Babylon 5 posts by JMS for July and August, 1993 This file includes a compilation of posts on GEnie by J. Michael Straczynski in the Babylon 5 category. The posts are copyright by JMS (and compilation copyright is by GEnie). ************ Topic 1 Mon Oct 26, 1992 SF-MARSHALL [Dave ] at 18:50 EST Sub: Babylon 5 Welcome to the Babylon 5 category! As always, offering or requesting copies of copyrighted material, whether it's the B5 Newsletter, photos, or the actual movie/episodes violates copyright law and SFRT policy. 288 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 189 Thu Jul 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:12 EDT Tim: no one's said a word about it to us, and I don't think it'll really have an effect on us, one way or another. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 211 Sun Jul 04, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:57 EDT Actually, my plan is to show a *lot* of what's happening back on Earth, because that will tie into what happens on B5. Social changes, politics, religion, sports...again, this relates to one of the themes of B5 from my point of view, the continuance of our species,the thread that connects our past, our present and our future. And again, that's something that'll become fairly evisode on. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 220 Mon Jul 05, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:15 EDT Prof Mark...you may want to go lie down with a cool, moist towel across your forehead until this passes.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 225 Tue Jul 06, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:20 EDT Gerry: I think GEnie must've eaten part of my message. I suspect it was, "fairly evident from episode one on." Either that or I've started speaking in tongues again.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 229 Wed Jul 07, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:49 EDT Perianne: later this summer. That's all I can say for the moment. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 244 Sun Jul 11, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:43 EDT You really have to do whatever's right by the story. Some adult themes have to be handled in an adult fashion. There are some very adult themes in B5. Some you may like, some you may not. I don't think we'll be able to go in for nudity or the like because I don't think the stations would permit it. If they did...I still don't know if I'd use it or not, because it would really depend on the story. Pandering, I think, is when you put it in regardless of whether or not it is actually *important* to the story. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 283 Mon Aug 16, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:04 EDT Insofar as I know, no, we're not using them. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 287 Fri Aug 20, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:06 EDT No, we'll have bumpers, but they'll just be the series/station logo. jms (What you're thinking of is a series recap at the top of show, which we won't be doing, no, because we're not a *continuous* story in quite the same way.) ------------ ************ Topic 2 Wed Nov 20, 1991 SOARON [Pifgdog!] at 19:41 EST Sub: Babylon 5 -- The Series!! On May 28th, 1993, it became official -- "Babylon 5" will be a series. There will be 22 episodes, to air on Wednesdays at 8pm, starting January of 1994. 622 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 15 Thu Jul 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:52 EDT Catherine Adair ended up with another gig, so we now have Ann Bruice, who was tied in our decision for a costumer for the pilot, but in that case she was busy on another project. Now she's available, and she is doing *terrific* work. Just amazing stuff...her work on the Grey Council is particularly nice. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 17 Thu Jul 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:13 EDT Probably late summer. We have an awful lot of time before airdate, so there's really no rush to get the cameras running, which is nice. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 26 Sat Jul 03, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:42 EDT You still have to create some kind of wardrobe, you can't just have folks show up in levi's and kill the color. As for Doug, he's my equal partner in the project. Doug's been in the business as long as there's *been* a business, once serving as head of MGM. He was my producer on POWER, and he and I made a deal: he will never give me a creative note on that series. And he kept that promise. If it came in long, or short, or there was an effect we couldn't do, that was one thing, but creatively, he left me alone. "I'm not a writer, that's your job," he said. There are very few people in this town who'll deal straight with you, and Doug's one of them. So when I created B5, of all the choices available about who to partner up with, Doug was on top of the list. He handles most of the business stuff, and I handle the creative stuff. (Which isn't exactly true in some ways; I have to get into some of the business, and he has to get into some of the creative, but those are are general areas of expertise.) His name generally appears in books about the film business, and in one of these books, it explains that when he was at MGM, his nickname was the Rattlesnake...hence, Rattlesnake Productions. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 27 Mon Jul 05, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:25 EDT In posting this info elsewhere, it occured to me that I didn't remember if I'd mentioned it here or not. So in case I didn't...I'm working it so that real-time comes close to paralleling story-time in the series. The events of the series will pick up approximately six months after the events of the pilot. We'll have crossed into another year, so the first "year" in which the series takes place is 2258, year two of the series (if we get that far) would be 2259, and so on. "And the Sky Full of Stars" is, I think, going to be our biggest episode of the first season, followed close behind by "Midnight on the Firing Line." It's a very complex script, and it has a LOT of effects in it. It's also our most intense episode to date, since it deals with the Battle of the Line and some of its after-effects. Ron figures that this one episode will have more CGI than the entire 2 hour movie. I've also seen some new storyboards for some of our action and CGI sequences, and we're carrying through on the image of this place being BIG. (Our main storyboarder was Lucas' main storyboarder for some time.) Some of the scenes are just breathtaking. I keep looking at them and asking, "Are you SURE we can do this?" and they tell me yes. The scope of some of this stuff is just incredible. And not only that, but I got my official B5 business cards in the other day, which makes it all very real..."Executive Producer" and all that jazz...though I can't help but think of Steve Martin calling out, "The new phone books are here! The new phone books are here!" It's all starting to get very exciting...and very real. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 33 Mon Jul 05, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:47 EDT Alan: sure, go ahead. I actually don't *have* a .gif of the SW logo. I must remember to put that on my list of things to do.... As for "season finale cliffhangers," that depends on how you define that. If you mean a cliffhanger that, once resolved at the start of the next season, ends up having been more or less meaningless...no, we won't be doing that. But the end of each planned season will make a left turn designed to bring the show in new directions that will have long-erm (or long-term) effects on all of our characters. Whether it's a chapter ending in a book, or an act break in a TV series, you build to a moment of change and transition, upping the stakes at each turn. That's how our season-enders are constructed. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 39 Tue Jul 06, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:22 EDT Hope to have more shortly. Pat Tallman will, of course, be returning. And so far, stations; I imagine it'll be pretty much the same bunch, but that's only me speaking. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 45 Wed Jul 07, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:57 EDT I'll be able to say more about casting over this coming weekend. The pilot movie should be rerun in, I think, November. A TV Guide blurb for Episode One would be...telling too much at this early stage of the game. This, again, is my dilemma...I want to keep the dialogue going, but some things we just have to sit on for the time being. Not until airdate, certainly; but not this quickly. Basically, as time goes on, I will be able to talk more as we go, because then we'll be in a position where no one else can jump on the bandwagon. All I can say about episode one is to say that it has Narn warships, lots of action, some surprising character revelations, several people who want to kill each other, a foretelling of things yet to happen, and the introduction of some new characters. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 47 Wed Jul 07, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:57 EDT I never said that the Narn warships were menacing Babylon 5. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 52 Wed Jul 07, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:47 EDT Each new season will advance one year in story time, to parallel real time, yes. We're getting a terrific list of guest stars who want to do the show, including many well known to SF viewers. I should be able to pass along some of these names fairly soon, as we decide where and when to use them. Now that we've definitely decided that Delenn is female, we're in the process of designing new costumes for her, some very exotic, but always in the dignified Minbari style. Her aide, Lennier, will have a very monk like look, very subdued. We're also modifying the prosthetics a bit. Again, because Delenn is definitely female, we can use a little less in the way of heavy overlays on the head and face to convey ile keeping the desired androgynous look. This lets us get the same basic image, but make a lighter and more easily applied mask that will allow Mira greater degrees of comfort and free her up to act without being hampered in any way. We're also doing some minor modifications to G'Kar's prosthetic, making the chin less squared, the mouth a little broader, and the whole thing again easier to put on and take off. It will also look far more realistic; parts of it LOOKED like a prosthetic when you got up close. It's one thing to throw heavy prosthetics on an actor who's only going to wear it for the 4 weeks required for the pilot. But to wear something day in and day out for 22 episodes...you have to think about that. Our own concern was making it look even *better* for both of them, and we've found a way to do that. Same with Londo. We're going to re-create an entire new hairpiece that will lay flatter and look better from the back, which I felt was one of its drawbacks. Also, we don't want to have Peter shave his head for the whole series, as he did for the pilot, so we're coming up with a longer prosthetic that'll come all the way over the top of the head to the eyebrows, where we'll blend it in unnoticeably. This will make Peter's life just that much easier. As mentioned before, we learned an awful lot about how to do this show because of the po implement what we learned to make every aspect, from wardrobe to prosthetics to CGI right across the board, better than before. The usual road in SF-TV is that you dump all your quality into the pilot, and then the series is a bit less spiffy than the pilot, but by then you've got your audience. Here we want the series to be *substantially* and noticeably BETTER than the pilot, and so far I think we're doing it. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 62 Thu Jul 08, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:29 EDT Rob: it makes a difference. We're not changing Londo's hair to make it anything less than what it is. It'll still be as outrageous as it was in the pilot. What I was referring to specifically was the way it bunched up at the back of the head, just above the nape of the neck. What they had done was take a conventional wig and shove the hair up and lock it into place; in this case, we're stringing a new, custom wig that will gently come up in the back, as if growing naturally in that direction. The top part will be the same, it's only a matter of cleaning up the back, which simply didn't work aesthetically. Re: episode one...no, episode one is episode one, the pilot was the pilot. You have to have a clear vernacular. An episode is one hour; the pilot was a movie. If we'd gone directly into series at that time, then yes, it would've counted. But since we've had to re-jig some things to accommodate the transition across time, we're making that distinction. I don't know how B5 will affect Pat's appearances on DS9/TNG, though I suspect that that may come to an end. We don't have a problem about it, but I can't speak for Paramount. We're making a pretty fair assortment of background Narns, Centauri and Minbari, in addition to picking a number of other aliens and making multiples of those. And we're being careful to give them definitely different looks and personalities. We're finding a lot of room for variation and individuality. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 68 Sat Jul 10, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:14 EDT Correct. Just as you change your watch to match up with wherever you're going, in different time zones, when you come to B5 you operate on Earth Mean Time. By the way, David Gerrold has turned in a lean, mean little story that does have a kid in it, though in a subdued sort of fashion. This is a very, very *tough* story, very much unlike anything David's done before, and I think it'll be terrific. Marc Scott Zicree has also turned in a story in which Garibaldi's past catches up to him...with some fairly disasterous consequences that will linger long after the episode is finished. D.C. Fontana's script should be in on Monday. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 71 Sat Jul 10, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:30 EDT I have a simple policy: I don't ask Pat anything about her work over on other shows. I don't think it's correct to put her in that position, and she doesn't volunteer anything...which is as it should be. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 81 Tue Jul 13, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:43 EDT Corgi: very doubtful. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 82 Tue Jul 13, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:48 EDT Here's something with which to occupy your time for a bit, while I'm between things we can announce...one thing we're considering is bringing in actors known to the SF genre elsewhere, or people known to SF who may not necessarily be actors to do cameos, as opposed to featured roles. An example of the former (these are just my thoughts we have NOT contacted anyone, these are examples *only*) would be someone like Mark Hammil, an example of the latter would be Arthur Clarke. If you had a wish list, of just one or two people (to keep it from becoming a flood) you'd like to see in B5, what would they be? jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 142 Fri Jul 16, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:37 EDT To explain, when we were discussing this, it was only intended as an occasional thing to do, and not as a gimmick. Our feeling is that we can get any number of good, solid actors for our shows. We will always cast the best person suited for the job. In among these, the thought occured that there are a few performers (to stick with that for the moment) who are solid actors, not necessarily known for one role, who have worked in SF who people might like to see used in a different kind of role. The worst thing in this town is a little thing called "stereotyping." It's the reason people like Shatner and Nimoy and Koenig and others couldn't get work after Trek...everybody said, "Oh, he's too well known as the guy with the ears," and here's an actor who has given to the genre, who has helped create a marvelous show...and he can't get work. This happens a lot more than you might think. And it seems to me that we kind of owe an obligation to these people, who were actors long before,and long after, they played X on Y series. We would never have an actor come onto B5 and do a character from another show; or even anything close to it. Our universe is our universe, period. But to say, "No, you shouldn't use that actor because he was X character in Y series," is, to my mind...cruel. If he created a great performance, it means he's a quality actor. So let's find the one or two who fans of the genre would like to see again, in a very different kind of role -- since we can't do a lot of this -- and give them a chance to show what they can do in a very different sort of role. If B5 has a debt to fans of the genre, it also has a debt to those who came before. And I will not allow it to tamper with the B5 universe, I will not let it become a gimmick...but if I can use this show to repay, just a little, that debt, then I'm happy to do so. It seems to me a simple courtesy. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 144 Fri Jul 16, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:57 EDT So let me see if I understand you: if an actor works in a series, and creates a character, then he should never be used again because it would destroy the illusion of the story? Actors build up their skills by doing lots of work over time. An actor is a regular in one series one year in dramatic TV series...a year or two later appears as a regular in another dramatic series...William Conrad (for a bad example) is first Cannon, then something else, then the Fatman...and that's okay. So why is it not okay in SF? Why this feeling that an actor who's worked in one SF series should never appear in another? Why don't the rules that the rest of the world applis to dramatic series be somehow invalid for SF? I sometimes think that this perception stems from the "the actor IS that character" point of view. And as for the MST3K thing, that was a thought about seeing the 'bots, which was only half-serious...and those are very specific to their show. Which is why we're not doing it. I'll confess I'm really astonished by this. Viewers of non-SF dramatic series seem to have no problem accepting an actor playing another character, as a regular, recurring or guest character in another series in the same genre...why is this a problem for some SF viewers? jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 156 Fri Jul 16, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:24 EDT Cameos was what I was NOT referring to. For instance...with Walter, who will be playing a character named Knight One in "And the Sky Full of Stars," he's there for the whole episode, and the character is very different from what we've ever seen before...very dark. And very strong. jms* (*who did not do a cameo in the pilot, and definitely won't do any in the series; this sort of thing should be left to professionals.) ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 160 Sat Jul 17, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 05:20 EDT A bit of new info.... Not long ago, we decided to change prosthetics companies, not for any problem with the first company, they did terrific work, but because we wanted to go for more than they were really set up to handle. We went over to another group that has a long history of great prosthetics, and have been working with them in designing stuff. And for those of you who have been asking for more than funny foreheads...you're going to get it bigtime. They are absolutely pushing the envelope in terms of the size, the scale, and the complexity of prosthetics. Also the number involved. We're making anywhere from 5-8 background and guest Minbari, and equal numbers of Narns and Centauri, plus on top of THAT, multiples of other alien groups. So from now on, you won't just see singles of any race, you'll see multiples. Each different. And I saw a little something today that'll scare the hell out of you. Our prosthetics people have absolutely outdone themselves. No one has ever done anything on the scale they're doing, not for television. We've got one of George Lucas' favorite storyboarders lined up to do our EFX storyboards, and a few more conceptual artists to draft some of our more alien technologies. This show is going to have an *amazing* look to it.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 168 Sat Jul 17, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:17 EDT I picked this up in mail off Internet from David Navas, but got bumped and don't know how to respond via GEnie to Internet...so I thought I'd post this here, since it may be of general interest, figuring that someone could re- post it there. The questions concerned B5 and the political situation on Earth at this time. Back home, there is an Earth Senate, which is made up of elected representatives from each nation-state; the larger and more powerful the nation, the more reps they get. Which annoys the smaller nations no end. (And there's quite a bit of conflict between them; the smaller nation-states, with limited resources, keep grousing about why they should support B5 financially, as well as other space endeavors, when their economy really isn't set up to take as much advantage of the situation as the larger nation-states. In the 10 years (not 17 as Navas suggests) since the Earth/Minbari war, there haven't been any major dictatorships, but we've strayed awfully close on more than one occasion. As for the nature of B5, yes it is a (let me try this again) there is a military component to it, but for the most part it is a civilian operation. In the same sense that, in the early history of our country, you sometimes had a military governor assigned to a state or province. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 177 Sun Jul 18, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:37 EDT Nope, I was nowhere in the pilot, not under makeup, not nohow, not no- way. Nor will I do so in the series. That just ain't my thing. By the way, here's something interesting: an outline got turned in this week for an episode which I won't identify just now. Came in from one of our writers, based on an assigned premise. It's something you've never seen done in ANY SF-TV series, and I don't think has ever been done in TV overall. A very daring little story. Word finally came back from our liaison with PTEN. "Number one, this is absolutely against the demographics on the show. Number two, no studio or network executive in his right *mind* would EVER approve this story in a million years. Number three...it's a hell of a story, I love it, let's do it." This has been emblematic of our relationship with PTEN: they've left us alone, and are trusting us in our storytelling. We want to go right out to the very edge, and they're letting us, which is wonderful. They've been, and continue to be, terrific to work with. If the end of this particular story doesn't absolutely floor you, nothing will. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 188 Mon Jul 19, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:35 EDT Nope. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 200 Tue Jul 20, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:14 EDT I have a few things to say about the new issue of TV Guide that is hitting the stands. About half a dozen things that I'd like to say. But I can't. So let me just remark that it's unfortunate that when a book like TV Guide does a roundup of SF shows, it has to break them all down by Who's the Good Guy, Who's the Bad Guy, What's the Gimmick on and on...all of the things they never do with a dramatic TV series. One also wishes that the people they assign to do an article on SF television would have a background in SF that extends earlier than Star Trek. Beyond that, respondent sayeth not. The article does give away some information, though, that I feel I should comment upon, since it involves our cast. When you cast a television series, what you look for, among other things, are compatibility, chemistry, energy and synergy. This is all the more vital when you're producing an *ensemble* series. The individual cast members may be wonderful performers; may have turned in fine performances. The question becomes, when you put them all together in the same room, does the energy level go up, or down? Is the whole more or less than the sum of its parts? After we produced the pilot, as stated before, we did a long and very frank in-house analysis, which had one point and one point only: how do we make the series even *better* than the pilot? Everything was on the table: efx, music, writing, directing, costuming, set design, and all went through changes that will make the series even better. Casting was also on the table, along with everything else. It has to be. As stated, we were very happy with the individual performances. The question that remained, though, was *can it be better*? Is it possible to increase the energy, the chemistry, between the various roles? The answer, after long and considerable debate, was "yes, it is." As a result, modifications were made. Which, again, should not be taken as a reflection on anyone. The modifications affected three roles: the lieutenant commander, the doctor, and Sinclair's love interest. We're not recasting those specific roles (in other words, there won't be a new Sykes), but other actors playing other characters. This is in part because we would like to at some point in time bring back one or more of the original actors in other capacities as guest stars for an episode or two. Because they did good work. The matter at hand is what's the best *combination*? Here's the new breakdown. Being of Byelorussian descent, I've always wanted to write for an ethnic Russian character. Not someone with an accent, any more than I have an accent even though I have a last name with 10,000 consonants and no vowels. There's a wry and formal and stiff-necked and sometimes very passionate streak that runs through the Russian spirit, and a certain rough-hewn mysticism, a sense of absolute fatality and doom punctuated by moments of great belief in humanity. It's a mix of traits you don't much see in American television. Which is why the new second in command is Lieutenant Commander Susan Ivanova, who will be played by Claudia Christian, a fantastic and very strong performer who just knocked us out of the room. Very much a commanding presence, a little quirky when she wants to be, a shade on the pessimistic side. Having come out of an Eastern European background, I've long lamented the stereotyped roles usually written for that kind of character, and look forward to drawing upon the real thing for her character. For the role of Dr. Stephen Franklin we have found an intense and powerful african-american actor named Richard Biggs. He's younger, in his mid- to late thirties, dedicated, sharp and...again, the word I keep coming back to is *intense*. Consider a younger Dr. (and I'm going to misspell this) Debakke: self-assured, confident almost to a fault. He comes largely out of an experimental background, so his bedside manner isn't all it should be. He's often impatient. His character is the newest addition to the B5 "team" of characters, and this will lead to a fair amount of conflict. To balance out his personality, we plan to introduce another doctor (one of many who work under Franklin, since he is medical chief of staff on B5, which has several medlabs in different locations), an older Hispanic doctor. Finally, having gone his separate ways with Caroline -- she wanted him to leave his job, he wouldn't -- Sinclair renews a longstanding relationship with Catherine Sakai, a role we are going to cast sometime fairly soon. Catherine works for an Earth Corp surveying asteroids and planets for minerological exploitation, making sure they're uninhabited, and finding items that might present the greatest possibility for profit. On a classified mission (which I hope we will be able to get into at some point), Laurel has been reassigned out on the Rim, and Dr. Kyle is now working with the EA President on the issue of alien migration to Earth, a growing problem to some, a benefit to others. We believe that the synergy between these new characters will be genuinely terrific. Some very funny things are coming out of it, and some very moving, personal stories are also coming out. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 215 Wed Jul 21, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:12 EDT Tom: yup. While I was on Twilight Zone Mark III, Christy Marx did a story for us that had a hard, tough ending (the episode was "Cat and Mouse"). An absolute killer of an ending. That's what this script is...it takes no prisoners. It's very tough, a very hard episode. And it's a killer emotionally. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 228 Wed Jul 21, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:40 EDT I can't think of any actor who, upon not getting the series gig, would be willing to come in for one episode at the top of the show to say goodbye, unless s/he had been on the show for X number of seasons. Also to follow that model means we have to deal with 3 characters going, and 3 characters coming, for 6 exchanges, in a one-hour episode, which leaves little time for a decent plot. It's simply not workable. We will, though, be phasing in the changes over time; Ivanova in the first episode, Dr. Franklin in the second, Catherine well down the road. This spreads out both the exposition and the impact, and lets us focus on the stories, where our attention really needs to be placed. There was an awful lot of exposition in the pilot, and I'd rather not fall down that particular rabbit-hole again for a while.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 252 Sun Jul 25, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:13 EDT Hi, all, was out of state for a few days, just got back and am catching up. Re: story alterations in changing cast...won't be any. The basic layout remains the same, only a few small pieces get rearranged in terms of the overall 5-year arc. We get to the same place in the end. This is very much what happens in a novel, having written a few: y ou start out with X characters, and at some point discover that you need to skew things to or away from certain characters once you get into it. Same thing here. Still planning on using Copeland for the scoring, plus some of his people to round out incidental music. And yes, I worked on TZ 3 as a story editor, and did a freelance episode for TZ 2. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 256 Sun Jul 25, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:43 EDT Actually, if you are talking specifically shows created for syndication, the *first* one, and the one which blew open the doors for many other shows, was "He Man and the Masters of the Universe," which was out around 1983. Granted it's animation, but it *was* specifically produced for syndication, and was very successful. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 262 Mon Jul 26, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:32 EDT Digger: yes, what you report is correct. Also if we allow for some Russian/American or Russian/English intermarrying, you could end up with Susan Ivanova, with a middle name much as you indicate. That's also one of the differences between an ethnic Russian, and a Russian born outside the country. The first name on my birth certificate, and the first name I was referred by colloquially within my family were very different for quite some time. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 271 Tue Jul 27, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:16 EDT Re: B5 and movement...no, it ain't going anywhere. Nor will it. Re: panoramic Rama-like vistas...that's fine if you've got an unlimited budget and can build on a huge scale for visual effect, but the reality is that even in the future, there are budgets to be dealt with, and neat as the view is, it's wasted space in many ways. Form follows function; this place is set up as a way station, which means you have to squeeze every possible inch of useable space out of the place. You have a few exceptions to that, such as the Garden, but that's it. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 287 Fri Jul 30, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:03 EDT Yes, I spoke with Walter earlier today, and he seems to be holding up well. We're trying every trick we can to move back the episode he was going to do for us, in order to accommodate this. It came as quite a shock to all of us, but knowing Walter, he'll come through great. He's stubborn and strong. I know that I've been noticeably silent the last week or so, because things are moving along out here, and I wish there were more that I could say. Again, we're keeping things close to our collective vest for the time being. I wish you could see the scripts that are starting to come in, could see the new blueprints for sets, see the rough storyboards and EFX designs coming from Ron's place. The series is going to be just amazing, and *much* stronger than the pilot. As word gets out to the street about what we're planning on, we're getting an amazing list of actors expressing interest in doing an episode. We'll definitely be using David McCallum in one of our first episodes. It looks like we're coming into a pretty clean breakdown where you get one or two very serious episodes, then a light one to balance it out. And a lot of our stories are dealing with issues of significance without getting didactic or preachy about it because we're trying to keep them very *personal* stories. There are times I feel like the first guy over this big mountain, and I can see what's on the other side, and I'm torn between yelling back to describe it all, and waiting silently to avoid spoiling the surprise. It's going to be a fun show. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 308 Sat Jul 31, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:46 EDT Phil: the info on Internet was first posted here, so I don't think we need to repeat. Re: Walter...I didn't comment one way or another on the surgery here. Simple reason. I spoke with Walter when he called me from the hospital on Wednesday. He then told me that he would be going into surgery very soon. Respecting Walter's privacy, I held back that info, figuring that was the thing to do. One of the problems that comes when you gain any kind of notoriety -- as I'm slowly learning in my own case -- is that you absolutely lose all privacy. Your smallest business becomes public knowledge. If I were to pass on a *fraction* of what I hear from some of the people I know...they wouldn't trust me again, nor should they do so. It's the differencof someone's work, and being a *friend*...they carry different obligations. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 316 Sun Aug 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:16 EDT The alterations in cast didn't affect the scripts very much, since while the through-line for the series has long ago been worked out, the individual scripts didn't start getting written until after we'd made our decisions. What's great so far about the scripts is that they all have a point of view, but they're not didactic or preachy about it. (And sometimes the point of view isn't what you'd expect it to be.) We're definitely going to take on some difficult issues here. moment in a script where Londo is talking about homeworld, where marriages are still arranged, to someone who doesn't want any part of that life. "Here," he says, pointing to three photos, "these are my three wives: Pestilence, Famine and Death. You think I married them for their personalities? Their personalities could shatter entire *planets*. Arranged marriages, every one. But it worked out. They inspire me. Knowing they're at home, waiting for me, is what keeps me here, 75 light years away...." jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 323 Sun Aug 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:55 EDT There is some connection, yes. As to how I came up with the new characters, it was done the old fashioned way: I thunk them up. This series doesn't work like many others; this isn't done by committee, we don't bat stuff around on this kind of level. (And, in fact, until recently adding Harlan, there *was* no one with whom to bat stuff around, this has been a one-man writing and editing team.) I knew the functions these characters had to fill, and tried to come up with what I thought would be strong, interesting characters. People I'd be interested in watching. And from that came the characters. We've recently, as of this past week, added a story editor to the staff, Larry DiTillio. Which now makes three. But there's an implicit understanding that this is a story that I want to tell, and I generally need to have final word on characters, stories and everything else that involves the scripts. Both Harlan and Larry are willing to defer to the reality that this is my universe. I don't mean that to sound like an ego thing, because it's not. It's no different than writing a novel; I know where the story has to go when it hits the end, and we have to be sure not to fall off the tracks. I didn't fight six years to get this show on the air to turn it over to a committee. I know already that that is going to be probably my biggest problem when it comes to this series: turning over parts of it to other people. Letting go. But it's necessary. It's important, though, to clarify the difference between letting people go where they want within a script, so that I can let Larry or Harlan or others have their own head, as opposed to general changes that might affect the story arc, which is a different category altogether. The two of them have already had some great ideas on fleshing out some of the characters now that they're established, have expanded the universe and clarified many of the rules, the ideas, background stuff and so on. I selected Larry as story editor because he's someone I've worked with dozens of times over nearly ten years; we know how one another works, to the point where we can shorthand a lot of stuff in meetings, which saves a lot of time. He's an excellent script doctor when it comes to rewriting freelance scripts. And he's one of the country's foremost role playing game designers; he's great on campaigns and coming up with huge sagas, and I need someone who can think on that kind of scale. The other reason I had for selecting Harlan and Larry to work with, aside from their skills as writers, is that they're both two very strong individuals who won't be intimidated...*can't* be intimidated...and will fight for what they think is right. I feel that's very important. So they both give me an endless hard time. Which is needed for the mix. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 357 Sun Aug 08, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:15 EDT Larry has designed a number of games, some way back when he was working for Flying Buffalo, but his most well-known games were for (and are still available from) Chaosium. He worked on "Call of Cthulhu," he wrote (or co- wrote) "Masks of Nyarlathotep," "The Grey Knight" and a bunch of others. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 360 Sun Aug 08, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:06 EDT ...heh.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 366 Mon Aug 09, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:56 EDT Which is Katherine's not-terribly-subtle way of saying I get killed a lot, and quickly. Which is why I don't do it much. ETA for B5 the series to be 1994. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 379 Wed Aug 11, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:24 EDT Okay, time for some news. Some of you have noted my marked absence here the last month or so, just the occasional quick note, and gone again. There's a reason for this that I haven't revealed until now. To the question, "When will we begin filming?" the answer is...some time ago. We started shooting mid-July. I've withheld that information so that our crew and cast could get started in less of a pressure-cooker environment, without feeling that the world was peering in over their shoulders. It's a very tense process to get a series up and running, and the more breathing space you can give your people, the happier they'll be. I didn't want to withhold that information, but I felt that it was best for the team. Getting the show made has to take precedence, and you have to do right by your people. We've been rolling film for some time now, and as of this moment we are on schedule, and on budget, and the performances we're getting are absolutely wonderful. The shows are coming in with energy, they're crisp, they're funny...there's some VERY dramatic stuff, good action and good character drama going on. I've been chomping at the bit to give you some insights into and reports from the front lines...and now I feel comfortable in doing so. (And I'd like to parenthetically thanks J.HUDGENS and K.A.LAWRENCE for keeping their lips zipped. Both visited our sets, the latter a day or so before we were actually slated to begin filming, and I asked of both that they not mention this until later. So Katherine, NOW you can make the observations that I yelled on you about posting last time....) The cast is working wonderfully together. Jerry and Michael are a great team. And there are some scenes, in which Jerry has to be very serious, when he just lights up the screen. And as for Michael...I think that after you've seen what he's doing now, nobody's going to use the term "stiff" ever again. He's strong, and personable, and likeable, and the character is really coming out strongly. Delenn is absolutely terrific; elegant and mysterious and exotic. And our new additions are going to be very popular, I think, particularly Claudia Christian as Ivanova, who has a very wicked, mischievous take on the character. We've got episodes already in the can, being edited in post production, and they're tight, and fast-paced, and the look is *very* different from the show in that now we have time to get the look of each shot right. Our director of photography is John Flynn, who was the main DP on Hill Street Blues, who's brought a wonderful, moody look to the show, a great deal of style, playing with lights and colors and shadows. On every conceivable level, it's a quantum improvement over the pilot. But the most important news, again, is that we're *filming*, and have been, and the stuff is terrific. I don't think anyone here is going to be disappointed in the results. THIS is the show I've been working six years to bring off. In the months to come, I'll try to bring you bits and pieces of background stuff about the shooting, as I did on the pilot, though not in as concentrated a form. The train has again left the station, and this time we're on for the long haul...twenty-two episodes. And if what I've seen on film so far is any indication, it is gonna be one hell of a ride. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 385 Wed Aug 11, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:48 EDT Bear in mind, though, we're not shooting in the order in which th e shows will be broadcast. Also, the one we're currently shooting is one of the few classified titles. Next up is "Midnight on the Firing Line," that much I can say. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 397 Thu Aug 12, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:11 EDT Licensing is still in progress. Haven't heard any firm info yet, but apparently there's some interesting stuff cooking. We have a VERY long lead-time; we'll be delivering finished episodes nearly 4 months before airdate in some cases. This is not typical of much of TV. Also, where most series usually have, at best, 2-3 scripts on hand, we now have 10 final scripts in hand, practically half the series, which gives us mountains of time in which to prep, making sure each episode is as good as possible. What's very interesting is seeing how more than one director handles the series, the different approaches they take. Same for the writers we're using. One thing that's fun for me as the creator of this thing is letting others play in this universe; I like to be surprised, and from time to time one of our writers will hit on something that never occured to me about our characters, but which makes perfect sense. It's very hectic, but exciting. The main thing is that you're just tired all the time; I get to the stage early, which for me is between 9 and 10, and I'm there until 8 p.m. minimum, sometimes later. Today I didn't get home until around 10:30. I tend to try to lock myself in my office, because if I stick my head out, there's always any number of people who want opinions or decisions or need to know what was intended with one thing or another, because they're dedicated to getting the show right, down to the smallest elements. When I can, I try to get over to the stage, just to keep an eye on filming. Now that everyone's had a chance to think about their characters, and do some more work in that universe, the characters are *really* starting to come out, as the actors become more familiar with their roles. And they're starting to add a lot from their own personalities as well. It is a hoot. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 406 Fri Aug 13, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:59 EDT Just wrapped another episode today, and tomorrow we begin work on "Midnight on the Firing Line." This one also has all of our major ambassadors -- Kosh, Delenn, Londo and G'Kar -- as well as Lond's new aide, Vir, played by Stephen Furst. In this episode, you will hear Kosh speak for the first time...and what he says may not bode well for B5. G'Kar's makeup has been greatly refined, and now looks like real skin; it's very eerie. Also, "Midnight" will have as much as 5 minutes of CGI...basically, it has 60% as much CGI as was used in the entire pilot, all of it new stuff. There's a great excitement on the set that hasn't diminished now that we've been rolling for a while; every finished episode is met with applause and high-fiving and the like. The director who just finished is Jim Johnston, who's a very highly regarded actor, an award winner, who is VERY good with actors. Also signed to direct, starting with "And the Sky Full of Stars," is Janet Greek, who did a lot of Northern Exposures, among other shows, and is a *stone* SF fan. We're shooting on a lot of new sets never seen in the pilot, so we have all the breaking-in required of a new (and sometimes very complex) set...but the result should be a locale that looks even larger and more city-like than the pilot. If you saw the last ST movie, you'll recognize the lead of one of the shows we just finished: Morgan Shepherd, who was the warden of the prison planet Kirk and McCoy were sent to. He's a fine actor who brought a regal touch to the episode. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 424 Sun Aug 15, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:02 EDT The current crop of directors we're using include Richard Compton, Bruce Seth Green, Jim Johnston and Janet Greek. All are terrific directors, on solid shows ranging from "Hill Street" to "Northern Exposure." The one area where we're not generally drawing from people who've worked in SF is the area of the director. We want the show to have a very real look to it, as if you were making a dramatic series in the year of the story. Our head of post production has a screen-saver on his computer that flashes "This Isn't Science Fiction, This Is REAL" after a few minutes. Not because he doesn't like SF...he's a stone fan, as is Janet Greek...but because that's the feel we're trying to get across in the series: this is *real*...real people, real problems, a realistic style to the look and feel of the show and the characters. And the show is picking up a *very* nice visual style...non-direct lighting, shadows, not murky, but crisp. It's beautifully lit and photographed; you could frame just about any shot and it'd look great. (For those of you who like the in-stuff, by the way...look for a cameo of sorts. We needed photos to run in background on a monitor of two EA officials. We "volunteered" Doug Netter and our costume designer, Ann Bruice. You'll see them in "Infection.") The dizzying thing about being exec producer on a show like Babylon 5 is that you have to wear so many hats *simultaneously*. The shows get grouped together in ways that directors or writers don't have to worry about. In other words: you're editing show A, at the same time that you're shooting show B, and prepping show C, while at the same time doing the final script polishes and casting for show D. So you end up having to juggle them all in your head constantly, going from meetings on show B, then D, then A, then C, then B. This was something we didn't have to do on the pilot, since in that case we did just the one show, and edited it afterward. Now it all goes on simultaneously. Here's a basic breakdown on a fairly average day at B5 for me: Arrive around 10 a.m. (usually after staying up until 2 or 3 a.m. writing or editing scripts). On this past Friday, it went like this after arrival: Visual EFX meeting on "Born to the Purple." Quick script notes to clarify a scene now being shot on "Midnight." Prop concept meeting (general). Screen dailies from Thursday's shoot. Review CGI sketches by Ron for Minbari heavy cruiser for "Sky." (Very, very cool, btw.) Director's meeting. Meeting with PTEN marketing division people, who stop by the stage. Review new prosthetics for background aliens. Get in a few minutes working on "Parliament of Dreams" script. Supplementary casting session on "Believers." Then I and producer John Copeland dive out to the editing bay to work on the final edit of "Infection." I get home around 10 p.m., after checking in with the stage throughout the evening to make sure we wrap on time. Make some B5 related calls from 10-10:30, download a script from one of our writers, review the script for notes between then and midnight, write some more on "Parliament" until 2 a.m., and finally crash. Every day is like that. After a while, you get this look in your eyes...you just sorta zone out, mentally going to another meeting. It's amazingly grinding...and yet amazingly invigorating. There are moments when it's an amazing high...and moments when you just want to cut and run because you can't bear watching one more cut of the same scene for the ten zillionth time. Half the fun of doing a series is being on the stage...to see it being done right in front of you...but even though my office door is maybe 20 feet from the stage, I find that I only make that journey 3-4 times in a day, for maybe 5-10 minutes at a time. Such is life. The editing, by the way, is a fascinating process. Television is the process of making choices: you choose how to write the scene, you choose who you want to play the scene, the actor chooses how he wants to play the character, the director chooses how to stage the scene, the cinematographer chooses how to light and frame the scene, and then you and the editor choose how to structure that scene using the finished film. What you have in your hands (not literally, since we're all computerized now, and hardly anyone uses film anymore in editing) is the film for a scene. You've got the master shot, showing everyone. You may have 1, 2 or 3 takes of that shot. Then you get the medium, close, and two-shots, as well as reverses. You get 2-3 of those, times the number of characters in the scene (i.e., 2 close-ups of Sinclair in the scene, 2 or 3 close-ups of Garibaldi, plus the over-the-shoulder shots of both, on and on). Though the staging is the same, the pacing of lines varies, the delivery varies, inflection, stance, attitude...there are subtle differences that become terribly important when you start cutting film. Maybe the first close-up has the intensity you want in the first half, but falls off in the second part, so now you use part two of take two, which *does* finish with the required intensity. But in that take, the actor visible in the same scene isn't quite where he's standing in the master shot, and you have to go back to the master for the next shot because that's where you need to see X entering the room.... It's a complex, complicated, exhausting process that requires you to hold the various scenes and shots all in your head at the same time, particularly if you want to do any last-minute restructuring, or "borrow" a shot from another scene to fill out this scene because there was a problem on the angle in what you've got. But I'd be a liar if I didn't say it's an awful lot of fun. You can make a scene play 50 different ways, depending on how you edit it. And we've got some *great* editors working with us. Anyway...just a quick report from the field....it's back to work now. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 436 Sun Aug 15, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:09 EDT We're using some state of the art computers for our editing work, in some ways in advance of EditDroid. The first line is the Avid editor, which digitizes all of the printed takes from an episode and stores them in full- motion video/audio the same way you store a .gif file. You can have instant access to everything; you don't have to swap disks in or out, and it's all immediate. Once you've edited the thing to where you want it, you save the information to the system. Then you provide all of the required prints to the major computer system at the editing house which then *automatically* assembles the entire cut overnight. Operates almost entirely without supervision. You come in in the morning, and your cut is waiting for you. we're able to stay further toward the cutting edge of technology because we're small, new, and can react faster than something that has to work through an entrenched studio bureaucracy that has already invested major bucks in its old systems, and doesn't want to re-tool since what it has basically works fine. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 446 Tue Aug 17, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:52 EDT Well, I just saw a cut of the episode that's going to air second, the one guest-starring Morgan Shepherd. Oh, man...on the question of Did you learn anything from the pilot...this thing *moves* like a sumbitch. It's a very unusual, very *creepy* episode in many ways. And filled with character stuff...and a good bit of background about some of our characters rendered in active ways. I'm really dying to see what people think of this one when it airs. It manages to take what would normally be considered a science *fantasy* issue, and deal with it from a science fiction perspective, without compromising on the latter at all. It's a very, *very* strong episode. Incidentally...as long as I'm here...an advisory. We've got about as much security as anyone can *have* on a stage...but as with TNG and other SF shows, we've had our share of things suddenly vanishing. We lost a biggie the other day, swiped by someone. As mentioned, we re-examined G'Kar's makeup/prosthetic, and did some minor redesigning. Prior to final approval, a full-size (head and neck) sculpture was done, painstakingly hand-painted. There's only the one. And someone swiped it, right out of Doug Netter's office, where it was hanging on the wall. I couldn't even begin to tell you how much it's worth; just the physical value alone would be considerable, let alone collector's value. I'm putting this out here so that, if anyone here should see it at a convention, or a dealer's room, you should know that it's stolen merchandise, and should be reported to the police. There's no chance of mistaking this for something else, since there's literally only the one in existence. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 474 Sun Aug 22, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:25 EDT Louise: thanks for the support. There ain't much more to do now that we're up and running, but the offer is appreciated. Re: airdates...no, even though we'll be delivering in September fully completed episodes, this is part of a network, and networks debut their shows in a group, en masse. So we'll be on in January regardless. Just got back from Comic Con, so I'm a bit breathless now. Will just skim for a bit, and do more later. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 475 Sun Aug 22, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:41 EDT P.S. Before I forget, someth8ingat the Con that I should mention here: in deference to other opportunities which she felt were more promising, Pat Tallman passed on returning to the B5 project. Our new telepath will be played by Andrea Thompson, with the character name Talia Winters. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 479 Sun Aug 22, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:01 EDT She's been in a lot of stuff...but for some damned reason all I can remember is her recurring role as the woman trying to nail Selby in Falcon Crest. She's done a lot of film work as well. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 481 Mon Aug 23, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:11 EDT Basically, yes, it's not a problem in this case. The psi corps thread is much larger than any one person; that person has to serve down the road as a catalyst, but that catalyst can be anyone. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 483 Mon Aug 23, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:21 EDT The main task was to get the telepath in trouble with the psi cops. There's another way of doing that with Talia that's just as effective. What it *does* give me, which is kinda nice, is that the only two people to have ANY direct contact with a Vorlon...have been transferred back to Earth. Which plays wonderfully into something sinister I'd kinda like to develop that the Earth Alliance is working on behind the scenes.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 496 Tue Aug 24, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:11 EDT I forwarded the pictures, don't know what she thought. She decided to pass shortly before we began filming the first episode. These things happen. No one else seemed to have any trouble following what was happening; to be charitable, the specific actions and purpose of the Hunter came even clearer in the following scene, which wasn't shown. That the ball is not always caught is not necessarily a reflection on the throw.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 506 Wed Aug 25, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:27 EDT I'd be hard pressed to say whichg the best work, because they're *all* doing wonderfully. The makeup on Andreas is much more fluid, more skin-like this time around, so he can do a lot more with it than he could in the pilot. All of our ambassadors are doing great...Delenn is very mysterious, exotic, and Londo is...well...LONDO. He's often right over the top, but it works. (It's part of our perverse logic on the show that the first person to end up in bed with a member of the opposite sex isn't our Commander, but Londo, who gets involved with a Centauri dancer.) Claudia has settled nicely into the role, with this great edge to her performance. Pessimistic, fatalistic, occasionally sarcastic, but in a funny way...that can turn right around and tear your heart out. Michael and Jerry are, of course, a hoot to watch. During the con appearance, Jerry told a story that *I* hadn't heard before. There's a scene in the script "Midnight on the Firing Line" in which Talia (Andrea) goes into a transport tube, finds Garibaldi, and asks some questions about Ivanova. They rehearsed it several times, this being Andrea's first time on the set, and filmed one take. She comes down the hall, comes to thepen...and Garibaldi's pants are down around his ankles. Needless to say, that shot did NOT end up in dailies.... There are days I think -- between Jerry, Harlan, me and some others involved on the show -- we ought to name this Loose Cannon Productions.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 510 Wed Aug 25, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:14 EDT Re: new cast members...it wasn't only females that were replaced, remember...there was also Dr. Kyle. But to the point of your question: all of our performers were great. The question becomes how do they work and come off as a *unit*? In the best of all possible worlds, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Here, we felt that there wasn't a strong synergy between the characters. We felt we had to strengthen that. And that's really all there is or was to it. Is that the best possible role for this actor, and is this the best possible combination? And that was the reason behind adjusting the roles otherwise occupied by Caroline, Laurel and Ben Kyle. That's 2 and 1. We were just as amazed as anyone else when word came back from Pat's rep that she was passing on the role of Lyta in order to pursue other opportunities, and we wish her nothing but luck in the future; it's my personal hope to find some project down the road where I can work with her again. And I'm sure that this will happen. That is the whole of the story. Now for an aside. Let us all go back in time, for a moment, and consider the description by Jeff Jarvis and a few others of the B5 pilot's CGI effects as being "cheesy." (Jarvis as in TV Guide's Jeff Jarvis.) Well, guess what? We got a phone call today. Foundation Imaging, Ron's company, which did the CGI EFX for the pilot, was notified today that they have received an Emmy Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for their work on the B5 pilot. We are now an "Emmy Award Winning Show for Best Special Effects in a Television Movie." And that ain't *nothing* compared to what's going to be in the series. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 516 Thu Aug 26, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:18 EDT Not much point to a major PR push now; it'd just get lost in the fall season opening. Best to wait that out, since we won't hit air until January. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 532 Fri Aug 27, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:49 EDT The ethnic mix has nothing to do with any changes in the series. We ended up keeping the mix intact. Lost was one Caucasian woman, one black male, one asian female. What we're adding is one Caucasian woman (Lt. Commander Ivanova), one black male (Dr. Stephen Franklin), and one asian woman (Catherine Sakai). In addition, we're introducing a Hispanic doctor who will, we hope be a recurring character from time to time (look for her in "Believers" to start with). And we will be doing more of this, not just in small parts, but larger ones as well. We have been very careful to keep a mix of actors that reflects what our thesis is: that if we go to the stars, we're ALL going to the stars. In fact, we just recently -- when we found out it was going on -- instructed our casting people not to put any ethnic background information into the breakdown sheets that go out to actor's agents. (In other words, usually you need a white male actor 30-40, with a mustache, that kind of specificity is commonplace in breakdowns.) We have instituted open casting...anyone, of any ethnic background, is eligible for any role at any time. We hope that this will *further* help us to broaden out the tapestry of our series. This is a very committed show, on a lot of different levels, with the idea of trying to live out what we're preaching. We have an almost equal breakdown of males to females in our crew and every aspect of our production. (I say almost equal because I'm *fairly* sure there are actually more women on the show, many in non-conventional jobs, than there are men.) Our casting is open. We've instituted recycling on an everyday basis. I'm working on getting the styrofoam cups at the snacks table replaced by recycleable paper cups, and trying to set up a deal where we can give any leftover food from the catering truck to a shelter. We've got women in the writer and director categories, and two of our three editors (a very dominantly male business) are women. I don't like the way Hollywood works either. That's why we're not DOING it that way. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 544 Sat Aug 28, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:04 EDT The Borgia...? jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 550 Sat Aug 28, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:21 EDT What we did with the uniforms was to toughen them up a bit. We took the basic class-A uniform we used on the pilot, and retailored them for a better fit. Then we added leather to the right front panel, quite a bit of it actually, from the middle of the chest about three-quarters of the way to the arm. Then replaced the waist section/belt, cuffs, collar and epaulets with leather. (The blue class-A's got brown leather; the olive class-A's got black leather.) We added burnished bronze clasps, rank insignia, and a REALLY cool Earth Alliance belt-clasp to the base of the jacket. I personally think it's very attractive, and had my original class-A from the pilot (yes, I paid to have one made for myself) altered to the new "look." jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 553 Sat Aug 28, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:48 EDT Well, I didn't *know* who you were, I was frantic settting things up before hand, it was all a blur, I couldn't see your badge, you WERE wearing a blue shirt, and...and there WAS someone behind you who had his hand up who was wearing a similar color shirt, and I had to find SOME way of distinguishing between you from the stage...and...and....ack! the hormone case in the b5 jacket ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 554 Sun Aug 29, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:02 EDT Onto other (and safer) topics.... It's amazing how fast time is zipping past...we've got a number of shows now complete and in the can, starting "Believers" on Tuesday. We have D.C. Fontana now working on the outline for her second episode, tentatively entitled "Legacies." Her first s goes before the cameras in about 3 weeks. We're currently finishing up production on "Born to the Purple," with Clive Revell and Fabiana Udeno. It's a very offbeat and funny story (by Larry DiTillio, natch) which adds a new side to Londo's character. It puts our characters into different situations than we're used to, and it's fun seeing how they react to these new conditions. I'm just now starting my next script, "Mind War," which will bring the Psi Cops to Babylon 5. For those out there who still think the skin-tab-getting-through- Kosh's- encounter-suit was an error...we're going to be dealing with that, and some other interesting threads in "The Parliament of Dreams" episode. Sinclair comments on the whole question of how the poison ever got into him...and notes how curious it is that, within weeks of that incident, Dr. Kyle was transferred back to Earth to work directly with the Earth Alliance President on matters of alien immigration...and Lyta Alexander was similarly transferred a week or so after that. The only two people to have personal knowledge of a Vorlon have been shipped off and possibly locked up. (Interesting, how one can take real-life developments and weave them into the tapestry. This will feed into the main line of the story even better than what I had originally planned.) The one I'm most looking forward to writing just now, though, is "Babylon Squared," in which we finally show what happened to Babylon 4, and in the process ask more questions than we answer (though at least we DO answer the questions we asked about the fate of that station in general...you'll know what happened to it, just not yet what it means). There continue to be the usual hassles, and it's as bone-wearying as ever, but I think we're having fun...and I know it's going to be a good show. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 560 Sun Aug 29, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:57 EDT This isn't so much a spoiler, since it concerns an abandoned story like (or, let me rephrase that...a modified story line). I mention this here since I just mentioned it elsewhere, and might as well do so here. Think hard about the pilot for a moment. Whose job is it in the observation dome to monitor incoming ships...but apparently let the spider transport slip through unnoticed? The station's skin should have (and likely did) detect something clamping onto it...but apparently someone over-rode that for the spider transport. Someone had to PRE-arrange access via the computer for the assassin, since it easily palms its way into Varner's quarters. (And what is the name of the person the access computer recognizes?) Someone had to arrange for the transport tube to be delayed, and then *erase* that information from the computer system. Someone who knew *exactly* when the Vorlon ship would be docking. We see, at various times, the following people interacting with the assassin, in different capacities: Garibaldi, Lyta, G'Kar, Londo, Dr. Kyle, and of course, much later, Sinclair. Who did we never see in direct contact with the assassin? Who was put in charge of the station after Sinclair was removed? Do you notice a pattern developing? Do certain things here point to a certain individual...who may, or may not, have been acting on her own volition? And yes, this is something we planned to explore, though it wasn't on a *direct* line to the arc of our story. It definitely impinged upon it, of course. This has been modified due to the change in the character of the Lieutenant Commander, and this now won't go where it was going to go...but we still have some very interesting plans for our secondary character, not at all along the Takashima lines (which is why this isn't a spoiler), but certainly intriguing on their own terms. (Re: the preceding questions...the class-A's are the day uniforms, not the dress uniforms. And the preceding Babylon stations did have some differences between them, some moderate, some extensive.) jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 571 Sun Aug 29, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:35 EDT Now, I didn't say she was a villain. I said that certain things may or may not have been done of her own free will, her own volition. What this means...we'll see. Will: to the concern you raise...my feeling is that, unlike Twin Peaks, you *cannot* extend things indefinitely. In other words, you don't have to wait five years to find out what's going on now, in questions you have in season one. Questions raised in season one will be *answered* in season one. It's just that, we hope, *new* questions will arise over the course of season one that we can then answer in season two. And so on. I don't think it's right, or fair, or smart to keep people on the hook that long. Which is why we'll find out what happened on the Battle of the Line midway through season one...it's just what this then MEANS that will become the new question. As for managing to log on here...I wish I could do more, frankly, but the press of time is astonishing. It's the Lewis Carroll bit, you have to run just as fast as you can to stay in one place. If you don't, little details begin to slip between the cracks...and in a story, and i television, details are *everything*. I think it was Michelangelo who said that "trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle." jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 587 Tue Aug 31, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:11 EDT Yes, there will be a Confrancisco presentation on B5..two, actually. There will be new footage spread across both days, and there may be an extra guest or two at the 4:00 panel. Can't promise that at this time, but it's a possibility. Thinking back on San Diego Comic Con, something comes to mind that I wanted to mention. When I'm doing my number at a con, I kind of glaze over a bit; I get mentally pointed toward performance, and things that would normally be obvious get missed. Thus...if you're one of the regulart (regular) folk around here, and you come up to me, *introduce yourselves*, because I rarely read badges (at 6'4" it's tough sometimes), and even when I do I'm often too stupid to put names and handles together. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 590 Tue Aug 31, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:56 EDT Not that I'm aware of at this time. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 603 Wed Sep 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:00 EDT Will: relax. You have to understand the way this show is going to be structured. There aren't going generally going to be a lot of loose threads hanging around. Episodes will resolve themselves. It's just that, from time to time, we'll carom off some point that seems tangential, but which will later become significant. You don't have to watch every episode. Hell, if I do this right -- and this is one hell of a hat trick, lemme tell you, when it comes to structure -- you can even watch them out of ORDER, within a season, and still follow what's going on. The trick is to make it so that if something slips past, the viewer doesn't trip over it. And when you do an episode that you've set up before, that set-up should in some subtle, non-heavy-expository way, be re-established for those who might not have seen the episode. Telling people "This is a five year arc" in a big way almost as a warning is actually more destructive than constructive; it might lead people to think that they need to commit five years of their lives to get the whole story, and it's hard to get people to commit to even one ten-hour miniseries. You can watch any part you want, and get a good, solid, independently enjoyable hour- show out of it. You can come in at any point you want. The key is that the more you watch, the more you will pick up on the nuances and the threads we're going to be playing with. Generally, we're going to keep those threads a bit light in the first season, then begin to draw in more of the general story arc in the second and subsequent seasons. Let's use the first year to get the audience comfortable with the B5 universe, and with our characters, and in a handful of episodes, carefully begin leading everyone where we want them to go, so that when we start to accellerate things in year two, those who've been with us from the start can get right into it, and those who come to the show late can play catch up without any problem. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 610 Wed Sep 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:44 EDT The 5 year arc is worked out in considerable detail; 200 single spaced pages in a triple-encrypted file. I can't allow myself ever to even so much as *consider* not hitting the full five years on this, so the rest of the question I can't answer. CopperCon is apparently a couple weeks after ConFrancisco, and Larry DiTillio will be there with a B5 presentation. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 615 Thu Sep 02, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:37 EDT If they can't figure out there's more than meets the eye...they don't have an eye to meet. If the series doesn't stand on its own right from the git-go, the hell with a five-year arc, it doesn't matter, because we'll never get that far. jms ------------ ************ Topic 3 Tue Nov 03, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:09 EST Sub: Babylon 5 - Computer SFX Tech-Talk Some of the new computer EFX used in BABYLON 5 will be revolutionary, a new approach never seen before on this scale. It's all new tech, and this topic will try and address the new technologies involved. 363 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 319 Sun Jul 25, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:44 EDT I think the morph winked on that shot. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 328 Sat Aug 07, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:30 EDT Dunno nuthin' about no screamers...only screamers I know is the rest of us whenever Ron tries to explain how this stuff works.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 339 Thu Aug 12, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:12 EDT The 8 hours per frame figure is GREATLY exaggerated; at most it was an hour, maybe two or three, but certainly not 8. jms ------------ ************ Topic 4 Tue Nov 03, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:12 EST Sub: Babylon 5 - Cast & Characters For discussion of the actors who will be bringing BABYLON 5 to life with their performances...for information before, and discussion after the airing of "The Gathering" pilot. 357 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 315 Sat Jul 03, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:42 EDT Yes, Pat Tallman was used in Jurassic Park; and yes, she was mis- identified in the credits. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 339 Sat Aug 07, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:30 EDT I try to keep my characters separate; Ivanova has a very different personality from Takashima. To me, they're all just separate, distinct individuals, people in their own right; I try to decide what's best for that person, rather than going over a laundry list of character traits. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 344 Sun Aug 29, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 05:05 EDT It's a standard bed, works fine. Though we *did* have a thing in mind where Londo sits up in bed, having just had wonderful sex, and his hair is now hanging limp...but in a sudden burst of sanity we decided against it. jms ------------ ************ Topic 5 Tue Nov 03, 1992 T.ORTH [Mr. Rico] (Forwarded) Sub: Grid Epsilon Irregulars - News & Info. This topic is for information about Babylon 5 fan groups, newsletters, fanzines, get-togethers, B-5 at conventions, and other general fun. 275 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 5 Message 274 Wed Jul 21, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:14 EDT Christy's been delayed with the new issue because I diverted her. I emphasized that her outline was late, and if I didn't have it by the end of this week, I'd come up to Oakhurst and saw her feet off at the ankles. It's coming in this evening. jms ------------ ************ Topic 9 Wed Nov 11, 1992 T.RESTIVO [Little Guy] at 18:27 EST Sub: Babylon 5 Humor From *Beep Beep*, to Top Ten Lists to full-blown paradies, this is where to put your funny bone in writing! 305 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 9 Message 196 Tue Jul 06, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:27 EDT Wonderful stuff...and the funny thing is, 1) "spoo" is actually a word used in episode #1, and 2) I've been looking for another word to describe flashing lights in production meetings (right now we're using "nernies" for shorthand) and "derblinkens" sounds like a good replacement. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 9 Message 284 Tue Aug 17, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:55 EDT As reward for the humor, here's what Kosh will *really* say, when he utters the first words we hear. He's on the Observation Dome, looking out through the window as a ship passes overhead, the lights shining down at him through a window. "Ahhh....beautiful." Long beat as he looks around the place. Then: "I will miss this...when it is gone." And then he exits, as Garibaldi mutters to Ivanova, "I *really* hate it when he does that." jms ------------ ************ Topic 11 Sat Nov 14, 1992 J.SHEEN1 [Leviathan] at 18:09 EST Sub: B5 Adrift! BABYLON 5 Topic Drift If you feel like talking about it, but it doesn't fit anywhere else... If its only connection to B-5 is that you thought of it in this CAT... This is where to come and get it out. 322 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 11 Message 301 Fri Jul 30, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:06 EDT Actually, it's a script for a 4-hour miniseries written on spec, and while there are currently about half a dozen people who want to buy it, I'm sitting on it until I make some changes. The problem is finding the time to make those changes with B5 moving ahead. At some point I hope to be able to carve out just a couple of days to finish my revisions and get it out for the proposed auction. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 11 Message 306 Sat Jul 31, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:48 EDT I really don't know, and wouldn't want to speak for our cast members. I imagine there will be different deals with different actors. If I were asked, I'd suggest that they avoid becoming monopolized by *any* one group, but that really isn't my call to make. That's between them and their agents. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 11 Message 319 Sun Aug 22, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:27 EDT It looked very, very cool.... jms ------------ ************ Topic 12 Wed Nov 18, 1992 B.WIST [Brad] at 18:12 EST Sub: Babylon 5 Sightings Post here when you've spotted Babylon 5, whether it be on Television, Magazine, or somewhere else. Let us know where we can find it/see it, too. 344 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 12 Message 310 Tue Jul 20, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:40 EDT Which issue of VTU has the ad from Foundation? The June/July issue? jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 12 Message 321 Sun Aug 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:26 EDT For those interested, there's a brief thing about B5 in the media column in this mont's WIZARD magazine (covering the comics industry). jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 12 Message 323 Fri Aug 13, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:05 EDT BTW, an upcoming issue of -- I believe -- Computer Graphics World due out shortly has a cover done by Ron, using one of the new ships we'll be using in one of our stories. It's head-first into the ground near what looks like a Mayan pyramid; the ground and pyramid have nothing to do with our show, btw, only the ship. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 12 Message 333 Sat Aug 14, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:41 EDT "No emotion?" Heh. Heh, heh..... PULL! jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 12 Message 339 Wed Aug 18, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:23 EDT Nah, that's okay. Thanks. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 12 Message 344 Wed Aug 25, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:28 EDT I'm told it's for 2:00 that Friday. Which is too bad; if the thing had been scheduled for Saturday instead, we could've had some of our cast members attend. jms ------------ ************ Topic 13 Mon Nov 23, 1992 T.ORTH [Mr. Rico] at 21:00 EST Sub: Babylon 5 - Science & Technology Jump gates, nanotech, high-tech weapons, starship drives, sound in space, and other subjects of science and technology in Babylon 5. 347 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 292 Wed Jul 07, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:00 EDT Civilian spacecraft are fairly common; they're expensive, to be sure, and if you're just going from point a to point b, it makes more sense just to book passage on something, but many folks now make their living in space, so transport is required. Most of the non-aligned worlds have a less technologically advanced society, but mainly what constitutes membership in the Big 5 is the size of the government in question. If it's just one planet and maybe a sister world or two, that's not enough to qualify. It's based very much on the security council of the UN in that respect. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 298 Thu Jul 08, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:41 EDT Except that most combat of that nature would be to protect something, usually in close proximity, such as a colony or planet. Also, bear in mind that a ship or convoy of ships in hyperspace can be anywhere, can go anywhere. Once they exit hyperspace, particularly if they have to travel any real distance, are more vulnerable because they're caught having to operate at sub- light speeds. So if you're going to hit them, best to wait until they're out of hyperspace, which they have to leave sooner or later because part of warfare is hitting targets...and most targets of real value are outside hyperspace. (Which is why carriers, capable of making their own jump points, are of greatest strategic value.) jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 301 Sat Jul 10, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:16 EDT Ron: no, I don't recall ever saying that. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 305 Sat Jul 10, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:34 EDT I have some rough notes on space travel rules in the B5 universe,' but probably won't release them for a bit; we're in the process of adding some technical advisors (i.e., guys who know math), and I want to run my stuff past them for review. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 307 Sun Jul 11, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:23 EDT In many cases, it's more ship-to-gate, with a relay bounce to B5 to let it know what's coming in. It can of course be re-routed so that B5 can lock something out, if they know it's coming, but for general everyday purposes, it works the first way. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 309 Tue Jul 13, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:18 EDT Anything can fail. Nothing is failsafe. Chaos theory takes care of that. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 325 Sun Aug 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:25 EDT Actually, she says "activate defensive grid," which is a slightly different thing. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 328 Mon Aug 02, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:20 EDT I'd rather let you see the defense grid in action than define it just now...wait for episode #2, where you'll see it. jms ------------ ************ Topic 14 Thu Dec 31, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:59 EST Sub: Lurkers/Introductions: Please Sign In A place for newcomers to come in, say hello, whether you want to jump into the conversation or not, just to let us know you're here. 422 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 14 Message 380 Mon Jul 05, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:49 EDT Kevin: glad to have you aboard. Welcome to the asylum.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 14 Message 399 Fri Jul 16, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:40 EDT The Toaster is being used by Spielberg for their SeaQuest series. Filk magazine? B5? Which one had the thing? (And am I sure I really want to know this...?) jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 14 Message 404 Sun Jul 18, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:39 EDT The planet will also look a *lot* better this season, btw. jms ------------ ************ Topic 15 Thu Dec 31, 1992 J.ROY18 [Jonathan] at 21:29 EST Sub: Babylon 5 - Alien Races Aliens races in Babylon 5... their politics, abilties, technology, history, and any other discussion specificly about non-humans. 359 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 15 Message 305 Tue Jul 06, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:29 EDT They do grow in over time, and they are very individual, yes. You win the toaster oven. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 15 Message 310 Sun Jul 18, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:43 EDT The teaser in the very first episode planned for airing will deal with the similarity between Centauri and Humans...down the road, we will be seeing more of Londo, and his people, and realize that they aren't as human looking as they first appear. There's more there. It was Minbari Federation, Centauri Republic, Narn Regime, Vorlon Empire and Earth Alliance, for anyone keeping track. And yes, most all of them have some other alien species within their sphere of direct influence. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 15 Message 312 Mon Jul 19, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:37 EDT Yes to both. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 15 Message 314 Tue Jul 20, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:42 EDT (!) Hmmmmmmmmm...... Let me get back to you. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 15 Message 323 Sun Jul 25, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:18 EDT Matt: I like it when people lie in television, and we find out about it over time. The "lost colony" routine was one such. At one point, Garibaldi confronts Londo with this as reason for why he doesn't trust the Centauri. Londo shrugs it off as a "clerical error." There will be a few points in the series when we'll get information, and we'll buy into it...and discover after a while that that character bald-facedly lied to the other character (and, by proxy, to us). And naturally there will be consequences to this.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 15 Message 326 Mon Jul 26, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:37 EDT Actually, at one point or another, just about *everyone* lied in the course of the pilot...including Sinclair, who lied to G'Kar, and of course Delenn lying to Sinclair in the Garden...and so on. Basically, I have this theory that there are five kinds of truth. (This is Joe's Theory of the Five Truths.) There is the truth you tell to casual strangers and acquaintances. There is the truth you tell to your general circle of friends and family members. There is the truth you tell to only one or two people in your entire life. There is the truth you tell to yourself. And finally, there is the truth that you do not admit even to yourself. And it's that fifth truth that provides some of the most interesting drama..... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 15 Message 334 Sun Aug 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:22 EDT Those are Mira's and Andreas' natural speaking voices, though Andreas makes it just a tad more lilting. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 15 Message 338 Sun Aug 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:01 EDT You have to really dig to get any good material on Babylon; it's not a big topic among commercial publishers, you really have to go for the academic publishing houses. (Beware of religious publishing houses in this area; they have their own spin on things that tends to infect the text.) jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 15 Message 346 Tue Aug 31, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:13 EDT I believe n'grath qualifies for a non-humanoid lifeform with an exoskeleton of sorts.... jms ------------ ************ Topic 17 Tue Jan 19, 1993 C.STOBBE [Colin] at 21:02 EST Sub: Babylon 5 - Merchandising A place to discuss all the neat Babylon 5 merchandising coming out (hopefully) soon 366 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 17 Message 345 Mon Jul 19, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:38 EDT I'm sure at some point there'll be a B5 soundtrack album, but when, I don't know. My guess is that it'll wait until we have more stuff from the series to plug in. I want to buy a copy for myself.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 17 Message 363 Sun Aug 29, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:36 EDT Look for another Babylon 5 cover story late this year, sometime just before the series goes on the air. (Referring to CFQ, he noted.) jms ------------ ************ Topic 21 Wed Feb 10, 1993 SF-MARSHALL [Dave ] at 17:32 EST Sub: "The Gathering" - B5 pilot movie BABYLON 5 premieres with "The Gathering," a 2-hour made-for-tv movie written by series creator J. Michael Straczynski. Come, join the discussion of this pilot! 415 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 21 Message 267 Sat Jul 03, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:43 EDT Yes, that's a baseball diamond. Craters? What craters? I thought it was just a stylized painting. Lemme look at that again.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 21 Message 269 Sun Jul 04, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:59 EDT No, I don't think so...but I wasn't on set for that shot, so I may be wrong. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 21 Message 279 Sat Jul 31, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:53 EDT It was a dust being a very specific drug with very unusual properties. We cut the sequence in which he tries to get on board the station, is caught, takes a hostage and is taken down. But when you cut a scene like that, you still have to list the actors used in it. Hence the credit deal. Here's the one thing that amazes me, speaking of seeing the pilot for the gadzillionth time...there is one great big huge gaping visual anomaly/inconsistency in the pilot that so far no one has noticed. It's so massive that when I first saw it, I just about fell out of my chair. But the director said "No one's ever gonna see it, no one's ever gonna notice it, *trust* me on this." I was absolutely convinced that he was wrong. Apparently he was right. At some point in the future I'll tell you what it is...and when you see it, you're going to wonder how the hell you avoided seeing it before, it's *that* big. But not for a while yet. (And the few smaller things mentioned here...ain't it.) jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 21 Message 308 Thu Aug 05, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:50 EDT If anyone had guessed what it was, I'd have said so. But no one has ever seen it. That was my point. And again, it's not a story point, it's a visual. (And the thing about Kosh's hand is *not* an inconsistency; it is a story point for future reference.) jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 21 Message 318 Fri Aug 06, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:58 EDT If someone got it right, I would say so. The incoming starship only looks like it's going to hit the station because you're not bearing in mind the perspective. B5 is *huge*, almost four miles long. By the time the ship would get close enough to the station to hit anything, it would look a *lot* smaller. It's a matter of perspective; we're not used to seeing things that size. As for laserdisks in 16:9 aspect ratio, you may get your wish, a lot sooner than you think (for the series, in any event). Well, at least not 5-10 years, anyway. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 21 Message 323 Sat Aug 07, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:31 EDT It's inconsistent from one shot to the next. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 21 Message 328 Sun Aug 08, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:17 EDT No, the wall was there in both shots. Television makes for strange angles sometimes. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 21 Message 334 Mon Aug 09, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:23 EDT Nope. As you'll see in the series, we've worked out the docking bay stuff very clevely. A ship enters dead center. It is then taken and lowered into one of a number of different bays deeper within the station (by deeper I mean lower, more toward the hull). That's how we can have a series of different docking bays in the first place. There's a nifty CGI shot we'll be using at some point in the series where you can see the entirety of the docking bay, with the various ships arrayed inside. Then there are the more secure bays areas, with restricted access, as when Kosh arrived. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 21 Message 346 Sun Aug 15, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 16:51 EDT The commander was not following proper safety procedures in the first shot. He has a problem with this. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 21 Message 359 Wed Aug 18, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:28 EDT Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnope. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 21 Message 381 Sun Aug 22, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:36 EDT I got bumped by one of those damned computer phone calling thingies, so I didn't get all of the message I think, but what I can remember to reply to: There are more aliens than just the 5 major groups. In addition to them, there's *bunches* of oththe classification of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds. The Big Five constitute what is in essence the Security Counsel, while the rest are the General Assembly. We will see these groups participating in that capacity in "Midnight." In the reception scene for Kosh, at the bay, Garibaldi says that the "others" are waiting down the hall. That would include everyone, plus the ambassadors, except Londo, who he specifies. The encounter suit opened at the touch of a button (you can hear him press the button with a *click*). Only for Lyta did it open on its own. All psi corps members must wear their symbol whenever they are out among non-PC members. That's the law. For the record...thtch has something to do with the second trial scene. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 21 Message 383 Sun Aug 22, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:01 EDT I don't think I did. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 21 Message 390 Tue Aug 24, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:13 EDT The alt.tv.b5 post is not correct. One other person here (at least) knows what the glitch is, but has been asked not to say until others figure it out independently. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 21 Message 394 Wed Aug 25, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:29 EDT Nothing gets past Phil.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 21 Message 407 Wed Sep 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:46 EDT My favorite shot so far is the new shot of the Starliner Asimov parked next to Babylon 5 and sending over a shuttle.... jms ------------ ************ Topic 23 Fri Feb 12, 1993 V.VAIDY1 [Vijay] at 23:00 EST Sub: "OtherWorks" by JMS Before there was "B5" and when "JMS" was just another Plain Joe, there was OtherSyde [A discussion of the other works of J. Michael Straczynski] 120 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 23 Message 119 Thu Sep 02, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:39 EDT I confess, I slipped in a "Babylon 5" reference in that episode of CP. Which was 1986/87. I do that sometimes.... jms ------------ ************ Topic 24 Fri Jun 04, 1993 J.ROY18 [Jonathan] at 21:11 EDT Sub: Babylon 5 - Weapons and Warfare! For discussion about the weapons, counter weapons, armor, shielding, tactics, logistics, and so forth, of small combat and large scale war in the Babylon 5 universe. 182 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 131 Tue Jul 06, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:30 EDT Life's full of mysteries and unanswered questions, ain't it? jms ------------ ************ Topic 25 Fri Mar 12, 1993 S.SHELLENBAR [>> SHANE <<] at 08:47 EST Sub: J. Michael Straczynski Speaks in Public This is the place to find out where and when JMS will be appearing next. JMS has honed his skills as a public speaker and is taking his act on the road. 266 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 25 Message 172 Sun Jul 25, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:20 EDT I would suggest to anyone within striking range that they be at Comic Con. Some interesting things are planned for that presentation. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 25 Message 182 Sun Aug 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:03 EDT Comic Con is *more* than worth the cost. It's the one convention I make it a point *never* to miss; it's just spiffy. As for a comic book, maybe we'll have something to say on that by the date of the con (though not necessarily). jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 25 Message 194 Mon Aug 09, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:26 EDT By the way...at the B5 presentation at San Diego Comic Con, there will likely be more people than me on stage that afternoon. Tentatively, it looks like it'll be me, plus one or more of the following: Jerry Doyle, Michael O'Hare, Harlan Ellison, and possibly Mira Furlan. Just in case anyone's interested.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 25 Message 197 Mon Aug 09, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:59 EDT Surround sound is added in post production, that's way down the road for us. And again, the letterbox is only for down the road use; we're looking to broadcast, and use for immediate purposes, standard aspect ratio. jms (P.S. It's "Mefisto In Onyx," not "Mephisto And Onyx." Just FYI. ------------ Category 18, Topic 25 Message 211 Thu Aug 12, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:15 EDT Don't know yet.... jms (Gary, haven't received any sort of confirmation yet...are you *sure* all the other details are worked out?) ------------ Category 18, Topic 25 Message 218 Fri Aug 13, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:02 EDT Jerry is tall. Michael is tall. Claudia Christian is also pretty tall, around 5'10" or better. Richard Biggs is fairly tall, close to the height of Jerry and Michael. Hey, what'd you expect? jms(6'4") ------------ Category 18, Topic 25 Message 241 Wed Aug 25, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:32 EDT During. The tape was dark because it was made from dailies, which haven't been color corrected, and because the setup lent more darkness to them; by the time anyone figured how to lighten the picture, it was half done. As Harlan commented...yes, there may be a sequel to "Demon With a Glass Hand," in which that character, played by Culp, would come to B5, still living out the centuries as programmed. We'll see.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 25 Message 245 Wed Aug 25, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:18 EDT I thought long and hard about the question of mixing universes, and allowed it only in this one case, because the events that propelled Trent (the character from Demon) into the past (our present) don't take place for another thousand years or so. Thus it doesn't do my arc any harm at all. One could say that the events in "Demon" will happen at some point in the future of the B5 universe...unless some events change them. On this one occasion, therefore, I decided to allow it. But that's the ONLY one. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 25 Message 250 Sat Aug 28, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:24 EDT By the way...just for funsies I slipped a reference into one of our scripts to a location being at grid coordinates 471-18-25. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 25 Message 260 Wed Sep 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:04 EDT Yes, Friday and 2, and Saturday there's a follow-up presentation at 4. One note, btw: Harlan will be at the con, and will be at the Saturday presentation. If you live in San Francisco, or are planning to be at the con as of tomorrow, Wednesday, read on: Harlan needs someone to wear a sandwich board announcing the signing session for the limited edition of "Mefisto in Onyx." Apparently the ad didn't make it into the program book. By way of repayment (other than simply being part of an Ellison Event, and getting to hang with Mr. E. a bit), there's some cash involved, and a free, autographed and personalized copy of the "MiO" book. If you're interested, drop me a note in private mail. jms ------------ ************ Topic 26 Sun Jun 06, 1993 G.PLANA [Gary] at 01:51 EDT Sub: Babylon 5 - Episode titles and info This topic is for information about individual episodes -- their titles, writers, and any other information JMS may leak! 86 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 26 Message 45 Sun Jul 04, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:00 EDT The series will start with regular one-hour episodes. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 26 Message 47 Wed Jul 14, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:09 EDT Titles more or less in shooting order (this is NOT the order in which they'll be broadcast): "Infection" - JMS - JMS "Midnight on the Firing Line" - JMS "Amaranth" - Larry DiTillio "The War Prayer" - D.C. Fontana "And the Sky Full of Stars" - JMS "Believers" - David Gerrold "A Knife in the Shadows" - Marc Scott Zicree - JMS Other episode titles are "Metaphors and Body Counts," "Chrysalis," "Babylon Squared," "Mind War" and "Target: Unknown," plus others still to come. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 26 Message 50 Fri Jul 16, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:42 EDT Marc worked a couple seasons on Friday the 13th, Beyond Reality, did some work on Captain Power, and is the author of "The Twilight Zone Companion." jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 26 Message 55 Wed Aug 04, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:38 EDT New title for you: "The Parliament of Dreams." jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 26 Message 70 Fri Aug 06, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:02 EDT "The Parliament of Dreams" is "Carnival!" retitled, and "Amaranth" has been retitled "Born to the Purple." jms ------------ 1. CATegories 10. INDex of topics 2. NEW messages 11. SEArch topics 3. SET category 12. DELete message 4. DEScribe CAT 13. IGNore category 5. TOPic list 14. PROmpt setting 6. BROwse new msgs 15. SCRoll setting 7. REAd messages 16. NAMe used in BB 8. REPly to topic 17. EXIt the BB 9. STArt a topic 18. HELp on commands Enter #, or p 18 ?