Rainbow Rocks: A Q&A with Director Ishi Rudell



The Equestria Girls 2 train just keeps on coming down the tracks. This week, another Rainbow Rocks short was released, in which 4chan /mlp/ is clearly visible on the laptop screen of one character. Horse-News reporter SweetieBot snagged a few words with director Ishi Rudell about the upcoming film, to answer some questions regarding the next installment of the human-pony franchise. Check out the Q&A below.



Bold: Horse-News
Responses: Ishi Rudell - Director

Q: Lets get the easy one out of the way. How was it like working on the Equestria Girls sequel? 

A: It's been great... A lot of fun! As a new director I've been learning so much from Jayson and Jim.

I've been super lucky to have them sitting in the same room as me to bounce questions of them. And I've also been blessed with an awesome crew

I think every one working on the sequel to Equestria Girls has really upped their quality this time around! People have been really passionate about this next film.

Q: What was the most fun and least fun thing about working on Rainbow Rocks?

A: The most fun? Everything, from giving our input on the script, to the music... We've got some awesome music in Rainbow Rocks! To working every day next to these jokesters Jayson and Jim! Literally every day is a laugh fest!

Least fun? Well there have been some late nights and stressful moments, but that's all part of the process. Nothing that's lasting in my memory as an bad moment.

Q: When was Rainbow Rocks first started/put into the works?

A: Around May of 2013 was when the we got the premise from Hasbro.

Q: What are some aspects you believe have been improved on from the first Equestria Girls film. 

A: Not to biased, but I think the story is even better for EG2... And we had some great board artists who really got into the characters. Our layout team is a little more experiences this time around due to this being their 2nd crack at human characters.

Q: On the same note, how does Rainbow Rocks compare to the first EQG film as a whole?

A: Again, I may be biased but I think over all it's going to be  a better film. Since EG1 set the stage for our new world... EG2 gets to focus a little more on the story.

Q: Have you found yourself reading all feedback on the first Equestria Girls, positive and negative, and done some things to try to address the criticisms of the first film? Perhaps not just you, but also the writer(s).

A: I personally didn't spend too much time reading all the feedback from the first film... I try not to get too caught up in the criticism. When we watched the movie in theaters it had a pretty great response from the audience. That being said, we did try to make a lot of improvements on the first movie. I know that a lot of the feedback from the brony community was valid, but it's difficult to filter the constructive criticism from the trolling some times. I can't speak for Meghan who wrote the 2nd script. But based on how it turned out, I'm sure she heard some of the feedback.

Q: Were there any hiccups/mistakes/errors in the making of Rainbow Rocks?

A: Of course not.. :-P Lol nothing worth saying... For the most part, everything has been running smoothly.

Q: What are some scenes/ideas that didn't make the cut?

A: Hahaha... Oh god, I wish I could tell you! But some of them had us ROTFL in the editing suite.


Q: It was revealed at New York International Toy Fair that, like its predecessor, the film will also get a theatrical release. Do you know if it will be in limited theaters, like for EQG1, or be released in most major cinemas?

A: Unfortunately I don't know exactly what plans Hasbro has for a theatrical release on EG2. So I probably shouldn't even speculate...

Q: So far, the biggest gripe people have expressed towards the upcoming Rainbow Rocks film is that Fluttershy only has a tambourine. Was there any other instrument considered to be given to Fluttershy?

A: Heh yes... This was something already established, and we didn't have the power to change it. We had a few different ideas for Fluttershy's instrument. Violin being one of them.

Q: Another thing people have noticed is that the Rainbow Rocks shorts are much more visually impressive than most of  EQG1. Was this just something done for the shorts, or has Rainbow Rocks been kicked up a notch?

A: You can expect the same quality for Rainbow Rocks... Maybe even better! We had a lot of fun doing the shorts... And that fun carried over in the Rainbow Rocks.

Q: Should we expect to see plenty of TV/movie references and callbacks?

A: There might be a couple... If you look close enough.

Q: With tons of Rainbow Rocks Trixie merchandise already on store shelves, and Trixie getting her own short animation, can we expect to see her play a big role in the upcoming film?

A: I can only tell you that she will be more visible than she was in EG1.

Q: This is an important one. Are we going to see more or less of Flash Sentry in Rainbow Rocks, compared to EQG1

A: I think we've utilized the character properly for EG2... I hope that's good enough?

Q: Besides what we've seen, Pop, rock, and dubstep, are there any other styles of music we can expect to see/hear?

A: As far as the music is concerned you'll just have to wait and see... All I can say is that it's really good! Daniel really stepped it up for Rainbow Rocks!

Q: Was the fandom a big factor for making the decision to give DJ-Pon3 and Trixie bigger roles in Rainbow Rocks

A: For the Rainbow Rocks shorts we had a little more freedom to be experimental. This is why you guys are seeing videos like Music to My Ears. I think it's pretty obvious that the fandom does have a little influence on what we put out there.

Q: Along with EQG1, would you say that Rainbow Rocks is canon to FIM? 

A: Not 100% Although the universes are obviously connected, we're trying to separate them as best we can.

Q: Since the portal to EQG land only opens every 30 moons, how long would you say a moon cycle in Equestria is?

A: Hmmm that's a question better left for Jayson Thiessen. I'd say it's roughly around the same as the human world, but then again, A moon rotation would vary depending on how big or small the planet it was rotating around?

Q: That about covers it. Is there anything else you want tell us about Rainbow Rocks, before signing off?

A: I can tell you that Jayson and I just viewed the first act, and we were extremely happy with how it turned out. We've got an OTS that's going to blow your socks off... Thanks to amazing boards and layouts by Tony Cliff. Our layout team has done such an awesome job on this movie, thanks to Christopher Lienonen and Steph Mahoney.  You'll especially want to keep an eye out for Chris Morrill, who's storyboard panels are a work of art!

All in all I think you guys will enjoy Rainbow Rocks... And for those of you who are afraid it interferes with the regular season of MLP, don't be! No matter what, the team here at DHX is going to bring you the best quality entertainment we know how to! And we're very lucky to have an amazing relationship with Hasbro Entertainment, who give us the freedom to do so.

Thanks Ishi.


Comments (41)

  1. >the staff thinks that all the criticism of the first movie was just trolls

    these are the people in charge of the show

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. All of it? Can you even read?

      "I know that a lot of the feedback from the brony community was valid, but it's difficult to filter the constructive criticism from the trolling some times."

      He outright said a lot of things the fanbase hated about the movie WAS valid, but it got a bit hard to filter out people who are just losing their shit and going full hate mode.

      Delete
    2. Yeah that's the "we pretend we care" part of it. This is someone doing hard PR and you have to treat it so, and if there's a line like "I try not to get too caught up in the criticism" or "I personally didn't spend too much time reading all the feedback from the first film" or trying to shift it over to Meghan with a very vague comment, you can bet your ass they don't give half a fuck about it. None of them do, none of them read or consider any feedback aside from things that were thrown in their faces at cons or on Twitter, with all of it being disregarded as h8ers.

      Delete
    3. He emphasized that he was speaking for himself, though. It's really up to Meghan to take feedback into account and write better. About that, he did say this, which is curious:

      "But based on how it turned out, I'm sure she heard some of the feedback."

      Delete
  2. >all that Hasbro ass-kissing

    I know he has to say it but still

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  3. You fags better have a bootleg of this film available faster than what we fucking got last year. I'm definitely autistic enough to watch the film in theaters, but I doubt I'm gonna be getting a release anywhere near me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don't you fucking support this movie with actual money asshole, not even if there's no bootleg available and it is playing near you. Financially supporting this kind of bullshit is why they keep making it. We vote with our wallets. Just download it illegally when it becomes available like a decent human being.

      Delete
    2. I liked the first movie to a degree. I mean, it sucked, but I enjoyed it. I have no reason to believe this film won't at least be enjoyable. And even if it's not, who gives a shit? So a lousy movie got made and they made five bucks from a single dude because of it. All the other autists who think anything from the horse-crew is the literal best thing ever made will still support it tooth and nail regardless. Stop being a Jew and acting like every shekel counts.

      Delete
  4. Ishi seems like a nice guy who is passionate about making it as good as a film as it can be. Also liking that they're trying to separate this from FiM as much as possible. I'll probably go see it, but I don't like the idea of these characters as "humans''

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  5. >I try not to get too caught up in the criticism.

    This statement worries me. But at the very least, I know it can't really be worse than the first film.

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  6. EQG a shit

    This post was obligatory.

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  7. Hasbro forces Shy to have a Tambourine, even though the directors and writers can come up with something better. This is why EQG is the purest of shit. And it always will be.

    Nobody should be giving them their money, if you have to see it, do so illegally.

    He's saying good things about it but only because it's his job on the line. No self respecting artist of any kind could advocate this shit otherwise.

    "A: I think we've utilized the character properly for EG2... I hope that's good enough?" That better fucking mean he's nothing but a crowd filler. That's as 'proper' as he deserves.

    This shit is all the shit Lauren hated.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tambourinegate: biggest brony drama of 2014.

      Delete
    2. Well he's kind of right. FiM thrived on the creative freedom that Hasbro gave their writers and directors. I really don't care about a stupid Tambourine, but EQG is about as toyetic as you can get. Really hope that's not the future of the franchise. If by any chance Ishi is reading this, he's probably going to just disregard it as hate.

      Delete
    3. FiM grew in the early days because the creative team gave effort to make a great show DESPITE having Hasbro and their toys to deal with. And you know what? The team is in the same position as before, only this time Hasbro shoved an even BIGGER marketing idea down their throats with a humanized spinoff and they're striving to put a worthy product on the screen just as they did with the onset of the series. Remember that FiM wasn't a hit when it debuted either, this fandom grew as the episodes built the show, and now that the groundwork was more-or-less laid with the first movie, we let them build their craft. Settle in, too, because we got at LEAST 1 more after this.

      If ANYONE has ANYTHING to gripe about, it's that the team has to spend it's time making these movies instead of getting right back to the show. Frankly I'm okay with it though because even though "the ride never ends" the ride will end someday so the longer we can take to enjoy this thing in the moment the better.

      Delete
  8. Son, I am ROTFL

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  9. Pure damage control and pure shrugging off the fandom's opinions.

    Basically this is the same they did during EG1: same empty promises, same hollow hype, same damage control, even the same desperate pleas for a chance (to get our money)

    Oh, but God saves you from having any opinion that isn't the "correct" one about this because then you will immediately labeled as a troll or a hater.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm really sick of you retarded faggots taking every statement made from someone to its fullest extreme. Ishi literally fucking said that a lot of brony opinions were valid. Can you even read?

      Delete
    2. And the Hasdrone damage control squad arrives.

      Delete
    3. More Hasdronning, ladies and gentlemen!

      Delete
    4. Jesus Christ. Are you just gonna plug your ears and shout "lalalalalalhasdroneshasdronesllalalala" every time someone mentions that Hasbro has no interest in selling to bronies or listening to them?

      They know that there's not enough autism in the fandom to make the vast majority of bronies hand over their money at the ticket counter so they'll all pirate the movie instead.

      So in the end, they'll go for the Little girl easy demographic every time.

      But of course, they can listen to the fandom in which case everyone will scream pandas.

      Delete
  10. Fluttershy should play the flute. Get some of that Jethro Tull sound in there.

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    Replies
    1. I was having fun imagining the Kansas vibe that violin would have brought, but damn if yours isn't a far better (and more Fluttershy) idea.

      Delete
    2. Fluttershy plying the flute like Peter Gabriel in Genesis

      Delete
    3. Fluttershy has "band geek" written all over her anyway.

      Delete
  11. It's hard for me to think they haven't looked at the criticisms. They're fucking everywhere. Most of the writers browse the pony news sites and many likely browse /mlp/ too.

    Think about it.

    > writes for kids show
    > collects paycheck, goes home
    > audience viewing your work doesn't care, cuz they're kids
    > only praise you get is if the show sells toys and gets another season
    > suddenly you write for a cult show
    > blogs and reviews done about your work
    > YOUR WORK
    > your work is put under scrutiny by autists high and low
    > your work is panned, your work is praised
    > people are writing about you
    > people are giving you attention you otherwise wouldn't have
    > conventions are run where you aren't just one attraction next to other shows
    > MLP conventions where you get panels and VIP status

    Trust me, they read more than you think.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. *sniff sniff* you must be a writer. Which one are you?

      Delete
    2. If they have looked at the criticisms, then they don't care, cause they're still making shit.

      Delete
    3. If Hasbro says "We're making a My Little Pony spinoff toyline of humanized pony dolls to compete with Monster High," you hold your nose, change your name, make a statue of shit that would make both Michaelangelos jealous, and collect your paycheck.

      Delete
  12. What does OTS mean? Over the shoulder?
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OTS

    ReplyDelete
  13. Equestria Daily has now copy-pasta'd this interview.

    http://www.equestriadaily.com/2014/04/rainbow-rocks-q-with-co-director-ishi.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think that's a sort of achievement.

      Delete
    2. Last week we saw the end of Final Draft, now looks like Sethisto's end is coming.

      Serves him right for becoming a traitor to the fandom by shilling and defending Hasbro's crap nonstop.

      Delete
    3. Sethisto already was called out on this and asked to properly cite the source of "his" article.

      He's refusing to answer or do anything at all.

      Delete
    4. "Sweetie Bot decided to bug Ishi Rudell, the (co-director of Rainbow Rocks) with a Q&A style interview, and sent us over the transcript to post up."
      Reading comprehension, bro.

      Delete
  14. Did any of you drama queens ask Sweetie Bot if he submitted it to EqD before you went apeshit?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Equestria Daily staffer spotted.

      Go back to your den of circlejerking and Hasdroning, foul creature of the abyss.

      Delete
    2. Oh fuck, I've been caught. Where's my cyanide pill?

      Delete
    3. Go back to bed, Seth.

      Delete
  15. 30 moons, on Earth, would be about 2.5 years give or take a mouth

    ReplyDelete