(re: re: Phantasmagoria Memories? Questions for Ken or Roberta) My answers to your questions are embedded below. Roberta said she’ll take a stab at these tomorrow afternoon. Her answers will be MUCH better than mine.
-Ken W
Questions:
How long had Roberta had the idea for Phantasmagoria?
*** I don’t know. Roberta will have to answer this. In a way, it’s not unlike her first game, Mystery House – which was 10 years previous.
How long before she was given the go ahead?
*** Phantasmagoria was a tough sell inside Sierra. It needed a huge budget, and was a risky project. New technology, new techniques, new kind of game, everything. That said, my rule was always that your ability to make things happen at Sierra flowed from the profitability of your last game. Roberta had a string of hits, so she could do what she wanted.
Ken, What was your role in helping Roberta?
*** I had two roles: 1) TRY (unsuccessfully) to keep the project on budget. And, 2) Give ideas to the technology group on the extentions to SCI needed to support the game.
Were either of you ever concerned about the massive costs associated with completing this project?
*** Myself much more than Roberta. I always played the evil corporate villain role within the company. (trust me — it didn’t always work)
Could either of you describe the process that went along with assembling the cast?
*** Roberta will have to answer this. I know that she wrote descriptions for each character, and that these were then used for casting sessions down in Hollywood.
Did you hold many auditions etc?
*** Yes!
What was it about Victoria Morsell that made her desirable for the role of Adrienne?
*** Speaking as a fan of the game: I thought she was awesome in Phantasmagoria. She had the right look, and did a solid job as an actress. Roberta dropped out of Phantasmagoria after the first game. Lorelei took over the series for the sequel, and wanted to do her own game. I wanted a direct continuation of the story, and to bring Victoria/Adrienne back. Unfortunately, I didn’t just force this to happen, and Phantasmagoria II had very little to do with Phantasmagoria I — and, sold about 20% of the number of copies.
Did the cast have much initial difficulty acting in front of a blue screen?
*** It was a long shoot — about nine months — and, very complex. It was tough aligning the actors with the 3-d rendered sets.
Who selected the outfit that Adrienne would wear? Were the colors of the clothing chosen for any particular reason?
*** I don’t know — but, I HAVE THAT SHIRT!!! The orange top she wore! I talked her out of it at the end of the shoot, and had it framed.
Do you have any fun memories between you (Ken or Roberta) and the cast that you would like to share?
*** Roberta will have some great answers to this question.
