| Bryan Konietzko | Hi, this is Bryan Konietzko, co-creator and executive producer of Avatar. |
|---|---|
| Michael Dante DiMartino | Hey, this is Mike DiMartino, uh, the other creator and co-executive producer. |
| Jessie Flower | Hi, this is Jessie Flower, and I play Toph. |
| Jack DeSena | And this is Jack DeSena, I play the voice of Sokka. |
| Mike | Cool, thanks for coming, guys. |
| Jack | Yeah. [Laughs.] |
| Jessie | Yeah! [Laughs.] |
| Bryan | So, this episode is episode, uh, what is it, 317, "The Ember Island Players". |
| Mike | And this is kind of, uh, the Avatar version of a-of a clip show. [Jack and Jessie chuckle.] I remember when, uh, the-the original, like, impetus for this idea was-was from one of the writers, Tim Hedrick. He pitched this, like, crazy idea of-of a band of, uh, like, performers who were acting out the Avatar story, and at the time, I remember, we were all like, "ah, that's a funny idea, but that-that's a crazy episode, we'll never make that one," but, [Laughs.] later on in the season we-we realized, "wait, that would be the perfect episode for kind of a-a-a lead in to the big finale episode that comes after this." |
| Jack | So, was the intention to, like, create a-a situation where people could catch up and, like, recap the whole... |
| Mike | [Interjects.] Kind of, we wanted-we wanted to, like, you know, kinda s-show where we'd been and how far we'd come, but not just do, you know, a typical [Jack affirms.] clip show, so. [Jessie affirms.] |
| Bryan | In season-in season two we had a similar thing with, uh, "The Guru" episode, where that was sorta a clips episode, too, but again, it was like the Avatar version; it was, like, Aang mediating over these, these past events in his life [Mike affirms.] and how they were kinda gumming up his spirituality, and then in this one again, yeah, it's like r-kinda the culmination of everything they've done and how far they've come, and-and, uh, just kinda a weird thing for them to see their lives played before them, and then to see the Fire Nation's point of view of how it will all end. |
| Jack | Right. |
| Mike | [Refers to Sokka reading aloud a description for the play "The Boy in the Iceberg".] Wait, shh, [Jessie affirms.] Jack's coming up. [Jack laughs.] Listen. [Brief pause.] So, did you guys have a-have a fun time, uh, working on the show, and stuff? |
| Jack | Oh, I... |
| Jessie | [In the background.] Yeah. |
| Jack | ... loved it, yeah. It's been absolutely amazing. |
| Jessie | It's so fun, just, like, watching all of the reactions, and-of, like, the characters when I say stuff. [Mike and Jessie laugh.] It's, you know, sometimes... |
| Jack | [Interjects.] Yeah, I-I-I've been-I've been a really big fan of the show the entire time, and-and I have a lotta friends, um, who are-are very obsessed with it. Just the-the-I'm-I've been really pleased with how excited, like, me-people my age, I'm twenty, and I-I'm in college, and there are, like, so many people my age who are really, really enthused by it, and I've had friends who I was, [Jessie chuckles.] like, friends with for a couple years and who hadn't realized I had-was on the show, and then found out... |
| Mike | [In the background.] Oh really? |
| Jack | ... in the middle of season three, and are just completely freaked out. |
| Mike | Ah, that's funny. |
| Jessie | That happens with me, too, and they end up asking me so many questions, and they're just like, "oh, my gosh, that's so cool!" [Jessie and Mike laugh.] |
| Bryan | Well, it's been crazy for us 'cause, I mean, we're already old, but you guys, [Jessie chuckles.] we-we've been working with you for years, and, I mean, I-I think, Jack, we started working with you in 2003. |
| Jack | Yeah. |
| Jessie | Wow. |
| Bryan | Think for the pilot, [Jack affirms.] or, maybe 2000, yes, 2003. |
| Mike | Jack was eight when he started. [Bryan and Jessie laugh.] |
| Jack | [Laughs.] The voice breaks were a lot less forced [Mike, Bryan and Jessie laugh.] then. |
| Bryan | And, uh, Jessie, I think you first played in, uh, chapter 114, right? You were... a diff... |
| Jessie | [Interjects.] Yeah, at the beginning of season two, like, Toph... |
| Bryan | [Interjects.] Season one, [Jessie affirms.] yeah. |
| Mike | Yeah, well, your first-you came and did a-a voice for Meng, do you remember her? |
| Jessie | Yeah, [Mike affirms.] she was so funny. |
| Mike | That was the cute girl that Aang, or she had a crush on Aang in "The Fortuneteller"... |
| Bryan | [In the background.] In "The Fortuneteller". [Jack affirms.] |
| Jessie | With the pigtails. [Laughs.] |
| Mike | And then, yeah, and then when we-when we had the character of Toph, we were like, "we gotta get that girl wi-she was really cute. [Jessie laughs.] With the-had a lotta s-sass to her, you know." |
| Bryan | Every-I don't-Mike's usually in the records, and I'm not usually in them, but every time I see Jessie, she's about a foot taller, [Jessie and Jack laugh.] so. |
| Jessie | It was fun doing an audition for Toph 'cause the very first script that I did, it was fighting the big Boulder guy in the wrestling match. [Mike affirms.] And I was actually in Indiana with my grandparents at the time, and so, I-my grandma was there, like, doing The Boulder, [Mike, Bryan, and Jack laugh.] and, so, it was really hilarious, she was like, [In a high-pitched threatening tone.] "oh, I'm going to get you," in a high voice, and it was so funny. It was so fun, though. |
| Mike | That's funny. So, is it weird to see your-your voices coming out of some drawing of a character? |
| Jessie | Well, I've gotten used to it now, [Mike affirms.] 'cause, like, every time I see Toph, I'm like, "oh, that's me." [Mike and Jessie laugh.] |
| Jack | Yeah, yeah, I have this weird sense of recognition with the character where I look at it and it's obviously not me, [Mike chuckles.] and it's a drawing, and-but I-I feel like, "oh, that's me, [Bryan chuckles.] that's what I do." |
| Bryan | You're like, "oh, I was really cold on set that day." [Jessie and Jack affirm; chuckles.] |
| Jack | [Refers to the actor performing Sokka in the play.] Who did, uh, did Dee do my-Dee did my voice in this episode, right? In, like, actor portraying me? |
| Mike | N-oh, the actor who played-no, that was Scott Menville actually did the... |
| Jack | [In the background.] Oh. |
| Mike | ... Actor Sokka. [Refers to the some of the various caricatured characters portrayed in the play.] Dee played, uh, Dee Baker, usually does Appa and the-all the animals, he-he played Jet, I think he played King Bumi, [Jack gives an affirming murmur.] Actor King Bumi, I think, and, uh, uh, the Fire Lord at the end, which doesn't sound like him at all, but he did an awesome job with the... |
| Bryan | [Interjects.] And then, uh... |
| Mike | ... the overacting Fire Lord. [Jack affirms.] |
| Bryan | ... [Refers to the actress performing Katara in the play.] and Grey DeLisle, who usually [Jessie chuckles.] does Azula, did actress Katara, [Mike affirms.] which is, uh... |
| Jessie | Oh, really? |
| Mike | Yeah. |
| Bryan | ... which I, actually working on the episode, didn't know. Mike told me a little while later. |
| Mike | [Refers to the actress performing Aang in the play.] And then, uh, Actor Aang was played by Rachel Dratch, who you, uh, used to be on Saturday Night Live. |
| Jack | [In an excited tone.] Really? |
| Mike | Yeah. [Laughs.] |
| Jessie | [In a surprised tone.] Oh! |
| Jack | Oh man, I love her. [Mike laughs.] |
| Jessie | [In the background.] Wow. |
| Jack | She's great. |
| Mike | So... |
| Jessie | Why did you choose to, like, make Aang a girl in the... the... |
| Bryan | Well... |
| Jessie | [In the background; laughs.] The... |
| Bryan | ... it's sort of a self-referential joke. Whenever you do a animated show, they usually want to cast, uh, women... |
| Jack | [In the background.] Right. [Laughs.] |
| Bryan | ... who are, like, in their thirties to play boys, [Jessie laughs.] because you never know how long the show is gonna go on, and, you know, as Jack mentioned earlier, boys' voices start cracking, but... |
| Jessie | [Interjects; laughs.] Yeah! |
| Bryan | ... Mike and I were always, uh, we just insisted that the kids had to be kids, and, um, you know, that's why we got you guys, and since the sh-the show is, you know, it's a continuous storyline over, like, about the course of a year, we-we didn't mind if-if people grew up and-and [Jack affirms.] kinda aged 'cause we planned on the characters [Jessie affirms.] maturing, and stuff. So, um, yeah, so that was kind of a joke is, like, they would cast [Jessie chuckles.] Aang as this Sandy Duncan type of, [Jack laughs.] uh, [Jessie laughs.] you know, Peter Pan type character, so we just did an extreme caricature of that. [Refers to Momo being a puppet operated by Aang's actor.] And so, every, I mean, everything in this episode is just a, [Jack affirms.] just-we're kinda making fun of ourselves before anyone [Laughs.] else does. [Jack laughs.] |
| Jessie | It's so funny. Wow. |
| Mike | Yeah, I can't wait for the fans to actually try to put on this play sometime. [Jack and Mike laugh.] |
| Jessie | I know. That would be [Laughs.] very fun. |
| Bryan | We, yeah, someone sent us some, some clips online of, like... [Sighs.] I just-I don't even know what convention it was, but it was, like, everybody was in costume, and they were putting on these plays that they had written as the characters that were, like... [Jack chuckles.] |
| Jessie | [Interjects.] Oh my god, that's so cool. |
| Bryan | ... really strange, but here-here's a-a complete, well, almost complete, play that they could re-enact. |
| A brief pause in commentary until the play starts retelling the events of "The Waterbending Scroll", with Jack, Mike, and Jessie laughing as the on-stage Sokka asks Katara's character why she stole the scroll in a comedically whiny voice. | |
| Bryan | We actually used-worked with Scott, uh, who did Actor Sokka, back, I mean, that was one of the first jobs we did together was on, uh, Mission Hill, a WB show. |
| Jack | [Gives an affirming murmur.] Yeah, I remember that show. |
| Bryan | He was, um, Kevin French. |
| Mike | [Refers to the caricatured Blue Spirit, the now cartoonish mask large enough to encompass the actor's entire body.] I like how the Blue Spirit suddenly had a giant [Bryan chuckles.] head. [Laughs.] |
| Jessie | Yeah, it... |
| Jack | [Interjects.] Easter Island Blue Spirit. |
| Bryan | He only... |
| Jessie | [In the background.] Nice touch. |
| Bryan | ... [Refers to the Actor Blue Spirit facing toward the audience while moving around onstage.] faces forward. [Bryan and Jessie laugh.] |
| Mike | [Refers to the Blue Spirit actor waving his swords around in the air, as he pantomimes taking down the Fire Nation extras.] And all the, like, dorky action that happens. |
| Jessie | Yeah. [Laughs.] |
| Mike | [Brief pause; refers to the basic special effects the Ember Island Players use to simulate fantastical elements like bending, namely with colored streamers, props, and wires.] I think one of the, when we were talking with the storyboard artists at the beginning, trying to plan out this episode, uh, you know, we wanted it to feel like it was a real play that these people really could've put on. [Jessie gives an affirming murmur.] So, there's, you know, there's all these kind of practical effects that they use [Jack affirms.] for the-for the fire and the water ,[Jessie affirms.] and stuff like that. [Refers to the painted stylized backdrops that represent the places Team Avatar visited.] And... I think, uh, did Aldina Dias design the, uh, backdrops, and stuff? |
| Bryan | Yeah, Aldina, [Jessie and Mike affirm.] Aldina and I, um, she designed all these backdrops based on the locations, because [Jessie chuckles intermittently.] we figured, you know, a lot of it was hearsay and, "oh, what-what does-what does that place look like?" And you know, just their-their idea of what Omashu might look like, or the Northern, you know, peo-these-these actors in the Fire Nation probably have never been to the North Pole. They just asked some soldier or sailor from the war. [Jack affirms.] |
| Mike | [Refers to the Zuko actor's costume, namely his wearing a skull that covers his right eye with a painted scar.] Yeah, there's funny little details of, like, that Zuko's scar is actually, like, a-kinda like a mask that's on the wrong side of his face. |
| Jessie | [Laughs.] Yeah. |
| Bryan | Yeah, like a Phantom of the Opera type thing. [Mike affirms; refers to the Ember Island Theater.] And, uh, Elsa Garagarza did a great job, uh, designing this theatre, I think it-it really feels like a real place, just like a... |
| Jessie | [Interjects.] Yeah! |
| Bryan | [Brief pause; refers to Aang's actress, now dressed in an Ocean Spirit "Koizilla" costume, kicking miniature Fire Nation ships, re-enacting the Siege of the North.] Got this, like, Ultraman [Jessie and Mike chuckle.] giant fish. |
| Jessie | With little toy ships... |
| Mike | [In the background.] I love... |
| Jessie | ... [Laughs.] going across the stage. |
| Mike | ... yeah, there's also... [Refers to the little Zhao doll in the Aang actress' hand.] you didn't notice, the little-little toy Zhao... |
| Jack | Yeah, right. [Laughs.] |
| Jessie | Yeah. [Laughs.] |
| Mike | ... [Laughs.] in his hand a-as well. [Brief pause.] So, how did you guys like working with, uh, Andrea, the voice director? |
| Jack | Oh, she is awesome. |
| Jessie | [Interjects.] Andrea is so sweet. [Mike chuckles.] She's great. |
| Jack | Yeah, and she, I mean, she really knows how to get out of me whatever needs to be gotten, um, especially, like, as we transitioned towards the end of season one to more dramatic material, um, at, like, the North Pole, and stuff. She definitely was able to... tailor the recording sessions to really get out of me what needed to be gotten, and, um, yeah, help me reach the place I needed to be. |
| Jessie | Yeah, and she knows, like, the exact words to use when she's trying to get me to say a line, like a certain way. And, like, when you're trying to say something, sometimes it's really hard to, like, come up with that s-exact word that you need, but she just comes up with it, and then I get it, and it's-she's just great at directing it. |
| Jack | And at this point, three seasons in, she has such a-a di-a strong grasp of what we can do and where our strong points are, [Jessie gives an affirming murmur.] and then helping us get past, like, I-I have a very hard time laughing on cue. |
| Mike | Yes, I remember that. [Mike and Jessie laugh.] |
| Jack | And, uh, it's getting easier and easier, and she really knows how to help me through it. Just 'cause in real life, I either have, like, a huge [Mike laughs.] belly laugh or just a smirk, [Jessie laughs.] I don't havea small, medium laugh. |
| Mike | That's what's funny, though, is a lot of Sokka's laughs, which are kind of, like, in-your, you know, har-hard-to laugh on cue sort of laughs, but [Laughs.] they actually turned out really funny. |
| Jack | Right. They're kind of these... |
| Mike | [Laughs.] 'Cause they're... |
| Jack | ... ridiculous... |
| Jack spontaneously does an overly pronounced and wacky laugh for a few seconds, similar to the one Sokka does when his actor counterpart on stage reads some of the former's jokes, and causing Mike, Bryan, and Jessie to laugh in turn. | |
| Jack | Whoa! But I'm getting there, I think I can do it soon. |
| Bryan | Don't you guys just wish Andrea had a little bit more energy, though? Little... |
| Jessie | [In the background.] What? [Laughs.] |
| Bryan | ... she's a little low key, right? [Brief pause; in a hushed tone.] Just kidding. |
| Mike | That was a joke. |
| Bryan | Evide... |
| Jessie | [Interjects.] Yeah. [Jessie and Jack laugh.] |
| Mike | For the audience out there. |
| Bryan | [Refers to the play adapting Team Avatar's adventures.] So, as they review all of these adventures, do you guys have any favorite, uh, episodes that you-that you acted in? |
| Jack | Um... |
| Jessie | [Interjects.] I don't... well, I like the ones that I'm in; [Mike, Bryan, and Jack laugh.] those are definitely the best. |
| Jack | Yeah, I mean, I really liked the-the stuff at the North Pole where I got to try something a little bit more [Jessie chuckles.] serious was a lot of fun. |
| Jessie | I like that time where the owl was, like, chasing us, I thought that was really cool 'cause it was, like, I don't know, it seemed like all scientific with the whole, like, underground thing, it was just really cool, and then, like, an owl, it was just kind of like weird 'cause it was like bigger and, I don't know, it was fun. |
| Bryan | S-so, that was 210 and 211, [Mike affirms.] you-you guys liked... |
| Jack | [In the background.] So, yeah, we all like the middle... [Laughs.] |
| Bryan | ... the middle of the-middle of the... [Jessie affirms.] |
| Jack | No-oh, and, uh, no, it's season three, uh, when I got to have a huge sword. [Everyone laughs.] It was very exciting for me, I re-I read just the title of that episode, and knew that I was getting a huge sword, [Bryan and Jessie laugh.] and I'm so sad... |
| Bryan | [Interjects.] A space sword. |
| Jack | Yes, a huge asteroid... sword. |
| A brief pause in commentary as the play re-enacts the events of "The Drill", with Aang's actress throwing down prop rocks at Azula's actress and the Fire Nation drill prop. | |
| Mike | Do you guys get really excited when you're, like, the main character in the episode? |
| Jessie | Yes. [Mike, Jack and Jessie laugh.] Get to say a lotta stuff... |
| Mike | Yeah, sorry... |
| Jessie | ... it's fun. |
| Mike | ... sorry, Jessie, you didn't-Toph didn't get too many, like, full episodes this season... |
| Jessie | [In the background.] Oh, no... |
| Mike | ... she only had, like, a couple. |
| Jessie | ... it was fun. [Mike and Jessie laugh.] I'm... |
| Jack | I like-I, like, it-it goes back and forth; me, I mean, I like the episode where Sokka's kinda the A-story and there's a lot of-driving him, but a lot of the really fun stuff for me came when I was just the B-story, [Mike affirms.] and it was... |
| Jessie | [Laughs.] Yeah. |
| Jack | ... just Sokka goofing off. |
| Bryan | Oh, yeah, we-the one we-the commentary we just did with, uh, Dante and-and Andrea was, uh, 316, one right before this, and it's, um, really serious Katara-Zuko story, but it's-it's probably the most serious story we ever did, but it has some of the funniest Sokka stuff in it where you wanted to borrow Momo, and where you were in-you were in the tent [Jack affirms intermittently.] waiting-waiting [Jessie affirms.] for Suki, and Zuko comes in. [Jessie laughs.] |
| Jack | [Laughs.] That was very fun to do the, uh, ADR for, just to fill in all the little sounds of my anticipation and excitement waiting in the tent. [Mike chuckles.] |
| A pause in commentary until Katara questions if the reimagined depiction of "The Crossroads of Destiny", namely Zuko's actor yelling at Iroh's that he hates him for all time, was what actually happened, to which Zuko ashamedly says it might as well have. | |
| Bryan | See, I think this, uh, this is a fun episode because that's-as goofy as all of that was, then, you know, you-you've gone along with these characters, and-and to see Zuko's reaction, it, [Jack affirms.] I don't know, [Jessie affirms.] it's really serious, and you kinda understand the weight of it. |
| A brief pause in commentary as the actress playing Ty Lee, after kissing her fingers, pokes an Earth Kingdom soldier extra, causing him to pretend to comically seize up and fall as though he were paralyzed, to which Bryan chuckles. | |
| Bryan | That was the little Vulcan death grip [Jessie chuckles.] from Ty Lee, no one really understood [Jessie affirms intermittently.] how it worked in the, [Jack laughs.] in the play. [Refers to Actress Aang "activating" the Avatar State, closing her eyes, with her eyelids glowing as the stage lighting shuts off.] So, Mike actually did this, this-this thing where her eyelids are painted with glow-in-the-dark... |
| Jessie | [Interjects.] Yeah, that's cool. |
| Bryan | ... paint. Yeah, Mike did that for Halloween one year here, [Jack laughs.] he-he dressed up as Aang. |
| Jessie | I remember that. [Mike chuckles; Bryan affirms.] I walked through the little thing, and I thought it was, like, a, yeah, I thought that you were fake, and then we walked closer... [Laughs.] |
| Bryan | [Interjects.] Oh, I remember, I heard his voice through, [Jessie affirms.] I heard his voice through the haunted house, he goes-he's like, "hi Jessie," and you were like... [Gives a mock scream of horror.] |
| Jessie | I was like, [Mike laughs; in a mock tone of surprise.] "wah! What the heck!" |
| Mike | Oh, yeah, I forgot I scared you. |
| Jessie | And, yeah, [Bryan laughs.] you did. |
| Bryan | She thought you were a statue. |
| Jessie | Yeah, I thought you were like a mannequin [Mike laughs.] that had glow-in-the-dark paint on. [Laughs.] |
| Bryan | [Brief pause.] This was a great read, Jack. Ah, this cracked me up every time. |
| Jack | What is? |
| The line Bryan was referring to plays, as after Suki jokingly mentions all the times Team Avatar have lost in the play, Sokka sarcastically retorts by bringing up Suki's own loss and capture to Azula, causing Suki to coldly frown at him, making all the commentators laugh. | |
| Bryan | That sorta reminds me of my relationship with my girlfriend. [Everyone laughs; refers to Katara going to check on a distraught Aang.] And again, just seeing, you know, it's-it's all goofy and fun and recounting all the-the tales, but it-I really like seeing how it affects... [Jack and Jessie affirm.] the kids. |
| Jack | Right, I think that it's a really well written story. |
| Jessie | It's cool to see how-what the feelings of the characters are, like, of themselves. |
| Bryan | That's one fun thing about Avatar, coming from, like, sitcom animated shows, no one really has any feelings. [Bryan, Jack, and Jessie laugh.] It's all just a joke... |
| Jack | [In the background.] Ah, that's... |
| Bryan | ... and so, it's, I mean, it's fun to do comedy, but-but, I don't know, it just-it has more weight to me when you actually believe that they're people with feelings, and stuff. [Jessie gives an affirming murmur.] |
| Jack | That-and that's my-my favorite thing about this show. When-when I was growing up on cartoons, I can't remember a show where-that had to have a "Previously On" [Mike chuckles.] in order to watch it, [Bryan laughs intermittently.] and it's so exciting to me to be part of something that's so serial and tells such a story. |
| Jessie | The whole... all of the seasons is such a great story. It's cool. |
| Bryan | Thank you. [Jessie laughs.] |
| Jack | [Laughs.] I feel like-I feel very weird whenever, like, people compliment me on the show and say like, "I really love your show," I always have to say, "me, too." [Mike, Jessie and Bryan laugh.] I, like, I feel so, like, it's so much out of my hands... |
| Bryan | [In the background.] Well, I mean... |
| Jack | ... there's such a beautiful story being told, and I-I just pop in with little silly sounds, [Mike and Jessie chuckle.] and I feel like way more of a fan of the show than a... partici... |
| Bryan | [Interjects.] But, you know, I-it took, and it's still taking so many people, and-and the talents and hard work, dedication of so many people, and it's, um, you know, everybody's just doing a great job, and we have great actors, great voice direction, great writing, and just all the way down the line. And-and, so, I mean, even though Mike and I created this, and this all came out of our heads six years ago, it's, like... |
| Jessie | [In the background.] Long time. [Laughs.] |
| Bryan | ... we're-we're fans of it, too, and we're just along for the ride in the same time... |
| Jessie laughs as Toph affectionately punches Zuko in the arm after their talk about Iroh's love for his nephew. | |
| Bryan | ... so, it's, um, it's ki-it's kinda nice to be able to just step outside of it and enjoy it, which was always our goal, was to make something that we liked. |
| Jack | Right. [Laughs.] |
| A brief pause in commentary until Zuko angrily tries to rebuke another play attendee for saying his scar is on the wrong side of his face, to which Bryan and Jessie laugh. | |
| Bryan | That-I feel, like, I feel like Zuko there when I'm at the conventions, and people ask some question [Mike chuckles.] and get really angry, and they're telling, like, trying to correct me on Avatar, and I'm like, [In a mock enraged tone.] "hey!" [Laughs; Jessie affirms.] |
| Another brief pause in commentary until Sokka, in a rapid, blurred movement, moves behind the actor portraying himself. | |
| Mike | Yeah... |
| Bryan | [Interjects.] I like Sokka's zippy movements here. [Makes a sound akin to air rushing.] |
| Jessie | Yes. [Bryan and Mike laugh.] |
| The commentary pauses again as Sokka gives some of his personal comedic material for his actor counterpart to work with, Suki facepalming in the background as Sokka delivers his cabbage-related punchline. | |
| Mike | [In a mock exasperated tone.] Oh, Sokka. |
| Jack | [Laughs.] I wanna pull my collar whenever... [Mike and Bryan laugh; makes an embarrassed buzzing noise.] |
| Bryan | [Brief pause.] You do sometimes wonder what Suki sees in him, [Jack laughs; Jessie affirms.] you know, a little bit. [Bryan and Mike laugh.] |
| Jessie | What happened? [Jessie and Bryan laugh.] |
| Jack | [Refers to Suki.] She's got very nice hair. [Bryan laughs.] |
| Jessie | Yeah, she does. She's good with the fan. [Mike and Jessie laugh.] |
| Mike | [Brief pause; refers to Katara and Aang's conversation about their relationship.] I like this, this scene breaks my heart. Poor Aang. So, are-so, which, uh, side are you guys on, are you for the Aang-Katara or Aan-uh, Katara-Zuko... relationship? [Jack gives a thoughtful murmur.] |
| Jessie | I don't know, [Mike chuckles.] that's hard. |
| Jack | I-I, uh... |
| Bryan | [Interjects.] It divides nations. [Jack affirms.] |
| Jessie | Yes, it does. [Mike chuckles.] |
| Jack | And I've, you know, read the script, so I know-I feel like now I've already-I can't state an opinion. [Mike and Bryan chuckle.] |
| Jessie | [Laughs.] But both Aang and Zuko are-have so different personalities, it's like... |
| Bryan | [Interjects.] That's where the drama... |
| Jessie | ... it's-you have to choose which one, [Jack laughs.] I know. |
| Bryan | ... lies. [Refers to Aang kissing Katara after she just said she was confused about the developments in their relationship.] Oh, Aang. |
| Jack | I think-I think Jet's still alive in a lake somewhere, [Mike and Bryan chuckle; Jessie affirms.] he's coming back in... |
| Bryan | [Interjects.] See, there-there's a third-there's an independent party. [Jessie affirms; Jack chuckles.] |
| Mike | That's the, uh, that's the-one of the fake endings we made was Jet and Katara get together. [Jessie laughs.] |
| Bryan | Man, we're having [Mike laughs intermittently.] trouble just finishing the real ending. [Bryan and Jessie laugh.] We don't have any time or energy for a fake ending. [Refers to Sokka summarizing the parts of the play Aang missed when he was outside, namely when the portrayed Sokka got his sword.] There, you got your sword. [Mike chuckles.] |
| Jack | Oh, I did. |
| Jessie | Yeah, got his sword. |
| Everyone chuckles as Sokka shushes everyone and horizontally slides out of frame. | |
| Bryan | [Refers to Aang's actress cheerfully saying to Katara's character that she would not have their relationship, which Katara's actor compares to siblings, be any other way.] There's a really great Rachel Dratch line here. |
| Jessie | [Laughs.] Yes. [Everyone laughs.] |
| Bryan | [Refers to the enthusiastic handshake Aang and Katara's actresses perform.] We talked about that handshake a lot in the, uh, I think we did a specific acting reference for it. |
| Mike | [Refers to the Aang's actress' tiny, improperly proportioned glider that she brandishes while being lifted through the air on wires.] Oh, another funny little detail I just remembered was that that little-Aang's little prop glider [Jessie laughs.] that he flies around with, I-I believe, uh, Ben Wynn, our sound designer, actually recorded the sound of a-of the-there's a toy Aang glider that came out, few years ago... |
| Jack | [In the background.] Uh-huh. [Laughs.] |
| Mike | ... he actually recorded, [Laughs.] like, the sound effects of it. |
| Bryan | When you-when you swing it around, it's like, [Makes a "phwoo" sound of air gently rushing by; Mike and Jessie affirm.] it does, like, a whole, like, kung fu and glider sounds, so. |
| Mike | So, we wanted it to sound kinda, like, wimpy and stuff. |
| Bryan | Yeah, there's a lotta stuff like that. [Jessie gives an affirming murmur.] |
| Jessie chuckles as Aang's actress questions why no one is in the Fire Nation royal palace, enunciating every word. | |
| Bryan | [Refers to Zuko's actor as he proclaims that he will join the Avatar.] And that voice is, uh, is Dante's brother, right? |
| Mike | Yes, it is. |
| Jack | Really? |
| Jessie | [In the background.] Oh, really? |
| Bryan | Yeah. |
| Jack | That's cool. |
| Jessie | Awesome. |
| Mike | [Refers to Derek Basco.] Another Basco brother, who I... sorry, I can't remember his first name right [Bryan chuckles.] this moment, but... |
| Bryan | [Refers to the extra-terrestrial theme, shot tilt, and lighting change that occur as Sokka wonders if the play is depicting the future.] Here's a little reference to, man, what episode [Jessie chuckles.] was that? 104 or 106, where he was like, [Imitates Sokka.] "food eats people!" [Mike and Jessie laugh.] What was that? |
| Mike | [Refers to Ozai's actor being illuminated by the stage lighting, the dark shadow on him coloring in as he comes into relief.] So, I love, the first time I saw this animation starting when the Fire Lord comes out, I was just blown away, 'cause it's, like... just seems, like, so real and... |
| Bryan | [Interjects.] Um... |
| Jessie | [Interjects.] Yeah, even-some parts of it seem so cheese that you're like, "oh yeah, this is fake," but then some parts of it actually are [Mike affirms.] kind of-seem... like it's the real... |
| Bryan | [Interjects.] Man, I wish I could remember that animator's name. |
| Mike | Yeah, [Jessie chuckles.] she's a... |
| Bryan | [Interjects.] Korean... |
| Mike | ... woman-woman an-animator in Korea. |
| Bryan | At JM Animation. I... |
| Mike | [Interjects.] Who did all this s-stuff. |
| Bryan | ... I would do-I would try to say her name, but I think it would [Mike chuckles.] probably do more damage than good. [Jack chuckles.] |
| Mike | [Refers to the sequence where the portrayed Zuko and Azula, then Aang and Ozai, fight each other, using colored streamers to simulate their bending.] She did this whole end section, right? With the... |
| Bryan | [Interjects.] Yeah, she did all the key animation; [Mike affirms.] just the acting... |
| Mike | [Interjects.] Just this fight is just great, and... |
| Bryan | [Interjects.] She... |
| Mike | [Interjects.] And that was cool, we wanted the end, even though it was this cheesy play the whole time, we wanted the end to still be kind of powerful [Jessie affirms intermittently.] and not feel t-totally [Laughs.] lame. And, uh, I think it... with the animation and the staging and everything, it-it did come out that way, and it... [Jack and Jessie affirm.] does feel... |
| Bryan | [Refers to Zuko's distressed reaction to his actor counterpart being "defeated" by Actress Azula.] I think Zuko-Zuko's reaction there is great. [Mike and Jessie affirm.] We, um, yeah, a lotta this was sort of inspired, not-not directly, just-jus-the, the mood, um, from like uh, Shaolin: Wheel of Life, which was a-a stage show that the Shaolin monks put on with a, [Jessie gives an affirming murmur.] a London production company. And then, um, and then Mike and I, when were in Beijing, we saw a really cool-we saw two, uh, we saw, like, a-a Shaolin stage show, and then we a really good, uh, Chinese acrobatics show. So, it was, like, you know, even... |
| Jessie | [In the background.] Is that... |
| Bryan | ... even without fire and stuff, we knew we could make it really cool. [Jack and Jessie affirm; laughs.] Like this stuff's great. So, we actually... |
| Jessie | [In the background.] Awesome. |
| Bryan | ... you know, [Refers to Aang's actress twirling around her glider, and Ozai whipping his red streamers around.] we had footage of me and Kisu swinging these... props around. [Jessie and Jack laugh.] I remember Sh-Sheri Wheeler, like, I gave her this whole prop list, like, "get me all kinds of satin and little party streamers [Jack chuckles.] that we can throw around the gym," and-and, um, we actually did a lotta the kung fu with these props. [Refers to Aang's actress' long and drawn-out "no" after she was draped in the Fire Lord actor's "fire".] Another great Rachel Dratch [Mike gives an affirming murmur.] read. [Jack and Jessie laugh.] Twenty-five second "no". [Jessie gives an affirming murmur.] |
| Jack | Those are always fun. [Brief pause; refers to the Fire Lord actor's victory speech.] That's Dee, so-ri-right? |
| Mike | Yeah, yeah. |
| Jack | I-I'm-I'm-I'm such a big fan of Dee. [Mike chuckles.] I brought-I... |
| Bryan | [Interjects.] Dee is, he's superhuman. |
| Jack | ... I brought in friends when I knew he was gonna be doing ADR and doing Appa and Momo, [Mike affirms.] I've had them just come and just watch, 'cause I-ah, he's amazing. |
| Mike | Yeah, he's great. |
| Bryan | [Refers to Team Avatar saying how awful the play was, with the exception of Sokka, who says the special effects were decent.] And then, I'm not sure, but I feel like the writers might have thrown this reference in for... the, uh, M. Night movie that's coming up. [Jessie gives an affirming murmur; Mike and Bryan laugh.] The-that the effects were decent. Not that we don't think it's gonna be awesome, but, I don't know, [Jessie affirms.] I think that was their little jab [Jack laughs.] at the movie. |
| Jessie | [Laughs.] Yeah. |
| Bryan | So, well, thanks, guys. Thanks for... |
| Jack | [Interjects.] Thank you. |
| Jessie | Thank you. |
| Bryan | ... doing this whole journey with us, and, uh, [Jessie affirms.] it's been... |
| Jessie | [Interjects.] It's great talking to you guys. [Mike chuckles.] |
| Bryan | ... several years, and hope we get to work together in the future. |
| Jessie | Yeah, definitely. |
| Jack | Oh, we've-I would love that. [Mike chuckles.] |
| Jessie | That would be great. |
| Bryan | Other than-beyond the little bit of ADR that's left. |
| Jack | Right. |
| Jessie | Yeah. [Jessie laughs.] |
| Jack | [Laughs.] Two more of those. [Mike laughs.] |
| Bryan | [Laughs.] Like another project kinda thing. [Jessie affirms.] Yeah, cool. Thanks, guys. |
| Jack | But, I mean, those should be great, too, let's not, [Bryan affirms.] those last two [Jessie affirms.] recording sessions are gonna be outta control. |
| Bryan | A lot of grunts. [Mike laughs.] |
| Jessie | Special. |
| Bryan | A lotta m-uh, uh, lotta moaning. |
| Jack | A lotta... |
| Jack makes several grunting and moaning sounds, akin to the ones Sokka makes when he is mocking the Fire Lord's fight with Aang. Jessie also jumps in by doing a mock scream of shock. | |
| Bryan | Yeah. [Laughs.] |
| Mike | Yeah, you-you guys are running and falling a lot, so. [Bryan affirms.] |
| Jessie | [In a mock disappointed tone.] Oh, cool. [Jack and Mike laugh.] |
| Bryan | And all your actions together, so. |
| Jack | Good. |
| Jessie | Cool. |
| Jack | [In a mock frustrated tone.] Good! |
| Bryan | Thanks, guys. |
| Jack | [Simultaneously with Jessie.] Thank you. |
| Jessie | [Simultaneously with Jack.] Thank you! |
| Mike | Yeah, thanks, bye! |
| Jessie | Bye. |
| Commentary ends. |