TRANSCRIPT CHAT OF SETH MACFARLANE : AUGUST 31 2000 @ TALKCITY.COM *** Log file opened: 8/31/00 5:03:03 PM PST [17:03] Once Seth arrives the room will be moderated so that everyone can see what he has to say, you wont be able to talk so the only way to talk to Seth is to send in a question [17:03] Welcome to a chat with Seth MacFarlane, [17:03] Creator and Executive Producer of Fox's [17:03] hit TV show Family Guy. [17:03] . [17:03] Seth recently won an Emmy for his voice [17:03] as Stewie on the show. [17:03] . [17:03] Welcome Seth MacFarlane! [17:03] . [17:03] DesyreCCC sets mode: +mnt-i [17:03] DesyreCCC sets mode: +l 50 [17:03] To ask Seth MacFarlane a question, please use the input bar above your chat window or type /msg ASKCheckout . [17:04] Thanks to you all for being here. [17:04] I'm ready to take your questions. [17:04] * [17:04] Noel-guest says: Family Guy is just fantastic! How in the world did you ever come up with the idea for the characters and the show in the first place? [17:04] When I conceived the show, [17:04] I knew I wanted it to be about a New England family, [17:04] as that's where I'm from. [17:04] The characters themselves I created [17:05] over the course of several months. [17:05] They came from different places. [17:05] Peter and Brian evolved from characters [17:05] that I created for my student film in college, [17:05] whereas Stewie was actually almost an afterthought. [17:05] He was the last character that I conceived for this show. [17:05] * [17:05] Evelyn-guest says: There are so many facets of the show that you have created - script, animation, direction and production! How have you managed to acquire so many different skills? [17:06] A lot of it I've learned by doing. [17:06] I've been drawing since I was very young, [17:06] and when I got to college [17:06] I learned the specifics of the art of animation, [17:06] and I was doing stand up comedy at the same time, [17:06] which had a lot to do with [17:07] the direction that my work took. [17:07] Doing a show demands a lot from a producer, [17:07] in many different areas, [17:07] and I think that you really can't help [17:07] but learn them all. [17:07] In the process. [17:07] * [17:07] CO-goodguy says: do you have any recommendations for any new animators? like were to start showing their work? [17:08] If you have an animated film, [17:08] a great thing to do is to submit it [17:08] to as many animation festivals around the country [17:08] as possible. [17:08] As that's where a lot of networks and studios [17:08] go to seek out new talent. [17:08] And of course, if you can get a meeting [17:08] with a studio executive, [17:08] that's always a good thing. [17:08] * [17:08] Jonathon-guest says: Was the show an easy or hard sell to Fox? [17:09] A little of both. [17:09] When I first pitched the show, [17:09] King of the Hill had not yet premiered, [17:09] and it wasn't until a year later, [17:09] when that show began to do very well, [17:09] that Fox decided that they wanted more animation. [17:09] So they gave me a small budget [17:09] to produce a short pilot for the show. [17:10] It was six months of animating by myself, [17:10] day and night, [17:10] to get the thing finished. [17:10] Which was certainly very taxing. [17:10] StewiesStormtrooper [~StewiesStormtrooper@xxxxxxxxxxxx.screaming.net] has joined #Checkout.com-Event [17:10] But, once the work was finished, [17:10] it was a fairly smooth sell from that point. [17:10] * [17:14] RPiemontesi says: First I would love to say, that I LOVE FAMILY GUY!!!! Yr show is the bomb!!! What made u think up Family Guy? Did you have any other thought before Family Guy? [17:14] I've come up with other ideas in the past; [17:14] however, Family Guy was definitely a result [17:14] of everything I've learned up till now [17:15] about writing and animation. [17:15] It's definitely the most fully-developed concept [17:15] that I've come up with. [17:15] * [17:15] CO-meanmanmoe says: Is there anyone in particular you want to have guest voice on the show? [17:16] Jackie Gleason, but he's dead. [17:16] * [17:16] VirtualMirage-guest says: How many versions can you do with your voice Seth ? [17:16] I generally do around eight to ten voices per episode. [17:16] It is depending on the number of characters in the script. [17:16] * [17:16] Siegfried-guest says: What type of audience did you create this show to appeal to? Are there any particular age groups or demographics the creation is targeted at? [17:17] The show was definitely created [17:17] as an adult program. [17:17] But we've certainly acquired an enormous teen following, [17:17] which we're of course very happy about. [17:17] * [17:17] BimBam-guest says: What is the message or feeling that you would like people to take with them after watching the show? [17:18] Don't run with sharp objects. [17:18] -) [17:18] * [17:18] WannaBe-guest says: How many of the ideas about "family life" come from your own upbringing and experience? What within yourself did you tap into for all the perceptions and ideas? [17:19] I think if anything, I tapped into [17:19] the region in which I was raised. [17:19] This is certainly embodied in the character of Peter, [17:19] who has a classic, New England loud mouth personality. [17:19] Beyond that, there really isn't one particular character [17:20] who I would say is autobiographical. [17:20] * [17:20] RPiemontesi says: How would ou compare Family Guy, to other cartoons shows like The Simpson, Futurama, King of the Hill, etc?? [17:20] IllusionCCC [IllusionCCC@live6] has joined #Checkout.com-Event [17:20] IllusionCCC sets mode: +o IllusionCCC [17:20] Well, we're certainly a little less expensive. [17:20] IllusionCCC [IllusionCCC@live6] has left #Checkout.com-Event [17:20] Aside from that, I think Family Guy [17:20] has definitely established its own tone [17:20] over the past couple of years. [17:21] We're certainly a bit more bizarre and outlandish [17:21] than some of the other shows on television. [17:21] We really try to make good use [17:21] of the animation medium, [17:21] by keeping the shows very visually-oriented. [17:21] * [17:21] BCoberly says: when you making your show, what are you thinking? [17:22] I'm thinking about where my next drink is coming from. [17:22] -) [17:22] * [17:22] rscoffee-guest says: Why is Stewie so angry? [17:22] Stewie is sort of a classic Napoleonic character. [17:22] He has very lofty aspirations of world domination. [17:23] Unfortunately, there is nothing he can do [17:23] about the fact that he's only a couple feet tall, [17:23] and has stubby little limbs [17:23] which are barely capable of grasping a spoon. [17:23] So naturally, this makes him [17:23] a very pissed off guy. [17:23] * [17:23] yowzers1 says: From what I've heard, [17:24] the show is even more popular in the UK [17:24] than it is in this country. [17:24] And yes, we do have an episode coming up [17:24] that centers very heavily around the English. [17:25] I'm not going to give any more away than that. [17:25] * [17:25] JDCampbell says: Who is the hardest voice to do and the easiest? [17:25] Stewie is probably the most difficult, [17:25] because of the consistently high-strung nature [17:25] of his character. [17:25] The easiest is definitely Brian, [17:25] whose voice is very close to my own. [17:25] * [17:25] NancyPancy-guest says: Who are Peter and Lois Griffin really? What do they reveal about our true nature and society? [17:26] That if we eat and drink too much, [17:26] bad things can happen. [17:26] * [17:26] Noel-guest says: Do you yourself get on the internet often? If so, what are your favorite things to do there, and places to go? [17:27] This is very embarrassing, [17:27] but I don't even have email. [17:27] I'm still learning how to use the telephone. [17:27] -) [17:27] * [17:27] nancy says: Where do you think animation will be in 10 years? [17:27] To ask Seth MacFarlane a question, please use the input bar above your chat window or type /msg ASKCheckout . [17:27] The animation industry seems to move in waves. [17:27] I think a few years ago, [17:28] it was at a very high peak, [17:28] whereas now, there are fewer animated shows on the air. [17:28] And I think we'll see another upswing [17:28] and another downswing. [17:28] Within the next couple decades. [17:28] * [17:28] Jo-Anne-guest says: I love the "irreverent" quality of the show? Why have you created the show with this direction? [17:29] I started as an animator, [17:29] so things like talking babies and talking dogs [17:29] are standard bill of fare in cartoons. [17:29] I knew I wanted the show to be very bizarre [17:29] and to constantly leave viewers [17:30] having no idea what to expect. [17:30] What to expect next. [17:30] * [17:30] Terry-guest says: Where would you like to go with Family Guy? Any new directions, or surprises in the future? [17:30] This season we're definitely trying to expand [17:30] the world that we've created. [17:30] We're going to see more of the surrounding parts [17:30] of the community, [17:31] such as the Quahog news team, [17:31] Quahog City Hall, [17:31] and of course, Peter's friends and neighbors. [17:32] One character we're going to be seeing [17:32] more of third season than second season, is Stewie. [17:32] * [17:32] Jude-guest says: What mysterious purpose and direction lurks in the future for Seth MacFarlane? Anything you are now working on or concieving on some level? [17:32] There was a little bit of talk about a Family Guy feature, [17:32] which may or may not become a reality, [17:32] but it's certainly been something that's been [17:33] in the back of my mind. [17:33] As far as new projects, [17:33] Family Guy is still very much a new show, [17:33] and I plan to keep working on it [17:33] for a considerable amount of time. [17:33] * [17:33] Checkout says: Unfortunately, we are almost out of time. Seth are there any last thoughts you would like to leave with your fans? [17:34] As I'm sure people are aware, [17:34] Family Guy has had a rough ride on the air, [17:34] and came very close to cancellation, [17:34] and I think the vast numbers of letters [17:34] that were sent to Fox, [17:34] in addition to all the diapers and baby food, [17:35] had a great deal to do with its return. [17:35] So we thank our fans for being so loyal, [17:35] and for keeping the show on the air. [17:35] * [17:35] Thank you Seth for joining Checkout.com [17:35] and Talk City to discuss Family Guy that [17:35] airs on Tuesday night’s at 9:00 p.m. on Fox! [17:35] . [17:35] Be sure to go to www.Checkout.com for more [17:35] information on the TV shows and movies you love! [17:35] . [17:35] Checkout.com, The Entertainment Network [17:35] is the online connection to the worlds of [17:35] music, movies and games. [17:35] . [17:35] Shop here for all of your favorites! [17:35] http://www.Checkout.com. [17:35] . [17:35] Copyright 2000 Checkout.com and [17:35] Talk City all rights reserved.