Since this journal entry is rather a bigun, I'll split it into parts!

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TTOS Datablast:
(specially adapted for DA)

This was originally created for IGN, and later adapted to SOS, and at the risk of whoring it TOO much, somethin told me you fine people at DA might also appreciate a look at this lil burst of fanfilm information. Keep in mind when reading, it was designed mainly for people who have never heard of the project. Oh and sorry for the lack of piccies and stuff, I'm not a subscriber, so don't have access to those features!

Devil May Cry: The Tears of Sparda

Links:

Offical site
Official production blog (coming soon)

Early Teaser trailer (features James doing his Vergil voice)
Video Interview with the director
Video Interview outakes (warning, contains profuse swearing and general wackiness)

Official logo
Wallpaper

Character cards:
Dante
Vergil
Arthemis

The Storyline

I obviously cannot reveal very much here, it's all rather hush hush, but I'll lay down some basics for you. Contrary to the guesses of some, the film has nothing to do with Sparda crying lol The story deals with three ancient artefacts known as the "tears of sparda", which were key in the expunging of Spardas demonic form and powers all those thousands of years ago. They have remained undiscovered all that time, hidden away and forgotten, faded into legend and hearsay (as these things generally do) until now. "Tears of Sparda" is set shortly after the events of DMC1 (left deliberately vague ala Capcom) and follows the recent death of Dantes partner Trish. (although she will appear breifly in the film, in a flashback-esque role)

As the films canonical expert I have personally ensured that the storyline of the film is canonically watertight. There are absolutely no breaches in canon, no contradictions of fact, no timeline clashes, (save perhaps, the as yet unknown information from DMC4) this film can slip cleanly and efficiently into the DMC universe. Unlike certain other game films and fan projects, this one is 100% loyal to the DMC series, made by true fans, and with no alterior motives (I'm talkin greed and personal advancement) to cloud judgement. The original idea for the story was written by James, and Dream then adapted on that, developing on dialogue and working through the events of the story.

I have proof read the script draft by draft as it has been developed, and I think the final completed script is fantastic. It brilliantly captures the tone, atmosphere and setting of the games, and although a continuous storyline, has managed to emulate the same kind of character and progression as the games themselves. I was particuarly impressed with the films dialogue and character portrayals, which are just really well written, and astonishly accurate. On occaison, I was dissapointed that these lines weren't from the actual game or manga, as they were just such great examples of the characters personalities. Dreamer really does know these characters inside out... I probably shouldn't reveal this kind of insider info lol, but the script features not only the dialogue and actions, but extra notes on the characters thought processes and why they are doing and saying everything. It's this kind of insight that will really help the characters come to life in the film.

The Scriptwriter: Morgan Funder (Dreamer M)


The Cast:

Dante
Played by: Helio Frazao (Sakster)


Saks is one of the biggest Dante fans I have ever met, and one of the most popular Dante look-a-likies on DeviantArt.com, having been CGed into his hair many many times over the years. The guy is so well qualified for this part, it's almost crazy. As a military man, Saks has had extensive training in various forms of combat and weaponry, he is comfortable and familiar with all kinds of firearms, and has in depth real world knowledge of how they work and how to handle them. He also parkours in his free time, (that's free running for those not in the know) and has recently been practicing his acrobatic tricking and flipping skills for the films stunts and action sequences. Although portugese, he has been practicing and training his voice for weeks in order to lose his accent and emulate Rueben to the best of his ability, and both he and James have been looking very closely at the games scenes and action, in order to learn their characters' movements and mannerisms.

TOS Dante will be instantly recognisable as the cocky, confident and cool Dante from DMC1, which I am sure many will be pleased to hear, but he is also mixed with a few familiar elements from DMC3 Dante, as following Trish' death, Dante is once again covering his pain up with attitude. After she died, he changed his shops name back to "Devil May Cry" and as far as anyone else knows, has resumed business as usual. In the film, Dante will be wearing a new costume, which although as yet not set in stone, will likely be a long red coat, along with a black shirt and trousers. (Saks is designing his own costume, and has been experimenting with a few different looks)

Vergil
Played by: James Holyoake


James is of course the films director and co-writer, but he also plays the part of Vergil. I'll have to admit at first this instantly made me jump to the conclusion the film was a sham designed as a vehicle for some Vergil fan to play as his hero lol.. BUT having talked to James, I see this is definitely not the case. In fact, even if we had looked for someone else to play the part, I don't think we could get anyone better. James is a trained actor, and has done professional voice work, theatre acting, and some breif TV work. He also took a course in Advanced Level Theatre Studies and English Literature. He is a huge DMC fan, and has played all 3 games all the way through and to the death (even DMC2! lol) he is utterly dedicated to doing the best job he can. As previously mentioned with Saks, James has taken time to specifically train his voice and movements to match Vergil, suppressing his (frankly potent ) accent, and IMO, he has been very successful. (check the early teaser for a sample) And don't worry, although he has admitted preferring Vergil to Dante (as a Vergil actor probably should) it has not at all affected the overall film. This is still a Dante film, not a Vergil-centric peice. (Dreamer is a huge Dante fan, so with them co-writing, it evens out lol)

In the film, Vergil is summoned back from the demon world and quickly resumes his quest for power, seemingly undeterred by his time in Mundus' service as Nelo. Cold, calculating and merciless as ever, Vergils portrayal in TOS is very loyal to his personality and character in DMC3. He is also the only returning character to be wearing a costume from the games. Vergils distinctive and badass DMC3 look is being faithfully replicated for the film, custom built for James down to the last detail (hey, I'd have complained otherwise lol) Special consideration has been paid to each and every element of his costume, up to and including the intricate oriental pattern on his coat.

Lady
Played by: Rachel Lund

Only recently recruited into the cast, Rachel is a professional dancer, and a Drama and Dance University graduate. She is the only member of the cast who hadn't played DMC when she joined the project, but James has had her watching through the games cutscenes, Dream has provided plenty plenty of material for her to work from, and she has quickly come to love the character and series. Sorry, no pics yet, since she is such a recent addition.

Lady is older in the film and has, for the most part, put most of her psychosis behind her, although she maintains her deep hatred for the demonic. Just like she promised Dante in DMC3, she became a demon hunter, and has spent over 10 years since then battling demons wherever she finds them. The events of TOS lead to her teaming up with Dante to combat a new enemy. (who is seen below )

Arthemis
Played by: Iain Alexander MacLeod


Iain is a very experienced actor who has even performed in professional productions at the royal theatre. He will be playing the role of a new character called Arthemis, who will be one of the films main villains. I can't say who he is or anything like that at this stage, that's part of the films story, so instead I will reiterate what James said in his interview, and that is that he is closely linked into the story of DMC and previous characters of the series... I can assure you now that he is not at all out of place, and some of my favourite lines in the film actually came from him. He is a damn kick ass villain. Also, I would like to clarify at this point that the name "Arthemis" is NOT a reference to the DMC3 weapon of the same name. There is absolutley no relationship or link between the two things, so do not try and invent one! lol Oh, and another extra note to avoid any confusion, no, he is not a demon lol See below:

Demons:

At the moment, only one type of demon is definitely in the film, although more are under consideration. The main demon seen in the fanfilm will be based off the Hells from DMC3 (mainly Prides), that is to say flowing black robes, large scythe and pallid thin flesh. The working name for them is "Wraiths" and just alike the Hells of DMC, they will smash into sand when hit/killed. This type of demon was chosen, as it can be played properly by human actors in costume and prosthetics, with minimal CG required, but can still look adequately demonic, as well as continuing a proper enemy design from the games.

Props:

The project has a seasoned and extremely experienced hollywood grade make up artist and prop builder named Paula Eden. She has worked on films such as the Davinchi Code, AVP, Batman Begins, and all the Harry Potter movies. Most of the films props will be built from scratch as it is the only way to ensure they are 100% accurate to the weapons of the game, although a few of the more "traditional" weapons will be modified replicas. An example of this is Yamato, which as you all know is a pretty standard katana save some design elements which have been carefully and painstakingly added. Things like the Rebellion, E+I, the amulets, the tears, and most of Ladys personal armoury, will be custom built specifically for the film. I am of couse checking the design schematics for each to ensure utmost accuracy, most recently I proof read the E+I design, which is spot on. If they can get E+I, one of the most complex weapons in DMC done right, they can do anything.

Special effects:

The effects and CG are being added post production by our CGI artist, who studied CGI at university, another fully qualified and skilled individual. He will probably be using a variety of programs for this task, one of which will likely be Studio Max 8 or something like it. I have seen examples of the different effects, and they are pretty swish, as is the program itself. He will be able to add gun flashes, bullet casings, electricity, sand swipes, smoke trails, explosions, and all manner of other effects which might be required throughout the film, giving the live action a true OTT DMC feel.

Devil Trigger:

Yes, both Dante and Vergil will DT during the film. The TOS DTs will be mostly created via prosthetics (custom made by Paula, so you know they will be of hollywood calibre) and post production special effects. The design is not set in stone, but the desired look is something alike the DMC2 DT, i.e it still retains the human shape and clothes, only "demonified". This may be dissapointing for some, but it is definitely better we choose a realistic and doable solution which can definitely be done well and look good, rather than try too hard and end up with a shabby CG model or some bizzare armoured costume.

Camera and editing:

Our camera lady for the film is Anna Weeden (Head of ProMotion Pictures), she is a fully qualified and experienced camera operator AND editor, and a personal freind of James. She was one of the few members of the crew who came on board without previous DMC experience, but James introduced her to the series and some of its cutscenes, and she immediately became interested in the project, and emulating the games exciting use of camerawork and angles.

Locations:

As the film is based in England, there are a variety of different gothic and deserted locations readily available. Churches, castles, ruins, abbeys, all are being looked at as perspective locations for shooting, as well as one or two more urban settings. James is also on special lookout for a place they can convert into Dante's office. Several buildings have already been chosen for the films different scenes, and I think with good lighting and angles, the atmosphere of the DMC world could be reliably captured in these realworld areas, even if the architecture is not quite as rich and imaginitive as DMC itself. (unfortunately, few such places exist lol)

Action and fighting scenes:

This is one of those times where I will have to remind everyone that this IS a low budget film, and one of the main knockbacks of this is that it cannot afford the equipment and crew necessary for wirework. This does of course impose certain limits on the action, but rest assured, the cast and crew are confident they can still deliver some brilliant fight scenes and stunts. We may not have access to wires, but with some vague camera "trickery", clever action choreography, well placed special effects and blue screen use (which we do have access to) I am very confident the films fights will be suitably badass and satisfy the fans. As stated earlier, both Saks and James have been training for their roles, part of which has included weapons training and constant rewatching and rehearsing of their characters own attacks and movements, all so in the film they know what they are doing and look like it. James has even contacted a professional weapon specialist and martial artist for help and advice while planning and preparing for the films fights.

In terms of action choreography, most of the cast and crew are of course action/fighting movie fans, and huge fans of the games action. They will be putting their heads together in designing and planning the films fights and how they can be done. (I am actually taking special interest in this part of the project, as I absolutely love a good fight scene and am quite a big follower of action choreography throughout the film industry) James himself has watched a variety of films in the last few weeks as vague research for the kind of OTT action he might want, including Versus, Hero, Kill Bill, Death Trance etc (as well as the live action tests from DMC3 of course.)

And rest assured DMC fans, both Dante and Vergil get their chance to shine in combat (and not only against each other), and of course, a variety of classic trademark DMC moves and abilities will be included throughout. Those already drafted, even at this early stage, include Stinger, Helm Breaker and Round Trip and we are 100% determined to somnehow manage Hightime. It just has to be in a DMC movie, anything else is just a travesty lol All the fight scenes will be intricately planned and developed before being filmed, and even without the wires, I think the film can deliver where it's necessary.

Release date?:

This has been left deliberately open to avoid dissapointment and failed deadlines in the future, but the current aim is for a release sometime in the first half of 2007. Ideally, we would premiere the movie at the Tales of Anime convention, but at the very worst, there will be a full theatrical trailer by then. The project is currently at the pre production stage, but filming is literally just around the corner...

If you have any further questions or concerns, feel free to leave a comment, and I will be right with you
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DMC4 Information HQ:

Created by myself as a way to cope in these turbulent and confusing times, it is a compendium of ALL official and confirmed DMC4 information currently out there. It is far too big to actually post here lol, so instead, I shall provide linkage to it. Linkage! This thread is on a DMC board called Sons of Sparda. I myself, prefer IGN, but SOS lets me post scans, lol so this is probably a better place for you to see it. SOS is also the board where James started the official fanfilm thread.

If you have any questions about my sources or wish to dispute something in the thread, feel free to leave a comment, and I shall answer ASAISI (as soon as I see it!)

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As requested, a little bit more about me:

First question was I beleive, what do I do for fun? haha Well, I'm at university now, doing a course in Games Design (hellz yeah), and between all the coursework, class, and lectures, I don't get nearly as much free time as my basic "only in class 2 days a week" timetable may make out lol And on top of that is of course the hassles of independent living, as well as the upkeep of a social life with my new uni buddies (parties, BBQs, bars, bowling, pool, just general socialising at peoples houses... taxing stuff! lol)

When I do get some spare time, I have alot of interests and hobbies. Gaming, is an obvious one. With starting a games design course, falling in with a group of gamer freinds, next gen just around the corner, and my recent purchase of a 360, I have been getting back into playing games. I have been playing Dead Rising alot lately, on the side of yet another Halo 2 legendary co-op run through, (this time with a guy from my games design class) and am looking forward to Gears of War, which is very close now. (haha! makes me sound like a 360 fanboy, I assure you though, I'm a Sony guy, always have been lol PS3 fanboy to the end! *ahem*)

Although I quit playing it a few months pre to uni, I have been lured back into collecting and playing the model based tabletop game Warhammer 40K again, since all my new freinds are at it lol, so I devote some time (and money) to that. I will have to pick up some of my old models and books next time I am home... I am also interested in story telling, action and narrative through all kinds of media, and read both your standard books/novels (mainly discworld and some GW stuff) as well as a few mangas (Berserk and Hellsing mainly, although I read some Battle Royale and intend to start on Gantz soon) I used to read comics, but now the only comic I really read reguraly is Spawn (although my interest in comics kinda went on anyway) I also watch a variety of TV series', I love movies (I often take cinema trips with freinds, attend DVD screenings and film society events with the uni) and I do watch the occaisonal anime, (more since meeting a guy in my class who is an anime nut) but prefer manga, as they always do a better job of a series. (OVAs though, generally pwn)

Then is all the online stuff I do, not just forums and keeping up with the development of upcoming titles, but I am involved in a number of online projects. (one of which you know, the Tears of Sparda DMC fanfilm)

So yeah, I AM A TOTAL GEEK, and proud of it!

As for drawing, yep I do indeed enjoy it, I have to say though, I have been seriously neglecting it for a long time, I used to draw ALOT, just for fun and to fill time, and that faded away over the last few years of school. (lol Art class basically taught me to hate drawing) It's only recently, what with my course being very art based, with alot of illustration required, that I have been getting back into it. Through joining DA I hope to find the kind of healthy and creative atmosphere which will help me to once again get back into drawing and really love it again. At the moment, I'm a little bit rusty (lol not sure I even want to put up my more recent work) but I'm workin on it!

If there is anything else you would like to know about lil old me, feel free to leave a comment with your question!

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The TTOS DA crew:

The script writer
The director/co-writer/Vergil (phew lol)
Dante
Arthemis
Two extremely kickass artists who are creating a special artbook in support of the film
Creator of the ToS fanclub, much thanks in her direction
The fanclub itself! (go join)
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Journal Entries:

Introduction - Oct 30 06
TTOS Datablast/DMC4 HQ/and a little more about me - Nov 10 06
TTOS blog and 6 weird things- Nov 29 06
Happy holidays and Beginning PS - Feb 04 07