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00:00:00Hello, Dimension 20 family, and welcome back to another crew edition of Adventuring Party.
00:00:05I am your humble director, Michael Schaubach, and with me today, we have our behind-the-scenes
00:00:10intrepid heroes.
00:00:11Say hi, behind-the-scenes intrepid heroes.
00:00:14Hi, behind-the-scenes intrepid heroes.
00:00:19With Ryder, let's be local.
00:00:23This is my little whistle.
00:00:25This is my little muster whistle.
00:00:26Is that cleared?
00:00:27It is cleared by Timu.
00:00:29Timu, Timu, the products still make good things.
00:00:34Windriders, roll call.
00:00:35Let's start over here again with Rick Perry.
00:00:38Howdy, I'm Rick Perry.
00:00:39I am the creative producer and production designer for the season of Dimension 20.
00:00:44I agree.
00:00:45Checks out.
00:00:46Checks out.
00:00:47Next.
00:00:47Hi, I'm Skye Smith.
00:00:49I'm the lore keeper here at Dimension 20.
00:00:51Yes.
00:00:52Hi, I'm Derek Christensen.
00:00:53I'm the director of photography of the season of Dimension 20, as well as the co-designer
00:00:57of the projections.
00:00:58Heck yeah.
00:00:59Hello, I'm John Wolfe.
00:01:00I'm the producer of Dimension 20, Cloudward Ho, season one.
00:01:04Hi, I'm Carlos Luna.
00:01:05I am the series producer and co-executive producer of Dimension 20.
00:01:09Hmm.
00:01:11Hi, I'm Denise Valentine.
00:01:13This is Ladarius Rene Valentine.
00:01:15And I am the head of makeup and hair for Dimension 20.
00:01:20Yes.
00:01:21Okay, so what we have here in the board is actually the art from episode 19, because we just shot
00:01:27episode 19.
00:01:28And what is very interesting, and I was thinking about this this morning, is that we kind of
00:01:31have our own little time thing going on here in that the people watching this right now, which is much into the future, they know what happened in episode 20, but we don't here at the table.
00:01:43Oh, yeah.
00:01:44Time is before.
00:01:44You can't do any more time.
00:01:46You can't do any more time.
00:01:46A crumple in time.
00:01:49A crumple in time.
00:01:49We know something right now that the audience doesn't know,
00:01:54which is this season in the name of it
00:01:56and the first 19 episodes right now
00:01:59in the time that we're shooting this.
00:02:00But in the time that they're watching this,
00:02:02they know more than us now,
00:02:06but we know as much as they know then.
00:02:08Wow, my whole nose bleeding out, eyes bleeding, Siobhan.
00:02:12And on that note, we begin our journey.
00:02:15Here we are on the Zephyr.
00:02:18We're all new, we've killed the previous people on the Zephyr.
00:02:22We've taken it over.
00:02:23Timo!
00:02:24Timo Brennan-Levold.
00:02:26Timo Brennan-Levold!
00:02:28Why not?
00:02:29Such an honor.
00:02:29Thank you so much.
00:02:31You're all on the Zephyr,
00:02:32and we're all in Comfrey McCloud's office.
00:02:36And before you, you see Comfrey McCloud's desk.
00:02:41Could you all roll an investigation check for me?
00:02:45I'm looking for a DC 15.
00:02:48I have an 18, and I actually add 17 to this.
00:02:51Okay, so 35.
00:02:53I got a 14.
00:02:5414.
00:02:55I got an 11, probably minus two.
00:02:57Okay, minus two.
00:02:5818 on the die.
00:02:59Okay, very good.
00:03:00I think I got a 15.
00:03:01Yeah, same as these.
00:03:0215.
00:03:02Wait, Ladarius has to roll, Ladarius has to roll.
00:03:05So whoever passed that, you look at Comfrey's, oh yeah, Ladarius.
00:03:09You got a five.
00:03:10Got a five.
00:03:11Shit.
00:03:12Let's do.
00:03:13You look at, we're gonna get to that.
00:03:15Be cool.
00:03:16Look at Comfrey's desk, and you see all the funny little widgets, and all the cool radios,
00:03:22all the things, there's one little rivet that just looks like it's been loved a little bit
00:03:29more.
00:03:30You got the 15.
00:03:31Meet it or beat it.
00:03:32Rick Perry, you notice the rivet, and so do you, Sky, with the 35.
00:03:35I got a 35.
00:03:36You notice this little rivet over here that's just a little shinier than the others.
00:03:41Do you want to go ahead and press that?
00:03:42I absolutely want to.
00:03:43Thank you so much.
00:03:44Oh my God.
00:03:45It opens up secret compartments.
00:03:47Can you please pull out what's in those secret compartments?
00:03:50Shut the fuck up.
00:03:51Shut the fuck up.
00:03:52Shut the fuck up.
00:03:53Shut the fuck up.
00:03:54It's so much excitement.
00:03:55Inside you find letters.
00:03:57Yes.
00:03:58We get paid for this?
00:04:00Handwritten names by Caroline, one of our amazing PAs, who has amazing handwriting
00:04:06show the handwriting.
00:04:07Inside...
00:04:08Caroline, we're having a handwriting also.
00:04:10So there's two things inside.
00:04:11The first is a thank you card that I wanted to give you all for the last day of shooting.
00:04:15So thank you so much.
00:04:16You do not have to read those on camera if you don't want to.
00:04:18Those are for you.
00:04:19But I wanted to also deliver to you, you all got rumors about somebody at the table.
00:04:24Mine is 100% true though.
00:04:28They're all true rumors this time.
00:04:31So who would like to read their rumor first?
00:04:37I do want to read my note.
00:04:38Denise.
00:04:39Denise.
00:04:40You're a menace.
00:04:41You want to read your note.
00:04:42You're a menace.
00:04:43You're a menace.
00:04:44Ed?
00:04:45No.
00:04:46A menace of goodness.
00:04:47That's not what it says.
00:04:48I'll read my rumor.
00:04:49Okay.
00:04:50Go ahead.
00:04:51Rumor has it.
00:04:52Skye Smith.
00:04:53I knew it.
00:04:54This is the first Intrepid Heroes season that you've worked on that has been a brand new
00:05:00world.
00:05:01What's it like lore keeping a brand new world for the Intrepid Heroes?
00:05:04Thank you so much for asking.
00:05:07That is all false.
00:05:09No, I'm just kidding.
00:05:11It's not false.
00:05:12It's very true.
00:05:13By the way, I double checked with Skye.
00:05:15And actually, I'm not.
00:05:16And you'll never know my real name.
00:05:17Skye has done, you have done New Worlds before.
00:05:19I have done New Worlds.
00:05:20But not for Intrepid Heroes.
00:05:22And I have done Intrepid Heroes seasons.
00:05:23But I've not done a new world for an Intrepid Heroes season.
00:05:26Which is, most functionally, I think the difference is that it's 20 episodes.
00:05:33So the lore is a lot more in depth than a shorter season.
00:05:36And also, the Intrepid Heroes have been doing this longer than I have.
00:05:40Longer than I've been born.
00:05:41I'm only seven years old.
00:05:42So, when it comes to getting...
00:05:45Cut that out.
00:05:46That's really...
00:05:47Wildly illegal.
00:05:48We're actually breaking all sorts of fire.
00:05:49Keep it in.
00:05:50Just bleep when they say what...
00:05:53All 80 are it.
00:05:5439.
00:05:55There you go.
00:05:56I'm 39 years old.
00:05:57And the Intrepid Heroes have been doing this for 50 years.
00:05:59And so they not only absolutely know what they're doing, but they know how to dive
00:06:05into lore and how to pick up the threads that Brennan sort of leaves dangling.
00:06:09And so when we're looking at making lore for this season, it has to be comprehensive.
00:06:15All of it comes from Brennan.
00:06:17We got sort of a massive lore doc that was more pages than I am old.
00:06:24And that might be true.
00:06:2739 pages.
00:06:2830, 40 pages.
00:06:29More than seven pages.
00:06:30More than seven pages.
00:06:32And from there, we're diving in.
00:06:35We're deciding what we're keeping.
00:06:38What is...
00:06:39We're maybe letting go.
00:06:40But more than that, it's more like, what are we going to have on camera?
00:06:43What are we going to get to bring to the table?
00:06:45What is only going to live in our heads off camera?
00:06:48And then it's a really long development process of meetings and lots of, like, round tables
00:06:55and rooms where we're sitting around.
00:06:56We're pitching things.
00:06:58And then I make an air table.
00:07:00I make our lore base, which is...
00:07:03I call it a spreadsheet on steroids.
00:07:05It's basically about 17 spreadsheets all linked together with formulas and functions.
00:07:10And I put in as much information as I can ahead of time.
00:07:14Because once we get to the table, once we get filming, I have to put everything in in real time.
00:07:19And if you've ever watched this show before, you know how fast...
00:07:22I hope you have.
00:07:23I hope you have.
00:07:24This would be a weird way to introduce you to Dimension 20.
00:07:27If you are my family and this is the only episode you're watching...
00:07:30Your family watches this?
00:07:31No.
00:07:32Okay, yeah.
00:07:33Watches this.
00:07:34Oh yeah, this one.
00:07:35They watch this when I go home and put it on and make them sit down and watch it.
00:07:39What you may not know or what you do know if you have watched the show is Brennan talks fast.
00:07:43And the intrepid hero's brains work fast.
00:07:45And so they say things and then I'm typing and within five seconds we've moved on to a new thing.
00:07:50And I've got to catch that new thing.
00:07:52So as much information as we can have ahead of possible is huge for me personally.
00:07:57But also, it's all improv.
00:07:59It's all improv.
00:08:00It's all the roll of the dice.
00:08:01So we are limited in what that looks like.
00:08:03How do you decide or how do you decide...
00:08:05How do you decide what's canon?
00:08:07Like there's so many bits, right?
00:08:09Yes.
00:08:10Like so Wheelwell is out here saying whatever pops into his head.
00:08:13Some of it, it does become canon.
00:08:15Yeah.
00:08:16But some of it is like waved away as a bit at the table.
00:08:18How do you...
00:08:19I mean funny always wins out.
00:08:20Funny always wins.
00:08:21And then I feel like if they say it more than once...
00:08:24Yes.
00:08:25Brennan I think said this in the last AP where he was like once you say it eight times it's true.
00:08:28And it doesn't actually have to be eight.
00:08:29It just has to be like either they say it a lot or sometimes it's they say it once it's really funny and someone puts it into the story a little bit.
00:08:39And even if it's something we can cut around as long as it's not contradicting the story, why not?
00:08:44Why not have a little bit of fun with it?
00:08:45Why not make Wheelwell absolutely crazy?
00:08:47Why not make Baby have a studio album?
00:08:49Yeah.
00:08:50And as far as stuff that we decide beforehand or pause it beforehand, Carlos has told me until it's on camera, it's not canon.
00:09:03So that's so we have all sorts of stuff that's not technically canon, but is tracked.
00:09:07And then once it makes it on, we have that info ready to go.
00:09:10And you will never see it.
00:09:12Never.
00:09:13You will never speak of it.
00:09:14You will never know about it, no matter how much you ask.
00:09:17I actually have a question to the point of that.
00:09:21I would love to hear because I have found on our side that, you know, with a season that has an established world like Junior Year or Starstruck, which come with us really rich, that that actually is more challenging than something from scratch.
00:09:40Because you have to, first you have to know the body of what came before and then you have to like kind of be checking what's coming in against that.
00:09:49Do you find that to be true?
00:09:50Yeah, it's definitely, there's a bit of a freedom with a brand new season where like if someone says something that maybe wasn't supposed to be canon, we can decide it is and we're good to go.
00:10:00And that's great.
00:10:01With Fantasy High, with any like previous seasons, Miss Mag, it is at least for an Intrepid Heroes season, that's 40 hours of watches that to get all of that info plus the time it takes to write down that information.
00:10:14But then also in the dome, I've got to make sure that I'm living in that world to make sure we catch those things as we come because we film these oftentimes years apart.
00:10:24And so, and we film so many of them, like it's, it would be crazy to expect anyone to know all of those details. And that's my job.
00:10:33Well, you do a great job doing it.
00:10:35Thank you so much.
00:10:36I would say that maybe you're the number one fan. Like I hate to say that to you all out there, but I think maybe, I don't know if anybody knows this show better than you know this show.
00:10:47Yeah.
00:10:48Just thinking about everything that you know, that's part of your job to know.
00:10:51Yes.
00:10:52You know, I have, I have memories of all of the seasons and they're kind of jumbled and when we're doing a sequel season, because of the work that you do,
00:11:02I'm brought up to speed of it all, but just the specifics of it all of the 20, whatever seasons we've done, there's no way that I could possibly, and you, you have it so structured because it's, it's a, it's the work that you do for us.
00:11:15Yes. I will say it does feel different than just like being a fan of the show because it is my job to know.
00:11:20So there's that pressure, which I think is why I'm so good at it.
00:11:23If it was just like, like I have things that I'm big fans of and that I know a lot about, but there's not that pressure to get it right every time.
00:11:32Like it can be wrong and there's not that possibility with this job and what I do.
00:11:36So it really is like, I think it's easy to look at the work that all of us do, but specifically in my job and be like, oh, well, anyone can know a lot about the show, but it's not about that.
00:11:46It's about knowing how to find it and knowing how to keep it and knowing for a fact that it's 100% accurate.
00:11:54Every part of the show has to be like someone else's favorite part of the show.
00:12:00Yeah. So like, that's what I think is really hard about being the lore keeper.
00:12:03It's just like, oh, well this really matters to me sky, right? Like this really matters to me.
00:12:08But then like, I know I have to be right on this, this, this, and this, because that will be someone else's favorite thing on the show.
00:12:14And this will be someone's favorite thing about the show.
00:12:16And it's like, sometimes you go in like fan spaces and they're like only talking about this thing, or maybe this thing, like,
00:12:23you might have gotten a different interpretation of it because you were there and like, you still have to treat it with the care.
00:12:32Like it's the biggest thing. Like every single part of this show is someone's favorite part of the show.
00:12:37Yeah. Yeah. It's great.
00:12:39Thank you for everything that you do. Do you want to read the rumor that, that you have?
00:12:45Oh, what, what is happening?
00:12:48Oh, we get snatched too!
00:12:51Yeah.
00:12:53What is this?
00:12:54Is this aioli?
00:12:55I can't, who did this?
00:12:57Oh.
00:12:58This is really too much.
00:12:59Whoa, give it up for Caroline who brought in the aioli and our other production staff.
00:13:03Look at this face.
00:13:04We have back there Mandela and Nico as well.
00:13:06And then we have Pablo, our coordinator, everybody behind the scenes that's working to bring all this fun stuff out.
00:13:10Thank you so much.
00:13:11That was so good.
00:13:12I'm not mistaken.
00:13:13This looks like aioli cereal from Chef Bert.
00:13:16We have our aioli and our Parmesan puffs.
00:13:18Thank you Bert.
00:13:19Wow.
00:13:20I can't believe Bert died in the last.
00:13:23I know.
00:13:24It's crazy.
00:13:25We cut that, we cut that, we cut that.
00:13:26We cut that?
00:13:27Oh man.
00:13:28Okay, Sky, read the thing.
00:13:29Rumor has it, Carlos Luna is a real Sky Pirate.
00:13:33Excuse me?
00:13:35I can confirm that, that's true.
00:13:36Okay.
00:13:37First, what's your Sky Pirate name?
00:13:39And then tell us about the initial ideation and creation of the season.
00:13:42Why Steampunk?
00:13:44Sky Pirate name.
00:13:45What would be a cool name?
00:13:47I heard that too.
00:13:48Did you?
00:13:49Yeah, I heard that you're Sky Pirate.
00:13:51No, it's true.
00:13:52And that you have a Sky Pirate name.
00:13:53Yeah, Sky Pirate name, El Toro Guapo.
00:13:55Oh!
00:13:56And what was the other thing?
00:13:59The ideation of the...
00:14:00What do you do?
00:14:01The thing about the show?
00:14:02The thing that you do.
00:14:03Oh, the thing that I do?
00:14:04Like how did it come about?
00:14:05How did this season come about?
00:14:06Initial ideation and creation of the season.
00:14:08Why Steampunk?
00:14:10Yeah, I think it was more adventure.
00:14:13It was more pulp adventure than Steampunk.
00:14:16Like a big influence Steampunk, obviously.
00:14:18But I think in the initial conversations,
00:14:21he really wanted to do like a big world.
00:14:25Like, God, what was the original name?
00:14:27It was like...
00:14:28Journey.
00:14:29Journey to the top of the horizon at the end of the world.
00:14:33Journey to the far side of the horizon at the end of the world.
00:14:36All of my documents are still just called Journey.
00:14:38Journey!
00:14:39Mine is also called Journey.
00:14:40I was like, I'm not writing all that.
00:14:42Yeah, I think he really like...
00:14:44We were having conversations about a bunch of stuff.
00:14:46Like, do we do Star Struck 2?
00:14:48Or do we do, you know, a new world?
00:14:51Don't get excited.
00:14:52Don't!
00:14:53Don't!
00:14:54Don't!
00:14:55Don't!
00:14:56It's never gonna happen.
00:14:57No, don't!
00:14:58I mean, it might.
00:14:59I don't know.
00:15:00Just don't!
00:15:01Elaine put a cease and desist.
00:15:02I'm sorry.
00:15:03Oh, God!
00:15:04Elaine put a cease and desist because Carlos showed up at her house.
00:15:07It was like a whole thing.
00:15:08On Thanksgiving!
00:15:09But yeah, I think he was really excited.
00:15:11Like, he kept coming back to this, like, adventure.
00:15:14Like, Rocketeer, Baron von Munchausen, like...
00:15:18Wizard of Oz.
00:15:19Wizard of Oz.
00:15:20The Mummy.
00:15:21Dinotopia.
00:15:22Dinotopia, I think it was...
00:15:23I took a shot every time we used the word Dinotopia to describe this season
00:15:26and then had to...
00:15:27Never mind.
00:15:28At work?
00:15:29That's not true.
00:15:30And I think it was...
00:15:31Shot of Aeoli.
00:15:32I think Dinotopia was like the nail in the coffin for, like, us moving forward with this.
00:15:36He really loved the idea of, like, so much information.
00:15:41So much information and explorability for it, right?
00:15:46He really...
00:15:47So much of our seasons are planned out in outline of, like, here's where they're gonna meet here,
00:15:53and then they're gonna go there, and they'll have this stuff to do over here.
00:15:56And in this one, he really wanted them to walk around.
00:16:00Really wanted them to discover.
00:16:01And at every turn, it was like, okay, we have tableaus where you can, like, look at stuff.
00:16:05And, you know, we'll have an illustrator on set that's, like, drawing things that he's making up.
00:16:10Yeah.
00:16:11And I think he was, you know, steampunk or the genre was more of a vehicle, so he can...
00:16:18He could deliver that and have that world.
00:16:21And it was great.
00:16:22It was great to, like, be a part of that and how excited he was about it.
00:16:26Like, I mean, this season got, like, rolled up and developed quicker than any other season.
00:16:33And it's one of the most complicated seasons we've ever done.
00:16:36True.
00:16:37Like, by far.
00:16:38I think we had, from, like, the kickoff to, like, the first film date, it was, like, six and a half weeks, I wanna say.
00:16:45But, like, it also...
00:16:47Rick's staring at me.
00:16:48Yeah.
00:16:49Like, do you remember that feeling?
00:16:51Yeah.
00:16:52I've already blocked it out.
00:16:53Yeah.
00:16:54Rick's ulcer medication came in on his date.
00:16:57Yeah.
00:16:58And it was, like, the document came in.
00:17:01He started working on a document where I was like, okay, cool.
00:17:03A document, you know?
00:17:04And he delivered, like, a bigger document than he's ever delivered before.
00:17:07And I remember going through it and we were, like, 16 pages in and I was like, okay, well, when do they get to Zoot?
00:17:16And he's like, like, probably, like, the second episode.
00:17:19And, like, the first 16 pages were just gaffed.
00:17:21And we were like, oh, my God.
00:17:23It was a masterpiece, but it was all stuff that really doesn't, isn't in the show.
00:17:28Yeah.
00:17:29I mean, it's the backstory.
00:17:30It's the richness of how the characters...
00:17:31It mattered to me.
00:17:32It mattered to Brennan.
00:17:33It mattered to the PCs.
00:17:34It mattered to the PCs.
00:17:35It was huge.
00:17:36It was huge.
00:17:37You'll see if you go back and watch, like, Murph says, I didn't expect to get to Zoot in Episode 3.
00:17:42Yes.
00:17:43And I think part of that is how fleshed out Gath was.
00:17:48Yeah.
00:17:49They thought that they were going to live in that for 20 episodes and actually they did it.
00:17:52It was truly a masterpiece, that document.
00:17:54And it's so evocative and inspiring.
00:17:57You know, even though it didn't contain stuff about Zoot, really, it's still just that you knew what the show was just by reading that.
00:18:04You know, it was very important.
00:18:05And, you know, like, it'll get referenced.
00:18:07Like, Denotopia will get referenced and Steampunk and The Mummy and Indiana Jones and, like, all that.
00:18:13But, like, Miyazaki was, like, huge, like, for this season.
00:18:18Like, he kept drilling that home.
00:18:20Like, hopefully you get that when you see this show.
00:18:23I mean, look at these clouds.
00:18:24Like, to me, this just gives that all that, the flavor and flair of a real good adventure film, which is, I think, we accomplished in making.
00:18:34Denise, do you want to read your rumor?
00:18:37Sure.
00:18:38Thank you so much.
00:18:40Him.
00:18:41Rumor has it.
00:18:43Rick Perry has the greatest art team in the world.
00:18:46Rick, is this true?
00:18:47Yes.
00:18:48And let's talk about all of the amazing art.
00:18:51Rick Perry have at it.
00:18:53Well, thank you for that question.
00:18:57That's from Denise.
00:18:58That's a rumor that Denise heard.
00:19:00No, I honestly think that our art team this season, not only was it the biggest that we've ever had, but the best that we've ever had.
00:19:11And we had a lot of challenges, you know, with like, from scheduling being really tight to the scope of what we wanted to do in terms of battle sets of these modular 15 millimeter scale battles in terms of projections, the number of projections and the modularity in the projections, the tableaus, the window of wonder, the stuff in the DM screen.
00:19:40I mean, there just was a lot.
00:19:44The other season?
00:19:45The second season?
00:19:46Aren't we allowed to talk about that?
00:19:48Sorry, that's already out.
00:19:49The Turducken season.
00:19:51Yeah.
00:19:52The Turducken season.
00:19:53Yeah.
00:19:54And I would love to actually just shout out a few people.
00:19:56Yeah, please.
00:19:57I don't need too many people to shout out everybody.
00:19:59But there was some in this moment, I would love to acknowledge some of the kind of key people that sort of at the top of the chain there are projection illustrators led by Kate May.
00:20:11And of course, Derek and Ruby on the design and animation stuff.
00:20:15Dom Marine, Jonah Walker, Simon Roy all on projections.
00:20:20The game dev team.
00:20:22This time we had an incredible group of four game devs, Hannah Rose, Brandis Stoddard, Dan Dillon, and Maisie Veselek, who worked with Brennan and us to just enrich these battles and the way that the players built their characters and just so much cool custom stuff.
00:20:44It was awesome.
00:20:47It added a whole other dimension to it, I think.
00:20:51And our art directors, Alison Gondek and Aaron Bothman and Michael Wilcott, and then also especially Casey McGeorge, who was supervising art director this season, who's now in Australia currently.
00:21:08But but they just like held it together, you know, and and then last but not least is Kelsey Hunter, who's the head of our shop, who is like just a pillar in there and a great leader.
00:21:23And Jesse Heron, who is our lead miniatures painter, who, you know, painted a lot of minis at two scales and just did a great job.
00:21:34And does them with so much like love of the detail that I think it's so cool, like the mural on the hat.
00:21:41And oh, my God.
00:21:42I mean, I can't say enough about the art, the battle sets, the DM screen, the DM screen that that has mechanics in it.
00:21:50I mean, we I kept it out here for a reason so that everybody could revel in just one of the battle sets that that was created for this season and just the amount of work and detail that went into it.
00:22:02I mean, it really is. This is the this is the greatest art team in in all the world as far as I'm concerned.
00:22:08And kudos to Rick Perry for being a leader in that.
00:22:12And it takes great leadership as Rick has had to share some of that responsibility down the line now with, I mean, the number of names you just named of all those people that lead this really is amazing.
00:22:26Thinking about where we came from and where we are today.
00:22:30I walked into the shop and there is a dude with like VR headset on and he was like sculpting in like in like.
00:22:37What? Yeah.
00:22:38Really? Yeah.
00:22:39It's crazy.
00:22:40Are we not doing a bit?
00:22:41No, it's crazy.
00:22:42In the Matrix every time walking in the office.
00:22:44I walked in, I'm like.
00:22:45I mean, we were in a little office off off the side of the original set and now it's this whole workshop that's just so fun to walk into and be a part of its pure, its pure creativity and it starts with you, Rick Perry.
00:23:03So thank you so much for taking this show to the next unbelievable level every single season.
00:23:10I don't know when your brain is going to explode, but I hope it never does.
00:23:13And a lot of people don't know this, like it's the art department and you're making the stuff, but you're also like such a huge part of the world building and like fleshing out the world with Brennan.
00:23:25Like there are questions that you're asking that are not being considered like when it's being written and like in all directions.
00:23:33Right. It's like grass on the ground, but then also like, okay, you're spending so much time making all this art and you're thinking about what the players are thinking. Right.
00:23:45So like a lot of times we'll be in meetings and Rick will be like, well, what are they doing during this time? Or like, will it work better like this? Like a little fun thing that's like that.
00:23:54You know, when we look at the underwater battle and like those tubes and whatever, I was just like, they have to be on the board. Like that was a great idea.
00:24:00Yeah. You know what I mean? And just like that adds an extra layer into like the battle mechanics on some of these. And it's, it's great to be a part of this team a lot of times because like there are things.
00:24:14A lot of times. That's a measured thing to say. That's a responsible, logical things to say.
00:24:24Sometimes I take Carlos in the bathroom and I give them the business. Me and Ladarius. So, I mean, I would, you know.
00:24:30We're keeping that in. We're keeping that in.
00:24:32We're keeping that out.
00:24:33Bathroom?
00:24:34Yes.
00:24:35It's the only way I'll learn.
00:24:37The only way.
00:24:38It's the only way I'll learn.
00:24:39Gotta rough them up.
00:24:40But yeah, there, there is just like, uh, sometimes great ideas have always been there, whether they've been set or not.
00:24:48And Rick says them.
00:24:49Yes.
00:24:50And like, that's what's so good about working on this team of just like, well, we knew it was going to be great, but like, he, he actually says it out loud.
00:24:59That thing that, you know, you need it to make it great.
00:25:02Yeah.
00:25:03Uh, yeah.
00:25:04And the vision and design of it, like.
00:25:06Yeah.
00:25:07Things that we'll throw around in meetings and someone will be like, yeah, you know what would be cool? Giant mechanical crow.
00:25:13Yeah.
00:25:14And I'll be sitting there on my computer taking my notes and I'll be like, we can't do that.
00:25:17Yeah.
00:25:18And then we get to set.
00:25:19Yeah, it's here.
00:25:20And not only is it possible, it's cool as hell.
00:25:22Yeah.
00:25:23And he's thought of the other parts of it.
00:25:25Cause it's like mechanical crow, but it also, it's like, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do.
00:25:29Yeah.
00:25:30It like starts to like, okay.
00:25:31It's got a head that attaches.
00:25:32And it's like, what are the wings made out of?
00:25:34Exactly.
00:25:35That's a lot of work.
00:25:36I don't even want to think about it.
00:25:37Someone else should have to think about that.
00:25:40To the art team.
00:25:42Oh, thank you.
00:25:43That's very nice.
00:25:44For bringing all this amazing world to life.
00:25:47And I think it adds to the immersion for not only the audience at home, but also the players that play it.
00:25:51I think they really appreciate it.
00:25:53And this season in particular, Carlos, you touched on it, but on this season in particular, we really worked on trying not to railroad the story, really trying to give them an open world and letting the PCs decide their journey in this world.
00:26:07And that is a huge order for the art team because you had to be responsive.
00:26:11You had to be ready for whatever direction they went.
00:26:14And so there's a lot of new things that schedule-wise went on this season that didn't in previous seasons.
00:26:20And you adapted to that and your team adapted to that.
00:26:22And I'm just, I'm forever impressed, forever impressed by Rick Perry.
00:26:27If you haven't seen the documentary on Dropout, check out the legendary Rick Perry.
00:26:31He'll never market this because he's just, he's too good of a person to be that proud.
00:26:36But you should be proud of it all because it is a good opportunity, too, to see the people that you work with.
00:26:41So check it out, the legendary Rick Perry on dropout.tv.
00:26:45John, can you read your rumor?
00:26:47Sure, I heard a rumor.
00:26:48Yeah, what was your rumor that you heard?
00:26:50Rumor has it, Derek Christensen has boundless talent.
00:26:56What?
00:26:57They do.
00:26:58That is true.
00:26:59Derek, tell us about the creative direction you received and the execution of the projections this season, including these incredible tableaus.
00:27:09Yeah, which one's the tableau?
00:27:11Anything with a little guy standing emoji.
00:27:13A little guy standing.
00:27:14So there's a little bit, we obfuscate what the stream deck buttons are.
00:27:19So if the cast walks back there, they don't see.
00:27:21So Derek not only helped with the projection design as they do for all the seasons that we've done projections for,
00:27:28also is our director of photography for this season.
00:27:32So helps manage all the lighting and did all the lighting schemes.
00:27:34Derek, have at it.
00:27:35Yeah.
00:27:36Tell us about your world.
00:27:37Tell us about what you do, how you do it.
00:27:39Bring the magic to life here at Dimension 20.
00:27:41Yeah.
00:27:42I mean, again, all starts with Rick.
00:27:44So don't make that face.
00:27:46Don't make that face.
00:27:49Yeah.
00:27:50So we meet with Rick and talk about what it is that the story is that we're telling and what we need to help immerse the cast in that story.
00:27:58And oftentimes to extend out from what we have at the table and the cast is kind of interacting with and extend that out beyond them.
00:28:07Both for the cast sitting in the dome to see that and also for the audience at home to be able to then see a little bit more of that world around them.
00:28:14Especially with these tableaus, this was a big new thing, too, of trying to fulfill this idea that the world around them is not something that is just aesthetic and helping kind of set them in the story.
00:28:28But it's something that they can interact with and look into the background and see like, hey, there's those dog people wearing uniforms behind you.
00:28:33Or back in Oda where they were like, there he is.
00:28:36That's the guy.
00:28:37Chase him.
00:28:38Yeah.
00:28:39In them at scale around them.
00:28:41Yeah.
00:28:42So they're actually in the city, in the environment.
00:28:44There's some pirates, I think.
00:28:46But for all of the projections and how they then combine together with lighting, it's all about kind of creating a cohesive environment for the cast to just feel like they're in the world that they're playing in and help immerse them in the character.
00:29:02And just really just be exciting and fun.
00:29:07I think a lot of what the art team does is bring fun to the table for them because it's fun to see them having fun.
00:29:20I feel like you and Ruby live at the intersection of...
00:29:25Main and...
00:29:27...you know, design and beauty and aesthetic sensibility and a highly, highly technical thing.
00:29:44Yes.
00:29:45And you make it so seamless and beautiful, but like a lot of people would be surprised probably to know that you like, you know, you all have this whole virtual version of this space.
00:29:56Yeah.
00:29:57With virtual projectors and as we are go from thumbnail to comp to final projection, each one of these things gets comped up and they're like, oh, you need to adjust this or, you know, think about these contrast here.
00:30:09And then that's just to get the illustration.
00:30:12And then the illustration goes through animation, right?
00:30:15Which can be a very tedious process.
00:30:17Yeah.
00:30:18And then it comes into the dome, which is a whole other ingesting into our system, color correcting, shifting around so certain things are visible.
00:30:27It's like this whole long journey.
00:30:29And then it just magically is a button that Brennan pushes.
00:30:31Yeah.
00:30:32It's truly amazing.
00:30:33And also adjustments.
00:30:34Like there have been times that we've finished all of the animation.
00:30:37I say we like I know anything that's happening.
00:30:40There have been times that they have finished the animations and we get it in there and then it's like, oh, we actually need it to go slower or faster or we need it to like move differently.
00:30:48And they just go and like do magic and it happens.
00:30:51And it's meticulous, too.
00:30:52Right.
00:30:53Like a lot of people like you pressed all those buttons there and like we're in the dome and we can see these back hair lights change because like you were thinking yourself like, oh, what's the light in the scene like or like, oh, there'd be more green because they're in the forest and there'll be, you know, and there's also lights up here.
00:31:08And like there's just it's meticulous.
00:31:11You know what I mean?
00:31:12And I see you dialing in people individual lights and like hair lights and now we have these side lights there like for the underwater battle when they're putting out like the actual flames.
00:31:24The lights in the dome are changing and they didn't even notice.
00:31:27Like it was just slowly.
00:31:28Because they're so immersed.
00:31:29Exactly.
00:31:30And it was like just great work.
00:31:33Yeah.
00:31:34Oh, this is the battle of all the little flames.
00:31:37Oh, yeah.
00:31:39Yeah.
00:31:40That was.
00:31:41Okay.
00:31:42Yeah.
00:31:43Yeah.
00:31:44Because now there's this like red side light over there and red right above our heads.
00:31:46So many dicks though.
00:31:47Shout out.
00:31:48Shout out.
00:31:49Shout out to the dicks.
00:31:50Shout out to the dicks.
00:31:51Shout out to the dicks.
00:31:52There's a lot of dicks.
00:31:53You got to honor him.
00:31:55Yeah.
00:31:56Really amazing.
00:31:57Yeah.
00:31:58Also always wanting to shout out all of the people we work with.
00:32:00Yeah.
00:32:01Including my partner, Ruby O'Brien, who co-designs everything with me, takes the lead on, especially this season with me being in here, director of photography, took the lead on a ton of the animation.
00:32:10And so I was doing a lot of that work.
00:32:12He ate a Ruby O'Brien.
00:32:14I don't think we get enough Ruby time.
00:32:15We can lift this too, but I just have to say that Derek and Ruby did get married during this season.
00:32:20Yes.
00:32:21We went to the courthouse and got married during this.
00:32:23So that just brings even more good luck and good fortune to this season.
00:32:26And brought us wedding cake.
00:32:28Mm-hmm.
00:32:29I didn't get any wedding cake.
00:32:30Well, that's on your phone.
00:32:31What?
00:32:32It was in the pantry.
00:32:33Yeah.
00:32:34Yes.
00:32:35And it was delicious.
00:32:36So we can lift that if you want, Derek.
00:32:37Totally fine.
00:32:38I want that to be so special that the two of you did that.
00:32:41And I love love.
00:32:43So, you know.
00:32:44Yes.
00:32:45Ruby, amazing, does everything with us.
00:32:47We had our artists who were with us that Rick mentioned.
00:32:49Kate, Dami, and Juno, who are amazing and we love working with.
00:32:53And then, of course, also always Casey and Allison who are helping us manage that team of artists and keep everything on track and on schedule and keep us on schedule amidst everything.
00:33:02There's a whole huge spreadsheet just for tracking the illustrations and the projections.
00:33:08Yeah.
00:33:09You wouldn't believe the spreadsheets that go into it.
00:33:12We have spreadsheets four days.
00:33:14So many Google Sheets.
00:33:15So many Google Sheets.
00:33:16So many tabs open.
00:33:18Yep.
00:33:19Oh, so many tabs.
00:33:20Mine just crashed and I lost all my tabs.
00:33:21I'm so sad right now.
00:33:23It's probably good.
00:33:24Anyway, Derek, thank you so much for all the work.
00:33:26And you did two jobs on this season, which you've done in the past, actually.
00:33:29This isn't the first time you've DP'd Dimension 20.
00:33:32You were actually the DP for my 200th episode on Never Stop Blowing Up.
00:33:36Yes.
00:33:37So that was very special, too.
00:33:38Amazing.
00:33:39Rick Perry, do you want to read your...
00:33:40I'd be happy to.
00:33:42Denise.
00:33:43Oh, shit.
00:33:44Wait a minute.
00:33:45Okay.
00:33:47Because we didn't have a crew AP for Dungeons & Drag Queens, at the behest of our fans who have requested this, let's talk about Brennan's amazing look.
00:33:55Rumor has it, Denise Valentin.
00:33:58You did extensive research for Brennan's look on that season.
00:34:01What was your creative process?
00:34:04Okay.
00:34:05First and foremost, it all stops with Rick.
00:34:07I go up to the island.
00:34:12That would be nice.
00:34:13That would be nice.
00:34:16There's a ferry.
00:34:17No, no, no.
00:34:18Rick demands it.
00:34:20We're not allowed on the ferry.
00:34:21It's about the journey.
00:34:22He says it's about the journey.
00:34:24Yes.
00:34:25I collect a bunch of skin samples.
00:34:26I snort it.
00:34:28Well, I think I'll bring it back around.
00:34:31And I say that Denise puts together a deck for every season with ideas for all the looks for everybody.
00:34:41And I bring up Dungeons & Drag Queens because we just had a season, maybe two seasons ago after you're watching this.
00:34:48And I feel like, Denise, I don't want to say that hair and makeup isn't done for other seasons.
00:34:56Sure.
00:34:57We're all made up right now for the fans at home.
00:34:59I mean, these are fake.
00:35:00We are...
00:35:02Eyebrows are fake.
00:35:03We're made up.
00:35:04And there's also a talent in making people look like themselves on camera.
00:35:10And so I don't want to take away from the work that gets done in HMU to make somebody just look like how they look in real life on camera because cameras show all of the bad, naughty parts.
00:35:21And so then we have, yeah, we have makeup that looks beautiful.
00:35:26So I don't want to take away from that.
00:35:27But I did want to take a moment because we didn't get a crew AP for Dungeons & Drag Queens.
00:35:32You did research.
00:35:33You gave a deck for this.
00:35:34Talk a little bit about Dungeons & Drag Queens, specifically Brennan's look for that, which I thought was so cool and dynamic.
00:35:40Look spelled L-E-W-K.
00:35:43Oh, Connie.
00:35:45Yeah.
00:35:46So taking a page out of Rick Perry's book, you interrupted me, but we snort a little bit.
00:35:55Yeah.
00:35:56So that was from our first conversation.
00:35:59I don't know if we have this on camera, but that was from our first conversation with the queens where Brennan was a little apprehensive around playing and not sort of like fully respecting the art form.
00:36:12Because if it's anything, we are art first here, honey.
00:36:15We are art first.
00:36:16And we'll be selling skin cells from Rick on the dropout store so that you yourself can also snort it and go on your own adventure.
00:36:23It's fine.
00:36:24But yeah, so it was sort of like, I think this season or that season in particular, I think this year, I've gotten to sort of, I guess, better explore the ideas coming off of Brennan's look.
00:36:43And Brennan is not a person who thinks about his look that often, so it's up to me to figure that out.
00:36:49So the conversation of like, okay, well, if I am doing drag, what does that mean for me?
00:36:56And so I started with Elaine Lee, where I texted her, emailed her, and told her what the concept was.
00:37:06And she was so happy to send photos of Brennan's Halloween look, which are historically accurate versions of his ancestry.
00:37:22What age was this, the pictures that she sent?
00:37:25I believe, I believe he might, yeah, I think he might have been like maybe 11 or so.
00:37:30But keeping in sort of how much sort of like leeway I have into an episode, it's just a matter of doing, I think I approached it with like how Brennan would have done or how the, I don't know.
00:37:48The inspo from the inspo, which I found very cool and inspirational, was that you took something from his childhood, which was this accurate representation of historical people, figures, and all of that, and you brought it to that character.
00:38:02Yes.
00:38:03And you also did some research in Ireland as well.
00:38:06So what was the overall inspo for that look?
00:38:09Um, I think again, it was, um, what if Brennan, uh, or, yeah, what if Brennan as a kid had done sort of that paint and gone to, um, gone to battle in the DM space?
00:38:24Like what if younger Brennan knew that he were going to DM?
00:38:27Um, so we, of course, copied and pasted our character, um, from our first season, added a little bit more lore, um, around what type of creature he was, and sort of like built a little world around that.
00:38:44Yeah.
00:38:45And how he would evolve and how he would sort of, um, live.
00:38:49And yeah, so the makeup was just sort of based on, um, him living in my head, um, because Brennan's busy.
00:38:56He doesn't always have time to, um.
00:38:58That's so interesting. I didn't know that.
00:39:00Yeah.
00:39:01I think too.
00:39:02No, not about him being busy.
00:39:03No, I didn't know.
00:39:08Carlos knows that Brennan is busy.
00:39:11I know.
00:39:13He knows.
00:39:14In your head, did the character have a name?
00:39:16Yeah.
00:39:17It's, uh, it's based loosely off of, uh, Lu, the, um, god of, he's like a mischievous, like, sort of water, uh, deity.
00:39:25Um, so yeah, just sort of mashing in sort of like this, uh, mythological ancestry, but also deeply, deep Brennan lore, um, to bring forth, especially, and then again, as we, uh, as year after year, as we get, uh, deeper and deeper into our, into our art bag.
00:39:46Um, it makes it so much easier to, uh, and I think I might've said this before, to collaborate.
00:39:52Yeah.
00:39:53Um, so we have some fun things around, um, bioluminescence, which is, um, which actually occurs off the coast of Ireland.
00:40:03So I wanted to bring a part of, um, I think our trip into the season, uh, cause we had just got off, we just got off our Irish tour, Scottish tour, uh, uh, London.
00:40:15And Denise went along for the live tour for, uh, I guess.
00:40:20Well, we went, uh, started at the Highlands, uh, came around.
00:40:24There was a baby.
00:40:25I need to know the story of that baby.
00:40:28There was an infant.
00:40:29Okay.
00:40:30There was an infant.
00:40:31If you were that baby, if you were that baby, write a letter to Denise Valentine.
00:40:34So Denise, knowing that we were going into this, you went with a researcher's mind as well.
00:40:39And you started to do, cause you knew that, uh, from the pictures from Elaine.
00:40:43Yes.
00:40:44That, that, that culture, that background for Brennan Lee Mulligan Mulligan from that area, from that, uh, region of the world.
00:40:50Yeah.
00:40:51Was very important to him.
00:40:52Um, and I think we also had, we also had a conversation about this too.
00:40:56Like, um, we are not doing like a full stage play.
00:41:00And I think that how we are expressing, uh, hair, makeup and costume is very true to, um, sort of what I think the overall aesthetic.
00:41:12Like Brennan is a part of, uh, he's a part of the game.
00:41:16He's a part of basically affirming that he is on a team essentially.
00:41:22Um, and we are taking him up and we're taking him down, um, according to where the story is, all of the improv.
00:41:30So it's all just sort of a dance.
00:41:32Yeah.
00:41:33Um, I lost it.
00:41:35No, you got it.
00:41:36No, I lost it.
00:41:37No, that was beautiful.
00:41:38I felt like I fucking lost it.
00:41:39No, you didn't.
00:41:40Because, because the question was at the beginning of drag, should Brennan also be in drag?
00:41:46Yeah.
00:41:47And where we landed with that was what's Brennan's version of drag?
00:41:51Sure, sure, sure.
00:41:52Yeah.
00:41:53Which is this folklore from that region which you brought to life and gave Brennan his joy, his version of drag.
00:42:00Yes.
00:42:01Which was the best Halloween costume that he could ever wear.
00:42:04Yeah.
00:42:05The Halloween costume that he wished he would have had when he was 11 years old.
00:42:08You, Denise Valentine, you gave it to him here at the head of the DM screen to do that season.
00:42:16That was your gift to Brennan to do all that research, all the research he did when he was little.
00:42:20You brought it all to life.
00:42:21Yeah.
00:42:22And you put him in something that looked amazing and dynamic.
00:42:24Amazing.
00:42:25Also, a really beautiful, like, investigation and love letter to drag as a whole.
00:42:30I think it's something that's been really big in pop culture recently is this, like, discussion of what is and isn't drag.
00:42:36Mm-hmm.
00:42:37And I think it was really, really beautiful that you put all of this work into it and it wasn't full beat, crazy eyeliner, like, full.
00:42:45Because drag isn't just the makeup, the outfit and entertainment, it's art.
00:42:49It's an expression of who you are and an aspect of yourself.
00:42:52And I think it's really, really beautiful and lovely that knowing that Brennan's focus with these seasons isn't and cannot be what he looks like.
00:43:01Having someone who knows him so well and someone who cares about him so much be able to do that research and make something so true to him and also true to drag I think is really, really beautiful.
00:43:11Yeah.
00:43:12I think also there are elements of drag that's just armor.
00:43:16When you think about the folks who transitioned in periods of revolution, it was armor.
00:43:24It was like, fuck it.
00:43:26Yeah.
00:43:27If you, you, you know, you hate me, you want to attack me, I'm just going to look how I look.
00:43:32I'm just going to, like, free myself.
00:43:34If you can't hide, you lean into it.
00:43:35Yeah.
00:43:36And so, like, I think, yeah, going into helping, I guess, helping to illustrate that part has been an honor and a privilege.
00:43:44And then, oh, that's what I was saying.
00:43:46So, Brennan and I were having this discussion around, because he is a massive world builder.
00:43:53Yeah.
00:43:54Sort of what it looks like to add in cultural elements into fantasy stories.
00:44:01Yeah.
00:44:02And we were talking about our relationships back to these very rich cultures and how, for us, it is extremely important as Americans whose parents and grandparents and whatever have settled in the States and how psyched we are.
00:44:21That's another thing that I learned with being in Ireland and Scotland and the UK, or the UK in general, is how pumped we are to remember the things from our grandparents and, like, you know, tales and stuff from the old country.
00:44:36And how extremely interested he is to sort of, like, live in that, in sort of the glory and the wonderful good times in a way that sometimes isn't shared when you go back to the places where you're from.
00:44:52And so, holding on or figuring out ways to embody some of the joy that you get from being like, I'm from a group of people, I think is extremely important.
00:45:04But again, Brennan has a lot of stuff to think about.
00:45:08He has all of our livelihoods riding on how good his story is.
00:45:13No pressure.
00:45:14And so, yeah, it's one of those things where it is definitely my honor to be able to think about sort of those things and to bring them and to put them on his body.
00:45:26And a lot of, again, a lot of, when I get a chance, a lot of the conversations that we have about other stuff manifest in how he looks.
00:45:37And, yeah.
00:45:38And so, yeah, but I did want to shout out what was coming up for me as we were talking about art.
00:45:47In the bathroom.
00:45:48In the bathroom.
00:45:49When I was getting into it.
00:45:50Getting into it.
00:45:51Curb stomping.
00:45:52Taking it out.
00:45:53Lord.
00:45:54Putting it in.
00:45:55Taking it out.
00:45:56Scrubbing it down.
00:45:58Going it out.
00:45:59I don't know what I need to do.
00:46:00Toilet it around.
00:46:01Toilet it around.
00:46:02Put it in the bag.
00:46:03Can I get a meeting with HR?
00:46:05The rails.
00:46:06I am HR.
00:46:07Is that, like, it is extremely important.
00:46:12I was hearing a lot from that tour.
00:46:14I was hearing a lot of people asking questions around what's the best way to DM.
00:46:19Like, just a general in that.
00:46:21And I think, again, if you have, I will sum it up for you.
00:46:27You need to trust and be interested in every aspect of storytelling.
00:46:32And so, as I move, as I sort of, like, I don't know how famous anybody is.
00:46:37I just live.
00:46:38And as I invite different makeup artists on or, like, sometimes I wear merch or something like that, there is always a gaffer or a random person, not random, sorry, essential part of filmmaking or storytelling that's like, oh, I really love that show.
00:46:58And so I think that if you are in a leadership position, if you are organizing adventures for folks, be it in the Dungeons & Dragons space or anywhere else where you have to lead, understand that you also have to follow as well.
00:47:19And those you never know when it's going to be.
00:47:22And so I super appreciate all of everyone who comes together on any set or any sort of creative endeavor group projects in high school show up.
00:47:36And again, it is just as important to lead as it is to follow.
00:47:41And those are quite interchangeable.
00:47:43So I think that, yeah, hopefully.
00:47:45Denise Valentine right here.
00:47:47Can we just go to somebody else?
00:47:48Heart and soul.
00:47:49Truly heart and soul of Dimension 20.
00:47:54We love you so much.
00:47:55Thank you for everything that you bring to this show that is beyond HMU.
00:47:59Heart and soul and pussy.
00:48:01It is HMU plus.
00:48:03That was my pussy.
00:48:04Thank you directly after Denise said the word, the B word.
00:48:09I won't say it.
00:48:10And I just want to say I wasn't thanking Denise for that part.
00:48:13I was thanking Denise for the creative part.
00:48:15I'll thank Denise.
00:48:16Derek Christensen, can you read your rumor?
00:48:18We're moving on.
00:48:19Absolutely I can.
00:48:20Read your rumor.
00:48:21I would be delighted to.
00:48:23Rumor has it, John Wolf.
00:48:26This is the first season of Dimension 20 you've ever produced.
00:48:31How has the experience been?
00:48:34And another rumor has it that you started at College Humor as an intern?
00:48:38What?
00:48:39What?
00:48:40What?
00:48:41Um, wow.
00:48:43What a fascinating rumor you heard, Derek.
00:48:45Two rumors.
00:48:46Two rumors.
00:48:47This is in fact the first season of Dimension 20 that I've produced.
00:48:51Uh, and I did in fact start my career as a producer as a production intern at College Humor New York.
00:48:59Yeah.
00:49:00Uh, a long time ago.
00:49:02Before I was born.
00:49:03Back in my day.
00:49:04Before Sky was born.
00:49:05Before Sky was born.
00:49:06Um, and I met this great group of people at College Humor.
00:49:12A lot of great writers and improvisers and production folks.
00:49:16And, uh, in 2016, me and a bunch of my friends all decided we're gonna learn how to play Dungeons & Dragons for the very first time.
00:49:25It was a friend of mine, Travis Hellwig, Emily Axford, Brian Murphy, Zach Oyama, Siobhan Thompson.
00:49:32We were all gonna learn whatever this game was together.
00:49:34Did those names sound familiar?
00:49:36No.
00:49:37This is a big revelation by the way.
00:49:38Like, the fans are having a moment right now.
00:49:41Who is John Wolf?
00:49:42Oh my gosh.
00:49:43Oh my god.
00:49:44Uh, and yeah, it was gonna be run by this guy named Brennan Mulligan, uh, who I had never met, but they knew and liked.
00:49:52Was he any good?
00:49:53He was really good.
00:49:54That's crazy.
00:49:55Um, and it was such a joy to play D&D with them.
00:50:00And it was such a joy to watch as the tabletop role-playing space and Dungeons & Dragons in particular became so, uh, big in their lives.
00:50:11It was, uh, incredible as a friend and a fan to watch them grow this show and to grow NADDPod and Rotating Heroes.
00:50:20Um, and then when David Kearns calls me and says, hey, do you want to produce the upcoming season of Dimension 20?
00:50:30Oh, by the way, it's the Intrepid Heroes season, so it's five people that you know really well.
00:50:37I couldn't say yes fast enough.
00:50:40Um.
00:50:41Where were you?
00:50:42I was sitting at home.
00:50:44No, where were you this entire time?
00:50:46Uh, yes, the question is a good question, and that is we are very, very lucky to have John Wolfe with us, uh, for this season of Dimension 20.
00:50:56John, who did start out as an intern when I was just an editor at College Humor way back when in New York City, uh, went on to become the showrunner, uh, for Adam Ruins Everything, which was a show that we developed when we came out to Los Angeles.
00:51:10And then went on to do a little show called The G Word with a person by the name of Barack Obama.
00:51:15Uh, so we just appreciate you so much, John Wolfe.
00:51:18Can you do an impression?
00:51:19Um.
00:51:20I could, and then we just cut to the end.
00:51:22Yeah.
00:51:23And that was my impression.
00:51:24Whoa!
00:51:25That's so good!
00:51:26We're so lucky to have you, John.
00:51:27You've done such an amazing job with this season coming in, and I know, though, that you also have done your research to cheer on your friends as they went on this adventure of making their own television show around Dungeons & Dragons.
00:51:41You've watched, I believe, almost all the seasons, if not all the seasons?
00:51:44Yeah, something like that.
00:51:45What research do you mean?
00:51:46John, through just loving the show and also doing all the other work that John's done out there in Hollywood, has watched the show and came on and just really sort of fit in, in a way that, uh, was uncanny and just so wonderful.
00:51:58And so thank you so much for everything that you've done.
00:52:00All of the funny bits that you saw, all this stuff that you saw on Adventuring Party as well, uh, came from the wild mind of John Wolfe.
00:52:08I know.
00:52:09Uh, thank you.
00:52:10They just came from the wild mind of Michael Schaumann.
00:52:11Well, I mean, maybe I allowed it to end.
00:52:13I started, and I started, and I was like, what's going on?
00:52:16What do I need to do to help support the show?
00:52:18Yeah, vibes.
00:52:19And Mike was like, pay attention to the bits that they say because then we try and make them real.
00:52:22Yeah, we can try to do something fun with them.
00:52:23We're all just here to have some fun.
00:52:25Um, yeah.
00:52:26You know what?
00:52:27Real quick, a memory that I have that, when you were talking, made me think of this, of, like, doing research for the show.
00:52:31Yeah.
00:52:32I remember being in, um, we used to, back when, before they were super busy, um, uh, go to a cabin once a year and play D&D.
00:52:40And I remember being in one of the cabins one of the years and Fantasy High season one was coming out, but they had finished it.
00:52:48Yeah.
00:52:49Um, but I'm watching it live as it's coming out and, uh, Siobhan and Emily spoiled the, um, Vice Principal reveal spoilers for me.
00:53:00And I was like, uh, guys, I'm still watching the show.
00:53:05Um, so I heard that, um, Golden Horde was a bad guy.
00:53:09Yeah.
00:53:10He is?
00:53:11You heard that before the end, before the big reveal.
00:53:14Yeah.
00:53:15Uh, we have one more rumor.
00:53:19Gotta twist that knob.
00:53:20Inside the table.
00:53:21It's so slow and satisfying.
00:53:23From this amazing table, who did this table, Rick Perry?
00:53:25Uh, Leonard Bessemer is the, uh, amazing art carpenter or resident art carpenter who also did the table and the set.
00:53:33Thank you for doing the table and the set.
00:53:35Rumor has it that that's the end of the episode.
00:53:37What?
00:53:38No, wait, I have a rumor.
00:53:42No, wait, I have a rumor.
00:53:43Yeah.
00:53:44What's your rumor?
00:53:45Rumor has it that you greet every single person on this set by name.
00:53:49By name every morning.
00:53:50Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on.
00:53:51Actually, I do need to put this down there.
00:53:54Stop deflecting.
00:53:55No, no, no, it's fine.
00:53:56I just need to put this down because otherwise it's in the shot for Denise and I gotta...
00:54:00Anyway, that's the end of the episode!
00:54:01No!
00:54:02No!
00:54:03Nope!
00:54:04Rumor has it that you greet every single person on this set every morning by name and tell them that you're glad they're here.
00:54:11Which is very special and very not the norm on a Hollywood set.
00:54:16And the question I have about that.
00:54:19Yes.
00:54:20Is literally every single day you do this.
00:54:22Yes.
00:54:23To every single person.
00:54:24Yes.
00:54:25Which you are just generally a nice person, a very great person, but that's an intention that is very clearly set.
00:54:33Why is that important to you?
00:54:36Great question.
00:54:38Fine!
00:54:39What?
00:54:40College humor, give me my show.
00:54:41No!
00:54:42There's a few things that I put into my special ingredients of directing.
00:54:49And I won't go into all of them now.
00:54:54Maybe over time and all of this we can talk more about it because I want people to know about it.
00:54:58Because I know that a lot of people want to be directors and if there's something that I can impart on you, it's not about shot lists,
00:55:04it's not about getting the cool crane shots or the helicopter coming in and Godzilla blowing up and all that.
00:55:11It's very important in directing and having that creative vision as well.
00:55:14But I believe that the foundation of directing is about safety and making sure that your crew and your cast are safe and feel good.
00:55:22So the reason why I greet everybody in the morning is because it's a nice thing to do.
00:55:29And also, I assume, especially if it's the first day of the thing, I assume everybody's coming from the worst job that they've ever had in their life.
00:55:40And I want this to be the best job that you've ever had.
00:55:44And so that's why I start.
00:55:45And I start by saying hello and good morning and that I'm glad you're here because I am glad that you're all here.
00:55:51And I'm also checking in on you because I want to make sure that you're okay.
00:55:56And if you're not okay and you want to talk about it with somebody, maybe not me, but somebody, we're here to do that.
00:56:03Because in order to do our jobs well, to bring our best selves to set, to be safe for each other, we have to make sure that all that other stuff is squared away and it's okay if it's not.
00:56:14And I'm here to help and listen if it's not.
00:56:17So that's what I do.
00:56:18I greet you all in the morning and I'm saying hi to you, but I'm also looking at you and I'm making sure that you are okay.
00:56:26And if you're not, I want to know about it. If you just want somebody to listen, I'm here to listen.
00:56:32If you don't want to say anything at all, that's fine, too.
00:56:35But I kind of want to know where everybody's at.
00:56:37And so that's why I do that.
00:56:39I do that because in order to have a safe set, you've got to start with the moment you walk onto that set.
00:56:44And I want to know where everybody's at.
00:56:47So that's why I do that.
00:56:48Well, the entire time that we've been making the show, you've been doing that.
00:56:51Yes.
00:56:52And I think that it, for me, is a thing that I know that happens.
00:56:57So my brain is sort of like, I'm not expecting it, but it's not a surprise anymore.
00:57:02And you are still approaching all of us with the same fervor and dedication to that sort of mission now that I think about it.
00:57:12But it's definitely...
00:57:13I am, thank you.
00:57:16But really, the secret of it all is that I'm a reflection of you all.
00:57:21So if I give that good cheer out, you give me the good cheer back.
00:57:25And suddenly, we all have a good cheer on set and we're all having a wonderful time.
00:57:31It doesn't mean that it's easy work.
00:57:33We still work long days, but we can at least enjoy each other and have mutual respect for each other.
00:57:38And I like to come to a place to work at that I like.
00:57:43And so you all do that for me, see?
00:57:46So we're all giving it back to each other and we're just reflecting our good cheer back to each other.
00:57:51Because we know that out in Hollywood, it can be less than ideal, abusive in some cases.
00:57:58And that's not here at Dimension 20.
00:58:00And you all contribute to that culture.
00:58:04And you raise me up and want me to be a better person, too.
00:58:08So I think that it's a really great sort of bouncing around of good cheer that we all give each other.
00:58:13But I'm happy to do it.
00:58:14If it starts with me in the morning, that's great.
00:58:16I just want to know that from that moment all, you guys all take it on to your own worlds that you lead.
00:58:22Because there's so many more people that are behind this wall that are physically here.
00:58:28There's so many people that are out in the editing rooms putting the show together.
00:58:32There's so many people working on the marketing of the show and all of the merchandise that we sell that helps finance the show.
00:58:38All of those things.
00:58:39All of those people coming together with a good intention of knowing that this show changes lives and saves people.
00:58:45That mission collectively that we all do together, that's what inspires me.
00:58:50So thank you all.
00:58:51And honestly, it has given me sort of the extra boost to run my department as well.
00:58:59I have ideas.
00:59:00But once you see it sort of, once you see it consistently, that you can, again, bring positivity, which you don't have to.
00:59:08You can just go in your little directors.
00:59:10You don't have to.
00:59:11You don't have to.
00:59:12It's given me the confidence to make that a part of my, my sort of like professional or my way of like to make it a part of my leadership.
00:59:21And also when I'm beating up Carlos, it's with a smile on my face.
00:59:26Yeah.
00:59:27And Carlos is smiling too.
00:59:28Okay.
00:59:29Wait, one last thing.
00:59:30I want to know whatever you said, you talked about contributing.
00:59:33Yeah.
00:59:34And I want real quick, what's something that you contributed to the story or to this season that you're most proud of?
00:59:40Cool.
00:59:41Cause that's something that like we talk about like afterwards, but like the public doesn't know that was like, oh, I, I actually, the beginning of this idea came from this thing.
00:59:50I said once in a meeting.
00:59:51Yeah.
00:59:52Rick, what do you got?
00:59:53You have a mil, I mean, a million.
00:59:54You must have a million.
00:59:55What's the thing that stands out for you?
00:59:56Oh, we're each doing it?
00:59:57Yeah.
00:59:58Um, I don't know.
01:00:02There's three things are in my head.
01:00:03The, uh, this, this thing, this like pipe organ, magical secret compartment thing, feel stoked that that came to life and has been such an ongoing thing.
01:00:14Yeah.
01:00:15I really feel proud of the, uh, Zephyr Mark one design that like river boat kind of like, it's just kind of not what you would first expect.
01:00:23Um, and, uh, the, the tableaus, you know, we talked about, you know, trying to make more toys and more ways for the cast to choose their own adventure.
01:00:35And, and this idea like, well, what if we have like this, you know, tableau of different characters and they could just be like, be that guy, Brennan, you know, do that voice.
01:00:43Yeah.
01:00:44And, and, uh, it's gone really well.
01:00:46Yeah.
01:00:47Skye.
01:00:48I don't know if I can say mine.
01:00:50Um, I don't want to say mine without Brennan's approval, so I'll say it and then we can cut it.
01:00:54Um, but when we first early, early started talking about doing like a steampunk adventure, whatever the season was going to be, um, we were throwing around ideas.
01:01:07And, um, Brennan and I had a really wonderful discussion about what it looked like to tell a story like this honestly and earnestly without hiding or glossing over the ugly things that happen with steampunk and colonization, but also without needlessly telling a story.
01:01:27Like if we're making up a world, does that world have to have colonization as we know it?
01:01:32Does that world have to be steeped in hurt as we know it?
01:01:36Um, and from that conversation, I think really changed how we looked at the story we were building.
01:01:45And I, Brennan gave me probably the best compliment I've ever gotten in my career afterwards.
01:01:49And so I feel very proud to have initiated that discussion, but also don't want to take credit for that.
01:01:55So if we can't say that, the other thing that I'm very proud of is that there was an NPC, um, that was playing with monkeys and Brennan said, do you want to, do you want to put a name?
01:02:05And I said, yes. Um, and I gave him her name and then I said, and she's a lesbian or I'll call you homophobic on the internet.
01:02:13Um, and she is, I don't know. I don't think it made it on camera, but she is a lesbian.
01:02:17Um, and collaborative storytellers and the Vanticle.
01:02:22Well, I think we can keep both those things.
01:02:24Derek.
01:02:25Gosh, I, it's hard to think of like a single thing because we're so involved in making just all of the stuff that is surrounding them.
01:02:34And I, I think that's always the thing I'm most proud of and, and excited by is being able to make the visuals around the world that the players are immersed in as they're telling the story and helping to influence how they feel about that setting and how they feel about their character in that moment.
01:02:51And just helping to make that something that they're not just playing with being. And so just helping set tone and environment is.
01:03:00You feel, you fill out their imagination. You, you complete the thing in their mind as a actual physical space. You immerse them. Yeah.
01:03:07Killed it on the lighting this season.
01:03:09Truly. Yeah. And then you take our lighting grid, which we just, we always do something cool and different with every season and you've done that with this season. So yeah, absolutely. John Wolf.
01:03:19I came in with the goal of bringing the home game energy to the dome. It was like one extremely unique asset that I would be able to bring to this season was my experience playing Dungeons and Dragons with these, with most of these people.
01:03:42So good.
01:03:43And, um, I think that's what I'm most proud of is trying my best to build an environment off camera that felt like, uh, that we, we all were just hanging out and playing together. And it helped that when we were doing the home game, I was also the one who was sending out the doodles to be like, Hey guys, when are we playing?
01:04:07Um, also it was fun to pitch stuff like the air bears and then see them be in the tableau or like we had good conversations about like authoritarianism that made it into the story that I'm very proud of, but probably the home game stuff.
01:04:24Cool. Yeah. There's always music on John Wolf set. We have music, uh, playing, uh, uh, up until we shoot it. It really sets the vibe.
01:04:32Carlos Luna. I have two. One of them didn't get really used, but I'm still very proud of it. The cog scouts, I thought was such a fun idea and we never looked into it. Uh, but I just love the idea of there being like a little boy scout group or a girl scout group.
01:04:48Like that's just like, like, yeah, the Lamont Gummery version. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. I love that. Uh, and then nut pugs. Yeah. I love them. I love, they're so cute. And when she drew it, I was like, Oh, this is amazing.
01:05:03Yeah. Shout out to Amanda. Amanda killed it.
01:05:06Who was our window of wonder, uh, illustrator this season, a brand new piece. We forgot to talk about cause it's not here, but window of wonder was another edition that we all came together and brought, uh, to life and Amanda Lake and Ryan Green, who was the tech for that, that made all that happen. Brennan has a little, uh, screen here that allows him to see what Amanda's drawing and when to go to and all of that. Yes. The nut pugs. Yeah. And he's just a fun.
01:05:29It's just a fun sending messages while running a game. And it's just like, let me get this.
01:05:34I need two mice kissing and Amanda draws it up. So cheers to, can I see the boot?
01:05:41Yeah. What does a boot look like?
01:05:43What kind of boot? And we're sending Amanda all these kinds of boots. It's really been fun.
01:05:46We're Googling boots as quickly as we can. Yeah. It's so fun.
01:05:50Denise Valentine.
01:05:51Firstly, I shout out. It was, it has been such, um, a joy to, uh, have a producer. I have loved all of our producers.
01:06:02Yeah. Uh, but it's been such a joy to have, uh, John here who does have a special connection with D&D, but also with the players. It has helped me. I still have not played a game of D&D.
01:06:14We gotta fix that, I think.
01:06:16Every, I don't know.
01:06:17Come on.
01:06:18I don't know.
01:06:19Get in the comments.
01:06:20Um, but it has helped me to understand, um, our processes, but also, um, it has sort of brought me a little bit closer to our, um, how, how we produce the show.
01:06:35Um, in understanding it through, uh, someone who sort of speaks, um, to me every day.
01:06:43This show, this show is, uh, oftentimes I call people that I go into production with my battle buddies because we've gone to war and what we've gone to war against is the clock.
01:06:52Absolutely.
01:06:53So every single person that works on the show, we're fighting for minutes for the show and we're fighting for minutes right now. This is one of the longest adventuring parties.
01:07:01And I just want to say, for the record, I tried to end this thing 20 minutes ago.
01:07:05No, never, never, never.
01:07:06Um, no.
01:07:07And you're going to watch all of it and you're going to like it.
01:07:08But Denise is a part of the war for the minutes and Denise's chair is the first place where the cast stops off.
01:07:14And so...
01:07:15Dad's here.
01:07:16Dad's here.
01:07:17You guys are way over.
01:07:18Way over.
01:07:19Way over.
01:07:20I'm being flipped up on camera.
01:07:22On camera.
01:07:23We have it.
01:07:24Document it.
01:07:25Don't cut to it.
01:07:26Human resources.
01:07:27My name is Brennan Lee Mulligan, an employee is creating a hostile work environment.
01:07:30Human resources.
01:07:31I said to make that character a lesbian and Brennan didn't say the word lesbian on camera.
01:07:35Lesbian.
01:07:36Canon.
01:07:37Canon.
01:07:38Lesbian.
01:07:39Brennan Lee Mulligan.
01:07:40So, uh, uh, Denise is a part of that first, uh, Denise is a part of the first stop for the cast to make sure that we get the cast here camera ready on time so that we have all the minutes.
01:07:49And, uh, uh, I, yes, we also had, uh, so my thing is that I wanted to at least do if we could just, we can't do obviously mechanical arms, but I wanted to kind of do at least do jewelry.
01:08:01Yeah.
01:08:02Um, in the steampunk style, we didn't get a chance to do that, but Siobhan was open to, uh, eye looks in the theme of her past.
01:08:11So sea glass, uh, coppers, like things that would be sort of in like pub or, um, style, like woods and things like that.
01:08:20So we did a lot of browns, coppers, uh, blues and, uh, yeah, greens and things like that from nod to the sea.
01:08:28Amazing.
01:08:29Um, my contribution was that, uh, Brennan Lee Mulligan and I, Brennan, who you just saw, uh, we co-wrote the poem that, uh, Comfrey wrote, uh, Cloudward Ho.
01:08:40Uh, it was after a meeting, I felt very inspired and I wrote a poem and sent it to Brennan and Brennan received it with love and, and, uh, took it and, uh, added to it and, and made it, and made it what you see today as, uh, Comfrey McCloud's Cloudward Ho poem.
01:08:58Uh, so I feel, I feel very proud of that.
01:09:00Um, and it was a lot of fun to contribute and, and all of us contribute in a million ways, but it's really special to hear.
01:09:06Great question, Carlos.
01:09:08So that's the end of this adventuring party.
01:09:11I rolled to attack Carlos.
01:09:13Uh, uh, I'm, how does this thing work?
01:09:16Um.
01:09:17That wasn't at 20, Rick.
01:09:18That wasn't at 20.
01:09:19Uh, let's do Cloudward Ho three times.
01:09:21I'll say Cloudward, you say ho.
01:09:22Sure.
01:09:23Cloudward.
01:09:24Ho!
01:09:25Cloudward.
01:09:26Ho!
01:09:27Cloudward.
01:09:28Ho!
01:09:29I didn't say it cause I respect women.
01:09:30We'll see you in the sky.
01:09:31Sky you in the seas.
01:09:33See you in the skysmith.
01:09:34I'm charging you all five cents every time you say my name.
01:09:37Goodbye.
01:09:38Bye.
01:09:39Bye.
01:09:40Bye.
01:09:41Bye.
01:09:42Bye.
01:09:43Bye.
01:09:44Bye.
01:09:45Bye.
01:09:46Bye.
01:09:47Bye.
01:09:48Bye.
01:09:49Bye.
01:09:50Bye.
01:09:51Bye.
01:09:52Bye.
01:09:53Bye.
01:09:54Bye.
01:09:55Bye.
01:09:56Bye.
01:09:57Bye.
01:09:58Bye.
01:09:59Bye.
01:10:00Bye.
01:10:01Bye.
01:10:02Bye.
01:10:03Bye.
01:10:04Bye.
01:10:05Bye.
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