Monday, December 1, 2008

A surprise interview O_o (Part 1)

A couple days ago this random person called asking for an interview, I was unsure who it was because the caller ID said private caller. Anyway, they said they liked my movie and wanted to learn about how I made it and what made me go in the direction I went. I was really happy for this, a real interview :). Anyway, I was on my computer at the time and was able to record the conversation, here's how it went. Q=question and A=answer.

Q: Well, first off can you give us a little background to Joe's Roadtrip?

A: First of all, Joe's Roadtrip is an animated film I directed and star. It is the third and final film in a series of movies centered around a man named Joe. Joe's Roadtrip is a Direct to DVD film with no theatrical release. I play an unemployed man named Joe Nordenberg, who accidentally kills everyone who is important, and must tell the world that they must fend for themselves.

I began developing Joe's Roadtrip in November 2006, and struggled with the script for the movie and a weak computer. Production began in August 2007, when I purchased a new computer and was able to start the work. Joe's Roadtrip took 8 months to complete and was released on April 14, 2008 after numerous delays. I believe that it received positive reviews from my friends and family, but I had such a hard time getting the word out about it.

Q: I must say that is quite interesting, now can you tell us about the plot in your own words?

A: Sure, in a barren 2211, Joe must warn the world of its demise. He discusses doing so with Broom Ionescu and they head to the local television studio. They realize that they do not want to be in the same car with each other for the whole trip and decide to take a plane instead.

Joe is pointlessly suspected as a terrorist by the airport security guards and has two people assigned to watch him to make sure he does not kill anybody. One of the people assigned cannot complete this task, because he is on break, and the security guard appoints a Generic Hoverball: Model 001 to search for someone new. After Joe checks in at the airport, the girl working there, Miley Mason, tells him that his broom companion cannot join him because they are considered a threat to safety. Joe agrees and continues towards the plane while the hoverball appoints Miley to watch Joe.

Once Joe is on the plane, he is visited by a guard who looks suspiciously like the Master Chief from Halo, and once Joe needs to use the bathroom he is misled and tripped by Miley, they then pour rum on him so nobody will believe his story, which is an obscure Simpsons reference. Joe is fed up and sits through the rest of the flight disgruntled.

After the plane lands, Broom can be seen on a tropical island, indicating that he was misplaced onto the wrong plane, he ultimately floats away in the sea. Joe is then seen at the airport terminal and forces Miley and the Guard to assist him with his journey to the TV station. Once they reach the TV station the Manager is pleasantly surprised to have such an exclusive story and quickly asks Joe to go on the news. He does so and is a major disapointment to the Manager. The Manager is aware people enjoy stupid entertainment, and seeing that Joe is stupid, he asks him for an idea for a show. The idea is so amazing that it overwhelms the Manager and he feels he must destroy the building so no one else can hear about this show.

After the explosion, the Guard can be seen standing fine, but is then hit by debris. Miley has a small wall on her, but she is okay and reminisces about her birthday saying how this event is even worse. The Guard, who is now okay, can be seen later with Miley commenting on the destruction, meanwhile, Broom shows up in what he calls his own low-rider. The talk about it and realize Joe has a spike of metal through his head.

The funeral for Joe is unpleasant, Miley says she could start crying of happiness, which is no surprise since the Guard and her were both kidnapped by Joe. The Guard gives him $20 that he took from him, and the Broom cries in sadness. Once Miley and the Guard leave, Broom is left to ponder and remember the good times with Joe. All of a sudden Joe grabs Broom from the grave and claims that he is invincible. Joe decides to spend his check that the TV Studio Manager gave him for his idea for a show and live in a mansion.

The epilogue explains what the characters do later in life. The Guard becomes a goalie for the local hockey team, Miley attempts to drive a car, Joe buys a private island, and the Broom becomes head of the universe.

I made an alternate opening, it was created on a different setup than the actual movie, and is terrible! It shows broom and Joe driving down a mountainous road for five minutes after running over an Elite from Halo.

Q: Okay, now we're not going to be able to finish this all today, could we have your email so we can instant message this interview?

A: That's fine with me. It's ericcartman1234@msn.com.

Q: Okay thanks, I'll just ask a couple more questions for today, can you give a very quick list of the characters in Joe's Roadtrip?

A: Yeah, there's Joe Nordenberg, who represents stupid people, Broom Ionescu, who represents calm and relaxed people, The Guard, who represents conceded people, Miley Mason, who represents an average teenager, The Security Guard, who represents paranoid people, The TV Manager, who represents selfish people, the Duct-tape Salesman, who represents obese people, and finally, The Airport Hoverball, who represents average workers.

Q: Can you give us a rundown on Development?

A: Yes,

The development was long and tedious. The production started with months of script planning, which continued until the film was released. The animation was a very time-consuming part because of all the environments needing to be created. Many resources helped me in speeding this process up. There is very little that he actually created myself. Of the characters, only the Broom, Joe, and the hoverballs were created by me. The Guards, Miley, and the Duct-tape salesman were created from other sources.

The film was created with the following programs: 3ds max, sony vegas, nero burning rom, and adobe photoshop.

For casting, various friends of mine were chosen to become a part of this movie. One voice would sound amazing while another sounded flat and boring. I did most voices, but I could not have done them all by myself and I thank the other people who helped.

Q: Is there anything about the release for this movie?

A: Yes there is, Joe's Roadtrip was originally meant for a November 4, 2007 release in the United States and Canada, but due to numerous delays and issues, the movie was delayed with no actual release date. Many of my friends questioned if the movie would ever be finished, and on April 14, all my friends were able to get a free DVD loaded with bonus features.

A high-definition video is available, but I'm having trouble fitting it onto a disc, Blu-ray will be the disc for this.

The youtube version of the film was released soon after the DVD release, and people like it, I just wish more people would watch it.

Q: Okay, final question for today, is there any hidden trivia?

A: Yes of course, A Companion Cube from Portal, the video game that makes one think with portals, can be seen when Broom is on the tropical island at rare occurences behind a tree. The logo that I use for my company can be seen in the Duct-Tape Salesman's shop with duct tape over it.

Q: Thanks for your time, we will talk more tomorrow.

A: I look forward to it, thanks.