Superhero Shorts: Batman’s Night Out

Welcome to this week’s edition of Superhero Shorts, where I take a look at a superhero short film and interview the creator. This week I was able to get a hold of Sean Ward, the producer behind the recent short Batman’s Night Out which has gotten over 1 million views on YouTube. Below you can Toronto Batman interacting with the citizens of Toronto with amusing results. Enjoy.

I enjoyed this a lot. Even though it’s pretty easy to make fun of Christian Bale’s gravelly Batman voice, this video is a lot of fun and doesn’t make that voice the main focus of the joke. It’s really more about the reactions of the people of Toronto which are hilarious. I got a big kick every time he caught someone off guard and made them jump when Toronto Batman just comes out of nowhere and starts yelling at them. And it’s just as great towards the end when all the people just want to take pictures with him. The Batman outfit looks great in the video, and you can tell that Toronto Batman and everyone else are having a really great time. I can see why this video became so popular.

Enough with me talking about the video, it’s time to let the actual filmmaker answer a few of my questions about his video. First off, I’d like to say a big thank you for doing this first interview. Now let’s get to the questions.

Sean Ward: Hey there! Thanks for reaching out! I’m excited to talk to you about my million+ viewed video, BATMAN’S NIGHT OUT.

Bubbawheat: How did you come up with the concept for the video?

SW: Toronto Batman and I had done a couple of videos together already when we decided that our next one would be the ultimate “Shit Batman Says”. It was a Saturday night when we shot it. We have been spoiled rotten with a lovely and mild winter this year here in Toronto, but that weekend was the one weekend of the whole season that it was actually winter-time cold. We went out and shot it, and by the time we looked at the footage we realized that we had something more unique and special than the original concept would indicate so we made up a different title and set it loose.

BW: Can you reveal Toronto Batman’s secret identity?

SW: No I can’t, although Toronto Batman himself has been known to take off the mask if you ask really nicely and have a camera or microphone with you.

BW: That is a great looking Batman outfit, where did he get it from?

SW: Toronto Batman has assembled that costume over several years at great personal expense.

BW: Were you surprised when the video went viral?

SW: I was surprised on the level where if you wanted me to pick one out of all of the videos I’d done that was most likely to be that popular, I might not have singled that one out. But I wasn’t surprised on the level where I’ve been working hard and I’ve had a tremendous amount of support from Harth TV’s and The Sean Ward Show’s backers so we all knew that it was just a matter of catching the right moment for something to pop off like that.

BW: Do you have more plans for Toronto Batman videos?

SW: Since we have put up BATMAN’S NIGHT OUT we have posted four or five more. Those videos have come in a variety of formats and flavors. The online video game is an interesting one. If I just had Toronto Batman shout at people week after week, that would flare out pretty quickly. But if I didn’t follow it up at all, it would just fizzle out. The challenge is to keep it fresh and constantly surprise the audience. So far people seem to be enjoying what they’re seeing. I’ve also got plans in the workshop for videos featuring Star Wars, Avengers, Spider-Man, and more.

BW: Were there any places that gave you problems for wearing a mask and wouldn’t let you film?

SW: Remember the part in BATMAN’S NIGHT OUT when he’s at the movie theatre? We got kicked out of that building by the time we got to the food court. Other than that we had no problems but it might be because people were too cold to raise a fuss.

BW: Were you surprised by the positive reaction by the police officers?

SW: I was, actually. A guy is running around in a mask, shouting at people. When they slowed beside us, I thought they were going to give us a problem but it worked out pretty great when they were in on it. Ever since the video went huge, Toronto Batman is a friend of the police and they always stop to greet us.

BW: I like asking everyone this question, what is your favorite superhero movie?

SW: Oh man… Spider-Man 2, hands down! That movie is perfect.

BW: Is there anything else you’d like to say?

SW: Yes. I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who shared BATMAN’S NIGHT OUT and helped it grow so huge so quickly. I’d also like to thank all of my fans from before Batman’s Night Out who supported me and maintained faith in my work and in my creative vision. I’d also like to thank Toronto Batman for being a good sport and doing such a bang up job.

Thanks for reaching out to do this!

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Thanks so much for your time. Coming up next week I’ve got a double feature from the man behind Blinky Productions known for his prolific fan films and other low budget productions, and in May I have lined up an interview with The Hillywood Show. And remember, if there’s any superhero video you’d like me to feature, leave a comment and let me know about it. Until next time, this has been Bubbawheat for Flights, Tights, and Movie Nights.