Sorry if there was another topic similar to this but i found this article VERY interesting:
It's a funny coincidence that Chicobo mentioned this in the FFVII development background thread just as I was about to post this thread. Anyway, I've posted it here since it can be a seperate AC discussion compared to an FFVII discussion.
Whilst browsing in a bookstore yesterday, I by chance came across this book. Previously another AC book (Advent Children Prologue) was released with staff interviews and the Nojima novella "On The Way To
A Smile", but this book is meatier, with information about each character, the ideas behind them and comments from their Japanese voice actors, plus a rundown of events from the beginning to the end of the project, plus a story digest with further comments from Nojima, Nomura and others. The striking thing about the book is that it's completely bilingual, everything is written in (correct, 99.999% of the time) English as well as Japanese. That was a major factor in me buying the book.
Anyway, I'm not the biggest fan of AC, but for the purpose of learning more about the project I felt compelled to buy the book. I'd like as much light shed on this project as possible, since it's quite important in the overall Square picture. It's just a pity I think that they will never be able to make a similar book about what truly happened with FFXII, but anyway...
I made this thread to post some interesting comments from the book for people here to read. So, here we go!
「These characters have a lot in store for them in the near future, so it's entirely possible that their story will continue to be written. But if someone like Sephiroth isn't included, it could eventually end up as some kind of realistic drama instead (laughs) - Nojima」
「During the initial development phase, we didn't really have a very specific reason as to why Sephiroth would come back to see Cloud. I
mean, we had a vague reason, but it wasn't very clearly laid out. Various ideas were put on the table, such as having Cloud be the only one who can see Sephiroth, etc. But towards the end, they solidified into the idea that it was actually Jenova's will, not Sephiroth's. - Nojima」
「I made sure his lines would reflect that majestic sense of beauty. His words were so profound, that they were often times beyond understanding. This was done in order to emphasize the fact that his thoughts are on a different level than those of normal human beings (laughs). The only reason we had him appear in this film was for vengeance. To think he was defeated by Cloud, a rookie SOLDIER at the time, made him all the more hell-bent on getting his revenge. Sephiroth is so focused on Cloud that he really doesn't care about what else is going on around him, so the only time his voice has a sense of frustration or
provocation is when he's dealing with Cloud. - Nojima」
「We knew that Cloud had to fight Sephiroth in the end. - Nomura」
「I was planning to put Sephiroth in Advent Children since the beginning of the project. After a little more than two years of development had passed, the second he appeared on screen, the entire atmosphere changed. He just has this sort of overbearing presence on screen, yet at the same time a refined elegance to his character. His voice invokes fear even when speaking normally, and although he's not deliberately trying to be overbearing, he has this tremendous strength. - Nomura」
「Beginning in 2001, FFX and FFX-2 took CG video in innovative directions. Then, in January 2002, a new proposal emerged. Visual Works, the team in charge of CG production, suggested that instead of the usual in-game movie sequences, they should produce an actual feature, or perhaps a short film, based on the game. Initially, some felt that Square could quickly set up a CG video business, by re-editing existing material from the FFX and FFX-2 CG sequences and adding something new. The reality, however, was that CG features require a huge monetary investment that's difficult to recoup. Indeed, the company's first CG movie, 2001's "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within", (directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi) had left behing a host of problems - subpar technology being among them. To make their dream a reality, the creators would have to change the format, and keep the costs to a minimum. These restrictions posed a daunting challenge for the new project - and so the company's long journey began.」
「At first, FFX was suggested as a basis for the story. In the end, though, FFVII emerged as the top candidate. FFVII was an ideal choice for making a game-based movie. The game itself was popular worldwide, and the story left a number of questions unanswered at the end. Thus, the decision was made to create a side story based on FFVII. To begin with, the producer, Yoshinori Kitase, asked scenario writer Kazunari Nojima to develop the plot. A simple screenplay was produced. But then Visual Works found itself busy with other work, and the project was brought to a standstill. - Shinji Hashimoto」
「Nomura says the initial script by Nojima was "just a story about Cloud and Tifa and the kids", and that "it didn't have much action". By contrast, according to Hashimoto, "the company's mission was very simple - we had to make a profit. There were a lot of ideas being discussed - making it just over 20 minutes and showing it on network TV, or including it as a bonus DVD with a game". Then, at the end of 2002, Square and Enix announced their merger. This would prove to be the trigger that got truly the project rolling.」
「On March 13, 2003, with the Square-Enix merger set for Spring, FFX-2, the sequel to FFX, was released. It went on to become a tremendous hit, selling over 2 million copies. The success of FFX-2, which was produced in the wake of the hugely favorable reaction to "The Eternal Calm", provided the impetus for the FF series to expand outward. The FFVII movie sequel project, which had languished for so long, was finally given the official green light. Tetsuya Nomura, a character designer for the FF series and "Kingdom Hearts" creator, was selected to direct. At last the team would finally have a chance to put their new CG techniques to use. By the spring of 2003, production was fully underway.」
「At this point Kitase and Nojima were both on the project. But it still needed a director, so Tetsuya Nomura was brought onto the project. It was Nomura who made the final decision to base the movie on FFVII. It seemed that everybody bought into his plan. - Hashimoto」
「Nomura explains, "Up until now, in-game CG sequences were designed
to make the game world look pretty, with lots of speculars and sparkling screens. But I always felt like they didn't really delve very deep. I wanted to focus more on substance. Yeah, the screens look nice, but I felt like there was room for more depth.」
「After making the bonus hidden movie for Kingdom Hearts : Final Mix,
Nomura was saying how he'd like to do another movie like this, with
lots of battle scenes. And then he said it'd be fun to use FFVII as source material. The rest of us thought the CG we made for FM (Final Mix) was just about the best movie ever created for a game, but Nomura insisted we could do even better if we switched to a different renderer". - Co-Director Takeshi Nozue」
「I don't remember exactly what day it was, but I do remember where I
was sitting. I distinctly remember Kitase coming to me and saying, "This is our project. What do you think?" I wanted to make a CG movie with more action; I wanted to give the visuals more depth. That's why I agreed to direct. So, first I made a list of everything that needed to be done. I made a timeline of the story and just wrote down all the elements of the story from beginning to end as keywords. - Nomura」
「While making the movie, Nomura would first draw rough character
sketches and write keywords and phrases from the story on sheets of
A4-sized paper with a fine-point mechanical pencil. He would even take designs from giant outdoor posters and shrink them down to A4 size. Nomura claimed that he used A4 paper because bigger paper would make it harder to see the overall picture. The phrases he wrote down on the seperate sheets of paper were so comprehensive, in fact, that they would later be used, unchanged, as ad copy for the movie. Nomura's talents aren't limited to just character design; he's also a skilled writer who can
create entire worlds.」
「The first plot was basically just what popped into my head when I first heard about the project. In terms of length, it probably took me a few days or so. The "geostigma" idea actually came from a rejected idea from FFX where Yuna was walking around curing diseases all over the world. I needed a reason for Cloud to fight, so I came up with geostigma as a plot device, so he'd have to protect those weaker than him. The hardest part for me was trying to remember all the original plot elements from FFVII (wry smile). - Nojima」
「The in-game CG movies for FFX were made by a team of about 50 people, and totaled about 30 to 50 minutes altogether. For the movie project, we started with about 20 people. Toward the beginning, we thought that ought to be enough to make something. But it kept getting longer and longer... (laughs) A couple of Nomura's notes really left a
strong impression: "don't tell too much story" and "make it intellectual". Oh, and "the battle should be like nothing anybody's ever seen". - Nozue」
「Initially, not much explanation was given for Kadaj's actions. He was just...irrationally violent, you know? (laughs) That was partially because he was a very young character, in his teens. Later on, we decided that he should have a more definitive reasoning for his actions, so we came up with the backstory of the fight for Jenova's head. This made a lot more sense, otherwise he would have just been nothing more than a violent youth. - Nojima」
[Each of these 3 men represent an aspect of Sephiroth's character. Loz has his outer masculinity, Yazoo has an alluring appeal, and Kadaj portrays Sephiroth's cruel side. - Nomura]
[Loz is a sytlized manifestation of Sephiroth's violent streak. I hate to put it like this, but he's all brawn and no brains (laughs). A lot of the things he says in the film are pretty silly. - Nomura]
[He only says things like "Wanna play?" and "Where's Mother?" throughout the entire film. To but it bluntly, Loz is a big kid. When he rides his motorbike down the cliff he makes a noise with his mouth like, "Vroom!VROOM!" I got the idea for "Wanna play?" from my own boy who says it to me day after day (laughs). I made Loz a character with a little something missing upstairs, and patterned the three characters after stereotypical trios of villains that appear in Japanese stories. - Nojima]
There's a ton more I could post but I don't have the time right now. Anyway, it's easy to see the motivation for the film here, and why they took the direction they did. I think they key parts are these:
"if someone like Sephiroth isn't included, it could
eventually end up as some kind of realistic drama instead"
"Nomura says the initial script by Nojima was "just a story about
Cloud and Tifa and the kids", and that "it didn't have much action". By contrast, according to Hashimoto, "the company's mission was very simple - we had to make a profit."
"After making the bonus hidden movie for Kingdom Hearts : Final Mix,
Nomura was saying how he'd like to do another movie like this, with
lots of battle scenes."
"A couple of Nomura's notes really left a strong impression: "don't tell too much story" and "make it intellectual". Oh, and "the battle should be like nothing anybody's ever seen"."
They needed to make a profit, so it had to be action based and exciting, and it had to be made around a bankable idea, which FFVII was. Nomura seems to have been chosen as director because he would provide that. But to me at least, a lot of the ideas for the story don't seem very well thought out - the origins of the three villains is never addressed, geostigma came from an idea for FFX and I don't think it was adequately addressed how it fit into the FFVII world. Why does Jenova's head remain - it was just made as a plot device for justifying the villains who themselves aren't really explained and are patterned on stereotypes.
The production seems to have gone through a lot of chopping and changing, with new ideas being added to the story all the time, which I think gives it its uncohesive feel.
There is a lot of nice stuff in the book which makes me happy, the thoughts of the voice actors etc., but I really don't think it was thought out well enough.
The book has comments from the music arrangers for every piece of music in the game as well, short comments, but comments none the less. There's too much to write, I'll just have to choose a place to start!
[At the end of Final Fantasy VII Cloud was more of a positive, upbeat character than he had been at the beginning, but I didn't think that "upbeat" image of him is what stuck in the minds of the fans. We decided to go with a more familiar image that was consistent with the fan's view of him. The script was written to explain why he's returned to that kind of solemn mentality. - Nomura]
[As long as Cloud blames himself for Aerith's death, he won't be able to move on with his life. One of the first ideas we had for Advent Children was to have Cloud overcome and resolve that immense feeling of guilt. For Cloud, no one other than Aerith can solve that problem for him. I tried to create an atmosphere in which she still seems to be by his side - in spirit at least. - Nojima]
[Zack sacrificed his life so that Cloud could live on. That's how Cloud thinks of him, and his line "I said I'd live out both our lives", is symbolic in that it serves as a motivating force for him to carry on living after Zack's death. At one point I thought it would have been nice to have Zack appear a little earlier in the film and get mad at Cloud for being so depressed. - Nojima][When writing the script, I was asked to give Cloud a solemn, withdrawn personality, and to give him a cell phone which would become a significant item in the film. I thought it would be interesting if we showed him with this phone, but never bothering to answer any calls, to sort of establish his withdrawn personality. It was then that I realized I could really run with this idea. At the very beginning, I had this scene in mind where Cloud's cell phone is sinking in water, and a huge backlog of messages have accumulated, in order to show that he never answers the phone. As the cell phone sinks deeper underwater, we find that among all the messages that he's ignored, the last is from Aerith. But that sounded too creepy, so I decided to make it a bit different (laughs). - Nojima][I did the voice of Cloud for Kingdom Hearts, and at first I didn't realize it was Cloud from Final Fantasy VII, so I was really surprised to find that out when I went to the studio. I'm a big Final Fantasy fan, and I've played through every one of them since the first one. Final Fantasy VII has always been my favourite of the series. It had quite an impact on me back then, and although I cleared it, I felt strange somehow, almost as though I still hadn't finished it. Cloud is a cool character, but not as cold as my original impressions led me to believe. He ended up being much more sentimental than I'd imagined. I could really feel his humanity from this sort of indecisiveness he has, along with the way he gives subtle hints of his frailties, but also chooses to hide them at times. Unlike your generic hero, Cloud conveyed a sense of realness, a warmth that I think was a fresh approach. - Takahiro Sakurai (Cloud's VA)][The first recording I did for this project was used for a trailer shown at the Tokyo Game Show 2003. it was only four lines, like "I want to be forgiven", but it took me over an hour and a half just to get through them (laughs)! - Sakurai]
[No matter what the odds, Cloud won't be shaken. Those are the directions I was given for this part. Making slight modifications to capture the right tone really took its toll on me. - Sakurai]
[The exchanges he has with Tifa can be pretty painful. She has some sharp words for Cloud, and since I'm doing his voice, both Cloud and I feel pretty deflated after getting lectured (laughs). Cloud makes things complicated for himself and holds a lot in, while Tifa tells it like it is, always right on the mark with her comments. But Cloud's not very good at dealing with that sort of straight talk. I guess that's why Yuffie calls him "a royal pain in the ass", (laughs). - Sakurai][My initial impression of Cloud was a bit different than what I learned about him after playing the part. I realized he was softer than I'd originally thought (laughs). But that's meant in a good way, because I was able to sympathize with him, and even felt a sort of bond with him. After Cloud was told "Which is it? A memory, or us?" by Tifa, he tells Sephiroth, "Stay where you belong. In my memories", just before he defeats him. I think Cloud finally becomes free at this moment. Deep down, Cloud knew that he shouldn't be so hard on himself, but at the same time he couldn't let go of those feelings of guilt for what happened to Aerith and Zack, or the thought that he could never forgive himself for it. But then his companions made him feel better by telling him to let it go. - Sakurai]
This is the kind of stuff from the book that I like, and there's a very good reason for that. There's no doubt that a lot of the plot elements in AC are not very well thought out or presented, but these character based thoughts are right up my alley in terms of discussing whether this kind of sequel should have been made or not, whether it's justifiable or not.
Nomura said that the image of Cloud that remained with fans was not of an upbeat one. I can't help but find that conclusion self-serving in order to make AC as it was eventually made. In the end of the original game, at the conclusion, I got a sense that something was resolved within Cloud. The Zack element was never closely examined in the game, and it's possible that he could once again become melancholy, but part of me feels that in fact his character would not do that, and that it was only presented that way for the sake of this product - that it would be like making an FFVIII movie and having Squall become an insecure pratt again.
But that kind of character, particularly in the form of Cloud, IS interesting, so I'm conflicted. I like the idea of the cell phone with the backlog of messages (though I wonder if DoCoMo had anything to do with that idea being suggested, or if they came afterwards), since cell phones are such a huge part of the society here, really (*_*).
Frequently in this book though, the voice actor comments are the most interesting, as they were the ones who had to embody the characters, their feelings and qualities. They didn't make the characters as such, but since I think the creators intentions and work is questionable, the voice actors present a kind of unrelated purity, and their thoughts are refreshing to read - it makes me feel better knowing that people like that could get something from the film, even if I think it was botched.
[Tifa was a very difficult character to create. Like Aerith, she also has a maternal side to her, but in a different sense. Not only was she looking after Marlene and Denzel, but she also felt a certain maternal bond to Cloud, who is a "big kid" himself in some respects. Yet despite this, she continues working as the manager of Seventh Heaven without a complaint. - Nomura]
[Tifa's been with Cloud for a large part of her life at this point, but she still doesn't understand some of the complexities of his heart, and this makes her uneasy. Nonetheless, she keeps these feelings to herself for the sake of the children. - Nojima]
[Although there's a lot to Tifa's character, she's actually very much like any other woman who's been left behind by a man. The director, Nomura, said he wanted me to make sure she wasn't a clingy woman, but to portray her as though she's been hurt emotionally in a way that others around her cannot easily detect. But Tifa has expressed her feelings plainly to Cloud a number of times. - Nojima]
[Tifa is a strong woman. She doesn't like what Cloud is doing, but instead of lecturing him about every little thing, she's been waiting for him to realize for himself what his actions are doing. She's remarkably strong, not only emotionally, but physically as well. I think that using words to help lead Cloud to his own conclusions, instead of constant lecture, is a defining quality of Tifa's personality. - Nomura]
[Considering Tifa's background, and all she's been through up to this point, she is carrying a huge burden herself. But in this film you don't get a clear look of what's actually going on inside Tifa's head. There's only one scene where she opens up and tells Cloud what's going on from her heart. After that scene we actually had a part where she feels a little guilty about unloading on Cloud like that, but we decided to take that out of the final cut. That scene will appear in the Special Edition though. It was done as though she knew it had to be said, but at the same time she felt bad about having to be so blunt with him. - Nojima]
Generally I think I'll only type in character or story related stuff, because that's the kind of guy I am. There are a whole lot of comments on the graphical side of things - making the character models etc., but whilst I'm happy to read that stuff, I couldn't really be bothered transcribing it. Anyway...
[All the jobs I've had before this involved acting with my entire being, eyes, mouth, hands, legs, everything. It was really hard for me to make a transition from that to acting with only my voice. But I was able to get through my first job as a voice actor without compromise, and I'm really happy about that. This film teaches you not to hold a grudge against someone forever, or to think of yourself as some sort of tragic martyr figure. It's all about facing your problems and overcoming them. I think that's really important, and I hope a lot of people are able to get that out of it. I'm really thankful for being able to take part in this project. - Ayumi Ito (Tifa's VA)][I feel like I've broadened my horizons as an actress now that I've done voice acting, since all my roles before that involved screen acting. I've learned the power of someone's voice through this project, and also developed a new appreciation for the value of speech and voice. - Ito]
[Tifa rarely opens up to show her weaknesses to others - although she does have some. In a sense she's like a young girl, but she'll do anything to protect those who are close to her. - Ito]
[I've really liked watching Ms. Ito as an actress. Watching the movies that she's been in convinced me she's a fine actress, of course, and she really gets into her roles with an earnestness that comes across convincingly. So I'd always thought that if the opportunity presented itself, I would like to work with her on a project. We already had Maaya Sakamoto for the role of Aerith, and I thought Ms. Ito would be a great contrast with her husky voice for Tifa, so I asked her to take on the role. - Nomura]
Before I transcribe anything more, again I'd like to say I like the thought behind the characters respective natures, and it's nice to see how the voice actors felt. When I read about the characters personalities, thoughts, feelings, motivations, that interests me and it is there that I can see possibilities for a movie sequel to the game. I still feel it's a pity that AC took the form it did. I really like Tifa's character, always did. Not to open up a can of worms here with a Tifa / Aerith debate, because I don't want the thread to become that, but I like the idea of Tifa and Cloud being childhood friends, their lives splitting apart for a while, meeting again, having traumatic experiences together. It's the kind of concept you can apply to real life, theirs is a well worn relationship, more filled out than Cloud and Aerith's. Aerith is like that one perfect girl you meet, but in a blink of the eye she can be gone - Tifa's the one that hangs around forever, and is maybe the one you should have been with all along.
[If I could sum up Aerith in one word it would be "innocence". Her presence alone gives off a special beauty. She's presented in this movie as Cloud remembers her, and her spirit is still with him - talking to him throughout the film. Each of her lines was very profound, and delivering them just right wasn't an easy task, but I made sure to do it carefully. One of the scenes that stands out in my mind is when everyone is hoisting Cloud further and further into the air. At the end, Aerith extends her hand and says, "Ready?" to Cloud. I had a hard time getting the right nuance for that line. - Maaya Sakamoto (Aerith's VA)]
[Sakamoto practically nailed every line on the first take. Regardless of how difficult the lines were, she delivered them extremely well. Nojima was so impressed he was trembling with joy (laughs). - Nomura]
Even with that last point, although it's completely unrelated, I can draw a comparison with Aerith and Tifa through their voice actors. Sakamoto almost nailed every line first go, but Ayumi Ito said they did a retake for every scene when they were recording her voice for Tifa. Of course, Tifa had a lot more scenes and lines than Aerith, but you could compare it to the two characters themselves - Tifa goes through the rough up and downs, not everything is perfect, where as Aerith just turns up like an angel, and then dissapears.
[Marlene looks up to Tifa and has practically grown up under her wing, so she has a good head on her shoulders, despite her young age. Personality-wise, she's practically a mini version of Tifa, but on the other hand she bears a physical resemblance to Aerith. Towards the end of FFVII, Marlene hears Aerith's voice, and this time around she can feel Aerith's presence. She essentially has taken on elements of both Aerith and Tifa. Ms. Tsudurahara, a child voice actor, tried out for Marlene's role and really shone during her audition. She delivered the speaking part and narration exactly how we had imagined them to be. - Nomura]
[One of the first phrases I jotted down was 'narration from a young girl'. Right from the beginning I had this idea of opening the movie with a story narrated by a little girl. I was imagining her speaking about something quite complicated, maybe stumbling over some of the words. - Nomura]
[I went to the audition during the summer of my third year in grade school. My dad is a big fan of FFVII, so he was even happier than I was when I got the part (laughs). Marlene is a very strong-minded character, but I tend to space out a lot myself. At first I wasn't really sure about how to act so strong and level-headed like Marlene, but I decided to speak in a more reserved manner like an adult and articulate my words clearly. The hardest part was doing those long lines at the beginning of the movie. I tried to sound more grown-up for that part, as compared to the other lines. I'd keep running out of breath during the long lines, so I decided to take a deep breath and then say them. The story was hard for me to follow, but I think it was really fun to watch. I was surprised at how real the characters looked - almost like real people were walking around on the screen. One of my favourite scenes is when Cloud is fighting with Sephiroth, because it looks really cool. I think calling me a 'voice acting prodigy' is overdoing it! I was really nervous when I heard my voice at the Japanese premiere. I'd definitely like to work primarily as a voice actor in the future! - Miyu Tsudurahara (Marlene's VA)]
"The story was hard for me to follow, but I think it was really fun to watch. I was surprised at how real the characters looked - almost like real people were walking around on the screen. One of my favourite scenes is when Cloud is fighting with Sephiroth, because it looks really cool"
I'm figuring this is what most kids will get from it. I'm glad Tifa's voice actor could see the messages in it - to refresh your memory:
"This film teaches you not to hold a grudge against someone forever, or to think of yourself as some sort of tragic martyr figure. It's all about facing your problems and overcoming them. I think that's really important, and I hope a lot of people are able to get that out of it"
but reading Marlene's voice actor's comments, I feel a distinction between now and my youth. Maybe when I was younger, I could have more freely and indiscriminantly taken the messages Ms. Ito speaks of, and incorporated them into my life, but now, though I can recognise those messages and do value them, I have come to more closely think about and evaluate things like story and appropriateness. Which I guess is why I don't really like it when I see people in their 20s raving about it indiscriminantly, but I don't mind it, just I can't do that.
well, maybe is not something new, anyways...there a lot of things that i like and dislike.
well, any comments? sorry if this post existed.. :(