Jose Fernandez on Dragonball
Dragonball Movie Blog recently had the opportunity to speak to the head of Ironhead studios, Jose Fernandez. Here’s what he had to say about his work on Dragonball:
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: What directors would you like to work with that you haven’t worked with already?
JF: The new vanguard. Zack Snyder, Jon Favreau, Christopher Nolan…. I’m not sure in what capacity he could use me, but I’m a huge fan of Bryan Bird. For me, that guy can do no wrong.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.
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I think 3’s enough. This is about goku’s journey to becoming a legendary hero and that’s all it should be, not all that other bullshit with buu etc.
Hay guys ever noticed something and bout freazas family lol their all cold
– king cold, cooler, freaza 
And i really hope they make all the sagas even GT ssj4 would look sweet on live
Fuck super-saiyan 4. Seriously. He looks like a rainbow colored freak that never shaves except for his chest.
Blah if anything I say they shouldnt make a Cell movie. Granted its a good saga, but there is no way it would be good. Seriously guys, do ya not remember all that happened in the android saga? Its impossible to condense all that in a 2 hour movie without it being like the Series of Unfortunate Events movie which was a complete disaster and made no sense. And besides, if they make a trilogy it should be 1. The DB movie 2. Saiyan Saga and at the end show them leaving for Namek and 3. Frieza. Course it wouldnt harm them if they knocked out the Ginyu force (Does anyone like them??) And not to mention, even though I have high hopes for this movie, we have to hope this movie does good before we anticipate any sequels.
@CAT: Yea okay great. That doesn’t make one of the worst costume designs in history acceptable.
@D: Worst costume designs in history? You can’t be serious. LOL.
i hope piccolos outfit doesnt have nips
Originally, Toriyam (sp) only planned on telling the DB/Z story up to Frieza (sp). Goku turning into a super sayan was suppose to be the end of the show. It became so popular that he agreed to keep telling the story. Which makes sense because cell barely has any history with Goku compared to Frieza and any history Buu would have is negligble. Just saying. The movies should end with Frieza (if they are made).
@josh stroud: What? You mean you don’t think they should include the awesomeness that was the Garlic Jr. Saga? That should definitely become a movie WAY before the Androids and Cell!
Haha, just kidding.
@Breasts are full: He looks like very colorful version of the Monkey King to me.
@AAA1058: Yeah. In fact every related-type character in DB has related names.
Saiyan: a type of Vegetable
Vegeta: vegetable
Tsuffles: fruits
Kakkarot: carrot
Nappa: another kind of vegetable
Broly: brocolli
Krillin=Kuririn: acorn
Gohan: rice
etc.
@ROb: I thought that was just Chatwin talking about Goku and Jose Fernandez talking about Yamcha.
YO! WAAAZAAA UP Y’ALL!
It his hypin’ sweet that we are getting this masterpiece of a movie! I have been a DBZ fan all my life since back in da hood! What I wonder is if it is true James Wong will direct the Evangelion movie since maybe it could need it’s touch into it! This movie will be a true blockbuster!
PEACE Y’ALL1
“if this one sells, they´ll probably end it with a trilogy with freeza, and goku being the legendary super saiyajin
i can´t imagine how they would fit the entire cell saga into a two hour movie
id love it, its my favourite saga, but it seems impossible”
The only thing they would have to do is shorten it, I mean they fit all of DB into one movie, so I am sure they can do one saga for the movie. Look the Spiderman movies are STILL being made.
monkey king, yeah maybe… more like cleavage king though. Ugh, goku with that much body hair, just disturbing…
@Adam: The nipple suit!!! I phrased it strangly but you get what I meant.
@J: you forgot piccolo= pickles lol
and radiz= radish lol
I’am Hispanic and I figured out that CHI CHI in Spanish means Breasts fun fact
I have high hopes for this movie, but I saw a picture that looked like Piccolo’s head (very deatailed, almost like the anime counterpart) but 1 (important) thing was missing ===> his antenna’s. and now that I saw the King Piccolo/Kami digital thingy that someone else posted here, I saw that they were missing too… Will they make Piccolo a generic alien guy without the Namekian antenna’s??? Either way… this movie will be Bad-*ss all the way.
a movie with Cell as the villain would be excellent =)
but there’s one thing I’ve been thinking about.. will they ever include Vegeta?
@Ryan: Yes Dumb ass they will include Vegeta in the 2nd movie and in the 3rd movie will be about Freeza..
Movie 1: Lord Piccolo
Movie 2: Saiyans:VEGETA
Movie 3: Freeza
Um Adam. You may want to take down that ad about ESF. Its really old and it requires the full version of Half Life to work
Nice, good to hear some production details. Good work DBMB for getting this interview.
The nipple suit was early in his career, plus we dont know if he was asked to add nipples or not. May not have been his choice. Piccolo with armor is an interesting concept though, Im not a piccolo fan so it doesnt bother me. If they give him nipples too, that’ll only make him more terrifying.
@AAA1058: It means the same thing in Japanese. Except not in a derogatory way like it is in Spanish.
@Mr. Sir: I really have no idea what you’re talking about.
im back fuck kaypain u and brucie if these creators didnt let e post this shit up bout u man lovers
u guys want 2 talk shit n some other fuckhesd postin shit bout me come on then oh and by the way DBZ 2 THE MOVIE is already being made Vegeta, frieza,super saiyan what u know now bet not that
You guys we don’t know if James Wong is going to start the 2nd movie with Vegeta. He might just do the Piccolo Jr. saga!! It was never confirmed…. Im really hoping he starts the Saiyan saga next though
@Trufan: What the heck are you talking about???? lol
I think they should follow the Harry Potter movies
Don’t you guys and gals want to see Gohan go super saiyan level 2???? I’ve always wanted to see that…. That’s the only time I ever shed a tear in a cartoon before. That was one of the best moments in Db history!!
Dragonball: King Piccolo saga
Dragonball Z: The Saiyan saga
Dragonball Z: The Freeza saga
Dragonball Z: The Android saga
Dragonball Z: The Cell saga
Dragonball Z: The Cell games (THE END)
I’m hoping they have some stuff from the Piccolo jr saga (like Kami), but I don’t actually want them to do a Piccolo jr movie. I just want it to begin with Raditz mistaking Piccolo’s power level for Goku and attacking him. Raditz abducts Gohan. Piccolo and Goku defeat Raditz without killing Goku (something tells me that the whole Death and King Kai thing would not translate well). A dying Raditz would tell of Vegeta and Nappa. Goku and Piccolo set out to train seperately. Gohan is trained by Piccolo still, developing characters through Gohans training.
Goku could go to Master Roshi, Master Roshi tells him Goku has already mastered martial arts from Gohan, the Kamehameha, and the powerpoll training so there no more Roshi could teach him. Roshi has Yamcha as a student and Yamcha focuses on mastering his training and learning to use the kamehameha on the saiyans. Master Roshi mentions a legend of Kami’s lookout and special training that Goku can get if he uses the power poll on Korin’s tower to get to Kami’s look out. Goku sets out to meet Kami, while Yamcha continues to train under Master Roshi for the Saiyans. Instead of King Kai, Goku learns the Spirit Bomb and Kaio-ken from Kami. They could just drop the whole Goku training with King Kai thing, because honestly, I don’t see that translating well onto film. Kami could also teach Goku how to fly like he did in the Piccolo jr saga (I think it was)?
Then I think you know the rest
3 movies about the Androids & Cell saga? No offense but that would be very boring.
Now if you say Cell movie then Buu movie then that would make sense.
@ http://www.myspace.com/coreywilson10- why would they make a cell saga then a movie all on the tournament
AND CORY THE BEST MOMENT IN DBZ WAS SSJ 3
@DBZM28: mm no, they aren´t fitting all db into one movie, they are leaving out the redribbon saga, most of the tournaments and a lot of other stuff, which is logical
yeah, but they´d have to shorten it way too much to fit it in,, and there´s too many important moments that can´t be excluded,, i don´t know,, i just cant imagine it, maybe it could be done, who knows
@ROb: why on earth would gohan be trained by picolo(goku´s enemy by then) if goku is still alive??
it wouldn´t make sense,,goku would never let that happen
and i think that the whole death, and having the world of the dead so connected to the world of the living is something that separates dragonball from anything else, i would be very disappointed if the left that out..
whether it would translate well or not, i don´t know, but they should at least try to do it.
oh and gohan turning ssj2 is way cooler than goku turning ssj3, specially with the japanese voices and music, it could be the best moment of the entire series
@JoseMP: Whoaa did you just say the Cell and Android saga would be boring to make???? You can’t be serious?? That is the most sillest thing I’ve heard all week….
Dude!! Have you ever seen the Android and Cell saga?
It is a Directors dream to direct the Cell saga!! Why????
The story was freakin’ amazing and so was the Action.
I don’t know about you, but I want to see Vegeta, Trunks, Gohan go super saiyan not just Gohan. I also want to see how a Super namek looks like!!!!
Don’t ya????
Im Corey Wilson and I want to see the Cell saga!!
Who’s with me?
@AAA1058: Your crazy to say that ssj3 was the best moment!! That scene looked like it was rushed just like the whole Buu saga.
i was reading that they just cancled dragonball from released
i heard that dragonball has bein canceled from being released in theaters
I never said that the Androids & Cell sagas were boring. I said that making 3 movies out of them (Android saga, Cell saga, Cell tournament saga) would be boring. All 3 movies basically based on the same thing. It would be better and cool if they are made into 1 movie, not 3 movies.
I loved the Android & Cell sagas by the way and for me, the moment Gohan kills Cell is very epic. The fact that the other fighters (Piccolo, Krillin, Tien and Yamcha) were also helping makes it even better. Especially when Vegeta attacks Cell by surprise, aweakening him to allow Gohan to finish Cell off. Its like the only moment you see everyone gang at the same time on the bad guy. Very very epic.
Loved that saga, but like I have said many times before, my favorite saga is the Buu saga. I know most of you people hate it, but to each his own.
Hey … so much bullshit going on here … please be serious people OK
I was wondering if in 2 Weeks we get new posters or even the Teaser Trailer from Dragonball !!! Why ? because of the San Diego Comic Con that is going to be than !!! It would be so cool if 20th Century Fox is going to have a Panel there to …. I know that Hasbro is haveing one, and they are going to show fotage from the new Transformers Movie, also they want to show Film Sequenzes from GI Joe !! …. I dont mind that movies .. but i would love to see something really cool from DRAGONBALL .. like SEEING PICCOLO FINALY !!! or the Trailer …. may be we will see something … its a shame … Transformers will come out in August 2009 and they are showing already Movie stuff there …. come one … I want a Teaser at least from a Movie that is going to come out in 9 Month !!! is that to much to ask ? if Fox doesnt start the Promotion soon .. the Movie is gonna fail … because it didnt get enough attention …. being DRAGONBALL is in the USA not enough … in Germany also … – Ok of course not in Japan and in Latin Countrys … because the DB HYPE was soooo much bigger there …. but still … i am worring …. what do you guys think ???
Greetings from Germany
@JoseMP: LOL ha, ha, ha, ha
Im sorry we all have our own opinion, but you actually think the Buu saga is the best saga ha, ha, ha, ha
The Buu saga was childish and the drawing and art work was rushed. The Cell saga is a directors dream???? Goku finally returning to earth as a super saiyan!! Just think about it?? I don’t know about you but I want to see the prince of all saiyans reach Super saiyan status….
umm a 100 million dollar movie was cancellled to go in theatres huh uhhhh
ok corey chill, just worry about seing an ssj for now
if everythings going well and movies are well made look not silly then maybe a cell saga. of course we can discuss it im just saying i think everyobnnes gettin a bit ahead of themselves
at comic con fox is not promoting dragonball or not on Thursday it seams. here is the schedule for fox 11:30-1:00 20th Century Fox: The Day The Earth Stood Still and Max Payne. wtf? that makes no sense why would fox not promote dragonball at all places!!!! i think making three films of the cell saga would be to much one but if they have to i think 1-2 max.
Have you guys watch one saga of Dragonball z before????
1 saga is at least 6-8 hours long
There is so much to be told in the Freeza saga
Freeza has 3 transformations
Goku has to train in 100x gravity
Gohan has to train with Piccolo
They have to tell the story of the Nameks
There is much to be told!! Dragonball is not your average tv show. It is a masterpiece, because there are so many good scenes.
It is going to be hard to fit the Freeza and Cell saga in 1 hour or 2 hours.
So it’s best to make 2 movies….
Oh yeah Jose Fernandez Batman outfits were good!! I think it is a honor to have him work on King Piccolo outfit. Lets just hope he stays true to the source. So far he did a excellent job with Goku’s blue gi and Bulma’s sexy outfit.
Lets just hope he does a amazing job with Piccolo’s suit
I explained many times in many boards why the Buu saga is the best for me, but im too tired and lazy to do it right now. Like I said to each his own.
Of course people will have different opinions, the important thing is that we all love DB and DBZ. GT sucked so it doesnt count.