The SPOILERIFIC Ask Robert Wolfe Thread-The Series, in General

[NightHawk]

If you are going to have all those tie-ins then give us back our magic words, staff, pentacle, basement apartment and subbasement.

I still have to ask, "glass doors", come on? Someone could throw a rock through them and kill him.

By the way "Shield Bracelet" is what it means shield, when he needed more he focused his magic through the pentacle. I know I know, I just can't let it go.

[NightHawk]

Okay people have transcripts and viewed closed captions of show, all say "from" the council and you are saying for. So the script and closed caption is wrong?

[Elanel]

I still have to ask, "glass doors", come on? Someone could throw a rock through them and kill him.

Or if he's out for a walk someone might use a rifle at a thousand yards. I hear the bullet outruns its own sonic boom, so Dresden would never hear it coming! eep 

[whoknowswhy]

Okay people have transcripts and viewed closed captions of show, all say "from" the council and you are saying for. So the script and closed caption is wrong?

There are no official transcripts on the web, only what people have transcribed themselves and posted (which probably violates copyright laws, btw).  As to closed captioning, having been exposed to a lot of it, it is very often wrong and/or makes no sense at all.  Robert, who undoubtably is the authority on this, assures us that it is FOR, not FROM.  I think I would take his word for it.  Paul is British, doing an American accent, I'm sure some words are harder to speak clearly than others.

[dawnsister]

 Robert - is there going to be some big, giant toady thing that is going to crash thru those glass doors anytime soon? Requiring Harry and Bob to install some heavy duty dented and bashed industrial type doors?

If Justin is still alive, does that shift Ebenezar out of the storyline?  That would mean Harry would never have been under the Doom of Demacles, and Ebenezar would never have been his mentor.

[Leishkin]

It was decided not to use "magic words" since it felt too reminiscent of Harry Potter.  There will definitely still be spells, including flying staffs and fire blasts and such.  Just not with the words.

That just makes me sad.  It's not like Potter is the first wizard to use spellwords.  It's times like these that make me almost wish you guys *had* changed Harry's name to Erik for the TV show, so people would be less inclined to make comparisons between the two series.  I'm amazed that the Potter books are having such a (in this fan's view) detrimental effect on the Dresden TV series.  Yay spells and flying staffs and fire blasts, but... man.  I'm going to miss that aspect of the books.

I'm right there with ya. I for one have felt absolutely no desire to ever read/watch Harry Potter because of all of the hype surrounding it, and now here it goes, ruining one of my favourite things about Dresden, his kick-ass blasting rod,  flame spells, etc....etc.

I just think the series is different enough to Harry Potter (helloooo children's literature) for the comparison to be made, I mean c'mon, he's a paranormal investigator, he goes to crime scenes, I know you're playin' to the plebs, here, but argh. I want to hear that beautiful man say 'ventas servitas!'  *cough* did I say beautiful man? I meant ah, good actor....

pwease, Robert, pretty pweeeeease? with a cherry on top?

[bobtheskull]

It was decided not to use "magic words" since it felt too reminiscent of Harry Potter.  There will definitely still be spells, including flying staffs and fire blasts and such.  Just not with the words.

That just makes me sad.  It's not like Potter is the first wizard to use spellwords.  It's times like these that make me almost wish you guys *had* changed Harry's name to Erik for the TV show, so people would be less inclined to make comparisons between the two series.  I'm amazed that the Potter books are having such a (in this fan's view) detrimental effect on the Dresden TV series.  Yay spells and flying staffs and fire blasts, but... man.  I'm going to miss that aspect of the books.

I'm right there with ya. I for one have felt absolutely no desire to ever read/watch Harry Potter because of all of the hype surrounding it, and now here it goes, ruining one of my favourite things about Dresden, his kick-ass blasting rod,  flame spells, etc....etc.

I just think the series is different enough to Harry Potter (helloooo children's literature) for the comparison to be made, I mean c'mon, he's a paranormal investigator, he goes to crime scenes, I know you're playin' to the plebs, here, but argh. I want to hear that beautiful man say 'ventas servitas!'  *cough* did I say beautiful man? I meant ah, good actor....

pwease, Robert, pretty pweeeeease? with a cherry on top?

You might be surprised about Harry Potter.  It was actually popular before any hype started.  It became popular because people that read it told their friends about it.

I got into it at book 4 in spite of the hype.

[Hawkfu]

You might be surprised about Harry Potter.  It was actually popular before any hype started.  It became popular because people that read it told their friends about it.

I got into it at book 4 in spite of the hype.

Yeah, I have to agree. Both wizard's named Harry are really great. While Dresden is definitely more 'adult', the Potter series is also a great story that keeps building and getter stronger with each book. While you're waiting for the next Dresden book I recommend you try the other Harry. I mean, over hyped it may be, but that hype started for a reason.

wlg

[Shiggy]

Hey Robert, is the CC going to be better for the rest of the series?  Besides the VO issues I mentioned before, there are also words here and there either not captioned, or captioned wrong, and complete lines that are not captioned at all.  I live in a fairly large deaf community, and the caption issues could pose significant problems with those viewers.

[Robert Wolfe]

Okay people have transcripts and viewed closed captions of show, all say "from" the council and you are saying for. So the script and closed caption is wrong?

Yes.  They're wrong.

Paul's preposition here was almost inaudible on the production track, but did arguably sound more like "from" than "for."  The real script says "for."  CCing was done weeks in advance and was wrong.  We looped it in post so he says "for" but because he was matching his original lip movement, it was never particularly a clear reading.  In restrospect, probably should have clipped the entire phrase so he just says "protecting him" but we thought we'd gotten a clear enough loop line that the "for" was recognizable.  I suspect that in the muddying of the sound downline of us, it became indistinct once again.

[Robert Wolfe]

Hey Robert, is the CC going to be better for the rest of the series?  Besides the VO issues I mentioned before, there are also words here and there either not captioned, or captioned wrong, and complete lines that are not captioned at all.  I live in a fairly large deaf community, and the caption issues could pose significant problems with those viewers.

God, I hope so.  My wife has pretty bad allergies so sometimes we have to use the CCing in specific sequences of shows when her ears are clogged up.  So I've noticed that a LOT of shows have terrible CCing.  We're checking into this, but when we're still making a lot of minor adjustments very close to broadcast (season one blues) it can't be easy for them.

BTW how much of a geek am I that whenever I see the abbreviation CC, I think it stands for "Crowd Control."

[Robert Wolfe]

If Justin is still alive, does that shift Ebenezar out of the storyline?  That would mean Harry would never have been under the Doom of Demacles, and Ebenezar would never have been his mentor.

Since we've simplified the backstory a bit and since we have Dresden kill Justin much later in life than in the books, there's not much room for Ebenezar.  In some ways we cannabalized the book version of Ebenezar into Justin and a bit into Morgan and a bit into Mai.

That said, I do like the character so it'd be fun to incorporate him in some way down the line.

Let the flames begin!

[Shiggy]

Thanks for clearing all that up Robert, I'll fix my transcript and such so that I have it correct.

Oh, and if you need help with captioning, I can type fairly quickly and accurately...and I'm cheap.

[Hazelip]

Since we've simplified the backstory a bit and since we have Dresden kill Justin much later in life than in the books, there's not much room for Ebenezar.  In some ways we cannabalized the book version of Ebenezar into Justin and a bit into Morgan and a bit into Mai.

That said, I do like the character so it'd be fun to incorporate him in some way down the line.

Let the flames begin!

Well...crap, man.  I mean...crap.  *sigh*

Ebenezar is kind of an important character in Harry's life, and his development into a responsible man.  Plus, I was really looking forward to that kindly old man who could snap you in half without batting an eye, kind of like Wilford Brimley in The Firm, in his classic truck.  (I really dig old trucks, probably the only reason I'd ever watch a rerun of MacGuyver is to see his truck on screen.)

Y'know...if you haven't finalized Mac's, maybe Eb and Mac could be business partners.  It's never really been clear to me if Mac was a wizard, or if he was just tight with one.  Maybe Eb is the one who helped him design the magic dispersing posts and work out the neutral territory agreements?

[dawnsister]

I think it will be interesting to see how Ebenezar could materialize in some way down the road. I don't want it all just handed to us in the first few days.  Those of us who know him would get it.   I'm still putting in my request for Jason Statham as Mac though, could you work on that? ;-) 

Harry seems much more Harry this week ~Lovin' it~ Great work!  Oh, yeah and Bob had some good shiny Bobness to him too!  Robert, You guys Rocked it this week! Congrats to you and the crew.


*Does that score me enough points for you to work on Mr. Statham? Just think of the ass kick'in he could hand out helping Harry. :0)