Transcript Vignette: Friendship is Magic Pre-production notes for S1 E1

Playing with my idea that Friendship is Magic is actually a semi-biographic docu-drama in Equestria depicting the lives and times of the Mane 6. This is a transcript taken during a conversation between Twilight Sparkle (*THE* Twilight Sparkle, not the T. Sparkle played on the show by actress, Strong Star) and the series Casting Director, First Class.

FC: Now, we were just wondering, Ms. Sparkle, if it would be possible for you to tell us what exactly it was that you said when you were facing Nightmare Moon, right before the Elements of Harmony appeared to you.

TS: I thought you already had those notes?

FC: Oh, yeah, we do. It's just, well, it would be great to hear them from THE actual Twilight Sparkle, you know. To help get the feel of that scene exactly right.

TS: Oh, I see, well I guess that does make sense...[short pause]...You know, even after all this time, I can still remember it as vividly as if I were right there. Precisely what I said. It was almost as if, it wasn't me speaking at the time...[a light giggle]...certainly not the Twilight I used to be before that night, anyway. It was almost like something greater than myself were talking through me, figuratively speaking. Such a feeling of...[pause]...I think, security is a good word for it. And confidence and absolute assurance that everything would be okay...perfect, even. It was as if I'd never been so sure of anything in my life than what I was feeling at that exact moment, and, believe me, I'd been a pretty self-assured unicorn up until that point...[a light giggle again]...but isn't every pony like that at that age, so sure they know everything there possibly is to know?

FC: Um...I wouldn't...

TS: [Interrupting] But when I was there facing off against...[brief pause]...well, her and everything I thought I knew had failed me and then I heard the girls coming to help me, following after me even though they had no reason to, even when that...thing...[pause] It was exactly like I wrote in my book, books. There have been so many now.

FC: That was it, right? The spark?

TS: Exactly.

FC: So what did you say?

TS: I said, well I turned to her and I said "You think you can destroy the Elements of Harmony just like that? Well you're wrong, because the spirits of the Elements of Harmony are right here!" and they were. It was as if they knew, we all knew...that this was exactly why we were there, why it was us alone who could do this. Well, maybe not just us, thinking about it now. I'm currently working on some new research papers in which I hypothesise that, potentially, we were just the right ponies in the right place and that the Elements of Harmony reside in all of us to some degree.

FC; [Sound of agreement] Yeah, but, the line, Ms. Sparkle? What did you say next?

TS: Oh...Um...[brief pause] yes, of course, I said "Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the spirit of Honesty! Fluttershy, who tamed the manticore with her compassion, represents the spirit of Kindness! Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the spirit of Laughter! Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift, represents the spirit of Generosity! And Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart's desire, represents the spirit of Loyalty! The spirits of these five ponies got us through every challenge you threw at us." that is, to say, Nightmare Moon. Not you. And then she pointed out that the spark hadn't worked and we still didn't have the sixth Element. And I pointed out that it did but it was a different kind of spark, not a magical one...[pause]... I said that it was the spark that had ignited inside me when I realised how much it meant to hear them...my new...my first ever friends...[pause]... And then it just appeared in a flash of light. And I turned to Nightmare Moon and said, "when those Elements are ignited by the spark that resides in the heart of us all it creates the sixth Element. The Element of Magic! [By this point, it should be noted, that TS's voice has become very animated and loud on the recording. There is a pause as she composes herself with a cough] And that was it, necklaces, big crown thingee, the works. And then it was like the most overwhelming surge of euphoria and power and warmth just flowed through us. And the rest is history. Is that okay?

FC: Certainly...Um...wow...I mean, that was wonderful, thank you Ms. Sparkle...Um...[a short burst of laughter]...I mean it's...it's so cheesy but compelling, it really makes you feel it.

TS: I think the word you're searching for is 'Sincere', Mr. Class.

FC: Yeah...unfortunately you don't seem to get much of that in the Moving Picture business, I'm afraid.

TS: Maybe I should send you some of my books on Studies in Friendship, Mr. Class? Or perhaps give a lecture. The sets here should be more than large enough for everypony to...

FC: [Interrupting] Oh that is quite all right, Ms. Sparkle. Your...contributions have been more than enough material for everypony on the team to get just the right feel for what we're trying to make happen. There really is some magic in the air...[pause]...apart from the day-to-day magic that is.

TS: Well, that's wonderful. You know, I was a little worried when I first heard about this series. I mean, a movie-show based on me and my friends' lives. In many ways its a great idea but...

FC: But, what?

TS: [long pause]...I'm not naive, Mr. Class. I know what movies are like, I've read a lot about them in the past few months and I know that, sometimes...a lot of the time in fact, writers and directors tend to twist the truth in favour of what makes a good story...or simply appeals to the lowest demographic. I mean, do you remember the 'Daring DO: the Motion Picture' fiasco? I doubt many ponies there actually realised she was based on a real pony..hay, until relatively recently even I didn't know, and I own all the books...for what they're worth now...[brief pause]...and when the poor dear actually turned up to see why it was that a humble archaeologist had garnered such a...rabid fanbase...Well, you can understand my concerns. I've always considered accuracy...truth to be very important.

FC: [pause, then a sigh]...I understand your concerns, Ms. Sparkle. And since insulting your intelligence would be, quite frankly, a waste of both of our time I will be blunt. Sometimes, in movies, accuracy simply has to be sidelined somewhat because...well, real life isn't a story. There are so many truths and representations and uncomfortable facts that can shift a story from, say, a romance to a tragedy to a comedy or...whatever. All depending on who you talk to and where you get your sources. So telling a one-hundred percent accurate story would never be achievable in any case, certainly not in this medium. If you'll pardon me, that's what libraries are for.

TS: [Concessionary noises]

FC: Secondly, we only have twenty-two minutes to work here for each movie. Brevity and pacing will require content be cut, entire characters be excised, the passage of time may have to be sped up, not to mention our own production schedule, which is limited as it is.

TS: But, and I'm afraid this is mostly from memory based on that copy of the script Mr. Pole Sky showed me, there are some parts where you add things in. I mean, that was based on that whole obsessive episode I went through trying to determine what 'Pinkie-sense' was, am I correct?

FC: I believe so.

TS: And there's this scene where you just drop a cart-load of heavy objects on my...that is to say, Strong Star's head

FC: Her stunt-double actually. Please don't worry over that, they're professionals when it comes to special effects.

TS: Well, regardless, I'm pretty sure if that actually had happened to me I certainly wouldn't have brushed it off. I'd have been in hospital...comatose...or worse! And that whole scene with the hydra. Yes, you have the lesson down exactly as it happened but that hydra was a big deal, almost as big as the Ursa Minor incident. They had to call out the Everfree Rangers to deal with it, it was in the newspapers for months...sure Ponyville was kind of a disaster-hub occasionally, something to do with ley-lines and migration routes, but for this plus all the other...monsters of the week your writers have put in...to happen in the space of a year?

FC: Remember what I said about pacing, Ms. Sparkle?

TS: The point I'm trying to make, Mr. Class, is that there is willing the suspension of disbelief and then there's outright ludicrousness. Plus who is this 'Derpy Hooves' character that keeps popping up occasionally? I know Everypony in that town and I'm pretty sure I'd remember somepony like her.

FC: [laughing] Oh, her! That's a funny story actually. We were shooting the pilot and one of the extras in the background pulled this silly cross-eyed face, but none of the crew caught it until post. Too late to do anything about it by that point so we kept it in...She's only an extra, we reasoned, nopony will notice. But some of the test audience members did and they loved it so the writers have been finding ways of slipping her in, just as a little Equinox Egg hunt for the fans. You'd be surprised how particular viewers can be over these things. Some of the writers have even started coming up with stories for her, too. Quite touching ones actually and Ditzy is actually proving to be quite an able young actress...

TS: [interrupting, voice raised] But she's not based on a real pony! [It is evident, by this point, that TS is getting quite exasperated. There is a pause]...Sorry, Mr. Class, it's just. This is me and my friends lives we're showing here. This is Equestrian history. And you must appreciate how hard it is when it feels like you're just...I don't know...a model, like one of Rarity's clothes-horses for you to dress and style to suit your tastes.

FC: [pause]...I'm sorry Ms. Sparkle. Yes, of course I appreciate your concerns and...well...yes your feelings are quite justified. But...well, why don't you take a look at this...[Sounds of rustling paper]...Larch passed this to me earlier, it's a rough draft for episode sixteen. Just, give page seventeen a read.

[A long pause. Duration: 3:43]

TS: Wow...this is about the Best Young Flyer's competition. You've...I mean there are some parts that don't play out like they did, this was a huge event, it was a pure freak that things nearly went the way they did but...oh the way they get Rainbow here...what did you say the writer's name was, Larch?

FC: Yeah, he's written a lot for us. They're all good, Ms. Sparkle. Feather Tone, Sunny Morrow, Kite Wing, Pole Sky, McCart-Hay. And Woody is a brilliant director. Like I said, there's a magic in this place, when it comes to writing about your lives, it's like it's bringing out the best in us.

TS: But in some cases the best is dropping pianos on ponies heads?

FC: That scene, and all the other bits of slapstick, it's mostly the studio's doing. They feel that what we really need to do is appeal to the foals, which is sensible you've got to agree? I mean, this isn't a documentary we're making here. We have to be entertaining.

TS: I like documentaries.

FC: Well, if you were expecting a documentary I'm sorry Ms. Sparkle. But, please, rest assured, aside from what we've discussed. We do care about how your life stories are told. We want to get to the heart of them, if not the facts. Surely we must be coming close to that...And even the stuff that isn't accurate you have to like a little, surely? As a piece of entertainment?

TS: Well...I suppose the piano bit is kinda funny. I was a monstrous pain that week, I would have deserved it...a little. I take it you'll be putting some sort of 'Don't try this at home, my little ponies' disclaimer up before any of the more...dangerous episodes?

FC: If some foals are silly enough to go around dropping pianos on their heads just because they saw somepony famous on a film-screen do it I don't think disclaimers will be much help...[long pause]...I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Of course, the studio has this all in hoof.

TS: Glad to hear it. "Friendship is Magic Responsible for Massive Head Trauma" is something i wouldn't care to read in the Ponyville Gazette. [laughter from both TS and FC]

FC: You should hear some of the music Inky Gramophone has been coming up with. All those little nonsense rhymes Pinkie-Pie does... I swear that pony just makes them sound a million bits.

TS: I'll...I'll make sure to.

FC: So I've convinced you.

TS: For the moment. I mean...this is it right? A change of tone, some...embellishments. Nothing else, right? The important stuff, the history, the events, the lessons, they'll still be there right?

FC: Of course. Please, Twilight. Both of Her Majesties have given their blessings to this. I mean, Jay and I were just overwhelmed when Princess Celestia herself even agreed to play herself in some episodes. I mean, who else could we get to play her? If that sort of approval doesn't show confidence in what we're doing then I wouldn't know what to think.

TS: Really? The Princess herself? She never mentioned anything when I last wrote her about this.

FC: I wouldn't know about that. All I know is that Strong Star is having jitters just thinking about the scenes she'll be doing with her.

TS: In that case I think she's got all the method acting done that she'll need...I never let on but I was always a bag of nerves around the Princess when I was younger.

FC: Have you seen her in makeup yet? I swear Strong is the spit and image of you when she gets her mane styled.

TS: I have...it's quite eerie, actually. Like looking on a past life... and I've done that a few times.

FC: Really?

TS: Time travel spell. Great for brief observational research, useless for anything else...[long pause]...almost anything. [her tone was quite melancholic on that last word]

FC: [pause] woah, wow...um...you really must be the Element of Magic to even...wow

TS: You mentioned excised characters, Mr. Class?

FC: Whu?...oh, yes. Well, I will put it this way. it's just simply a case of us not having the resources to carry a cast of thousands at times. I mean we've even had to do some clever magical image replication to make our background cast seem larger. Though it will occasionally result in doppelgängers becoming apparent on some wide-shots.

TS: Oddly enough I don't have an issue with the accuracy of that. Taking some events into account.

FC: How do you mean?

TS: What? Oh sorry, talking to myself. Doesn't matter. You know, old age. [Nervous laughter]

FC: I see...[pause]...well the other issue is that, regrettably, with time and pacing issues some non-essential characters have had to be cut. No offence against the ponies they're based on. We just felt that working in every farm-worker on Sweet Apple Acres or every single business and farm in Ponyville into the plot was incredibly resource-heavy and tended to distract from the main crux of the plotline. It's sacrificing reality for story, I know, but there's not much else we can do with the time we have to work in. There are even some scenes we've had to cut involving yourself and your friends at times. And, very regrettably, one very important figure. Someone we really hoped we could have used.

TS: Who? Surely not one of the girls? [Her tone is slightly alarmed]

FC: Oh no, not your friends, they've been nothing but enthusiastic. Rarity has practically thrown herself at the costume department, Applejack and her family is providing catering for all the Ponyville shoots. Fluttershy has been no end of help with the scenes involving any animals, she's really taken Dreamer under her wing. Rainbow Dash has glady helped the effects team with Rainboom and stuntshots...they were saying they felt kinda redundant when they have the Captain 'Danger' Dash doing all the special effects. And don't get us started on Pinkie, I think the whole crew is partied out when she seems to insist on throwing one every...You're laughing, Ms. Sparkle?

TS: [The sound of barely stifled laughter]...I'm sorry...Oh it's just, yes that's just so like them...it honestly makes me feel bad that I've been such a stick in the mud over this with you, Mr. Class.

FC: It's quite all right, Ms. Sparkle...if I'm honest I really suspected you'd take the most convincing that we would do the best we could with such difficult material. It's just such a shame that we couldn't bring this other pony on board. For the most part it shouldn't affect things too much, if anything it will allow us a lot more room for things involving your friends. But it will certainly get quite tricky later on...that is, if there is a later on. It all depends on how the project is received.

TS: I'm sorry Mr. Class, but, who exactly are we talking about?

FC: That's the thing, Ms. sparkle...[sigh]...there's been an injunction filed blocking any reference on set or in anything to do with the show. As a representative of the 'Friendship is Magic' project, I can't tell you. I mean, we expected a degree of censorship to be imposed. Even after so long some of the things you went through, especially the Nightmare Moon incident, are still classified by the Royal Court and the EMoD. We thought having the Princesses on board might...you know...count for something. But, Hay, if even they can't supersede on something it must be serious.

TS: So let me get this straight. You're being censored? How in the Wide World of Equestria can you even begin to write this show!? I'll get this nonsense straightened out, just watch me. One letter is all it will take.

FC: I appreciate the offer Ms. sparkle, but if only it were as simple as that...[sigh]...regardless of the censorship issue, the fact remains that the reason we can't feature...this individual, is that they themselves have blocked it. They will not give any permission to be depicted, even with a changed name or identity. It really does put us in a bind, but, don't worry, we're movie-makers, we can work around it. I really shouldn't have mentioned it in the first place...excuse me...[a fumbling noise]...I'll just stop the recording for a moment and fetch a new cassette...[more fumbling noise]

TS: [slightly indistinct over background noise] EMoD?...Wait. Wait a moment! This Pony, you don't mean...

Here the recording terminates. The next cassette merely contains voice-coaching pointers between First Class, Fluttershy and Dreamer on the elements of a good cheer.

As further information, it should be noted that Twilight Sparkle was incredibly angry at the exclusion of the mystery pony and would still feel a lingering suspicion over the thematic and artistic direction of 'Friendship is Magic'. However. when she discovered that it was, indeed, drawing young ponies into libraries to find out more about her and her friends and associated information, she was finally convinced. She'd still have preferred a documentary though.

'Friendship is Magic' has gone on to win several awards in its long running and has generated a loyal and very vocal fanbase across Equestria. 'Derpy Hooves' did go on to be a fan favourite proving that some of the most extraordinary things come from unexpected sources.

As for the mystery pony who demanded exclusion from the entire show, I will not risk any possible legal infraction by mentioning them in the same passage as the 'FiM' production.

-CC

(Extract from Britannia & the Elements of Harmony)