Try telling that to a kid when you're dishing out desert but when it comes to editing Hellboy: Blood and Iron it's absolutely correct. The animation is looking great. In fact the level of draftsmanship on some sequences blow away anything in Sword of Storms. But, for whatever reasons, many of the scenes have been timed long. Nothing that hurts the quality of animation but it hurts pacing or flow of action from scene to scene. It's all easily fixable in editing. BUT you have to have the footage to edit. If the movie had to be eighty minutes long we wouldn't be able to do any editing. We'd need to create some footage. But at 75 minutes we'd have great raw material but it would be flabby. I don't know if a layman would notice specifically but there'd be less tension, less excitement and a couple of scenes that hurt the flow of action.
So ironically, the great news is that I have permission to cut more out of the movie. It can't be less than 70 minutes and it will hopefully be a few minutes longer than that but my depression has lifted. Now I know that we can make the most out of what we have and I'm excited all over again.
Where We Are
You aren't going to get as much detail about the development of Blood and Iron in this blog because the last of our "take ones" are due today. We've started editing and we'll be editing over the weekend, scrambling to give our post people as much time as possible to place effects and compose music. But over the next few weeks I'll try to think back about the decisions that made this movie so different than the first. Later. -- Tad
Is that Sidney Leach in the first pic?
Posted by: JFCC | November 10, 2006 at 12:16 PM
Don't worry! It feels like you're walking on eggs, but we (the fans) trust that you'll all do fine.
Posted by: Alain N. | November 10, 2006 at 12:17 PM
Is that our look at the young Broom? Looks like Vincent Price.
Posted by: spydaweb | November 10, 2006 at 12:48 PM
Anything you have time to share, Tad, will be much appreciated!
Posted by: kirk | November 10, 2006 at 02:17 PM
Yes, that's Sidney Leach, Human Metal Detector in the first picture. That is also Young Broom who is in several flashback sequences throughout the movie.
Posted by: Tad Stones | November 10, 2006 at 03:04 PM
haha. yeah i thought that was leach...wonder if he'll have his hands burned?...
well i have yet to see the first movie but these second stills look just as interesting.
Diggin the creepy bleeding phantom.
Posted by: hb | November 10, 2006 at 05:56 PM
looking forward to seeing this one in action!
Posted by: OlliRudi | November 10, 2006 at 07:16 PM
just saw sword of storms! AWESOME!
release the dvd... NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: abraham | November 11, 2006 at 02:48 AM
Yes, we could really use that DVD now.
Which brings me to a point I am curious about that I asked last update: Why the delay?
It would appear that CN is either not interested in HB or is taking their sweet time rerunning it. If they don't plan on rerunning it a lot, like other cable movies are, why would there need to be a 3 month delay for the DVD? Are they still interested in eeking out some more broadcast revenue before it goes out on DVD? Can you shed any light on this for us, Tad?
Anyhow, sooner or later, Sword of Storms (or Stones) WILL BE MINE!!!
Posted by: kirk | November 11, 2006 at 04:07 PM
Cartoon Network's reruns of SoS is limited by two factors. First, they're only allowed a certain number of reruns before the DVD comes out. That's by mutual agreement between the companies. But mostly it's because it's not a G rated movie. They feel they can only play it in the time slot where it originally aired so it may be awhile before it cycles around to it.
There is no delay with the DVD. It takes that long to finish the extras and make the physical DVDs. Remember, this wasn't a theatrical movie, it was only finished a couple of weeks before airing. Menus are done, I've seen most if not all the behind the scenes stuff, commentary is done, there will be CDrom stuff playable on Macs and PCs.
There's no extra broadcast revenue to eek out as far as I know. CN bought the broadcast rights for x number of showings.
There will be the same spacing for Blood and Iron for the same reasons, although there will be a couple of extra special extras.
Posted by: Tad | November 11, 2006 at 04:27 PM
are there just going to be animated movies? or is it going on in to a series?....that whould be nice...:) I <3 HB!!! thanks for puttin all this up for me, us, and the fans.
Posted by: Ambur | November 11, 2006 at 05:20 PM
Thanks Tad! Really clears it up for me. As for the extra revenue, I was referring to the money advertisers pay for the comercial air time during the movie - the more showings, the more comercials they can sell, the more revenue they can generate off of one purchase.
And, as for the DVD production, I know you also had a hand or two in that also, so I'm not meaning to rush. I didn't realize it was still being tweaked.
I, for one, am glad it is only in movie format and not a series as I am sure a series would bread certain shortcuts and a much more frantic schedule. Not to mention the inability to tell a good story without branching across multiple episodes. Long live the Hellboy Animated Movie - each one an event to anticipate!
Thanks again, Tad!
Posted by: kirk | November 11, 2006 at 08:02 PM
yeah, i agreee......but still february is a long time to wait, for i will be broke because of christmas gifts, hehe, but i'll save some money for H.B.
Posted by: abraham | November 12, 2006 at 02:31 AM
ill be up here in Canada freezin my butt off...and awaitin Hellboy. Any news on Canadian airdates..or who will do it?
IM guessin teletoon is the best bet.
And i agree on teh whole series vs movie thing....
series get cut off...Films have ENDINGS
Good examples? Invader Zim, ren and stimpy, samurai jack, clone high...all abrupt ends.You risk too much when you have an ongoing series.
Im going to be happy enough with a trilogy
Ps Tad keep us posted on that third one.
Posted by: hb | November 13, 2006 at 01:52 PM
I see ur points. (and Invader Zim was pretty cool, but it didnt really need an ending because zim isnt sapposta get the planet, I also heard they are gonna get it back in 2008)but, as a series I was thinkin like with the "wierd tales" type of thing.....
Posted by: Ambur | November 13, 2006 at 10:24 PM
oh yeah I can see some of those happening. Maybe spinoffs but with fav characters from the comics like roger or Johann or Captain Daimio would be even better.
Heck even a Lobster Jhonson thing would be great. Mike Mignola needs to stop coming up with so many damn cool characters...Its getting harder to choose a favorite.
Course...no one beats out hellboy .....
Posted by: hb | November 14, 2006 at 03:41 AM
I know!!! I love all of them (Abe being my background character)but they are all so neatto!!! Id think it be neat if they got other writers, to write the stories and of course with Mike...just typin out loud here...
Posted by: Ambur | November 15, 2006 at 09:34 PM
Although he's giving some time to the preproduction of the movie, Mike is currently very excited about all the comics he's writing including unnannounced mini-series. And yes, he'll be looking for other writers and artists to work with along with John Arcudi, Guy Davis and Duncan Fergredo so that you'll get more views of the Helliverse than ever before.
Posted by: Tad | November 15, 2006 at 11:24 PM
Thank You for dealing with the fans!!! :P
Posted by: Ambur | November 18, 2006 at 02:24 PM