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George Kirby schreef:We tried the moustache, but with the slightly more realistic look we are going for, it looked out of place and just looked a little camp. We wanted Nappa to look as scary as possible, so decided against it.

Five minutes can go either way. It can be excruciatingly long or so good that it is over in a blink of an eye, but what do you do if you want it to be both? Well, minus the excruciating part, this is the conundrum that K&K Productions, a production company founded by brothers and directors Harry and George Kirby of the highly anticipated fan-made live-action extended trailer DragonBall Z: Saiyan Saga, are currently facing right now.

Being fans of the original DragonBall Z series, both Harry and George are not only looking to leave a lasting impression with the DragonBall Z fan base, but also create a concept that will stay true to the action-packed nature of the original animated series. Don’t take the fan-made part out of context though. This isn’t a backyard YouTube video with a cast member’s mom playing the role of Chi Chi. These guys are professionals with the industry background to back it up and an experienced cast and crew to help.

Much like any good saga though, the idea for a live-action DragonBall Z did not suddenly pop-up like an epiphany. Ever since watching the series as kids, Harry and George always had the idea in the back of their minds, brewing. Messing around with special effects for Ki blasts and pondering the notions of characterization and atmosphere, it felt like it would take years before they could start on a project they felt passionately about. Well, fortunately, that was five years ago, and since then they have acquired the skills, friends, crew, equipment, and most importantly the producer necessary to do things right.

The extended trailer is being produced through the help of their indiegogo campaign (a website used to fund various projects through consumer donations) which effectively means Saiyan Saga is being produced in part by non-other than DragonBall Z fans. By meticulously keeping their fans informed of the project’s progress through YouTube updates, twitter/Facebook accounts, and interviews, Harry and George have shown that they are well aware of who their most important producers are.

Nothing has been kept from the fans other than the surprises that are expected to occur in the actual extended trailer. In fact, they even developed what can basically be called a storyboard through an animated trailer using scenes from the DragonBall Z anime in order to illustrate the action and atmosphere that is expected in the live-action trailer.

Information on cast has been heavily fleshed in particular. In an interview with Derek Padula, author of The Dao of Dragon Ball, Harry and George made it clear that their main focus on casting was “appearance and martial skills, along with the roles they played”. This has resulted in a great cast of actors and actresses that not only look the part, but also fits the skill level and personality of the characters each person plays.

In regards to skill, Peter Peralta, playing Goku, and Aaron Ly, playing Vegeta, have extensive training in martial arts and multiple martial arts disciplines. David Cheung, who plays Tien Shinhan, comes with a focus in Shaolin Kung Fu, which according to David himself in the Saiyan Saga Update Video 2, has a heavy influence on the stances, kicks, and punches of the original animated series. Finally, Isky Fay, playing Yamcha, comes with a strong background in parkour, gymnastics, and various martial arts.

In order to supplement each character’s appearance, the Saiyan Saga crew has not been shy in using prosthetics, make-up, and costumes to really detail out each character. Michael Amariah, playing Piccolo, has been seen decked out in green make-up with purple contacts and prosthetic antennas. Ryan Olivia, playing Napa, has been shown with battle scars. And Brandon Ly truly looks the part in Gohan’s earth toned purple outfit, which the directors felt provided a more contemporary edge in contrast to the colorful nature of the original animated series.

Appearance and skill isn’t everything though and the cast members have studied their roles extensively to acquire the unique personalities and physicality of each character. In Saiyan Saga Update Video 2, Aaron Ly demonstrates his understanding of Vegeta’s experience in battle versus Goku’s, his need to strategize, and how his arrogance typically leads to his downfall. In the same video, Peter Peralta expresses his need to work out his chest and become leaner in order to better match Goku’s physical size and shape.

The use of special effects will round out the cast’s natural abilities. Flying, being a big part of the original series, will be done using wire work at a professional studio. Special moves such as Okidan and Kienzan will be computer generated. Lastly, green screens will be utilized to get the most out of their main shooting site in the mountainous plains of Dorset, England.

This is just the tip of the iceberg though. I haven’t even mentioned Harry and George’s debates over which language to use to further generate authenticity for the trailer or their views on other live action adaptions of animated films (particularly Hollywood’s DragonBall : Evolution) and how it relates to their current project, which can be found in their interview with Derek Padula. All this information and detail about the production, cast, and background just goes to show that this is something that is being made for fans and made by fans.

Though many are expecting a full length feature film as the next logical step, Harry and George are taking it slow to make sure everything is up to par for both themselves and DragonBall Z fans. Utilizing fan feedback, their own experiences on the project, and the success of the trailer, the Kirby brothers plan to expand the extended trailer concept for each of the DragonBall Z Saga. Eventually and hopefully, ending up with a full length feature film.