Created by the late, great Monty Oum, Rooster Teeth's anime-inspired animated series RWBY premiered its first volume in 2013. With 2020 now winding to a close, the show recently premiered its eighth volume, which sees the heroes faced with what could prove to be their greatest challenge yet.
Following Volume 7's cliffhanger ending, which saw the villainous Salem and her forces begin to advance on the divided Kingdom of Atlas, Team RWBY and their cohorts must act quickly, lest Atlas and, eventually, all of Remnant fall to Salem. Considering they're also at odds with General Ironwood and his forces, it's certainly not going to be easy for them. All and all, RWBY Volume 8 is shaping up to be an eventful outing for the series.
Shortly after RWBY Volume 8's premiere episode, "Divide," released to the public and its second episode, "Refuge," released for Rooster Teeth FIRST members, CBR spoke with RWBY showrunner/writer/director Kerry Shawcross and series star Lindsay Jones, who voices Ruby Rose, about Volume 8, as well as what may lie ahead in the future.
CBR: First of all, congratulations on Volume 8. The premiere was just made available to the public and Episode 2 is available for FIRST members now. How exciting is that, to get to share this new chapter with the fans?
Kerry Shawcross: It's really exciting. You know, this is our eighth season, which is crazy to say out loud. And it's certainly one of the most unique premieres we've had. But it still feels really good. It's always a big weight off -- I think off of everyone's shoulders -- when the first episode comes out. Everyone goes, "Okay, cool. All right. People are liking it. This is awesome. Cool." It's a nice way to kind of reinvigorate yourself to kind of get through the rest of the season.
CBR: When RWBY started it was sort of like this labor of love that only Rooster Teeth fans really knew about. And now it's blown up into this thing will all sort of tie-ins and a whole separate fanbase. Did you ever think it would get to this level and how has that affected your approach to the show?
Shawcross: When we conceived this idea and worked on it... I mean... there were so many times where we didn't think we were going to be able to make the show. There were so many times that we thought that when people first saw it they were going to hate it. In my wildest dreams, I could not have imagined that I would be here right now... I'm very appreciative of it, though.
It's crazy, you know? I don't think that a season's gone by where my day-to-day life on the show hasn't changed a good bit. Of course, the first couple seasons it was working with Monty, and then after that, it was slowly learning how to become a showrunner myself, and then kind of like a franchise EP. There have been a lot of learning curves and I still don't have it down.
Every year's a little bit different. I think that we do our best to make it not appear different to the audience. What I did on my day-to-day between Volume 8 and Volume 5 are entirely different. But you know, my hope is that nobody can tell, or if they can tell, it just seems better. It's definitely a balance. There's a lot of people who want answers for a lot of different things. It's cool to get to work on all these type of projects but it means more approvals and more feedback. But it's worth it, 'cause we get to do cool things with cool partners as well.
CBR: You mentioned how you try to keep it familiar, but also -- after around Volume 3 or so -- RWBY got significantly darker in its tone. In general, how would you compare writing Volume 1 or 2 versus 7, 8 or even 9?
Shawcross: Night and day. The more tangible, technical sense of having a larger staff... I mean, we added Eddy [Rivas] and Kiersi [Burkhart] as writers starting with Volume 7 and 8 and 9. So, there's aspects of that that are different -- where there's actually more of a writers' room, and less of just Miles [Luna] and I tackling scenes together a lot of the times. Even earlier than that, it was the collaboration with Monty.
I mean, it [has], in a lot of ways, changed. There have been a lot of positive things, like bringing more people in. But I think the core of it remains very similar, in that we have and we've had this story we want to tell for a really long time. And every year we kind of see, "How did last year go? What do we want to do in this next year? What are the big beats that we know need to happen? What are some of the smaller beats that we weren't able to do the year before?" or, "The audience is really taking to this thing, maybe we can explore that more." Those little things that we can kind of fill in.
It's been a similar process at its core but has changed a lot over the years. It's really fun getting to write with our current writing team. And also not being responsible for every single page has been awesome, so I'll take it.
CBR: That actually leads into another question I had. You mentioned Miles. It's obviously still you and him who've been holding down the fort since the very beginning. But with Volume 7 you introduced Eddy and Kiersi to the writers' room. How has that affected the dynamic, and how has that affected Volume 8?
Shawcross: I can't think of a negative. I think it's only been positive. Obviously, Miles and I have been doing this since the beginning and we really understand each other and our strengths and weaknesses, and how they work together.
Introducing Kiersi and Eddy starting with Volume 7 and then getting through 8 -- and we've already finished 9 -- they've done a great job of understanding that this is obviously something that we worked on for six years before they got into it. So, it was clear from the beginning that they respected that. And I think it was also -- hopefully we made it clear to them, it sounds like it -- that it's also nice to get fresh eyes on things, and fresh perspectives.
One of the first things we did, especially with Kiersi -- Eddy was doing some stuff internally with us already, so he had a longer, slower ramp in -- but for Kiersi, it was, "Hey, we've worked with you on some other stuff. We'd love to have you work on RWBY. Watch the series up to this point and then come in and tell us all the things you liked and tell us all the things you were like, 'Why didn't we go back to this? Why didn't we explore this?' You know, what didn't work?"
So, it was nice to get perspective... It's also been great to have more people who understand the show and can get things done. And I think that's helped the quality go up because we were able to move faster because we had more people. And they took the time and put in the effort to make the voices feel right. It felt very natural.
CBR: I mentioned earlier RWBY now has a lot of tie-ins, one of which was a DC comic book by the team of Marguerite Bennett and Mirka Andolfo. Did you read the comic, are you a fan of it [and] did it influence your writing at all?
Shawcross: Oh yeah. No, for sure, yeah. We worked with that team really closely... From the very beginning of the comic book, we all got together and talked about ideas for stories. And with every comic, as they're working on it, we take a look at it and have the occasional, "Oh, maybe Ruby would say this [line] this way," or something like that. And as we work with them, those become few and far between.
We love [the comic]. It's always great to, similar to kind of what we were talking about with Eddy and Kiersi... I love inviting people into this world, to get to play around with as well, and have their take be different on it, and have it feel different. 'Cause it's not an animated, anime-inspired show. It's a comic book in this form. So, "What does that look like? How is that interpreted?" I think it's fun. And I love doing stuff like that.
CBR: That's something else I was going to ask. So it does sound like you guys were consulted on it.
Shawcross: Yes. Yeah, in general, any brand thing we do like that we definitely are able to get eyes on it and just make sure things are feeling right for the brand.
CBR: Also, Rooster Teeth's gen:LOCK is actually moving to HBO Max for its next season. Have there been any talks about maybe putting RWBY on the platform, not necessarily as its new home, but just as somewhere else where people can stream it?
Shawcross: Those are conversations that I don't even know about [laughs]. I'm just here making the show. I'm sure somebody's been... I'm sure people are talking. But I have no info on that.
CBR: Were there ever plans to put in on TV like gen:LOCK?
Shawcross: We've talked about stuff before. It's definitely a little bit more difficult. We started and still remain a little bit more of a web show than anything else. So, our runtimes are a little bit different from TV. I think it's something we would love to do. It just hasn't really worked out yet. But it'd be cool to do something like that in the future.
CBR: Early on the episodes were pretty short, and they've gotten significantly longer over time. Has that been another thing that's been difficult to adjust to?
Shawcross: Yeah, I would say, you know... we always wanted to have longer episodes. We were starting out and we were figuring a lot of things out. And that's honestly a huge testament to the audience being amazing and continued support as we've been able to grow. I don't feel like, from a creative standpoint, having longer episodes was more challenging. In some ways, it was easier. But it's because of the support of everybody that we've been able to, from a production standpoint, do that.
So, honestly, for us, it's just been nice to be able to have some more character moments, or let things breathe a little bit more as we go. But I feel like we've hit a pretty good spot with that.
CBR: Volume 8 definitely has a very climactic feel about it. But as we know -- as you said and as Eddy Rivas confirmed previously -- Volume 9 is pretty much finished in terms of writing. Is there an end in sight? And how does Volume 8 contribute to your ultimate endgame?
Shawcross: To answer your first question, yes. From the beginning, we've had the very basic building blocks of where we wanted the story to go. Some areas were more detailed, some areas were less detailed. I don't want to give a number, just because it really does change every year.
In terms of, you know, us deciding, "Hey, now that we're really getting into it, we thought we could do this much in a season but we feel like, now that we're getting into it, we feel like we're going to be rushing, so let's move that out," or the exact opposite, "We think we can actually get [this thing] done a little quicker."
I guess the non-spoilery answer is that Volume 8 is definitely... I would say a big volume. And... I might just leave it at that. I don't want to get too into it and accidentally say something. But I'm very excited and I hope -- and I think -- people will be as well.
CBR: I remember reading that, on a Talk CRWBY episode, you guys mentioned that RWBY Volume 8 is only going to take place over the course of about a day or two. Is that accurate?
Shawcross: It's pretty quick, yeah. Our last couple seasons have been... we tend to kind of vary between having like, "This season's going to take place over a couple months," or, "This is about, kind of, one moment in time." And I would definitely say Volume 8 leans into the... We saw at end of Volume 7, Salem's forces showed up. We have Ironwood and Ruby and Salem all kind of against each other. There's not a lot of time before people start making decisions and actions take place. So, it's going to be a pretty fast and intense volume.
CBR: So, Team RWBY and company definitely have an eventful weekend ahead of them.
Shawcross: I would definitely say so, yeah. It's going to take place over 14 weeks.
CBR: The show itself.
Shawcross: Yeah. The actual airing of it, yeah.
CBR: More on RWBY's future, we started in Vale, we've seen Mistral, we've seen Menagerie and now we're in Atlas. Can we assume that Vacuo is next?
Shawcross: I think you could assume that. I will neither confirm nor deny, and I won't... I don't want to say, or not, that there might be a detour on the way. But we definitely would be remiss if we didn't get to see Vacuo at some point -- maybe some point soon.
CBR: Are you excited to explore a whole new kingdom when the time comes?
Shawcross: Oh yeah! It's always a very big thing from a production standpoint when we get to a new kingdom because we want to know what that kingdom feels like now and what it felt like 10 years ago and 50 years ago, and really make sure that it feels like a lived-in space. And that takes a lot of work, and our team's really good at it but it's something to consider.
But it is one of the more exciting things, especially with how long the show has been running for. We talk about Vacuo in the very beginning and we still haven't been there yet and, you know, Atlas and Mantle until recently. So, I'm itching to get to more areas and kind of show the world. We've had a lot of ideas kind of stewing for years now.
CBR: Is that also a big thing for you? Making sure these places don't feel like something that were made for a season but feel like places that have existed.
Shawcross: Yeah. It's always a balance. Everything we do is a balance. You know, we at Rooster Teeth, we're not a huge studio. We're super appreciative of everything we have and the show's been able to grow so much over the years. And I love it, and it's great. But it's important that we keep that in mind. I feel like a big part of my job and the other directors' jobs and the writers' jobs is to figure out where we need to put that effort in.
We do have some sets or some areas that are going to get used in one scene, but even that -- I think this speaks a lot to our concept and our art team -- as an example, the restaurant in the first episode of Volume 8, that is largely a one-off set. But the concept artists put so much little detail into it. They put a painting in the background of the owners and some brand labels of products on the side and, you know, none of those are story critical, those are things that if you missed them, it's okay. But those little things like that, I feel like, help make it feel alive.
Our team has gotten very good at figuring out what's going to stand out in a good way and what is not worth the effort, so to speak. If we had all the time and money in the world, we would do more. But sometimes it's not worth it, and it's important to figure out what is worth it and what's gonna get the most impact.
(Note: It is at this point that Lindsay Jones joined the interview.)
CBR: One more thing for Kerry. Despite the whole COVID thing, RWBY [Volume 8] arrived pretty much on time when you compare it to last volume. Was that a challenge? How difficult was it to adapt to this new situation?
Shawcross: It has been crazy challenging. And we're not done yet, we're still working on the series. But we're all feeling really good about it. It's a huge testament to our team [and] Laura Yates, our lead producer and supervising producer. It's still crazy to me that we were able to get where we're at without asking our team to sacrifice quality of life or having to take this huge quality loss.
It's pretty incredible that we were able to get this to work. So, I'm very proud and appreciative of our team, and appreciative of our audience for understanding that, you know, "Yeah, it's a couple weeks later. You might see a couple extra clipping things or something here and there." But again, we're prioritizing the stuff that matters and that we feel like is going to have a big impact.
CBR: Earlier we were talking about how far RWBY has come. Has that been difficult to adjust to and did you ever think it would get this big?
Lindsay Jones: No way. I think every person who works on RWBY is looking back dumbfounded -- like, pleasantly dumbfounded -- at how much the show has grown and the audience that we have for the show, not only within the Rooster Teeth fanbase but internationally now too. We have this attention that's been brought to our show that we never thought we'd have. And now we're sitting at the table with other content creators that I've aspired to work with, Kerry might feel the same way.
So, yeah no, we never thought it would be this popular. And we are more than humbled that it has become this way. And it's all thanks to the fans. So, thank you.
CBR: We also mentioned that RWBY has gotten significantly darker over its run. How has voicing Ruby Rose changed for you? Does it still come from the same place, or is there now a whole new headspace you have to get into?
Jones: It's a similar headspace. I said before, I feel like I've grown a little bit with Ruby, and I feel like you connect to any character you play in some sense. But for Ruby, I mean, I've been playing that character for almost 10 years now, and a lot of people don't get the wonderful ability to say that. I've had such a great time doing it.
But in the way that I've grown -- and become a little bit more cynical and jaded and, just life, that's how it is -- I feel like Ruby's kind of gone through the same journey. So, we can kind of relate in the same way. So, while I come into the booth not thinking that the performance is different, it feels that way because that's the nature of the content and I'm in that headspace. So, yeah.
CBR: RWBY Volume 8 very much has a sense of urgency about it. Things are heating up, so to speak. What's Ruby's mindset heading into this new chapter?
Jones: For her, we've kind of hit on it before in a couple of other volumes, but she -- coming into Beacon [Academy], being a younger student -- she kind of looked up to a lot of other people for guidance and, just, direction. And a lot of those people are now -- maybe not entirely not-trustworthy -- but they're questionable in their morality. So, Ruby kind of has to step back and go, "Okay, I have to trust myself," and really kind of take on that role as a leader. Even more so now, not just as a team leader at school, this is now a global thing that she has to combat. So, a lot of growth going on in this. And a lot of self, I guess, introspection.
CBR: We definitely knew that she was going to have to grow up fast from the beginning, but I think it's happened even faster than even she could have realized.
Jones: Oh yeah, for sure.
CBR: Has that been an interesting thing to explore?
Jones: I would think so. For me, it was interesting. I feel like it goes with my journey of growing through my 20s into my 30s now, becoming a mother, gaining more of a sense of responsibility. So, it's been interesting watching her grow, and I can't sit there and say, "Wow, look at her growth," because it's not done yet.
It's been great watching her grow but I can't wait for you guys to see, like, her final moments. Not like she's gonna die or anything. But like... her final form, I should say.
CBR: How excited are you for that? Just, in general, the future of RWBY.
Jones: Very... Oh yeah, I'm stoked. I can't spoil anything but just talking to Kerry and the writers and working with Monty originally when the show first started, talking about the plans we had for the show and just the excitement that we had for the audience to finally see those things come to fruition. And I know Kerry might have talked about it but some of those things have happened recently. And we're like, "Wow, we waited this long and sat on this secret for this long," and it's so rewarding. It's the best.
CBR: As RWBY heads further into Volume 8, what are you most excited for the fans to experience?
Jones: I feel like I say every volume... the team goes above and beyond each volume, and this is no exception. Especially with animation, I feel like that's wizardry. To me, it's like artistry. I can't do any of that, nor do I understand it. So, watching the spectacle come to life after we do our voice recording -- and we read the scripts -- but just seeing it come to life is so different and awesome, and I can't wait for everyone else to see that too.
Shawcross: This is definitely kind of a lame answer but I'm honestly... There's a lot of amazing stand-out moments to me... I'm just really excited for people to see the end. And obviously, it's the finale, it makes sense. But like... not so much that Chapter 14 is so much more spectacular but I'm really excited for people to get to the end of this volume and be able to look back on it, and how far Team RWBY has come and how far the story has grown.
Jones: We powered through. The volume's coming out despite 2020. It tried to hold us back, but we said, "No."
Rooster Teeth Animation's RWBY Volume 8 stars Lindsay Jones as Ruby Rose, Kara Eberle as Weiss Schnee, Arryn Zech as Blake Belladonna and Barbara Dunkelman as Yang Xiao Long. New episodes arrive Saturdays for Rooster Teeth FIRST members and are released to the public the following week.