Bad Feelings About the Fan Club Script Offerings
Neil Ottenstein
What disturbs me are the new script items and especially the words
"Note: This script is a replica of an authentic, internal document and
will be presented to the consumer just as it would appear in the hands
of our cast and crew."
There were similar words with the Crusade Bible. The information that
we got in the Crusade Bible was nice to have and being such a fan I
couldn't pass it up, but seriously, the package looked like something
I'd pay $7 or so for and still feel that I wasn't completely getting my
money's worth. On top of that, due to the price, we paid $4 shipping
and it was just slapped into a priority mail envelope (no cost for the
envelope, $3 for postage) and sent off without any protective cardboard
or anything. Also, it seemed available to anyone stopping at the web-
site, irrespective of fan club membership and had no fan club discount.
Now, scripts are going to be sold. The first is $25 and it has this
note which from the example of the Crusade Bible would seem to be
something just photocopied with a red stamp put on the front page. To
put this in one perspective, I have The Art of Star Wars which is full
of illustrations, nicely packaged and has the full script to the first
Star Wars movie all for $18. Another perspective is Star Wars - The
Annotated Screenplays. All three movies with loads of annotations in a
paperback for $12.95. A third perspective is the annotated script for
Neil Gaiman's Day of the Dead. All proceeds go to charity and it costs
only $12.95. It has annotations, has a nice front and back cover, and
is perfect bound. It is still a bit pricey for what's there, but it
helps out the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
My ideal presentation for a script of "The Gathering" would have
developmental illustrations, a history behind the beginning of the
show, lots of annotations discussing the two different televised
versions, and a good number of photos.
Of course, what is being offered are cheaply produced expensive
"collectors items." It really gives me a bad feeling and I hope more
thought will go into this.
Thanks,
Neil
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Jms at B5
>"collectors items." It really gives me a bad feeling and I hope more
>thought will go into this.
>
There's several differences. You're getting the acutal physical *script*, not
a published version OF a script, the real deal.
Second, the Art of Star Wars published several hundred thousand copies of that
script; collector's value is zero. We will be putting out, at most, a few
hundred copies of each one. The rarer something is, the more it costs, and the
greater its value.
Third, the $25 price ($20 for an episode) is equal to or less than what is
charged by script houses.
Fouth, unlike these script houses that copy scripts unlawfully and never pay a
dime to the author or the studio, all the B5 authors whose scripts we publish,
like Larry or David or DC or others, will get a 10% commission on the sales.
jms
(jms...@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com
Neil Ottenstein
jms...@aol.com (Jms at B5) wrote:
> >Of course, what is being offered are cheaply produced expensive
> >"collectors items." It really gives me a bad feeling and I hope more
> >thought will go into this.
> >
>
> There's several differences. You're getting the acutal physical
*script*, not
> a published version OF a script, the real deal.
>
> Second, the Art of Star Wars published several hundred thousand copies
of that
> script; collector's value is zero. We will be putting out, at most, a
few
> hundred copies of each one. The rarer something is, the more it
costs, and the
> greater its value.
I suppose there are some people who will be spending $20 a month to get
each episode script, but that's not me. I don't care about the "value"
of the items, I care about the information contained therein. There
will be some people who will be buying these as investments which I
think is the wrong attitude to foster. I would rather have a published
collection with annotations, or to get the most new information, a
published collection of just the parts that were never aired.
I think that any "missing scenes" in the episodes would also be perfect
to appear on Gold Channel. How about those appearing the month after
the actual script is sold? Even just for your scripts if there are
problems getting the ones written by the others.
By the way I think the Last Word that you did in the B5 magazine (I
think issue #9) where you gave the original concept thoughts would also
have been perfect for the Gold Channel.
Michael J Wise
In <7qc49g$db6$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>, Neil Ottenstein wrote:
> "Note: This script is a replica of an authentic, internal document and
> will be presented to the consumer just as it would appear in the hands
> of our cast and crew."
[snip]
> Now, scripts are going to be sold. The first is $25 and it has this
> note which from the example of the Crusade Bible would seem to be
> something just photocopied with a red stamp put on the front page.
Not being in the industry, I can't say for sure, but this sounds like
what I would expect, under the circumstances.
> To put this in one perspective, I have The Art of Star Wars which is
> full of illustrations, nicely packaged and has the full script to the
> first Star Wars movie all for $18.
IMHO, you're comparing Apples and Aardvarks, here.
These don't seem to me like very "HighVolume" items, and they are being
sold as copies of the manuscripts, not as "The Art of Episode 101..."
stuffs.
Oh yes, and I'm fairly sure that some of the proceeds will go into the
pocket of one particular individual, more so than the "art" books, and I
think that dude deserves every penny... although I don't know if I'd be
interested personally in the scripts of B5.
Now, unproduced scripts of Crusade would be a different story. In more
ways than one. (8-)
Aloha mai Nai`a!
--
"Please have your Internet License http://kapu.net/~mjwise/
and Usenet Registration handy..."
Roanna
Just as an opposing viewpoint, I'm more interested in seeing the
script in and of itself.
I have never really gotten into the "illustrated" texts at all.
It's simply a personal preference.
This seems a good way to handle a collectors item. I especially
am pleased to know that part of the money will be going to the
authors of the scripts I'm planning on enjoying and learning
from.
Roanna
Neil Ottenstein
Michael J Wise <mjw...@kapu.net> wrote:
> > To put this in one perspective, I have The Art of Star Wars which is
> > full of illustrations, nicely packaged and has the full script to
the
> > first Star Wars movie all for $18.
>
> IMHO, you're comparing Apples and Aardvarks, here.
I was comparing what I would like to be getting (or what I feel a
script of The Gathering deserves) with what was being offered and
unfortunately they are completely different things. Though my
comparison with the Neil Gaiman's Day of the Dead script is more
in-line.
I just checked the X-Files fan club website and it shows that the $20
per episode price that JMS mentioned B5 fan club is going to be selling
the regular episode scripts for seems to be close to the nominal market
value. The X-Files scripts are priced $19.95 each, though members get a
10% discount to bring it down to $17.95. The scripts there are listed
as "officially licensed shooting scripts .... attractively bound and
protected with a high quality cover."
It could be that there will also be a B5 fan club discount for the B5
scripts, unlike with the Crusade Writers' Bible, and then the price
would be the same.
Laura M. Appelbaum
>
> In article <19990830005444...@ng-fo1.aol.com>,
> jms...@aol.com (Jms at B5) wrote:
> > >Of course, what is being offered are cheaply produced expensive
> > >"collectors items." It really gives me a bad feeling and I hope more
> > >thought will go into this.
> > >
> >
> > There's several differences. You're getting the acutal physical
> *script*, not
> > a published version OF a script, the real deal.
> >
> > Second, the Art of Star Wars published several hundred thousand copies
> of that
> > script; collector's value is zero. We will be putting out, at most, a
> few
> > hundred copies of each one. The rarer something is, the more it
> costs, and the
> > greater its value.
>
> I suppose there are some people who will be spending $20 a month to get
> each episode script, but that's not me. I don't care about the "value"
> of the items, I care about the information contained therein. There
> will be some people who will be buying these as investments which I
> think is the wrong attitude to foster. I would rather have a published
> collection with annotations, or to get the most new information, a
> published collection of just the parts that were never aired.
>
the various stages of a script -- from the original all the way thru
final revisions and be able to compare those with the episodes as aired.
LMA
Tammy Smith
Agamemcon, Andreas Katsulas was charging $20 for a signed color photo, &
I gladly paid it. Hell, for him, I'd pay $50! :)
Tammy
Robert Rhodes
> and never pay a dime to the author or the studio, all the B5 authors
> whose scripts we publish, like Larry or David or DC or others, will
> get a 10% commission on the sales.
Sounds like a good deal all around. I can certainly think of a few
folks that might be interested in Peter David stuff at thestation.com.
RLR
-Robert Rhodes (the_sharkman [at] email [dot] com)
http://www.sharkscavern.com/
Moyra J. Bligh
Heh, Mira Furlan only charges $10 - good thing for me too, with as
many as I've bought from her. But I don't begrudge her a penny of it.
And there are a few of the scripts I'd love to have a copy of, even at
that price. "And all my Dreams, Torn Asunder", "Severed Dreams",
"Ceremonies of Light and Dark", "Comes the Inquisitor", "Ship of
Tears", "Soul Hunter" and of course, "Sleeping in Light", to name but
a few.
--
Moyra J. Bligh - mo...@interlog.com
FAQ maintainer - alt.fan.mira-furlan http://www.interlog.com/~moyra/MFfaq.html
moderator mira-f mailing list - http://www.egroups.com/group/mira-f/info.html
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rom...@my-deja.com
mo...@interlog.com wrote:
> On 30 Aug 1999 19:59:13 -0600, gka...@webtv.net (Tammy Smith) wrote:
>
> >I certainly don't mind paying that kind of money for the scripts. At
> >Agamemcon, Andreas Katsulas was charging $20 for a signed color
photo, &
> >I gladly paid it. Hell, for him, I'd pay $50! :)
>
> Heh, Mira Furlan only charges $10 - good thing for me too, with as
> many as I've bought from her. But I don't begrudge her a penny of it.
>
> And there are a few of the scripts I'd love to have a copy of, even at
> that price. "And all my Dreams, Torn Asunder", "Severed Dreams",
> "Ceremonies of Light and Dark", "Comes the Inquisitor", "Ship of
> Tears", "Soul Hunter" and of course, "Sleeping in Light", to name but
> a few.
> --
LOL Careful, in the collector world, if the person knows you really
want something, the price starts rising rather quickly. So tone to down
the "I'd pay anything price" because I'm one collector who can't pay
anyting even though I'd like to. :)
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Before you buy.