Massively interviews Clear Skies creator Ian Chisholm Page 2
Can you tell me a bit about how you make the Clear Skies films? My understanding is the overriding vision for Clear Skies is yours, that you write the scripts and do much of the work involved with turning them into proper films, but how do you collaborate with others in creating Clear Skies?
Pretty much I did everything bar the voice acting in the first film, and even then a lot of that. I didn't bring anyone else into it as I didn't want to use up a lot of someone else's time and then have the project fail for some reason. Also I'm a bit of a control freak, relying on other people is difficult for me! I've found this time around that there isn't much I can farm out anyway, it's a bunch of esoteric skills that I've now got refined to the point that it's faster for me to do things than it is to teach others -- I attempted to teach lipsyncing to someone else but I may have well tried teaching them Martian. What I have got is a good friend working on reskinning some models, and a chap I spoke to ingame that has been working on level designs for various games for years. He's doing me some new sets for Gallente and Amarr ships, ensuring they will have a different visual style to my Caldari and Minmatar ones. He's really good, enthusiastic, and importantly has got a good history in sticking with a project to the end.
The timeline roughly goes like this. First, the script gets written to ninety, ninety five percent finalised. Then I can start lining up voice recording sessions, major characters first. While waiting for that, new sets get built. Once I have some voice recording done, I cut the sentences out, choose the version of each sentence I want to keep, and get to the lipsyncing grind. Once I have all the voice acting synced for a scene, I can finally start creating the choreography, camera positions, and so on. At last, the film is rolling! Then I just bounce around voice recording, lipsyncing, set building, and actually producing scenes.
The script generally comes from setpieces or specific moments I'd like to show, and interestingly, the music I want to put in -- the music is a big driver to the emotional content of the story, and I imagine what's happening while listening to the music I've picked. The setpieces aren't carved in stone though, if one doesn't fit the plot as it evolves, it gets cut out without hesitation. It's a very technical challenge to get a good script, as I have a lot of careful exposition to get out the door in as few words as possible, so it makes sense for EVE players and non-EVE players alike, and doesn't bore them. All of this is where Richie "I'm an ideas man" Powles gets his co-credit for writing. Although I do most of the ideas, dialogue, and donkey work, Richie is an invaluable contributor of ideas and a reviewer of what I've done. He will tell me when something isn't good, good enough, or plain doesn't work, and will come up with suggestions on how to improve things. He's got probably a 10 to 1 strike rate, but I'll gladly listen to the ten ideas I don't use because I'll get the priceless one I will. He understands this as well, to his credit my knockbacks don't faze him at all, he understands the process and that went I say no to an idea, than that's the decision made. And some of the dialogue he's come up with for Part 2 is priceless, I've found myself chuckling while cutting the WAVs up so hopefully it'll be spot on when filmed properly.
It seems that a number of people, whether they're EVE players or simply fans of machinima, are excited you've decided to make a second film. How far are you into production of Clear Skies 2, and when is it slated for release?
I have almost six minutes done! That might not sound like much but considering I caved in and agreed to make a second one 48 hours after the release of the first, that's about 5 months ago. I've got new sets built and more in progress, reskinning in progress, the script written, some very tricky external shots down already, one big setpiece done, and 6 minutes of finalised footage done and dusted. Five months into the first Clear Skies, I think I had half a script and was wondering how the hell to move the camera.
After the amount of time CS1 took I swore I wouldn't do another, but then I found out what "by popular demand" means. And anyway, my traitorous brain had freewheeled plotlines into being while I was sat on the bus to and from work, damn it, so I already had ideas to flesh out. When I started act one, scene one, it was like slipping into comfy old shoes, and I've surprised myself at how fast things have come along. I've also changed jobs to shiftwork so I'm getting more full days to myself. That works well for me as I can spend hours working on CS2 and still have a life in the evening!
If all goes to plan, I'm thinking end of March 2009 for release, or at least a trailer by then. Believe me, I can't wait for the finished product either.
I know you're trying hard to keep this under wraps, but what can you tell me about Clear Skies 2? Will it be a continuation of the story in the original Clear Skies, or will you take a different direction? And will your original cast be returning for the second Clear Skies?
The original cast will be returning, yes -- it wouldn't be Clear Skies without them! It's kind of more of the same, the fights, the explosions, the humour, but on a slightly grander scale as I'm pushing myself, but not so far I do a Matrix 2 (i.e. 'completely ruin it'.) I'm saying nothing else except that some of the plotlines alluded to in CS1 get resolved, some histories get explained. Not all of them, but some.
I'm very happy with the script, the voice recording is much better now (you'll all be pleased to hear it's a darn sight clearer as I've got studio level hardware now), we are having a lot of fun making this film and I hope people enjoy it as much as CS1.
Is there anything else you'd like to say to this ever-growing legion of Clear Skies fans?
I've said thanks to them all so many times, and it's still not enough. I wouldn't be doing CS2 if I hadn't had the response I did. I'm very honoured, and so are my friends, that so many people want part 2. The best way I can say 'thank you' to them is to give them what they want, and not cock it up!
Thanks for speaking with Massively, Ian.
