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Post by jcb on Jul 16, 2017 10:27:13 GMT -5
Regarding the cut scene the NHS spends quite some time removing small objects from children's ears and noses so that may be why it was cut. For me this was a mixed episode, once Daphne had finished with her obsession of the week it really picked up and became a solid story. What I didn't get was the final line about the 'free world' as most if not all of the countries listed as sending agents are part of the free world. Trust Agent Conductor. If other countries knew the information on that chip, the free world would have been in peril. The United States needed to prevent even their allies from discovering this information, because it revealed secret plans of a "non-free world" country, which would have alarmed the rest of the world and threatened it - forcing their hands and leading to war. Fortunately, the U.S. and and two other countries (which ones are classified) uncovered this plot and stopped it. Serious black bag stuff.
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Post by jcb on Jul 11, 2017 12:20:27 GMT -5
What you're getting with the last half or last 3/4 of season 2 are episodes where I'm experimenting with many of the interesting/strange/risky/character-oriented things I always wanted to do with BCSD (since day one), knowing by that point that we wouldn't be getting a third season, so it was going to be my only chance to try new stuff. There's a lot of messing with the characters, building organic over-arcing story ideas, calling back characters and themes, exploring dynamics, trying to place stories in other time periods, etc. Just tying to balance the difficult political aspects with pushing the creative aspect in any direction I wanted to go. As always with that kind of stuff, some of it will work, some won't. But playing it safe is always failure in my book and I'm pleased to say that I stand by MY work - what happened to it after it was taken out of my control is another matter. Plus, Zac had left by the midway of season 2 and I was immediately taken out of the loop once the scripts were done, so the story boarders and directors could rewrite anything without consulting with me about what the intent was and how a scene or a line was put there specifically to build an arc or set up plot pint - or reveal character.Also, I wasn't allowed to be there for voice records, so I didn't get some very specific reads that I needed to give the scenes the right emotional context. The actors and the directors are brilliant and by second season, they really understood the show, but it doesn't matter HOW talented you are if you don't understand the context of the lines you're reading or how they fit in with the over-all plot or arc of the episode or series. I was slowly evolving and growing the charactered certain moments were pivotal to their evolution, but no one knew and they were thrown away, changed or read with the wrong intention - which was very disappointing. Everything was working against those last episodes turning out right, so I'm actually surprised by the things that turned out well. There are a bunch of GREAT ideas in those episodes, a lot of them didn't get ruined any more than some of the early season 1 eps and I had a LOT of fun writing those episodes. Kyle Stafford and I were rolling on there floor laughing writing 'Upsetting Shorts." Unfortunately, they designed the shorts as r"egular shorts," so the entire "upsetting" part doesn't read visually. Things like that are crazy-making because they're so easily fixed - if they just ran the designs and animatics by me so I could make the right changes, they could have been perfect. There's still SO much fun in these episodes. Just sit back and let the silliness wash over you. A couple are, for me, destroyed beyond hope. I want to weep at "Goth" and "Ice" and especially the two 11 minutes and 2-part series finale. They should have trusted me/us. These could have been the funniest Scooby episodes of all time. Season 2 even had a loose over arcing story that called back characters and elements from season 1. It was all very well thought out and detailed. But all that was lost in the process once they took me out of the post-scripted process. No one knew/saw the big picture or understood what the intentions, so they did the best they could - without having a chance of getting it right. But, also, those that think these eps sound terrible, I can understand it. BCCD is not for everyone and every episode of BCSD is not for everyone. We try lots of different things and take lots of chances. I certainly WANT people tp like it, but I can only try to please myself, in the end. I was just throwing up my hands and having fun messing with the characters, show and formula and pushing the storytelling as far as I could. I didn't want to (jump OVER)the shark. I was having fun finding the biggest shark in the ocean, jabbing it with a stick and jumping RIGHT INTO it's gaping, open jaws. Not to ruin the show, but to take chances and try something new. There are still SO many character stories I want to tell with this iteration of the gang. Zac and I were just talking about this the other day while we were working on our new show (it's gone be SOOO good). We were, like, "If they didn't care and just planned o burying the show, why even bother to give us notes and force us to change stuff Why not just let us make the show how we wanted? We'd already done 48-50 epiodosdes. Spite? It makes no sense. Eioither way, you guys might hate the or love them - usually people seem to like some parts of episodes, but not others ("I loved the location and the monster, but the Daphne thing got old, but Fred was funny with the thing and the Scooby scene was classics tc"). There's SO much to service in one of these episodes, that it's virtually impossible under the conditions they were made to get everything executed to my satisfaction. Hope you guys like th new eps! After American Goth and Naughty or Ice air, can you tell us why you hate the changes made to them so much? I could tel you, but unless you could have been there during the writing process when we were running around my office acting out parts and coming p with funny character traits, etc, you could never understand what SHOULD have been there nd how funny it would have been. It's impossible to articulate how, cumulatively, from the smallest nuance of a line read to a complete rewrite of a main character arc all work together to ruin what could have been a great episode. Plus, as I've mentioned, they were rewritten by people who would never been hired by WB to write a script for BCSD - they were talented, funny storyboard artists and directors, but there's just no way they could rewrite entire main character arcs throughout an episode and capture the gang's comedic voices and emotional reactions correctly. Its just too hard - even for veteran writers.
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Post by jcb on Jul 10, 2017 16:01:36 GMT -5
What you're getting with the last half or last 3/4 of season 2 are episodes where I'm experimenting with many of the interesting/strange/risky/character-oriented things I always wanted to do with BCSD (since day one), knowing by that point that we wouldn't be getting a third season, so it was going to be my only chance to try new stuff. There's a lot of messing with the characters, building organic over-arcing story ideas, calling back characters and themes, exploring dynamics, trying to place stories in other time periods, etc. Just tying to balance the difficult political aspects with pushing the creative aspect in any direction I wanted to go. As always with that kind of stuff, some of it will work, some won't. But playing it safe is always failure in my book and I'm pleased to say that I stand by MY work - what happened to it after it was taken out of my control is another matter.
Plus, Zac had left by the midway of season 2 and I was immediately taken out of the loop once the scripts were done, so the story boarders and directors could rewrite anything without consulting with me about what the intent was and how a scene or a line was put there specifically to build an arc or set up plot pint - or reveal character.Also, I wasn't allowed to be there for voice records, so I didn't get some very specific reads that I needed to give the scenes the right emotional context. The actors and the directors are brilliant and by second season, they really understood the show, but it doesn't matter HOW talented you are if you don't understand the context of the lines you're reading or how they fit in with the over-all plot or arc of the episode or series. I was slowly evolving and growing the charactered certain moments were pivotal to their evolution, but no one knew and they were thrown away, changed or read with the wrong intention - which was very disappointing. Everything was working against those last episodes turning out right, so I'm actually surprised by the things that turned out well.
There are a bunch of GREAT ideas in those episodes, a lot of them didn't get ruined any more than some of the early season 1 eps and I had a LOT of fun writing those episodes. Kyle Stafford and I were rolling on there floor laughing writing 'Upsetting Shorts." Unfortunately, they designed the shorts as r"egular shorts," so the entire "upsetting" part doesn't read visually. Things like that are crazy-making because they're so easily fixed - if they just ran the designs and animatics by me so I could make the right changes, they could have been perfect. There's still SO much fun in these episodes. Just sit back and let the silliness wash over you. A couple are, for me, destroyed beyond hope. I want to weep at "Goth" and "Ice" and especially the two 11 minutes and 2-part series finale. They should have trusted me/us. These could have been the funniest Scooby episodes of all time. Season 2 even had a loose over arcing story that called back characters and elements from season 1. It was all very well thought out and detailed. But all that was lost in the process once they took me out of the post-scripted process. No one knew/saw the big picture or understood what the intentions, so they did the best they could - without having a chance of getting it right.
But, also, those that think these eps sound terrible, I can understand it. BCCD is not for everyone and every episode of BCSD is not for everyone. We try lots of different things and take lots of chances. I certainly WANT people tp like it, but I can only try to please myself, in the end. I was just throwing up my hands and having fun messing with the characters, show and formula and pushing the storytelling as far as I could. I didn't want to (jump OVER)the shark. I was having fun finding the biggest shark in the ocean, jabbing it with a stick and jumping RIGHT INTO it's gaping, open jaws. Not to ruin the show, but to take chances and try something new. There are still SO many character stories I want to tell with this iteration of the gang.
Zac and I were just talking about this the other day while we were working on our new show (it's gone be SOOO good). We were, like, "If they didn't care and just planned o burying the show, why even bother to give us notes and force us to change stuff Why not just let us make the show how we wanted? We'd already done 48-50 epiodosdes. Spite? It makes no sense. Eioither way, you guys might hate the or love them - usually people seem to like some parts of episodes, but not others ("I loved the location and the monster, but the Daphne thing got old, but Fred was funny with the thing and the Scooby scene was classics tc"). There's SO much to service in one of these episodes, that it's virtually impossible under the conditions they were made to get everything executed to my satisfaction.
Hope you guys like th new eps!
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Post by jcb on Jul 10, 2017 9:42:16 GMT -5
Sorry,, I can't five out too much info until it's officially announced. There's way too many more season 2 eps to describe. well, it's very interesting to hear about what you originally intended, vs what the studio ended up changing in the episodes. Did this ever happen back in season 1 as well? If you have any questions about any of the aired episodes that I'm allowed to answer, I'd be happy to do so. Also, I see that some of my grumpy rants from this forum have been posted on Reddit and Twitter other places, which probably isn't a good thing. Everything I said was the truth, however.
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Post by jcb on Jul 9, 2017 18:26:57 GMT -5
I didn't like it. There were good moments and the idea was cool but the characters acted off to me. I agree - around the romp chase the way it was rewritten was way off in terms of the characters. There was supposed to be much more subtly and empathy towers Velma, but the gang act like jerks to her. Fred is usually single-minded regarding mysteries, but they lost so much of the Daphne-Velma connection, where she sympathizes nd tries to help her. A lot of character detail was lost, which was a shame. Over all, though, I enjoyed the idea of destroying classic literature and I wish we had the chance of turning other classic books, shows or films into Scooby Doo-type mysteries where the real ghosts or monsters in the original source turn out to be bad guys in masks. The concept still worked well for Scroogey, but the execution got kinda messed up because, as I've mentioned before, even veteran writers who wrote a few episodes for me still struggled to capture the new characters - so non-writers, directors and story boarders working without the guidance of a writer with a complete overview of the characters, not only throughout the series, but their arcs within an episode, have basically no chance of getting it right.
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Post by jcb on Jul 8, 2017 14:31:50 GMT -5
Sorry,, I can't five out too much info until it's officially announced. There's way too many more season 2 eps to describe.
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Post by jcb on Jul 8, 2017 11:48:29 GMT -5
A personal favorite. James Krenske, the director, did a brilliant job. Although a couple of things were changed without consulting me, it got through relatively unscathed and is exactly the kind of character stories we wanted to tell in season2 - ones that really messed with the deep-rooted psychology of the gang. Now that I got you hopes up, please feel free to hate it. That one sounds awesome, good to know it wasn't changed as much as others. Starting with the concept of "What if the Mystery Machine is the monster?" - and with a great director like james, it was hard for even those who took over for Zac to mess it up TOO badly. Hope you enjoy watching Fred lose his s**t.
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Post by jcb on Jul 8, 2017 10:23:09 GMT -5
Ghost in the Mystery Machine airs on the 21st A personal favorite. James Krenske, the director, did a brilliant job. Although a couple of things were changed without consulting me, it got through relatively unscathed and is exactly the kind of character stories we wanted to tell in season2 - ones that really messed with the deep-rooted psychology of the gang. Now that I got you hopes up, please feel free to hate it.
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Post by jcb on Jul 6, 2017 23:26:58 GMT -5
No worries, scoobylover. Not every episode will be to everyone's taste and I'd rather take chances and fail than play it safe. I could see which way the wind was blowing at WB, so I knew I only had season 2 to try all the things I had wanted to try. Also, I really wish I had been in a position to see the execution of each episode all the way through because SO many of the issues people have had have been based on things that were changed after it left my hands, which is extremely frustrating. That said, the basic ideas were mine, so I'll take full blame for what doesn't work. I seriously don't mind criticisms at all. I'm glad you love some of them and I'm always interested in what doesn't work for people, as well. I always enjoy your comments and I'm glad you have strong opinions (*cough*There Wolf*cough*). The fact that ANY of BCSD worked is a miracle, considering the way the production went. So, again, never worry about bothering me with negative opinions. In fact, thank you so much for even watching. I appreciate it. JCB, I have a question, from the way these two new episodes sound, they don't seem to have any ghosts or monsters in them. Is this the case? They both sound like more character focused episodes "Goth" has a real monster and takes place in a classic Scooby environment. That said, ALL BCSD episodes are mostly character-driven stories where the gang has personal stakes in the outcome of the mystery. It's a Shaggy-based character and after you guys see it, I will explain what my problem was with how they executed it and why it no longer works for me at all - when it was working perfectly on the page before it was changed. Omelets is a very different kind of episode. There IS a "monster," but he's more more of a phantom-type monster from the SDMI "Hex Girls" episode, where we know it's a guy in a costume, but he's still scary and threatening and seemingly superhuman. Think Jaws from the Roger Moore Bond films (or other "mister-like Bond henchmen). The gang get caught up in a spy story and must complete a mission for a British spy that gets captured. It's a fun romp episode with world travel and a silly world threat "to end breakfast everywhere." It should have worked and been a lot of fun, but random changes were made to lesson the impact. I still think it's a fun, different episode and it's closer to what I imagined than "Goth,"which lived and died by the Shaggy story, which they ruined.
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Post by jcb on Jul 6, 2017 21:27:18 GMT -5
The hype for a new series was too real. I needed to explode somehow. The pilot did remain one of my favorites. Anyways I was extremely concerned about the Omelette one. That's how that comment generated. Silly is something but bringing it to a children level is just degrading. I haven't seen it yet tho, shouldn't be judging. It's kind of a warning. I might not like it if it turns out how I think it will. Anyways season 2 had some remarkable moments but also the worst episode of the series (*cough*"There Wolf"*cough*) but I'm always excited for new stuff and even after all the criticism you might not believe it but Im pumped for these new episodes as if they were the pilot. The ony problem I had with the show is that looking back at what we had it just doesn't feel like what I expected to have. I'm still very curious though. No worries, scoobylover. Not every episode will be to everyone's taste and I'd rather take chances and fail than play it safe. I could see which way the wind was blowing at WB, so I knew I only had season 2 to try all the things I had wanted to try. Also, I really wish I had been in a position to see the execution of each episode all the way through because SO many of the issues people have had have been based on things that were changed after it left my hands, which is extremely frustrating. That said, the basic ideas were mine, so I'll take full blame for what doesn't work. I seriously don't mind criticisms at all. I'm glad you love some of them and I'm always interested in what doesn't work for people, as well. I always enjoy your comments and I'm glad you have strong opinions (*cough*There Wolf*cough*). The fact that ANY of BCSD worked is a miracle, considering the way the production went. So, again, never worry about bothering me with negative opinions. In fact, thank you so much for even watching. I appreciate it.
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Post by jcb on Jul 6, 2017 18:51:07 GMT -5
They sound terrible. Feel like they're gonna ruin the series. Oh well it was a horribe show anyways.. The Goth episode WAS the best Shaggy story of the series, but was totally destroyed and rewritten when I left, so yeah, that's a shame. "Omelets" is a whole lotta fun (our James Bond episode) and, although they did ill-advisedly change a bunch of things from the original script, it remains an interesting, fun episode that tries something new, which is what second season was all about: taking chances. It won't be for everyone. Either way, sorry we lost you along the way, scoobylover... Post by scoobylover on Oct 6, 2015 at 7:31am okay, since I'm not one of the best critics of the world (since I like EVERYTHING for ex. also Sharknado) I already knew that this review would have been good (even if the episode would have been really really bad). So, so far this is one of the best pilot ,not just of Scooby nor of an animated series neither of a drama series, I've ever seen. I've always been a fan of the animation and in motion it's like so freaking good!!! The writing was just as good as a comedy movie in my opinion, I mean I've never ever laughed so hard as I did for this episode! Jon Colton Barry, you're officially my new idol. The jokes were original and actually really funny and another thing I loved was the music. I knew it would have been good since I've heard a lot from Jake Monaco, but not this good! So, despite the fact that I loved every second of it, my favorite parts were: THE PUPPETS!!! I hope they bring them back for an episode because they were like the true essence of the episode. The Inception kinda thing "My puppet of me's puppet of me has a puppet of me etc." was epic. Shaggy and Scooby saying "Oh yeah cowards.. so now exactly which direction did they run" Fred reading the quote on the statue ("In which case.. we're good" LOL) Jon and his tactics skills Shaggy and Scooby ruining the painting "First step find that ghost", *ghost appears* "Cool, what's our second step?" Velma's puppet: "Only I shall live MUahhahaha" (Still laughing for this one) *They see the ghost* "And it's.. the statue" "Oh, right, gravity.." The whole explication of why Shaggy and Scooby should get on top of the tower, the actors thing (I laughed so hard at this) The vending machine scene That Matrixish thing Velma did with the numbers Fred afraid of widths (YOU'RE A GENIUS) The chase scene "I hurt books" "My me puppet is missing a button" "And I swallowed a button" Puppet fight and friendship thing and Daphne being cute The whole scene on the roof, especially Daphne's sacrifice Scooby's last line! Weeell, it's pretty much the whole episode. Also enjoying a lot Kate Micucci. I already can't imagine the show with Mindy. I'm already used to Kate for this. Also Matthew, Frank and Grey are deserve an Academy Award.. they're too damn good. Can't wait for next episode!
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Review
Jul 6, 2017 14:18:12 GMT -5
Post by jcb on Jul 6, 2017 14:18:12 GMT -5
Probably my favorite episode so far. I thought the whole swap thing with Fred teaching kids to be mystery solvers, while Jeff the tour-guide leads the gang aspects to be quite amusing. I was surprisingly actually thrown-off by what Sobek's real identity was, as well. I figured it out partway through, when I realized that the real culprit would probably be the one who would be trying to convince everyone the ghost is real. That's always a dangerous assumption to make. Sometimes it's the person trying to convince everyone the ghost ISN'T real, so they come off as rational and, in seemingly trying to make others NOT be afraid, is covering their tracks and throwing suspicion off themselves.
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Review
Jul 6, 2017 14:15:17 GMT -5
Post by jcb on Jul 6, 2017 14:15:17 GMT -5
Does Jeff have schizophrenia? I wouldn't give Jeff a serious clinical diagnosis like that. It's more a mixture of being REALLY bad at solving mysteries and being a bit of a whack job (the technical term for his condition).
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Post by jcb on Jul 5, 2017 15:52:10 GMT -5
BTW - our good friend Archaic King at Cartoon Hangout has his new review of "Some Fred Time" on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj_cZZHY3i4&t=6sWhile I cannot legally condone watching episodes "off the gird," as it were, it's just possible Archaic King posted a link to a website that has the season 2 episodes that have aired overseas somewhere buried in the comments section below his video review. If you happen to stumble upon the link and watch most of the first half of season 2 that I have no idea when they'll be available elsewhere, that's between you and your god. Cartoon Hangout has been an amazing supporter of our show since the beginning and the whole BCSD crew really appreciates it - and everyone else who has gone out of their way to spread the word that the show is good (or the it even exists). If you have a moment, check out Archaic King's BCSD reviews and give him some views and likes. You'd have my eternal gratitude. xo JCB
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Post by jcb on Jul 5, 2017 15:28:12 GMT -5
Been lurking for months after having lost password and e-mail access years ago. However I had to say one thing. I feel this Be Cool Scooby Doo series is by far my favorite scooby doo series ever. In fact I'd say my favorite cartoon ever. No cartoon has made me laugh this much ever. My niece, nephew, mom, and I all enjoy it. When my niece had a friend over she laughed hysterically. It's a shame that cartoon network has little idea what they are doing. They treat so many shows like dirt. It's not just scooby they mishandle, they have had several shows on episode delays for months or shown in other countries weeks ahead of us. They constantly seem to make mistakes. They don't have regular schedules like Disney and Nickelodeon with wide variation in content with regular release schedules and it shows in the ratings. The last week of ratings came out and as usual there was no cartoon network show in the top 15. It's because they treat any good writers like JCB like dirt, treat the fanbases like dirt, and anytime they have a good property they either turn it upside down and alienate the fan bases like Teen Titans Go or flood the market so people get sick of it. I miss the cartoon network I grew up on and the boomerang that used to be. JCB thank you for putting on an amazing show working yourself to the bone all while being treated like dirt. Your work shows and if Nickelodeon or Disney have any brains they will hire you and put you in charge with some major work. Personally as a fan of Be Cool Scooby Doo with your sense of timing and humor I'd love to see you get to work on something with more possibilities and less rules as far limitations. I can only dream to see what you could do with a show like Chalk Zone. Thanks for the kind words, CRG. It's obviously very heartwarming to hear someone speak so highly of BCSD. We really did try to make it a fun, funny show that everybody (adults, children, old Scooby fans, new Scooby fans) could enjoy. It seems those who actually gave it a chance got what we were trying to do and that's good enough for me. In the end, I'm very grateful for my BCSD experience and time at WB. I learned a lot. I won't make the same mistakes again and I know now which battles to fight and which to let go. I'm in the middle of creating and developing 3 or 4 new shows which I will be running, myself, personally (and with trusted partners like Zac, Swampy Marsh and Piero Piluso), so it'll be a whole new ball game. I look forward to telling you guys more as things develop.
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