《机械小镇》创作日志 Maker's Diary about Mecha Town

钟表小子系列的动画师撰写的创作日志，记录了电影《机械小镇》的制作过程。 A note written by the animator of the Clockie series, recording the production process of the movie Mecha Town.

琥珀历2157纪 项目启动第1天

2157 AE, Day 1 of Project Initiation

和大多数剧组成员一样，我也是看《钟表小子》长大的。我知道《钟表小子》动画独一无二的品质与声名，也能意识到钟表小子动画创作的艰难之处。

Like much of the crew, I grew up watching Clockie. I know the Clockie cartoons are unmatched in quality and reputation, and I understand the difficulty in producing such an animation.

作为每十周年一部的纪念作，观众势必会带有更高的期待来审视新作。而《网络小镇》、《星船小镇》等作品的珠玉在前，也为我们增加了不小的压力。

Just so, the public will have undoubtedly high expectations of the commemoration piece made every ten years. The fact that we're the following act to preceding masterpieces like Cyberville and Starshipville has also added no small amount of pressure.

虽然是梦中世界，可动画的制作并不如许多人设想的那样，只需稍微挪动一番脑子里的图像，人物就会自己蹦到屏幕上，去饰演各自分配的角色。这部作品还是传统工艺的手绘动画，不是神奇的梦泡电影——但这也是《钟表小子》魅力经久不衰的原因之一。

Though this might be a world of dreams, the art of animation doesn't quite work like how people assume. We can't exactly rely on our thoughts or imaginations to move the characters and have them jump onto the screens to act out their roles. This is still a traditional hand-drawn animation, not one of those fantastical dream bubble movies — but that's the exact reason why Clockie has such enduring charm.

看着排班表上恐怖的内容，我摸了摸尚且丰茂的头发，提前替它们缅怀悲惨的未来。

With all the horrors scheduled in our future shifts, I can't help but run my hand through my still-luxurious hair, lamenting the many clumps that are fated to fall in the future.

琥珀历2157纪 项目启动第31天

2157 AE, Day 31 Since Project Initiation

今天制片人带我们观看了一部克劳克影业的内部纪录片。

Today, the producers showed us an internal documentary from Clock Studios.

在「逐梦时代」的时候，因为梦境的不稳定，现在我们所使用的众多生产技术都无法在匹诺康尼的梦境制片中实现。

During the Age of Dreaming, due to the instability of the Dreamscape, a great many of the current production technologies we use right now could not be manifested in Penacony's Dreamscape film production.

所有的动作都要真人在影棚里按剧本做出来再逐帧描图，连制片人都得亲自带着钟表小子的头套上场跳舞。

Every action portrayed on screen was first performed by a real person in the studio following the directions of the script, then the footage was traced frame-by-frame into images. Even the producer had to put on a Clockie costume and dance for a scene.

这么说…钟表匠也曾出演过钟表小子吗？可惜这部纪录片依然没有展示他的真容。

Knowing that... could the Watchmaker have played Clockie before? Shame that this documentary still didn't reveal what he truly looks like.

琥珀历2157纪 项目启动第73天

2157 AE, Day 73 Since Project Initiation

今天和科里纳吵了一架，他认为机器小镇的角色设计应该表现出一种齿轮风格的僵硬感。

I had a fight with Collin today. He thought the character designs for the machine town needed to display a kind of gearpunk stiffness.

我真是服了，他怎么不照照镜子，看看自己有没有他说的那种僵硬感。他还嘴硬，说什么「我的生产厂商可不是他们那些便宜智械可以比的」。要不是「钟表匠」还在看着我们，我真想给他那氧化的合金脑袋来上一拳。

I really have nothing to say. He should find a mirror and see if he's the one that's actually stiff. He even started talking back, saying something about how: "My manufacturer is not something that can be compared to those cheaply made Intellitrons." If it weren't for the fact that the Watchmaker is still watching us, I really might've thrown a punch at that very-much oxidized, alloyed skull of his.

琥珀历2157纪 项目启动第160天

2157 AE, Day 160 Since Project Initiation

在进行小镇场景的概念设计时，拉里给了我们很好的建议和参考，据说他的祖先曾经和无名客有过命的交情，道听途说了不少匹诺康尼外面的故事。

Larry gave us some really good advice and references while we were trying to design the scenes for the town. Apparently, his ancestors once had deep relations with the Nameless, and learned lots of stories about places beyond Penacony.

真好啊，无名客…等以后有钱了闲下来，我也去外面的世界看看好了。

Must be nice to be a Nameless... Once I make enough money, I should go out and take in the world too.

琥珀历2157纪 项目启动第324天

2157 AE, Day 324 Since Project Initiation

睡觉是在梦里，而熬夜是不睡觉，那么在梦里熬夜应该算是睡觉还是熬夜？

To sleep is to dream, and to do all-nighters is to not sleep. Then, what does pulling all-nighters in the dreamscape count as?

在连续工作了五十四个系统时后，我支离破碎的理智不由得产生了这般思辨。

These are the speculations my fragmented psyche cannot help but consider after fifty-four consecutive system hours of work.

「钟表匠」总是会以意想不到的方式出场，他有时会是藏在桌子下的一口钟，有时又会变成一个泡泡，这样的小惊吓似乎构成了他少有的乐趣。

The Watchmaker always comes up with unexpected ways to make his entrance. Sometimes, he is a clock that hides beneath the desk, and sometimes he turns into a bubble. These little scares he inflicts have become one of his few pleasures.

只是，和表现在日常的幽默不同，「钟表匠」在动画的制作方面相当严苛。我不得不承认他在剧本创作方面的实力，可同时，摒弃偶像崇拜的情愫，他要求的作画精度几乎到了偏执的水准——科里纳为了想象出他在剧本上构思的场景，差点搞得主板短路。

However, the Watchmaker is quite severe and strict when it comes to animation production — a far cry from the usual whimsy humor he exhibits on a day-to-day basis. I cannot help but admit he has tremendous capability when it comes to writing scripts. At the same time, ignoring any notions of idolization, his demands for the animation's preciseness are approaching absurd — Collin nearly shorted his motherboard trying to imagine the scenes described in the script.

琥珀历2157纪 项目启动第420天

2157 AE, Day 420 Since Project Initiation

从猎犬家系请来的格斗指导崩溃了，不过也是，剧本和分镜草稿里的许多东西，根本不能用常人的逻辑来衡量。

The action choreographer recruited from the Bloodhound Family had a breakdown. I mean, it wasn't unexpected. There are lots of things in the script and storyboard that can't be measured via the logic of normal people.

其实我还挺佩服这兄弟的，居然能坚持到现在。我早就为那段分镜燃尽了，趴在桌上，我的大脑里甚至浮现出了“动画师是否是一种可消耗零件”的困惑。

Honestly, I respect the guy for lasting as long as he did. I've long been burned hollow by that section of the storyboards. Sprawled over my desk, I even thought about whether "animators are just expendable components."

我受够了，我想创作的是自己能理解的动画，而不是老板的胡思乱想！

I've had enough. I wanted to create animations I can understand, not the frenzied imaginations of my boss!

我跟制片人请了两天的病假，准备去找个鼓励师看看。

I've requested two days of sick leave from the producers. I'm going to see a Motivator.

琥珀历2157纪 项目启动第421天

2157 AE, Day 421 Since Project Initiation

预约的鼓励师不在，因为他好像也预约了鼓励师。

The scheduled Motivator is absent because he apparently also scheduled a Motivator.

但我真的很难再坚持下去了，我鼓起勇气联系「钟表匠」，希望申请辞职。

But I really don't have much left in me to keep going with this. I worked up the courage to contact the Watchmaker in the hope of tendering my resignation.

但令我诧异的是，这位高高在上的董事长既没有训斥我也没有挽留我，而是像个朋友一样跟我聊起了闲天。

To my surprise, however, the esteemed chairman didn't rebuke or beg me to stay. He just started chatting with me like a friend.

我把本来想跟鼓励师倾诉的话全部都告诉了他，从我在彩墨星系进修的学生时光聊到在克劳克影业的委屈，他静静地聆听，在我这个不起眼的动画师身上不知浪费了多少时间。

I ended up telling him about all the stuff I wanted to discuss with the Motivator. Things about my time as a student in the Chroma Star System and all the frustrations I experienced at Clock Studios. He listened attentively, spending Aeons know how long on me, a mere unremarkable animator.

听完我的想法，他居然深深向我致歉，并向我耐心讲述了关于《钟表小子》的一切——他解释清楚了自己为什么要创作这样的作品，以及每个我不理解的细节。

After hearing my thoughts, he even sincerely apologized to me, and patiently explained everything about Clockie to me. He explained why he had to create this project and went over all the details I didn't understand.

我们畅聊了一整夜，直到制片人冲进房间催我开工。

We spoke for an entire night, till the producers entered the room and asked me to start the work day.

这次谈话过后，我决定还是不辞职了。

I decided not to quit after that conversation.

倒不是这位老板说服了我，而是我希望未来还能再跟他聊聊天。

Not because the boss talked me down, but more that I want to speak with him more in the future.

琥珀历2157纪 项目启动第729天

2157 AE, Day 729 Since Project Initiation

历经万般艰难，剧组中的伙伴来来去去，我们的作品终于要杀青了。

After countless tribulations, after many turnovers in the cast and crew, our project is entering its final stages.

虽然制作的过程很痛苦，但看到成品的那一刻，我感到一种难以描述的幸福涌上心头，这比任何梦境都让人感到幸福。

Though the process of its creation was hellish, witnessing the final product made me feel an ineffable sense of happiness. It was a joy greater than can be found in any Dreamscape.

但我们最大的功臣「钟表匠」却不见了。他没有以任何方式出现在我们最后的展映会上，也没有对这部作品发表任何的看法。

But the greatest contributor of all — the Watchmaker — was nowhere to be seen. He didn't appear in our initial screening in any shape or manner, nor did he express his thoughts about this creation.

但我相信「钟表匠」一定会在克劳克影业需要他的时候现身的——就像钟表小子一定会在美梦小镇需要他的时候现身一样。

But I believe that the Watchmaker will definitely appear when Clock Studios needs him. Just like Clockie always comes running when Dreamville calls.