[quote author=CyberDramon link=topic=5399.msg67482#msg67482 date=1190990603]
Hi Mr. Motiki! Welcome to the Boards!
For my first question: How did you get involved in Medabots? Did you apply for the part and, if so, which characters did you apply for?
What was it like playing Metabee? Would you play him again if you could?
Were you allowed to do any improv? Any creative ideas you put into the show that came through in the script?
Thanks! :]
"Gonna fly like a Butterfly - Sting like a MetaBee!"
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INVOLVEMENT: Like most shows, I got an audition through my agent to read for the role of Metabee. I went early for "sides", which is the industry term for the script the producers want you to read at your audition. The notes on Metabee were that he was energetic, almost hyperactive, with lots of attitude. I did my best to portray that in my audition (I remember thinking to play him as a bratty Chris Rock), but also did my best to convey a sweeter side of Metabee as well, which I'd do when he would talk to Ikki's parents ... that helped to make him seem even more rude or unhinged when he was dealing with Ikki. I got a callback (2nd audition) and a couple of days later I was told I got the part. He was the only character I read for Dramon, but I did also get to do the voices for Kantaroth, the newer Hercules beetle-type medabot people mistook for Metabee (I went for a baritone, Barry White vibe with him) and Arcbeetle as well.
http://medabotsex.tripod.com/imagens/episodios/Medabots-Ep19.jpg
METABEE/IMPROV: Needless to say, Metabee was a
lot of fun to play. In the first half of season 1 he's just a total jackass to Ikki, so I got to be over-the-top with the rudeness, but he also allowed me to play some cute and sweet moments without having to be mushy. After Metabee disses Ikki and gets smashed by Koji and Sumilidon in the city championships, they work out a lot of trust problems and slowly become friends ... slowly because Metabee still got to stick it to Ikki every now and then. Total fun. As for improvising, there were plenty of occasions where I'd do a take of what was in the script, then give an improvised line in another. If they liked it better than what they had, they'd use it, and the writers would encourage me to do so. Also, the scripts would sometimes call for "frustrated reaction" or "confused reaction" or "happy reaction" so I could do or say whatever I wanted, so long as it was within Metabee's personality, and it fit into the allotted time, as we were plugging in sounds to replace the original Japanese.
Two things I really got a kick out of doing:
1) Metabee's battle cry. The script would call for Metabee to yell - I wanted to do something consistent, instead of just a generic scream when he would robattle. So, I based his scream on rapper-turned-actor Ice Cube's opening yell ("Yay ee yay-EEEE") on his single "We Be Clubbin'". He also makes the sound in the chorus of "Pushin' Weight". I'd also do it when Metabee was pleased about something.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCHzCFIlKrQ
2) Firing weapons. When I was growing up three of my favourite shows were Japanimation/anime programs: Star Blazers, Battle Of The Planets, and Force Five, which featured rotating super robots in respective series. One thing all the Force Five robots had in common was that they would announce the weapon they were using before they fired (which
I wouldn't do 'cause it would tip off my enemy but that's neither here nor there). Now I don't know if it was an inside joke between the voice actors, but they all seemed to emphasize the final syllable of whatever weapon they were using, especially Grandizer, who was my favourite of the pack. "Screw crusher PUNCH!" "Rainbow BEAM!" "Double sic-KLE!" So, when I saw that Metabee did the same thing, I would say my lines with the same inflection. "Seeker mis-SILES!" "Laser can-NONS!" The producers let me do this peculiar read, and my friends (and I suppose old Force Five fans) noticed as well CyberD.