Masahiro Ito Declining the offer to Work on SH:R. . .

[Scanman22]

***I searched before making a new topic and found nothing on this subject so here it is. . .

Reading through the Silent Hill: Revelation 's Wikipedia entry, I noticed for the first time that Masahiro Ito was offered by Bassett & Company to design the creatures and the look of the "Otherworld" for this film, but ultimately declined because of other obligations (supposedly) not allowing him time to do this work for the movie. After seeing this I was shocked and saddened at the same time. Why would he decline such an offer? Was he really that busy or did he just not want to do it? Or maybe the pay they were gonna offer him was an insult or something!?!?

I don't know, but I am almost completely disappointed with this film now before I even see it! I mean, could you imagine had Ito taken the job to do the monsters and the "Otherworld" for this film? It would have been 100% better than what we have seen so far already! I am very disappointed with the stupid mannequin monster because for one, it is dumb, for two, it looks very cheesy and completely cgi'ed, and finally, it just doesn't fit into the realm of organic type monsters that have preceded in the film universe.

Pyramid Head showing up was a given, but I am saddened by the fact that he seems to have taken over Valtiel's role of protector and valve turner. It seems most of the other monsters have been recycled from the first film as well. Nurses are gonna be there because it is Silent Hill, but they don't have to look like the Silent Hill 2 sexy style ones?
Why do we still have Lying Figures in this Otherworld? It was hard enough to relate them to Alessa in the 1st movie, but I'm assuming they were there because Alessa felt trapped in her bandages and felt faceless and lacked an outer identity since she was immolated. Silent Hill 3 had different creatures than Silent Hill 1 so the excuse that it is still the Alessa/Sharon/Heather Otherworld just doesn't fly with me!!!

Now granted, we don't really know what else will make an appearance in this film besides what I have mentioned along with Leonard Wolfe's monster form and the assumption of some type of "god" form that Claudia might transform into, but still. . . Imagine if Ito took the job and gave us his vision of the recreation of the Silent Hill 3 creatures and "Otherworld"? It would have been close to a pure masterpiece movie with him doing that and Yamaoka giving us the soundtrack! It would have almost been a Team Silent film version of Silent Hill 3! Could you imagine how much better it would be?

I know that I am jumping the gun and judging this film before I have actually seen it, but from what I have seen creature-wise, I am not too impressed. But who knows? It might be good. I still am very much looking forward to this film, but it is just that Silent Hill 3 is my favorite and if it could have had the original creature creator doing it, then in my eyes it would just be an ultimate dream come true!!! So does anyone know what Ito was doing that was SO important that he would decline working on a Hollywood film??? And who is creating the monsters in this movie? Is it Bassett since he did write the script?

But for my final comment on this entire ordeal will be this - If freakin' Valtiel does NOT show up in this damn movie and is just a stupid F'ing chair. . . . I will hunt down Bassett and tear him a new A-Hole and then shove a 3-D camera way up in it sideways for not putting in the GREATEST Character/Monster in the entire Silent Hill series!!!!!!! You all have NO idea how mad I will be! I know that alot of you will agree with me too! That is all for now. . .

[Patchwork_Heaven]

I can't really blame him for denying. But. In my humble opinion... it does not take a crazy amount of imagination to come up with a SH-like monster that is better or creepier than a bunch of mannequin limbs in a spider shape. I'm just hoping the other monsters that show up are so cool (looking at you, Closers and Valtiel), that it makes me completely forget about it, or at least forgive it.

[AuraTwilight]

You do realize Masahiro Ito is working on other projects and games and stuff, right...?

When Team Silent disbanded, they didn't sit on their hands all these years.

[KingCrimson]

I too would love to see Ito involved in a Silent Hill project again. What game project is he working on, I wonder?

[chounokoe]

Like AT said, the good man is a designer so he's working on whatever project suits him for the time being and is offered to him. He's apparently also active in the Japanese doujin-area (his last book was released on a Comiket)...so he has stuff to do.

He designed the Korean (and as it seems Japanese) cover of Downpour though. So maybe he just doesn't like the movie...

[teosoleil]

Okay, everything else after the first paragraph fits into the "rant" category. It's an alternate universe, and some things are designed to appeal to MOVIEGOERS and not artsy video game fanatics like us. Keep in mind that, when translating media, there's always an audience and always a need for money. I agree with you on some points, though.

Recycled monsters doesn't fit well with you? It should and it's completely logical. This is Sharon reborn again, it makes sense to have at least some monsters recycled. In fact, I think one of the main reasons SH3 had new monsters was to avoid letting anybody know that Alessa was reincarnated into Heather. Since moviegoers don't know the mythology of monsters in Silent Hill, I think it's perfectly acceptable for the film team to recycle them. It actually makes more sense in the long run.

Plus, you still have some new monsters...Spider-Mannequin, Spike-Head, Claudia in black suit/decayed form, maybe even one or two more.

How do you know it would be a "masterpiece" with one of the original members working on it? Yamaoka was one of the key original members (sound is an important part of delivering atmosphere), yet the later SH games weren't as good in terms of sound as the first four.

I can't really take your last paragraph seriously.

[KiramidHead]

You know what I took from this? That the film makers were awesome enough to go out of their way to ask Ito to work on it.

And for fuck's sake, PH turning a crank on a carousel is hardly taking over Valtiel's role.

[Scanman22]

You know what I took from this? That the film makers were awesome enough to go out of their way to ask Ito to work on it.

And for fuck's sake, PH turning a crank on a carousel is hardly taking over Valtiel's role.

Not knowing if Valtiel is even in this film and then showing PH doing his job kind of does appear that PH has taken over Valtiel's role...at least as far as we know!

And to respond to the others - Yes, Ito is working on other things of course, but why wouldn't you want to work on something you are familiar with and know you can do it better than anybody else since you practically began with it? Whenever I work on something and know the work will be continued, I make sure I am in charge of whatever it is because it is my baby and being a perfectionist in many areas, I know it will only be done right if it is done by me since I started it. I don't see why Ito wouldn't feel the same way.

I said the film would be closer to a "masterpiece" the more members of Team Silent that work on it! The more the greater and the closer to a Silent Hill movie made by the true creators! Now if only Owaku would write the script, then it would be even closer!!!

[KiramidHead]

Valtiel was never a carny. He turned random valves in the background. PH is hardly doing his job.

[Yuki]

You know what I took from this? That the film makers were awesome enough to go out of their way to ask Ito to work on it.

And for fuck's sake, PH turning a crank on a carousel is hardly taking over Valtiel's role.

Not knowing if Valtiel is even in this film and then showing PH doing his job kind of does appear that PH has taken over Valtiel's role...at least as far as we know!

And to respond to the others - Yes, Ito is working on other things of course, but why wouldn't you want to work on something you are familiar with and know you can do it better than anybody else since you practically began with it? Whenever I work on something and know the work will be continued, I make sure I am in charge of whatever it is because it is my baby and being a perfectionist in many areas, I know it will only be done right if it is done by me since I started it. I don't see why Ito wouldn't feel the same way.

I said the film would be closer to a "masterpiece" the more members of Team Silent that work on it! The more the greater and the closer to a Silent Hill movie made by the true creators! Now if only Owaku would write the script, then it would be even closer!!!

He's familiar with it; that doesn't mean he'd want to work on it. It's entirely possible he got tired of dealing with it over and over and over again, while still being a decent enough guy to answer fans' questions. Just because you would want complete creative control over everything you've ever done doesn't mean everyone would. It's entirely possible he wants a bigger variety.

Team Silent was never one monolithic group, not to mention that they are not completely infallible. Not only are you relying on nostalgia, but you're also operating on the assumption that the original four games were instant hits; plenty of people disliked SH2 at the beginning, not to mention the many people who hate on SH4 despite it being a "Team Silent" game.

[teosoleil]

Owaku wasn't a script writer for the original four games. Only events and scenarios, as well as lyrics which were translated by some lady from Japanese to English (forgot her name...there was a topic here a while ago).

[Garmonbozey]

Could you possibly use more exclamation!?!?!?!!?!

If Ito designed the monsters for the game they're adapting, what more did he even need to do? You realize him having worked on it would NOT change the script or anything but the monster designs, right?

[AuraTwilight]

Yea, that's kind of the thing...

What would Ito even bring to the table? It's not like they're using new monsters either way; his lack of presence has no impact on Valtiel's absence, either.

[Numb Body01]

Well this is depressing news.

[peronmls]

I felt really bumed out when i heard this because SH3 had my favorite monster designs. =(

That was probably a once in a life time opportunity. I wonder how he felt about turning it down. Having a chance to have your designs comming to life. I know he was busy working on other things.

[KingCrimson]

I would have like him being hired as a design consultant, just to nudge Roberto and the team in the right direction (hopefully away from the action-figure version of Ito's greatest creation). He might also contribute to set design and atmospherics. Who am I kidding, I just hope somebody in the production team has the job of walking around with a megaphone saying "please make this darker" over and over. I have been itching for a movie adaptation of being surrounded by pitch black void with only a flashlight, catching shadowy shapes and partial glimpses of monsters. Below the metal grating is just an infinite blackness, not some cliched Dante's Inferno with bubbling lava like in the first movie. Maybe it wouldn't look as flashy in 3-D, but it'd arguably be scarier...

[Scanman22]

I want to know why some of you guys are jumping down my throat for wanting as many Team Silent members as possible working on the film versions. That would be a good thing, no??? And if Ito was doing the monster designs, the monster designs would be better so that is what he would bring to the table. Plus, Valtiel might make an appearance since he would and could have a say on the final script when it reflects the monsters and he was offered to be in charge of the "Otherworld" which would include what was in it!!! (And there are some more exclaimations for you!!!)
Owaku did not write the full script of the game but was in charge of the scenarios, the overall story (compilation of writers) and what the characters said, right? He only wrote the lyrics to one or maybe two songs and was a big consultant for Climax when they wrote SH: Origins! He was a big part and one of the three consistant members of Team Silent! So the point is that I wish the big 3 (Ito, Owaku, & Yamaoka) of Team Silent would have all been active forces on set of the Silent Hill films!

By the way some of you guys are talking, it sounds like you disagree with me or just want to argue about it for the pure sake of arguing. This makes no sense to me. . .but everyone has their viewpoint I guess. . .

[Yuki]

An art designer would not have final say in the script. Your logic is faulty; even if Ito would have helped out on the movie, that doesn't mean much at all. He would have been in charge of helping to design the set, but frankly, I think the Otherworld in the original film looked quite good. There is already an abundance of monsters from the games to choose from; I see no reason to pull him back in, especially if he declined, which shows that he is either busy, uninterested, or both. You can't force a creative mind to go back to something they're done with.

I don't want the films to be copied directly from the games, and I don't want "Team Silent" to be forced to do something they were done with.

I think why people are opposed to your ideology is because you're blindly worshiping "Team Silent", insinuating that they can do no wrong when they definitely can; SH2 wasn't well-received by Silent Hill fans when it was first released because it had nothing to do with the original game, and SH4 was hated until more recently despite being a "Team Silent" game. Hell, Yamaoka worked on all the games up until Downpour, and people still decry the things he's worked in.

[chounokoe]

I have to agree with Yuki here. Neither an art designer nor a composer would have much to say in a big project that is probably backed by both the studio and the sponsors who want to have some of the final say in where their money flows to.
People brought in from the outside wouldn't be much more than consultants who can voice their opinion, but in the end have no actual power over the process.

He only wrote the lyrics to one or maybe two songs and was a big consultant for Climax when they wrote SH: Origins! He was a big part and one of the three consistant members of Team Silent! So the point is that I wish the big 3 (Ito, Owaku, & Yamaoka) of Team Silent would have all been active forces on set of the Silent Hill films!

And that's the problem with what you're saying, they haven't been active forces since Team Silent was disbanded and the project was passed on.
Yes, Owaku was a consultant for Origins. Look at how that one turned out in the greater scheme of things. Yamaoka also worked on Homecoming and look at the fans opinion on that one (mine is a little more conflicted, but I still think it has a large amount of flaws).

In the case of Team Silent it wasn't individual people who made it great, but rather the combination of people and the circumstances under which it was created.

[Scanman22]

I'm not saying that Ito would have final say on the script but if he was brought on, he would have the ability to choose what monsters he would want in there. If the director said "yes" well then great, but if he said "no" well then why hire him on to begin with? Same with the "Otherworld" look and feel to it. No, I am not worshipping them but the original creators are going to pretty much do a better job at their own creation then someone else - look at all the games after 4.
I don't remember Silent Hill 2 getting anything but praise when it was released. Disappointed that it didn't tell me what happened to Harry and the new baby? Sure, maybe a little but the game was applauded by all the game magazines that I read back then. Frankly, Silent Hill 4 was the only game that I remember critics saying anything negative about. But The Room was not created by the same Team Silent core group. They were working on Silent Hill 3. Ito did not even design the monsters for it.

My entire point is that I wish that Ito would have decided to do the creatures and the Otherworld for Revelation. That is all! No reason to argue that. And the more Team Silent members that would work on a film, would be great. And why wouldn't you want the films to be the same as the games? Take away the actual gameplay and watch it unfold like a CGI film would make a damn good movie, so why wouldn't you want the live action movies to be almost the same as the games? Because you know what is going to happen? Or what???