Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Q&A time

HEY KIDS!

Anyone got any production related questions about the Total Drama series?
Ask away and we'll answer.
We don't want questions about who's going to win season 4 or anything like that ... but if there are questions about how the show is animated, recorded, storyboarded, edited etc ....
FIRE AWAY!!

I'll answer as many as I can -- with photo reference too!

85 comments:

Unknown said...

Okay, you want questions? You got them. I'm doing to reiterate something I previously said on a previous post. What up with Zombie Zeke? Hhm? This is perhaps the most critisized plot element of season 3 behind the Love Triangle "saga" and it really upset a lot of the fans SO WHAT'S UP WITH HIM?!?!?!?

SlaterDies said...

Yes... I do.

I've been trying to find out how this show is animated for a few years. Some say Flash, other's say Toon Boom. Which is it? I like how the lines look incredibly sharp and clean as compared to the competitors. Are these black outline lines drawn manually (via vector), or are the line's thickness/thinness a result of pressure applied.

Thanks!

Annie said...

I heard the show was animated in flash. Is that true? If it is I'd be impressed to see the process.

Cerina said...

What made you decide to make Duncan cheat on Courtney with Gwen? :P

(Is there another reason other than just because it would cause drama?)

Anonymous said...

How soon will it been until season 4 is out if you mind me asking?.

Anonymous said...

Who will be from old contestansts on total drama season 4 ?

Anonymous said...

How will be the challange ?

Anonymous said...

Will be Hatchet in season 4 ?

Anonymous said...

What will be with Heather ?

Anonymous said...

when will be trailer ?

ribbonfly said...

I heard that there will only be 13 episodes and no old competitors, is that true?
I will miss the old characters but it never hurts to have new favorites.

ribbonfly said...

Why did you not celebrate Cody's birthday?

Anonymous said...

Why did Duncan had to cheat on Courtney? It seem a little out of character. I used to like Duncan for his tough shell but his hidden sweetness. Maybe it was better that Courtney and Duncan split so Courtney can date a sweet guy like Cody while a horrible cheater and a bad "friend" who never gave Cody a chance can be together.

Anonymous said...

Hi. I have a few questions about Total Drama production. I'm a huge fan of Total Drama and animation.

I'm mostly interested in my 5th and 3rd questions about animation.

I was wondering:

1) About how long does it take to storyboard and animate a standard episode (around 22 minutes) of Total Drama?

2) How many animators work on a single episode?

3) I've heard that Total Drama uses flash animation. What software programs are used? Or what are some similar programs?

4) Are storyboards hand-drawn or drawn on a computer?

5) How is Total Drama animated?

I love animation and would like to animate as a recreation and/or career.

Thanks, and keep up the amazing work on Total Drama. I can't wait for more!

MilaYin said...

I want to make my own TD animation video with Anime Studio Pro 7. Do you have any tips?

Breakingmikey said...

Hi, remember when Owen and Courtney were eliminated in Total Drama Action, what is their rankings. Is it Owen 3rd and Courtney 4th or both are 3rd/4th place?

Anonymous said...

Hi, I am a college media arts student who is working hard for a career in animation. I was also a fan of this show, and I was wondering if you can answer these questions.

Q. What is the best quality an animator should have.

Q. When creating specific characters do you put alot of thought into their personality, and traits.

Q. What are somethings you would'nt pefer me to ask involving TDWT.

Dakota said...

How thorough were the storyboards for TDI, because the animation evolved throughout the seasons, so did the storyboarding evolve too?

Douglas said...

I have to admit, I've always wondered about the voicing. Do the voice actors match the facial animation of the characters while doing the recording, or are the character's facial expressions mapped to the recorded dialogue?

Anonymous said...

Q. What are the qualities to become good at animation?

Q. Where do you get the inspirations for some of your characters? do you put alot of thought into theme?

Q. What questions involving Total Drama World Tour, would you not pefer to answer?

Gracesofthechild said...

I guess less of a technical question... aside from Gwen and Leshawna, who you showed us the clothing designs, where did you get inspiration for the campers (both looks and personality/stereotypes)? Was some inspiration taken from other reality shows, or anything else?

Unknown said...

Sooooo... How do you animate all the characters in the show? And how do you record it? I'm really into animating, but whenever i try , it ends up not looking "clean". Thank You!
BTW biggest TDI fan ever right here! :)

Dustin Spence said...

Is Laurie Elliott a writer on TDWT or all of the Total Drama's???

Anonymous said...

My question is:
Was TDRI originally planned for 13 episodes or was it just the studios gave a lower budget for the show this time?

Anonymous said...

will TDWT will have a special like TDA (Celebrity Manhunt, which is one of my favorite episodes BTW ) ?

-Jenii:)

cococheez said...

Are the character designs that were put up still the same or were they changed/new ones added?

Kara(dxc) said...

ive always wanted to become an animator, any tips on becoming an animator and what it takes? thanks for taking your time to read this :)

AprilxX said...

How long does it take to animate just one episode, and what episode was the most longest to animate? (Any season.)

Unknown said...

How do you guys think of other completley different characters with completley different personalitys than the original 22/24 or do you guys use some similarities?

Pangiosis said...

Hey question. Do you guys work on the episodes in the episode order or do you work on seperate episdoes at once?

Daniel said...

How long does it take to animate one episode of Total Drama?

Mark said...

Hey!
I was wondering, does one person decide the elimination order themself; is it done one player at a time during writing; or is it by some other format?

Anonymous said...

can you show us the cast for season 4 i think it is time to show them...and if you dont want to show them at least tell me that mike does not make dot eyes

Jax said...

How long does it take to produce one full episode, on average?

What program/process do you use to animate(I know nothing about animation :p)?

How many different stages did the cast go through before they were a finished product?

Just some of my questions, thanks for taking the time to answer some of ours!

VG (near a place where they filmed movies alot...in Canada, Western) said...

Where did you get the idea of Total Drama from? It beats other reality shows in my opinion.


Also, how do you get the ideas of all your characters and personalities?

Furthermore, how do you get the TOTAL DRAMA in TOTAL DRAMA (not to be confused with how you got the name, one can interpret the meaning)

Moreover, where do the ideas of the challenges the contestants face come from?

Also, how did you decide which voice actor/actress played the contestant in which they were going to play.


--not questions but other notes
CAN'T WAIT FOR TDROTI!

GarytheGagetDude said...

Dear Total Drama Team,

Total Drama is my favorite animated series. It's just so awesome. But anyway, here is my question:

Are Eva and Duncan considered "friends"?

Tamara said...

Hi I'm Tamara
I've three questions:
-There will be new songs?
-Courtney will be in the fourth season?
-Duncan will back together with Courtney?

I love Courtney
I love DuncanxCourtney
I LOVE TOTAL DRAMA!!

Anonymous said...

Hello Mark! I was wondering if the scripts to the show are mainly planned, or if things are ad-libbed. I heard that Scott McCord has made up some of Owen's lines on the spot, and I was wondering if any other voice actors do this too! Thank you!

IronBloodAika said...

Can I ask about why the sort of random shift in Duncan's attitude in the third season? Why did he suddenly break up with Courtney, when before it was implied they got back toghther. I'd understand if she continued to act like she did in Season 2, but she seemed to be genuinelly effectionate when mentioning him, sad to see him leave, and overjoyed to see him return. I just feel like I'm missing something.
Sorry if this has been asked hundreds of times before, but I just haven't heard an answer. You don't have to answer if you don't want to. Thank you for your time.

Anonymous said...

What is the process you go through of making one full Total Drama episode?

Anonymous said...

Hi, im Joji from guatemala,and these are my questions:

1. How born The character of chris mclean? and whats the reason of blaineleys creation?

2. how many time takes to write, draw and animate an episode?

thanks for the oportunity.

Anonymous said...

i was just wondering where in Canada the original Cast lived, i know there are some clues throughout the series like zeke lives in the praires, or Katie/Sadie living in Toronto, and probably Gwen cuz she had them at her house once. chris mclean is from Newfoundland, but what about the rest

Unknown said...

its true that camp tv was supposed to be an adult cartoon?

cameron said...

is there going to be aseason for the charecters that havent been in many seasons like katie and sasie?

Anonymous said...

what are the steps in making a episode?
What comes first.. the script, the drawings..?

Anonymous said...

What editing software do You use? :)

Anonymous said...

Why did you get rid of the old characters for season 4?

Anonymous said...

I Have to ask.. When do you think they'll air Total Drama: Revenge of the Island? :)

Anonymous said...

How are the eliminations decided?

Were there any eliminations that you guys were disappointed with?

Who wrote the Season 3 songs?

Will characters like Katie, Sadie, Eva get more of a starring role eventually? I think people would like to see them get developed more!

Do you plan on doing any changes in character design? Like for example, changing someone's hair color/style (not Heather, of course) for a season or giving the characters new outfits.

Thanks!!!

Daniel said...

How long does one episode of Total Drama take to make? In terms of preproduction, production and post-production?

Anonymous said...

Ok here are mine.

1. Ever since the kiss u have made Gwen more hated than Heather ever was. Courtney, Heather, and Sierra continuously gave her a hard time. There was a song solely based to put her down and it calminated with an unfair elimination. Why have you been giving G-Girl a hard time when we all know she is good person who showed a moment in weakness?

2. Will any of the original contestants make an appearance in season 4?

3. Has a fifth season been confirmed yet?

Anonymous said...

Whats the best part of doing a cartoon series?

Anonymous said...

Hi, It's me again. I'm curious as to what some of the character's ethnicities are. On many fan-sites I go on, the ethnicities of a few characters is debated. For one, I know it is commonly debated whether Heather is half Asian on her mother's side, or full Asian and the caucasion man showed in her message from home is her step father. Another debated ethnicity is Noah. I know it is "controversial" to say, whether he is Hispanic, Indian, or Native Candian. The third is Courtney. I have heard that she Hispanic, but she is still thought to be Italian, Native Canadian, and in some cases, German. I would love it if you clear this up for us, as I know it is on many peoples' minds, including mine, no matter how impertinent. Thank you for your time!

Anonymous said...

Have you ever considered moving Total Drama to adult swim so you could have:
Swear Words
Courtney Pregnant
CodyxNoah????

Anonymous said...

How did you guys come up with all the "stereotypes" that have defined the characters for the last few seasons?

Also, many people have noticed that some of the new characters appearing in Season 4 seemed to be "mixed stereotypes" of some of the contestants from previous seasons (An example: Dawn being described as a mixture between Lindsay and Gwen).

Doesn't this seem a lot like lot rewriting characters from the previous seasons and just allowing them to make different choices the second time around?

Sorry if this is coming off as a kinda harsh, it's just that I'm very interested in analyzing character interactions and development.

Ma-ri-no said...

Hi there,
I was wondering how your artists/animators went about creating the environments?
It wold be very time consuming to have to draw and re-draw things like trees for instance, so the real question is do your people save certain items/images and reuse them?

Julieta said...

Hello!!

Okay, I was big fans of Total drama, but everything changed after the third season... so I have only one question.... What were you thinking when coupled to Duncan and Gwen?!! :/
When I saw the episode in London I almost cried ...

Courtney was a witch after the second season, but what Duncan was felt for REAL.
DuncanxCourtney were the best couple in the series!!!!! Why??!
I loved them, loved them all... :(
DxG sucks!!!!!!!
DxC 4 eveeeeeeeeeeeer!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Well, I actually have few questions I'm interested to know.
1. How long it takes to make a complete season?
2. What are the qualities to be in the animation job?
3. I will like to know more about the characters' home, family, friends, etc. I'd always wanted to know :)

Anonymous said...

Are there any plans in the works to release Total Drama Action, and now that it's done airing World Tour, on DVD? The DVD set of season 1 is great, and I'd love to be able to get the others.

Anonymous said...

okey here is questions:

1. is total drama revenge of the island the final season of TD?

2. how you decide what is going to happenen to the chracters?

3. for Scott: did you like more being Owen or Trent?

4. how the show is animated?

5. is TDROTI going to have special episode?

6. is TDROTI going to have afthermaths?

7.its true that camp tv was supposed to be an adult cartoon?

8. did Gwen's father realy abandom her like all people say?

9.Gwen still like Trent?

10. how many time takes to finish a season?

11. ( i think this question can't be answer but ...) is TxG going to get back?

12. where did all characters lived? did they all live in toronto?

13. when is the exact date that TDROTI is going to start?

Anonymous said...

okey here is questions:

1. is total drama revenge of the island the final season of TD?

2. how you decide what is going to happenen to the chracters?

3. for Scott: did you like more being Owen or Trent?

4. how the show is animated?

5. is TDROTI going to have special episode?

6. is TDROTI going to have afthermaths?

7.its true that camp tv was supposed to be an adult cartoon?

8. did Gwen's father realy abandom her like all people say?

9.Gwen still like Trent?

10. how many time takes to finish a season?

11. ( i think this question can't be answer but ...) is TxG going to get back?

12. where did all characters lived? did they all live in toronto?

13. when is the exact date that TDROTI is going to start?

Anonymous said...

What made you decide to make Duncan cheat on Courtney with Gwen? ._.

was because the fans that like DxG or just because you like Drama?

Anonymous said...

hey! i have a question: when you did TDI did you thinkwas going to get THAT bunch of fans ( like me ^^) or you just think that was going to be another normal show?

because WOW they are MANY fans and this show is AWSOME

Anonymous said...

Will we see any of the original 24 in season 4?

Also has a fifth season been confirmed yet?

Anonymous said...

TOTAL DRAMA REVENGE OF THE ISLAND is going to have at least in the afthermaths the old campers?

The Cartoon said...

Something that I've always wondered about the original stereotypes of the contestants. In Season 1, Noah was labeled as "The Schemer," but never demonstrated that quality while on the show. It was more of his brains and his sarcasm. So my question is this: Was Noah originally intended to be a more important/villainous character?

PizzaTree said...

1. How long does it take to make one season of TD, and how many hours a day do you guys work?

2. Is Revenge of the Island going to be in a different animation style than the other three?

Alex Hernandez said...

I would like to to ask about :

¿Who are the voices Actors that make the New Set Characters TDRI?

¿will air a special episode of Total Drama World Tour?

¿In what exactly will come out the premiere date TDRI?

¿What will happen to the Old characters and especially Ezekiel?

Daniel said...

We finally saw the trailer for Season 4! Now that we saw ALL 13 of the characters, Can you confirm the voice actors for the Season and post large-size rotations of each character?

Anonymous said...

Is the 'S' in 'Leshawna' capitalized?
Do Alejandro and Sierra have prototype designs?
Out of the new characters, who are Dawn, Zoey and Dakota? (A lot of people are confused about this :P)

Love you, guys! <3

Anonymous said...

How long does it take to animate the show, and how long does it take to put the voices in with the animation.

Anonymous said...

Will Duncan and Gwen still be together in season 4

Anonymous said...

How do you decide who is going to win a season?

Anonymous said...

Chris and Blaineley are a couple?

Anonymous said...

Who are the official winners of every season?
No offence, but I don't like how there's different endings since it's hard to know which one's canon. :/ I know you've said that both endings are canon, but in all of the seasons, which ending was written first, (unintentionally?) making it the "real" one.

Anonymous said...

I'd just like to know one thing.

WHO THE HECK ARE DAWN AND ZOEY?!

Is Dawn the Red head girl and Zoey the Blondie or is that the other way around?

This is SO confusing!!!

Anonymous said...

Will Duncan and Gwen still be together in the next season??
Please... say me: NO!!!! :D

Duncan and Courtney was/is/will THE BEST COUPLE FOUR EVER!!!

M said...

Can you post some poses of Chris Mclean (Im learing how to draw so...)?

Unknown said...

Are you gong to the animation festival in august cause I'm going and I HOPE YOUR THERE!

Anonymous said...

whats up with blaineley, is she fine after the volcano eruption?

Anonymous said...

Who is Dawn, who is Zoey, who is Dakota?

Dawn - pale blonde,
Zoey - readhead,
Dakota - blonde in pink? :D

In which program are you doing animation etc.?

When will be the special episode of TD World Tour, and when will start a new season?

Anonymous said...

Will there be a season 5 of Total Drama?
If so is it true that all the contestants from past seasons and season 4 will compete?
Is it going to be a heroes vs. villains theme like rumoured?

Anonymous said...

Will Izzy make a cameo Revenge of the island????

Alexandros Martinez said...

If there is a Season 5, will it be two casts (2007 and 2011) comepting, or will it still continue the second generation without the 2007 cast?

Rina said...

other than Mike and Zoey,will there be any other soon-to-couples in season 4? because alot of people on deviantArt thinks that Scott and Dawn will be a couple(just wondering). Thanks