Babylon 5 posts by JMS for September, 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 - The Series (Non-Spoiler) Welcome to the Babylon 5 category and main topic for the new series. Here is the place for all general information on the series. Topic 2 is the location for SPOILERS. And please, NO STORY IDEAS are to be posted either. 403 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 294 Thu Sep 16, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:33 EDT The problem, of course, with DeVito or Lloyd or (as some suggested) Mel Gibson or others it that their salaries would be, individually, equal to our entire production budget for 3-4 episodes. Which means we'd have to shoot only 18 rather than 22. As for a production report...things are going swimmingly. Today we started getting dailies on our first day of shooting on "And the Sky Full of Stars," which deals with the Battle of the Line. This is not going to look like your conventional episode of television. We've brought in equipment that you don't normally see on a television set, certain kinds of cranes and lenses and lighting packages that will give this particular episode a very strange, almost surreal look. It's quite remarkable. And Ron's pushing the envelope on the CGI...compositing some live action stuff with CGI that'll blow your TV out. It's going *well*. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 301 Sat Sep 18, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:09 EDT The details of the budget per episide are classified...but you could easily take DS9's budget, cut it in half, and you'd still have more than we've got. Which is, again, part of the overall plan...if we can prove that you can do quality SF on a budget comparable to non-SF series, it'll open the gates for more shows down the road. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 303 Sat Sep 18, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:31 EDT Now here's comedy...we're fielding a Babylon 5 softball as one of the showbiz leagues. (Many shows in town have softball teams, and th ey've organized into something that has grown quite substantially into a Big Deal.) We're making up jerseys for the team, and on the front there will be the B5 logo, and on the back, for the team player number, there will be 5. That's all. The only number. Which will make calling the game a WONDERFUL challenge..."And on shortstop we've got number five...out in center field is number five...with number five pitching and catching." Everything about this show is surreal. BTW...our first game is against the SeaQuest team. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 305 Sat Sep 18, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:13 EDT If you like, sure. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 317 Sun Sep 19, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:47 EDT I'm afraid I wasn't much impressed with the SQ CGI. You really couldn't SEE anything, there were no shadows, I still don't really know what the SQ looks like...what Ron's doing is years beyond what you saw. Speaking of which, I was with Ron and the Foundation crew tonight at the technical Emmys presentation, where we picked up the visual EFX award for his work on B5. (In this category, more than one show can win, so we got one, Lucas' Indiana Jones series got one,and DS9 got one. Lucas was quite intrigued by the B5 footage on the screens, as I noted from my table, which was next to his.) It's quite rewarding, our first time out of the door, to be in that company. It's my *understanding* that the E! channel will show the technical emmys on Monday, but that's not confirmed. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 330 Mon Sep 20, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:58 EDT And y'know...it's absolutely in keeping with the Straczynski luck, and the history of this show, that the year B5 wins an Emmy is the first year that they DON'T do the recap of last night's technical awards. Ah, well.... BTW, there were several odd JMS/B5 connections with other aspects of the Emmys this year. Performers are nominated for the full season of their work...and Angela Lansbury was nominated for the year in which I worked on the show as writer/producer (ditto on the previous year during my tenure). Of course, she's nominated every year, so a hamster could work as writer producer, that hardly counts. One of the other technical Emmy nominations -- for music -- went to an episode of Murder, She Wrote entitled "The Wind Around the Tower," which I wrote; set in Ireland, it was designed to open the way for some different styles of music in the show. Also, John Copeland, line producer on the B5 series, was nominated for his work on the Wild West documentary miniseries, and B5 pilot costume designer Catherine Adair was the designer for Angela's gowns tonight. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 333 Tue Sep 21, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:38 EDT How You Know You're Finally Going Bananas, by JMS. So there I was, lying abed, at 3 a.m., unable to sleep, and I come up with the Fart Classification System (FCS). Basically, they break down into three categories: small farts are squibs, medium farts are crackers, and really huge farts are zeppelins. I desperately need to get a life.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 357 Thu Sep 23, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:45 EDT We are shooting in 16:9 aspect ratio, cutting it down to normal TV aspect ratio for its initial broadcasts. When a) the laserdisks are in time released, and b) when HDTV becomes more of a standard, the full letterboxed aspect ratio will be available. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 361 Thu Sep 23, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 16:59 EDT Let me just stick my neck out a little here...though I know I won't be sticking it out very far, having seen what I've just seen. I've always been *very* careful in what I say, to avoid over-hyping anything, or to make promises I can't fulfill. That's why I ask, when I go to conventions, "Did I keep my promise?" Here's a promise for you. Which I make without hesitation. "And the Sky Full of Stars" is absolutely unlike anything ever produced before for television. It is, so far, the high-water mark of the season. Directorially, and in terms of the visual effects, the CGI, the performances, (the writing, one hopes)...right across the board, it's a stunner. And just...I can't convey this enough...*different*. It just takes TV science fiction and yanks it to a whole other level of complexity. Knowing that I'll eventually be hitting conventions after this show airs, at which time I'll get reactions, I say that without hesitation. I think you will find this promise kept. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 364 Thu Sep 23, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:19 EDT There will be merchandising, but we're just not going to let it be what drives the show. And it really isn't set up to be a theatrical project. As for being a show with integrity, there's plenty of them out there. "Picket Fences" is probably the best example of that, just offhand. How we're doing what we're doing...is a combination of things: the right technology at the right time, the right people, the right stories, and the right environment. Sometimes you catch lightning in a bottle, and sometimes you catch fireflies. That this show proceeds from a definite, personal vision, and is not the product of a committee, likely has a great deal to do with it. Though the reaction to what we're doing within the studio and network arenas has been very positive and extremely supportive, I don't think anyone -- even, to some degree, those of us doing the show -- *really* understood what we had until we finished "Sky." This episode has sent ripples all OVER the place. I can honestly say it's not like any other television episode you've seen...people will be dissecting this one for a long, LONG time after it airs. The other episodes we've made are all good..."Midnight," "Believers," "Soul Hunter"...there's not a dud in the bag so far. But with "Sky" we have created something quite amazing. I still haven't seen a final cut on this episode, but if it's in keeping with the way it's falling together so far...when they add up the balance at the end of my life, I think that "Sky" will be remembered. I know this sounds awfully overblown, and I'm not really comfortable talking about anything like this, but jeezus.... Ladies and gentlemen, it's a corker. Honest to god, I think we've just made a little history. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 366 Thu Sep 23, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:24 EDT "Sky" will air roughly around episode number nine. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 373 Fri Sep 24, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:33 EDT Just to clarify: we'll be delivering *finished* episodes as early as mid- October. That's everything, music, EFX, everything. PTEN doesn't begin its new "season" until January, so that's when they'll begin airing. But we'll have nearly a dozen or so episodes in the can when we begin airing. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 382 Fri Sep 24, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:30 EDT Jon...I sympathize. I generally carried a pretty heavy load in college. My next-to-last year, just to get the hell OUT of there, I managed to crash courses and evade the university limits and ended up with 28 units in one semester...and none of them basket weaving stuff, either...statistical analysis (imagine ME in that one), physiological psychology, 6 units of German, biology.... I was, shall we say, insane.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 385 Sat Sep 25, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:47 EDT As an aside...one of the things that's been great to watch over the last few months is how the crew and cast have really come together. On a lot (though certainly not all) of shows, once you finish the day, the crew goes off in as many different directions as possible. Ditto with the cast. But now, on top of the B5 softball team, now there's a B5 golf team, both in-house for B5 tournaments, and to play others. Softball is on Saturday, golf is on Sunday. Groups of the crew get together socially on the weekends, have barbeques and dinners. When we wrap for the day, there is generally a large contingent that heads down to a nearby restaurant to hang out together and get coffee and something to eat. The other softball teams have been astonished because we generally have lots of cast come out to play as well. At the last game, Michael O'Hare, Jerry Doyle, Richard Biggs (pitching) and Andrea Thompson all showed up and played. (Jerry hit a homer.) There are always hassles, and last minute problems, and the occasional bursts of crankiness that come with TV production, but for the most part it seems that the cast and crew are genuinely having a good time on the show, and that's always a good sign. No special reason for mentioning it, except I was thinking about it, and it's kinda nice.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 397 Sat Sep 25, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:08 EDT So far, the team's 1 for 2; their first game against SeaQuest (our team came to play and have a good time, the other team came to WIN) went to the SQ team. Our people spent the week practicing between setups and at lunch -- we set up a milk carton for our new pitcher to practice his shot -- and this time we won over "Dave's World." Though I wasn't there -- everyone ELSE gets to go play, *I* have to stay chained to a keyboard -- apparently it was a repeat on one level, in that there were maybe 8 from the "Dave's" side in the stands, and we had something 50-60 people from our side show up to cheer on the team. (Though we had a core bunch of players, anybody who wanted to play, played.) Again Jerry, Andrea and Richard Biggs showed up; Michael was otherwise engaged. Just recently, btw, I gave Larry DiTillio a printout with just a little of the coming 5 year arc...if he's going to story edit, he needs to know what lines not to cross, and I can't ride herd on that all the time. He took it home, read it. Called me. Didn't even say hello. Began the conversation with, "You are out of your f'ing mind." I asked for some small clarification of his position. He indicated that he thought it was absolutely great, something that'll really go down in the rolls when the final tally is done, "But you GOT to be out of your f'ing mind to try and pull something like this off. It *can* be done...but it takes a lunatic to do it." Sounds about right. jms ------------ ************ Topic 2 Wed Nov 20, 1991 STARR [Arne] at 19:41 EST Sub: Babylon 5 -- The Series!! >>SPOILERS<< May 28th, '93, Babylon 5 officially became a series. There will be 22 hours, plus the 2 hours of the pilot, for season one. Airs Wednesday's at 8PM in most places starting Jan. '94. This is the Spoiler topic where anything goes. 571 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 287 Tue Aug 31, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:11 EDT Yes, there will be a Confrancisco presentation on B5..two, actually. One will take place Friday at 2 p.m., with a follow up on Saturday at 4 p.m. 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 290 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 303 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 310 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 315 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 ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 362 Wed Sep 08, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:12 EDT At risk of rehashing this one more time, what's missing from the pilot is 25 minutes of additional material that further fleshed out the characters. Each of the characters is being solidly rounded out in the series, showing multiple sides to each character. All I can say is that I think you'll like what we're doing. On the topic of music, I'll have more to say in a few days or so. Still bushed from the convention, and have leapt fully back into the show, so this'll be brief. But it was a great time, and I'm glad that the clips went over so well. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 377 Thu Sep 09, 1993 Frankly, I can't imagine that other show *ever* doing a show about soul stealing. Re: the "hard-SF" note, I noted earlier that there are some hard SF aspects to the show, and some elements that could best be described as science fantasy...but in those cases, as with "Soul Hunter," we leave it ambiguous: is he actually doing what he says he's doing, or basically encoding a simulation of someone's brain wave patterns to create a duplicate of someone's memories and personality? I have to say I'm a little dismayed at the *detail* of the spoilers given; I'd imagined that there would be some description of what was seen, but not in this exhaustive detail. Which is all I'll say about it; you pays your money and you takes your chances. I'm pretty much running on fumes right now, between running from editing room to stage to keyboard to production meeting. I think I also picked up a slight trace of the creeping crud, which I'm trying to fight, but with the hectic schedule, that's hard. I've now seen the completed CGI EFX from "Midnight," which has some considerable space fight stuff, and it's simply the most amazing thing I've ever seen done for television. Ron has so far exceeded what's in the pilot that I can't even begin to describe it to you. Late next week we begin shooting "And the Sky Full of Stars," which is going to be a VERY surreal, unusual episode, not just story wise, but from a directorial standpoint as well. Very stylistic. (Janet Greek, of Northern Exposure, is directing.) It's really one of those "kick over the table" episodes. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 378 Thu Sep 09, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:35 EDT BTW, apparently there's some silly fannish thing going on...someone called someone I know and said that there's a bunch of people getting together so that "when Babylon 5 fails miserably, as we all know it will, and Harlan Ellison quits, we'll all send him telegrams saying 'You knew the job was dangerous when you took it.'" I look forward to disappointing them *terribly*. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 387 Fri Sep 10, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:31 EDT I always kinda figured that the shows would be synopsized *when they get aired* in this kind of detail, not this far in advance. Re: the pickup on the series, it's definitely 22 episodes. Today David Gerrold came by the set to watch some of the shooting o9n (on) his episode, "Believers." Unlike many shows, which basically throw the writer off the set, our writers are welcome to hang around. It's not only okay, it's *expected* that the writer will be there at some point, to be a part of the process. David was quite ebullient about the whole thing; he thinks that this is the best script he's ever written, and it's being filmed exactly as he'd hoped, if not better. So there he was, getting autographs, muttering something about somebody named "Hugo...." What was interesting was one comment he made, which echoed almost verbatim something D.C. Fontana said when she came by the stage: that the atmosphere on set, with the crew, the cast, the production people is exactly the same as it was on the first season of the original Star Trek. We continue to chug along.... jms (P.S. The clips that Larry's bringing to CopperCon include the montage, and the same segments from "Midnight on the Firing Line," with one difference: the clips shown at WorldCon were missing about 40% of the CGI shots. This version lacks only one or two shots, and there's some very cool new stuff in there.) ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 399 Fri Sep 10, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:55 EDT Agreed; I wouldn't expect to see anything significant in TV Guide for a while yet; better that way, so it won't get lost in the fall preview. Re: the pilot...I've hashed and rehashed this, and the bottom line is to see what we do in the series and judge the series by the series. The DS9 pilot had to explain very little that wasn't specific to the plotline: you already knew what a bajorran was, what a wormhole was, what the Federation was, what the cardassians were, on and on and on. Because they didn't have to introduce any of that, they could spend time on other character moments. We didn't have that luxury in the pilot. We had to do what, in essence, ST has done over 25 years: establish our universe, painting it in broad strokes, as broad're done with that aspect. And now we can do our character- based stories. Which is exactly what we're doing. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 404 Sat Sep 11, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:27 EDT Better now, having gotten a little sleep (albeit in the office, at lunch). As for some people gleefully hoping for failure...I think in part it's the Titanic syndrome of people loving big disasters. Also, if you look at most SF shows produced in the U.S., there haven't been that many long-lived success stories. And a LOT of bombs. So it comes down to a conditioned reflex: it won't last, or it'll be a bomb, or both. They just naturally assume this will be the case. Having now seen final cuts on a number of episodes, I look forward to disappointing them. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 406 Sat Sep 11, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:50 EDT Sorry, I keep missing it...correct, I don't yet know what the final airdate/schedule is going to be. I'll probably know closer to December or November. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 412 Sat Sep 11, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:53 EDT Rich...ah, there you are. Wondered when you'd show up. Here's one of those interesting little things that happen sometimes during production. We're shooting "Believers," David Gerrold's story. Now, when we break for lunch, we all eat together -- crew, cast, writers, producers, everybody -- in this little area behind the stage. I try to encourage everybody to stick around for lunch rather than split so that we can maintain that sense of being a real unit. Anyway, I'm sitting across from someone I've seen on set a few times, who's apparently the teacher for a young actor we're using (Jonathon Kaplan) in "Believers." I don't make a big deal out of my position on the show, dress like everybody else, so the guy sitting across from me at the table asks, "So, who do you play in this?" Unable to resist the temptation, I say, "I play the executive producer." The fellow on the other side of the table was Rich, who has now seen behind the scenes of one of our episodes...what I think will be a very powerful and moving episode. So Rich, you're welcome to post your thoughts on the week...with a few caveats: the location is secret, for obvious reasons, and obviously the story is classified. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 416 Sun Sep 12, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:35 EDT Katherine: do tell more. How did the presentation go? How did the audience react? Details, woman, details! jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 423 Sun Sep 12, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 05:42 EDT Well, that's about 8 things Larry said that he shouldn't have said. I'll definitely be waiting outside his door with a ball-bat upon his arrival back in Los Angeles.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 424 Sun Sep 12, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 05:49 EDT Well, that's now also several not entirely correct things. (Larry should come to more story meetings.) The deal with Stewart isn't about money. That part of the deal was fine. The problem is that he also a) wants to do an album or two, and b) wants to do some touring, which means he can't take a long-term assignment, which a sereis represents. If we wanted to pay what an album and tour would bring, that's possible, but no show can afford that. I hope to have an announcement on this later this week. It's pretty much nailed down now, but (unlike certain story editors I could name) I tend to wait until things are official before talking about them. Suffice to say, it's someone whose name you may recognize from a rock and roll background. The "Demon" story is on the schedule. I don't know what Larry was talking about in that regard, unless he was dealing with the question of Harlan's health. We will reveal what Kosh is a LOT sooner than year 5. Closer to the end of year 2. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 429 Sun Sep 12, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 16:55 EDT Re: Abbott...I suspect Larry was pulling your collective legs. This is why we don't let Larry out of his cage very often. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 435 Sun Sep 12, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:14 EDT Brett: this isn't a case of jack-of-all-trades. Garibaldi *has* to be a qualified fighter pilot as head of security of a *space station* where problems can come up in the space surrounding the station. Also, as mentioned here before (I think) and certainly in one of our scripts, during the period between Garibaldi's last security job, and now, when eh (he) couldn't get a job as security chief, he was a pilot, running transport shuttles on a couple of ice mining operations. (It was not a good period for him.) Nothing is done arbitrarily with these characters. All three of our main EA characters - - Sinclair, Garibaldi and Ivanova -- are qualified fighter and transport pilots. Having Talia suddenly going off in one of these would be absolutely wrong, and a case of what you describe. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 439 Sun Sep 12, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:07 EDT Actually, that was another error on Larry's part. We'd gone after McGoohan for the role of Knight One in "And the Sky Full of Stars," after we had to reschedule Walter. He read the script, loved the script, and wanted to do the episode. (Which is *very* hard, he's very choosy about what scripts he does, and we were delighted.) Alas, we learned that at the time we would be shooting, he was slated to be out of the country on a gig that couldn't be changed. So that, as they say, is that. At this point, we've signed Christopher Neame for that role, with Judson Scott as the other Knight character in the episode. (Btw, at this point, McGoohan's main work is as a director on the Columbo movies.) jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 444 Mon Sep 13, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:49 EDT Quick sketch of Ivanova: Russian, pessimistic, wry, very sharp. She isn't in "Believers" because there was a one-week overlap with a prior committment on a film project, which we accommodated. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 464 Tue Sep 14, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:09 EDT Brett: the fighter craft release mechanism does use the rotational gravity aspect to shoot the fighters away from the station, yes. In a really neato looking fashion. Re: fighters...it would make sense that any command personnel in a situation like this would be thoroughly checked out and qualified to fly *the fighters which the ship carries*. So even if they flew other kinds of fighters, logically they would be trained on these as well prior to assignment. (Though for most purposes, the EA fighters are all very similar in most respects.) jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 476 Wed Sep 15, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:17 EDT Of course, these aren't shuttle mission specialists. Carlos: it's hard to get McGoohan. The script has to be just *so*. "Sky" was that way, probably one of the most unusual scripts I've ever written, and one I knew would get him. Later...we'll see. But we'll definitely keep trying. Re: the end of the 5th year...I've noted before that there is a thread raised during the B5 run that could be extended into its own series. But it wouldn't be B5. The story of Babylon 5 ends at the end of the fifth year, regardless. BTW, since as mentioned Stewart Copeland is going to be off touring and doing an album and other stuff, we've had to lock down someone else as our resident composer. Someone suggested here numerous times has now been confirmed: Christopher Franke, of Tangerine Dream, who has done the soundtracks for such projects as Thief, Angel Falls, Universal Soldier, Tommyknockers and others. In addition to being a solid percussion man and a great musician, he's a real techie, up on the latest technologies involving music and sound, and will be able to give B5 a VERY unique sound. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 480 Wed Sep 15, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:43 EDT What Ron points out is something that I very much want from the B5 series: to start arguments (or at least discussions). It's the difference between an episode with a Moral at the end that says "We're all people and we should get along better and play nice," and is gone a moment later...or something that provokes a real discussion marked primarily by greys. (And if someone hasn't figured out the prior moral by now, a quick TV show ain't gonna do it.) The two sides to the question Ron raises are both right, both correct. At least in their own minds, and one can make a case that they're right on a much larger scale. It's all dependent upon what actually happens to the soul...and on THAT one you can weigh in on all kinds of sides. Many of our stories are like that. We raise an issue within a dramatic context, and we deal with that dramatic context. There isn't a loose thread hanging. But we open some questions that can be, and we hope will be continued after the show is over. David Gerrold's "Believers" definitely falls in this category. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 493 Thu Sep 16, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:40 EDT In no particular order: Who's right, the soul hunter or the minbari? Yes. It was the discussion early on here about composers, in which Chris Franke's name was mentioned, that bumped him to the top of our list and helped motivate us to take a look. One more way the interaction has been positive. And yes, he will be doing the entire season. And composing a new B5 theme. (I keep suggesting something along the lines of "Bali High" from "South Pacific." They keep hitting me with week old halibut. "Babylonnnnnnn FiiiiiiIIIIve.....") January 24, eh? Good. Glad to hear it. (Producers are always the last to know.) Finally...yes, there are leftover clothes. Why not? There are in real life. What you'll often see Sinclair wearing, when he's off duty in his quarters, is an old scruffy sweatshirt/sweater from the EA flight school. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 516 Sat Sep 18, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:18 EDT Rich, you worked with Meatloaf, eh? Cool. I've always enjoyed his work, on camera and on records, and am only dismayed that there's so little of it generally available. (I found more of it in London than I've seen here in the states.) His songs have a very sharp wit to them that's lacking in a lot of other stuff. ("I want you...I need you...but there ain't no way I'm ever gonna love you...But don't feel sad...'cause two out of three ain't bad.") I have very weird, very eccentric and eclectic tastes in music. In addition to Meatloaf, I'm big on Leon Redbone, Indigo Girls, Enya, I'm starting to like Digable Planets...classical, jazz, big band, hard rock, celtic, blues, just about anything *except* country, which I couldn't warm up to even if I were cremated in a crate of Garth Brooks albums. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 546 Wed Sep 22, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:42 EDT One thing about having a career that's as eclectic as mine has been -- dark fantasy/horror novels to mystery series to SF stories to comedy -- is that you learn a lot of techniques that you don't normally encounter. So yes, I definitely carried over a few lessons I learned from that experience. My theory is that if you're doing any sort of mystery for TV, once the full story is laid out, you should be able to go back and watch the show again, and suddenly all the pieces lay out, they make sense. The trick is to get the viewer to interpret the clues one way, then tilt the mirror slightly to show what they *really* mean. In the series, G'Kar won't be hitting on the station's resident telepath, but he will try a few more times via other means to get his hands on a telepath. We're going to be doing a lot on the Psi Corps toward the middle of the series, btw. There's quite a bit in D.C. Fontana's new story, "Legacies," and in a script I just finished, "Mind War." The more I play around with the notion of legalized, licensed telepaths, the more room there is for all kinds of intrigue. Today, incidentally, I finished the outline for "Chrysalis," which will be the last episode of this season, though we'll be shooting it much earlier, about 2/3rds through the run. It's a real corker in which we absolutely kick over the table and all hell breaks loose *bigtime*. This one I'm *really* looking forward to writing. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 547 Wed Sep 22, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:52 EDT Crossed with Brett. Yes, there's a reason. There are always reasons for what I write, and I try to make them good ones. In the case of "Soul Hunter," there's a First Contact protocol at work here, and for something like that Sinclair moves in. (He also loves flying these things, and will seize on any opporunity to get in one.) He also takes off in "Midnight," but again there's a specific reason that he has to be there rather than someone else. Otherwise, it's someone else who goes. (In "Midnight," when there's word of another kind of problem, which may affect station security, it's Garibaldi who goes out.) We will also, from time to time, put Ivanova in the cockpit as head of a fighter wing. They're all qualified. Glad you liked the CGI. We are, as you note, working *very* hard to get the science right...and discovering that what I assumed from the start is correct: that if you take the time to do it accurately, it doesn't limit your possibilities, it gives you MORE possibilities, and it looks better. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 556 Thu Sep 23, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:52 EDT We're doing some stuff with newscasts, but it's more directly related to each show than connective material. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 563 Fri Sep 24, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:45 EDT The various characters take their own stands,which vary. Franklin only considers the possibility of cloning someone's personality matrix, for instance. And again, it depends on how you *define* soul. The Soul Hunter defines it not as something supernatural, but as the collection of thoughts, personality, feelings and the very essence of the person that dies with the body. That definition is broad enough to encompass just about anything. Then you get into the more specific ideas of what a soul is. One person at a post production house we've used has indicated that he has "theological problems" with working on that episode; not because it's *against* what he believes -- he's worked on horror movies and stuff with devils and the like -- but because it takes a point of view he doesn't much like...in that he has to sit and defend the whole *context* of his ideas...meaning, it's making him think. He can just poo-poo the stuff against what he believes, support what he does believe in...but he isn't quite sure where this show comes down, or where it makes *him* come down. I've had any number of problems with people on a show before, but this is the first time I've run into a theological problem. 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. 430 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 366 Thu Sep 09, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:45 EDT No progress. We'll see what happens. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 370 Sun Sep 12, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 16:59 EDT If you liked that sequence, wait until you see what comes up later in that episode...imagine 9 B5 fighters vs. about a dozen raider ships, all in pure x-y-z axis movement, in accurate flight patterns for a zero gravity/zero atmosphere environment. It's dizzying to watch, but very cool. Absolutely unlike anything ever done for television before. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 374 Sun Sep 12, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:11 EDT The fighters are built on a cross-wing structure (four wings), but very different from either X-wing or tie fighters. The four wings have fore, aft, top, bottom and side thrusters, so that they can move in any direction...they can fly left to right, turn backwards, and continue to fly left to right, flying backwards, and thus fire right to left. They're perfectly designed for zero-g environments. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 382 Tue Sep 14, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:11 EDT What's also funny is that in the scripts, the hologram in the tube is referred to as "Mentor." Anyone out there who remembers CP might get a kick out of that one.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 403 Sat Sep 18, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:21 EDT There's one new thing you'll be seeing in the B5 series that you didn't see much in the pilot, and that's compositing digital CGI with live action. There was the observation dome shot in the pilot, where you push in and see the Lt. Cmdr, but that was about it. We're doing a lot more in the series, and some of it looks absolutely *stunning*. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 406 Sun Sep 19, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:43 EDT Brett: some surprises I don't want to spoil. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 409 Sun Sep 19, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:09 EDT They can put out pretty much the same amount of thrust in any direction. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 411 Mon Sep 20, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:00 EDT Yes and no and sometimes...all I can say is that there's a Black Project hidden somewhere in this conversation, and Ron will skin me alive if I so much as *hint* to what it is, so don't even ask. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 414 Tue Sep 21, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:34 EDT Boy, you go nuts trying to do good EFX, and then people get worried about "effects for effects sake." (Said complaint on my end being only half hearted, and with some humor.) (I'm sorry, but I'm constitutionally incapable of doing those little smiley glyphs.) Trust me, the story *always* comes first. The EFX are always and only in the service of the story. Yes, the ship was a soul hunter vessel (damaged), and the pilot was Sinclair. About the starfield...the funny thing is, the other day I was watching CNN and they showed a starfield shot from aboard the shuttle, looking out at only what the eye can see. And y'know what? It looked EXACTLY like the line-of-sight rendering Ron did for our starfield, and what it looksout the observation dome window. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 417 Tue Sep 21, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:09 EDT Ah, yes, if that says creative arts, then yes, it's probably the same thing. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 426 Thu Sep 23, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 15:48 EDT They were teensy, weensy examples of compositing. Now...pfffft. 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. 352 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 12 Message 348 Sun Sep 19, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:34 EDT It probably won't be, unless it's quickly referenced in the quick overview of last night's awards. (Apparently the E! broadcast of the technical awards is slated for 4:00 p.m. Monday here on the West Coast, so that means it'll either be on at 1 or 4 on the East Coast. FYI, the award to Ron went out very early on; it was the second category, and he was the third up in that category. So figure about 20 minutes in. It would've been faster, except the DS9 crew didn't pay attention to the request to appoint one spokesperson, and everybody on the stage took their turn. Natch, Ron and the rest abided by the rules.) jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 12 Message 351 Mon Sep 20, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:52 EDT We'll see where it ends up next year. After Ron picked up the Emmy and returned to the table, amidst much oohing and aahing of the prize, he leaned over to me and quoted an old English saying: "Start the way you mean to carry on." We'd gotten one; now we have to carry on at the same level. I've seen Ron's surprises for the series, and I can virtually guarantee that he'll pick up another nomination next year, and very likely the Emmy as well. I'd be very much surprised if we didn't get nominations in costuming, makeup, art direction and cinematography (especially for "And the Sky Full of Stars," which is just remarkable looking on every level). Series, writing, acting, directing...nobody bets on those unless he wants to look like a fool. I have hopes, but we'll see. 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. 390 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 349 Sun Sep 12, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:26 EDT In the teaser scene you refer to in "Midnight," you've got a couple dozen fighters coming in alongside about 3-4 motherships (or capital ships, either term will suffice). We've always said that big ships can punch through and form their own jump points. That's how the jump gates get there in the first place: a big ship comes through, on its own, and leaves behind a jump gate. There's no contradiction. One (or more) of the big ships was creating the point of entry as it went. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 355 Wed Sep 15, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:44 EDT Both...but more energy-hungry than anything else. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 358 Thu Sep 16, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:42 EDT It costs a pretty fair amount. Which is one of the concepts behind the Lurkers on B5. Folks who save their earnings for years to come to B5 in search of new lives...new opportunities...and when they don't find the dream (and not everyone does), they've expended their funds, and don't have the money for a ticket back. So they basically work their way down into DownBelow, sort of the homeless area. Space travel costs MONEY. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 369 Wed Sep 22, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:46 EDT Okay, let me throw the question back at you: what DO you do about it? Shipping them off somewhere costs a LOT of money. Does the station pay for that? Do Earth voters object to paying for free tickets for lurkers? Do you shove them out the airlock and casually murder the whole lot of them? Do you dragoon them into a slave labor deal to pay off their debts or buy their way off the station? Do you isolate them and keep them as much to themselves as you can, and hope they eventually find gigs or move on? It's a moral dilemma based on technologies and limited budgets and resources. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 376 Thu Sep 23, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:49 EDT Of course, your solution omits two factors: 1) not all lurkers are human, and 2) not all human lurkers are from Earth. Do you pay to send hundreds of people or more back, one at a time, on various high-priced transports which are already backed up on reservations, to a dozen or more different worlds...some of which may not WANT them back? Do you divert limited B5 resources to track each lurker, find out his/her/its homeworld, make arrangements with people who may not WANT to make arrangements (at home, and the people lurking)...the paperwork and details would be simply immense. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 385 Sat Sep 25, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:15 EDT Scenario Number One: sending the Lurkers back to Earth. Comes a call from Earth Central: "Hell, no, you're NOT shipping them back here, we're overcrowded enough as it is, we will NOT give you permission to send them back here." Scenario Number Two: turning them over to their representatives on B5. G'Kar: "Thank you very much for bringing this to my attention, Commander, I'll have him sent back at once." Beat. The commander leaves. G'Kar: "Get OUT of here and don't come back! I don't have time to deal with the likes of you, we're NOT paying to send you back to Homeworld, just get out!" 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. 398 message(s) total. ************ ------------ 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 373 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 17 Message 370 Fri Sep 10, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:33 EDT There won't be any major merchandising stuff until about the time the series hits air. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 17 Message 373 Sat Sep 11, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:54 EDT No firm info on this yet. 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! 490 message(s) total. ************ ------------ 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 ------------ Category 18, Topic 21 Message 417 Fri Sep 03, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:08 EDT Farming out ship design makes for massive legal headaches, in that B5 has to own what it shows, and the multiple contracts and legalities and payment disbursements and all the rest add up to far more trouble than it is worth. Yes, someone said fighter. Re: the future of CGI...I'm *fairly* sure that the Emmy for B5's EFX is the first time one has been given for CGI. That by itself is a very strong validation of CGI within the industry. It's definitely here to stay. We couldn't show the Starliner Asimov to Isaac because we named it after him following his passing. Seemed an appropriate nod in that direction, given his body of work. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 21 Message 450 Fri Sep 10, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:35 EDT We've made some minor modifications to the jumpgate effect, in the texture and color of the warp EFX. It looks a little less computer-y, and some science guys suggested that there should be red-shift built into the thing. So now when objects come *out* of hyperspace, and we're looking into the jumpgate, the warp effect is blue; when you enter the jumpgate, it shifts toward orange/red. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 21 Message 483 Sat Sep 18, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:25 EDT The newscast was about a crashed starship and the controversy over the Pinto Personal Cruiser's tendency to blow up on impact.... 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] 137 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 ------------ Category 18, Topic 23 Message 121 Fri Sep 03, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:09 EDT The Babylon 5 Genetic Engineering colony. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 23 Message 125 Sat Sep 11, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:57 EDT You watched B5 from a *motel room*? How the hell did THAT happen? I should probably make up a credits list one of these days, it just seems so tedious, and I dunno, uninteresting to anyone, from my POV. If there's really a demand for this, I'll do it, but to recite one's credits ad infinitum....I dunno. I'll leave it to your preference. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 23 Message 127 Sun Sep 12, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:44 EDT Okay, because they've been requested (I got another couple of notes in email asking for this), here's a quick rundown on my prior work. This isn't everything...this is about half of the body of work...but this is probably the more interesting stuff. ...BOOKS THE COMPLETE BOOK OF SCRIPTWRITING, Writer's Digest Books (now out of print, mainly because I'm about 2 years behind delivering the new edition, THE (EVEN MORE!) COMPLETE BOOK OF SCRIPTWRITING. DEMON NIGHT, horror/dark fantasy novel, hardcover, E. P. Dutton. Nominated for Bram Stoker Award, Horror Writers of America. OTHERSYDE, dark fantasy novel, hardcover, Dutton. TALES FROM THE NEW TWILIGHT ZONE, softcover, anthology of my adaptation of my TZ3 episodes. Bantam. ...SHORT STORIES "Your Move," Amazing Stories Magazine. "A Last Testament for Nick and the Trooper" Shadows 6 anthology. "Say Hello, Mister Quigley," Pulphouse Magazine, and the Midnight Grafitti anthology. (There are others, but those are the good ones.) ...ARTICLES/JOURNALISM 500+ published articles -- ranging from feature articles, to reviews, investigative articles and others -- appearing in PENTHOUSE, VIDEO REVIEW, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (for which I was a regular Special Correspondent), THE LOS ANGELES HERALD EXAMINER (ditto), TIME, INC. (where I was on staff at various points), SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE, THE SAN DIEGO and LOS ANGELES READER(s), WRITER'S DIGEST (10 years worth of columns and articles as a Contributing Editor), and others that I've forgotten and am too lazy to dig out. ...RADIO On-air reviewer and entertainment editor for KSDO Newsradio, San Diego, for about 2-3 years. Host, HOUR 25, a weekly SF talk show in L.A. for 5 years. Radio drama writer for ALIEN WORLDS, MUTUAL RADIO THEATER, and writer/producer/director on other radiodrama projects. ...THEATER A dozen produced plays, including "The Apprenticeship," a full- length play which played at the Marquis Public Theater in San Diego for 20 weeks. Includes many one-act plays. One play published in book form by Baker's Plays. (No, I'm not telling you what it is.) ...COMICS Wrote issue of TEEN TITANS SPOTLIGHT: Two Face vs. Cyborg, "Face to Face Two Face." Wrote issue of STAR TREK comic for DC: "Worldsinger." (Cover of "Worldsinger" is now Star Trek trading card.) Wrote issue of NOW's TWILIGHT ZONE comic, "Blind Alley." ...TELEVISION Animation: Writer/story editor, Filmation Studios, HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, then subsequently, SHE-RA. Wrote about 20-25 episodes. Writer, JAYCE AND THE WHEELED WARRIORS, about 11-12 episodes. Writer/story editor, THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS, writing about 15-20 episodes or more. (I actually have no idea how many, really.) Live Action: Story editor, CAPTAIN POWER, writing or co-writing about 16 episodes. Nominated for a Gemini Award for Best Writing in a Dramatic Series (the Gemini is Canada's version of the Emmy). Story editor, THE TWILIGHT ZONE, writing about 12 episodes. (1 for the network Zone, 11 for the syndicated Zone.) Writer, NIGHTMARE CLASSICS: THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, for Showtime. Nominated for Writers Guild and Ace Awards. Story Editor, JAKE AND THE FATMAN, writing 4-5 episodes and one TV movie. Co-producer/Producer, MURDER, SHE WROTE, writing about 9 episodes. Supervising Producer, WALKER, TEXAS RANGER, writing 1 episode. UNPRODUCED CREDITS: Developed (with Larry DiTillio) ELFQUEST animated series for CBS. Wrote MR. FREEZE, SF/comedy motion picture for Ivan Reitman. Wrote 4-hour "V" miniseries, "V: The Next Chapter" for Warners. Wrote series development on a dozen different projects. Wrote other feature film screenplays for DIC and London Films. Anyway, those are the highlights. I've left out a lot of stuff, and subsets of stuff (like the prime-time TRGB's special, for which I cowrote a couple of songs with Brian O'Neal of the Busboys, and other song related stuff...I've had about half a dozen songs get out there, plus one on record), but those are the main items. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 23 Message 131 Sun Sep 12, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:07 EDT Not at this time, no. It was a very nifty idea, but it's taken so long to get off the ground that in the interim, somebody ate our lunch. A similar- concept movie is now in production. (Here's a difference when it comes to this particular problem. The other studio developing this other movie had no access to our material, which was developed quietly in house with Ivan. It's a pure example of simultaneous creation. From time to time, these things happen.) Anyway, the concept was this: a present-day cop is accidentally quick frozen in a cryogenics lab during a shoot out. He remains in suspended animation for a hundred years and change. He's revived in a world in which crime is virtually non-existent, because it's been programmed out of people through genetic alterations and early conditioning. There's still a police force, of sorts, but mainly serve tickets for safety violations and other non- criminal offenses. Just one problem: along comes one man on whom the programming has glitched, failed. And he's been committing murders. They've hushed it up, but gradually our character finds out, and goes after the guy, who is totally deranged, sees it as his mission to keep the darkness alive. He commits his murders in the same style as the famous murderers of the past (a la Jack the Ripper, for instance). It comes down to a face-off between these two characters. It had a dramatic through-line, but a lot of humor as well, as the cop tries to fit into this new world. 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. 262 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 229 Sun Sep 12, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:28 EDT Don King's hair? jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 239 Sun Sep 19, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:13 EDT One idea for weaponry that we've temporarily shelved, but which we may revive at some point, was using a kind of projectile weapon, which would function more or less as follows: you throw up a line of shrapnel type devices in the way of a ship before it can veer away (or surround it with same). It's a veritable cloud of small debris, and when the ship hits it, the shrapnel basically shreds the ship, rips the skin right off it. Some early tests look pretty gruesome, so we're looking at some alternate avenues, or modifications. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 243 Mon Sep 20, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:01 EDT Brutal is another good word. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 247 Thu Sep 23, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:49 EDT The EA fighters get generally what any ship gets: serial numbers, the colors or signature of its "flag," and so on. And yes, the pilot is in a more or less standing position, though inside a chair that supports comfortably. If you're going to be flying forward at that kind of speed, it seemed to us that a standing mode was better for blood circulation and response than sitting. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 250 Thu Sep 23, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:55 EDT There's variance in the fighters. What you saw was a general fighter Sinclair grabbed. The actual fighter wings ARE personalized with -- for lack of a better term -- nose art, a la WW II bombers. Some are abstract, Sinclair's being tiger-stripes, basically, while others are more realistic, with very elaborate paintings. And there is some recline built into the seats, so they can be comfortable (after all, we have to have actors in these things for hours at a time, so they'd better be comfortable). jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 252 Thu Sep 23, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 15:49 EDT We built a full-size cockpit, inside and out. The rest is CGI. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 255 Fri Sep 24, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:37 EDT There's a line of sight display in front, joystick and foot controls, and voice control of the ship's computerized navigation and firing controls as well. 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. 311 message(s) total. ************ ------------ 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 ------------ Category 18, Topic 25 Message 284 Sat Sep 11, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:59 EDT I'd rather not, frankly. I'm quite happy with television for B5. I'm being very careful not to let B5 turn into a *franchise*. It's a story, created in X-parts, for television. This thing will turn into an industry over my dead body. The most that the framework will permit is a 2- hour TV movie that caps year 5. That's it. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 25 Message 286 Sun Sep 12, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 05:42 EDT Only at LosCon, which is in November, though thus far I haven't been asked. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 25 Message 293 Tue Sep 14, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:23 EDT For me, merchandising is one of those aftershocks of the creative process, sort of an, "Oh, yeah, there's *that* part over there, too." I'm not disdainful of it, it's just not something that I think about a lot, because first and foremost it's a *distraction*. You start thinking about the *P*R*O*D*U*C*T* and not about the story. Then you start bending the story to work in the product. And that's something I've fought against as long as I've *been* in TV. When I was at Filmation, I fought tooth and nail against *any* interference in content from the sponsor, Mattel. Especially when they started forcing in characters simply so they could market them. That was the reason I resigned from Captain Power after the first season; my sense was that too much attention was being given to the merchandise aspect of the show, to the detriment of the series. If a deal is set, I want to be part of the process afterward to insure the quality of the product, so it won't be a slapdash or cheap thing. And it should be representative of the spirit of the show. But that, for me, is about it. Re: Sci-Fi Buzz...haven't spoken with them about any more pieces, but I imagine there will be, closer to airdate. Trust me, as this thing cranks closer to airdate, there will be plenty of coverage. I suspect that we will *both* be absolutely sick to death of ads and coverage by the time this hits air. Because we're pretty much tuned into it already; it's the remaining portion of the population we also have to reach. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 25 Message 310 Sun Sep 26, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:24 EDT BTW, those Hour 25 posters, of which there are only a limited number left, are in a sense the first (and possibly most interesting) collectible for B5 afficianados. The poster is of the logo for Hour 25, a radio show hosted by Harlan, and then me. It was on H25 that the first mention was made of B5; also, the poster was designed by Peter Ledger, who did the art for B5 that helped get the project sold; and it's autographed by Peter, me, Harlan Ellison (conceptual consultant) and Larry Ditillio (our S.E.). And of course it's set in space. 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! 101 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Category 18, Topic 26 Message 89 Fri Sep 10, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:39 EDT The name of the character is Maya Hernandez. The actor's name I'll post after I can get the cast sheet from the office so I spell it correctly. Catherine Sakai, played by Julie Nickson-Soul, will first appear in "The Parliament of Dreams," which will be *around* episode 7. There will be some time between episodes in the B5 universe; in some cases it's about a week, in some cases much longer, as long as we end up covering roughly a year. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 26 Message 93 Sun Sep 12, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:10 EDT I don't think I said much of anything I wouldn't want to see repeated (unlike Larry). And Harlan's first script is "Midnight in the Sunken Cathedral," not chapel. I would of course urge no spoilers be placed in public view. Let's have some measure of surprise when the show finally does hit. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 26 Message 100 Thu Sep 16, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:44 EDT Yes, we will. 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 ?