'Q&A with Director Brad Goodchild' -- Round VII.

'Class of the Titans' director Brad Goodchild is open to fans asking him intelligent questions about the show and the animation process. His answers are posted here on the newsblog as the 'Q&A with Director Brad Goodchild' feature, with the only changes to his original comments being minor technical corrections. These fan-questions, however, are filtered through a system so that he can devote his limited time to answering the most reasonable questions that will also appeal to as many fans as possible.

For more information about the current system, please read this post. If you are interested in submitting a question for Mr. Goodchild, please see this entry and follow the rules and instructions outlined there.

We also ask that you please do not re-post these questions and answers on your own personal website, unless you run the FAQ, the newsblog's accompanying fansite, or the director's blog. You are, however, more than welcome to provide a link to the entries. Thank you.

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Q: Most fans have seen from the draft script of 'Episode 1.23: Cronus' Flying Circus' that an episode's contents can change a lot from the draft script to the final episode. What's another episode (or episodes) that went through many changes, and what things changed?

A: Too many episodes. Nearly every episode gets altered/edited in someway. No single episode ever makes it through with out some kind of a rewrite.

Q: How difficult is it to fit each episode into the twenty-two minute timeframe? Does a lot of material end-up being cut-out so it'll fit?

A: Like I said, some episodes are easier than others, especially if the idea is a bit weak. But that’s where our Springboard stage comes into play. The writers submit a springboard, which is a 1 page description of the episode. If it makes sense and really catches our attention, it then goes on to next stage, which fills it out a bit more and describes action and plot better. Notes are then given on how to fix or add ideas.

So yes, it is difficult sometimes, but with at least 3 people here giving notes, we try and pick the Gems that will have no problem filling a 22 minute timeslot. Sometimes, we cut a little bit here and there and add it in a few other places. Remember, animation is expensive ... a single frame of animation costs a lot. Live action, they cut out feet of film, where we cut frames.