justified. Well, let's paraphrase that, I worked VERY HARD on Passage and A Suite Hereafter back in the day but it's all so long ago... the new stuff is a little easier to get from idea to realization on as technology has caught up with me a little - more later perhaps.
7. When did you know that this whole BS thing wasn't just...umm...BS? When did you start to take the phenomenon seriously?
Well I took it reasonably seriously on the creative level from the outset, or rather from the moment I saw the first chapter, which I was as impressed with as (almost) everyone else seems to have been. But I had NO IDEA it would get as big as it has. I know lots of very talented people doing great and groundbreaking work who never find that work becoming something that can be reasonably referred to as a 'phenomenon'... I had watched the manifestations of my dreams and hard work, the two albums that have formed much of the BS soundtrack, moulder away in obscurity for literally years. So talent and hard work do not necessarily get you a huge fan base. Does anyone actually not know this? You need the third magic ingredient, which is blind stupid luck. So I was surprised when BS started to take off but not because I didn't think it deserving, just because I am always surprised when something deserving of wide attention begins to get it, when there's so much outrageously popular and totally undeserving lame crap out there to compete with (no offense intended to the creators of said outrageously popular and totally undeserving lame crap)...
8. Did you know that the guys are pretty jealous of you? They say that you receive the most comments in the Guestbook and through info@brokensaints.com.
Brooke is always telling me this, though when I peruse the guestbook which I do from time to time it doesn't strike me as being accurate. However. I am pleased that people identify with the music and notice that it works well (this latter is just as much a matter of choice and placement and so on, thus they have to take much of the credit too). I play every night here in a band that, it must be said, FUCKING ROCKS, but as we are in a show that is full of other distractions, auditory and visual and gustatory, very few people really notice how good we are. So the fact that people get something from the music and feel compelled to say so is quite refreshing for me these days. It doesn't hurt, let's put it that way.
9. In all seriousness, the music is damn sweet. Supposedly, it's based on some sort of concept album you did some years ago?
Concept albums, plural... Most of my input to the earlier chapters came from the back-catalogue, as mentioned, specifically two albums, 'Passage' and 'A Suite Hereafter'. Passage is the earlier work, 12 tracks each based on a photograph from my personal watershed journey to Asia when I was somewhat younger than I am today - I turned 20 in Thailand; the album focuses on India and Nepal. 'Hereafter' is a suite that was originally composed for a dance piece entitled 'Opaque' performed by Lori Hamar of Suddenly Dance Theatre in Victoria (that's not far from BS homebase Vancouver, for our international readers). Later chapters include some more recent work - almost everything in 13 (besides Quentin's bit) is brand new material.
10. Tell us more about Passage and the Suite Hereafter. (how they formed, where the ideas came from, influences, execution, time frames, etc.)
Passage became very philosophical
as it came together, literally encapsulating and metaphorising everything I
knew and felt about myth, storytelling, the creative process... there is a TON
of information about this in the relevant (and easily found) sections of my
website at www.biggerboots.com, so I will just touch on it here. It happened
at a very intense and transformational period of my life. I had just finished
an enormous body of work for a multimedia performance project in Montreal called
Amethyst's Universe - you might be able to find some stuff from this on the
net, I don't know - with another young artist named Atif Siddiqi (actually I
think they may have featured a poem of his in the nether regions of the BS site
a little while ago). There's a few bits from this music here and there on BS
too... the choir-y thing somewhere in 12? Anyway I was exhausted - or maybe
just very warmed up - but also somewhat frustrated at having spent two years
on someone else's ideas and motives and so on, and I desperately needed to do
something of my own. An opportunity came up to do something with DataSpace who
I had worked with in various other capacities before - little technical videos,
and so on - so I jumped at it. It all happened very fast - we had shrinkwrapped
product about ten weeks after the meeting where we decided to go ahead with
the project. Lots of 18-hour days, Athanasia who I had really only just gotten
together with had to come over after she finished work and force me to sleep.
Played every instrument I could find or borrow, sequenced beds of sound for
each track which would later feature acoustic instruments but this was in the
early days of the personal studio revolution and I had no way of doing pro-grade
audio at home. The project was very managed which was interesting, I had to
deliver weekly status demos ('deliverabes' in project management
parlance) which were done with my roommate's four-track. Eventually we went
into the studio (Silent Sound in Montreal) for two days to record all the acoustic
bits - no pressure there - and two more to mix and master everything. Madness.
As mentioned, anyone who is interested will find more than they could possibly
want to know on the biggerboots site.
A Suite Hereafter was reworked from the dance suite to reflect my then-current
preoccupation (not to say obsession) with ideas of resurrection. Now I am not
much for institutional religion, don't go to any kind of church, I've been through
too much at this point to subscribe to a single reality (to quote an old friend)...
but I am very interested in mythological, philosophical and theological traditions.
I was reading Harold Bloom's 'Omens of Millennium' which is a great though dense
read, all about millennarianism, angelology, and related themes as expressed
in the gnostic threads of Judaism, Islam and the early Christian church. I cannot
explain how this is specifically manifested in the music, or at least much less
so than in the case of Passage. Hereafter is a more mature work and the relationships
between what I was thinking and the music I was making were (I hope) more subtle.
But they were there. The music is more minimalist, repetitive, melodic, less
spatial. No sequencing at all, everything on the album comes from real instruments,
though much of it is heavily processed - I was into granular synthesis and other
wierd esoteric sound generation techniques at that point. A lot of the textural
sounds come from something called Thonk, a lovely little Mac program (if anyone
knows of a PC port for this PLEASE let me know!) with only one control: a radio
button which switches modes from 'flowing' to 'hectic'... you put some sort
of soundfile in, any length, and it chops it into tiny bits called grains and
sort of sprays them across a soundspace in the output file. Much fun.
Anyway, I had a more sophisticated computer studio on my desk at that point and it was all done at home - recorded my neighbor's grand piano while he was away in Mexico in exchange for tuning and fixing it up a bit (I was teaching part-time in a piano shop and apprenticing the technical stuff in order to get deeper into the relationship-with-the-instrument thing), had a drummer friend come by and bash away in my living room for an afternoon, worked with a cool soprano vocalist who did some beautiful non-verbal vocals, chopped it all up and recombined and edited it into musical submission. I'm a wierd person that way, on one hand I am really into the acoustic thing, real instruments played by real people who really play them, recorded well with good mics, get the good sound, keep it pristine... on the other hand I am an editing maniac, and have a penchant for using wierd and wacky technology to create quite warped and demented sounds. Hereafter was very much driven by the synergy of these seemingly disparate worlds.
11. What are your personal favourite tracks from those two albums?
Goodness me... 'From your first two marriages, which are your favorite children?'... I am quite proud of both these albums, not because I feel they will someday be recognized as great and lasting art, but because no matter how you slice it they were both the product of genuinely and powerfully creative bursts. One of the tracks on Hereafter, 'Jabalqa', was not in the dance suite, but I was so warmed up and in the zone with the work I had done for Lori that I couldn't stop despite the immediate and pressing need to do something revenue-generating. So that song came out, I think it's pretty good. The first track on that album, The 8th Climate, I'm also quite proud of in a compositional way. Another track, 'Jabarsa', was a wholesale free improvisation on the piano that came out when I was soundchecking for something else I wanted to record - I started playing, that started to happen, and all I could think was man, I hope the levels are OK because this won't happen again. I have a whole album called 'continuum:one' which is completely unpremeditated piano improvisation, created live in concert (and lovingly edited) - in some ways that's the best thing I've done. From Passage, I don't know - it's all too close to me to allow me to choose anything and say, that's particularly good. I thought it was all good at the time, that's why I put it on the album, and for the most part I still think so. Having said that, I don't listen to my own stuff very much...
12. Now, as it relates to Broken Saints, where do you feel that your music has been utilized best? Give us some favourite scenes sonically.
I quite like chapter 7, which is interesting - why the music seems to work is that it is vague, indistinct, reflecting Raimi's troubled mental state at the time. There are snippets of my stuff in there, layered and combined with what seems to be original sound design, all very effective, not very close to the musical space as I had it but what the hell. I was pleased with the very beginning of chapter 1, which used the very beginning of 'Taliesin', the first track on Passage, which was designed to feel like the beginning of a journey and, gratifyingly, does here at the beginning of this one. Interestingly, the beginning of chapter 2 is the beginning of 'Gathering', which is track 2 of Passage. Again off the top in chapter 6 - 'Muraqiba' is track 6 of Passage. I don't know, I think it's all been really effectively used and again i can't really take credit for that since all I did was make the music, and that several years ago. The fact that it all works so well with the visuals is part coincidence and part the result of vision and hard work by the core Saints team.
13. On the flipside, is there anywhere that the gang didn't do a piece justice, for whatever reason? Any moments where you ground your teeth down to little nubs?
Hmm. there are a few instances where something has been looped in a way that changes the form of what I was going for. Being a jazz musician I often get quite into the idea of forms and cycles (this is very importat in jazz as it enables us to improvise together over complex structures while always drawing from the same harmonic well at the same time), and invest quite a lot of metaphorical energy in this. The main theme music for the site (in both the original and Sept 17 updated versions), which derives from the title track of 'Passage', is actually quite rigid in this sense - the original form is ten bars of eleven-four time, giving 110 beats, with an extra beat thrown in at the end of the cycle, making 111. This somehow seemed essential to the development of the piece in its original form, but is totally absent from any use that has been made of it in the series. However, I am in favor of what works, and they have found ways of making it work without this pedantic formal restriction, so it just shows to go you, sometimes you have to step outside the preconception. I seem to faintly recall one or two other instance where it actually bugged me a little, but I can't remember what they were, so let's leave it at that...
14. Another artist - Quentin Grey from Toronto - has donated some of his work as well. His stuff has mainly been featured in conflict and military scenes. What are your thoughts on his work (and remember...he may be in T.O, but he's a vicious little ruthermucker!)?
I didn't know Quentin was a fellow Torontonian... He probably knows lots of my friends there. They're all really big and strong too... ;°)
Anyway. As far as I know there are two or three themes of Quentin's that crop up frequently in specific situations in the series, and I quite like them - very different from my stuff but that's good, and probably part of why they're in there. I like the main piano theme that seems tied to Oran, it has that stiff quantized feel, doesn't sound very 'played' to me which is of course more my bag but in this context it's really effective - unsettling, edgy. I'd like to hear more of his stuff, maybe I should poke around on mp3.com and see if he has stuff there... uh, nope (that was quick, isn't technology wonderful?). Must be somewhere else then.
15. Are there any original tracks that you've composed solely for the series? Which ones...and are there any stories attached?
As mentioned many of my contributions to the later chapters are purpose-built. The 'tribal theme' from Lomalagi was written around a cool wooden flute I had bought years ago at some groovy imports store, and found again at my parents' place this summer. Totally out of tune, almost unplayable, not much of a sound, but somehow it had something to build a tune around. Brooke was desperate for some new stuff for 13, as it's a bit of a new beginning, second half and all, so I buckled down and fired out a few things, mostly in the all-electronic vein which is so easy and fun to do that sometimes it seems a pain to drag out the microphones and all that. However eventually it bores me and I have to get back into the real insrument thing. The preview for 12 was like an animated music video for something I had done this summer, that was a nice bit.
16. It must be hellish sometimes trying to nurture a collaborative effort with an ocean between you. Just what the hell are you doing in the land of Bratwurst and Hasselhoff anyway?
As I have intimated, I am here in a professional capacity. I play piano, keyboards, accordion and other miscellany for Pomp Duck and Circumstance, a crazy circus/cabaret/variety show that moves from place to place in Germany. You can check it out at www.pompduck.com, it's mostly in German but what can you do? You get the flavour of it anyway. It's rather a big deal here in fact, very high-profile and chou-chou. Sting came to our opening night; the list of celebs that have seen the show over the ten years it's been running is a long and studded one. We are currently in Berlin for a long run, which is fine by me as this is a GROOVY PLACE TO LIVE. My partner in elephantology, Athanasia, is finally here with me too after a long separation - she had to be in Montreal for about six months - so that makes it even more liveable. Plus they pay me reasonably well, which is nice of them, and makes it possible for me to direct some spare time into the Saints thing without worrying about cash flow. Germany is a remarkably diverse, interesting and overall quite liveable place, even for someone with my pathetic linguistic abilities. I exist somewhat on the fringes of society, it must be said, but it's not a bad life.
Oh, and the beer is better. I almost forgot. And cheaper too. Sorry...
17. If Broken Saints ever became a game, animated series, or film, would you want to do the score...and would you move here to do it?
Hmm. It seems reasonably plausible that much of the same music would be used, though I could be wrong on this. It would be interesting to see how easy or hard it would be to set it up for that kind of use. I am not really a film composer, though I have toyed with the idea at various times and been involved with several film projects, most of which have failed or disappeared, through no fault of mine I hope. I think you have to have a real visual sense, a feel for how to use music and sound to complement a visual in creating a particular effect, and I don't really think I have that, though I appreciate it. This is why the collaboration with Brooke works so well, because he obviously has a strong sense of this, despite not being a musician or composer himself. I don't know Ian personally, due locational constraints as mentioned, but to the extent that he is involved in the sound design he seems to be quite good too. I know less about music for games than I know about music for film. There are lots of people in these industries with proven track records and lots of creative musical ability, why would someone hire me over them? I suppose because my music, for better or worse, is part of what works in the Saintly equation. I am not at all convinced that I would be the best person to oversee reworking it for another medium, at least not without substantial consultation and support from people who know more than I do. On the other hand my music does seem well suited to working in this kind of arena...
So then, would I do it? Sure, why not? Almost every interesting project I have been involved with over the last ten years has come about because the phone rang, I answered it and said 'yeah, sure I can do that', then hung up and said 'how in hell am I going to do that?'... You only find out what you can do if you jump in headfirst, arms flailing. When I got the offer to move to Germany to play this show, which was at that point under the Cirque du Soleil banner, I thought to myself, here's an opportunity to fail in style (and have an interesting experience into the bargain)... and it has turned out that I am very well suited to the job. But I was not at all sure of that beforehand. Would I move to Vancouver? It would have to look like a better thing to do than staying here, which is certainly possible. I do one thing until it either bores me, or something better or more interesting comes along. I am not bored yet, plus it's enough money that I would have to be quite a bit more bored than usual... but I am as always open to the next thing, and there is certainly a good chance that Broken Saints will be part of that.
18. There's been quite a demand for an official Broken Saints soundtrack. Any rumblings as of yet?
As a sort of insider / outsider to the Saints team, I do hear rumblings that others might not hear, but at the same time being far away and preoccupied with a very different life I don't keep up with everything. Certainly this has been mentioned and I think it's a good idea and am open to it. I would probably want a little more control over the pieces in this kind of context than I exercise in the chapters themselves; not necessarily exclusively whole tracks as they are on the original albums, in fact almost certainly not that... In contrast to what I said about putting music to visuals, making albums that flow well is something I AM good at and do have experience with... I think it would be an interesting challenge to put something together on that level. If there is demand for it so much the better. I am certainly open to this, but have not heard anything concrete about a timeline or anything.
19. And what of the rumours of a trip-hop mix of one of your songs? Can you give us any details?
Heh heh heh... yeah, I
have been approached to do something on this level and it's on the shortlist...
20. What's the musical creation process like? Take a non-talent fanboy like
me through from the messy, drunken conception, to the painful, bloody birth.
I have nothing like a regular or typical workflow. I compose so sporadically, with months and somtimes years going by where I don't really write any music per se, that it's always a bit different. It's always pretty organic in the sense that there's a germ of something, a seed, which grows and changes and occupies whatever sonic space I have at hand, be it piano or synth or computer or hand drum. I come from a family of biologists, and have spent quite a bit of time trying to understand evolutionary theory, and I tend to apply it to just about everything, including or especially the creative process (perhaps, on reflection, I think that biological evolution is like the creative process, not the other way around). So I start with a seed, the seed could be a melody or a rhythm or a synth patch or a chord... or, say, three chords, like the three that became Zelem, one of the themes that is used to great effect in several Broken Saints chapters. I think that melody and movement are closely intertwined - for more eloquent musings on this topic read Bruce Chatwin's 'The SOnglines' - so I often get ideas when I am out walking or cycling, far from the studio... many of those ideas are lost, but the ones I can't get out of my head get used later. Kind of a natural selection process for riffs...
In the studio, I try to use the editing environment like an instrument, on which I improvise and, quite literally, play, using my ears and gravitating towards whatever works for them, refining and honing in on things I didn't know I was going for. Anyway this is what I mean by technology catching up, I can now do this with very few technical limitations, at very high quality, in realtime, on my laptop at home (or anywhere else for that matter). Crazy. So this is how I tend to like to work these days. Like Ian has said elsewhere, the hardware and software are tools, you use whatever you can get your hands on, the trick is creativity, flow, getting into the zone where you get out of the way and the thing that wants to come through can come through. This is as true of the computer music studio as it is of the piano, or writing, or for that matter playing tennis, or whatever you do that involves skills and tools - the rush is when it all becomes transparent and flows through you, you watch over your own shoulder and say, whoa, I can't do that! That's fun for me. So practising and creating is driven entirely by wanting to have MORE FUN.
21. What type of gear do you work with? Your stuff tends to sound very organic.
Right now I have a Samsung laptop running Windows and Cubase digital audio sequencing software, and a Tascam US-428 audio/MIDI interface unit. It has a control surface so I can run the software mixing panels with real faders and knobs. I use lots of different software; too many to mention, I only mention Cubase because it's in the middle of everything, and because I'm a Cubase user from way back - Passage was sequenced on Cubase, before the days of audio-in-the-sequencer, on an old 486 running Windows 3.1... A Kurzweil K2000 provided all electronic sound. Back to the present... piano sounds come from my only other hardware, a GeneralMusic Real Piano Expander, which is something of a legend as it turns out, I found this out recently when I had a problem and was troubleshooting it and looking around on the net; I just use it because I've had it for years and it still sounds pretty good when I don't have the luxury of recording a real piano. I have a Fatar weighted keyboard controller, and a little Roland one which is ligher and more portable. Portability is a big thing for me, as we move around a lot here... I wanted my whole studio to fit in airline carry-on and most of it does. Everything else is software - virtual synths, effects, mixing, mastering... the whole deal. So if it sounds organic, that's a process thing, it's all in how you use it, right?
22. There are rumours that you can play upwards of 12 instruments proficiently. What CAN you play, and what HAVE you tried playing?
I am a piano player. I have way too much respect for what it takes to really get anywhere on an instrument to call myself a player of anything else. I am talking about really playing - the thing where you have a deep personal relationship with an instrument, cannot imagine life without it, experience incredible highs and terrifying lows in this relationship... also where you have spent TENS OF THOUSANDS OF HOURS practising and exploring and understanding music through this instrument. I have been playing piano for over 25 years and it's a heavy thing, I sit at the piano and I am HOME, safe, warm, loved, open, raw, scared, challenged to go deeper, all that. Things happen that I cannot imagine. I don't have anything like that with any other instrument; even other keyboards, synths which I am pretty facile with, organ and cool electrics like Rhodes and clavinet which I love and have made a kind of specialty of at various times... nothing is as deep and oceanic as the piano for me.
Having said that... I do like playing other instruments, figuring out how to make sounds on them that I don't hate. I played french horn quite seriously at school as a kid, picking it up again as a second instrument when I was at McGill. I like it a lot, and I recently bought one, a beautiful Alexander, here in Germany and hope to use it more in upcoming projects. I play trumpet and other brassy things a little because of that experience, the fingerings and embouchure port over reasonably well. I have a real thing for Irish folk flute, that's a hobby that sometimes becomes quite obsessive - I used to play regular (silver) flute but don't bother any more, the wooden ones are where it's at for me. I can figure things out on electric bass and pick out some chords on acoustic guitar. I love hand percussion, and poke away at that whenever a drum wanders too close, but again have too much respect for percussionists to pretend I am one. Accordion, sort of a neo-keyboard instrument, is a good friend (I own 4 of them!) - I play it a lot in the show here, along with some Irish flute and penny-whistle. I wish I could play real traditional button accordion, but I'm not patient enough, I keep going back to the keyboard kind. I cannot and do not play any bowed string instruments. I cannot really play the didgeridoo...
23. Give us some more of your youthful musical background - influences, schooling, early projects, triumphs, failures - the whole Mozart deal.
Yikes. I'm going to have to pass on going too deep into the childhood thing. An overview: I had piano lessons, first from my mother and then from the nice lady in the church basement up the road, from the age of about 4 or 5. Later I had a pretty serious teacher named Ralph Markham who had the distinction of having played against, and almost beaten, a young Glenn Gould in a competition. I had french horn lessons too, first from an English teacher at school and then from Barb Bloomer who was first horn in the TSO at that point. I started horsing around with improvised music pretty early on, on my own and then with friends... we formed a band, the nucleus of which was a trio: my friends Ed (bass) and Bain (drums) and I. Several permutations of this performed quirky music, based in pop, blues, classic rock. We recorded a lot of incredibly creative and often tremendously wierd music. I always had a niggling attraction to jazz, mostly as an idea until eventually I had some exposure to the music itself. I had a jazz piano teacher in Toronto named Peter Dick who really helped put me on the right track in this respect. Eventually after my travels in Asia I moved to Victoria where I began playing semi-professionally for the first time, which was a hoot and left me wanting more, so I studied jazz performance at McGill in Montreal for a spell.
That turned out to be the biggest learning experience of all, though for none of the reasons you might expect. I literally had to stop playing for a year or so while recovering from tendonitis, largely psychologically derived I am convinced... I was viewing music more and more competitively, and my hands were not up to the strain of 8-hour practise days in order to gratify my insecurities about not being the best piano player I knew anymore. I had to find a way out of that, though I didn't know that was what was happening at the time. I dropped all performance courses, took a lot of music history and musicology with an incredible prof named Susan McLary, sort of the seminal feminist musicologist. Studied electronic music and composition, got my hands on old modular Moog synths and tape delays as well as dipping into the computer audio world for the first time. Even took some acoustics and psychoacoustics courses to try to understand what this sound stuff was that I was working with. Dropped out of university short of a degree in anything, and got absorbed in compositional projects which have been fully described above. Eventually I started playing piano again but mostly for fun. Now I have no problems with my hands, and I am playing more and better than ever, in an intense and demanding professional environment. I don't care about whether my better-than-ever is better or worse than where anyone elsemight be at, either; I enjoy hearing other players play beautifully, it doesn't enter into my relationship with the instrument except perhaps as inspiration, which is hopefully healthy.
24. Back to Broken Saints - what are some of your favourite moments so far? Which chapters, effects, sounds, and artwork pieces really got to you?
I really related to chapter
7, as mentioned before, as I have been there before (I won't mention as a result
of which particular chemical or
chemicals) - the hyper-alert, paranoid, I've-been-reading-too-much-theoretical-physics-and-it's-all-making-terri
ble-sense kind of thing, very frightening, had to call my childhood best friend
at 4:30 am to help fix my head... Chapter 7 perfectly captures this vibe for
me. Don't know why this makes me like it, but whatever. Chapter 2 seems to be
a commonly listed favorite, and it's one o mine too, though I have no significant
experience as a hacker so not for the same reasons as I liked 7. The atmosphere
is really effective and tense, however. The artwork in 3 really stands out,
gorgeous, as does much of the stuff from Lomalagi. The Flash work in 4 is super,
though I still like the morphing text in 7 best of all... People have told me
that the beginning of 9 with the plane is uncannily realistic, so it can't just
be me. Six of course was the first big oddysey, and in some ways for me marked
the point where I sort of got really involved in the story, knew I was hooked
as it were. From then on I just think it's getting better and better. But then
I am somewhat biased...
25. Any cool fan stories yet? Have you been badgered? Stalked? Do any online sales? Get mobbed by Japanese schoolgirls with tiny gingham skirts and crisp white panties?
Only had one random fan encounter here so far - an American woman who came to the show exclusively because BS had been mentioned in some episode of Big Brother or something, she had checked it out, liked the music, looked at my website, saw I was living in Berlin and working at this show, was taking a trip to Berlin anyway, dropped by and saw the show, asked the waitress to ask if I would meet her afterwards, which I did. Not very exciting, a far cry from Japanese schoolgirls with tiny gingham skirts... I'll keep you posted.
26. Describe your typical workday in Berlin.
(laughter...) I feel like I talk about how disciplined my life here is... 'up at 8:00, a brisk jog and some yoga and meditation, a healthy breakfast (say, yoghurt and muesli and fruit), then scales and technical execises to wake up the fingers and the brain... work on new material for a couple of hours, then practise for the show...' Umm, not quite. In fact occasionally this is something like what happens but only by chance and despite myself. If I am really in the middle of something I am motivated about I will turn the computer on while I'm still bleary-eyed, and work on it all day sustained by caffeine and whatever is in the fridge. Other days if it's nice out we feel we have to get out to the park for a walk or something. The flat always seems to need cleaning, or dishes done, or whatever. This being Europe there is the temptation to go to a museum or a gallery and take in some real culture to inspire and light the fires under the proverbial ass. Or a friend has invited us over for coffee, or out for a beer on a terrace someplace.
Official show call at my real work is 7:00 pm, an hour before the show, but I usually try to be there a little ealier to tune the piano a bit (it's in a tent, so it needs touch-ups every day) and warm up. Sometimes there are rehearsals or meetings too. The show runs a shade over three and a half hours unless it's really empty which it hasn't been at all lately - we're selling very well thank you very much. On weekends and special occasions we play a set of dance music - very retro, some disco and soul and 70's rock'n'roll - so sometimes I'm not offstage 'till almost 1:00 am. Wind down, put the dustcovers on the keyboards, have a drink at the bar (it's free, wouldn't you?) and then decide whether to go home to sleep or work on something in the studio, or out to a jam session, or stop off for a drop of something somewhere else... it's a hard life, but (apparently) someone has to do it.
27. Can you give us a hint concerning any pieces that are in the works for Broken Saints? We're all about the spoilers!!!
I wish I planned things
that far in advance. I have some requests for pieces for particular scenes from
Brooke but I think that would be overstepping - the mystery of what might be
next is part of what makes Broken Saints tick, so I'd hate to be the one to
mess that up. I will leave it to the master to decide what to disclose and what
to withhold. I personally have an idea to do something entirely different and
atmospheric with the tribal theme from Lomalagi (I hope I have that
right) which I mentioned above. I am reunited with my bass after a long spell
apart so I want to do some stuff with that and, as mentioned, the french horn.
Other than that I just take whatever comes along.
28. Is there anything you'd like to accomplish musically before the series is over? How about before you die?
No doubt the universe is unfolding as it should... I try not to make too many plans, they just get in the way of whatever is going to happen anyway which is probably cooler and more interesting than anything I could come up with. So I go with the flow. I want to make sounds that make me feel good; Brooke wants me to make sounds that 'creep him out'... we meet in the middle, or rather for some reason there seems to be a strange synchronicity between the two. My plan is to keep doing that.
29. And, as the obligatory closing question to prodigies who are gaped at in awe and reverence, what one piece of advice would you give to all of the aspiring composers out there who consider you the current benchmark for New Media music?
Well, passing over the obvious commentary on what a sad state of affairs that would be if it were true, I would say, don't spend much time comparing yourself with others, but do learn to take very honest stock of where you are at. Music is bigger than you and always will be. You cannot possibly hope to do anything that really compares with what has gone before, the giants - Bach, Beethoven, the Beatles, Bill Evans... the list is long and daunting as long as you are comparing yourself with others, but inspiring if you realize that these people were just doing what you should do - making sounds that made them feel good. As far as I know, no-one who sets out to make Important Art, or be the best at something, ever does anything interesting at all. Keep a good attitude, respectful of people that have accomplished more than you, open to those who have accomplished less, not measuring yourself or your value against either. Measuring yourself and your worth by comparing it to others can sometimes lead to technical accomplishment, but it's not often much fun. Let having more fun be your mantra, and you might accidentally do something that touches other people along the way.
Also (this is in the do
as I say not as I do department), don't spend too much time trying to acheive
the perfect studio configuration, or lusting after gear that might be better
than what you have. Make some sounds that make you feel good, with whatever
is at hand.
QUENTIN GREY: OUT OF THE DARKNESS!
5.24.02 Two weeks ago, we finally got in
touch with elusive and reclusive BS composition contributor Quentin Grey. After
endless harassment and countless promises of more black clothing for his wardrobe,
he acquiesced - much to our great pleasure!
So how did you get involved
with the BS gig in the first place? There were rumours on the FORUM boards that
you know Brooke as a friend of a
friend...
I met Brooke a couple of years ago during a visit to Vancouver. At the time, I was running around with a good friend of mine Aaron Golden, who introduced us. There are a lot of Good People in BC, but Brooke stood out at the time when I met him as one of those weird characters that somehow gets himself involved in weird and wonderful projects. I still don't really know how I think it was probably Aaron who kept playing a few of my early mixes to anyone who would listen, and I guess Brooke picked up on that.So, before we get to the BS-specific queries, give us a little background on yourself.
Well, I enjoy music, and long moonlit walks on the beach...uh no. There's not much to say really. I have trouble remembering whether I'm 22 or 23 years old, but it's somewhere around there, and I'm finishing off a Computer Science degree in Toronto. When I'm not in school out freaking out about school, I'm pretty random. I ski, I sport climb, and every once in a while me and my friend Nick will rappel off of bridges and stuff, because there's not all that much to climb in Thornhill. I'm pretty that's started to piss off a few security guards. I do little Kung-fu too. I've been trying to figure out Zen for the past year and a half, so I meditate a bit. I'm not really a club person, but every once in a while I like to get out into some place that's playing really horrible hard rock and chill out. Oh, and I make music. There's really not that much else to say.
WHAT or WHO are your biggest creative influences - and what's the craziest life experience that has shaped your creative direction?
There's a huge list of people I respect who've provided inspiration. Earlier on, it was Fear Factory, Ministry and Front Line Assembly, and I'm almost ashamed to admit, Trent Reznor. Later on though, I expanded my horizons a bit, so now my inspirations come from all across the musical spectrum. There are more dancy acts like Lunatic Calm, Crystal Method and Prodigy, some of the more demented types like Buckethead, Meshuggah and Aphex Twin, there's the white trash angle with Clutch, Southern Culture on the Skids and Nashville Pussy, and there's even some classical like Wagner and Beethoven. I think every musical experience is pretty crazy. I mean, if you're in a mosh pit for example, you're doing some pretty crazy things. You're beating on people, smashing your head into stuff, seeing people walk out of there with blood pouring off them and whatnot, and you look up, and it's just a group of guys on stage who are making it happen. And how? With a couple of guitars and a drumset. Same thing when I'm dancing in a club, same thing when listening to Ministry's 'Lay Lady Lay' gets me going with a girlfriend. Good music pushes and pulls things inside of you. As life experience, about a year ago, I met a Zen Monk, Dr. Victor Sogen Hori during a lecture. What he had to say basically made me start re-evaluating everything I thought or did in my life. Musically, it meant I had to lose a lot of my old habits, and force myself to try new things.
Most of the work we've heard from you sounds like it's gone through some major post-production processing. What's your view on creating music with technological tools, and what exactly is the typical 'Quentin Grey' working process?
I do almost all my work
in Buzz, which is a modular digital studio, which allows me to do the production
as part of the creative process. So I can come up with a good synth line and
say 'Okay, that's mostly high-end, so I'll cut some bass to slot it into the
mix'. The only post production I do is some last minute compression and the
like. I think technological tools are a great thing, particularly for production.
With the hardware and software out there, anyone has the means to put out a
well-produced piece of music, regardless of what genre they're in. On the creative
side of it, technology has gone a long way for instrumentation. Thanks to samples
and soundfonts I have access to sounds that would be hard to get a hold of in
real life, like grand piano's and string sections, which really takes the limitations
off my composing. At the same time, though,
there's a part of me that wishes I did have access to an orchestra or a band
of singing monks, because it would add so much human dimension to the sound.
A lot of tech-heads will be a bit pissed off, but I think that live instruments
just can't be replaced. There are nuances in someone strumming a guitar string
that a sample just can't do. That's why I have people like Josh come in and
do guitars for me, or have someone singing. As for purely electronic instruments
though, like the old analog synthesizers and the new
batch of synthesis methods, I'm all for it. Completely synthetic sounds are
just another instrument. My working process consists of sitting my ass down
in front of a computer
and tinkering with soft-synths. I'm fond of my 303 emulator right now, and a
beast of a synth called Jacinth. The neat thing about synthesizers is that the
music is shaped by the sound you've produced, and vice versa, so most of the
time I'm dropping notes into the sequencer, and then tweaking different knobs
and sliders and then changing the notes again. Eventually, I'll get something
that sounds good, whether it's bouncy, hard or whatever, and I'll save it to
the disk. Once I've got that, I can get back to it later and add
drums and backing instrumentation. Once that's done, and I've got a solid rhythm
I can build a song around, so then I get to work on adding verses, choruses,
breaks and different layers to add to the sound. Somewhere in there, I try and
get a hold of someone to add live elements to the sound. Thus far, I've been
working with two guitarists, Josh Greenburg and George Karageorgopolis, both
of whom are working on a project together now. Josh has been working with me
for years now, and can claim quite a bit of responsibility when it comes to
how the music has developed. We still have a hillbilly metal band called Sundown
we've yet to release tracks from. George has also done some drum tracks for
me, and I'm hoping I'll get a hold of him for future tracks, because he's something
of a metal prodigy.
What's your current (or near-future) musical goal? Or, are you planning on heading in a different artistic direction?
Right now, my goal is to finally sift through all the half-finished songs I have sitting on my hard-drive and patch them together for an album. That gets kind of difficult, because I'm always putting together new things, and then looking back on the old stuff and saying 'Jesus, what a load of shit'. It's like evolution. Eventually though, I guess I'll force myself to finish something.
All-time favourite album - with excessive justification for your choice :)
That's a tough one, because
I don't really have favourites. I could say 'this-and-that by so-and-so is the
best album ever', but that would block off a whole whack of music which could
be equally good. Can you really compare someone like Fear Factory to Leonard
Cohen? For the sake of the question, though, I'll say 'Master of Puppets' by
Metallica, because it's an album I can pull out and listen to from start to
finish without getting the least bit bored. Before they became a bunch of whining
prats, they had an
incredible sound. Every single song from the first chord was a work of art.
Heavy as hell, but still musical, which is something very few bands today can
do, and if they can, I don't think they do it half as well. It almost makes
me yearn for the eighties. Almost.
If you had to have sex with a colour, which hue would it be, and what would be playing on the stereo?
I'd have to say vinyl black and 'Out comes the Evil' by Lords of Acid (evil grin). I've got a pretty wide range of sexual moods, but that one is pretty much always welcome.
Ok, back in the land of BS...are your pieces written specifically for Broken Saints, or have they been retro-fitted to the series?
It's a mix of both. Some of the pieces were intended to be full songs apart from Broken Saints, but I gave parts of them over to Brooke because I thought they fit well. I work with loops a lot, so it's pretty easy to adapt things to soundtracks.
Your work was first introduced in Chapter 3 - Oran's chapter. It combined a haunting piano/drum/voice piece, another piece that sounds like ethnic chanting, and the fight music itself. Care to elaborate on the specifics of these pieces?
The piano piece is one of the few early works of mine that I still like. For that one, I hooked up with an old friend and talented vocalist, Debbie Kupferstien, who I'm hoping to work with again in the future. The ethnic chanting, if I remember correctly was the Azan, or the Islamic call to prayer. I don't speak Arabic though, and I picked up that sample years ago, so I could be wrong. The fight track was pretty textbook case of Josh putting guitars over some of my drums and synths.
Were you happy with how they integrated your tunes into the chapter?
I'm very pleased. The sound designers at Broken Saints know their shit, and I'm more than happy to have them working with my music.
Your stuff was again featured in another fight scene in Chapter 12 - how do you feel about being labelled as the 'action composer' of BS?
I'm kind of indifferent about that. I'm under no illusions as to my role in BS, which is creating an audio environment to suit the setting. If my music suits the fighting sequences, it suits the fighting sequences, and that's that.
Obviously, you've watched some of the series by now ;) Fans have been nearly unanimous in proclaiming that the music is the crown jewel of Broken Saints. Aside from your own work, are there any pieces that you've found to be particularly compelling? Favourite Tobias Tinker or Godspeed You Black Emperor pieces?
I'm really impressed by the work of both artists. Josh in fact loaned me his Godspeed CD, 'Slow Riot for New Zer0 Kanada.', almost a year ago and I still haven't given it back. What's been impressing me for as long as BS has been running is the subtlety with which these guys compose. It's really excellent music, really clean and well thought out, but it never errs on the side of melodrama, which I think gives it remarkable power. Considering the style and subject matter of BS, I think their music compliments it wonderfully. Tobias' work is exceptional. I can't explain it entirely, but it has a distinct accent to it. It's dark, and fits BS very well, but there's always an element that shouldn't fit in the composition but does.
Chapter 19 is fast approaching - and Brooke has announced that you are providing the lion's share of the music. With the current attention that BS is receiving from mainstream media, are you excited to be back in the spotlight?
(Uncontrolled laughter)
First of all, I find it hilarious that I'm part of the BS team, in the company
of many talented people. It's even funnier that I've gotten any respect amongst
such talent. I've always found it kind of hard to respond to that kind of attention.
It's nice to know that people are liking what they hear, but at the same time
it's kind of unnerving to be taken seriously. No matter how long I've been working
at my music, it's hard to shake the feeling that I'm still not as good as I
could be. On the plus
side, any exposure is good exposure, which brings with it the possibility of
getting signed.
There's a rumour that Tobias in working on making a series of Broken Saints unofficial soundtracks. Would you be willing to contribute your work to it if the demand was there? The lads sure could use the bandwidth $, and the fans have expressed their interest on numerous occasions.
There's details to be worked out, such as which songs I'd give in and what the details of the release are, but it seems a no-brainer yes for me (I think Brooke just probably screamed 'Aha! We got you, you little bastard!'). It's dependent on what the boys want, but I'm thinking some of the full song versions of the Chapter 19 soundtrack are a possibility.
And with that, the Q-man slipped back into the inky night, leaving only his
e-mail addy to keep us warm. If you want to get sycophantic, jam his inbox at
skull_cowboy@hotmail.com.
DIGITAL CARTOONING
INTERVIEW!
9.11.02 Steven Withrow is the writer of
a book entitled "Digital Cartooning", scheduled to be released in
June 2003 - and Broken Saints is fortunate enough to be featured in this defining
volume! The following quotes from an e-mail interview with Steven will most
likely be included in a multiple-page spread on BS.
What hardware you use to create your work:
Primary Artwork:
- 1Ghz PC with 512 MB RAM
- 9x12 Wacom Tablet
Flash, Web Design, and Post-Production:
- 850Mhz PC with 512MB RAM and HEAPS of hard-drive space (each chapter requires 5 Gigs to backup)
- 9x12 WACOM Tablet
Scripting and Mobile Showcasing:
SONY VAIO laptop - Intel 500 Mhz PIII
Software you use to create your work:
ART:
- Corel Painter 7 (primary sketches, linework, layering, and painting)
- Adobe Photoshop 7 (touch-ups) ToonBoom Studio (frame animations)
POST-PRODUCTION:
- Macromedia's Flash 5 (authoring, effects, etc)
- Adobe Photoshop 7 (touch-ups, shot alterations, layerings, etc)
- Painter 7 (background support, touch-ups)
- Adobe Illustrator 9 (backgrounds)
- Adobe Streamline (some vector art conversion)
- Soundforge (audio design, manipulation, and loop creation)
- ToonBoom Studio (some camera movements)
- Flashants.com (conversion to video)
- FTP Voyager (file transfer)
SCRIPTING:
- Microsoft Word (shot-lists and outlines)
- Microsoft Excel (dialogue separation)
1. What's your story in digital animation/cartooning? How and when did you get started, and what are some of your major accomplishments? What makes your work stand out?
Our collaboration
is a classic case of self-taught creators being unaware of a medium's limitations.
Rather than attempt to do something in a traditional way (paper comics, watered-down
teleplays, etc), the idea was to use this new medium with a built-in global
audience to embark on a serial adventure. The internet allows for great freedom
of expression, and the chance to operate with complete control over the work
was
intriguing. In the summer of 2000, my friendship with a self-taught anime illustrator
(Andrew West) led to the discussion of doing some form of online 'comic'. Andrew
introduced me to Ian Kirby, who had already mastered countless software applications
and was tinkering with Flash. After watching a painful amount of Flash cartoons,
it seemed clear that most creators were using the tools for the lowest common
denominators of
entertainment: violence and toilet humour. Either that, or they were trying
to re-create mediums that already existed, but on a smaller scale
- the Flash version of film, of television, or of traditional cartoons. Broken
Saints stands out because it combines the three things that web users are most
comfortable with - pictures, music, and text - and fuses them together in a
unique form of narrative. It takes the best aspects from the world of 'graphic
literature' (exposed thought and character subtext) and the cinematic world
(dynamic cameras and engaging effects) to make something new - "Cinematic
Literature". After launching the site and initial chapters at the beginning
of 2001, the project received acclaim from the FlashForward festival in the
form of a Best Story nomination. As the months passed, the kudos accumulated
from around the web from award sites. In September of 2001, the Pixie Independent
Film Awards deemed Broken Saints as the Best Website with Motion Graphics. More
small nods followed, until the spring of 2002 when the FlashForward festival
once again honoured Broken Saints - this time with a Best Cartoon and People's
Choice Award. In the last 18 months, Broken Saints has been featured and critically
acclaimed by prominent mainstream media like Entertainment Weekly, The Hollywood
Reporter, TIME.com, CNN.com, USA TODAY, MSNBC, and major newspapers around the
world. Currently, we are in negotiations to bring the property to cable television
in an animated or live-action capacity.
2. In "Handbook of Animation Techniques" (1979), Eli L. Levitan defined animation as "a technique in which the illusion of movement is created by photographing a series of individual drawings on successive frames of film with stop-motion processes. The illusion is produced by projecting the processed film at the standard sound-speed rate of 24 frames per second. In a computerized system, the animator generally makes the drawings of the key frames, and the computer interpolates the immediate drawings needed to complete the action". How would you alter this definition to include the digital animation being produced today?
With the new tools, 'animation' could almost be filtered down to its true essence - the display of movement. The only 'illusion' now is the separation of the viewer from the world of the screen (we're not creating truly 3-dimensional kinetic mechanisms). The wonderful thing about Japanese anime that translates so well online is its simplicity of movement. Rather than creating and transitioning through many single frames, the illustrator creates a single frame that displays the character's movement and emotion. The background colours are blurred and shifted to create the illusion of motion as the character 'slides' through a frame. That's why an anime-inspired style seemed such a natural for Flash...and for Broken Saints.
3. Describe the creative process you use to create Broken Saints. Please include the essential tools and techniques.
- A shotlist (between 100 and 150 shots) is created as an outline for a chapter.
- rough storyboards for the shots and transitions are created on paper, with technical and time limitations debated, art styles proposed, and cuts/additions taking place
- 'pencils' of the characters are created using a Wacom tablet and Painter 7. All subsequent additions will be created on other 'layers' within software to allow for versality in post-production
- after checking the basic composition of the pencils, the characters are 'inked' and cleaned up on the computer
- flat paints are then added, followed by basic shading and highlights
- after looking at the paintings in progress, the backgrounds are created in Painter and Illustrator.
- Photoshop 7 is used to adjust lighting, highlights, shading, and tone of the characters and backgrounds
- Character and backgrounds are fused in the Flash authoring tool. Effects tests are performed to gauge any framerate difficulties during animations or transitions. Any opportunity to use lower-resolution artwork to save overall file size is considered here.
- a general timeline (ie: first edit in Flash) is created for the chapter with a first pass on shot placement, 'camera' movements, effects, and transitions.
- specific dialogue/text is written for all scenes and positioned/timed in the chapter.
- music loops and effects are created/edited in SoundForge and then compressed for Flash.
- multiple performance tests of the final cut on slower machines are performed to gauge timing and intensity. Scenes that cause 'bogging'(major framerate drops) are re-worked and tested.
- the finished chapter is released to a hungry fanbase!!!
4. What will be the greatest challenge the digital cartoonist will face in the near future (the next five years at most)?
Twofold. First - artists will be forced to master numerous software applications in order to retain true control of their vision and competitive marketability (a lengthy and expensive undertaking), or risk unemployment and 'creation by committee'. Second - as distribution channels widen and audiences grow, it falls squarely on the shoulders of creators to differentiate their work through excellence, technical ability, originality, and narrative understanding in a sea of mediocrity. Nothing's more expendable or forgettable as an also-ran artist with nothing unique to say.
5. What advice would you give to a beginning digital cartoonist?
Knowledge...you
can't have enough of it. Learn as much related software as you can - 2D and
3D - which adds to your perceived value. Master your classical animation skills
and anatomy lessons. Watch as much Animation as you can - from old-school Tex
Avery, WB, and Disney stuff to modern releases and online toons - and learn
to differentiate between the great, the good, and the painful. Once you're done
that, you simply MUST learn from other mediums - film, TV, music, modern art,
etc - every form of expression has something to offer a young creator in terms
of technique and inspiration. But most of all - stay inspired...even if it means
taking an extended break to get your mad-scientist juices flowing again.
SHOOTIN' SHIZZ
WITH THE GOD SQUAD!
7/13/03 - Brooke has a cyber sit-down with David Dawes of
Canadian Christianity magazine.
CC.com: What prompted you to do such an ambitious project, and what are you hoping to accomplish?
It was definitely a combination of things that inspired me to conceive of Broken Saints and collaborate with my talented young friends to make it a reality. In the mid/late '90s, I was employed at a prestigious software company in British Columbia, producing videogames for some of their key franchises. It was a wonderful job and an incredible learning opportunity -- but I just started to feel, after a few years, that there was so much more potential to touch people with the skills that I had been blessed with. Even in times of apparent affluence, I wasn't blind to the fact that the world is aimed on some very dark social, political and spiritual vectors -- and my hope was to use modern tools like film, TV, games and multimedia to tell stories that could reach people's minds and hearts.
So in 1999, with the Millennium looming, and after tiring of the 'cubicle barnyard' and longing to get some much-needed perspective on things, I cashed in my stocks and left my steady career to travel in the South Pacific. It was during this time away from Western living, particularly in the more remote areas of Fiji and New Zealand, that the basis for the tale -- the struggle between technological development and spiritual reality -- really started to take shape. Originally, I thought of writing a semi-autobiographical novel about these realizations -- but when I returned home in the spring of 2000, a series of wonderful 'coincidences' occurred.
First, I ran into an old friend, artist Andrew West, who used to frequent a videogame store that I managed years before -- and he was eager to find a way to showcase his burgeoning artistic skills, particularly in the style of Japanese anime. We began to discuss doing a traditional comic book series together, and I thought about adapting my novel to become more of a fictional piece set in the near future, but maintaining the same themes. My only concern was that I was moving from a very dynamic medium -- games -- to a more static one. It was then that Andrew introduced me to what would become our flash editor extraordinaire, Ian Kirby -- who just happened to live two houses away from mine! At the time, he was tinkering with Macromedia Flash -- the program used to create animations online.
As we researched the technology in earnest, it became clear that the lion's share of animation on the web was really of the 'lowest-common-denominator' ilk -- mainly juvenile humour and cartoon violence. So there was this window of opportunity to create something that had a real story to tell -- a sense of purpose -- and that was perfectly designed for this relatively simple technology. We could create still frames of art, and 'shift' them in the movie window to create a sense of motion; the tests were very cinematic. The only thing missing was music -- until my composer cousin Tobias Tinker reminded me that he had a back-catalogue of tunes that would perfectly suit the mood of the piece. And the rest, as they say, is history.
How would you describe the range of responses to Broken Saints?
Overwhelmingly positive! The project has been viewed by more than two million people worldwide, and has a regular daily viewership of two to five thousand unique visitors. Our guestbook and forum are brimming with insightful, passionate and intelligent comments from all over the world, and the critical acclaim for the site has just been staggering. In fact, we might not have been able to summon the strength to complete the series at times during the last few years, if it wasn't for the overwhelming support of our fans.
Of course, there have been a few naysayers -- but they give us much-needed perspective. Some folks think we could be more daring with the technologies we use, others are critical of the cartoonish art style, and still others complain about the pacing or 'literate' content of the story. In the end, we were just happy to touch so many people with Broken Saints -- and we hope that the tale can live on in some form or another.
Why have you made the work available free of charge, and how did you finance it?
With the personal and spiritual nature of the story -- one steeped in discovery, sacrifice, and redemption -- it just seemed hypocritical to ask viewers to pay to see it! And though many have suggested that we could easily cover our mounting bills with online advertising, we collectively felt that Broken Saints needed to be a kind of 'oasis' for our readers -- a place they could go to on the web where they weren't barraged by all of this blatant corporate propaganda. If we were going to be somewhat critical of the capitalist system in the story, it just wouldn't gel if we succumbed to it with the site.
So in the beginning, we tried to get funding from a local design firm that wanted to showcase their new interactive studio. They were kind enough to support us for the first six chapters, and then it became clear that it was best to 'leave the nest' and devote ourselves full-time to the 'saintly' cause. All expenses at this point came out-of-pocket -- that is, until we ran out! It was only then that we sent a call out to our fans for any donations they could spare. Their kindness, and the local support of friends, family and fans at a series of fundraising concerts, have kept Broken Saints alive and breathing -- we really can't thank them enough.
Please describe, in laymen's terms, how you used Macromedia Flash to do the animation.
Here's a basic summary of the process of creating a chapter of Broken Saints. I create a list of 'shots' for Andrew to create on his computer with a digital artist's tablet. After we sit down [together] and create traditional storyboards -- still sketches of what the final shots should look like -- he begins to draw and paint the images. Meanwhile, Ian is pulling double-duty creating backgrounds for these characters to exist and move in, as well as doing technical tests for the desired film-style effects of a particular chapter. Once the primary artwork is complete, Ian takes it into a special program called Photoshop -- to clean up the images a little and balance their colours to create the mood I'm looking for in a scene. Once this is complete, the shots are then sequentially transferred into the Flash timeline (it's like editing together a movie), and the transitions and effects are placed in as well. The next stage is to take the written dialogue for our animated 'actors' and place that in the timeline as well. Finally, just like with a film, we edit and mix a musical and audio score for the images. Then, after testing the finished project on various computers, we release it on our site for the world to enjoy!
Can you give a detailed but concise synopsis of the story? Also, can you give some hints regarding what happens in the grand finale?
In the quiet corners of the globe, four strangers receive a haunting message -- identical visions of the Apocalypse -- that draws them all towards a dark city in the Pacific Northwest. Somehow, these visions are being triggered by a recently launched global telecommunications network -- and tied to a conspiracy to control the Third World populations and resources. As we approach the one-hour grand finale, we learn that the entire plan was actually a ruse. In reality, a powerful philanthropist has been manipulating his corporate and military partners to execute the plan of his own design -- the satellite-broadcasted triggering of a terrifying 'global enlightenment' that will kill millions and change the social order forever. But how are the four protagonists -- a Buddhist priest, a Muslim soldier, a Christian programmer, and a mysterious orphan from the South Pacific -- inextricably linked to the plan? Have they been somehow 'summoned' to stop the plan . . . assist it . . . or merely witness?
Describe your use of Christian imagery. Specifically: what role does it play in Broken Saints? How extensively is it used? Please give some specific examples. Regarding the scene in your preview, where the crosses rise into the air: does that relate to the biblical concept of the Rapture? How does it figure in the story?
Christian symbolism is intentionally layered throughout Broken Saints. I was always fascinated with the idea that Christ struggled with his divinity for a period, and imagined what it would be like for a future Messianic incarnation to interact with the modern world. That's why the 'saviour' role in Broken Saints is embodied in Shandala -- the genetically-engineered orphan raised by a loving Fijian tribe. Her primary nature is very Christ-like. She is profoundly selfless and altruistic, naturally loving and empathic, and -- following her intense visions -- she is empowered with the ability to heal others. However, those beautiful gifts and her nearly divine nature, nurtured by the simple communal lifestyle she was exposed to, [are] then threatened by her destined 'return' to the developed world.
This Christian archetype is reinforced in several specific moments in the narrative, with classic themes of awakening / resurrection (e.g. Chapter 17 is entitled 'Lazarus') and sacrifice (several characters in the series give their very lives for others to advance or attain understanding). And yes, Broken Saints contains the timely/profound presence of crucifixes in some important scenes. The first appearance of a crucifix in the series is in the first chapter -- it hangs on the Catholic programmer's wall, and helps to establish the sense that he's currently missing something in his life that used to be an important element. Later on, in Chapter 7, he experiences an intense series of visions of the past and the future -- which climaxes with the transformation of a series of WWII bombers climbing up the screen into a field of hundreds of rising crosses. This is used to symbolize the horrible sacrifices of war, and the paradox of trying to create a socio-political system of unity (world order) through tools of violence -- and where the victims are innocents/martyrs. Still, many have felt that this scene mirrors the process or feeling of imminent Rapture in the work (and in our world), and I certainly won't argue with them!
Finally, I believe the most powerful use of this vital Christian symbol in our series is the antagonist's (Lear Dunham) reshaping of it into a tool of destruction -- as a huge metallic cross embedded with video monitors. Lear's faith has been twisted into something driven by sadness, revenge, and his conditioned hatred of technology and structured society. This cross was designed to harness the empathic rage of Shandala (his engineered 'virgin birth'), and broadcast it around the world so that humanity would fear God's imminent return -- another Apocalyptic parallel.
What other spiritual beliefs are represented in Broken Saints?
It was essential for me to make Broken Saints resonate around the commonality between faiths, as opposed to the differences. I tried to show that no matter what we experience as human beings, from whatever cultural/religious conditioning, we all yearn to love, be loved, and live a life free of fear. I think one of the most intriguing aspects of the saga is the interaction between these characters on a spiritual level. How often do you get to sit in a room with a Muslim mercenary, a Buddhist/Shinto priest, a pagan/tribal girl and a bitter Canadian Catholic? Honestly -- it sounds like a bad joke.
[But] the fact that these four characters can overcome their inbred cultural differences and dogmatic conflicts, in order to serve the greater good, will hopefully act as food for thought for many of our readers in their own spiritual lives. Is a righteous but gentle-hearted Muslim really that different from a stoic Buddhist monk? Is a struggling Christian really so removed from a confused and troubled native girl? No, because they're all looking for purpose in their lives as it relates to the Grand Plan, and the trials they collectively face.
As well, there are secondary characters in Broken Saints that represent various philosophical and religious backgrounds -- such as Taoism, Gnosticism and even Existentialism. I tried to cover as broad a spectrum as possible, based on my limited understandings of each faith, discipline, or school of thought. I think it's essential in giving the characters -- and the readers -- as much perspective as possible on what's happening in the story, and in our own lives.
Our readership tends to be conservative, so we would appreciate being able to let them know about aspects of Broken Saints which some might find disturbing. Are there any 'parental guidance' concerns in the work, such as extreme violence, profanity, explicit sexuality and other potentially controversial content?
Absolutely . . . and I think it's necessary - both the use of mature content and warnings of said content. My personal storytelling credo has always been that you have to take your characters and narrative on the darkest arcs possible -- have them flirt with and be inundated by the true evils of this world -- to really appreciate the eventual transcendence of it all. In Broken Saints, I wanted the characters to really reflect the modern global climate -- especially in a developed American city. That's why profanity, sexual connotations/situations, and violence exist in the piece -- because they exist in our lives. However, it is how we react to said forces and influences that defines who we are as human beings, and our relationship with God.
What is your own spiritual viewpoint? How do Christian elements figure in your perspective? What is your view of Jesus Christ? Also, what is your view of Christianity in general? What other spiritual beliefs have influenced you?
I have always been drawn to the Messianic belief, and the thought that one person could overcome the inherent temptations of being 'human' and instead move toward the 'divine' while still on this Earth. As a Westerner raised in a modestly Protestant household, the earliest foundations of my faith were definitely Christian. I've read the Bible several times, and still believe it to be the greatest book ever written -- I'd even venture to say that nearly every truly great work of fiction ever made had seeds in the Good Book. What I have taken from Christianity is what I perceive to be the truth of Christ's words and deeds: the desire to do right by my fellow man, the yearning to be as selfless and as giving as possible, and the hope that my life can really make a difference to others. I believe Christ's mission was to show us the Way. There have been others throughout human history who have tried to mirror his path -- but no other person has impacted more lives on this planet than Jesus Christ. Whether you believe that he is the true Son of God, or you're a dyed-in-the-wool athiest, you still have to accept the magnitude of his existence, and how utterly true his words remain today.
Again, the essence of Christianity -- or being 'Christ-like' -- is what draws me to it and influences my spiritual life. That's also what attracted me to aspects of other faiths. When you take away the trappings, the specific rituals, and the man-made heirarchies and rule structures, most faiths are really saying the same thing. Love each other. Give of yourself. Be selfless. Do not let fear rule your life. Aspire to be better. Do what's best for the greater good. Be willing to sacrifice 'self.' I've found elements of this in Taoism; Lao Tzu's idea of walking with one foot on Earth and one in Heaven really demonstrates how we are in contact with God at all times, even while living in this world. Sufism is also a beautiful faith; I love how it teaches that God is not far away from you and only reachable by death -- but actual, here in the present moment. Buddhism's goals of compassion, discipline and selflessness are profound as well. These schools of thought, as well as many others, have helped me to find a degree of spiritual direction in my life.
Of course, I still struggle with issues of faith all the time -- everyone does, and they're lying if they say that they don't -- but I honestly believe that a life without 'belief' is a life not worth living. The mind/will of God, no matter what your religious background, is infinite -- so, as a product of that brilliance, why deny yourself access to it? Why limit your life, or God's ability to experience it through you?
Will Broken Saints be available as a DVD or CD Rom, or possibly as a printed graphic novel? Considering the attention the work has generated, is there any possibility of a movie deal? Do you have plans to do another web- based fantasy? If so, can you give us a hint about the subject?
We're working right now to secure funding for a transfer of the entire 12 hour series to a DVD box set -- so, if there are any generous readers out there, please remember: we ain't doing this for profit! We also will allow fans to download the entire Broken Saints site to their computers before the site officially shuts down later in the year.
As for other versions of the story, we are also in serious discussions to adapt Broken Saints as a traditional comic series, a live-action TV show, and a feature film. The hard part is finding the right partner -- who doesn't want to water down the content and dilute the message. Also, we'd really like to be hands-on with any future incarnations -- and that doesn't always gel with the wishes of a potential production partner. Still, it's looking quite possible that we will announce something on this front by the end of the year.
And finally, when
it comes to the Web . . . we're simply exhausted. After three years of sweat
and toil and sacrifice, we have no regrets -- but no immediate desire to do
a project of this scope in this medium again anytime soon. That said, we might
eventually miss the freedom inherent with internet projects, so I'll never say
'never.' And there really is something special about connecting with so many
people so easily with modern technology, which has been the true gift of this
undertaking: having a chance to touch people, and to spread your own personal
gospel.