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929 lines
42 KiB
929 lines
42 KiB
This file contains messages posted by J. Michael Straczynski on GEnie
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from May 16 - May 30th. Postings are copyright 1994 by J. Michael Straczynski
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with compilation copyright by GEnie.
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NOTE: This file is incomplete. I am attempting to gather the rest of the
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posts from this time frame. leew
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 517 Wed May 18, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:58 EDT
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At this juncture, you probably know as much or more about the CD Rom
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release as I do.
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jms
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 519 Wed May 18, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:44 EDT
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"What are you going to tease us with now?"
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Nothing, I don't tease.
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Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go print up the first few acts of the
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season two debut script, "Chrysalis, Part Two," which airs in... November.
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jms
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 532 Thu May 19, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:55 EDT
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If you mean the planet beside B5, it's Epsilon 3.
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jms
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 538 Thu May 19, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:53 EDT
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I'll be happy to answer the question as soon as you can define for me
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specifically what you mean when you say "soap opera." Because it seems like
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no two people mean it the same way. What you seem to be referring to in your
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message is characterization. Maybe you couldn't care less about G'Kar's
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religious ceremony, but it shows a very different side of G'Kar than we've
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seen before. That's important.
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I've said it elsewhere, but I'll say it here: I've never bought into the
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strict definitions of what SF is. If it happens in the future, on a space
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station, involving starships, it's SF. And I'd also point out that the
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solution to G'Kar's and Londo's problem is a scientific solution using
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lightspeed at its core.
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Also, I've always considered B5 speculative fiction, which isn't as
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narrow as hard-core/technobabble science fiction (or, more properly, some
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aspects of that area, since there has been a goodly amount of hard SF that
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I've enjoyed and continue to enjoy). To me, SF (either way) isn't about the
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hardware, isn't about reversing the polarity on the tachyon emitter to reflux
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the framitz. It's looking to the future, and positing social and political
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and religious questions. How will society change by the year 2258? How will
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the government work? How will we handle the development of telepaths? How
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will we get along with other life forms? What will commerce be like? That
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is an *absolutely* valid definition of SF that has been showcased in some of
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the best stories written in the SF genre. I'd point you to "A Canticle for
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Liebowitz" as just one example of one of the most famous books in SF, without
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a *lick* of hardware/tech in it.
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Some SF fans don't like emotion in their stories. They don't like
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passion or people yelling or extremes. They like their SF quiet and
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reasonable and comfortable. I don't want B5 to be a comfortable show. I
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don't want it to be spoken in a calm, reasonable voice. I'm not in my office
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now, but I have several quotes on my walls there (I note this because I can't
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put author with quote from memory)..."Be uncomfortable. Be sand, not oil, in
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the machinery of the world." "The point of no return, that is the point that
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must be reached."
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B5 is a show that, at its best, is written at a dead run, that takes us
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right to the edge. That simply may not be your cup of tea.
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Which, I suspect, is earl grey. Hot.
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 558 Fri May 20, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:38 EDT
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One thing that got somewhat short shrift this season were the personal
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stories of the humans. We learn a *lot* more about the Minbari, for instance,
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than we really learn about Garibaldi, for instance. So we're going to
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increase that side of things a bit, so people can get to know our characters a
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little better. It's just doing a bit more for the humans what we did for the
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aliens. And it's really time for that; we now have a pretty good idea who the
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alien players are by now...time to bolster the other side a bit.
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 560 Fri May 20, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:57 EDT
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I have some news that must be imparted. I think that the best way
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to convey that news is to start at the end of the story, make my
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way to the middle, and end at the beginning.
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So: the end of the story.
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Everything is okay. Nothing major really changes. All is well.
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Now the middle of the story.
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I've been asked, several times, what happens if something *happens*
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to me, or one of the cast members, during the five year arc, since
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this is a fully-worked-out novel. Generally, I blow off the question
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with humor. But the truth is, obviously, I've taken every possible
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step to make sure that no one is disappointed. In my case, I've
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made sure the story is available somewhere.
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The trouble, of course, is that unlike writing a novel, where the
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characters exist only on a sheet of paper, actors and writers are
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some discussion on the best of days). They can get sick, they can
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get into contract disputes, they can be hit by meteors, they can
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decide to buy a house in Cambridge and raise hedgehogs under an
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assumed name. There are, in short, *always* unpredictables in any
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such endeavor.
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Consequently, in drafting the story for Babylon 5, I made sure to
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compensate for any possible changes. For lack of a better term,
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there is a "trap door" built into the storyline for every character.
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Obviously, you don't want to lose anyone, but in *every* case any
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such change momentarily shifts the story about ten degrees to one
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side for a little bit, and then you're back on track again.
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Case in point: Dr. Benjamin Kyle and Lyta Alexander. Here are the
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only two humans who have seen or scanned a Vorlon. This is Very
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Important to the storyline. Alas, as later events unfolded, things
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did not work out, and the characters were dropped...but their story
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remained important, in that it was established that they were soon
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afterward recalled to Earth under mysterious circumstances (as noted
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in "War Prayer"), which actually *helps* the storyline in many ways.
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This is not meant to sound callous. As a writer, and as a producer,
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it's my job to tell the story, to be responsible, and to make sure
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every possible contingency is covered. To do anything less would be
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simply irresponsible.
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Now to the beginning of the story.
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Over the last few weeks, we've been re-activating our cast, making
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the deals for the coming season. One aspect of this has been a
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series of conversations with Michael O'Hare. Having produced one
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full season, and having learned a lot, and having fine-tuned the
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"saga" along the way, it was our goal to expand the show, bring in
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some new characters, and take the show in some new directions, which
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will prove quite interesting, I think. (One sidelight to all this:
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now that we've established the series, we'll be able to spend a bit
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more time on personal stories, to let our audience learn more about
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the characters, particularly the humans, who kinda got short shrift
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this season.)
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There is also the question, from an actor's point of view, about
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other opportunities, any possible concern about typecasting, the
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limitations of a continuing role (and the role of the commander
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does have some definite "walls," giving more freedom in many ways
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to other characters). Now is the point where one needs to take
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a breath and assess one's future, because the deeper we get into
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the story, the more problematic it is to change things (though,
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again, it's do-able, as noted above).
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As a result of these discussions, it has been agreed that we will
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have a separation, in the role of the commander. Let me emphasize
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this very clearly, so there is no chance of miscommunication: this
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is a mutual, amicable, and friendly separation. This isn't a Tasha
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Yar situation. Moreover, we will be handling this in such a way
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that, down the road, Sinclair could potentially return to the story.
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The character of Sinclair will achieve an important destiny, and the
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mystery of the Battle of the Line will be explained, both in the
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first episode of the new season. His story will still track. And
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the series will still track precisely as planned. I take pains to
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mention this because both Michael and I want it clear that we both
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believe in the show, and want this in no way to interfere with the
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series. He has asked me to convey for him his encouragement, his
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best wishes, and to emphasize that this is, again, an amicable and
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friendly separation.
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He has said that he is happy to continue to do the conventions, to
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promote the show, because he believes in it, and because he is an
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important part of this season's success. We can think of no
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finer ambassador for Babylon 5 at conventions than Michael O'Hare.
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He is a dynamite speaker, he cares about the fans of the show, and
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his compassion shows. We think he's a nifty guy.
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On our part, we wish Michael only the very best. We know that
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he is very much in demand, and look forward to seeing him in other
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projects over the next year. This will also allow us to pursue some
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new directions avenues for the show that will help to expedite the
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overall story. Sinclair disappearing for an indeterminate period
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after the events of "Chrysalis" will allow us to tighten the screws
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of the story, and heighten the tension of things going on in the
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storyline.
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If I can speak personally for a moment...those of you reading
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this on-line know that I've always talked straight with you. If
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I thought this in *any* way would interfere with the story, you'd
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hear about it from me loud and clear. When problems have arisen in
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the past, I've always spoken about them quite bluntly here (much
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to the chagrin of some people). This is okay. We're all still
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very much friends. I speak frequently to Michael, and consider
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him a friend, just as he considers me a friend. This was a hard
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decision, but we both knew that it was the right decision, for
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very different reasons. We both kinda came to the same place
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at the same time from different directions. We've got to do
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what's right for the show, and for each other, and in many ways,
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this does just that.
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So both we on the show, and Michael are served by this mutual and
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amicable separation. We will go our separate ways for now, with
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the possibility of meeting Sinclair again down the road a piece,
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as Gandalf disappeared for a time into Mordor, only to return when
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needed most. (We will also be keeping the character of Sinclair
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alive in the comic, and some of the planned novels, to keep that
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option available to us.)
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Once again, let me emphasize that the story continues on the path
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that has been set for it, everything you learn this season sill
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obtains, the show remains solid, with all of the other cast members
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coming back for a new season, and that the saga of Babylon 5 will
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continue to reveal itself exactly as planned. And I hope you will
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continue to stay with us for that journey.
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Sincerely,
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Joe Straczynski
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Creator/Executive Producer
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BABYLON 5
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 561 Fri May 20, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:17 EDT
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BTW, could some friendly soul please repost the preceding message to
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Internet? I've tried to do it from here, and can't get the darned interface
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to work. Many thanks.
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jms
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 565 Fri May 20, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:10 EDT
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The arc remains untouched. For starters, the arc as written was designed
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to emphasize the aliens and the Battle of the Line in season one; build the
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universe and set the pieces in motion. Year two brings the humans into play
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in the universe that season one created. There's a reason Morden didn't go to
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the Earth Alliance.
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Let me be clear on this: *no* arc-related stories will be sacrificed, at
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all. We're talking mainly in terms of B stories, not A stories. Most of our
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season 1 B stories concentrated on the alien ambassadors; Ivanova really gets
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only two strong B stories, and some smaller ones; Delenn gets something like
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six. It's just a question of finding the balance.
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 574 Fri May 20, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 15:29 EDT
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Thanks to all. I'll convey what I can of this to Michael when I next
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speak to him.
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Wayne...if your friends feel that way, then they must not like any show
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ever produced in the history of television, because *all* series get five year
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options on their cast. That's considered pro forma.
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What they, and to some extent you, fail to understand is that there is a
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difference between a *contract* for five years, and an *option* for five
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years. The former is a guarantee; the latter is at the discretion of the
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producers, though in some cases, as we've just seen, an accommodation can be
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reached. An option means that the producer has the right, but not the
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obligation, to pick up an actor for another season. There's plenty of room
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for random events.
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Other than that, you can tell your pessimistic, insulting friends to get
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a life. And I mean that in the best possible sense of the word. I see no
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reason why I have to justify my show to them. It is what it is. If they like
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it, fine, if not, still fine. If they don't like it, tell 'em to stop
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watching. Nothing make me crazier than what I've seen on the Trek forums for
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all these years, of people who *hate* the show, but still watch every single
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episode just so they can go online and grump about it.
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 579 Fri May 20, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:30 EDT
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I note this here only because it came up on CIS, and I'd kinda like to
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nip this in the bud. Please don't take out any part of this on Michael. If
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you're going to be upset with anyone, be upset with me, since in the final
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analysis, it's Doug and I who have to implement any decision, even when
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mutually made.
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What happened at the beginning of the process is that we looked at the
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coming season, and said (as I've noted on another system), that in the second
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year, we can do X and Y, both of which are very cool. But what if we did
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something unexpected? What if we took a chance, and tried a slightly
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different direction, and set Sinclair aside for a while? If we did that, we
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could still do X and Y...and we could *also* do Z...and Z is very, VERY
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interesting. It opened up some very dramatic possibilities, allowing us to
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expand the series and heighten the tension level.
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We talked to Michael, and he had some thoughts on this as well. The
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result was, as stated, a *mutual* decision.
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People here know how much B5 means to me. I would never do anything, or
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allow anyone else to do anything, to harm it. This is my baby. And this is
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being done not because we will have to overcome this now somehow, but because
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in the final analysis we think this will help the show, and give Michael some
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flexibility as a side-effect. I won't ask anyone to trust me, because in
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Hollywood, "trust me" is a euphemism at best. But this will all work out.
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In any event, though, if anyone's going to be upset in any way by this,
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please direct it toward me, not toward Michael. Fundamentally, the
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responsibiliy rests on my shoulders, and Doug's. But since Doug's not here,
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I'll take it.
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 594 Fri May 20, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:22 EDT
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Obviously I can't say much about season two plans at this time, since
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doing so would destroy the intent of doing some things folks may not expect.
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All I can say is that the deeper we got into the series, and the more I *saw*
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the dynamics of the characters, the more I kept looking back and forth, from
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the Minbari to Sinclair, Sinclair to Minbari, and thinking...hmmm...y'know
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what'd be *real* neat...?
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Which is all I can say on that for now...except to add that in any novel,
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there's always some surprises that the author didn't plan for, and the key is
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to be open to that.
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jms
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 607 Sat May 21, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:51 EDT
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Delenn staying while Sinclair goes is part of WHY Sinclair goes and
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Delenn stays. It's absolutely part and parcel.
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 610 Sat May 21, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:27 EDT
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Linda, you have not been suckered. Whether or not you believe this, is
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something I can't help. The story has not been sacrificed. I would not be
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sitting here as calmly as I am if that were true. I understand that you are
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upset. But if you were caught up in the character, it's because the story
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*worked*. You saw that there is a bigger story here, you saw the bits and
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pieces coming together. So there *is* a story, and that story will continue.
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All I can ask is that you see what we're going to do, and judge that. If I
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genuinely thought that the story was screwed, I'd leave the show. Because the
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only reason to DO the show is to tell this story. You have invested 13 hours
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into this story; I have invested seven *years*. And you don't toss aside 7
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years because of an inconvenience. The concept *is* what was sold to you.
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But again, nothing that I can say will likely convince you of this...just as
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nothing that I could say at the beginning could convince many people that we
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were serious about doing an adult SF series, that would rank with Trek. (One
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person, prior to the election, upon hearing that ambition, snorted, "Yeah,
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right, and Clinton will be president.") What I said then, I say now: watch,
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and judge from the reality. Don't take my word for it.
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And I'm still standing beside that promise to tell the story that I
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intend to tell.
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 624 Sat May 21, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:11 EDT
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Which is one of the interesting things I thought could be explored
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here...up until now, Garibaldi has always had someone who would believe him,
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back him up...how does he deal with someone new? (Especially after the events
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in "Chrysalis;" you'll understand when you see it.) For the most part,
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Garibaldi has been pretty self-assured; this, and one other incident, will
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knock the pins out from under him a little, which gives us some *very*
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interesting dynamics to explore, just for starters.
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for a while. He has to go somewhere. And at some point, at least in my
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planning, he will return from there. This is far more about the character,
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and the characters *around* him.
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Cyberdad: thanks. That means a lot.
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It's always interesting, if you have one character upon whom everyone
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else leans, even depends, to *remove* that character for a time. Because then
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those characters have to *react*...to either stand or fall on their own. It
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shakes things up a little...and vastly intensifies the characters.
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 722 Wed May 25, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:29 EDT
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KB: thanks.
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Rhonda: Claudia Christian's done a *lot* of stuff, mostly film, including
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"Hexed." As for why Russian...that's in my blood, and I've rarely seen a
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Russian character really done *right*, not a cliche, not "Yes, ve invent
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everytink goot in world, da?" but the dark, pessimistic humor, the
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introspection, the formality, the heart and the doomed viewpoint that is so
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uniquely Russian. So if you can't find it anywhere else, do it yourself.
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jms
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------------
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Category 18, Topic 1
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Message 739 Wed May 25, 1994
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STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:40 EDT
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Boy, I'm not sure where to start on all this. So I'll take this in
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reverse order.
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Tom, I'm not sure I see what your problem is. The situation concerning
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O'Hare is one that needed to be approached in a constructive fashion, not to
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alarm people, and to set the record as straight as possible. Perhaps I've
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sounded like I'm trying too hard to be polite. This is the only way I know
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how to react. Perhaps I'm over-thinking the writing. I don't see a problem
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with this; it's just who and what I am.
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And sometimes I have a tendency to respond to posters in the same tone of
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|
voice in which they address me. I probably should be better about this, but
|
|
when someone gets on and leaves an insulting or patronizing message, I fire
|
|
back. There is nothing in any agreement with GEnie in which it says I must be
|
|
a sitting target. I have never had a problem with constructive criticism --
|
|
and there's been a lot of it -- or questions of any sort. People here know
|
|
that. And I don't think I have to defend myself on that issue.
|
|
|
|
The rest of your concerns I really can't suss out from your message
|
|
(which got rather pedantic itself in places, btw; be sure your own stuff
|
|
doesn't do something before you take someone else to task on it) except that
|
|
you don't like people reacting like people.
|
|
|
|
Now to turn my attention to Wayne's message....
|
|
|
|
Wayne, I don't mean this to sound harsh. But I could give a flying f'
|
|
what your friends think. There is this small faction of SF, and of anime
|
|
fans, who simply like to rag on other shows. They sound very much like this
|
|
group who will never, ever be satisfied by anything other than the one small
|
|
narrow area which they have selected for legitimacy, and in whose relative (in
|
|
American terms) obscurity gives them some kind of cachet.
|
|
|
|
I will not revise this show to appeal to Wayne's friends, and I will most
|
|
*certainly* not doing anything as stupid (I'm simply being honest here with
|
|
you, not attacking) as using gamers dice to determine who lives or dies in a
|
|
show. I'd much rather let the *story* do that.
|
|
|
|
What your friends don't seem to grasp is that there is a quantum
|
|
difference between a live-action series and a cartoon. (Call it anime all you
|
|
want, it's still a cartoon.) You can kill off a cartoon character, and it's
|
|
not the same as killing a human character, which puts the actor out of work
|
|
(whereas a voice actor dubbing someone just takes on another character), and
|
|
more intimately violates the relationship between viewer and character. I
|
|
will admit that I have not seen as much japanese animation as I probably
|
|
should, but I have found it singularly uninvolving and the characters flat,
|
|
wrapped mainly around one or two characteristics, making them archetypes
|
|
rather than real characters.
|
|
|
|
Live action and anime/cartoons are separate forms, with very different
|
|
requirements. I've worked in both, and the differences are profound. You
|
|
might as well start comparing stage plays with movies, and complaining that
|
|
there aren't as many sets and exteriors in the stage play, and thus it can't
|
|
compete with "world theater." We're talking apples and oranges here.
|
|
|
|
You (or your friends) think that characters dying makes the show more
|
|
real. Wayne, it's *not* real. It's a TeeVee show. It's an illusion.
|
|
It's not real. And maybe your friends (who are a touch macabre) think that
|
|
dying makes a show real. Well, that's their opinion, and they're entitled to
|
|
it -- whacky as it sounds -- but people also live, too, in real life. Police
|
|
veterans and soldiers and ordinary folks very often live to a ripe old age.
|
|
|
|
It's also a question of what the show is *about*. This show is not about
|
|
who's going to die next. This show is about how people react to some
|
|
monumental changes around them. It's the journey and the process. Death is
|
|
a rather abrupt end to the process. Sure, you could've killed Aragon halfway
|
|
through Lord of the Rings, but frankly I think that seeing him go all the way,
|
|
and seeing his character change, and become the King, is one hell of a lot
|
|
more interesting. Dead is dead. Dead is wormfood.
|
|
|
|
Anyone can kill a character. That's the easiest, and cheapest way to
|
|
pump up false drama in a story. For me, it's more interesting to see someone
|
|
stay alive and *deal* with problems rather than just die.
|
|
|
|
They are trying to apply their own arbitrary quotas to this show that
|
|
have *nothing* to do with the story that I'm trying to tell. Personally, I
|
|
think you're *far* too worried about what your friends think.
|
|
|
|
Finally, on the ethnic casting question...same thing. You're trying to
|
|
apply geopolitical and population survey figures to telling a story. We
|
|
don't cast *anyone* based on ethnic background. We cast the best person to
|
|
walk in the room. Period. Which has led to just about every romance on the
|
|
show being between two different ethnic groups. Further, Wayne, we don't
|
|
*cast* out of the Whole World Population. We make our show in Los Angeles,
|
|
and our acting pool is drawn out of Los Angeles. And sometimes you go around
|
|
looking for an Indian actor, and you find a few good ones, but none of them
|
|
are quite right for the part. Now, do you cast someone who's wrong for the
|
|
part, or adjust the part to the best actor?
|
|
|
|
I'm a writer. I tell stories. Your friends, and by proxy you, want to
|
|
randomize, politicize, and make arbitrary how a story is done. You (and/or
|
|
they) want me to compare my show to Japanese cartoons, and try to play in
|
|
their field rather than making our own playing field.
|
|
|
|
I'm not here to compete with japanese cartoons, or live up to your
|
|
friends' notion of what is "World Television." I'm telling my story, my way.
|
|
And I encourage them to find a venue where they can tell their story their
|
|
way. But it's got nothing to do with me.
|
|
|
|
I hope this did not sound pedantic, or hostile, it's simply the reality
|
|
of the situation.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 1
|
|
Message 753 Thu May 26, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:33 EDT
|
|
|
|
Kiwi: I was referring to killing a major (or substantive) character, not
|
|
killing a character in the course of a given story.
|
|
|
|
Rhonda: no, not Russian Jew. Background is byelorussian, White Russian,
|
|
with some polish in there somewhere. Family came from a village named (I
|
|
believe) Bogdanova, between Minsk and Pinsk (I wouldn't like about that) in
|
|
the Carpathian mountains. Anyway, that general area. The family was
|
|
catholic, not jewish. I'm actually one one-and-a-half generation American.
|
|
My grandparents came here from Europe, fleeing the Russian revolution, my
|
|
father was born here, but lived much of his early life in Germany, Poland and
|
|
Russia when he got caught there at the start of WW II in the blitzkrieg (on
|
|
the run for years as an american). Harlan keeps telling me that mine is a
|
|
Horatio Alger story...kid from nowhere, immigrant family, goes to Hollywood
|
|
and makes it big. Sounds more exciting than it is, I suspect....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 1
|
|
Message 762 Thu May 26, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:45 EDT
|
|
|
|
Mr. T...actually, yes, we did audition a *lot* of Russian actors for the
|
|
part. And we had to go back and forth, do we want an accent or do we not want
|
|
an accent? Which kind of russian do we do? Finally we simply fell back to
|
|
our position of "Whoever walks into the room and blows us away gets the job."
|
|
Claudia did that.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 1
|
|
Message 763 Thu May 26, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:56 EDT
|
|
|
|
BTW...while I'm on the topic...for anyone who wonders why I just sit and
|
|
despair some days...I pass along to you the following, from the June 1994
|
|
issue of Satellite ORBIT magazine, page 23, in a roundup of SF series.
|
|
|
|
"Deep Space Nine is remarkably close in theme and premise to another
|
|
recent syndicated series, Babylon 5, probably because in Joe Straczynski, they
|
|
share a writer-producer."
|
|
|
|
So just for starters, now I'm a writer-producer working on DS9.
|
|
|
|
"Michael O'Hare plays the station's commander, in the words of one wag,
|
|
as if he were 'Lorne Greene under hypnosis.'"
|
|
|
|
This should start to give you a clue: if a reviewer has to quote another
|
|
reviewer (I think that one came from People), it probably means he hasn't seen
|
|
the show he or she is reviewing. How can we now verify this?
|
|
|
|
"Even the presence of Claudia Christian, who plays Babylon 5's second in
|
|
command with the worst Russian accent you've ever heard, can't redeem this
|
|
one."
|
|
|
|
Okay, now, folks, maybe I'm confused, what do I know, I just created the
|
|
show, I just executive produce the thing, I just see every frame of film a
|
|
zillion times...but...am I nuts or am I correct in the notion that Claudia
|
|
doesn't PLAY the part with an accent? She doesn't DO a Russian accent.
|
|
Anywhere. Anytime.
|
|
|
|
This reviewer-critter, Art Durbano, has clearly never even SEEN an
|
|
episode of the show, and can't even be bothered to get his facts straight.
|
|
|
|
We never get a break. Ever.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 1
|
|
Message 793 Sun May 29, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 05:00 EDT
|
|
|
|
I have *always* considered life to be composed of equal parts terror,
|
|
hope, pain and silliness. So it shows in B5.
|
|
|
|
Janice: that's a *very* good question, and I think maybe we should answer
|
|
it sometime.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 1
|
|
Message 805 Mon May 30, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:53 EDT
|
|
|
|
I'm going to test myself, and see how much I can say without saying too
|
|
much.
|
|
|
|
You have X-number of characters. They're all in the same place. You're
|
|
trying to tell a story that has a great deal of scale, and covers all kinds of
|
|
worlds, changing politics, alliances, on and on. The question becomes, how do
|
|
you *illustrate* that? To use a line from the original Trek, when a mob guy
|
|
is brought aboard the Enterprise, he says later, "All I saw was a room and
|
|
five guys."
|
|
|
|
So now you start saying, "Hmmm...what if I remove Character A from the
|
|
chessboard, and move him over *here* for a while? He wasn't going to be doing
|
|
much for the next little bit anyway. And we won't just "deal" with that
|
|
change, it's part of the story...it broadens out the story to include Place A
|
|
*and* Place B. It has repercussions down the road. It comes up again in the
|
|
future. Elements from Place B now become known on Place A. Character A may
|
|
even make an occasional reappearance to keep us even more closely connected
|
|
with Place B, which is necessary because Place B is very, very important."
|
|
|
|
What we have in mind here isn't quite comparable to anything that's been
|
|
done before. The character will still be alive. The character will continue
|
|
to have an impact on the story. The character will be spotted from time to
|
|
time. The character will continue to show up in the comic and the novels.
|
|
And through this move, you have the benefit of substantially opening up the
|
|
B5 universe, you help create the realignment of characters and loyalties that
|
|
was anticipated for this season, and it helps kick over the tables, as we did
|
|
in Chrysalis.
|
|
|
|
Just a slight refinement on the argument.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 2
|
|
Message 688 Mon May 30, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:57 EDT
|
|
|
|
Here's a little sidelight for you.
|
|
|
|
As I've noted before, over the long haul, as you watch episodes, you will
|
|
see things you didn't see before. Sometimes they're clues, and sometimes
|
|
they're comments which now read a different way than they did the first time
|
|
you saw them. There's been a number of the latter very subtly sprinkled
|
|
through the episodes aired so far...lines that everyone jumped on as meaning
|
|
one thing, but which will mean something else, and lines which nobody thought
|
|
much of the first time out...but which will elicit a wince of irony later on.
|
|
|
|
|
|
There's a corker in "TKO," but at the moment, it's absolutely invisible.
|
|
It's not a clue, it's not necessary for the story, it's just one of those
|
|
things that, after you've seen all the rest of this season's episodes, you
|
|
will go "Ouch," when you see it next.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 1
|
|
Message 812 Mon May 30, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:44 EDT
|
|
|
|
David: "The Quality of Mercy" title is drawn from the same source as
|
|
Compton's book, Shakespeare. It has a lot to do with that episode.
|
|
|
|
Probably the pilot movie won't be shown again this year, which again is
|
|
actually to the good. Not much you really need to know from that one to enjoy
|
|
the rest. (And I think it'll be out on tape eventually.)
|
|
|
|
Haven't heard final word yet on the schedule, but that looks right so
|
|
far.
|
|
|
|
A little something for your perusal, given recent discussions on
|
|
religion.
|
|
|
|
Here's something interesting for y'all...and I wonder very much if the
|
|
news media is gonna cover this or not.
|
|
|
|
Before I retire at the end of the day, I go out and watch TV to come down
|
|
a bit. I cannot just go from the keyboard to bed, I *hate* that. So about
|
|
1:45 this morning, I settle down in front of the set, and I'm flipping
|
|
channels. I come across the Trinity Broadcasting Channel, and I stop, because
|
|
the three guys on the screen look actually honestly *scared* by something. I
|
|
pause and listen. One of them is saying that they should pray for the
|
|
president. Now my first thought is, "Ohmygod, something's happened to
|
|
Clinton." But it doesn't feel right, so I stay a bit longer.
|
|
|
|
Now I had to put a lot of this together from the pieces of what they were
|
|
saying, but after about half an hour, enough pieces were there to make sense
|
|
of the conversation. Apparently, an hour or two before, they had had a guest
|
|
evangelist on (whose name was *never* used during the period I was watching,
|
|
they would only refer to him as their distinguished brother), giving his guest
|
|
speech.
|
|
|
|
Well, apparently the evangelist was decrying the state of the country,
|
|
and Clinton signing the anti-abortion protest bill, and declared something to
|
|
the effect that Clinton was the manifestation of the evil in the land, and
|
|
that God had given this evangelist a prophecy that on June 9, the evil in the
|
|
White House would be struck down.
|
|
|
|
He was saying that on June 9, Clinton would be killed in answer for his
|
|
crimes against christianity, as near as I could determine.
|
|
|
|
My jaw is now squarely on the floor. And these three guys who followed
|
|
that segment are doing damage control. And they're clearly scared, because
|
|
making a threat against the president is a federal offense, "prophecy" or no.
|
|
They had to find ways to diminish the prophecy without diminishing the
|
|
prophet, their "distinguished brother." So they brought Nehemiah into the
|
|
discussion, and how his prophecy that the city would fall in 40 days turned
|
|
out not to happen because the people repented, and so some prophecies
|
|
|
|
And one of the three was saying that the worst thing for the church in
|
|
this country would be for some "religious nut" (his own words) to decide that
|
|
he was the instrument of this prophecy, and kill or try to kill the president.
|
|
He also seemed upset with some groups in the christian community who had gone
|
|
too far, and were going to have to be slapped down.
|
|
|
|
It was the single most riveting forty-five mintutes I have spent in front
|
|
of the TV, watching these people, knowing who their audience is, knowing that
|
|
if anything happened they'd be called to task for it, knowing the possible
|
|
consequences, *trying* desperately to talk some of the more, shall we say,
|
|
eccentric viewers of this kind of programming out of killing the president.
|
|
*Without* saying that the "prophet" who after all they just put on their
|
|
network...was a nutcase.
|
|
|
|
Now, again, this went out on national TeeVee last night/early this
|
|
morning. I'm gonna be REAL curious to see if the news media picks up on this
|
|
one.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 1
|
|
Message 821 Tue May 31, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:30 EDT
|
|
|
|
Actually, we kinda thought that major intersections like that would have
|
|
light-grids in the floors (there are arrows pointing the way to various
|
|
intersecting corridors) all over the place. Hence why we didn't change them.
|
|
|
|
One problem with putting in a different, replaceable "floor" is the noise
|
|
hassle. The natural floor is reinforced, and *quiet* when you walk on it.
|
|
Any overlay (or underlay) is going to result in bounceback and creaking and
|
|
other audio problems that'll require dubbing in post.
|
|
|
|
But we'll look at it again, and see what else we can do here.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 2
|
|
Message 665 Thu May 26, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:49 EDT
|
|
|
|
"Chrysalis, Part Two" will probably be the first shot, and it will be
|
|
201.
|
|
|
|
None of the scripts mentioned were actually completed last season, and
|
|
will have to be considered. Certainly Harlan's working on his "Demon" script
|
|
even as we speak.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 2
|
|
Message 668 Fri May 27, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:34 EDT
|
|
|
|
I probably could've tried to sell it as just part of the story...and
|
|
would be lying if I said I hadn't briefly considered it. But it's just what
|
|
it is: a fabrication. Better to take it on the chin and get it over with....
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
Category 18, Topic 2
|
|
Message 670 Fri May 27, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:31 EDT
|
|
|
|
We won't know more about casting until we've got scripts in hand to begin
|
|
that process.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 25
|
|
Message 476 Wed May 25, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:36 EDT
|
|
|
|
That's a long trip, and we ain't gonna get the Hugo, so I may not make
|
|
the trip, since we'll be hip-deep in production at the time.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 15
|
|
Message 294 Sat May 28, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:52 EDT
|
|
|
|
Mutari are aliens who fight in the Mutai.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 19, Topic 16
|
|
Message 170 Thu May 26, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:40 EDT
|
|
|
|
He didn't exactly become a disembodied voice...he moved away down one of
|
|
the two intersecting corridors, and called back.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 17
|
|
Message 580 Mon May 30, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:00 EDT
|
|
|
|
Since apparently this info was broken in the latest June Locus, I can now
|
|
mention that Dell will be doing the first batch of B5 original novels later
|
|
this fall.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 17
|
|
Message 582 Tue May 31, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:33 EDT
|
|
|
|
I'm working to develop outlines/premises for the novels that will allow
|
|
them to be part of B5 canon, same as the comic. These will then bde (be)
|
|
assigned out.
|
|
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 18, Topic 17
|
|
Message 585 Tue May 31, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:02 EDT
|
|
|
|
I suggested a novel set in the Line, but the editor felt that at first,
|
|
to help marketing the novels should be set in the B5 present; that fans will
|
|
be disappointed and not buy books if they're not using all of the characters
|
|
in their current situation. At least, that seems to be her take for the first
|
|
batch, but down the road she has no problem with the idea.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 19, Topic 21
|
|
Message 22 Wed May 25, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:06 EDT
|
|
|
|
Zima didn't pay us any money to do that, we just kinda thought it was
|
|
funny....
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 19, Topic 21
|
|
Message 38 Thu May 26, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:41 EDT
|
|
|
|
BTW, that's not just a painting. If you look at the garden shot after
|
|
Ivanova leaves, you can see motion in the upper right corner, as garden
|
|
trackers move along the inner hull.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 19, Topic 21
|
|
Message 58 Fri May 27, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:29 EDT
|
|
|
|
Larry wrote the shiva stuff all on his lonesome. As for being an
|
|
abbreviated version...apparently shiva lasts 3 days for someone recently
|
|
|
|
deceased. If it's been months since the death, the service is usually much
|
|
shorter, and again, there was only Ivanova and Koslov who actually were part
|
|
of or knew the deceased.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 19, Topic 21
|
|
Message 67 Sat May 28, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:49 EDT
|
|
|
|
BTW, there's an interesting couple of articles about this episode in this
|
|
week's Jewish Journal, for another perspective on the show.
|
|
|
|
jms
|
|
|
|
|
|
------------
|
|
Category 19, Topic 21
|
|
Message 93 Mon May 30, 1994
|
|
STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:58 EDT
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There were a number of reasons for changing prosthetics people, the main
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one being that we felt that Optic Nerve could deliver more reliably on a
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series basis, given the size and scope of this project.
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And you've got at least two more really alien aliens coming up this
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season....
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(I'm told that shiva need not last 7 full days, if the death was not
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recent, and if the body has already been buried.)
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jms
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