Interview

Corey - SailorStars English Fandub

For the last year or so I have been following the production of the best Sailor Stars English Fandub I've ever seen and after the release of the superb first episode (check it out on the project's official site or here on YouTube [make sure to watch it in "High Quality"!]) and the build up to the soon to be released second episode I decided to to ask the man behind it all, Corey to put aside some time from his busy schedule to answer some questions.

Not only was he more than willing to answer my questions, he also supplied Moonkitty.NET with exclusive screencaps and video (that means please don't post them elsewhere).

The following interview was conducted by PMs and emails.

1) So what made you decide to commit yourself to a Sailor Stars dub?

I have always wanted to take part somehow in the production of anything that had to do with "Sailor Moon", and after seeing Negavision's fandub on YouTube and finding out that they never completed the season, I thought I would give it a try - vowing to not stop until the whole season is completed.

2) So many people have already attempted a Sailor Stars dub, what do you think makes yours worth checking out over all the others?

It seemed that Negavision's fandub was made with limited resources... and since owning the remastered region 2 Sailor Stars DVDs, we'll have perfect picture quality - also having a team with skills in video production, special effects, and audio mixing; and finally my artistic skills will come in handy for something... and I'm hoping we can bring back that magical feeling that DiC brought to us all those years ago.

Sailor Stars Fandub Screencaps

3) Personally I'm a big fan of the English dub of Sailor Moon but a very vocal section of the Sailor Moon fandom prefer a more literal translation. Why go with the DiC look?

I was first introduced to Sailor Moon with the DiC dub, and I don't believe I would have come across the series if it wasn't for them. Although I love both the English and Japanese versions equally, the DiC dub will always have a special place in my heart. I believe some people will be critical against our fandub because of the edits we'll make (as DiC did), but it's to be expected.

One other reason for this is, by editing the season, it'll be something new. Although other fandubs have done DiC style in the past, I really believe we'll capture the true essence. Having also heard that there are direct translation dubs being made, I guess the fans will have a choice of what they want to watch.

4) So how exactly will you be capturing the DiC feeling? Transitions? Music?

Although transitions, music, and sound effects will help get back the DiC feeling - also including a similar preview overlay and bringing back the Sailor Says. With script writing, we'll try and bring back the way the characters used to act, before Cloverway changed everything.

Sailor Stars Fandub Screencaps

5) How are you making these?

The transitions have been made with the use of 3d rendering, mixed with imaging software for touching up. I have put together a few DiC tracks by doing a lot of mixing bits and pieces, which is a very tedious job! Fans of the original Japanese version will also be happy to know that we've chosen our favourite cues from Arisawa's music collections.

6) How long would you say does it take to complete an episode, before adding the voices? i.e. new transitions, edits, etc.

It's a long job to complete an episode ready for voices. We have to write the scripts first, then make sure it all makes sense :P, then of course edit the episode to fit the lines, and add transitions for specific changes in scenes, then add music to compliment those scenes, and then finally add in all the sound effects. After that, it's a matter of tweak, tweak, and more tweaking until it all plays out like a symphony ^_^ I hope everyone appreciates how much time and effort we have put in.

7) Speaking of voices, what can you tell us about the voice actors that are involved in this project?

The voices we have chosen are doing a wonderful job so far. I think we have managed to capture a lot of the original voices, and because of this, it's getting very exciting as the first episode nears completion. We won't release it until it's perfect, so it will even go through the process of being viewed by our supervisors to make sure everything fits.

Sailor Stars Fandub Screencaps

8) What troubles have you come across so far in production?

Losing a few of the voice actors from the first episode was probably one of the biggest troubles we had.

9) What's the worst thing that's happened so far?

See above answer

10) What's the best thing?

The best thing was having the first episode released and receiving so many great comments ^_^

11) Where do you see this project a year from now?

Hopefully a year from now, we'll have more than half the season completed!! ^_^

12) The first episode has just been released. How do you feel about the end result and what has the reaction been?

I kind of answered that in 10, but I am pretty pleased to how it turned out. I'm glad a lot of the fans found that it gave them that nostalgia. When I started this project, that's what I set out to do - and it appears to be working out well so far.

Video Preview of Episode 2 (Click to Watch)

13) What would you say to someone who has never checked out a Sailor Moon fandub before? Why should they check out this Sailor Stars English Fandub?

Give them a chance. You never know what great new ideas someone can bring to the show. Our fandub is more important to those fans who have only seen the English versions, or who are just a fan of both versions of the show. We're staying true to DiC's original characters, and just bringing back that magic we all felt all those years ago.

14) Thanks so much for taking the time to do this interview! Any closing words?

My pleasure. I just want to a huge say thank you to all the cast and crew that have been helping us with the fandub, and all those future people who I know will make some great contributions. I am having a lot of fun producing this fandub, and I really hope we make it all the way to the end. ^_^

For more information on this fantastic Sailor Stars Fandub, check out their official site.

<-- Interview & Events Main Page --