#splicers

So you claim to be the world's biggest Batman Beyond fan, huh?

You know that this super series stars teen crime fighter Terry McGinnis. And that in addition to dealing with normal teenager stuff - like juggling school and home-work with a social life - Terry also has a secret part-time job ...as Batman!

But do you know what it takes to bring Terry's animated adventures to your TV screen every week? Well, after spending some time behind the scenes of the hit Kids' WB! series, we've learned that bringing Terry to life is just as hectic - and exciting - as, well, his life!

It takes four producers - Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Alan Burnett and Glen Murakami - to supervise the creation of each "Batman Beyond" episode. Their team includes directors, writers, artists, actors and musicians who work on each episode for almost eight months!

"We all work together as a team." Bruce explains. "It takes a long time, and there's a lot that has to happen as each show is produced."

Is there ever! Before a single episode aired, the team spent a lot of time designing the "look" of the show. This includes all the backgrounds, buildings, cars and characters you see each week, including Batman's futuristic costume.

"In the end, it took 10 to 15 sketches to come up with the Batsuit," says Bruce, who designed Terry's disguise. "I decided to cover up the face, and I didn't want a cape, so I came up with retractable wings."

After they knew what Batman's world would look like, it was time to think up a story and write the script - something the team does over and over again for each episode.

They start with a "brain-storming" session, where everyone gets together and talks about story ideas. "Since 'Batman Beyond' takes place in the near future, we'll look at new situations and technology that are just starting to be accepted into society and project what they will be like 40 years from now." Paul Dini explains. "For example, in one meeting, we were thinking about the current tattoo craze. We put a futuristic spin on that and came up with the 'Splicers' a teen gang that uses animal DNA to enhance their bodies."

Once they decide on a cool idea, like the Splicers storyline, a staff writer is assigned to the story. "The writer comes up with 10 pages that touch on the story's main points," Bruce explains. "Then we give the writer notes [feedback] and the first draft of the script is written."

After the script is finished, actors hit the studio to record the characters' voices. They do this before a single scene is sketched sso that the animation will match their voices. "And sometimes, when we rehearse a new script with the actors, they might give us an idea for a new line or interpretation on a character," Paul says.

Will Friedle ["Boy Meets World"] stars as the voice of Terry McGinnis/Batman. Other voice actors include Kevin Conroy as Bruce wayne, Lauren Tom as Dana Tan, Seth Green ["Buffy the Vampire Slayer"] as Nelson Nash, Stockard Channing as Commissioner Barbara Gordon, Teri Garr as Mary McGinnis, and Ryan O'Donahue as Matt McGinnis. Once the dialogue is recorded, artists draw a storyboard - a sort of "cartoon map" - of all the action. "It's like a comic book," Bruce Timm explains. "The storyboard artist reads the script and listens to all the recorded voices so the action and characters are drawn correctly."

From the storyboards, professional artists create the actual animation artwork. They hand-draw, ink and color individual scenes [called "cels"] of artwork that, when run together in order, create a moving picture. Special effects, like explosions, are also created at this point - all by hand!

When the animation is all done, the director cuts the episode down to the correct amount of time, takes out scenes that don't work, and oversees the addition of sound effects and music to complete the show.

Then you come in! As the world's biggest "Batman Beyond" fan, it's now your job to kick back and enjoy all the hard work that goes into bringing your fave super hero to life as each brand-new episode hits the Kids' WB! It's a tough job...but we think you can handle it!