| Michael Dante DiMartino | Hi, this is Mike DiMartino, co-creator, executive producer. |
|---|---|
| Bryan Konietzko | This is Bryan Konietzko, the other co-creator and executive producer. |
| Joaquim Dos Santos | This is Joaquim Dos Santos, co-executive producer. |
| Mike | And uh, here we are, the first of two epic finale episodes. Um, I-I think this was one I wrote, actually. It's always fun to write some episodes. [Joaquim affirms.] |
| Bryan | I miss it, I miss it. I just want to point, not to take anything away from Mike, and Tim, and Josh, or Katie... |
| Mike | [Interjects.] You're gonna take it away, right now. [Joaquim chuckles.] |
| Bryan | ... but here I go. |
| Joaquim | It's gone. |
| Bryan | Um, yeah, I-e-even, you know, Mike and I co-wrote Book One of Korra together, but then uh, I was really behind in my art direction duties, and other executive producorial duties, so I stepped back, uh, we were able-able to bring in Tim and Josh, who were veteran Avatar writers that uh, we're-we're buddies with, and uh, and um, we've all-we still wanted to keep the team really small, and they're sort of like a writing partnership. So, brought them in, but anyways, I just wanna point out, I still-I still have a lot do with the stories and scripts. |
| Mike | Oh yeah, I'm not saying you don't. |
| Bryan | No, [Mike laughs.] you're not, but uh, uh, you know, there wa-there was an interview, or two, where people uh, this weekend, were just point-pointing to you, uh, as the writer, [In a mock anguished tone.] and I was a little hurt. |
| Mike | I'm sorry, [Joaquim chuckles.] I'm sorry. |
| Joaquim | It's tough. |
| Bryan | No, it's fine, it's fine. Um, my name's all over this [Mike affirms.] ridiculous show. So, uh, anyways, just pointing out that, yeah, you know, I-I-I'm-bu-bu-but it's more in like broad ideas in the beginning, coming up with character's arcs, and then um, notes at every-kinda helping shape the scripts through notes, and stuff. So, anyways, we'll-we got that outta the way. [Mike chuckles.] |
| Joaquim | In that same vein, that whole airbending thing? That's all me. [Everyone laughs.] |
| Mike | So, this one, uh, I mean, pretty much all these last three episodes are quite action-heavy. Um, sorry, Joaquim, about that. [Bryan affirms.] |
| Joaquim | It's all good. |
| Mike | Uh, it always seems to happen. But I-I think the difference with this season, in a way, you could probably tell me I'm crazy, but was that we tried to keep the, like, fights more like personal fights, more like one-on-one [Joaquim affirms.] or one-on-two, or... |
| Joaquim | [Interjects.] And let me-and let me just say that, like, while it is-it's-it's laborious, and it-and it-it hurts, and there's often late nights, it's the stuff that I personally love the most. I mean, when there's-when there's deep, rich, you know, emotional stuff going on behind a fight, um, choreographing that stuff is-it's the funnest-it's the funnest times I have in animation. [Mike affirms.] |
| Bryan | So, I-but as Mike's saying that, I'm just remembering all these fights from Book Three; it's like, "Korra and Asami verse an entire motorcycle [Joaquim chuckles.] gang," uh, "all the new airbenders versus the poachers." |
| Mike | Oh, they were s-I'm just [Bryan laughs.] talking about these episodes, [Joaquim affirms.] I don't know. But yeah, [Refers to Korra agreeing to turn herself over to the Red Lotus to ensure the airbenders' safety.] I think what-what I love most about the end of the season is that it is, like, Korra making this big sacrifice to save this burgeoning Air Nation that she, you know, got together, and stuff, and-and it really gives it some em-big, emotional weight. |
| Bryan | While we're clearing contributions up, [Mike laughs.] uh, I think it's really important to point out um, not to take anything away from our amazing martial arts consultants, um, and we had a-a number of them on Korra, but even back on Avatar, the choreography of the fights, people oft-you know, they use that word 'cause they know it from live-action, is done by the artists. Uh, the fight choreography, by-and-large, is, uh, on Avatar, it was-it was often me and the directors, um, and then-but the-the consulting of the moves, the individual moves, uh, maybe a short s-you know, a thread of moves, that comes from-from the martial arts, uh, consultants, but-but the actual-the-the choreography, the, you know, that-and that starts, hon-honestly, in the writing of it... |
| Mike | [In the background.] Yeah, and the... |
| Bryan | ... 'cause we're-we're pretty specific [Mike affirms intermittently.] with the beats, the beats, 'cause we want our action scenes to tell a story. And then that-that-it-handed over into the very capable hands uh, especially on Korra, uh, you know, Joaquim, Lauren, and Ryu supervising our-our amazing team. So, again, choreography comes from them, but the-the actual martial arts, the specificity of that, comes from the consultants. |
| Mike | But I think, too, at this point, Joaquim, obviously, you've been-you've been around the Avatar world for quite some time, so you probably have a bit of a library of moves in your head already, I bet. |
| Joaquim | Yeah, yeah, and-and, you know, please don't, you know, whoever's listening to this, don't-don't think that it's, like, me doing all these drawings, it's-it's really an-an amazing team of-of board artists and directors that uh, that we sorta supervise, and then there-there're some key scenes that-that, like, I'll take on personally, or-or Lauren'll take on personally, or Ryu will take on personally, um, but it's, after doing it for so long, you do kind of have a catalogue that you're always striving to try to do u-new and unique things, and-and bring new flavor into the fights. |
| Bryan | Plus, you're a big fan of, you know, mixed martial arts and kickboxing, and [Joaquim affirms.] all that stuff. |
| Joaquim | And Zaheer, let me just say, as a-as-his-his style of martial arts, uh, plays into, like, everything that I love about doing this. |
| Mike | [Refers to the full shot of Zaheer and P'Li as they kiss, Zaheer having to tilt his head up to reach her.] Whenever that shot comes, I always expect him to be on his tippy-toes. [Joaquim laughs.] |
| Bryan | [Laughs.] Yeah. |
| Joaquim | [Refers to the visible dust particles moving through the air in the room Zaheer was reading Guru Laghima's poetry in, the dust being exposed by the light pouring through a circular opening above the room's entrance.] And let me just say, there was dust coming through [Bryan affirms.] the l-the shaft of light, [Mike affirms.] that's amazing. |
| Bryan | Cool compositing. Um... |
| Joaquim | [Interjects; refers to the shot panning down from the summit of Laghima's Peak, down through the misty clouds below to the Zaofu airship currently docked at the mountain's base.] Look at that shot. |
| Bryan | Yeah, it's um, and the other thing is, even when it's a move that you've drawn f-a hundred times since Avatar, and you might know it well and know how to pose it, uh, you and the directors and the storyboard artists still would get the martial arts consultants to, uh, replicate that move, [Joaquim affirms intermittently.] just for that extra fine-tuning to get it more accurate, and to provide the animators with some good video, uh, reference. So, um, so, yeah, sometimes it was just kind of a-a, uh, ex post facto, you know, like, refining, uh, the moves that were already drawn. So, again, not taking away from anybody, but, you know, give credit where credit's due. |
| Mike | We're just spreading the love. [Bryan affirms.] |
| Joaquim | Yeah. [Refers to Tonraq embracing Korra before she heads out for Laghima's Peak, telling his daughter how proud he is of her for the risk she's taking.] And-and none of the fights matter without moments like this. I mean, this is all the stuff that makes you really feel, you know, there's something at risk. [Refers to the sombre theme that plays as Korra bids her friends heading to the Northern Air Temple farewell.] Um, just that, you know, the-the-the cue that was going on as she was leaving the airship was like, [In a pained tone.] "aw". [Bryan affirms.] You can feel the weight of all this. |
| Bryan | [Refers to Korra warning Tonraq about Zaheer, reminding him that the anarchist airbender isn't fond of world leaders.] Little for-foreshadowing, here. Korra warning her father. [Brief pause; refers to Tonraq scaling the mountain by digging the ice blades coated around his arms into the cliffside, trailing behind the metalbenders who rappel up using their cables.] The idea is it takes-takes [Laughs.] Tonraq longer to get up, [Joaquim chuckles; refers to when Tonraq reaches the summit of Laghima's Peak just as Zaheer was about to take Korra onto the Red Lotus' airship.] that's why he shows up in-into the fray a little later, but at a pivotal moment. [Refers to Mako, Bolin, and Asami's airship approaching the Northern Air Temple.] So, this was a-the beginning-this whole-this whole act is kinda, like, creepy, tense set up, [Mike affirms.] you know... |
| Joaquim | [Refers to Mako and Bolin looking down at the pockmarked architecture and strewn debris from the Red Lotus' attack on the temple.] It's just got this foreboding, sort of mood [Bryan affirms.] and atmosphere sitting on its shoulders. |
| Bryan | So, after the Book Two finale, which was really colorful, the-the most colorful thing I've ever had anything [Laughs.] to do with, um, uh, I wanted to go for a really different vibe for the Book Three finale episodes, and so I knew I wanted it to be moody. Um, and it's a little bit of a balance; [Refers to the light grey color palette on the Northern Air Temple and overhead clouds.] you know, I didn't want it to be devoid of color, um, so it starts off pretty grey, here, but as we get into, uh, the battle in-in the next episode, then the sunset colors start creeping in. But yeah, I just wanted it to be dramatic. |
| Mike | [Refers to when Korra and Zaheer communicate with their respective allies at the Northern Air Temple using portable radios.] Yeah, logistically, this was a little tricky to figure out in the script, like, 'cause we had to have everyone in their places, but be able to communicate with each other. Luckily, we had these radios. |
| Joaquim | Yeah. But this was... |
| Mike | [In the background.] These... |
| Joaquim | ... also a good example of, like, how it was explained at script, sort of what's going on, 'cause I remember, even when we had some questions about stuff, Mike, you had answers, like, immediately when we came to you, 'cause you had already kinda planned this out in your head. |
| Mike | Yeah. I mean, I definitely, yeah, I thought I had figured it out-out, but then, yeah, when you people actually get to drawing it, things definitely come up, where it's like, "that doesn't work," [Joaquim chuckles.] "oh yeah, I never thought about that." |
| Bryan | Yeah. [Refers to the heavy radio transmitters and receivers that Korra, Mako, Ghazan, and Lin carry in their large satchel bags, with Zaheer placing his radio at his feet.] So, a little word about those radios, the, you know, we-we're introducing technologies into this-into the Avatar world, but, you know, we wanna start with kinda the clunkier, earlier versions, and uh, to be more period-correct, um, even though we can play with the-the time, you know, the-the kinda chronol-you know, like, when it-what order and when these things appear, but-so these were kinda based on, like, World War II walkie-talkies that were really cumbersome. |
| Mike | Yeah, they're cool. [Refers to P'Li looming over Korra as she stands behind her, having cuffed the Avatar at her wrists and ankles.] I love seeing how tall P'Li is. |
| Bryan | Yeah. [Joaquim chuckles.] |
| Mike | [Laughs; refers to when the airbender hostages dissolve away into pools of water, the Air Nomad robes having been filled and shaped by Ming-Hua's waterbending.] So, yeah, this little thing, here, with the airbenders, I remember, I think this was your pitch, Bryan. I'll give you props for that, [Bryan and Joaquim laugh.] this idea of them being, that was how they were gonna do their little ruse, was to have Ming-Hua fill these uh, this-these robes with uh, [Simultaneously with Bryan.] with water. |
| Bryan | [Simultaneously with Mike.] With water. [Refers to when the decoys' heads and torsos shifted about.] And if it was gonna be convincing at all, they had to be wriggling around and [Joaquim affirms.] struggling. [Mike affirms.] So, it's-it's-she's doing this kinda puppeteer work. |
| Mike | But even up until, like, I think Matt did the final composite of that, 'cause it-every stage, that o-that part just wasn't quite there, [Joaquim and Bryan affirm.] a-a-and uh, we had to do a couple retakes, really make it work, but uh, uh, I think it works out pretty good. I'm excited to see what people think when this uh, this uh... |
| Bryan | [In the background.] Is release... |
| Mike | ... when they see it. |
| Bryan | [Brief pause; refers to Korra fighting Zaheer and P'Li, her shackles forcing her to use swipes, flips, and jumping fully backward so she can kick out her legs to provide the necessary physical movement for her bending.] So, uh, I, you know, going along with the idea of trying to make each fight a story, and-and trying to do something we haven't done in Avatar or earlier in Korra, this was really fun, having Korra have this-these restrictions; you know, she's got these uh, these shackles on, and for me, it-it-it's always our attempt to do something creative like they would do in, like, a Jackie Chan or Jet Li, you know, Nineties, Hong Kong movie, where they would just make the, you know, they'd pick some limitation and choreograph a whole fight scene around it. And uh, I love it. |
| Joaquim | There's just, it's amazing to me, uh, you know, now that I'm removed from it a little bit, there's so many moving parts just to this sequence; [Refers to Tonraq and Korra fighting Zaheer on one end of Laghima's Peak, while P'Li takes on Lin, Su, and Zaofu's security force at the other end.] there's-there's two tiers of fights going on, [Refers to when Ghazan melts the stone architecture around Mako, Bolin, Asami, and Tenzin.] there's all the stuff going on back uh, with Ghazan. [Refers to P'Li dodging the earth slabs sent out by Lin and Su.] This was a beautifully animated sequence, and-and storyboarded by uh, Ki Hyun. Uh... |
| Bryan | [Interjects.] Yeah, and then uh, Bae Yong, a friend of ours in Korea, was the animation director on this, and when we were in Korea, we got to see a bunch of these pencil tests, and we reported back to Joaquim and them, like, "it looks great!" |
| Joaquim | So, this is Ryu... |
| Bryan | [Interjects; refers to Tonraq streaming out his coated water arm to catch Korra from falling down Laghima's Peak, throwing her back up toward the mountain's peak and Zaheer, where she uses her momentum to kick a massive fire blast at the airbender.] This is my, right here, my fav-sorry. |
| Joaquim | Boom! No, beautiful. [Mike chuckles.] |
| Bryan | My favorite, love it. That's my favorite moment. |
| Mike | Yeah, 'cause you worked on parts of this, right, Joaquim? |
| Joaquim | Yeah, [Mike affirms.] this was another one of those big sort of, like... |
| Mike | [In the background.] Group efforts. |
| Joaquim | ... what's so cool, yeah, [Mike affirms.] it's what's cool about this show is that it's a giant group effort. |
| Bryan | [Refers to the overhead shot tracking along with Ming-Hua as she jumps over Team Avatar and Tenzin, flipping backwards through the air.] Love-love that shot. |
| Joaquim | All this stuff in here is, [Bryan affirms.] like, Chris Palmer. The stuff on the uh, outside is, like, a combination Ki Hyun, myself, uh, uh, and-and a few storyboard artists. |
| Bryan | Ki Hyun is uh, Ryu. |
| Joaquim | Ryu, sorry. |
| Bryan | I've never heard Joaquim [Mike chuckles.] call him Ki Hyun before today, so, I... |
| Joaquim | [Interjects.] Just-just popped in there. |
| Bryan | It even confused me. [Brief pause; refers to Ghazan melting the floor of the room where he and Ming-Hua were fighting Mako and Bolin, and streaming the lava along the room's support pillars.] Just, man, the amount of effects [Joaquim affirms.] that Studio Mir and Studio Reve had to deal with. |
| Mike | [Refers to the shifting, simmering lava milling about in the room.] Yeah, they handled all the lava stuff really well, [Bryan affirms.] like, 'cause that could've been an effect that... |
| Bryan | [In the background.] Well, the... |
| Mike | ... looked really cheesy, or something, and... |
| Bryan | [Interjects.] We-we knew there were, you know, we obviously knew there were gonna be a lotta lava effects at the beginning of the season, so we um, we sent them an email that just said, "hey, we should do a test". Um, that was one really good thing about, uh, working with the Japanese studios; man, they would test everything. Every effect, they would send us three different versions, have us look at it, and, uh, give them parameters of settings, and stuff. So, we-we recommended it for the lava, um, and uh, I think they just, [Laughs.] s-they were like, "sure," and then just-they just sent it in the episode. Ended up looking good; we did a few retakes on it, early on, but then they just were... |
| Joaquim | [Interjects; refers to Ghazan melting the ground around him and streaming the lava about, with each stance change he makes causing the lava to flow forward.] All the bending here, though, I gotta say, feels so weighted in [Bryan affirms.] reality. [Mike affirms; refers to Bolin creating a tunnel by earthbending a hole in the wall, with each punch he makes moving the bent section of the wall further back.] All the moves, um, even as Bolin was just punching through the wall, you felt the weight of each one of those moves. |
| Bryan | [Refers to Bolin maintaining his stance as the wall moved forward.] You know what I think it is? I mean, it's great animation timing, but th-they really stick the final pose, and they hold it. [Joaquim gives an affirming murmur.] So, you really feel that line of action, they-they're giving time to that, you know, so there's-there's a... |
| Mike | [Interjects; refers to the room Mako, Bolin, Asami, and Tenzin find a hidden subterranean passage through a trapdoor.] So, this little room, for the Avatar parallelers out there, [Bryan and Joaquim laugh.] uh, was the room that uh, the mechanist was in, I think. |
| Bryan | Yeah, he-he... |
| Mike | [Interjects.] Or had some of his workshop, or something. |
| Bryan | He and Sokka were, like, designing the balloon in there, together, or something. |
| Mike | [Refers to the Tenzin and his rescuers walking down the subterranean passageway, the staircase within leading downward through the mountain.] Yeah, the idea was that this secret passage was the-the uh, p-where that, like, it was like a Fire Nation general, or something, came up, and uh, was, like... |
| Bryan | [Interjects.] But have... |
| Mike | ... talking to the mechanist. |
| Bryan | They had the methane in there, [Mike affirms.] but all the gas is gone, all the natural gas is gone, so the lava wouldn't have set... |
| Mike | [Interjects.] Yeah, it leaked out. But again, 'nother secret tunnel. We love-we love the tunnels. |
| Bryan | [Refers to Korra kicking out a rock at Zaheer, completing her motion by rolling out of the way as Tonraq rushes forward and jumps over her, whipping out his water arms at the airbender.] Man! The-the-just, [Mike chuckles.] you know, I saw a cool comment from fans about how they love seeing Mako and Bolin, how they fight together in such unison; it's really cool to see Korra and her dad [Mike affirms intermittently.] doing that here. |
| Joaquim | [Refers to the various sounds of Zaheer, Tonraq, and Korra's respective bending.] But listen to this, man. I mean, it's like, [Sighs.] it's just got so much behind it. |
| Bryan | Yeah, Ben, and-Ben Wynn doing amazing job with the sound design. And Aran Tanchum and Vinnie doing awesome foley. |
| Joaquim | [Refers to Tonraq leaping toward Zaheer and slamming the ice blade coated around his arm into the ground where the rogue airbender was before he rolled out of the way, the impact causing the ice to shatter apart as the scene plays out in slow motion.] And this is one that we were like, "he was basically going for the death-kill, [Bryan chuckles.] right there." |
| Mike | [Gives an affirming murmur; brief pause.] Yeah, and it's always tricky to do slow-mo stuff, but man, they-they handled it really well. |
| Bryan | Well, they draw it really well, [Mike affirms.] and then they are using this plugin that smooths it. But, trust us, it-it doesn't work unless [Laughs.] the drawings are really good. |
| Mike | Yeah, that is true. |
| Bryan | It doesn't just magically make slow motion, 'cause we've seen it put on scenes where it doesn't work. [Refers to when Lin moves out of cover, acting as a target for P'Li's combustion blasts so that Su can take her out.] Uh, this is a cool scene, just after everything these sisters have been through this season. [Refers to P'Li being able to curve her combustionbending beams.] So, here's one difference between the old Avatar Combustion Man and-and P'Li is that she-she can bend it. So, she can bend it like Beckham. She can shoot her... |
| Mike | [Interjects; refers to when P'Li bent her combustion blast around the rock Lin and Su were taking cover in.] Like around corners, and stuff, yeah. |
| Bryan | Yeah, around corners. To some degree. |
| Mike | This whole episode was all about sacrifices. |
| Bryan | Well, Lin, we've seen, you know, [Mike affirms intermittently.] in Book One, sh-no-not afraid to-to throw herself in danger, to sacrifice... |
| Mike | [Interjects.] Here comes... |
| Bryan | ... herself for her loved ones. |
| Mike | ... the big moment. [Refers to Su metalbending her armor around P'Li's head, the blast the combustionbender was about to let off exploding within the encasing metal.] So, much like the old Combustion Man, we had to give new Combustion Lady a-a proper uh, send-off. [Laughs.] |
| Bryan | [Laughs.] Is that what you call it? |
| Mike | Yes. [Joaquim chuckles.] A self-inflicted, partially self-inflicted uh... |
| Bryan | [Interjects.] Yeah. [Refers to Zaheer's horrified, anguished expression as he looks toward the plume of smoke where P'Li was standing.] So, Ryu drew uh, Zaheer's reaction. [Refers to Zaheer dodging Korra's firebending attack from behind, and immediately rushing toward her.] I love how quickly he snaps back into the business at hand, [Mike affirms intermittently.] and you know he's just hurting inside, but he just has to get the job done; that's a kinda scary mind, you know. [Brief pause; refers to Zaheer carrying a now unconscious Korra over his shoulder.] Lot of Korra slung over people's shoulders [Mike chuckles.] this season. |
| Joaquim | Yes, that's true. |
| Bryan | I don't know what it was this season, everyone trying to kidnap her. [Refers to Lin and Su rushing toward the edge of Laghima's Peak where Zaheer just stepped off, the camera moving through the CG modeled mountain peak along with them.] So, here's another cool, kind of parallax-although, this might be actual 3D, 'cause Studio Mir built Laghima's Peak... |
| Mike | [Interjects.] The ground. |
| Bryan | Yeah, that is... |
| Joaquim | [In the background.] Yeah, that's three... |
| Bryan | ... actually 3D. [Refers to Su and Lin looking over the edge of Laghima's Peak to see Zaheer, floating in mid-air.] So, here it was all aiming towards this. [Refers to Zaheer repeating the line "empty, and become wind" prior to stepping off the mountain peak.] It's interesting is this idea of "becoming wind" was something Mike and I had in the original series bible, [Mike affirms.] twelve years ago, uh, when we were creating Avatar, developing it with Nickelodeon, and this idea that there was-the highest-level airbender move was to become wind. But, at the time, we weren't exactly sure what that would mean. [Brief pause.] So, watching this episode, Joaquim, are you having, like, uh, some pain? Like, some chest pain? [Mike chuckles.] Some memories? |
| Joaquim | I just-it's-it's all sinking in. I mean, I was-we were just saying uh, this is a crazy episode, this is-there's so much going on. Uh... |
| Bryan | [Interjects.] We were just talking about uh, the episode, "The Guru", of Avatar, and we were remembering that it was part of, like, the season two, you know, finale, 'cause we always kinda consider the last few episodes part of the finale, [Joaquim gives an affirming murmur.] and we were like, "wait, we did an episode about Aang meditating [Mike chuckles.] second-to-last [Joaquim laughs intermittently.] in the season?". We're like, "wow, we-we really stopped that practice." |
| Mike | I know, and now, like, so many things happen; [Refers to Bolin pushing back the torrent of lava streaming toward him with his newfound control over the element.] now we see Bolin, uh, who we had set up, like, "oh, maybe he's gonna be a metalbender this season," uh, we find out he's a lavabender. |
| Bryan | That was... [Joaquim affirms.] |
| Mike | [Interjects.] There's another rare, rare, very rare earthbending skill. [Joaquim affirms.] |
| Bryan | That was kinda the payoff, was that the payoff to him not learning metalbending. [Mike affirms.] We sort of knew he wasn't gonna get that, and, you know, even back then, but he was gonna get this. [Refers to Lefty, Kai's flying bison, wincing as Bolin jumps on his back, already carrying four other passengers.] Poor-I love that drawing. |
| Joaquim | Aww. |
| Bryan | So-so Ghibli. |
| Joaquim | [Refers to the Northern Air Temple, its foundations completely covered in lava, beginning to collapse and fall apart.] Look at this. |
| Mike | Yeah, even though the uh, they get away, I wanted to have this, like, kinda sad moment, that the air temple is-is destroyed. |
| Joaquim | I think it's my favorite episode. |
| Mike | And then uh... |
| Joaquim | [Interjects.] Gonna say. |
| Mike | ... [Refers to Kuvira, one of Su's security officers, bandaging Tonraq's arm after saving him from falling down Laghima's Peak.] let's meet this lady. Who's she? |
| Bryan | Very [Mike chuckles.] important character. |
| Mike | Keep an eye on her. |
| Bryan | Yes, [Refers to the beauty mark on Kuvira's right cheek.] and her beauty mark. [Mike chuckles.] |
| Everyone laughs as, off-screen in the background, Bolin can be heard making cawing bird calls, heralding his, as well as Mako, Asami, Tenzin, and Kai's arrival at the encampment on Lefty. | |
| Bryan | So... |
| Mike | [Interjects.] Yeah, we added that in ADR. |
| Bryan | That was my-I-so, here wa-basically, we were doing ADR, and I was like, [Refers to when Bolin pitched his strategy of posing as a lost hiker who would travel to the Norther Air Temple, distracting the Red Lotus with his bird calls to give the rest of the rescue team an opportunity to strike.] the part where Bolin is pitching, in the beginning of the episode where everyone's talking so seriously about the battle plans, and he's pitching, like, bird sounds, it was almost a little too ridiculous for me, but I thought, somehow, having him do it again, [Bryan and Joaquim chuckle.] in the middle... |
| Mike | [Interjects.] Totally ties it together. |
| Bryan | ... it made it-it made it okay for me. [Mike affirms.] So, I was like, "Mike, can we just reuse those?" |
| Mike | It is great. |
| Bryan | [Refers to when Bolin made the same bird calls during the strategy meeting.] And I think it's the same recording, right? [Joaquim gives a pondering murmur.] |
| Mike | Uh, no. Well, we had temped it in there... |
| Bryan | [In the background.] Oh, okay. |
| Mike | ... but then he-he did-he did do a full one. |
| Bryan | Okay, alright. It's just as good as [Mike affirms intermittently.] the first one. [Refers to Lefty carrying five people on his back.] Um, I just wanna point out, I don't wanna, again, don't wanna take anything away from uh, the amazing artists at Studio Mir, but, um... uh, Lefty, the little-the little adolescent bison changes size... [Laughs.] |
| Mike | [Interjects.] Yeah, he's... |
| Bryan | ... more than any character, maybe in the history of uh, [Mike affirms.] I think he's just very absorbent, [Mike and Joaquim chuckle.] and um, [Refers to the dark grey clouds above the group's encampment.] you can see there are a lotta rainclouds, [Joaquim chuckles.] and the humidity is just-it's just plain wreaking havoc on his uh, his hair, his fur. |
| Joaquim | [Refers to Lin and Su learning how Tenzin, Mako, Bolin, and Asami survived the temple's destruction, with Kai attempting to get their attention regarding something he knows.] This was a little sequence that I can reme-I think Lauren did the final board on this, um, but it's one of those things that you sorta take for granted as a viewer; there's so many people standing around [Bryan affirms.] this encampment, it's-it's tough to kinda stage around that, uh, but it-it feels really natural. Uh, it's one of those more quiet scenes that I think doesn't get the-the credit it's due [Bryan chuckles.] in its staging. [Mike affirms.] |
| Bryan | It's tou-and the, I mean, this is like those superhero shows you worked on, where it's like every dialogue scene are-its twelve broad-shoulder [Joaquim affirms intermittently.] superheroes [Mike and Bryan laugh.] standing next to each other, ti-trying to, like, fr-frame around them. [Brief pause; refers to when Tenzin pats Oogi's head, saying he's glad to see his animal companion.] I always like this little moment, it's kinda sweet. [Refers to the shot panning along the Metal Clan security force, many of them wearing bandages as opposed to their armor, sitting hunched over at the encampment.] So, yeah, that battle didn't go so well. |
| Mike | [Refers to Su, Lin, Tenzin, Mako, Bolin, Asami, and Kai readying to depart on Oogi and Lefty.] Now they're getting ready to go find the airbenders. So, yeah, so... |
| Bryan | [Interjects; refers to Kuvira telling Su that she wants to join their mission to rescue Korra and the airbenders.] You get-get a little taste that uh, Kuvira, she-she-she wants more out of her position as the uh, head of security. |
| Mike | Yeah. [Brief pause; refers to Mako thanking Kai for rescuing them, and apologizing for his previous antagonistic behavior.] And then Mako and Kai have their little moment. |
| Bryan | It's that idea that, sometimes, the traits in others that bother you the most [Mike affirms intermittently.] are the ones in yourself that [Joaquim gives an affirming murmur.] you are most unhappy about. So, Mako, the things he didn't like about Kai are the things he didn't like about himself. [Refers to Ghazan and Ming-Hua asking Zaheer about his newfound ability.] So, this was [Laughs.] a fun-a fun scene that even uh, [Refers to when Ghazan, having flown toward Laghima's Peak on an airship, saw Zaheer flying away with Korra, and commenting to an equally astonished Ming-Hua that their comrade didn't need a ride.] man, that line where he's like uh, "guess he doesn't need a ride," [Joaquim chuckles.] I think might be my favorite line in the entire season. Um, but... |
| Mike | [Interjects; refers to Zaheer meditating in an underground cavern, sitting cross-legged while levitating in the air.] So, this, Zaheer kinda meditating and floating, that also was kinda-you had, like, a-in the early Avatar development, had drawn, like, [Bryan affirms intermittently.] Aang kinda floating, and that was something we never did in the-in the series, but... |
| Bryan | [Interjects.] In a cave. |
| Mike | ... came back here. |
| Bryan | I had him in an ice cave, [Mike and Joaquim affirm.] meditating with the-the signature iconic, like, fists together, so his arrow tattoos were lined up, and he had his eyes closed, and he's just meditating, floating, and then the drawing had Ka-Katara peeking around the corner and seeing him. And yeah, that was, like, I had some other drawings of him doing different, like, um, yoga poses [Mike affirms.] and floating, um, just right off the ground, like, nothing-not flying. So, yeah, that is an-another... |
| Mike | [Interjects; refers to Korra regaining consciousness, finding herself chained up in a cavern by the Red Lotus.] Now, we end with...creepiness. |
| Bryan | [Imitating and referring to Korra wrathfully stating to Zaheer that he killed her father.] "Prepare to die". [Mike chuckles; refers to the diagonally hanging chains manacled to Korra's wrists being tethered to the cave's ceiling, while the ones on her ankles extend toward the ground.] Um, [Laughs.] we weren't allowed to put Aang in... |
| Mike | [In the background.] Yeah, we... |
| Bryan | ... eh-"X"-shaped chains in-when Zhao caught him; [Mike affirms.] uh, the-the-the standards... |
| Mike | [In the background.] So, they... |
| Bryan | ... department got on our case, but... |
| Mike | [Interjects.] So, now, we're like, "let's try that again". [Bryan and Joaquim laugh.] We got away with it. |
| Bryan | So, I saw SpongeBob in an "X", uh, on some chains, and I-I complained. [Mike chuckles.] |