A fun Saturday morning treat! Thanks, Koko, for alerting me – Outlander’s producer and writer Matt Roberts conducted quite a lengthy unscheduled Q&A this morning. Maril Davis and Terry Dresbach both jumped in! And Matt wins the Best Use of 140 Characters award, farther down in the Q&A.
Q Do we have a premiere date yet for S2?
A Spring is all I know at the moment.
Q What are you most looking forward to when you get back to LA? “Sunshine” doesn’t count as an answer. 🙂
A Uninterrupted sleep.
Q Do you have to incorporate the weather into the filming or wait it out?
A Since Scotland is a character, we incorporate the weather into the stories.
Q Who has better hair? (from an account named Sam Heughan’s Hair) Me or Sophie? Or Cait?
A (Maril) beats them all.
Q Do you ever film in Scotland in the summer? It’s got to be beautiful. Always seems cold on the show.
A Yes, we filmed in Scotland the spring, summer, fall and now winter.
Q Why were you starting reading Voyager a couple of months ago? Be specific.
A Because I like it.
Q Which eps did you write in S2?
A 6, 9, and co-wrote 13
Q Is your outline something all the writers agree on and then you write your interpretation?
A Yes then we all give each other notes at every stage of the writing process.
Q I think 13 is with Bree and not the 1700s?
A It’s in a writer’s job description to keep you guessing.
Q (From Maril Davis) Do you write your scripts in scene order or do you write out of order?
A I write out of order.
Q Have anything to do with considering locations? You’re always out there scouting…
A No, the script is done by the time we start scouting locations.
Q With the terrible weather are you on schedule for filming, or behind?
A We are on schedule … #knockwood
Q What are you most excited to share with audiences in S2?
A Paris is pretty cool.
Q Are you also involved in the casting process along with Ron Moore and Maril?
A Yes, all the writers are.
Q When you’re in the midst of writing, do you catch yourself thinking/speaking more like the characters?
A Verra much so…
Q Best advice ever given?
A “all first drafts are sh*t” — Hemingway
Q If we get to S4 (fingers crossed ) would filming possibly move to North America?
A Season FOUR? Hold on folks we haven’t even finished season 2 yet.
Q Are you outdoors or indoors for your last month of filming?
A both… we have many exterior and interior scenes left to do.
copyright Matt Roberts
Q Which one do you think will be the greatest episode of season 2?
A I don’t compare one episode against another. I think each one is outstanding in its own way.
Q Might there be any chance of characters NOT dying that we expect will?
A So you’re telling me there’s chance…
Q Do outdoor sets ever require a lot of dressing?
A All our sets require the art department to work their magic…every scene we film is a period piece.
Q Who are the hardest and easiest characters to write for?
A Bouton is the easiest so far, not sure about the hardest.
Q When writing a script for the show do you have to reference the book often?
A I reference all (Diana’s) books often when writing… for me it’s mandatory.
Q Do you have a city/town in Scotland that really surprised you because of the beauty of it?
A There are too many beautiful places in Scotland to list with only 140 characters.
Q What has been the best part about filming in Scotland?
A The people.
Q Are you going to any filming actually in Inverness?
A Sorry no.
Q Are you relieved or is it bittersweet when you wrap a season?
A Both… ending is tough but there’s always that hope for a beginning.
Q What camera do you use to take the (Pictures of the Day)?
A This half of S2 I’m suing a Sony a7rll and a Leica Q
Q Your pics are extremely moving. Ever consider releasing a book, or no interest in that?
A I will one day. Problem is finding the time. I have this day job that keeps me kinda busy.
copyright Matt B. Roberts
Q How much do we have to wait to have some nice pics behind the scenes with no spoiler?
A I’ll start posting my BTS photos once we start airing.
Q Just wondering if Bree will have an American accent or sound like a Scot?
A Raised in Boston, no?
Q Any favorite scenes in Season 2?
A Many many many many favorite scenes… but my all time favorite by far… has to be the one where
Q What do you think you’d be doing right now if Diana hadn’t written a book for practice?
A I think that’s a better question for Diana.
Q Is there a “teasing screening” before hiring or a course that cast & crew have to take on “How to Tease Fans”?
A (from Terry Dresbach) No, we just want you all to have the best possible experience.
A We spend months building this show, we want you all to see it when it’s complete.
Q (from Terry Dresbach) Who makes the best potato salad you’ve ever eaten? (Terry just posted her recipe on Twitter- see below!)
A sorry Grandma… you know it’s you Terry. Hey, speaking of…
A (Terry) In the works, Matt. I got all the ingredients yesterday…
A Sweet!
Q I’m supposed to eat something and do my household thing, instead I’m focusing on the Q&A with Matt Roberts. #Ihavemyprioritiesstraight
A Now I can add distraction to my resume.
Terry Dresbach’s Potato Salad:
Peel potatoes, about 8. Cut into even chunks and boil until tender. Drain into colander, When cool put in a mixing bowl and add 3/4 cup mayo, 1/4 cup mustard, 3 stalks chopped celery, 1 chopped onion, 3-4 chopped dill pickles. Mix and chill.
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