Board Thread:News and Announcements/@comment-4820209-20150202184613/@comment-14909251-20150207182114

Zolnir wrote: Except that it will be difficult, because he was such a unique person. There aren't many people out there who can match his frantic work pace, and while there may be people who can work smarter (Monty has a strong aversion to change - like RT had to find a Window 7 that's like a Window XP for him lol), I doubt there are many who can work so efficiently, they can outdo a person who works 3 times more than their time of sleep.

There's also the creativity issue. As you know, Monty always has some random new ideas, and he always implements them. It's a reason why we love him so much. Be it Cardin being chased by a tank, or Cinder and Yang dancing, or some random punching sequences and even a Blake peeking at Weiss' panties, he didn't just let the idea stew in his mind, he implement it and show it to the world. As Burnie had said in the podcast, he isn't worried about RWBY's future or that they hadn't received enough instructions from Monty to continue the show, it's these random things that no one expects, random things that Monty makes true (even at the expenses of deadline, because he's such a person), things that only he can think of that all of us is going to miss.

I don't need to talk about combat sequence. Few people can do them as well as him.

And he's also THE Mocap specialist for RWBY. He did the dance scenes, he did the combat scenes, he uses them so much that people aren't used to seeing the suit inactive. I know that one of his source of inspiration is from Jackie Chan, where this great director taught that kungfu scenes should have an almost musical rhythm to it, that some shots should be doubled to give the hit a real feel behind it etc. That's how he animates RWBY's combat scenes, or even way back since Dead Fantasy; he places a strong emphasis on combining the animation and the music, but did not let either elements dictate one another (otherwise it'll either turn into a music video, or the music becomes pointless chatter). We understand that logic - but even just replicating the technique or rebuilding that sense Monty has honed for years to reach today is kinda... hard.

Monty is multitalented; a rare thing indeed when these days people usually have just that one great talent. While we can replace those talents with numbers, sometimes those talents just need a single brain to combine and dictate its direction. Different individuals working together usually ends up watering great ideas down to appease the other, and mash it all together into something average. It also requires them to have powerful work dedication and discipline, which in Monty's case is literally one of a kind. I don't think even desperate lawyers work as hard as he does, and he likes working and cannot stand the thought of rest beyond absolute necessary.

Like hell, he even planned ahead of time so that his creation will survive in case something happens to him... I've seldom seen someone prepare and train his man so well in just 2 short years, that I can say confidently that they can literally continue the RWBY series until its final conclusion. We writers never have that luxury; if we're gone, then our incomplete creation dies forever unless we are very, very, VERY fortunate to find a likeminded author with a near identical style who's willing to takeover... I don't think Monty was particularly special in that regard, but I would agree that it is unlikely anyone at RT can measure up to him. That unique touch cannot be replaced, but as far as the tasks he managed, they will not struggle to find people to take those on in his stead. Something will undoubtedly be lost, but they may bring something new to the table as well that is just as good.