Below are sample scans from an action Robots In Disguise episode script used by the producers and voice actors to record the show. I will try and walk you through some of the cool things we see here.
Cover Page
This episode is episode 29, Fortress Maximus. The original episode in Japanese was called “Surface! Cybertron City”. The cover states this, and gives a brief overview of what the episode is about. You can see it has gone through several drafts by the notes at the bottom, and as we will see later, it went through some more before it went to air.
Character Line Listing
The first several pages of the script are similar to the image show to the left. They list each character, with a line number next to it. Each number represents a line they will say in the show. I am not exactly sure what purpose this serves, other than to list all the lines each Voice Actor will need to do in one spot for timing/pay purposes.
Episode Dialogue
Next we see a page featuring the dialogue in order. The first row has the numbers mapped out from the previous page. Each line has its own number. The second column has 2 numbners. The first of the two is the starting point, in minutes and seconds, of the line to be read, and the second number is the ending point. This is done so that the voice actors know how long they have to say each line, therefore allowing the final American dialogue to match up with the Japanese animation’s mouth movement. If you notice, line “106” is and Optimus Prime line, and that was listed on the previous image as being so. Also of note, manual hand-written edits are seen in the dialogue area. This was probably done either to fit the dialogue into the allotted time, or, just to better the flow of the dialogue.
Last Page Breakdown
Lastly, we have the last page of the script. As we see below, the final written version differs greatly from what actually aired. Below is a transcription word for word of what was actually said in the show that aired:
- Scourge: Its power is amazing!
- Ruination: It’s going to cave in! We should retreat now, or else we’ll be trapped under ground!
- Scourge: Not yet. I can feel its power! I must get closer!
- Ruination: Scourge!
- Scourge: I can feel it! It’s incredible! I must have this power!
- Ruination: We’ll all be buried. We’ve got to get out of here!
- Scourge: Look at that!
- [end]
The original script had the following as the end of the episode:
- Scourge: It’s calling me! (Not Said At All)
- Scourge: It’s power is amazing!
- ORIGINAL: Ruination: It’s going to cave in! We should retreat now, or else we’ll all be buried along with the ruins!
- EDITED TO: Ruination: It’s going to cave in! We should retreat now, or else we’ll be trapped underground!
- Scourge: Not yet! I can feel it’s power! I must get closer!
- Ruination: Scourge!
- Scourge: I can feel it! It’s incredible! I must have this power!
- Ruination: We’ll all be buried. We’ve got to get out of here!
- Scourge: Look at that!
- Omega Prime: Fortress Maximus!?! (Not Said At All)
- Scourge: (evil laughs) It’s power is enormous! With it, I will conquer the Universe! And nothing can stop me!! Nothing! (evil laughs) (Not Said At All)
So as you can see, it’s pretty much the same, but some changes did happen. This type of thing is evident in the entire script (which is wayy to long to scan the whole thing in!). Overall you can tell the production team and the voice actors worked very hard to both keep the voices matched up with the animation and make sure the dialogue flowed well. Of course they were working within boundaries of the original plot, and, the animation limitations, but in the end they did a superb job.
