Critters and Dungeons & Dragons fans today received the news we’ve been waiting for since March 16th: “Critical Role” and The Mighty Nein are returning with campaign 2, episode 100 on July 2nd. Is it Thursday yet?
In the latest “State of the Role” update video released today, Creative Director Marisha Ray made the announcement, and also explained the reasoning behind the cast and crew’s decision, as well as the weeks of considerable planning and preparation that has been underway in order to facilitate a safe and stable return to production.
In the video, Ray, in her signature warm and witty way, unveils the new look of the set, pointing out that each player now has their own table, spaced seven to twenty feet apart. Behind the cameras, a skeleton crew will be in the studio, with the rest of the crew and producers continuing to work from home.
Additionally, and most importantly, Ray said both cast and crew are being tested for the coronavirus every one to two weeks, depending on their shooting schedule. She further explained that all of these precautions and safety measures are being done in accordance with the Hollywood White Paper, and based on directives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Ray also noted that, for the foreseeable future, “Critical Role” episodes will be pre-taped, to ultimately help make it easier to adhere to safety standards while also mostly eliminating the pressures of working within a strictly scheduled timeframe. If their local government once again deems it necessary to close down business and studio operations due to the coronavirus, Ray said they will of course once again pause production and inform their viewers about it.
Ray also addresses what’s happening with “Talks Machina”, the weekly “Critical Role” talk show hosted by Brian W. Foster. “Once we have our footing with this new version of Critical Role, we will turn our attention to a remote version of Talks Machina. We’ll keep you posted with other content updates as they develop,” she said. It’s also pleasing to hear Ray state that their “other socially-distanced content like Narrative Telephone will continue.”
In line with keeping up with “Critical Role” updates, Ray reports there is now a CR newsletter, helmed by Marketing and Community Manager Surena Marie. You can sign up for the newsletter at critrole.com/newsletter.
“We know that there’s been a lot of curiosity surrounding our return, but know that, far beyond any outside pressures, we’re coming back because we want to,” said Ray. “This game is just - it’s such a huge part of our hearts and souls, and being away for these months have only really further highlighted just how badly we need this in our lives. It’s ingrained in who we are as people, and we have deeply missed this story, and sharing it with all of you.”
Source: Critical Role State of the Role video
