JMS: Recent stuff
Jonathan Roy
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 607 Tue Jun 01, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:51 EDT
Katherine: I believe that the excerpt posted here WAS the press release,
almost verbatim. As for the time per episode, we haven't been given a formal
breakdown yet, so I don't have that information quite yet. Thing to remember
is that there's LOTS of time between now and January. One good thing about
this is that we can take our time in gearing up. I noticed someone uptopic
mentioning July to start, but frankly we may take longer than that just to
allow the correct amount of time to redesign and restructure some of our sets,
to redesign some costume elements...we're in no rush. We had to make some
compromises due to time restraints for the pilot, and don't wish to do so
again. Basically, at this time, we haven't yet set an exact time to start
filming. We'll do that when we're satisfied our ducks are all in their proper
rows.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 626 Wed Jun 02, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:21 EDT
It's more of a generalized concern...if you put a specific story idea out
there, it belongs to anyone who can make use of it. Besides, I think we need
to keep some surprises in place....
Re: casting...whenever a pilot goes to series, as ours has, there is a
fair amount of renegotiation, options are exercised, deals that were set go
through some backing and forthing...it's all perfectly standard. And we're
evaluating our own interests. No matter what happens, though, you will see a
majority of familiar faces.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 644 Thu Jun 03, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:07 EDT
Gerry: yes, you'll see much of what you describe.
Re: the guns...we're redesigning them. The first design was actually
more potentially realistic in terms of how such a thing would work (a very
large tube-like section that would produce the required energy), but the sense
from viewers was that it wasn't gun-ish enough. (I share some of those
feelings.) So we're redesigning them.
(An aside, btw, on the sound issue...it does seem something of a
contradiction that many of those who say that sound "isn't realistic" in space
and should be dropped are often the same ones who say that they don't like the
fact that the CGI is so clear, even though it's realistic that in space they'd
BE very sharp...and we should blur it up a little even though it isn't
realistic but because that's what they've come to expect. Like sound in
space.)
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 681 Fri Jun 04, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:23 EDT
A general progress report on stuff.
It's funny when things become real to you. If we all remember the Night
of the Long Eeps, that was when unofficially I knew what had been decided.
But it's like...see, I'd been gone all day, running around like a mad thing,
just meetings and errands and crap, and I come home, and I'm sitting on the
edge of the bed, and I'm taking off my shoes, and you KNOW how it is when you
take off your shoes after a long day...and the phone rings at my elbow, and I
take the call...and it's THE call...and when you hang up, you've still got
your headache, your feet still smell, the trash still needs to be taken down
to the curb...there's no blare of trumpets, no banners, no cherubim descending
from heaven...it's real but not-real at the same time.
But when you start having meetings, and looking at designs, and the
scripts start coming in, and they're being broken down for production,
suddenly it IS real...and that's when it's cool.
I've seen now the revised designs that incorporate certain changes in the
EA uniforms, as well as modifications to other costumes as well. And it
looks terrific. Many of the concerns reflected here about how they kinda pale
against the alien designs, a certain frumpiness to the lines, all of that has
been dealt with. They look really very nice.
New starships, props, weapons and other hardware are being designed by
Steve Berg, who was one of the primary conceptual designers on The Abyss,
Terminator 2, Total Recall and other biggies. And his stuff is strictly
killer.
Here are some more titles for you: Firing Line" and "And the Sky Full of
Stars," we've got "The War Prayer" by D.C. Fontana, another script entitled
"Carnival!" and "Babylon Squared" is in the works (which details what happened
to B4).
So far, so good.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 687 Sat Jun 05, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:00 EDT
The doors are indeed being redesigned.
As for Babylon 4...you'll get *part* of the answer in that episode. And
here's a prediction: the end of that episode will cause more speculation and
consternation and astonishment than anything you've seen on TV in a long,
long, very long time.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 701 Sat Jun 05, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:21 EDT
One of our characters does refer to modifications to the observation
dome, and another character also comments on some changes.
I'm trying to treat B5 as a real world, and people COMMENT on things when
they get changed.
Re: the breather units...changed. Re: the uniforms...we're keeping the
insignia and the *general* shape, but toughening them up, adding some nifty
stuff to make them look cool. Re: the alien sector...definite and
comprehensive redesign. (We blew up the last one to make sure it would never,
ever come back again.)
Re: the industry...the news was only made official a week ago Friday, so
word is still getting out. We have had some feelers from certain actors and
directors, and we're evaluating that now. You may see some faces you've seen
in certain well-known SF movies...and some weeks ago, I came up with a Black
Project for Harlan. Got hit by this wonderful idea for a story, and called
him, and he went for it bigtime. (I just spent five minutes trying to come up
with a clue that wouldn't tip the whole thing, but couldn't find one.)
Anyway, it's something that'll get a LOT of press when w
We really want this first season in particular to be fun, to be exciting,
to be *different*.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 711 Sun Jun 06, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:41 EDT
Klaatu: the rumor is untrue.
Jose: my feeling is, nothing will ever please everyone. When one hears
about a show, one builds an image in one's head. If the image and the reality
match, it's great. If they don't, it's a disappointment. I try to avoid
hype, just say what we're doing. You may not like it. You may like it.
That's beyond my control. But no one's trying to hype you or trick you.
People have different tastes. That's life. And that's the only conceivable
explanation that I can come up with for Garth Brooks...
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 6
Message 271 Sat Jun 05, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:24 EDT
It's possible that some stations will be offered the chance to take or
not take some of the various PTEN shows, same as was the case last season, so
that may be what the person was referring to. (Just as 6 passed on B5 but 51
took it.) But that has nothing to do with us, or the production.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 8
Message 483 Sat Jun 05, 1993
B.JAFFEE [Brett] at 16:32 EDT
Joe- Will the aliens get their own full size, ring-shapped corridor in the
series? I always thought that the aliens deserved their corridor to be a
large area, like a redressing of the main corridor set, rather then a
relatively short hallway.
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 8
Message 484 Sat Jun 05, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:24 EDT
Very possible.
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 24
Message 7 Sat Jun 05, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:08 EDT
They can function as both beam-weapons, and as cutters. They were
forming into a configuration in which they would all fire at once, in the same
pre-arranged pattern, turning corkscrew-like and basically slicing the station
apart the way you'd core an apple. They didn't get to do it this time...but
who knows what the future holds....
jms
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 24
Message 12 Sat Jun 05, 1993
G.PLANA [Gary] at 11:54 EDT
And what manner of cool weaponry does B5 have on it? Were I designing the
fifth station, the previous four having gone <poof>, I'd be somewhat paranoid
and stuff it full of nasty surprises.
Including countermeasures for known alien technology.
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Second SF&F RT
Category 18, Topic 24
Message 13 Sat Jun 05, 1993
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:27 EDT
Gary: yup, and you'll see them in Episodes 1 and 2.
jms
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--
F F Jonathan Roy, of the Free Access Foundation Email: ni...@faf.org
A Mail f...@halcyon.com for information, or FTP to halcyon.com: /pub/faf/
F F Vorlons, of the Galactic Bloodshed Development Team GEnie: J.ROY18
"Everything that has transpired has done so according to my design." - _RotJ_