Editing Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (section)

==Production==
Impressed by the success of the first season of ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'' on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]], [[Warner Bros.]] assigned Alan Burnett to write a story for a full-length animated film. The original idea for the film was to have Batman being captured by his enemies at [[Arkham Asylum]] and face a [[kangaroo court]] in which the villains try him for making them what they are. The idea's concept, however, was considered "too brainy", as it required Batman to be immobile for a long time, so the idea was later used in the series' episode "Trial", which was aired after the film's release.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://screenrant.com/batman-mask-of-the-phantasm-animated-movie-facts-trivia/|title=15 Things You Didn't Know About Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm|date=February 1, 2017| website=[[Screen Rant]]| access-date= June 4, 2018}}</ref> Although the Joker does play a pivotal role in the film, it was Burnett's intention to tell a story far removed from the television series' regular [[rogues gallery]]. Burnett also cited he "wanted to do a love story with Bruce because no one had really done it on the TV show. I wanted a story that got into his head."<ref name= "Burnett">{{cite book |first1= Paul | last1= Dini |author2-link=Chip Kidd |first2= Chip | last2= Kidd | title =Batman Animated | publisher = [[Titan Books]] | year = 1998 | page = 114 | isbn = 978-1-84023-016-1| title-link =Batman Animated |author1-link=Paul Dini }}</ref> Members of the creative team have claimed that they did not intend for the Joker to appear in the film; [[Paul Dini]] has contradicted this, stating that the Joker's role was always part of the story from the beginning of the film's production.<ref>{{cite tweet| title= Joker was always part of the story. Secondary to Phantasm, but still there in all the outlines and drafts. |user= Paul_Dini | last= Dini| first= Paul | number = 900566977831239680| date= August 23, 2017 |access-date= June 4, 2018}}</ref> The writers were highly cautious of placing the Joker in the film, as they did not want any connection to [[Tim Burton]]'s 1989 film ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]'', but writer Michael Reaves said, "We then realized that we could make his appearance serve the story in a way that we never could in live-action."<ref name="Animation">{{cite news|first=Joe|last=Tracy|title = Interview with Michael Reaves| publisher= Animation Artist|url= http://www.animationartist.com/2000/Interviews/Screenwriters/Michael_Reaves/MReaves.html|access-date= January 22, 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080211171116/http://www.animationartist.com/2000/Interviews/Screenwriters/Michael_Reaves/MReaves.html| archive-date= February 11, 2008 | url-status= usurped}}</ref> In order to keep the Joker as a solo threat, [[Bruce Timm]] and Burnett convinced frequent ''Animated Series'' writer Dini to not use [[Harley Quinn]] in the film for that reason (although [[Arleen Sorkin]] did a bit part in the film voicing a minor character). The same technique was previously used in the episodes "The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne" and "Joker's Wild".<ref name=Issu>{{cite web| url= https://issuu.com/twomorrows/docs/backissue99preview|title=Back Issue #99 Preview by TwoMorrows Publishing - Issuu|magazine=[[Back Issue!]]|issue=99|via=Issuu.com|date=May 25, 2017 |access-date=June 4, 2018}}</ref>{{pageneeded|date=March 2025}} Conversely, the episode "Harley's Holiday" featured Harley Quinn and did not feature the Joker.

Aiding Burnett in writing the script were [[Martin Pasko]], who handled most of the flashback segments; Reaves, who wrote the [[climax (narrative)|climax]]; and Dini, who states he "filled in holes here and there".<ref name="Burnett"/> [[Orson Welles]]' 1941 classic ''[[Citizen Kane]]'' served as an influence for the flashbacks, a story about loss and the passage of time.<ref>{{cite book| first= Les|last=Daniels|title=Batman: The Complete History|isbn=978-0-8118-2470-5|publisher=[[Chronicle Books]]| location=New York| page= 184| year= 2000|author-link=Les Daniels}}</ref> According to Kevin Conroy, Andrea Beaumont was named after voice director [[Andrea Romano (voice director)|Andrea Romano]].<ref>{{cite web |last1= |first1= |title=Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill - Fan Expo Canada - Panel |date= September 5, 2016|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V1IB3viJK4&t=1334s |publisher =Convention Junkies |access-date=30 January 2023}}</ref> The character of Hazel, the cook robot of the World of the Future Fair, was named by Burnett after Hazel the Maid (portrayed by [[Shirley Booth]]), ''[[The Saturday Evening Post]]'' protagonist of cartoonist [[Ted Key]]'s TV series ''[[Hazel (TV series)|Hazel]]''.<ref>{{cite tweet| first= Paul| last= Dini |user= Paul_Dini| number= 902309884657524738 |title=Alan Burnett named her after Hazel the maid by cartoonist Ted Key. I always thought she was supposed to be a nod to the Jetson's Rosie.| date= August 28, 2017|access-date=June 4, 2018}}</ref> On the other hand, the design of the Phantasm went into 20 different versions until one was found which convinced the film's crew. According to Burnett, the Phantasm was like the [[Personifications of death|Grim Reaper]] with a cape, although the idea was to make her resemble the [[Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come]] of [[Charles Dickens]]' novel ''[[A Christmas Carol]]'',<ref>{{cite web| url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ydv8TS2wids| archive-url= https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211115/Ydv8TS2wids| archive-date=2021-11-15 | url-status=live| title=The Making Of Batman Mask of The Phantasm|last=| date=September 11, 2015|access-date= June 4, 2018| publisher=Living Abstraction | via = YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> something that even the Joker mentions in the finished version of the film.

{{Quote box|width=40%|align=right|quote="It was basically an expanded episode. We boarded the script and did all of our designs and shipped it overseas. We were treating it with more quality, but we originally didn't intend it for the big screen."|source=—[[Eric Radomski]] on Warner Bros.' decision to release the film theatrically<ref name="Miller">{{cite news |first=Bob | last= Miller| title=Knight Vision|publisher=[[Comics Scene (magazine)|Comics Scene]]| date=June 1994}}</ref>}}

Early in production, Warner Bros. decided to release ''Phantasm'' theatrically, rather than [[Direct-to-video|straight to video]]. That left less than a year for production time (most animated features take well over two years from finished story to final release). Due to this decision, the animators went over the scenes in order to accommodate the widescreen theatrical [[aspect ratio (image)|aspect ratio]].<ref name="Radomski">Dini, Kidd, p.117</ref> The studio cooperated well, granting the filmmakers a large amount of creative control.<ref>{{cite news|first=Emru |last=Townsend|title=Paul Dini: From Babs and Buster Bunny to Batman| website=Purple Planet Media|date=May 17, 1999| url= http://purpleplanetmedia.com/eye/inte/pdini.php|access-date=January 22, 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726212141/http://purpleplanetmedia.com/eye/inte/pdini.php|archive-date=July 26, 2011}}</ref>

Warner Bros. also increased the production budget to $6 million,<ref name="Miller" /> which gave the filmmakers opportunities for more elaborate set pieces. The opening title sequence featured a flight through an entirely [[computer-generated imagery|computer-generated]] [[Gotham City]].<ref name="Burnett" /> As a visual joke, sequence director [[Kevin Altieri]] set the [[climax (narrative)|climax]] of the film inside a miniature automated model of Gotham City, where Batman and the Joker are giants. This was an homage to a mainstay of Batman comic books of the [[Dick Sprang]] era, often featuring the hero fighting against a backdrop of gigantic props (they would later do another homage to Sprang's works in ''[[The New Batman Adventures]]'' episode "Legends of the Dark Knight").<ref name="Radomski" /> From start to finish, the film was completed within eight months.<ref name="Miller" /> The film's animation was provided by regular ''Batman: The Animated Series'' overseas studios: [[Dong Yang Animation]] in South Korea and [[Spectrum Animation]] in Japan. While most of the animation was done by Dong Yang, Spectrum handled the layout work.

The film's plot heavily resembles the 1987 storyline "[[Batman: Year Two]]", written by [[Mike W. Barr]] and illustrated by [[Alan Davis]] and [[Todd McFarlane]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Sims |first=Chris|date=February 3, 2012 |title=Ask Chris #92: The Great and Terrible 'Batman: Year Two'|url=http://comicsalliance.com/ask-chris-batman-year-two/?trackback=tsmclip |access-date=June 14, 2017 |website=[[ComicsAlliance]] |archive-date=September 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927171214/https://comicsalliance.com/ask-chris-batman-year-two/?trackback=tsmclip |url-status=live }}</ref> Bruce Timm called "Year Two" an "accidental inspiration" when designing the Phantasm, stating that he did not consciously base the Phantasm's look on the visually and thematically similar to "Year Two" villain the Reaper, while Alan Burnett said he modeled Phantasm's ''modus operandi'' after the [[Spider-Man]] villain [[Mysterio]], namely "the idea of someone who could disappear into smoke."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Downey |first=Meg |date=2017-07-20 |title=SDCC: Batman Mask of the Phantasm, Remastered |url=https://www.cbr.com/sdcc-batman-mask-phantasm-remastered/ |access-date=2023-11-30 |website=CBR |language=en |archive-date=January 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125012252/http://www.cbr.com/sdcc-batman-mask-phantasm-remastered/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Conversely, in May 2017, Barr stated he believed ''Mask of the Phantasm''{{'}}s similarities with "Year Two" were intentional, claiming, "I dropped by the offices of the ''BTAS'' staff twice [and] each time I dropped by I saw a guy—a different guy each time—industriously typing away, with a copy of ''Batman: Year Two'' open beside him. That was when I first became aware of their use of 'Year Two' [for the film]," with the early designs of the Phantasm in particular convincing him to bring up the matter of financial compensation to [[Paul Levitz]] at DC Comics. After telling Levitz, "I really want to keep this in the family," Barr was given a portion of the film's earnings, as well as money for the creation of the Phantasm herself.<ref name=Issu/>{{pageneeded|date=March 2025}}