JMS: down time?
Jan
Since there's no official word yet on the renewal of Jeremiah, and nothing you
can officially say about the pick-up of Polaris, what's keeping you busy these
days? You've got ASM and Rising Stars, of course but doesn't that leave you at
least two projects short to keep you busy?
Can you at least tell us how many projects you're working on that you can't
tell us about yet? :-)
Jan
Jms at B5
Since Malcolm and others have already pretty much spilled the beans, and word
has gone out to the crew and cast and others and we're beginning prep next
week...yeah, we've been picked up on Jeremiah. Sam Egan has left and we're
bringing on Grant Rosenberg to help out in his place, mainly by working on set
so I can focus more on the writing instead of having to plow through snow to
stand around with the director.
So I'm hip deep in prep on Jeremiah, still waiting news on Polaris, writing
Spidey, writing a new and as yet classified book for Marvel (I think they'll
break the news in the next issue of Wizard), I've got 3 more issues to write
for Rising Stars....
And there are two tippy-top secret projects I'm doing for companies I can't
name. On one, the contracts just came in for their last revision, and as soon
as they're done, we can get to work, and on the other, it looks very promising
(all I can say is that it's a series, but of a different configuration than
anyone's done before), but I never count chickens sans hatching. We've been
working on the last item there for about six months, and we're very close to
getting this going. If that happens, and that's always a big if, it's going to
be something kinda huge, to be honest, with the potential to have a massive
effect on television storytelling and production. It would be a very literal
paradigm shift. Which is why I can't say anything about it for now (that and
the non-disclosure agreement I had to sign).
So there's your other two projects....
jms
(jms...@aol.com)
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Jan
<<yeah, we've been picked up on Jeremiah.
Yippee! Looking forward to seeing the next season. Too bad it's only 15
episodes (I hear), though. Any idea, yet, of how many you'll write?
<<Sam Egan has left and we're
bringing on Grant Rosenberg to help out in his place, mainly by working on set
so I can focus more on the writing instead of having to plow through snow to
stand around with the director. >>
That should help you some. Have you worked together before? BTW, we've all
focused on your hand injury a lot. How's it doing? And your ankle?
<<And there are two tippy-top secret projects I'm doing for companies I can't
name. On one, the contracts just came in for their last revision, and as soon
as they're done, we can get to work, ...>>
I can't help but be curious about the negotiating that must go on with
contracts once one has reached your level on the food chain.
<<...and on the other, it looks very promising (all I can say is that it's a
series, but of a different configuration than
anyone's done before), but I never count chickens sans hatching. We've been
working on the last item there for about six months, and we're very close to
getting this going.If that happens, and that's always a big if, it's going to
be something kinda huge, to be honest, with the potential to have a massive
effect on television storytelling and production. It would be a very literal
paradigm shift. >>
Is this the project that was getting the fast track a while back? Even with
just that snippet it sounds intriguing. Don't forget, you promised to take us
along on your writing evolution.
<<So there's your other two projects....>>
Uh...yeah....of course. I never doubted it. Still, I'm always slightly
shocked when you answer my questions so satisfactorily. Have I said thanks
lately?
Thanks!
Jan
(who knows this is probably way too many questions at once but figured she'd
better ask before too far into pre-production for Jeremiah.)
Svetislav Soldat
Pål Are Nordal
>
> Sam Egan has left
While I wish him the best of luck on any new projects, it think this was
a good move. Aside from the variable quality of his scripts, his vision
of the show simply didn't seem to match yours.
> and we're bringing on Grant Rosenberg to help out
> in his place, mainly by working on set so I can focus more on the
> writing instead of having to plow through snow to stand around with
> the director.
...and you've always said the production part was a real pain in the
butt. Will you be doing more scripts yourself, or bringing in other
writers? If the latter... Any names you can mention?
> If that happens, and that's always a big if, it's going to be
> something kinda huge, to be honest, with the potential to have a
> massive effect on television storytelling and production.
Ah yes, setting the bar low, as usual. ;-)
Christian Janiesch
> So I'm hip deep in prep on Jeremiah, still waiting news on Polaris, writing
> Spidey, writing a new and as yet classified book for Marvel (I think they'll
> break the news in the next issue of Wizard), I've got 3 more issues to write
> for Rising Stars....
Do you have any information on when TopCow is planning to release Dream
Police? And since you haven't mentioned it: The B5 graphic novel for
wildstorm doesn't seem to have a big priority - or was it dropped
altogether?
Christian
--
"The quiet ones are the ones who change the universe.
The loud ones only take the credit."
L.M. ItB
Iain Clark
wrote:
>Jms at B5 wrote:
> >
> > Sam Egan has left
>
>While I wish him the best of luck on any new projects, it think this was
>a good move. Aside from the variable quality of his scripts, his vision
>of the show simply didn't seem to match yours.
>
I'm not sure what you're getting at here. I agree that Sam Egan's
scripts were variable, but some of his scripts - The Bag and Out of
the Ashes particularly - are among my favourites.
Plus, I never felt any significant change in direction between the
episodes written by different writers. It's certainly true that
Egan's tended to be less arc-driven; smaller, more personal. But
they filled in a lot about the characters and the world they inhabit,
and they were very human episodes, with a sincere point to make.
I'd say Egan is a variable writer, but one who really "got" the
premise of the show.
Iain
--
"Signs, portents, dreams...next thing
we'll be reading tea leaves and chicken entrails."
Pål Are Nordal
>
> Plus, I never felt any significant change in direction between the
> episodes written by different writers.
For starters, I found that he wrote the lead character quite
differently. In jms scripts, Jeremiah was a haunted soul, somewhat
restrained unless provoked. In Egan's episodes behaved more like a tough
guy, interacting with people in a noticeably aggressive manner.
And Egan's pacing was jarringly different, feeling more like sitcom
scripts, especially in the earlier episodes.
Moose
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"Pål Are Nordal" <dr...@spamcop.net> wrote in message
news:amlpur$73r4q$1...@ID-30800.news.dfncis.de...
Yeah, I noticed the differences with Jeremiah as well. Most of Sam Egan's
scripts I personally feel pale in comparison to JMS'. But there were a few
episodes that were very, very well written, and I quite enjoyed.
One thing Sam Egan did very well though. Kurdy. I really liked how well he
worked with that character. And he seemed to be the same Kurdy (well,
except for in the last Sam Egan episode aired, that one was baaaaaaaaad).
Kurdy is a very, very interesting character though, no matter what writer
works with him. I'd be surprised if anyone ever wanted to change him in the
scripts... so much to work with there.
Kurt Ullman
at B5) wrote:
>getting this going. If that happens, and that's always a big if, it's going to
>be something kinda huge, to be honest, with the potential to have a massive
>effect on television storytelling and production. It would be a very literal
>paradigm shift. Which is why I can't say anything about it for now (that and
>the non-disclosure agreement I had to sign).
>
Woudl you view this as your second paradigm shift counting the use of the
Arc in B-5 as the first? If not, were in The Great Scheme of Things would you
put the B5 arc??
---------
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur.
(Whatever is said in Latin sounds profound.)
Matthew Vincent
> So I'm hip deep in prep on Jeremiah, still waiting news on Polaris, writing
> Spidey, writing a new and as yet classified book for Marvel (I think they'll
> break the news in the next issue of Wizard), I've got 3 more issues to write
> for Rising Stars....
>
> And there are two tippy-top secret projects I'm doing for companies I can't
> name. On one, the contracts just came in for their last revision, and as soon
> as they're done, we can get to work, and on the other, it looks very promising
> (all I can say is that it's a series, but of a different configuration than
> anyone's done before), but I never count chickens sans hatching. We've been
> working on the last item there for about six months, and we're very close to
> getting this going. If that happens, and that's always a big if, it's going
> to be something kinda huge, to be honest, with the potential to have a massive
> effect on television storytelling and production.
You wrote B5 thinking that it'd be the pinnacle of your career, but
perhaps you'll end up superceding or at least equalling it quite a few
times. Still, I think B5 is always going to be really crucial since
it's set everything out so that others can finish what you've started.
>It would be a very literal paradigm shift.
Speaking of paradigm shifts, I'm hoping to play a part in instigating
a few of those at some stage. In my case, it's important for me to
care more about whether the necessary changes happen than about
whether I personally get any of the credit for it -- another one of
those lessons that you taught us in _Comes the Inquisitor_.
Anyway, all the best of luck with your projects. I'm really looking
forward to reading the final trade paperback of Rising Stars when it
comes out. MN should be here soon hopefully -- anyone know if it's out
in the US yet? I'd be keen to know when it is released in the US.
Matthew