Talk:Vampire Bats and Scaredy Cats

Vampire Bats and Scaredy Cats Rough Cut vs Final Cut Differences Discussion

Hey James, Snoopy, QuestJ65 and others on the Hanna-Barbera Wiki, there's a rough cut version of The Scooby-Doo Show episode called Vampire Bats and Scaredy Cats which appears on the 2001 VHS release of Scooby-Doo's Spookiest Tales and on Teletoon Canada. According to Scoobypedia and here's the link for more details: https://scoobydoo.fandom.com/wiki/Vampire_Bats_and_Scaredy_Cats

The VHS release of Scooby-Doo's Spookiest Tales features an alternate, possibly work-in-progress cut of this episode with many differences:

• The title card is missing, probably because the two episodes that this one airs in-between have no title card at all.
• Character animation is generally rougher, with many shots in the finished cut completely redrawn to stay closer to model guidelines, with several unique medium shots and closeups replaced with stock assets. Many shots are also framed differently.
• When Scooby-Dum photographs Great Skull Island, he merely chuckles upon snapping. In the finished version, he says "Smile!" before snapping, and his shot uses the camera's flash.
• After Fred says, "Next stop: Lisa's hotel!", the Mystery Machine's driving animation is more smooth, and the vampire materializes from its exhaust accompanied by a spacey sound. In the finished cut, the Mystery Machine has more crude animation, there is no exhaust smoke, and the camera merely zooms out to show the vampire.
• Different sound effects were used for Scooby-Dum's reactions as he and Scooby-Doo try to load the coffin into the Mystery Machine.
• Mr. Dracul has a softer voice, being portrayed by Frank Welker, instead of Casey Kasem.
• When Shaggy and Dracul carry the coffin, the transition from light to dark is rougher.
• After Velma says to Daphne "I've locked the door and the windows, so nothing can get in here", the two immediately rush into their beds without explanation. In the finished cut, an exterior shot of window's shutters slamming shut in the wind is inserted.
• When Shaggy and Scooby crash into the girls' room, only the crash is heard before the shot immediately changes to a medium shot of Fred and Velma. In the finished version, the two are shown sliding down the closet door before the medium shot.
• Velma's "And that RAT was real enough..." was corrected to "And that BAT was real enough" in the finished version, through noticeable audio manipulation instead of a separate take.
• When Daphne answers the phone, she says "Hello? Hello? Is anybody there? Hello?". In the finished cut, only the first and last "Hello?"s are kept.
• The scene where Shaggy and the Scoobys are blocking the door from the vampire (as Lisa gets her post-hypnotic trigger phone call), the door is to the left. In the finished version, the shot is flipped so that the door is on the right, and decal in the background is changed.
• After the vampire finds Shaggy and Scooby in the wardrobe, there is an additional "Help!" from Shaggy that is not retained in the finished version.
• When Shaggy and the Scoobys are hiding from the vampire in the ballroom, the blue carpet disappears in some backgrounds. In the finished version, the carpet is kept throughout to maintain continuity with previous shots.
• When the Scoobys trap the vampire in the coffin at the pool, he merely sinks. In the finished version, he continues to bob up and down.

Here's also some clips from the rough cut version of that episode, courtesy of SpaceHunterM, check these out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFVLaa62gkI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voNI5SkJPBA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBYw2gURvPk

The rough cut version of this episode appears on the 2001 VHS release of Scooby-Doo's Spookiest Tales and on Teletoon Canada, while the final cut version of this aforementioned episode appears on the 2001 DVD release of Scooby-Doo's Spookiest Tales and other Scooby-Doo DVD releases, among others.

What are your thoughts about this anyway? --Michael (talk) 18:08, 3 November 2022 (UTC)

I've known about it for a long time. I'd have to have some time and the access to watch them to know for myself. -- Signed by James (talk) 18:26, 3 November 2022 (UTC)