Carl Macek reworked story lines of
three series, an unfortunate necessity, so that the 65 episode requirement
for US syndication could be met. A brief
summary of each episode and which of the three sagas, or originating
series, it falls into was nicely provided by Peter Fagan on
alt.tv.robotech. I thought it would be
useful and grabbed a copy (Peter also has a web page listed in my
page of links to other anime pages.) Also, as
each Robotech LD is released, Macek writes a little about
what went into the dubbing and reworking of the plots. Here are his
comments taken from the LDs.
The Robotech Ani-Mayhem Expansion Petition
Ani-Mayhem the Card Game is looking for anime to make into expansion
sets. So lend your name to help put Robotech on the card. All you have
to do is E-mail: legend@cisnet.com.
Go ahead and send a quick note right now, before you forget!
Carl Macek's Robotech Comments
A 9 Part Laserdisc Series
Featuring 36 fully animated episodes from the section of Robotech known as
the Macross saga.
Laserdisc 1
Producers Notes: When Robotech first aired on American television in the
spring of 1985, it ushered in a new era for syndicated animated programming.
The story lines and action depicted in this 85-episode serial, adapted from
three different Japanese programs, was dramatic, powerful and uncompromising.
Although Robotech was placed in weekday time slots traditionally reserved for
after-school "kid-oriented" animation, word-of-mouth praise quickly spread
and the viewership expanded to older teenagers and even college students.
Presented as a serialized epic which spans three generations engaged in a
life and death struggle to save earth from alien domination, Robotech remains
a dramatic and compelling saga which can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages.
Laserdisc 2
Producers Notes: One of the unique aspects of Robotech is the fact that
the original story lines which evolved to become the basis for Robotech were
written after the fact. The animation was originally produced as three
separate stories. When it became necessary to deliver a series with at least
65 episodes to accommodate domestic syndication needs, the original Japanese
stories were completely reworked to add new plot elements and to foreshadow
events which would take place in subsequent episodes. By planting characters
and plot elements in early episodes, the transition from one series to
another became smoother. The resulting story line of Robotech inspired a
series of science fiction novels, role-playing games and comic books.
Laserdisc 3
Producers Notes: One of the most difficult aspects of producing
Robotech was finding writers capable of turning in dialogue which matched the
movements of the mouths of the animated characters. The process is known as
A.D.R. (Automated Dialogue Replacement). The production team for Robotech
was fortunate to have a group of talented writers and editors who were able to
pull off the difficult task with relative ease. The production schedule
demanded that we complete five shows per week. In order to accomplish this
near impossible task we employed two studios to record dialogue around the
clock. What is even more remarkable is the fact that each actor worked
solo. When the episodes were eventually mixed down, the dialogue seemed so
natural it is hard to believe that the actors were never talking to one
another face to face.
Laserdisc 4
Producers Notes: There is a certain sense of completion which comes
from watching episodes of ROBOTECH in sequence. The sequential aspect of the
story combined with various plot revelations make the viewing of ROBOTECH as
an epic mini-series all the more interesting. Audiences grew to love and
hate certain characters, many viewers were so captivated by the personalities
and plot lives that they tended to forget that they were watching animation.
But this very same aspect of ongoing story lines ultimately caused ROBOTECH
to have problems during its first round of syndication. There has never been
an animated saga with depth of character and plot as ROBOTECH. Television
programming executives were not fully aware of the complex nature of the
series and would often show episodes out of sequence. The results were
disastrous. But the beauty of viewing ROBOTECH on laser disc or video
cassette is that the viewer becomes the programming executive and sets
viewings to accommodate personal lifestyle and schedule.
Carl F. Macek, Hollywood, CA