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The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5
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lurkers-guide/ftp/GEnie/jms92-11

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Babylon 5 posts by JMS for Nov, 1992
This file includes a compilation of posts on GEnie by J. Michael
Straczynski in the Babylon 5 topic. The posts are copyright by JMS
(and compilation copyright is by GEnie).
NOTE: This is right after the GEnie SFRT split into three groups, creating a
Babylon 5 category in the process.
************
Topic 1 Mon Oct 26, 1992
SF-FANTASY [Yog Sysop] 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.
334 message(s) total.
************
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 68 Sun Nov 08, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:53 EST
Actually, there *is* such a logo already uploaded as a GIF file in the
library.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 88 Wed Nov 11, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:38 EST
Thanks for the reminder. I'll probably bring a copy of the show with
me, and may try to drag our director or a cast member to the con, to answer
questions. This is, btw, the first time I've ever been a guest of honor at
ANY convention...and that it's in San Diego, where I got my real start as a
writer, is a special thrill.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 96 Wed Nov 11, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:43 EST
I've saved the megafile to disk, so no need to resend at this point.
Don't yet know about Media*West, mainly because of scheduling stuff. My
*guess* would be no, but we'll see.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 104 Fri Nov 13, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:26 EST
Yes, you need to subscribe to get the remaining 4 issues.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 121 Wed Nov 18, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:49 EST
Is that 9:30 eastern, central or pacific? Just as a reminder, some cable
stations don't repeat at the same times in different areas, so when posting
this sort of info, please be sure to mention whether that's in all areas, or
just in some. Thanks.
(Remembering to set my own VCR....)
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 129 Wed Nov 18, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:29 EST
I wonder sometimes if everyone has problems with their PR. The E! piece
(which should show up every 3 hours or so for the next little while) was okay.
My main concern with it was that they concentrated on the
prosthetics/makeup/puppetry because that's easiest to do. If I were at home
watching, having had no familiarity with the show, I don't think I would have
learned anything from this. It was...cute. I hate cute.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 147 Thu Nov 19, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:13 EST
The more I've had a chance to think about it, the more I've gotten
comfortable (minus my own loudmouth comments) with the Cinefantastique
article(s), and the more I've gotten annoyed with the E! piece. It never
fails...people who don't know anything about the genre ALWAYS go for the cute
stuff...when they cover conventions for TV, they *always* find the one guy
with the spock ears, and when they cover a show with prosthetics, they
*always* go for the critters. They turned B5 into a puppet show, and that
annoys me; used characters that have NOTHING to do with our show, who don't
appear in it, and THAT annoys me.
It's my lot, I suppose....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 153 Fri Nov 20, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:30 EST
Correct on the two points above. The creature they used, which they
nicknamed "Bad Bob" (they refers to the prosthetics guys) appears in about two
seconds of the show, same with the other critter you see, neither of them
speaking, just background stuff. And here, that came to be what the promo was
ABOUT, implying that's what the SHOW was about. It basically ignored the
*show* in deference to playing with toys.
I've tried overall to leave the media guys alone, just let them wander,
go where they will. We have nothing to hide and everything to be proud of.
Then someone goes off on this tear...it's very discouraging, and I'm going to
have to seriously rethink this approach.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 157 Fri Nov 20, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:36 EST
The set where Richard and I were interviewed is the central corridor, or
at least a corner of it; it's so large that you really can't see that much of
it in any shot.
Yes, we're adjusting Mira's voice in post to make it masculine. I've
seen the tests, and it definitely twists your mind around. The look is
neutral, and when the voice is female, your mind buys female; when you change
the voice, the voice is male, the look is neutral, and the *moves* are
female...and now your brain doesn't know WHAT to make of it. It's actually a
little unsettling...which is the goal.
RE: Lyta's eyes...yeah, that's what drew me to her for this role from the
start. They're HUGE, which is what I always figured you'd get from a
telepath, that sense of seeing right through into your soul. She's great.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 185 Mon Nov 23, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:05 EST
Well, it looks like there will be some changes made in the E! piece (he
said, setting down his baseball bat, the one with the nails stuck through it).
Comprehensive changes. Will advise when and how the new one will be shown and
made available. (Which makes the one airing now a collector's item, I
suppose, since eventually it'll be replaced and, if I have anything to do with
it, never seen again by human eyes.)
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 191 Tue Nov 24, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 16:39 EST
Yes, it is a bad joke...and deliberate disinformation. Please let me
know who posted that piece of...information.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 215 Thu Nov 26, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:42 EST
BTW, since y'all might not check, TRGBs fans should check out cat 16,
topic 2, message 125 for something really rather annoying about the show's
current run on USA.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 241 Mon Nov 30, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:24 EST
Specific comments should probably go in the spoilers topic. One request:
please try not to give away the "beep" stuff since it functions best with a
surprise element.
Still recovering from the con...the reception was terrific. I'll let
others comment on the specific crowd reactions, because I've tried in general
to avoid that...it's just too direct a hype, I feel.
But it was a very gratifying weekend. Thanks all.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 244 Mon Nov 30, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:51 EST
Well, Pat had been to other cons before, so it wasn't that new an
experience for her, ditto for Mojo (Pat's connection came via her work on
Romero films). It was Jerry's first experience, though, and he did seem quite
astonished by it all (as much as Jerry is astonished by anything, which ain't
much). But they all seemed pleased and gratified by the reaction.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 261 Thu Dec 03, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:06 EST
Well, here's the situation....
My timing has always been off, and the story of Babylon 5 has been one of
struggle against odds from the very first chapter. WhereEVER did I get the
notion that this would change?
A little history for those looking on...last year, when we brought B5 to
the stations involved in the Consortium, and to Warners, everyone was hot and
ready, having just formed this new consortium, to get things moving. They
were all ready to commission a B5 series right off the bat, until one or two
people near the top said, in essence, "Look, this sounds totally unproduceable
for television, something on this scale can't be done for TV, maybe there
should be a pilot made *first*, just to show that it can be done. Then we'll
go with the series if it can come in on budget and on schedule." There was
some disagreement, but eventually that came to be what was done.
So now, it's a year later. As well as B5, the new network commissioned
two series, Kung Fu and Time Trax, and a Wild West Miniseries. Over the last
few days, everyone was re-convened in the hopes of moving ahead now on B5 and
one other project. Just one problem: human psychology.,
If you add up the amount spent on series, B5, miniseries, publicity,
other expenses, you're up to the $25 million range and counting. That's a lot
of dough and thus far none of it has been aired. And to come to them now and
ask for more...well, it wasn't the time. They've bought shows, and they want
to know _ correctly, one must come to understand _ that those shows will
WORK, that the money spent so far has been a wise investment.
Consequently, everything is now ratings (like it ever wasn't, when it
comes to TV?). We're so close to airdate now _ two months _ that the
general concensus was, "Let's see how it does in the ratings." Then we will
get the go.
It's frustrating, but Warners has made it clear that they continue to
stand behind the show, that this really has nothing to do with B5 at all
because no other shows were picked up during the meeting, which was part of
the desire, it's simply a matter of people having spent a lot of money wanting
to know that they invested wisely.
That's showbiz.
Which means that now, once again, all of you play an important role in
this saga. The word has to continue to go out, that's a given...but perhaps
even more important, if you like what you see when B5 airs, it's absolutely
vital to write or fax both your local TV station and Warners to let them know.
It's the stations who have the voice on this, and the one voice they hear
clearest is yours, as the viewer. (Or use the GEnie system to fax stuff,
which may be quicker and easier.) Not now, after the airing.
If you *don't* like what you see...then don't. What matters is doing it only
if it's right.
More on this as it develops.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 263 Thu Dec 03, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:36 EST
All that info will be available at the time.
Just to clarify...the ironic thing is that this really has nothing to do
with B5. The reaction conveyed back to us from the stations was nothing short
of overwhelmingly enthusiastic. The question to be decided was, "Do we open
up a second night of programming (of which B5 was only one of SEVERAL shows to
be picked up during that meeting) or do we wait to see if the *first* night of
programming works out?"
By way of comparison, it would be as if you bought a car, and the
salesman tried to sell you a *second* car before you'd even taken the first
car out of the driveway. It's personally frustrating, but when you come right
down to it, you really can't fault that reasoning.
Meanwhile, nothing has changed...the B5 pilot goes on in February, and
apparently there will be a press tour arranged by Warners because of their
continued excitement, merchandising is continuing, there's going to be a big
PR push in January...that it's going to be a series has never been a question,
once we met the on-schedule/on-budget requirement; it's only a matter of a
couple months difference. The only reason an early push for a second night
was made was because of the excitement about B5, and the desire to use it as
an anchor for that second night...if you go back into the original message
base, we talked then about the importance of letting the stations know your
feelings after it airs. We thought we might be able to strike even before
that, so we pushed early. The stations, in a very understandable position,
want to at least put some shows on that first night before commissioning #2.
I wish I could find some fault in that reasoning, but I can't.
So we press on. As Harlan said when I spoke to him about this earlier,
"It's not SUPPOSED to be easy." You look back at the nightmare of yes/no,
maybe/maybe not, interference, grief and nonsense that preceded TWILIGHT ZONE,
STAR TREK, OUTER LIMITS, and you begin to realize that when you come right
down to it, we've actually had it pretty easy.
It's just part of the process, boys and girls. Nothing's changed.
Onward.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 271 Fri Dec 04, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:46 EST
Warners *is* committed to the show, that isn't the question. What has to
be remembered is that this (the Prime Time Network) is a new venture...people
have spent a lot of money on programming, and the stations (NOT Warners) want
to show some of it before proceeding. The meeting was originally called BY
Warners primarily because they ARE excited about B5, and were hoping that they
could use it to open up a second night *earlier than had been planned*. The
stations decided that they would rather keep to the original schedule.
These things happen. It's *not* a step back...we tried to take two steps
forward at once, and found that we have to go the old fashioned way...one step
at a time, which has been how this show has been from Day One.
After five years of one-step-at-a-time, you learn....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 275 Fri Dec 04, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:27 EST
I appreciate the sentiments, but let me emphasize that this *ain't* that
big a deal. It doesn't actually change anything. In and of itself, it
probably wouldn't be worth mentioning except for the fact that I've promised
here that I'll try and report the news in general, good, bad or indifferent,
which should sorta help control rumors overall (and has, so far). The other
purpose, of course, is to use the forum to show the various ins and outs, ups
and downs, and details involved in a project such as this. Just one more of
the same.
Bottom line...there's a lot of excitement about the project, so much so
that a lot of people tried to make things move faster than scheduled. The
general sense is, "Let's stay with the schedule." Not exactly the sort of
thing one can get all wound up about....
Meanwhile, the final stages of B5 production are nearing. We do the last
of the looping over the next 7 days, and the sound efx guys are working out
the last details in that area. We'll deliver the finished pilot _ no more
tweaking, no backsies _ around January 1st, which will give the stations
nearly two months to preview the show and promote it.
At some point we'll have a screening for cast and crew, and we're giving
*some* thought to opening up whatever seats are left over to local fans. If
we go that route, will advise. It'd be kind of nice to see B5 in a real
theater....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 287 Fri Dec 04, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:01 EST
I'll put it this way...if anyone wants to write to anyone prior to the
airdate, I have no opposition to that idea.
Re: cast and crew...this doesn't cause any complications at all, since,
again, this still conforms to the original schedule. Insofar as I know,
everyone is contractually covered for the series through the period of time we
thought we might have to deal with, which is what we still have. It isn't a
change of timing, it's the same timing that we've had all along.
BTW, I just changed modems, and anyone out there who has a Practical
Peripherals 14400 FXSA v.32 bis modem, and uses Smartcom Exec, if you could
answer a question or two, I'd really appreciate it. I can log on here using
the standard network stuff provided, but as faor (for) dialing up local BBSs,
it just won't connect. It hears only "silence" at the other end, even though
I can clearly hear it connect via the speaker.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 300 Sat Dec 05, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:33 EST
Just so it's clear...I've tried EVERYTHING...PC Plus, WinComm, QuickLink
II, Smartcom Exec, NOTHING I use can get me onto some local modems, especially
the WGA-BBS (for which at least some are doubtless grateful). I'll try the
new initialization string to see if that makes a difference, but I kinda doubt
it. It baffles me....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 315 Sun Dec 06, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:31 EST
Okay, I finally got the thing to work by slipping a command into the init
string (I'd been typing the whole string into the provided window, not
realizing that the window ADDED to the original string, rather than replaced
it, which is what I'd thought I was doing...so I was ending up with two
strings at once which just confused the hell out of the modem. Anyway, it's
all better now (I think). Many thanks for the assists.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 320 Mon Dec 07, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:49 EST
I don't know yet what the schedule is going to be re: promo interviews, I
imagine that's something that'll get resolved in the next couple of weeks. As
soon as I know the details, I'll pass them along here.
Re: Tom Shales...knowing he's a fan of SF, I figured on sending him a
copy of the show on the chance he might like it. Any advance bugs in his ear
are all to the good...basically, anybody out there who wants to write a
letter, make a call, more power to you.
Just finished my column for the second issue of the B5 newsletter, which
I'll be modeming off to Christy later tonight or tomorrow. The theme: "With
Great Power Comes Great Responsibility" (quoting Peter Parker). It's about
viewers. You'll see it in a few weeks, with any luck.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 1
Message 327 Mon Dec 07, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:52 EST
Re: Harlan's involvement with the show...it's on two levels. First, he
is currently writing a Manifesto for the show. If you've seen CITIZEN KANE,
you'll remember that the first thing Charles Foster Kane did on taking
possession of a newspaper was to publish a Declaration of Principles,
outlining what a good newspaper should strive for, the standards it should try
to achieve. Harlan is doing the same thing with the Babylon 5
Manifesto...setting the standards and pointing out the things an SF tv series
should strive to accomplish, and the dumbnesses to avoid.
Second, once the series is up and running, he will be involved as a
Creative Consultant.
jms
______
************
Topic 2 Wed Nov 20, 1991
SOARON [Bio-Dread] at 19:41 EST
Sub: General Information
Babylon 5 will premiere with a two-hour movie entitled "The Gathering" early
in 1993. The creator of the series, J. Michael Straczynski joins us on-line
to answer your questions. (No story ideas please...)
523 message(s) total.
************
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 3 Thu Nov 05, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:10 EST
Sure. Why not?
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 5 Thu Nov 05, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:27 EST
Just a follow-up, something I've been thinking about lately.
A couple of days ago, I got a letter in my mailbox here on GEnie. Not
real news there, I generally find 2-4 every time I log on. This one asked
"How can I help B5?"
And I've been thinking about that...and it reminded me of something.
Back at one of the early conventions I went to, to promote B5 after it had
been announced, I voiced an opinion that this could be fair competition for
DS9. And a woman in the audience said, "Yeah, right, and Clinton will be
president."
Now, in retrospect, it's funny, because of how that's all turned out.
But it's emblematic of the reality of the situation we're in at this time: up
against a monolith, with very little press, and not a lot of people aware yet
that we even exist.
So to the question of, "How can I help B5?" that got this train of
thought going...it really comes down to grassroot activities. Twentieth-
Century Fox had originally thought STAR WARS would be a flop, and gave it
*very* little support, just threw it out there to die. But on opening night,
there were people lined up around the block for the first showing...because
word had gotten out, and around.
If, based on what you've read here, on the photos that have now begun to
appear, the promos, the presentations (and we're trying to get as much Out
There as we can so nobody will have to take my word for anything, but can
rather judge for themselves) that BABYLON 5 is something you want to support,
then there are two very important things that one can do:
1) Spread the word. Tell everyone you can about it. Here on GEnie it's
easy to forget that this is a fairly insular environment, and that in reality
only a fraction of people log on here. It has to go outside.
2) When B5 airs, if your opinion is the same, to tell the stations
(specifically, the station in your area) what you feel. Because the stations
are directly involved in the process here, the more support they have after it
airs, the more they'll return the favor.
I often find myself whipsawed between tremendous optimism and excitement
when I see what we're actually *doing*...and tremendous pessimism and
unhappiness when I see how few people still don't know we even exist, and how
little coverage we're getting in a media that's set to promote shows that come
with pre-packaged and recognizeable names.
I know that many of you are already doing this, and this note isn't for
you so much as the new folks we've gained. This has always been a project
which has held SF fandom in respect, and tried to be true to its origins.
Five years on "Why Can't They Get It Right?" panels at SF conventions really
helps you understand what fans of the genre want. We've tried very hard to
deliver on that. In return for which, we need your voice if we are to
continue to be YOUR voice (to quote Clinton).
Anyway, there it is, for what it's worth...midnight ramblings from
somewhere aboard Babylon 5....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 15 Fri Nov 06, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:56 EST
Don't know if WB will be sending any more promos, but I would guess that
they will. Will advise if I hear about any more.
Phil: I'm still going over the new material (25 pages?! single spaced?!
oh, man!), but insofar as I can tell, it looks fine. I may add a bit here and
there, but overall, looks great. And I'll be curious to hear your reactions
to the promo when you see it.
This weekend, btw, I'll be at Wishcon (for those who don't yet know) to
talk about B5 and give a presentation. If you know anyone who's going,
suggest they especially clear out Saturday early afternoon. I've given
several B5 presentations, but I'm very much looking forward to this one.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 58 Sun Nov 08, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:37 EST
Just got in a little while ago from Wishcon, and overall it was a
terrific experience. There was just one blemish on the weekend.
Prior to the B5 presentation, someone mentioned to me that Majel was
furious that B5 was being given any exposure there, and that something would
be done about it. I dismissed this upon hearing it, figuring it was the usual
rumor-stuff that invariably encircles cons like this.
The progression was a panel by Wil, a panel by Majel, then the B5
presentation. Wil ran about 5-10 minutes over. Majel went 5 over. Then 10.
Then 15. Then 20. The con organizers were indicating to her to wrap it up.
She refused, saying that she wasn't going to give up the microphone. 25
minutes. She noted my presence, commented upon it, but kept on going. 30
minutes plus, and finally she surrendered the stage.
What happened next comes to me from people who were there. One of the
con organizers apparently went to Majel, who was signing autographs outside,
and asked point-blank if she'd done that on purpose to try and foul up the B5
presentation. She smiled, very satisfied, and refused to comment. "What did
you think we'd do?" he asked her. "Cut the presentation off? Or in half?
Won't happen. All you've done is to cut into the auction, and all that does
is hurt the kids." (Wishcon is part of a fundraiser for the Oak Hill School
for the Blind and the Make a Wish Foundation, for terminally ill children.)
She still only smiled and didn't answer...and the auction lost 15-20 minutes
of fundraising time. It would have lost more, but I cut my own comments
short at the end, even though I wanted to say more to the large group, and
instead moved to a smaller room. (I would've originally had 15-20 minutes in
the big room before moving over, if the schedule had been kept.) Better that
I should have a little less time than cut further into the fundraising
efforts.
I'm not angry about it, more saddened that a good cause, with the
interests of terminal children at heart, would be held hostage to someone's
pique. And astonished that she'd do this so plainly in front of over a
thousand witnesses, plus all the people standing in line outside for the
latter part of the story.
Ah, well. As was said in "Phantom of the Opera," these things do happen.
That incident pales, though, before the reaction to the B5 presentation.
One of the con organizers told me subsequently that in the con's history,
including showing "Unification" prior to broadcast, no such preview has ever
gotten a standing ovation. It left me utterly flummoxed, and pleased, and
grateful. It was at that point that I began to think that maybe, just maybe
we had something here.
Because truth is, you never know. You're too close to the situation to
be objective anymore. So the response to the presentation has provided a
considerable boost in energy and enthusiasm, which has been conveyed back to
my associates already.
It was fun meeting all the GEnie-ites (even Cindy...I think) (oh, and by
the way, Tamlyn isn't as young as you mentioned; she's in her early 30s, which
is a fine age for that kind of job, she just looks very young, darn it, said
the fellow who was looking old long before his time). To put faces with names
is always a fascinating experience. It's a strange sensation...to come into a
town where you don't know anyone, to find that you know people.
Anyway, good to meet y'all, and thanks for the support. It was a hell of
a weekend.
(Oh, and before I forget, to respond to the note above about the name of
Babylon...it was only later in its history that it gained the rep that has now
come down to us. It was a place of great plans for commerce and culture. The
name Babylon comes from Bab El, which means the Gate of God, hardly an evil
place. But it declined, and eventually was overthrown. Will B5 go through a
similar arc? Who knows...?)
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 60 Sun Nov 08, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:52 EST
It's a reference to the Warner Bros. Roadrunner cartoons.
(And, well, as a matter of fact...that's *exactly* what it is.)
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 65 Mon Nov 09, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:01 EST
I don't care about revenge. Not interested in it, frankly. All that
matters is the work. Which is why, despite the timing on the E.W.
article...to me, it doesn't matter. I've said it before, I said it at
Wishcon, and I'll say it again here: if DS9 and B5 are both around and healthy
and successful 5 years from now, that's terrific. The world is big enough to
support more than one view of the future. That's the whole notion behind B5,
that SF fans, after 25 years, might like another view of a spacefaring mankind
in the future. So the flip side is also true; the more the merrier.
I should mention that if I kept a low profile at Wishcon, it wasn't for
lack of ambition. On Friday, I flew out in the morning, and due to a plane
going nonfunctional at the boarding gate in DFW, didn't change to another
plane for a long time, and thus didn't arrive in Springfield until around
11:30 or thereabouts. Planes just beat the crap out of me physically, so I
crashed. Didn't adjust well to the time difference, and what with being
nervous about the presentation, and then the 90-minute "town meeting"
afterward, was just gonesville. Next time, I hope to be more amiable...and
closer to home.
I didn't blush at the ovation, did I? Really? I *hate* it when that
happens. I have a very low blush threshold, and it is constantly a sore
point. Ah, well...(embarrassed sigh).
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 67 Mon Nov 09, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:56 EST
Don't know yet, but hope to find out SOMEtime soon. Will post the info
here as soon as I have it.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 77 Mon Nov 09, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:58 EST
Majel should have no reason to be frightened; as I said, it would be only
wonderful for me (and, I suspect, viewers) if both shows were around and
healthy five years from now.
And so we move on, in a spirit of conciliation.
BTW, I don't suppose anyone *taped* that interview on the sci-fi
channel...? Would love to get it for the B5 archives.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 92 Mon Nov 09, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:37 EST
I kinda agree; the "beep" stuff is a private joke, and probably shouldn't
clutter up the forum.
As for how the picture looks on a regular TV...it looks great. We've
looked at it on screens of all sizes, and you don't reallly lose anything.
It's good that we worked it out so it'd look equally okay on both small
and large screens (in fact, we were less sure it would look good on a big
screen, given how great it looked on a standard monitor) since there's already
some serious inquiries about releasing it as a theatrical film overseas.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 109 Tue Nov 10, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:39 EST
Whew, that's a lot of stuff to digest. In brief, since the bulk of your
message has scrolled past my screen, a number of the points you raise are
things we've noted in-house. The plan is to have a big post mortem meeting
some time around early December to go over every detail of the show and decide
which elements worked, and which didn't.
Only about two points stick in my mind offhand...on costumes, one of the
problems that we ran into was jettisoning one costume designer, and then
bringing in the other with like 4 weeks to go, not *nearly* enough time to
design all the required elements. More will be done with that in future, now
that we have enough time. Part of the problem is that in this kind of show,
you've got HUGE amounts of people, all from different worlds, and you've got
to dress them ALL. So it really adds up fast.
As for the doors...oddly enough, they're very functional. We talked to
some design guys, who indicated that in a situation where one level or another
might lose pressure, you want VERY strong doors all over the place that can
serve as pressure doors. The jagged look comes from the fact that once a door
closes, large pins extrude into the sections that are covered, making it a
VERY solid door. (Sound effects will further help explain that.) That
design, we're told, is the most practical for that reason. And yes, there is
some question about aliens as well; we have some very large, and very non-
humanoid shapes coming through, such as Kosh, or larger/stranger, and
consequently the doors should accommodate that.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 116 Wed Nov 11, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:32 EST
Thanks, yeah, I *love* the uniforms, though we're going to do some minor
redesigns on some things here and there, just to make them a bit stronger.
The uniforms and other costumes are by Catherine Adair, most recently from
Mann and Machine, and she's *quite* good at what she does.
And if I attempt to give her the prescribed big kiss, she'd likely deck
me, so I may pass on that part of it....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 121 Wed Nov 11, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:01 EST
That's already the plan, re: episode titles. And groundswell or no, I've
been thinking about it, and suspect that Warners would probably nix the bumper
stickers thing. All I can suggest is that people write to Warners and ask to
be put on mailing lists for merchandising and catalogs and suchlike when the
show gets going.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 125 Wed Nov 11, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:45 EST
Except, of course, B5 ends at the five year mark....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 127 Wed Nov 11, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:52 EST
Doesn't matter. The Babylon 5 story ends at the final episode of year
five.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 145 Thu Nov 12, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:20 EST
Speculation will get you nowhere. And there will never be a Babylon 6.
Nyah!
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 166 Sat Nov 14, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:21 EST
BTW, I'll be giving a Babylon 5 presentation at Loscon on Saturday the
28th at 2:00 p.m. I'm going to try to get a cast member to come along, maybe
the director, depending on circumstances, but can't promise anything at this
time. We'll see.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 168 Sat Nov 14, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 05:41 EST
I'm told there should be a new newsletter out in a couple of weeks, or
thereabouts.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 175 Sat Nov 14, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:13 EST
It's five years our time. How many are now working unofficially...
varies. And it's very likely that the official word will come after the
delivery of the final mix, yes. (Have I equivocated enough, d'you think?)
Don't yet know the final shape that the B5 presentation will take at
Loscon. But will advise when I do know for sure.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 182 Sun Nov 15, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:22 EST
Young, feh...some days I feel 90. Mainly because of the effort involved
in getting B5 to the screen. I showed up the othe day at Harlan's for dinner,
and he looked at me, eyes wide, "My GOD you're getting grey," he said. It's
happened a lot in a little time, kind of like the way Clinton went grey in the
one year of the campaign. And now I've had to get multiple pairs of
glasses...regular, reading, and computer (with one pair of bifocals to go from
reading to computer)...feh, I say, feh!
I'm 38. Hurtling rapidly toward 40.
"Many decades of JMS." Hey...don't you threaten ME!
Now, where the hell was I? Oh, yeah....
Basically, everything about the Earth Alliance is fractious, one side
threatening to pull the whole thing apart, and this applies not only to worlds
and colonies, but the nations that remain after the E/M War. That's one of
the reasons I chose the term "Alliance," because it's anything BUT. It's at
best a shaky coalition.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 187 Mon Nov 16, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:20 EST
Various and sundries to report....
Today I, other exec producer Doug Netter, and director Richard Compton
went over to Stewart Copeland's place to hear about 80% of the music for B5.
It's *really* terrific stuff that just drives the show like a sonuvagun.
Cross BLADE RUNNER with EQUALIZER in tone and you've got something *close* to
what Stewart's done for us. Brilliant stuff.
Apparently the B5 cover story in Cinefantastique is coming out; Ron and
his crew got a copy or two (even though I, Chief Babbler, did *not* get one),
and I haven't yet seen it, though a few pages got faxed to me from Ron's. I
think it's okay, though again I've only seen a part of it. I read parts of
it through my fingers...and even now, from the other room, where my spousal
overunit sits reading the article, comes this VOICE in a pitch sufficient to
shatter lead, "I can't BELIEVE you SAID that!!!"
Sigh. I've gotten better, really I have. And now, when I have to give
an interview of a couple hours duration, I can be as diplomatic as anyone
could ask for. In the case of the CFQ article, we basically gave the reporter
carte blanche...he could go anywhere, talk to anyone, hang around as long as
he wanted to...and sometimes, when things are going well, the enthusiasm hits
you, or you come up with a funny line that you say in an incautious moment.
Nothing big, just enough to remind me that there is much to be said sometimes
for Shutting One's Mouth.
BTW, tomorrow (Tuesday) night, on the Discovery channel, they're goign to
be broadcasting a show about the video toaster, that I hear will have some B5
stuff in it. It's their "Inventions" show, and it airs, I believe, at 9
eastern/western, 8 central.
From the other room: "You said WHAT?"
I think I have to go now....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 189 Tue Nov 17, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:19 EST
Marilyn...I just downloaded and saved the Jack London quote to disk.
That's definitely a keeper. Thanks.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 193 Tue Nov 17, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:27 EST
Yes, nanotech is something I'd like to get more fully into. My basic
problem is that I'm not as up on the literature as I should be (one reason why
we'll probably be taking on a scientific advisor on the show, to keep us
honest and answer these kinds of questions). We have to find logical and
interesting ways to make{ use of that tech, but *without* getting bogged down
in explaining what the heck nanotch IS every time we use it.~r It{{ {is,
after all, a difficult concept for a lot of folks to grasp (or seems to be,
anyway). But in any event, to the question at hand, yes, we do plan to
incorporate it, how and where and to what extent has not yet been determined.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 203 Wed Nov 18, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:56 EST
Ah, well...one can but hope. I'd thought they would show some, and am
surprised they didn't.
Re: the Wishcon presentation...the idiots with the flash cameras were not
so much a problem, except that they annoyed those around them, and whited out
the screen (thereby guaranteeing that the cretins who can't follow directions,
who have no qualms about being rude to others, didn't get a thing for their
efforts...I *hate* that kind of thing). The one thing that guaranteed, in my
mind, a complete shut-down would be if I saw anyone running a video camera.
At one point, I thought I saw someone, and moved across the room...only to
discover, much to my relief, that it was someone with a red LED on her
earring. Had it been a video camera, I would have had no choice but to stop
it, and was fully prepared to do so.
I don't bluff. Ever.
Re: the comment above about no insecurities...sounds great, I just wish
it were true. Never stopped believing in the dream, but as for my potential
to realize it...constant insecurity. And frankly, I think that if I ever
*stop* being insecure, stop doubting, I may as well pack it in and get out of
the business.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 209 Wed Nov 18, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:46 EST
Yeah, I understand Mojo was either going to show up, or has shown up, but
no confirmation yet.
BTW, I've now seen the rest of the B5 article in Cinefantastique, and
it's basically okay. Some factual errors here and there, and a few misquotes,
but nothing terminal. (One note...the caption writer, whenever he had a shot
of someone holding something that he didn't recognize, described it in the
caption as a 'tricorder,' when in one case it was a gun, in another case it
was a security palmtop passkey device, allowing access to certain areas; we
don't HAVE tricorders, thank you very much).
Other than that, seems pretty good, and there's certainly a lot of stuff
from the show you haven't seen before (and a couple of things you shouldn't
have seen, but that's life), the budget information is not even close to being
correct (we had more than they indicate), and it gives you a real sense of the
people who are involved behind the scenes, the lengths they went to to make
the show work and look good, and our ideas behind the design and stuff.
Mistakes notwithstanding _ and I've never seen an article yet that got it
100% in any magazine, there's always something that's not quite right (calling
him Captain Sinclair in the article instead of Commander), it's still probably
the best article to appear yet on B5.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 214 Wed Nov 18, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:31 EST
Re: the 5 year arc...no network has ever, or will ever, commit to a run
that long. It'll all be dependent upon how we do. And that's the tricky
part.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 230 Sat Nov 21, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:17 EST
Yeah, it's quite an involved article (or series of articles). Some funny
stuff, too.
To the question before...yes, the actors are signed (via option) to do
the series; yes, I am writing material that will be used in the series. Re:
the series pickup...I know more than I can say, and as a rule it seems I say
more than I should. Something official probably can be said after December
2nd. That's all I can say. For now.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 236 Sun Nov 22, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:39 EST
No comment.
(But it's a *polite* no-comment!)
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 241 Sun Nov 22, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:30 EST
Just FYI, I agree with every point about the E! show, and have drafted a
note telling them so. It's just awful.
The CFQ article(s), however, I like more as I read them. Once the shock
wore off....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 248 Mon Nov 23, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:33 EST
Ron: one crisis at a time, please....
Jeff: in large part, the question of timing is outside of our control or
influence. Here is the situation: we are part of a new network. That network
requires shows. We were initially on tap to be one of the first two shows out
of the gate (they work in two-hour blocks of shows per night, that's the
deal). But in a way, we fell victim to our own dreams...what we were
promising seemed *so* impossible to do for television that we were asked to
prove that it could be done at ALL, let alone done well, before a series
commitment would be made. As a result, two other shows went into the two
available slots to be first out of the gate.
Meanwhile, we went on to try and prove our point, that a show on this
scale *could* be done. And we not only delivered to Warners what we promised,
we delivered more, and we delivered better.
Only now here's the catch...that one night of programming that the
network was to begin airing, the two hours, are set. So now what do they do
with us? Basically, you have two options: 1) Remove one show from the lineup,
or 2) open up a second night of programming. Just one problem; you can't open
up a second night of programming with just one show, you need two. I'm sure
there are other options that I've missed, but those are the two biggest.
It isn't like an established network which can drop you in on any night
of the week. This is a new concern, like the Fox network in its early days,
and we have to adjust. Once the decision is made about how this is going to
be done, and how soon, is something that will have to wait for a general
announcement. (Would a second night start in the summer, for instance, or the
fall? That would depend in large part on how fast the stations wanted to gear
up, and how fast the second program for that night could get into production.)
All I'm saying is that there are a LOT of factors at work here, and
though it looks obscure from the outside, it all makes sense from in here, and
believe it or not, it's all very positive. And I hope to not only say more,
but be *very specific* about it all in a couple of weeks. At that point, I
should be able to answer any and all questions about timing without, as you
say, "equivocation."
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 249 Mon Nov 23, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:39 EST
P.S. If you don't normally check, and you live in LA, be sure to note
message 90 in topic 5.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 257 Mon Nov 23, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:12 EST
*** Announcement ***
The most current edition of BABYLON 5, the full two hours, will
be shown at LosCon on Saturday, November 28, from 4-6 p.m. The
cut in question has been color-corrected and includes all of the
EFX scenes and other visuals, but still lacks the sound effects
and Stewart Copeland's soundtrack (though I may find a way to at
least indicate some of what it will sound like).
Insofar as I know, this will be the ONLY preview to be shown at
a convention on the west coast prior to broadcast.
The room only seats about 300, so if you're in LA and plan on
attending Loscon (at the Los Angeles Airport Marriot), you may
want to get there early.
Oh...and those who saw the Wishcon presentation are now free to
discuss it at length, but please try and keep the discussion in
the B5 spoilers topic.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 265 Tue Nov 24, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:01 EST
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 270 Tue Nov 24, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 16:42 EST
Luis...jeezus, you can see how rumors take off...my 665 yell was in
response to 664, and Ron's suggestion (tongue in cheek) that we "make each
episode (of the series) two hours." Just knowing how much angst goes into
making 22 *one* hour shows, at the idea of doing 22 *two* hour
shows...YAAAAGGGGHHHHH.
Got it?
Context is everything. If there's a message you don't get, check the one
preceding.
Amazing...the rumor mill just cranks out this stuff....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 272 Tue Nov 24, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:06 EST
Okay, I have now received a copy of the rumor, which started over on
Usenet, then jumped to Internet, and now here. And it was not intended as a
joke. The person who wrote the original message _ the name on the message
was Woody Harper, but I doubt very much that's a real name, unless anyone here
can indicate otherwise _ claimed to be quoting an actual article in Variety.
Not that he'd heard something, but that he himself had seen the article, and
then proceeded to "quote" from it at length.
It's malicious, destructive, sick disinformation of the worst kind.
We've had some of this before _ I haven't talked about it because it's not
the kind of thing I think we need to bother people about _ and it's mostly
from aberrant Trek fans who perceive a threat and want to try and screw us up,
destroy the word of mouth building about the show.
(One sure way to tell about these things...the only time I've been
referred to in print as Joe Straczynski has been in SF stuff, most recently in
Cinefantastique, and it's doubtless no coincidence that this rumor surfaced
within days of the CFQ piece coming out. Whenver I've been mentioned in
Variety or the other industry trades, it's *always* been as J. Michael, NOT
Joe. So that alone would be suspicious...and all anyone has to do is go down
to the nearest library and check Variety; no such article ever appeared. But
rumors have a life of their own, and nobody bothers to check, and hysteria
results. Apparently a number of folks on Internet and Usenet actually
*believed* the story.)
There is a very destructive, very sick minority in fandom, of which this
is a part. I am now in the process of tracking down the alleged Woody Harper.
And he and I are going to chat.
And I suspect that I will enjoy it far more than he will.
Meanwhile...just to head this sort of thing off at the pass in future,
bear in mind that I have now been on this and one or two other systems for
just over a year talking about B5. Whether the news has been good, bad or
indifferent, I've been right out there with the facts. If something like this
had happened, or were even within the REALM of possibility _ which it ain't,
simply by virtue of my contract with Warners, if nothing else _ you would
have heard about it directly from me, here. If you come across something
bizarre, you can be sure it's bogus unless it's been mentioned here. There's
no *need* for these kinds of rumors; they usually arise only when there's no
access to the persons involved. But access here is 24 hours a day.
Having said he saw the article, and quoting it himself "verbatim," the
crank in this case has left no room for saying it was just a mistake. And he
has upset a lot of people. Me, I don't get upset. I am, however, a carrier.
This is just one more stupid fan prank, there will doubtless be more. That's
the one drawback in achieving even a modicum of visibility in SF, particularly
SF media...it brings out the loonies who think that this is Good Clean Fun.
Which is why a lot of SF writers and actors don't do cons anymore, and why
I've been cautioned against putting myself out so openly on the nets. But the
10% who are morons are far outweighed by the 90% who are great, so I have no
intention of letting this kind of stuff, or the other behind the scenes stuff,
interfere with this experiment...a direct communication between the makers of
a show, and the viewers of a show, on this kind of scale.
Anyway, just wanted to clarify where all this came from. I'll take it
from here....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 277 Tue Nov 24, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:28 EST
Some things one prefers to do oneself. This one I'm looking forward to.
(BTW, anyone know anything about the Memory Alpha BBS in Phoenix,
Arizona? If so, please respond privately. If not...pretend you never saw
this message.)
Heh.
As for the question of access, and the amount of same, by curious
coincidence I was interviewed about an hour ago by a reporter doing a short
piece for the LA Times Magazine about this little experiment, and the most
common question asked was, "WHY?" Most other shows tend to put an
intermediary out there, at best, or just ignore the nets at worst.
And I explaned my feelings about the situation, the desire to have an
open attitude toward SF viewers, to hear what they don't want to see anymore
on TV, and all that. But to be honest, the single greatest reason for doing
this, to my mind, comes from the long work I've attempted to do in
popularizing and de-mystifying the scriptwriting and production process.
What you have, in this topic/category, from November of last year, until
today, is a day-by-day accounting of how a show goes from concept to pre
production to production to editing, every stage is discussed at some length.
And it's my hope that the archiving of this information may be of use to other
writers who are trying to understand the process involved, and thus not be
scared of it. I hope it will be a useful document. If so, then the
investment was worth it.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 285 Tue Nov 24, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:23 EST
Let me state this more clearly: there was no humor meant in the posting.
It was strictly malicious character assassination, and libleous, and
potentially damaging. This person quoted a fake article in the trades
designed to sound authentic. Maybe someone might think this is funny...how
funny would it be if you signed on one day to find messages about how your
mother had just died overnight, or you had been fired from your job, or your
wife was having an affair. And none of it was true, it was posted only to do
you harm. This is evidence of a sick mind.
There is nothing funny about it. This is one of the problems in fandom,
finding excuses for this kind of behavior. I'm not yelling at you, Leviathan,
but rather the context. A certain group of obnoxious fans have a tendency to
do brutal, rude, or malicious things, and other fans, with the best of
intentions, say, "Well, it's not a big deal," and thus become enablers,
allowing the behavior to continue. When one SF writer had warm vomit thrown
in his face by a "fan," half of those who saw the incident tried to find some
excuse for it, to play it down. This is a recurrent problem in the fan
community, and speaking *as* a fan, if the fan community never takes any
action or tries to just dismiss the problem, it will *never* be dealt with.
Which is why I don't ask the fan community to do anything when this sort
of thing (or the other little nasties that have been visited upon us by rabid
Trek fans) happens. Hands-on is good enough for me.
Not that it doesn't take time away from the work, either; do you know how
MANY W. Harpers there ARE in Arizona? I do. One by one by one....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 291 Tue Nov 24, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:47 EST
The warm vomit story is true, and has been described in the SF press.
Meanwhile....
This is probably the last word I'm going to have on this whole issue, and I'm
doing this only to (one hopes) close the issue and let us move on.
Here is what I found in my mailbox. I've removed the name of the person who
sent it on to me as a courtesy.
Apparen * * *
Date: 24-Nov-92 10:18 PST From: Subject: This was posted to the
newsgroup... Date: Tue, 24 Nov 92 12:16:43 CST From:
Joe, this was posted... any comment? With all the work you have done I'd
hate to see you go. I know rumors abound. If you have no cemment.. just say
so.. This has a lot of people scared who have been following the progress of
the show...
___ Forwarded Message
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 92 13:08:52 -0500 From: mab@buphy.bu.edu (Michael Burstein)
Message-Id: <9211241808.AA16142@buphy.bu.edu> To: b5@iastate.edu Subject: JMS
gone?
I read the following on the USENET. Can anyone confirm this? _________
_____________________ From
bu.edu!olivea!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!ennews!telesys!
wierius!memalph!system Tue Nov 24 13:06:11 EST 1992 Article: 4954 of
rec.arts.sf.tv Path: bu.edu!olivea!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!ennews!telesys!
wierius!memalph!system From: system@memalph.UUCP (Woody Harper) Newsgroups:
rec.arts.sf.tv,rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: New Babylon 5 Production Crew Message-ID: <6uoPuB1w165w@memalph.UUCP>
Date: 23 Nov 92 21:43:28 GMT Organization: Memory Alpha BBS - Phoenix, AZ -
Lines: 17 Xref: bu.edu rec.arts.sf.tv:4954 rec.arts.startrek.current:17796
Just out of the latest Variety:
Straczynski OUT Kricfalusi IN!
Warner Brothers, parent of the upcoming Prime Time Network has announced the
replacement of Joe Straczynski as the head of the new science fiction
teledrama Babylon 5. Straczynski's replacement will be John Kricfalusi,
formerly of the Nicelodeon channel owned by HBO productions. Executives at
Warner Brothers said that the decision to sack Straczynski was based on
"artistic" and "directional" differences. John Kricfakusi is expected to
bring a nouveau, surreal edge to the show in an attempt to capture the Twin
Peaks, Northern Exposure audience. There have been no public comments by
Straczynski since the announcement and John Kricfalusi was unavailable for
comment.
Memory Alpha BBS (memalph.UUCP), Phoenix, AZ
-= The Sum of All Knowledge =-
* * *
Me again. As you can see, there was nothing of comic intent in the message,
only a desire to spread deliberately false information and unsettle a lot of
people (which apparently succeeded, at least in part, judging from the mail
I've received).
This is the kind of thing I've encountered in the past, and this is the reason
a lot of SF pros (writers, actors, others) have been driven off systems by the
10% who screw it up for the remaining 90%. About a year, two years ago, there
was one real psycho who began innocently enough, targeting me and David
Gerrold. Some of those who looked on thought it was all just fun.
It wasn't, and it escalated...he began coming at us from various systems,
smearing our careers with false information (we weren't working on any
projects together, we were just the two who came to his attention). It went
past destructive to downright dangerous. So finally I had no choice but to
take action...I chased him down through 3 national systems and half a dozen
local BBSs until I finally nailed him, via his mother's phone number, which
he'd used to get verification on the first system he logged onto.
The rest of the story...is not for delicate ears. Suffice to say he went
away. Since then, I've just had to adopt a stance that says that if someone
goes out of their way to deliberately plant false, damaging information out of
sheer maliciousness, then I will do whatever is necessary to shut them down.
I don't like it, it's time consuming, but the only other alternative is simply
to stop using systems like GEnie and Compuserve, and I refuse to be driven off
by a handful of destructive people.
Anyway, I hope we can now move on. This will be dealt with in the fullness of
time, I only wanted to clarify a little bit. There is too much good going on
right now _ and too much more waiting in the wings _ to let this interfere.
Onward.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 296 Wed Nov 25, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:51 EST
Meanwhile, in other news....
Heard the last of the main soundtrack work being done by Stewart Copeland
today, and now he's cleared to finish his mix. It's very exotic in places, a
cultural mix that goes from classical to choral to seemingly random to
incorporating Masai chants...on and on. Which is what we very much wanted.
Spent last night writing alien walla. What, you ask, is alien walla?
Well, when you have a crowd scene, you should be able to hear bits and pieces
of conversations, just in background, also voices on intercoms, that sort of
thing. And you can't just have people making the stuff up as they go, during
looping. So somebody has to write it. That would be me. So there I am, a
grown man, writing lines of dialogue like "Ni tupa, dogaren?" for page after
page, and trying to be consistent and build an informal interlac dictionary.
And you start to get goofy after a while...in the customs area, I had someone
saying "Riten venyoo finewerk," which looks non-english until you say it aloud
and it comes out, "Write when you find work."
I need a vacation.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 305 Wed Nov 25, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 05:01 EST
Ron, DON'T fly out here just for that, you'll see it soon enough on da
teevee....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 323 Wed Nov 25, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:39 EST
Don't currently know if there will be any chance to show B5 at any
midwest/mideast conventions between now and airdate...after Thanksgiving,
everything of size pretty much shuts down, and there isn't much going on that
I'm aware of in January, and then boom, the show airs in February.
I always get twitch when I hear that someone is going to fly in, or drive
2 or (in at least one case) 8 hours just to see the B5 thing. My ever-present
nightmare is that someone will go through all this effort, see the show, and
as the lights go up, I'll hear "WHAT? THAT'S *IT?* I DROVE EIGHT HOURS FOR
THIS PIECE OF CRAP?! I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!!"
This nightmare ranks right up there with dreaming I've broken a tooth or
my readyteller card won't work and I'm stranded in the worst part of the city.
I will probably spend most of Friday night at home, throwing up. Which
is what I did before Wishcon.
After five years...wouldn't you?
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 337 Thu Nov 26, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:57 EST
BTW, for those in the LA area, there will be a short piece in the Palm
Latitudes section of the LA TIMES Magazine next week or so about this little
experiment...direct contact on this scale between the makers of a show, and
potential viewers, via computer net. Also, I don't know if it's been
mentioned, but Issue #2 of SF Age has a piece on B5, though I haven't seen it
yet.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 340 Thu Nov 26, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:54 EST
BTW, the copy to be shown at LosCon won't be color-corrected after all;
the new transfer was going to be made on Friday, but because of the holiday,
got moved 24 hours to Saturday...which means it won't be ready in time for
LosCon. But it's still a very good print.
And there may be some extras, just to make up for it....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 352 Fri Nov 27, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:37 EST
Well, we'll think about it...but I refuse to have your children.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 362 Sat Nov 28, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:04 EST
Apparently there *will* be some marketing prior to the pilot airing in
February, so I wouldn't be surprised to see some patches, pins and suchlike
making its way through the stores.
Re: the Blue-tint Delenn...that particular makeup lasted, oh, about ten
minutes until the director and I saw it. Nothing to fault The Amazing
Criswell and his team of elves, they were pushing the envelope, which is what
we told them to do. But on further consideration, we pulled it back to a
different tone.
And yeah, I've lost a bit of weight over this thing...though I'm getting
a bit of it back. I lost about 1 pound per day as we were actually shooting.
BTW, re: Loscon...it's confirmed for 4-6 p.m. Saturday, and as well as
being there myself, also present will be Patricia Tallman, Jerry Doyle, Ron
Thornton, the alleged Mojo, and possibly one or two others. But the first
four are confirmed.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 419 Wed Dec 02, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:14 EST
Sorry if I've been rather quiet the last few days; I'm somewhat waiting
for some news to come in, and that kind of makes me forget to post. "Well,
I'll wait until *this* comes up, then I'll drop a note." Like Mr. Ed, I try
to talk only when I have something to say.
(Oh, btw...Mr. Harper has been found. He hid behind a hyphenated name to
make it hard to find. Didn't work. 'Nuff said.)
Today it looks as though Warners has closed the first substantive
merchandising deal for a B5 computer game (or is about to close it). When I
have more details, I'll pass them along. If preliminary reports are correct,
it's a good company. In addition, there will be some additional marketing
efforts made in the next month or two, some of which may be quite interesting.
(And I hope *finally* to be able to say something about a B5 comic.)
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 420 Wed Dec 02, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:18 EST
Cross-posted there...about the question of color: this is something that
Ron and I discussed earlier and at some length. If space in time becomes as
accessible as the local freeway, people are going to start to look at their
modes of transportation as more than just plain-white people-movers. There
will be color. And color will vary by species, by ability to see various
hues, what's considered offensive by some will be quite proper to others.
The only part of space that's blue-ish is the nearby nebula, which is as
close as you can get to being astronomically correct. If you were at that
distance, that's how it would look. Some nebulas are truly beautiful in terms
of their coloration, and they're *huge*, can fill a large part of the sky from
the right POV. Everything else, though, is jet-black. (The nebula is far
clearer in the color-corrected copy, and space is much blacker.)
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 431 Thu Dec 03, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:19 EST
Nothing that I can say about the game for now, except that it is a very
good company. Right now, all that is being worked out is the actual licensing
of the Babylon 5 name; nothing of the game itself has been worked out yet.
I'll be directly involved with the game design, so it'll be kept consistent
with the general B5 storyline.
As to the Aliens comparison...no, not really, at least not from my POV.
I didn't want this to be a non-stop action show...that's more SPACE RANGERS.
My goal with this was a science fiction dramatic series, so the tack required
is different.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 434 Thu Dec 03, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:37 EST
Yes, the effects have been tweaked a bit, made clearer and better.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 440 Thu Dec 03, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:16 EST
I guess the package arrived....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 443 Fri Dec 04, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:47 EST
Alien walla goes on a separate page, just to give to the voice guys when
people come in to do looping.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 454 Fri Dec 04, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:03 EST
Hmm...*I* still haven't received a copy of this alleged apology, so would
be interested in a copy. As for V, whether or not that eventually gets
novelized is an open question, and not one on the top of my list just now.
When and if anything gets set up, I'll be sure to post the info here.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 461 Sat Dec 05, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:50 EST
Because everything downward from the core is down, you're always walking
on a level surface. And it's Delenn.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 475 Sat Dec 05, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:36 EST
Yeah, the layout (red/blue, etc) in CFQ is basically correct (it should
be, we supplied it), but there was a small glitch in the script that didn't
incorporate that. Down the road, we'll be more rigorous about that.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 483 Sat Dec 05, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:53 EST
Yes, the grey and brown (slummier) sections are a deliberate design going
in; just like in the early days of cross-Atlantic transit, you'd have the
wealthy folks who could afford to go first-cabin, and the folks who went
steerage down deep in the hold, looking for a new life and new opportunities.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 494 Sun Dec 06, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:34 EST
Yeah, in general, I'm quite pleased by the article(s). It/they really
give a sense of the details involved in the show. In some cases, the details
are so small that sometimes you can only just make them out, but subliminally
they add to the sense of realism. Any other specific comments/questions about
the CFQ piece?
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 502 Mon Dec 07, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:54 EST
You bring up a good point re: Delenn's makeup. "Those who don't remember
the past are doomed to repeat it." In remembering the very real problems
Leonard Nimoy had post-Trek _ in which it was him in every way except for
the ears, making him at once recognizeable but yet typecast as an alien _ I
talked to our prosthetics people early on about making very specific designs
to counter-act that. Neither Andreas as G'Kar nor Mira as Delenn can even be
recognized outside their makeup, so that will help to avoid typecasting for
them. Londo is very human, and that which is not "normal" is so outrageous
that when you take it off, you change the whole profile of the actor. So
again, it shouldn't have any typecasting effects. And certainly there's no
seeing past Kosh....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 508 Mon Dec 07, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:57 EST
Yes, we're trying to use real stars and constellations in our script
references, as well as indications of new ones that may have been discovered
in the 200 years between now and the time of B5. (At one point, a tech-
runner's background is being discussed, and they mention that he ran forbidden
technology into the Vega and Proxima systems, for instance.) Which star is
the one Babylon 5 orbits? One that hasn't been discovered at this point in
time...but in about 50 years, it'll show up on the starcharts. It's a fairly
small star, dwarfed and hidden by several nearby binaries that overwhelm the
spectrum visible from Earth.
Yeah, that's the ticket....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 511 Tue Dec 08, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:10 EST
Re: language...English is the basic language of B5, since it's run by the
Earth Alliance. But it's also multi-lingual; there are signs in English,
Interlac, and Centauri, and as we get into later stories, the question of
language and communication will play a larger role (and the non-language signs
are designed to be cross-species in nature).
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 516 Tue Dec 08, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:21 EST
There's a lot that can be said about the history of the various races,
and others out there that we may not yet know about as of the time of the
series...unfortunately, I'm not at liberty to comment.
Re: the "joke"...this is what people say after the fact to excuse stupid
or mean-spirited behavior. When they're caught out and exposed, they come
back with, "Hey, I mean, I was only joking." I don't buy it. Nor does it
reconcile with other information.
jms
______
************
Topic 3 Tue Nov 03, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:09 EST
Sub: BABYLON 5 - Computer EFX 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.
184 message(s) total.
************
______
Category 18, Topic 3
Message 1 Tue Nov 03, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:10 EST
Well, I figured I might as well start this topic, since it'll have to get
going one way or another. Basically, it's for all the stuff that I barely
understand myself. Good luck, and stay out of the line of fire.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 3
Message 8 Tue Nov 03, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:33 EST
I don't know if the efx were sped up for the Toaster demo, and agian, (or
again), that's only early stuff. Apparently when some EFX are made, they're
produced at 30 frames per second, and then slowed to 24 fps to match the other
footage. I think....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 3
Message 11 Wed Nov 04, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:38 EST
I'm not sure...I *do* know that Ron has gotten a LOT of beta-stuff that
won't be released anywhere for a while yet, and has put it all to good use.
We've got all kinds of nice little secrets we're waiting to spring.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 3
Message 15 Thu Nov 05, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:44 EST
I think I got my figures screwed up. We *did* shoot the pilot (and will
shoot anything that follows) at 30. I remember because somebody or other
groused about the extra film costs. My error.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 3
Message 27 Mon Nov 09, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:41 EST
Okay...in brief, the way standard space EFX are done is that they create
a plate of a starfield; over this, they put a plate of a planet, then finally
overlay a plate of, say, a ship going by. Nothing is really to size or in
perspective.
What Ron has done is to create, in the computer, a sector of space about
as big as a solar system. He's put the star *here*, Babylon 5 there, the
bookend planet and moon over there, and anything that enters that system _
ships or anything else _ are sized to scale. It's ALL created to the actual
scale involved. So that when an object moves through that sector of space,
it's moving through "real space," with everything in its proper perspective.
Consequently, the eye accepts it as more real, more 3-dimensional. Things
moving away recede into the proper size and distance, and approach growing in
correct size and perspective. It's really a stunning effect.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 3
Message 29 Tue Nov 10, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:47 EST
Good comments, will pass them on to Ron. Only points that I can respond
to: I think the blue sections are just coloration, to help tell the various
parts apart from a distance, so it isn't monochromatic and visually dull; and
the jaggies you detect in the starlog photos are from the low-res photos they
used in places. Some shots are high-res, some are low; the jaggies are
generally in the low-res photos.
Will convey the rest.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 3
Message 35 Tue Nov 10, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:28 EST
We'll be able to use a LOT of new footage (EFX) in every episode of the
series, unlike TNG, for instance, which generally uses the same shots with
different planetary backgrounds, and the same fly-by shot. On average, we'll
be able to do 3-4 *new* minutes of footage for every show, and can build up
from there. Combined with the stock that we will have and which will grow as
we go, that'll give us a heck of a look.
Some astronomical data went into the design of the starscape and the
nebula; how much, I don't know offhand, that's Ron's area.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 3
Message 39 Wed Nov 11, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:45 EST
I'm working on it, I'm working on it....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 3
Message 50 Fri Nov 13, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:42 EST
BTW, though Ron isn't on now, there's some speculation that Mojo may
start making appearances here. Whether this is good or bad, who knows...?
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 3
Message 69 Sun Nov 15, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:26 EST
The long shot of the B5 Garden was indeed computer-generated. We'd built
a full-size model _ about 10 feet long, in fact _ but it just didn't give us
the look we needed. In retrospect, we're not completely satisfied either with
the look of what we got, so we're going to take some different approaches to
it in the series.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 3
Message 96 Thu Nov 19, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:16 EST
"Ron has faith in me to represent B5."
Excuse me for a moment..............................
......................................................!thud!
(someone wake me when it's over)
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 3
Message 123 Wed Nov 25, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:44 EST
"Anyone care to argue with that?"
Yeah. Me.
You got a problem wit' dat?
It can always be better, Mojo. And it will be. Let's start with the
spider transport, shall we...?
"Rico, Morello, hold him down...we just wanna talk ta him a minnit, don't
we boys?"
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 3
Message 128 Sat Nov 28, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:05 EST
Fit on the back seat of a Honda Accord?
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 3
Message 149 Wed Dec 02, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:08 EST
I can't elaborate, but the first script that I've turned in for an hour-
episode has an *extremely* elaborate EFX sequence (several of them, actually,
which are linked) which goes considerably beyond anything we demonstrated in
the pilot. Ron went over the sequence, and apparently it poses no problem.
Beyond that, we have general plans to push this new technology to the absolute
edge of its capabilities.
The pilot was a test...the GOOD stuff is still to come.
jms
______
REPly to topic, QUIt reading
STArt new topic, #,#-# read prior
PERmanently ignore this topic
MARk or UNMark this topic
or <RETURN> to continue ?
************
Topic 4 Tue Nov 03, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:12 EST
Sub: BABYLON 5 - Cast and 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.
210 message(s) total.
************
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Category 18, Topic 4
Message 5 Tue Nov 03, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:37 EST
It's a fine question. The answer is yes and no.
In most everyday situations B5 operates fairly autonomously; EA doesn't
generally get involved unless there's a very good reason. And from time to
time, they do. That happens right off the bat in the pilot movie, where they
stomp down hard. They exercise other authority from time to time _
"suggesting" that a group of Centauri representatives be given the VIP
treatment in order to encourage them to invest and help to defray the cost of
running B5 (an issue that never seems to come up in TV SF...just how much DOES
the Enterprise cost to run?), and in the series, there's considerable conflict
planned for down the road between those on B5 and the EA officials (especially
since not everyone is 100% behind B5, and would love nothing more than to see
it shut down).
Wheels within wheels...that's the secret.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 4
Message 8 Wed Nov 04, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:56 EST
Well, you can find a comprehensive cast list in the first message in the
"Behind the Camera" topic here.
Briefly: Commander Jeffrey Sinclair (Michael O'Hare); Lt. Commander
Laurel Takashima (Tamlyn Tomita); Security Chief Michael Garibaldi (Jerry
Doyle); Dr. Benjamin Kyle (Johnny Sekka); Ambassador Delenn (Mira Furlan);
Ambassador G'Kar (Andreas Katsulas); Ambassador Londo Mollari (Peter Jurasik);
Telepath Lyta Alexander (Patricia Tallman); Sinclair's love interest, trader
Carolyn Sykes (Blaire Baron); Ambassador Kosh...an open question.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 10 Wed Nov 04, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:00 EST
Communications will be instantaneous in *most* cases. Once a ship enters
hyperspace, however, communications can become more problematic.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 27 Sun Nov 08, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:43 EST
The character of Laurel Takashima, and the actor Tamlyn Tomita, ain't
going NOWHERE.
(An incredible simulation of a producer putting his foot down.)
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 33 Mon Nov 09, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:35 EST
There is a certain degree of ageism and sexism going on here, I think.
Tamlyn is within striking distance of the ages of Shatner when he first
appeared as captain of the Enterprise, and of Frakes when he first appeared as
2nd on the NG Enterprise. No one seemed to think it was a problem with them,
since they were men...so why is it inappropriate for a woman?
This is probably the dopiest (my regrets, but that's my opinion) problem
I've come across regarding this whole thing. We cast for the role of Laurel
Takashima from across a wide age range, from 30s up through the late 40s and
up a bit. The BEST PERFORMER was Tamlyn Tomita. She just knocked us through
the back wall. Am I or any producer supposed to say, "No, we can't hire her,
she looks too good"? Are we supposed to buy the okeydoke _ proferred by a
sexist society _ that a woman can't look good and be smart? Certainly the
men in our show, if the "yum's" I heard from a lot of women are any
indication, are attractive. Should we cast only gnomes?
The stone cold fact, apart from opinions, is that it is absolutely valid
that a person in his or her 30s could command that task aboard Babylon 5.
Whether or not it doesn't fit with someone's political agenda is irrelevant.
I'm not here to reinforce ANYone's political agenda. My task is to find the
best stories, and the best performers to render that story.
I've made a concerted effort, and will continue to do so, to find as many
varied actors as possible for the show...ethnic backgrounds, a 50/50 mix of
sexes and ages. One character which will recur in the series will be a Latin
American woman in her late 40s or early 50s, who is in charge of the
environment aboard Babylon 5, a monumentally vital task.
There were some concerns that casting Johnny Sekka as Dr. Benjamin Kyle
would be problematic; born in Africa, educated in England, he has a very
pronounced accent, and we already have other accents in the show. We heard
the concern that he might not be accepted. I ignored that because he was the
best person for the role. Period. I got hit with the "make him more
streetwise" notion from some people (not at Warners), since that's what one
tends to see these days. But it's important, I think, to show a variety of
approaches to black (and white and asian and latino) characters. You tend to
see few black actors in dramatic roles in television, and I think that's
scandalous.
That was why I wanted to make the second in command Japanese, to try and
counter the Japan-bashing, to make it clear that we're one world. And now the
same old stereotypes and divisiveness rears its ugly head.
There are only two kinds of actor in the world: good actors and bad
actors. To take fault in someone's performance is absolutely the right thing;
to look at someone's genetics or sex or age and say "She's too old" or "She's
too pretty" or "He's too old"...nonsense. How old was Amelia Earhart when she
made solo transatlantic flight? 33. And she was 30 when she risked being a
passenger on such a flight. There are women the same age as Lt. Cmdr. Laurel
Takashima training and working now in ops on the space shuttle.
Politics and prejudice make poor partners when linked with drama. And I
can't even believe I'm spending time responding to this.
jms*
(*who had his first stage play produced while still in high school, had
written _ on contract _ his first TV script at 18, his first movie script
under contract by 21, and was working for the Times and TIME, Inc. by middle
twenties. Or, as Tom Servo says in MST3K, "Deal with it, pink boy!")
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 46 Tue Nov 10, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:13 EST
Cindy...wait. You're taking something that wasn't meant the way you're
responding to it.
The only way that B5 has been able to turn into something of quality is
because everyone involved checked their egos at the door. What you have to
do, in an environment like that, is to invite everyone to express an opinion.
But you have to remember that it's a two-way street; some of the best things
about the show came out of arguments that were absolute knock-down drag-outs,
not against each other, but against or for ideas and concepts and approaches.
That we all respected each other was a iven, so we were free to just argue
relentlessly with each other and we knew it was never personal.
Everyone down to the guy who make the meals was free to tell me I was
full of it (and did, often, btw), and I was free to do the same. What I have
always respected most is someone who can intellectually counterpunch. You
made a point. Strongly. I disagreed. Strongly. Now don't tell me you're
hurt, stand your ground and tell me WHY I'm wrong. You can be hurt and
wrong, or you can be hurt and right. You shouldn't be hurt because it wasn't
meant personally, and was strictly a response to the ideas and context and
concepts you suggested.
Neither you, nor I, should have to softpedal our opinions here, because
as soon as that happens, it becomes about ego rather than about what's
actually *right* in any given situation. You felt strongly about your
opinion. I could have come back with a "Gee, I'm hurt by that," which btw
would have been marginally true...and totally irrelevant. What I had to do
was come back at you, just as strongly, with why I felt that you were wrong.
Now it's your serve.
I don't view this as a game, btw, but rather the ONLY way in which
anything decent ever gets done. Case in point...when I was working on TZ, I
wrote up a first draft of a script that I thought was just spiffy, endlessly
terrific. Gave it to my Spousal Overunit to read, expecting she'd love it.
She did...but had a real problem with the ending. It just didn't work. And
we went round and round on that for DAYS, and gradually, she whittled down the
arguments and punched holes in some fuzzy logic on my part, and finally I
stormed off to my office and looked at the script, and was sufficiently
provoked into taking a different and better approach.
If you feel every bit as strongly now about your point of view as you did
then, then say so, and go over my reply and tell me why I'm full of it. If
you can't convince me, I'll come back just as strongly, and if we're actually
having a DISCUSSION, rather than just trying to score points...if what we're
after is what's correct, then sooner or later one of us will convince the
other.
This is one of the dangers in soliciting opinions. To an opinion that
takes exception to the work, there are several responses. The best and
easiest is "Yes, you're right," and there've been plenty of those; both the
day of the presentation, and in the Sunday discussion, some very good points
were brought up. Another response, usually an attempt to get rid of someone,
is "I'll think about it." Which is just a way to shrug off dissident
opinions. I respect a contrary point of view too much to just dismiss it.
Better to argue it out, find the strong points or weak points in the argument,
and see if it holds water.
If a point of view crumbles under heat, it wasn't strongly held or
properly explained.
Joey and others mentioned the viewer, at the promo screening, who took
great umbrage in my comments that this would run five and no more. He offered
his opinion, and seemed genuinely upset that, having said no to studio
opinions and fought hard to have this my OWN voice, that I wouldn't let myself
be swayed on this point by HIS voice. It's okay to fight someone's opinion if
that person works for the studio or the network; when its the guy in the
audience, he reacts with "Hey! Wait a minute!" and gets offended.
You and others are free to say anything and everything you want; I take
no criticism personally, however strongly voice. And it's got to run both
ways. If you feel strongly about something, and I come back, it isn't a slap
in the face, it's a discussion. Heated, perhaps, but that's all it is, and
somehow, with luck, the truth will emerge. Do you want me to softpedal my
responses or lie out of politeness? My guess is not. And I feel the same;
the first person to softpedal a criticism to me should bug out now, because at
that point the dialogue has become useless.
Fight for what you think is right. I will.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 51 Tue Nov 10, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:52 EST
Just to differentiate here a bit...I loved Twin Peaks dearly, but if you
missed an episode, you were utterly lost. (And I did.)
What maddened me about TP _ wonderful as it was _ is that it never
answered any of the questions it raised, and as stated, it was VERY easy to
get lost. By contrast, each episode of B5 will stand alone, and every
question raised will eventually be answered. Not immediately, in some cases,
but all will be resolved. (Generally, questions raised prominently in an
episode will be resolved that episode; questions raised prominently in a
season will be resolved that season; and questions that develop over the 5
year arc will be resolved by the end of the arc.)
I make that distinction because some questions won't become apparent to
some viewers until they watch a lot of episodes, and something begins to occur
to them. And then they get the answer. By contrast, someone who watches only
once in a great while won't think to ask the question...but will eventually
get the answer along with the rest when it comes up.
We're talking a VERY tricky writing challenge, sort of a hat-trick, and
if we can pull it off _ and I wouldn't be doing this if I thought we couldn't
_ it'll be quite interesting.
As to whether or not the writing style itself can begin to compare with
TP, that's for others to determine, not me.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 54 Tue Nov 10, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:25 EST
Yes, the rocks have meaning.
And the owls are not what they seem....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 61 Tue Nov 10, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:50 EST
As it happens, Joan Chen was considered, but not available.
And as stated above, we are going to have a mix of things on the
show...older women, older men, as much as possible. (I have yet to hear
anyone complain about the drop-dead *guys* on the show, btw.) My own sense is
that they look good, but they're neither hunks on the one hand, or bimbos on
the other. Yes, they're attractive, sometimes in quirky ways. Sinclair has a
dent in his forehead, his nose has been broken, he's craggy looking...but it
works, and comes across attractively.
One thing that I want to reinforce here is that this is a *pilot*, and is
not intended to represent what will be done in every single show. It's
intended mainly to get the ball rolling and introduce the main characters and
the world they inhabit. And, one hopes, tell a story. Be assured that over
the course of the series, there will be PLENTY of diversity. What you're
asking for is something that's already been considered, worked out, and
implemented.
(A pilot also exists, btw, so you can fall on your face in some places,
learn from the error, and move on, correcting them in the series.)
Overall, I think we came out quite well. Most of the concerns that I've
heard are more along the lines of seeing MORE. And one can't get a five-year
story into one movie, you have to spread these things out. That it makes
people want more of one thing or another, I think, speaks well.
Two last points: to the implied question above, yes, I compose all of my
replies on-line, off the cuff. If I didn't, I'd never reply at all.
Also, I just want to make sure that our director, Richard Compton, gets
sufficient credit for what has been seen. Much of the visual style and
sensibility _ the majority of it, in many cases _ is his. We absolutely
could never have done it without him.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 66 Tue Nov 10, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:37 EST
Regarding Richard Compton, what we'd like to do is to bring him on as a
director-producer, as is done, for instance, in a lot of the Bochco shows.
Such a person directs every third episode, and works with the other directors
to *insure* a continuity of vision, consistency in the look of the film and
the performance of the characters, and generally making sure all goes
smoothly, taking full advantage of all the stuff that a marginal outsider
might not know about. I'm a bit of a continuity-bug, and that has been shown
to be a remarkably efficient way of keeping it all together.
Regarding the arcs...the best way I can explain it is that every other
episode will be used to propel the five year storyline (that's a rough
estimate; sometimes it'll be two in a row, or one in three, but you get the
idea). This means that half of our shows in any given season are developed by
outsiders, in the select group we'll be using, and that will help to keep us
fresh and open to new ideas.
The way it'll work is something like this: you set something up in
episode 7, for instance, and then pay it off in episode 13. But you do so in
a way that incorporates the information passed along in #7, so that if you
missed #7, you can still follow the story.
I've always believed in the importance of challenging oneself; and I've
tried to do it on everything I've written, books, stories and TV. This is
probably the most textured approach to TV storytelling that I've ever tackled,
requiring scale and subtlety at the same time. What you end up doing is
telling your A story, your B story, and giving people the thread of a C story
without them KNOWING they're being given a third story...then paying off the
3rd story, the C story, without making people think they've missed something
in case they didn't pick up on anything the first time out.
From a creative perspective, it's kind of like juggling chainsaws,
playing a kazoo and frying eggs, all at the same time...for five years.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 69 Wed Nov 11, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:40 EST
Sure, yeah, easy for YOU to say...I was doing just *fine* until Cindy
asked for bacon.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 77 Wed Nov 11, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:47 EST
Not to be a smartass, really, but if I *ever* suggest a story where our
main characters become children...someone whap me upside the head with a
ballbat. Shades of Muppet Babies....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 79 Wed Nov 11, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:55 EST
BTW, to those who saw it, what'd you think of Ambassador Kosh?
jms
(P.S. Do you realize that there have been almost 900 messages posted in
this category since it went up on the 3rd?)
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 88 Thu Nov 12, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:45 EST
Yes, the origins of various of our races will be explored, and their
histories and cultures and backgrounds and languages. And just a note on the
"hand" question...it wasn't Lyta's pov of Kosh's hand, it was Kosh's pov of
Kosh's hand...maybe. Not everything is what it seems to be.
Especially the owls.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 97 Fri Nov 13, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:51 EST
Cindy...lemme give you a little reality check. You said you were hurt by
a cavalier message about a message that took you, oh, what? Ten minutes to
write?
Now you're a performer. You've worked *years* to perfect your craft.
You take a great deal of pride in your work. You work long hours, long
beyond when you're being paid, and study nights to learn every single comma in
a script you're performing in.
And someone you don't know suggests you be stuffed in a blender.
How about some proportion and sensitivity here?
Don't ask for others to give you what you won't give in return.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 100 Fri Nov 13, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:18 EST
One can argue that Cindy was confusing herself with the message she wrote
as well.
What if I had responded with, "Cindy in a blender. Cindy meets Freddy.
Cindy gets her eyes chewed out by ants."
Whether it's based on a message, or based on a performance, it just seems
a little bit much to me, and cruel to the person. Not one person faulted her
performance; even Cindy admits as much, she just isn't what Cindy's ideal
would be. Fine, point taken. And the "Laurel in an airlock" was funny for
about five minutes. Now it's getting just a bit much, and I feel it's
incumbent to point that out. Cindy felt she had been hurt by my note; how
much more would Tamlyn be hurt by her messages here?
Just my two cents worth.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 102 Fri Nov 13, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 15:37 EST
I like to think that our crew has come a little beyond judging people by
their appearances. The "she has to prove herself to be one of the guys" stuff
has been done and done and done with women characters, and I'm simply not
going to do it again, especially with this character.
I don't have a problem with Cindy having a problem with a character (even
though she's in the minority here). The ONLY and I repeat ONLY thing that's
bothered me is the constant death-of-Laurel stuff, which I'm starting to find
distasteful. If someone comes on here, and storms off in a rage, saying she
found a message "hurtful" because she thought it was personal, and takes
people to task for it, and then turns right around and takes after someone
else, consistently, in a very personal fashion, should either a) be more
willing to accept same oneself, or b) not be doing so.
It's easy to forget, on a BBS, that we're talking to people. That was
Cindy's problem in part, she felt (if I can presume to interpret for a moment)
that I'd forgotten that I was talking to a person, rather than just writing
words. Fair enough. It's equally possible to forget that performers are not
just phosphor-dots on a screen, but real people.
Look, here's my bottom line: I don't have a WORD to say about anyone
criticizing anything about this show, my writing, my cast, the EFX, ANYthing,
as long as it's constructive and not just attacking for the sake of attacking.
And I'll even let THAT slide for a time. The only thing that I have asked is
for a little sensitivity and proportion equal in amount to that which was
asked of me and others. To speculate gleefully about someone's demise, and to
portray an actor's work in what amounts to a destructive and hurtful fashion,
is not pleasant to witness, especially having worked with that performer for
over a month, having seen her stay past midnight working to get a scene
exactly right.
It had just gone over the top, and was getting ugly in here, and I felt I
had to respond. Neither am I going to change the shape of my show because one
person thinks a character is too good looking. Cindy went ballistic because I
said the idea of that was "dopey." She said that it was tantamount to calling
her dopey, that it's one and the same. So what then is she saying of Tamlyn
in HER messages?
This is an open forum for constructive and frank discussion of Babylon
5. It is not a place to sit there safe behind one's keyboard and snipe, over
and over and over. I let it slide the first half-dozen or so times. I'm not
letting it slide anymore. Either we are adults, or we're here to name-call
and be "fannish" in the worst sens of the word, and I happen to think that
this crowd in particular is a hell of a lot better than that, and that
INCLUDES Cindy. Throughout this process, from November on to now, a year
later, we've had consistently wonderful and constructive conversations. I'd
like to keep it that way. Because I have no desire to participate in anything
less.
I hate to come off sounding hard-assed about it, but that's how i feel.
You're responding strongly to Cindy's comments and position because you've met
her; I'm on the opposite side, but in the same position. All I'm asking is
for proportion here, and some sensitivity to the fact that we are talking
about real people, and there's no need for sniping along these lines. Let's
keep it constructive and specific.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 113 Fri Nov 13, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:35 EST
It was not the joke that I minded, as much as the repition of same at
some length, and the elaboration thereupon. That said, we can move on.
One side-light to all this, as I mentioned before (but likely it got
missed in the flood of messages) we *are* going to have a wide range of ages
on both side of the sexes. The head of the environment for B5, a very
important post, given that a change could have disasterous effects, is a life-
sciences expert who is a female hispanic in her late 50s.
Dr. Ben Kyle is our *chief* physician, but there are actually a number of
other doctors on board B5; you'd need that for as many people and aliens as
we've got. And I'm playing with one story now that features a female doctor
in her late 40s early 50s. And some older guys as well.
You're dealing, really, in the B5 pilot, with the first act in a 110 act
play. Trust me, there is more to come. (And at one point, we'll introduce a
character _ assuming we haven't already _ who will be around for quite some
time, and then we'll just drop, quite casually, that the character is gay. I
think that this is much better than doing A Gay Story. Just drop it in and
move on.)
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 119 Sat Nov 14, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:29 EST
Yeah, the Pied Piper is a *great* analogy. I thought that was handled
wonderfully. (I confess I'm a comics addict; a $40 a week habit, and about
6,000+ comics.) A good character, and I liked the way they dealt with the
lifestyle question.
Hmm...the witchcraft thing just sent a little bell ringing...y'know, I
figured on the continuity of most major religions, and carrying on a few newer
(and maybe even eccentric) ones, but y'know, there's much to be said for some
retro...would contact with other species lead us back into our own
pasts...goddess religion revivals, druids, that sort of thing. And, of
course, there's going to be the influence of alien religions on humans hungry
for new stuff (and vice versa, which I touch upon in one script already).
Hmm.....
You'll excuse me, the wheels have begun to turn....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 142 Sat Nov 14, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:26 EST
On the area of religion...basically, I'm an atheist. But what has always
intrigued me is the range of methods people use to try and understand
themselves, the world, and the universe they inhabit. If one is honest with
oneself, that has to include science, philosophy, and religion (among others).
I don't have to agree with the *conclusions* of any of them to nonetheless
respect the fact that for some people this is a very valid and important means
of Understanding. (One of the best texts I've found on this is Durkheim's
"Elementary Forms of the Religious Life.")
So yes, that has to be dealt with and explored. What B5 is about (in
addition to a number of other things) is Asking The Next Question, whether
that's about living environments for the outside (alternate atmosphere
quarters, f'rinstance, for aliens) to different living environments for the
INside. What *would* the reaction be if, upon making Contact, we found a
culture with a fascinating, involved, textured religion that had been around
for tens of thousands of years, proffered by a race well in advance of our
own? If some science-fiction writer can come up with a system of belief on
his own time and sell it into one of this country's biggest money-making
franchises (and we all know of whom we speak), can you even imagine the impact
something like THIS would have? You'd likely have converts by the bucket, as
well as a LOT of anger from the Terran religious community as backlash, as
they lost converts of their own (though in turn, they would likely make
converts among the aliens...can you imagine the controversy behind the
selection of the first Minbari pope? I _ hey, wait a minute! That ain't ba_
er....never mind. Forget this conversation, it never took place.)
In any event...he said, changing topics...Monday I get to do Show and
Tell with Stewart Copeland, and hear the majority of what he'll be doing for
the B5 soundtrack. I'm *reallly* looking forward to this, and will give a
full report later. I think we do the actual scoring session later this week
or the first part of next week.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 159 Mon Nov 16, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:02 EST
Without question.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 169 Wed Nov 18, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:32 EST
No, absolutely not...the "ideas are for public consumption" has been
tried, and failed. It opens one up to massive suits. I know that you're
responsible, will keep your word, but the next guy to do so might change his
mind...or not get the word...it's just too much of a risk.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 177 Thu Nov 19, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:22 EST
Actually, it's Psi as in the Greek letter Psi, which is the root of
Psychology, which makes you *both* right.
As it happens, initially the role of Lyta was considerably smaller.
Then one day I saw Pat Tallman in the "Night of the Living Dead" remake, and
was blown out of my chair. I knew at that moment I had to use her in
something, and kept her in mind for this role. When we got the go, I expanded
the role with her in mind. Funnily enough, in the 2 years since I first saw
her in the NoTLD remake, I was at a couple of parties at which she was also
present (including the Horror Hall of Fame tapings over at Universal). I
wanted to say, "Hello, my name is JMS, and I'm a producer, and I'd love to use
you sometime in a movie," but _ well, you can see how that sounds. So I said
nothing, and just waited. Talk without action is meaningless.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 180 Thu Nov 19, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:51 EST
Not insofar as I know, no. And Pat was my choice a LONG time before we
started discussing stuff here. We will be using a wide range of actors and
characters, however, so be sure that you'll see this in time.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 182 Sat Nov 21, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:55 EST
Just liked the sound of it, really. Sounded exotic.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 189 Mon Nov 23, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:35 EST
Check topic 1, Luis...Katherine Lawrence posted a schedule there a few
days ago.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 196 Sun Dec 06, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:33 EST
This is an area I've discussed with our prosthetics guys, and we're going
to do more with it. I think it's an omission. At first, Delenn was going to
have something of a buzz cut, but that got sidetracked somewhere along the
line. But it'll show up on others....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 4
Message 207 Mon Dec 07, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:58 EST
It's Centuari Prime. (In the corridor, though you can't see it on
screen, there's an advertisement inviting people to visit Centauri Prime.)
jms
______
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************
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.
121 message(s) total.
************
______
Category 18, Topic 5
Message 50 Sun Nov 15, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:29 EST
Let's not get too cute here, boys and girls....
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 5
Message 58 Thu Nov 19, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:55 EST
I asked for people to respect a request I made at that time not to
describe what was shown, how much was shown, and what scenes were shown
especially in terms of plot. It's my request, Phil, for the time being, so
I'm going to have to say that nothing can be said at this time.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 5
Message 62 Thu Nov 19, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:19 EST
No, I don't think it's unfair, as long as it's not being trumpeted (and
that's something I have kind of asked to cut back on). But I do agree that
perhaps we can hold back on the inside remarks and keep them to the spoilers
category. Good enough?
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 5
Message 65 Thu Nov 19, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:53 EST
Now, now, one and all...c'mon. Play nice.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 5
Message 70 Fri Nov 20, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:26 EST
It'll be from 4-6 p.m. on Saturday. And I may have something more to say
about it in the next day or so.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 5
Message 90 Mon Nov 23, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:38 EST
BTW, for those in the L.A. area, in case you missed this in the top
topic, I'll be doing a B5 presentation at Loscon this coming Saturday
(Thanksgiving Weekend) from 4-6 p.m. Not only will a lot of B5 stuff be
shown, but we will have (tentatively, at least) several others involved with
B5 present, possibly the director and one or two cast members.
This may, or may not, be similar to the Wishcon presentation; I'll know
in the next 48 hours.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 5
Message 95 Mon Nov 23, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:16 EST
Check the announcement re: Loscon in topic 2, by the way.
Thanks for the reference re: the writing book. I'd very much _ VERY
much _ wanted to get the thing rewritten and updated before getting swamped
by B5 stuff, but I'm something of a perfectionist, and the process thus began
taking longer than I'd slotted in the schedule, and the next thing I knew, the
deadline passed.
I *hate* missing deadlines, I like to be responsible. Which is why I've
just turned in a column to Writer's Digest that, basically, invokes a leave of
absence to get B5 up and running. (Lawrence DiTillio will be subbing until my
return.)
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 5
Message 100 Tue Nov 24, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:23 EST
Rico, I don't think I understand the question. Can you clarify?
Thanks.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 5
Message 105 Wed Nov 25, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:49 EST
Just to clarify (and I swear one of these days I'm gonna put this on a
macro)...because of the need for consistency and to get ourselves established
firmly, the first season will be written by two small groups of writers: 1) a
select group I've trained over the years to my own tastes, and 2) an equally
select group of leading SF writers. I don't want anyone spec'ing out scripts
for that first season...it makes no sense to do so until the show has run
about a season. (We've already gotten some people sending in stories, which
get fired back with a stamped note on the outside, which I've made up, which
reads ...AND DON'T DO IT AGAIN! (This is the only way to deal with
*unsolicited* scripts; the process is one I've repeated before, Always Contact
the Producer FIRST.)
Our second season, however, we will be more open to outside stuff.
Just FYI, most shows these days are almost 100% staff written. I have
always believed in the opposite. Consequently, there will be only two people
on staff on the series: me, as exec producer, and Harlan Ellison, as creative
consultant. That's it. The rest of the show will be freelance.
And yes, the format is the same...a dramatic script is a dramatic script,
regardless of the genre.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 5
Message 121 Sat Dec 05, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:51 EST
You can probably write to Christy and tell her your tale of woe. It
might even work....
jms
______
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************
Topic 6 Tue Nov 03, 1992
T.ORTH [Mr. Rico] at 06:43 EST
Sub: Where is Babylon 5? TV stations...
Babylon 5 is a cornerstone of Warner's new Prime Time Network. Here is where
one can find the station information....
126 message(s) total.
************
______
Category 18, Topic 6
Message 42 Tue Nov 10, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:26 EST
BTW, although I have as yet no confirmation of this, supposedly WPMI-TV
in Mobile, Alabama is going to carry B5.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 6
Message 44 Tue Nov 10, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:38 EST
Don't tell me, tell your local stations. They have the Power.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 6
Message 47 Fri Nov 13, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:49 EST
WWOR *does* carry B5, but yes, not on the national feed, only local.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 6
Message 78 Tue Nov 17, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:21 EST
I hope so, but do not as yet know of any such stations. Will advise if I
hear otherwise.
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 6
Message 92 Sat Nov 21, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:20 EST
WPWR Chicago.
jms
______
REPly to topic, QUIt reading
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************
Topic 7 Tue Nov 03, 1992
J.HUDGENS [Fenn Shysa] at 23:07 EST
Sub: Babylon 5 _ POTENTIAL SPOILERS
If you've seen the B5 promos or the sales info packages and want to mention
specific items or situations without worrying about spoiling it for others,
post & comment here... THERE BE SPOILERS HERE!
157 message(s) total.
************
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Category 18, Topic 7
Message 3 Tue Nov 03, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:40 EST
Tell me where you saw what you saw and I'll tell you what it was; there
are several things you could be referring to. (One note...in the promo, you
see a red-haired woman standing over a casing in the isolab; that's Kosh.)
jms
______
Category 18, Topic 7
Message 5 Wed Nov 04, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:09 EST
That's...well, I can't say that's "him" because such terms may not even
apply. But yes, that's Kosh.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 7
Message 7 Wed Nov 04, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:02 EST
There are three phases to the presentation: an early Warners promo for
the show, the live-action footage that I assembled on my home VCR, and the CGI
EFX reel put together by Ron's elves.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 7
Message 21 Sun Nov 08, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:48 EST
Regarding the promo...the explosion stuff (not Delenn) has been seen in
lots of places via the downlink, so it's okay to discuss. The only thing I
would ask is some degree of being circumspect about plot details until after
it airs. But I'll try and leave it to your discretion. One very nice thing
about the B5 crew around here is that we keep promises.
Onward.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 7
Message 24 Mon Nov 09, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:04 EST
Correct. Your eyes are sharp indeed. Yes, the bar is shaped like a
large 5, the same stylized 5 used in the title. The title sequence, and the
ending shot that pulls back 10 kilometers from B5's observation dome window in
one take is the one that required 3 hours or so per frame for the computer to
render.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 7
Message 32 Mon Nov 09, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:05 EST
The recorders float on air-jets. There are two kinds, the solid models
that sit in one place (which, if you look inside, you can see the basic
"workings" of the air-thrust system) and the CGI recorders that actually move
around in the air.
We may play a little with the design on the observation dome (or command
center). The rotating lights are for two purposes: to designate the center of
power and authority, and to act as sensors...you'll notice that the lights are
kept fairly dim, to better see all the instruments, and to be able to look
clearly out into space through the window without being washed out by glare.
When someone comes in, Laurel turns to address them, and a light automatically
descends upon her to illuminate her for purposes of the conversation. When
she turns back to her command console, the light fades out. (If you watch
closely when the pilot airs, you'll see this happening.) This was better done
automatically than to have her do it manually every time.
The window is made of individual sections, joined together by a very
strong metal alloy in order to better take the strain than one large plate
glass window. Hence the different contours and sections of the window.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 7
Message 53 Fri Nov 13, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:47 EST
Some very good observations. And as for Londo, it's Londo's voice we
chose to do the narrative at the top of the show. Would YOU choose someone
who was just a fuzzy and funny character...or someone who was more than he
seemed?
jms
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Category 18, Topic 7
Message 55 Fri Nov 13, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 15:37 EST
I think it's based in part on his own European background, but I'll have
to check....
jms
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Category 18, Topic 7
Message 59 Fri Nov 13, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:39 EST
Yeah, the more I delve into Londo's character, the more I find him
intriguing. He mourns for the loss of his beloved Empire, and this makes him
vulnerable to some dangerous temptations. There are a number of dark corners
in his personality...but at the same time, a vulnerability, a sadness.
In the B5 story arc, Londo goes through some *major* changes, some good,
some tragic, some frightening. He becomes a major player, but not in the way
he would ever have anticipated.
(Hold back, Joe, you've got a long stretch ahead of you here....)
jms
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Category 18, Topic 7
Message 74 Wed Nov 25, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 05:03 EST
There will *definitely* be specific rules and limitations for Lyta, and
there are currently planned 3 first-season episodes which deal very strongly
with her, and with the whole background of the Psi Corps, how they run, what
they do, and so on. This is something I very much want to, and look forward
to exploring.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 7
Message 88 Wed Nov 25, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:01 EST
"Bad Bob" is not seen in the show, except as one of many such alien
critters WAY in the background, and has nothing to do with the show, and thus
doesn't need to be shoved out an airlock, since it was never inside to begin
with.
Does Lyta need to touch anyone to scan them? No. Not at all. You'll
notice that she doesn't during the business meeting. You will notice that she
wears gloves, and long-sleeved jackets, and always is careful to avoid
physical contact, though. The way it works is this: she can scan fairly
accurately without contact. If someone is shielded, and she has permission or
a court order to scan further, it may require some physical contact to
"ground" her, if you will. It's not something she likes to do, however.
As to the other classes of P-ratings...you'll see them soon enough; there
are at least 2 stories planned for the first season that deal with this area,
in quite some detail. They will deal with quite a few of the issues raised
here in the last batch of messages.
Regarding Garibaldi...in the first hour-script that I've turned in, we do
learn more about his past, and what brought him here. And yes, there were
some lives involved, but he was framed. Doesn't mean he didn't screw up other
things...and doesn't mean he won't screw up NOW, either. He's had a problem
with alcohol, and it may come back. But there is a strong link to Sinclair
that prompted him to give Garibaldi what is, essentially, his last chance.
Because we've created a nice range of characters, I've tried to set aside
at least two stories apiece for each of the major and supplementary
characters.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 7
Message 94 Thu Nov 26, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 16:12 EST
Actually, he's not just standing there..he checks down the length of one
hall, then checks an intersecting hall, to make sure that no one else is there
before sealing the place off (and assuring himself that Garibaldi hasn't
followed this far). THEN he takes off, finishing the last of the order as he
runs. A commander's responsibility is to look after the welfare of his
people.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 7
Message 116 Mon Nov 30, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:07 EST
Just a quickie note here...yes, I did attend CVHS. It's one of four high
schools I attended: St. Benedict's, Matawan NJ; Matawan Regional High; Lennox
High, Los Angeles; and Chula Vista High School, San Diego area. I actually
finished from CVHS in '72.
Re: makup costs/prosthetics...we've already built 40 different species,
so we're set for quite some time....
jms
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Category 18, Topic 7
Message 122 Fri Dec 04, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:05 EST
I'll try and keep this in mind next time I need someone shoved out of an
airlock....
jms
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Category 18, Topic 7
Message 129 Sat Dec 05, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:53 EST
Skip: yeah, we like to have fun. And alas, he didn't make the final cut
(though there's a shot of him during the opening montage), but who knows, we
may fix that in time.
Fenn: I suppose we could have you ejected, but at this early date, it
might be a case of premature ej_ er, never mind.
jms
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Topic 8 Tue Nov 03, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:41 EST
Sub: Behind The Scenes
Production Designers, Art Directors, Costumers, Director, others...this is the
place to discuss the production-aspects of B5...it's look and the process
involved.
74 message(s) total.
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Category 18, Topic 8
Message 1 Tue Nov 03, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:45 EST
To get the ball rolling, here's a PRELIMINARY list of credits for
those involved in producing BABYLON 5.
BABYLON 5
Production Credits
STARRING:
Michael O'Hare
Tamlyn Tomita
Jerry Doyle
Mira Furlan
GUEST-STARRING:
Blaire Baron
Paul Hampton
Peter Jurasik
Andreas Katsulas
Johnny Sekka
Patricia Tallman
CO-STARRING:
Steven R. Barnett
John Fleck
William Hayes
Linda Hoffman
Robert Jason Jackson
F. William Parker
Marianne Robertson
David Sage
Robert Spillane
Ed Wasser
COSTUME DESIGNER: Catherine Adair
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: John Iacovelli
VISUAL EFFECTS DESIGNER: Ron Thornton
MUSIC BY: Stewart Copeland
EDITED BY: Robert L. Sinise, A.C.E.
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Billy Dickson
LINE PRODUCER: Robert L. Brown
CO-PRODUCER: John Copeland
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: J. Michael Straczynski
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Douglas Netter
WRITTEN BY: J. Michael Straczynski
DIRECTED BY: Richard Compton
CASTING BY: Mary Jo Slater, C.S.A.
UNIT PRODUCTION MANAGER: Robert L. Brown
1st ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: John Radulovic
2ND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Joseph N. Linsalata
ART DIRECTORS:
Deborah Raymond
Dorian Vernacchio
ASSISTANT ART DIRECTORS:
Ted Haigh
Chris Mueller
ART DECORATOR: Deborah Raymond
SET DESIGNER: Colin DeRouin
SET DRESSER: Michael Mora
ON SET DRESSER: Diane Spahn
KEY SCENIC ARTIST: Ruth Gilmore
SCENIC ARTISTS:
Linda B. Noland
Burton Rencher
Lisa M. Whaley
CONCEPTUAL ARTISTS:
Peter Ledger
Susie Wilson
WARDROBE SUPERVISOR: Alan Trugman
WARDROBE KEY SET: Susan Roberts
COSTUMERS:
Donna D. Casey
Kelli Hurley
Michael Varnen
KEY MAKEUP: Suzanne Sanders
ASSISTANT MAKEUP: Cristina Criswell
KEY HAIR: Myke Michaels
PROPERTY MASTER: Guy Pepin
ASSISTANT PROP MASTER: Miranda Amador
VISUAL EFFECTS PRODUCED BY: Foundation Imaging
VISUAL EFFECTS SUPERVISOR: Ron Thornton
SYSTEMS SPECIALIST/DESIGNER: Paul Beigle-Bryant
VISUAL EFFECTS COORDINATOR: Shannon Casey
ANIMATORS:
Adam "Mojo" Lebowitz
Richard Payne
Mark Swain
SPECIAL EFFECTS COORDINATOR: John Stears
SPECIAL EFFECTS ENGINEER: Russell Peters
SPECIAL EFFECTS MAKEUP SUPERVISOR: John Criswell
SHOP FOREMAN: Greg Aronowitz
MAKEUP SUPERVISOR: Rob Sherwood
BACKGROUND CREATURES: Asao Goto
MAKEUP SCULPTURE & APPLICATIONS: Ron Wild
MODEL MAKER: Ron Mendel
MECHANICS:
John Frassrand
Dave Kindlon
GENERAL EFFECTS:
Scott Sirag
Dave Snyder
ASSISTANT EDITOR: Joe Binford, Jr.
POST PRODUCTION COORDINATOR: Susan Norkin
DIRECTOR OF SOUND SERVICES: Paul Rodriguez
SUPERVISING SOUND EDITOR: George Johnson
SOUND DESIGNER: Harry Cohen
SOUND EFFECTS EDITORS:
Ann Scibelli
Ricardo Broadus
David Farmer
DIALOGUE/ADR EDITOR: Cathie Speakman
ASSISTANT DIALOGUE EDITOR: Ben Beardwood
FOLEY MIXER: Brian Geer
FOLEY ARTISTS:
Vince Nicastro
Greg Barbanell
RE-RECORDING MIXERS:
R. Russell Smith
George Johnson
RE-RECORDING ASSISTANT: Tony Sereno
SCRIPT SUPERVISOR: Haley McLane
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR: Alyson Evans
ASSISTANT PRODUCTION COORDINATOR: Karen Meisels
DGA TRAINEE: Clare Durand
PRODUCTION ACCOUNTANT: Marge Rowland
PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS:
Steve Kornacki
Madeline Falco
ASSISTANT TO EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Scott Ross
RUNNERS:
Mike Bagg
Rick Suggett
CAMERA OPERATOR: Stephen Collins
1ST ASSISTANT CAMERA: Steven R. Monroe
2ND ASSISTANT CAMERA:
James Ball
Jennifer Gilroy
VIDEO PLAYBACK OPERATORS:
Paul Contegialomo
Steve Irwin
Ted Schelling
SOUND MIXER: Jim Tanenbaum
BOOM OPERATOR: Cindy Gess
GAFFER: John K. Farr
BEST BOY: John G. Raymer
KEY GRIP: Jan M. Heyneker
BEST BOY GRIP: Gary A. Williams
STUNT COORDINATOR: Kerry Rossal
STUNTS: Frank J. Sparks
CONSTRUCTION FOREMAN: Curtis Laseter
CONSTRUCTION ELECTRICIAN: Russell H. Champa
VIDEO TOASTER RENDERING SYSTEM: New Tek, Inc.
Filmed with Panavision (r) Cameras and Lenses
Edited on the Avid Media Composer
Pin Registered Transfers & Digitial Optical Compositing
Action Video, Hollywood
Color by Pacific Film Laboratories
Electronic Laboratory - Laser Pacific
Digital Sound & Re-Recording by EFX Systems
Vari-Lite, Los Angeles, CA
Filmed at Santa Clarita Studios, Santa Clarita, CA
Production Services Provided by Elliot Friedgen
A Rattlesnake Production, in association with
Synthetic Worlds, Ltd.
Distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution
(Note: all preceding credits are preliminary only.)
jms
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Category 18, Topic 8
Message 6 Wed Nov 04, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:06 EST
To a large degree, starring/guest-starring designations are handled
during negotiations with agents, and in somc cases yes, do reflect whether or
not a character is regular (in each episode) or recurring (in one-third, half,
or two-thirds of episodes). Here it's a little of both.
I actually don't know much about Johnny Fleck, so unfortunately can't say
much except that he did a great job for us as a character named Del Varner.
Was at Stewart Copeland's today, taking care of last-minute spotting to
adjust for some minor changes in the first act or two, and he played one
section of the music for me...an early version of what the music will sound
like in one sequence, the Vorlon docking. Oh, man...it's *amazing* what a
difference music makes just in general, how it makes a scene come alive...and
all the moreso when it's as good as what I heard just a few hours ago. It's
everything I wanted...driving, percussive, mysterious, exotic...perfect. He's
going to do a dynamite job for us.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 8
Message 13 Fri Nov 06, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:58 EST
If you are referring to the scene where he explains "why Babylon 5,"
that's Lyta Alexander, our resident rent-a-telepath. Scott Bakula? Ewwww.
Most people have compared him to a younger Gary Cooper.
And yeah, Jerry Doyle does look a little like Willis...we rag on him
endlessly about it.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 8
Message 45 Fri Nov 20, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:12 EST
The bone that grows out of the back of Delenn's head is exactly that, not
a decoration, but an actual part of the physiology. It will differ with
various Minbari in size, configuration and texture (another Minbari seen in
the show has a darker tint to the bone structure, it's cracked and so on).
The thought is that it grows from the back of the skull structure, and comes
forward with age. You can see the "root" of thed _ the _ structure whenever
Delenn turns around.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 8
Message 48 Sat Nov 21, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:12 EST
Yes.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 8
Message 52 Sun Nov 22, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:27 EST
Hey, I didn't bring it up, y'know.
Now that we're moving into a new phase on B5, there's one very important
lesson that I've been trying to drive into my skull, and it's simply this:
"Shut Up." Yes, it's completely possible for me to spill the beans on
everything in this show...and sure, that'd satisfy your curiosity...but now
what's left for the series? What surprises are left?
And it little serves to put ideas out there in the public eye before
you've done them, on the off-chance they wind up elsewhere.
I have to be circumspect about a few things. Problem right now is, I
have to be circumspect about a *lot* of things. We go through phases of that;
between the last day of filming, and the start of real post production, there
was a lull...then it picked up. There was a lull just before we started
filming, lots of "Well, we had another meeting" messages. In between was
chaos and lots of interesting info from behind the scenes (at least, that's
what I like to think). We'll be coming into a new phase soon enough.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 8
Message 58 Sun Nov 22, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:03 EST
It's "Kosh" as in "gosh." Having been on-site during some of the E!
shooting, the scenes you refer to were indeed rehearsals, though I *think*
they did some shooting during our shooting of the medlab scene.
Re: Kosh's look...the general look of the thing is courtesy of Steve
Burg, the conceptual designer who came to us from Cameron's T2 crew. When it
came time to make the design functional for what we needed to do with it in
the show, I and the costumers and the prosthetics guys got into it, and we got
into the stained glass idea, which I think was suggested by either me or Greg
Aronowitz, I'm not sure now which. It's one of the designs that, like G'Kar,
reveals more the closer you get to it; usually it's the other way around, the
closer you get, the worse it looks. (Keep a close eye on Londo's
uniform...the little scarabs and decorations that are on it all mean different
things, same with G'Kar's and Delenn's clothing.)
When Kosh was first unveiled, the director insisted on taking a shot of
it with me. I normally frown on this _ there are VERY few shots of me on set
doing stuff, most of the shots I supervised are of others, since it's *very*
important to me to underline that this is a team effort _ but I went ahead
and posed anyway. The photo has now become something of an intellectual
exercise..."Which of these is the alien?"
jms
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Category 18, Topic 8
Message 61 Sun Nov 22, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:53 EST
Don't know anything about the Zentraedi or the Paranoids, so I can't
really comment. Re: the uniforms, yes, there are two kinds, the day uniforms
and the dress uniforms. Dress uniforms are used for official events,
receptions, hearings and the like; day uniforms are used the rest of the time.
We will be making some *slight* modifications to the uniforms, but the basic
look will remain about the same. What helps the uniforms overall, in terms of
the day uniforms, is to wear them *open*, which in most casual situations
would be the case. And we tried to get people to wear them open, which was
part of the design, but they felt it was important to be official all the
time, so they stayed closed, which made them look a little more monochromatic
than should've been the case. So we're going to adjust it...either by having
them a bit more varied, or getting the cast to wear them open, or some
combination.
jms
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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!
34 message(s) total.
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Category 18, Topic 9
Message 12 Sat Nov 14, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:12 EST
Go to your room.
jms
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Topic 10 Thu Nov 12, 1992
SANDMAN [Henry] at 19:25 EST
Sub: Sex in Babylon 5
Can't do without this one!!
38 message(s) total.
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Category 18, Topic 10
Message 3 Fri Nov 13, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:48 EST
Yes.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 10
Message 5 Fri Nov 13, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:44 EST
(In the voice of Bugs Bunny)
Mmmmmmmmmm............could be......
jms
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Category 18, Topic 10
Message 10 Fri Nov 13, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:41 EST
Let me reverse the opposite question: how do you know if a villain (or a
good guy) is gay or not? Unless you show someone in bed, it seems to me that
anyone could be anything. Why is it even an issue?
jms
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Category 18, Topic 10
Message 12 Sat Nov 14, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:31 EST
...and that's always the problem, isn't it? Keeping
it going for, oh, more than 10 minutes at a time....
jms
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Category 18, Topic 10
Message 16 Sat Nov 14, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:34 EST
RE: sexual bigotry, or racial bigotry for that matter...you have to
understand the potential psychological consequences of contact with not just
one, but literally dozens of different species from a hundred worlds. We are
singular in our heredity and our humanity, and I think that when you stop to
look at something 8 feet tall, with feathers, fangs and fur, coming down the
hall toward you, you have a LOT less of a problem with the person to your left
who happens to be of a different color or sexual persuasion.
That doesn't mean that bigotry is going to disappear, however; lilke
religion, there is some dark impulse there _ the tribal preservation
instinct, or somedamnthing _ that keeps turning up. The target keeps
changing, but the impulse remains. So likely it'll turn toward the new
"different" people...the outsiders...aliens. I think you'll see a lot of
people taking an "Earth First" (no relation to the current group) mentality,
hate crimes against aliens, that sort of thing.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 10
Message 27 Sat Nov 21, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:23 EST
As it happens, I was trying to get to sleep last night, and this question
was rolling around in my head. (I spend so much time with these characters
every day that when it comes time to collapse, they're still running around
and chatting in my head, and I have to finally yell WILL YOU PLEASE SHUT THE
HELL UP SO I CAN SLEEP HERE??
(Not that they listen, of course....)
Anyway, I was running the question of how to introduce this aspect, and
suddenly it came through. I think I've twigged to a means of doing it that'll
satisfy everyone. Subtle, but unmistakeable and to the point.
And fun.
jms
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Topic 11 Sat Nov 14, 1992
J.SHEEN1 [Leviathan] at 18:09 EST
Sub: B-5 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.
117 message(s) total.
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Category 18, Topic 11
Message 64 Mon Nov 30, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:54 EST
Actually...not quite. We're deliberately holding off on the next issue
in hopes of having some...well, some news to slap in it that may be of
interest. So figure another week or so.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 11
Message 102 Sun Dec 06, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:00 EST
No, the modem's fine, because it connects to everything else. What I
*think* I need is some way to turn off the MNP aspect for the one BBS that I'm
having the hardest time with...only I can't figure out how to do that.
jms
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Topic 13 Mon Nov 23, 1992
T.ORTH [Mr. Rico] at 21:00 EST
Sub: BABYLON 5 - Science and Technology
Jump gates, nanotech, high-tech weapons, starship drives, sound in space, and
other subjects of science and technology in Babylon 5.
34 message(s) total.
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Category 18, Topic 13
Message 3 Mon Nov 23, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:19 EST
The guns are the one thing I'm just not very happy with, and we're going
to rethink the look, as well as the function of them. At some point after the
final cut is...er...finalized, there will be a big production meeting of all
the various departments to do a post mortem on those things that worked, those
that didn't, and what we should/shouldn't do in future.
jms
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Category 18, Topic 13
Message 18 Thu Nov 26, 1992
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:52 EST
We're going to make the EFX of the guns move as fast as possible, to
match even slightly the real speed that would be involved (which in complete
reality would probably be too fast even to see, but one does what one can).
We've also tried to be fairly rigorous on the question of security. On
other shows, they only call up security guys when there's a problem. If you
watch the pilot, there are about 7 or 8 security people at the customs
scanner, and you *constantly* see them moving down the corridor or through the
bazaar...armed. Not a big presence, but as you say, with 4 other stations
lost or destroyed, you have to be careful.
jms