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								OnlineHost: Copyright 1995 America Online, Inc.


								 OnlineHost: Good evening! Tonight, OMNI Online is pleased to take you

								behind the scenes of TV's "Babylon 5" with costume designer Ann Bruice and

								production designer John Iacovelli. Ann Bruice began her costume design

								career in regional theatre, designing numerous productions for South Coast

								Repertory.


								 OnlineHost: She received 1991 and 1992 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle

								Awards for her work on that company's production of "You Can't Take It

								With You." She has also designed several productions for the Mark Taper

								Forum and the Los Angeles Theatre Center.


								 OnlineHost: Besides "Babylon 5," her film and television work includes

								"Perfect Date," an ABC Afterschool Special; "Siringo," a TV movie; and

								HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS, for which she served as assistant designer.


								 OnlineHost: John Iacovelli designed "Twilight of the Golds" on Broadway,

								and he has designed more than 100 productions at theatres across the

								nation, including five productions for the Mark Taper Forum and nine for

								the Los Angeles Theatre Center. He won the 1991 Los Angeles Drama Critics

								Circle Award for his design of "Heartbreak House" for South Coast

								Repertory.


								 OnlineHost: In addition, he was the design consultant for Walt Disney

								Imagineering on the Florida attractions of The Tower of Terror and the

								Backstage Studio Tour. Welcome, Ann and John!


								 AnnBatB5: Thank you, it's a pleasure to be here.


								 JohnIatB5: Hi! Great to be here!


								 ErinM: It's great to have you here! Before we begin taking audience

								questions, could you explain a bit about your jobs on B5? Ann, will you

								start us off?


								 AnnBatB5: I'm responsible for conceiving and drawing designs for all

								costumes for the regular cast human and alien that appear on Babylon 5. I

								choose fabrics, I attend all fittings. I make all decisions on detail, and

								keep an eye on the costumes appear on camera.


								 ErinM: Thanks, Ann! Your turn, John. :)


								 JohnIatB5: I'm responsible for the visual look of the show in relation to

								whenever live actors are on set and I collaborate with the producers and

								the wizards at Foundation Imaging on the look of CG in relation to our

								sets.  Right now we have about 65 sets that rotate depending on scripts

								and my department is responsible for creating these worlds that consist of

								everything from kitchen sinks to futuristic devices for information and

								weapons, etc.


								 ErinM: Thanks, John! We have our first question from the audience...


								 Question: What changes can we expect in the look/feel of the show in

								season 3 (without giving anything away, of course)?


								 JohnIatB5: Several new sets and a new and improved med-bay and an

								upgraded Zocalo plus some sweet surprises in store. We are considering all

								of our sets just as we did at the beginning of the second season.


								 ErinM: We've lost Ann Bruice for the moment. I'm sure she'll get signed

								right back on. Until she does, John, can you eleborate at all on that last

								question without giving away any more secrets?


								 JohnIatB5: And this means that becasue our show is in analog time we can

								improve our sets just as people would improve their surroundings today.


								 ErinM: Welcome back, Ann! The question is still the one about changes in

								the look/feel of the show in season 3.


								 AnnBatB5: We are introducing a new recurring character which involves a

								new design for us. In the first episode, we are revealing a new set that

								we think will be our most spectacular set to date. Delenn and Lennier have

								additional new looks to accomodate some new and varied activities. We are

								also continuing to define new background alien races and delinate between

								groups of aliens G'Kar's look is changing somewhat this season as is

								Londo's to again facilitate continuing character changes. In the broad

								specturm we continue to try to refine and enhance both day players and

								recurring cast members' looks, as well as all of our background extras.


								 OnlineHost: For those newcomers in the audience: OMNI Online is pleased

								to take you behind the scenes of TV's "Babylon 5" with costume designer

								Ann Bruice and production designer John Iacovelli. If you have any

								questions about how the auditorium works, please feel free to contact our

								usher, OMNI Muse, by instant message.


								 JohnIatB5: We are going to greater pains to make the quarters feel more

								lived in and less like hotel rooms.


								 ErinM: Another question from the audience...


								 Question: Ms. Bruice, I love your contribution to the show...it wouldn't

								be the same. How do you decide which style fits each character? It seems

								that you design the clothes to reflect the character.


								 AnnBatB5: I take my inspiration from Joe who always is available to

								discuss with me the background, history, pyschological makeup of each

								character as they evolve.  Wetry to make sense of not just interesting

								looks, but looks that tie and understanding of past, present, and future

								to specific characters and their individual needs.


								 Question: Question for John Iacovelli: Considering your background with

								the NASA Hydroponic module and Pavilion of the future, how much of the B5

								design is plausible real science as opposed to necessary for the plot but

								not well grounded in science?


								 JohnIatB5: The most important thing in the design of the sets is to

								fulfill the dramatic function of the scenes. Now sometimes we have to bend

								science to our liking and sometimes we get great inspiration from

								scientific phenomena, but as Joe says, you guys are out there watching us

								so we try to do things that have a foundation in hard science.


								 Question: Which species of alien poses the greatest challenges when it

								comes to wardrobe and/or makeup?


								 AnnBatB5: Probably the Narns. Because the look that has been designed for

								G'Kar is so complex and layered that any other Narn appearing in the

								series has to similarly evoke the same strength and complexity, while

								allowing G'Kar to remain the strongest Narn figure we see.


								 Question: Is designing for B5 similar or totally dissimilar to anything

								either of you has done before?


								 JohnIatB5: It's not similar to anything because we produce the show in an

								unorthodox way. One of the things we've always told Joe is to simply tell

								the story and we will do whatever we can to fulfill the story's needs

								which means that instead of one new set per episode sometimes we have more

								than five. So we need to be as flexible as possible because we can't make

								Joe write for only the sets that we have and Babylon 5 is a big place. We

								want to show it off a bit. Now we don't have laundromat sets like

								"SeaQuest," but there probably is one on B5.


								 AnnBatB5: In many ways it's been a similar project in that I research and

								discuss and evolve designs based on character development. The main

								difference has been the speed and scope of each continuing episode. We

								have seven days to prepare an episode and that's very different from the

								six weeks I used to get on a theatre production. Joe and John Copeland are

								also surprisingly more accessible to me as advisors than other producers

								and directors have been to me in the past, which makes the rapid pace

								manageable. It's also different in that the world is so entirely eclectic

								and that there are fewer rules about period and line and shape and texture

								that have to be adhered to.


								 JohnIatB5: What Ann says goes for me, too, and I base a lot of the look

								of the show on research and in a curious way the legacy of over sci-fi

								design from the history of sci-fi, a rich history book.


								 Question: Will the uniforms be changing for the 3rd season and how will

								they be changing?


								 AnnBatB5: If I tell you Joe will have to kill both you and me.


								 Question: Ann: what sorts of materials do you use most? Natural fibers or

								synthetic? Which do youQuestion prefer? PS -- love your work on B5!!!


								 AnnBatB5: I prefer and always use whenever possible natural fibers.

								Particularly we use a great deal of silk, brocades and other prints along

								with wools, leathers and some rayons. My love for combining fabrics in

								interesting ways and finessing details, trims and fastenings etc. keep

								this world a  constant delight.


								 Question: I noticed that during the 2nd season, Londo's quarters and

								clothes have been getting more opulent as he rises in influence. Can you

								tell us what you've been doing to create this impression?


								 JohnIatB5: Last season we painted a portrait, and this season his

								quarters have had many upgrades, including a lot of gifts he's been

								getting from people wishing favors.


								 AnnBatB5: Londo has evolved in my mind from a buffoonish character to one

								who has become more serious and darker. His look has changed to

								accommodate this development in his character. The silhouette has remained

								the same but the colors of fabric have changed noticably, he no longer

								wears a purple coat, rather one of dark navy, and this season you'll

								notice that even his colorful vests are gone.


								 JohnIatB5: The tone of the set and the set dressing has gotten more

								serious -- more like Peter the Great rather than Liberace.


								 Question: Ms. Bruice, I especially loved the costume designs for

								Deathwalker and Ambassador G'Kar. Am I nuts, or is there a recurring 'eye'

								motif on his uniform?


								 AnnBatB5: Very good, there is an eye motif in G'Kars.


								 Question: Do you ask the actors what they would like to have in their

								characters' quarters to make them more personal?


								 JohnIatB5: For example, things like laundry lying out, dishes in the

								sink, books and papers lying out, plus more photos of family and friends.


								 Question: John - is there any particular inspiration for the look of

								Bab5?


								 JohnIatB5: I like everything. I wanted the future to seem more like the

								present and not like a sterile, vacu-formed spaceship. I felt if people

								are really living here, there would be a certain amount of clutter and

								selective chaos.


								 Question: Question for Ann Bruice:  When making costumes for aliens, how

								do you work with the make-up people...is it coordinated or do the make-up

								effects come first and then the costumes are designed to fit the look?


								 AnnBatB5: Often we try to coordinate the sensibilities of the aliens. I

								try to work with Optic Nerve to ensure that the head meets the body in

								some sensible way. We talk about similiar qualities textures and colors

								and the flow of the total being. Truthfully, often the look of the

								prosthetic comes somewhat earlier and from that I have understanding what

								direction to go.


								 ErinM: Folks, I've been informed that one of the B5 newsletters said that

								Jerry Doyle would be attending tonight's conference. I'm afraid that he's

								not scheduled to attend. But we'll see what we can do to schedule him for

								a future conference. :) As a matter of fact, B5 producer John Copeland

								tells me that Jerry is out of town shooting an episode for another series

								tonight. Back to the audience questions for John Iacovelli and Ann

								Bruice...


								 Question: Mr. Iacovelli, How much of what we see on the screen is a

								physical set, and how much of it is CGI?


								 JohnIatB5: It depends on the shot. For example, in the Zen Garden the

								only real set that exists is the set that is immediately behind the

								actors. The rest of it is CG, and we do this in the docking bay a lot ,and

								I think that we use this kind of virtual set better than any other show. I

								dare you to find all of the CG sets because we integrate them so well.


								 AnnBatB5: John, you're being modest. We do it more and better than any

								other show.


								 ErinM: By the way, the other series that Jerry Doyle will be appearing on

								as a guest star is "Renegades."


								 Question: John: Babylon 5 looks great, apparently on a budget that is a

								fraction of "that other SF show".  How do you do it?


								 JohnIatB5: We're smarter. Actully we have many modular set pieces and we

								often repaint and use the same pieces over again. This helps to stretch

								our budget.


								 Question: Will we see any ceremonial dress from any homeworlds?


								 AnnBatB5: You see ceremonial dress already. Minbari celebrations,

								particularly religious Centuari celebrations, have included opulent

								orgiastic looks. Narn ceremonial dress includes G'Kar's prayer robe and

								talus while practicing the faith of G'Quan. Other ceremonial dress has

								been used with the ambassadors of the non-aligned worlds in the council.

								So G'Kar, Delenn, and Londo have always had special looks only worn for

								council meetings and ceremonies. And for that matter, the Earth Alliance

								has dress uniforms worn for special occasions. We will continue to

								introduce other looks for alien cultures as the opportunity present

								themselves in the scripts.


								 ErinM: Folks, we've got time for just one more question for John and Ann

								tonight...


								 Question: Are u involved in any theatrical prouctions currently - and if

								not, do u miss not working in the theatre? Is that where your heart

								belongs?


								 JohnIatB5: I just recently completed some designs over the summer, and I

								am currently working on a show at South Coast Rep, but it's now more for

								love than for money, and my theatrical roots help me stay current in the

								sense that I don't design the way a typical television designer designs.


								 AnnBatB5: This is the most theatrical project I've ever worked on, and

								for now this is where my heart belongs. However, I recently designed a

								production of "Blythe Spirit" with Jean Stapleton at South Coast Rep which

								was a delight. I find it difficult to balance the two and for now have

								chosen to do only B5.


								 ErinM: I'd like to thank Ann Bruice and John Iacovelli from "Babylon 5"

								for giving us a glimpse behind the scenes of the show. Thanks for being

								our guests tonight! The complete transcript of this conference will be

								available tomorrow in teh OMNI Online Conference Logs Library. To get

								there, go to keyword: OMNI, click on File Libraries in the scrollbox and

								then click on Conference Logs. I'd like to thank Ann and John, our

								wonderful usher, OMNI Muse, and all of you for attending. Good night!


								 JohnIatB5: Thanks, this was fun. Keep watching!


								 AnnBatB5: It has been a real pleasure. Thanks for asking.


								 OnlineHost: Copyright 1995 America Online, Inc.


								Transmitted: 10/15/95 3:36 AM