Dragonball Movie Blog got the opportunity to score an interview with the founder of Ironhead Studios, Jose Fernandez, about his work on the upcoming Dragonball film. Ironhead Studios is one the film industry’s leading effects shop. They have done work on films such as Hellboy and X-Men 2.

DBMB: How did you get involved with Dragonball? Was there some sort of “auditioning” process or where you approached by Fox/James Wong?
JF: I was approached by Fox. I’ve done a handful of films for them, so we have a bit of a relationship.

DBMB: What characters did you work on in this film?
JF: In the early design phase I worked on almost, if not every character. After the initial drawings, the director and studio chose what they did and didn’t want to use. As far as final design and fabrication, I was responsible for Piccolo’s full costume and armor, everything except for his makeup, which ADI was responsible for. I also assisted Mayes Rubeo with realizing Goku’s costume and gei.

DBMB: What was it like working with the cast and crew?
JF: Other than James Marsters, I had little contact with the cast. I was only on set for a couple of days to make sure that the costumes were maintained, and looked the best they could on film.

DBMB: What was James Wong like as a director?
JF: I didn’t have the pleasure of working with James in depth. We met in a few preliminary meetings and e-mailed a few times. He seemed very focused and open to creative ideas.

DBMB: What was James Wong looking for in terms of character design?
JF: Well, James seemed to have a healthy respect for the source material. He wanted to create a memorable world that satisfied fans, but also was grounded in reality.

DBMB: How do you expect post-production to effect the look of certain characters? In what ways do you hope it will?
JF: I can only hope that the post-production work enhances the film. My favorite effects are the ones that seamlessly blend the practical and digital worlds. One world should enhance the other. Believability is always key.

DBMB: Were you familiar with the source material when you joined the project? If not, did you consult the original material for inspiration?
JF: I was not at the time, but there were those around me that were. That said, I immediately immersed myself in the world. Hopefully the fans are pleased.

DBMB: In terms of the styling of the characters you worked on for this film, what were some of the details that James Wong had requested you include?
JF: I specifically remember our conversations concerning Goku. James wanted to make sure that he wasn’t too tailored. He wanted Goku to feel like a timeless warrior. A combination of the new and old. Rather than come out of a superhero factory, Goku pieced together his costume from various sources that were important to him.

DBMB: What was the most challenging part of Dragonball?
JF: The biggest challenge for me specifically were budget and time constraints. I’m always pleasantly surprised with what can be done in a limited amount of time. I look forward to those challenges. They force you to be a problem solver.

DBMB: And of course I must ask, who is your favorite Dragonball character and why?
JF: I’m a fan of Yamcha. He reminds me of Han Solo. I’ve always been partial to the “loveable rogue” character. They have the most interesting arcs.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 9th, 2008 at 1:09 am and is filed under Interviews, Movie Crew, Movie News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.