Behind the Scenes

ith Buffy the Vampire Slayer at an end, one half of Joss Whedon's universe has come to a close. However, there are those who continue to explore the mystical world of demons, magic, and adventure. Bram Stoker Award-winning author Christopher Golden (Spike and Dru, The Ferryman) and actor/writer/director Amber Benson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Chance) have come together and crafted a world about evil and those who defy it. Enter Ghosts of Albion: the new BBC web based animated series. Written by Golden and Benson, Ghosts of Albion explores a world threatened by supernatural forces. These threats, usually dismissed as myths and legends, spring to life in a meticulously crafted mythology. Yet there are those who strike against these forces, mystical guardians sworn to protect the very essence of the Earth. Set in 19th Century England, Ghosts of Albion follows the champions who must protect the mystic spirit of England, known as Albion. It traces William (Rory Kinnear) and Tamara (Jasmine Hyde) as they comes to grips with the inherited power that makes them the mystical guardians of Albion. Along with an excellent supporting cast (Emma Samms of The Colbys, and Star Wars' Anthony Daniels), Ghosts of Albion presents a unique world rife with dark humor and action.

EVIL IS APPROACHING

Amber Benson, co-writer and director of Ghosts

Christopher Golden, co-writer of Ghosts

Embracing their creative natures, Benson and Golden have touched on many themes similar to those seen in Buffy and Angel. With a heavy focus on magical forces, Benson has drawn on diverse sources for creative influence, "I'd have to say that dating a centaur for the past three years has really opened my eyes. You'd never know that all this magical stuff was out there," she joked. "Reading good books and continuing to feed my interest in mythology and history keeps my brain and psyche functioning properly." Yet much of the creativity of Ghosts of Albion can be attributed to Benson's own ingenuity, "I find that having an open mind and a strong imagination is really all you need to tap into that kind of stuff. I asked myself recently if I believed in magic and I have to say that, thank goodness, I deep down in my heart of hearts do," she said. However, despite sharing mythological similarities, Ghosts of Albion is in its own court in terms of historical setting.

For Golden, the challenge of presenting 19th Century England was one of many layers. "It wasn't so much the time period that was a challenge, but the location. Amber and I are, very obviously, American. Any time I have to write another culture I'm nervous, but I was particularly anxious about making sure we sounded British. Or the characters did. While I'm sure there are elements in there that give us away, for the most part the actors and producers were comfortable with what we'd done . . . and we had all of them to watch out for us if we screwed up," he explained. Still, Benson and Golden took some creative liberties when creating their universe. "The other thing is that there's dialogue that simply isn't appropriate for the period. Amber and I made a choice early on, one encouraged by the producers, that we weren't going to be completely locked into the time period for dialogue. We started out that way and the main characters sounded too stiff. Also, there are certain bits of slang that were necessary for some of the comic moments. In general, though, the setting is wonderful for anything visual, because the look is so textured and atmospheric."

"Amber and I purposely created something that is limitless. We now have a mythology that would support stories in any time period, in any location" ~ Chris Golden

With the recent success of The Animatrix, internet-based multi-part animation has become increasingly popular. On March 27th the BBC launched the first of five, 12 minute, animated Ghosts of Albion episodes crafted by the distinguished Cosgrove Hall team. For Benson, animation has always been a medium she has been drawn to. "I was a cartoon freak as a kid. I actually still have videotapes of Scooby Doo, Transformers and The Pink Panther that I recorded myself after school in the afternoons. Seriously, I'd get a cartoon fix and then do my homework." With writing, she has only recently begun exploring comics, and now, animation. "On the comic book front, I'd really have to credit Chris with being the catalyst for that obsession. It wasn't until I started working on the Willow/Tara stuff with him for Dark Horse that I really got comic book nutty." Done entirely in Flash animation, Ghosts of Albion embraces and takes the medium to a new level. Golden commented that, "it's certainly a lot less expensive to do something in Flash animation than live action film. But, of course, anyone looking at it will understand that Flash is a very limited storytelling format. That said, I think we pushed the envelope quite a bit in our action scenes, with giant demons and magic and things. The people at Cosgrove Hall didn't bat an eye when they were asked to do some of the things that it's obviously impossible to effectively do in Flash. I think they just were determined to make it work, and they did. I think they did a fantastic job."

Likewise, as the director, Benson found herself praising the work of Cosgrove Hall. "I cannot tell a lie. I didn't really have a whole heck of a lot to do with the animation (as a director). What I was mostly involved with was the audio recording of Ghosts. Luckily, the guys and gals at Fiction Lab (at the BBC) were able to entice Cosgrove Hall into joining our band of merry men and they were really the ones instrumental in the look and feel of Ghosts. But I do have to say that the guys at Cosgrove Hall really stayed true to our script and yet, at the same time, were able to enhance our vision. We were really lucky that they do such amazing work and were willing to work quickly and wonderfully under a tight deadline."

Characters "William and Tamara"

One of the most unique aspects of Ghosts of Albion is that fans can go to the website and explore the mythology in more detail beyond what is presented in the episodes, a liberating experience for Golden and Benson. "Amber and I purposely created something that is limitless in its story potential. We now have a mythology that would support stories in any time period, in any location," Golden said. Due to this, Ghosts of Albion has the possibility for a vast, unbounded future. "We hope that we'll have the opportunity to explore the mythology in all of those areas in further animation as well as in live-action, in books, in comic books," Golden continued. "At this point we have no idea what will come of it, but the seeds are all there. I do think you'll see more Ghosts of Albion. We're already working on an original prose novella that will be serialized on the website this summer and we've got our fingers crossed for more animation. We've also been talking a lot about original novels. Hopefully we'll have a lot of news on various fronts soon."

Along with Ghosts of Albion, Benson and Golden have kept themselves quite busy. Benson, who wrote, directed and produced the film Chance, recently finished her role as Traci in The Latter Days. Golden is on the verge of releasing his latest novel, The Gathering Dark. The fourth book in The Shadow Saga, it is already being hailed by critics as "One of the best horror novels of the year. Filled with tension, breathtaking action, dire plots and a convincing depiction of worlds existing unseen within our own" (Science Fiction Chronicle). Coming out in late June, fans can preview the novel and read the prologue exclusively at Golden's website.

Written by CoA Staff Writer, Jeff Ritchie

CityofAngel.com would like to graciously thank Christopher Golden and Amber Benson for taking the time to give their personal insights on the project.

Watch Ghosts of Albion at the official BBC Website Ghosts of Albion

Learn more about Christopher Golden at his official website ChristopherGolden.com

Learn more about Amber Benson at AmberBenson.us

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