Babylon 5 posts by JMS for December, 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). ************ 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. 723 message(s) total. ************ ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 335 Tue Dec 08, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:57 EST It's still the original special. It takes time to change things. Jeff...you're taking this much too calmly.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 339 Wed Dec 09, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:37 EST I think I'm about 6'5" in shoes. Out of shoes, about 3'2". jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 391 Fri Dec 18, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:39 EST With luck, maybe I'll see that particular story myself one of these days. Meanwhile, as before, if anyone who's seen the promo(s) or the previews wants to convey their feelings to their local station, I sure as heck ain't gonna stand in the way.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 401 Sat Dec 19, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:25 EST The pilot airs the last week in February. The guns used are called PPGs (to answer another question), and any space battle sequences will use CGI effects for weaponry there as well. There may have been a question I missed. If so, my regrets; there's 64 new messages since last night (yikes!)! Oh, yeah, there was one more...it ain't making Warners watch the promos that'll hasten B5 the Series onto the air. It's deciding, as stated, if it'll be in a second night of PTEN programming, or on the same night if something doesn't work out, or some other option. It's the timing that's being determined. Once the ratings are all in on all the shows, we'll know more. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 405 Sat Dec 19, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:31 EST Frodo...you've wandered off the road. It goes ever on, but you can't get back to it without the facts. Rather than rehash, just get back into this topic and go back to 1 and read forward. All will become clear to you. There will be a series. Be patient. Gandalf ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 419 Sun Dec 20, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:28 EST The B5 "starter kit," to use that phrase, consists really of two GIF files in the library and some of the files compiled by Posner and the brief release that I put in some time ago. That should give a fairly good background on the show. Then you can dive in on the rest. Is it my imagination, or have we added a LOT of new folks in the last few weeks? If so, I'm curious to know what brought y'all here. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 432 Tue Dec 22, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:43 EST Re: message volume...I usually log on about twice a day, and each time I've done that the last week or so, there's been 55-65 new messages each time, which means between 110 and 130 messages a day, which is rather astonishing...and definitely up. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 439 Fri Dec 25, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:47 EST BTW, I spoke today with the promotions people at KBHK San Francisco about the B5/DS9 spots, and what they explained is that they have linked all of their shows (sf) in one trailer as well as doing individual spots. In one of them, they go from Kung Fu to Time Trax to B5 to DS9. So it's not a question of using B5 material to promote DS9, simply that they appear in the same spot. She's going to check their spots just to verify, but that's the explanation. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 449 Sat Dec 26, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:56 EST Definitely more discussion here than on the other CiStem. Largely, I think, because it's easier to keep track of discussions here, and the messages don't scroll off. Discussion there is fairly sporadic and limited. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 467 Mon Dec 28, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:28 EST Eeeek! Phil...you mean I didn't get back to you? I coulda SWORE I did! Eeeek! Yes, Phil, please, by all means, the file is approved. My apologies. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 473 Mon Dec 28, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:46 EST (the grinding of teeth like tectonic plates)...there is no "Bob" in the show, not nohow, not noway, that was a background prosthetic critter that the E! folks grabbed and used to intro their piece. It's got nothing to do with our show. (I'm calm, calm, perfectly calm....) Re: the photo...it's amazing how many people tell me, "You know, you look JUST LIKE so-and-so." Just one of those faces, I guess. Thankfully very few people to whom I've been compared have elected to sue.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 481 Tue Dec 29, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:07 EST Yeah, thanks, if you could tape it and send it, that'd be great. I spoke to the promotions people, and they assured me it's separated out; so if you could send it along, that'd be great, thanks. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 515 Wed Dec 30, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:10 EST The TV Guide writer saw the pilot, as well as the other pilots, so that's how that happened. And you'll note how they approach SF; they want the slang, they want to know who the Bad Guys and the Good Guys are, and feel no compunction at all about giving away the ending. Imagine if the shows were mystery, what the reaction would be. SF is treated and viewed differently. And re: the date for new shows given in the CFQ article, that ain't accurate. Fact is, as I've noted before, we can be filming new shows within 8 weeks of getting the word. If the response on airing is high enough, and with other circumstances with the network itself dealt with we could be on the air by the end of this summer. And that remains a very likely possibility. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 518 Wed Dec 30, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:30 EST Don't know who's doing the sfx on Rangers. I know they've gone through several different teams, but that's about it. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 528 Thu Dec 31, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:53 EST Sue...yeah, there's a lot of traffic here. Given the usual ratio of posted messages to lurkers, there are now probably (and this is just a personal guess) 1800 to 2000 people hanging around these days in this category. It might go higher than that, but I'm being conservative, based on what's standard in terms of posters/non-posters ratios. Re: the CNN piece, it's probably the interview they conducted the last day of filming. There we were, trying desperately to finish the movie, and the same day descend the camera crews from CNN, E!, Warners and some other places. It was a *madhouse*. BTW, I hear that the music on That Other Show sounds rather like ours. I have to make a mental note to go back and re-read the David and Goliath story.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 530 Thu Dec 31, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:06 EST I was at a party today at Pat Tallman's place, along with some other B5 cast members, and we screened some of the pilot for the guests who hadn't seen anything before (to considerable ooohs and aaahs), and on the way home, my thoughts turned to this forum, as they often tend to. I often get asked what it's like to do this show and see the result; the reaction tonight got me thinking about the Old Timers here on the B5 discussion, the ones who've been here over a year now, and those who came later, who've seen this go from the secret That Which Cannot Be Discussed (remember that one?) to first word of shooting, the countdown to photography, the daily reports from the set, the discussion of the characters and the world...to now a point where you're finally seeing the result on commercials and promos and will shortly be seeing the finished product (and, of course, the number of you who have already seen most of the finished product)...and I guess I was wondering what it's like from YOUR perspective...? jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 534 Thu Dec 31, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 05:34 EST The story of Babylon 5 will echo the history of the original Babylon. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 559 Thu Dec 31, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:22 EST I've just gone through the last 24 messages, and I very much want to thank you for the responses and the compliments; that honest-to-god wasn't what I was going for when I asked the question, it wasn't "fishing." See, to me, because you all *have* been a part of the process of Babylon 5 _ some in bigger ways than you might expect _ there should indeed be some sense of participation and proprietariness (is that a word?). And mainly, I just wanted to know if that came through, if you were feeling as I did as the thing unfolds. Because that's important. Equally important, for me, is that this whole discussion stand as a kind of textbook in terms of how a show gets made, to give those who'd like to get into the Biz more fully understand what's involved. And if, when one sees _ say _ a shot from outside going into the station, one knows now what's involved, how the EFX were done, what headaches are behind it, then I think that's a positive thing. Anyway...I'm blathering. Many thanks for the warm thoughts; they were an unexpected bonus to the day. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 575 Fri Jan 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 05:01 EST Will, jeez, that's amazing...you should've said something, the B5 family would've been there with cards and letters. How're you doing now? I know it can be a very traumatic experience, even once you're physically 100%. One more thing, Will. Email me your address. On other fronts.... One week from today, we will (or should) be finished with sound/music/looping edits and the B5 pilot will be complete. It's both exhilirating to think about that...and there's also that post partum depression that hits whenever I finish a big project, a novel, or an episode of a series. In my head, all I can play over are the things we should've or could've done to make it even better...the scenes we should have trimmed, the scenes we should've dropped back in again, THIS angle on a fight instead of THAT one...you can play with these things forever. At some point, you just have to let go. Then the next phase _ the series _ rests in large measure in your hands, in terms of how fast we can get this puppy in gear. It's kind of funny, meanwhile...I've gotten a number of private responses to stuff I asked here, and one person told me a rather remarkable story, alongside Will's...without naming names, he'd taken it upon himself to proselytize about the show as much as possible, to tell as many people about it as he could. Apparently, he was on one system, and saw a young woman on-line, and called her into chat, something he was normally to shy EVER to do before. They began talking about the show _ she'd apparently heard a little about it, but not much _ and over time they began corresponding, and, in the words of the person who sent me the note, "We fell in love with each other." They've now met, and it looks like it might get serious indeed. Amazing. (When the person gives me his permission, I'll post the full note; he's a little sheepish of her finding out he said anything.) I think it's really kind of cool. Oh...one last thing. Several people have inquired privately how to send notes or stuff hard-copy. An address where I can be reached is 14431 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 260, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423. Onward. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 591 Fri Jan 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:21 EST What an amazing group of posts...I'm speechless. It's gratifying to see that the process works, that this medium can be used to such good effect. Something that has always been important to me is de-mystifying the process. Lee mentioned somewhere uptopic that the on-line stuff has been going on for a long time, across various shows, from RGBs and Power through Zone and now to this. To de-mystify writing, Harlan writes in bookstore windows...I do this. I just got a private note today (oh, and speaking of notes, just address hard-copy mail to my name; it's a private mailing address, not a studio) from one fellow who just managed to get a development deal with a studio. It ain't big, but it's a start...and because of the discussion here, and elsewhere over the years, he has a better idea of what to expect, and how to prepare. This is an extremely tough business to crack. And the largest part of the problem is just getting accurate information. When I came to LA originally, I didn't know squat, and a long time _ a LONG time _ was wasted, time I now very much regret losing, because I just didn't fully or accurately understand How Things Worked. If this process can make the entry easier for another writer, or de-mystify what happens behind the screen, then all the better. And, selfishly, it has been great to get the input, to hear the questions, especially those I can't answer...because down the road you just KNOW that that question will come up eventually, and better to be hit with it now than blindsided later on. It's a rewarding, fascinating and challenging exchange. I suspect that a LOT of shows would be considerably improved for this kind of direct communication. Oh, yeah...and re the newsletter...if you ask Christy nice, I'm sure she'll send you the back issue. Tell her I said it was okay. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 596 Fri Jan 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:42 EST That would be telling.... jms "And they were carried off to Babylon...." ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 626 Sun Jan 03, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:05 EST I really don't know how to make an e-mail mailing list, and it would seem inappropriate to ask anyone here to go through the hassle of doing it for all 1800-2000 people here to accommodate the handful with dishes. Or silverware, for that matter. If someone here would like to be your "Dish Buddy" and send you a note when it goes on, that might be one way of doing it. Re: kids/robots...the exact phrasing of that has gone through various permutations and paraphrasings; the specific line is "No kids or cute robots." The latter specifically entails entities such as Twiki (got the spelling right this time, thanks to whoever corrected me), who should be run down by a truck at the first opportunity. (In fact, I can say without hesitation that if you ever DO see what passes for a cute robot on this show, keep a close eye on it, because you'll probably see somebody drop an anvil on it REAL fast.) So this allows us to explore the question of robotics, but to do so in a fairly serious context. Because logically, 200+ years in the future there are going to be some changes; robotics will be more common, though likely in some different form. (If you've seen the promos or the pilot, you've seen the maintenance 'bot that checks out the hull of B5; it has arms, it moves, it's independent, it's a robot. It just doesn't begin its report with "Bida-bida- bida.") On the topic of kids...it's a deliberate decision to steer clear of that part, not because I think it's invalid, but because a) it's been done on another show, and its spinoff, rather intensively, and b) it's part of the SF stereotype, "We have to have kids because SF is a kid's genre." Might there be a story about a family of refugees who come seeking sanctuary, or opportunity elsewhere? Of course. But any kids in that family won't be at the *center* of the story. And they'll be gone by the end of the episode. It's also a matter of context; absent the scenario just posed, this is a place for businessmen, travelers, mappers, traders, diplomats and others, it's not a place for kids. It's also potentially a very DANGEROUS place. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 628 Sun Jan 03, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:29 EST Rumors are exactly that...and as I've indicated, anything that happens of substance _ good, bad or indifferent _ you'll hear it from the source. How can PTEN be dead when it hasn't even AIRED yet? I've hered this same rumor from others, and have to say that if Creation is spreading this that they are being *highly* irresponsible. The facts again are these: the first night of programming goes on later this month. B5 airs the following month. Based on the ratings for all of the shows, they will then open a second night, or modify the first. And that will determine where (and when) B5 lands. It's a logistical question about when to expand. If anyone wanders back in that topic's direction and would like to re- post this as an official rebuttal, you're welcome to do so. I also hear they're showing the E! piece...guys, if you want to help us, there at Creation...don't jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 662 Mon Jan 04, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:30 EST My sense (what there is of it) is that in every show, you have to make choices. What, fundamentally, is the story you are telling? Who is your story about? Is it for adults, or children? I don't watch LA Law regularly, but I sort of poke my nose in from time to time, and I don't see a lot of kid's stories. One could well go to the producers of that show and say, "Why aren't you doing kid stories?" to which the only answer is, "That's not our show." I already said above that if families come through, there may be kids along. The point of clarification for me is that I don't want to do shows with kids at the center. First to distinguish us from other shows, and second because that's not the area that I want to concentrate on just now. Of course people still have kids, and of course some will come through B5; it's where one places them in the story that's at issue. It's often kinda funny...people say, on the one hand, "Yeah! Fight them studios! Don't let them tell you the kind of stories you oughta do!" Then, "But you've GOTTA do a story with kids!" or "This is the sort of story you HAVE to do." The only answer to that _ said without sarcasm, honest _ is "Do what I did...sell your own show." I don't mean that in any way harshly, I'm very serious about that. Whether it's a novelist, or a short story author, or a TV writer, or a screenwriter, we each of us has to decide fundamentally what it is we want to write about it, and define our choices. Would you call Larry Niven and say, "Listen, while you're in the middle of the Mote In God's Eye sequel, we need a really good section about kids." You let the man tell his story his way. This, for me, is just one of those areas on which I have planted my feet and sunk roots clear to the center of the planet. Now, it's altogether possible that some day long down the road, one story will occur to me, and I'll deal with that when and if it happens. But in the interim...it's vital, from my perspective, to make B5 a show by, for and about adults in adult relationships; not to invalidate the other stuff, but only as a sense of where this show's emphasis is. It's time to let the studios and the suits and the networks know that an SF series can survive without putting in the required child or teenager. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 664 Mon Jan 04, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:54 EST Postscript to the preceding: that doesn't mean that I (or any other member of the B5 team) shouldn't be challenged on stuff like this. Challenges are good. First, they keep you on your toes. Second, it makes one verbalize why one has taken a certain stance, and it's at that point that weaknesses and fallacies in the argument become apparent. "The unexamined life" and all that. As I've noted before, sometimes the only way to get pertinent information is to ask impertinent questions. I love a good philosophical knock-down-drag-out. Meanwhile, on other fronts... I will tell you the truest thing I have learned about television in the process of making the B5 pilot. That quality is rare is not really remarkable; what's remarkable is that it gets done at ALL. Any show, regardless of quality. There are millions of details, the tiniest things that require constant shepherding. You're in the midst of doing one thing and somebody calls involved with another part of the show and says, "Look, we've got some question about whether the doors should go SHOOP! or BLOOP!, George thinks SHOOP, and we think he's right...unless you'd rather come listen to them youreself." And it's very easy to say, "Okay, just take care of it," then find yourself sitting there a month later and saying, "Damn, why did we end up with a SHOOP! effect?" It's physically impossible to be in every place at all times, and you particularly don't want to be in a position where you start giving your people less room to play and be independent. There are just so many details that it's very easy to say, "Okay, fine, deal with it," or to not bother with something, that it becomes quickly apparent why it's so hard to find real quality out there. That kind of attention is a major pain in the butt. When you see it from this side, you're just amazed that it gets done at ALL. Just a thought for the day... BTW, for those who might be interested (all four of you), the very last episode I wrote for this season's "Murder, She Wrote" will air this coming Sunday. I haven't seen anything on it _ no dailies, no rough cuts _ so I have no idea how it came out, though I *hear* it came out well. Just FYI. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 682 Tue Jan 05, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:35 EST RE: cliffhangers...not between episodes, certainly. Between seasons, it's...hard to explain. There are, or will be *changes* that happen from one season to another (as planned), specific events that take place that should bring one up short...but "cliffhanger" in the sense of leaving some guy hanging from a string over a lake of fire...no, no plans for such at this time. RE: kids...boy, that one sure hit a nerve on both sides, didn't it? That's good. An argument like this is what a show or story should do, get people discussing the issues. Meanwhile, on other areas.... ****WOW**** I was in the editing bay today during the pre-dub of B5 (which I'll explain more , which btw has a nifty huge projection screen, twelve or fifteen feet across, so I got to see some of the show as if at a theater...plays pretty well. Anyway...what a pre-dub is, is this: those who saw the earlier version of the pilot will remember, for instance, the scenes in the main corridor of the station (well, one of them, anyway). You have Sinclair and Garibaldi talking. It's an un-mixed scene...just as filmed, there are just two guys talking. All the rest of the set is silent. But now...NOW...you're in the editing bay, and now you add in the background voices, human and alien...mechanical sounds nearby...an intercom voice advertising station services...then layer in the music, and suddenly it's a MOVIE! Someone said that sound is half of a movie, and you forget that until it hits you in the face. The pre-dub is where you layer in the voice tracks (original, from the production; adr (automatic dialogue replacement) for lines that were not sufficiently audible or need to be looped; incidental dialogue (computers, background characters) and walla (general crowd sounds). You decide how much of any of these is too much, how much more you need, what the balance is...if you need to use the surround capability to put this voice HERE or THERE.... Then we previewed some scenes with music, and did a little of the same there (we'll do more during the final mix Thursday through Tuesday). For instance...most music cues are anywhere from a few seconds long to maybe a minute or more. Ours tend to be longish...the longest is a cue that lasts 7.5 minutes, and goes inside the station, outside the station, to different *parts* of the station, and the music continues throughout. We figured that we needed to better differentiate the sound inside vs. outside the station...so in the music cue, we drop the electric guitar out of the mix for the inside scenes, and put it back in for the outside scenes, for instance. The result, basically, being that it becomes a *M*O*V*I*E* for the first time. And boy, it cooks, lemme tell you. There are moments of absolute and inutterable self-doubt in a project like this, especially when paired with the monumental press machine from elsewhere which is doing everything possible to bury us in the interests of preserving an economic monopoly and critics who figure we're a clone of another show. But then you turn around and see something like this, and you know it's going to work...and it really helps. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 710 Thu Jan 07, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:44 EST Ah, except, Gary, for the reason I picked that particular metaphor; this ain't Sudden Death, as with football. This one's going to the judges at the end of the round, and the case will be decided...win, lose or draw...on the merits of the performance in the ring, not on hype (on either side), not on good feelings, but on the quality of the work, which is as it should be. Only thing I've ever asked at any point in my life is a fair fight on a level playing field. Then let things fall as they may. And as for the judges...look in the mirror. 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...) 443 message(s) total. ************ ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 25 Tue Dec 08, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:01 EST Well...it's not walking distance, that's for sure.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 45 Fri Dec 11, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:15 EST A "religious/home shopping" network? Pieces of the One True Cross on sale, 35% off? Some guy dressed as Moses suggesting that "We'll part the Red Sea to give you the best price anywhere on our products"...? Thanks re: the photo. I generally do *not* photograph well at all. They get one head *in* focus, the other's out of focus, it takes forever to airbrush out the horns, and the tail I don't even want to talk about. I had to finally have some b&w's professionally done (by a woman who concluded that the only way to make me loosen up in front of a camera was to dangle toys in front of my face, just like she does with 5-year-olds) just to have SOMEthing to give out. Well, I suppose we all have our cross to bear. (Now marked down 20%, move fast, we only have 5,000 left in inventory.) Oh...and Kosh sorta walks/glides. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 51 Sun Dec 13, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:45 EST To some degree, yeah, I can't say a *lot* about this, but in general, yes, these are all areas that we plan on exploring. The economics of trade, the effects of the war, all of this. Again, what we're striving for in B5 is to always ask the next question. Like, "Who pays for B5?" That's a question you don't usually run into in SF show...who foots the bill for all these starships running around the galaxy? With 4 other Babylon stations decimated (three before becoming operational, one after), the Earth Alliance skimped on the current version, rather like the Shuttle. They want to see if it will last before sinking vast amounts of money into it. Which is why, in one hour- script finished already, there's a reference made to giving some visiting Centauri businessmen the Grand Tour in hopes of getting some investment from them in B5 to counter the costs absorbed by the EA. Economics and the like are things you can happily ignore if your show has nothing to do with the real world. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 53 Sun Dec 13, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:54 EST Insofar as I know, B5 airs the last week in February; January 20 is when the network overall goes on line. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 62 Mon Dec 14, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:02 EST Yes, that's pretty close to being correct. We're in the very comfortable position of knowing what 50% to 75% of every season's episodes are going to be, so you can, for instance, go to a writer on the level of a DC Fontana, for instance, and say, "Here, this is the story where X happens. We need to see the following elements introduced in this episode. Outside of that, you're pretty much on your own." Then you also leave room for outside ideas to become episodes as well, and let the writers pitch ideas you may never have come up with alone. One makes sense AND fits within the universe that's established, you buy it. Nine times out of 10, when you see a lot of names script done consistently, what you have is a situation where they don't really have a firm grasp on where they're going. The producers buy a notion or an idea, they then take it in-house, it goes through one draft, that writer can't make it work, so they go to another in-house writer, it sits on a shelf after that, then finally goes back to the other writer, and finally gets yanked out of cold storage 5 days before prep and hurriedly put into production when another script falls out. That's generally what happens. As for the "go" on B5, that will come with reaction to the whole PTN arrangement. The greater the ratings, the better the reaction, the faster we get into production. Which is why it's *very* important that if you like the show, you write to your local station and Warners to tell them so. It will not only help move things along faster, but will give us more clout in doing Our Own Thing without changes. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 69 Mon Dec 14, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:21 EST Many thanks for the offers. I'll post the full Warners address a little closer to the scheduled airdate. May also provide the fax number, since that's easier for many who are modemed into services like GEnie. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 73 Mon Dec 14, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:25 EST Yes, there will eventually be a B5 tech manual, which I believe Ron Thornton will supervise. Re: telling stations what you think if you've seen the pilot...that's something I really hadn't thought about. On the merits of about ten seconds worth of thought, it looks like a good idea. So yeah...if anyone who's seen a preview of B5 (the whole thing) wants to tell your local station that you liked it, feel free. The more heat the better. By gosh, the ideas that come up in a place like this.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 82 Wed Dec 16, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:44 EST It ain't that they think B5 is a risk. The situation is simply this: they've booked up the first night of the network with two series. That's what they have room for. Question now is, do they open up a second night, for which B5 would be the anchor, or do they replace one of the other shows should one of them not perform to expected levels (which is the risk on any network)? They won't have the information to make that decision until B5 *and* the other shows hit the air. That's really the full extent of it. Re: music and sound...the music is finished. About 50 minutes worth, sections of which are interpolated and cycled through various portions of the movie. Which for TV is a *lot*, by the way; in final form, it gives you almost wall-to-wall music. (An average TV movie gets maybe 30 minutes worth.) I've heard most of the sound effects, and we're now in the process of a) finishing the looping, and b) locking down the sound EFX. We do the final mix- down starting January 4 and ending January 8. On January 11, I will have two copies of the final, complete B5 movie in my hot little hands. On SVHS. One for home, one for the archives. In full surround sound. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 87 Wed Dec 16, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:09 EST We're trying several approaches to the sound of the weapons; some of them incorporate the powering-up/air burn aspect. We'll see which work best. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 98 Thu Dec 17, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:49 EST It's not a big deal if you're just a viewer. If it's your show, which you've nursed and watched over and hoped for and fought for over five long and grueling years...it's a big deal. Re: ownership...yes, the show is actually *owned* by Warners under the terms of the contract, which is standard. (Which is why you see, on old ST and new TNG stuff, copyright by Paramount, not by Roddenberry.) I have some separation of rights in very specific areas. Re: sound...yes again, it's in full surround sound, so if your local station handles surround, you've got it made. And do crank it up; I've heard sections of it, and it works *real* nice. (There's this little black box we've adapted from fighter plane audio that, for the series, may let us *localize* the individual sounds in a 3-D fashion, but we'll have to see if we can make the technology downward-compatible first.) jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 106 Thu Dec 17, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:16 EST There's a sign in the docking bay/customs area of B5 which makes it clear to visitors that B5 operates on Earth Standard time (or Earth Median time, or somesuch, I forget the exact wording). Just to give it some sense of order. Re: changing costumes...that's the funny part. See, every one of the costumes was made to come apart, to be recombined in various ways. Our problem was the cast, who loved the ensemble look of each item, and insisted on wearing the whole thing. Take Londo, for instance...his outfit came with the grand coat (his one really good coat), three shirts, three vests, two pants, a cape and different boots. But he wanted to wear the coat at all times, and butoned up...so you can't really SEE the change in clothes. The B5 personnel (Sinclair, Garibaldi, others) also kept wearing their clothes, which were made to be opened, take the jacket off, relax...completely closed 99% of the time. This will be changed. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 118 Fri Dec 18, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:44 EST I honestly don't know what the individual syndex rules will be as they apply to various stations. Your best bet there is to go straight to the source...the station itself. As for the details of sound and sound effects...maybe the "average viewer" (whatever the heck *that* is) will or won't notice, but *I* will know it's there. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 132 Sat Dec 19, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:28 EST Ron: yes! That's the black-box I was talking about. Thanks for the clarification. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 144 Sat Dec 19, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:33 EST Which convention? jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 172 Sun Dec 20, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:39 EST Joey: no comment. (You want I should blow the surprise?) Re: comments here...if I found it annoying, I wouldn't be here. If this were just about flak, about hyping a series, what you'd get would be what you got when they used other systems to plug "Sneakers," for instance...a quick or several-month blitzkrieg, a one-way (for the most part) outflow of information, and then it stops. For me, the best part of writing is *dialogue*. I'm fascinated by dialogue...interpersonal, political, social, electronic, you name it. And for the last five years, I've been trying to develop a dialogue with the SF communityNot just, "Here's what I'm doing, here's the show, watch it, give us ratings, and be quiet," but rather, "Here's what I'm doing...how close is this to what you've been wishing someone would do? What are you tired of? What do you think of this part over here?" Not so much specific advice, but attitudes, sort of getting a sense of the room. My feeling is that SF fans are consistently the most abused and taken- advantage-of group around. Especially when it comes to media. Every six months or so, somebody comes in to shill for a new show, they get everyone's hopes up, then either walk away if the show is a hit, or flat out lie. I know, I've been in the audience. And as a result, many SF fans have grown understandably cynical about the whole process, they seem now to *expect* to be lied to, to expect that it's going to be same old crap they got before. And to me, this process is about changing that perception. In most cases of publicizing a show, there is a buffer between the creator or head of a show, and the viewers. There is no buffer in this case; if the show fails, I'm right out here with a "Kick Me" sign on my back. If it works, I convey that back to the other creative people involved. From standard Hollywood perceptions, that is a very risky and dangerous thing to do. For me...it's dialogue. SF fans have always stood by their shows and been loyal, often to be repaid by being shilled and hyped and thought of as (as one studio person put it) vegetables witbooks...as long as they keep buying the products, the merchandising, and stay quiet, that's fine. I would like this process to be part of a rapproachment, to be more open and to encourage a two-way conversation. That conversation was had during the years this show was waiting to spring forth, and will contin afterward. (When I did the LosCon presentation, during the Q&A following, one fellow asked if this would stop once the show got on the air, once we had gotten what we wanted: ratings. And that has been the case in the past. For as long as I can type and plug into a modem, that will not be the case here.) Like any dialogue, there are moments of conflict and frustration, and moments of revelation. So on all levels, this has been a fascinating and intriguing conversation. I have benefitted from it, and enjoy it despite the occasional hassles, and look forward to doing so in future, as long as the audience will want to continue the dialogue. I hope that somewhere in that flurry of words I've answered your question. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 173 Sun Dec 20, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:50 EST For some reason, some letters got lost from my message preceding; the abusive studio phrase should be "vegetables with pocketbooks." It's an ugly thought indicative of the ways SF fans are generally taken for granted. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 186 Mon Dec 21, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:20 EST I guess the one way in which the feedback has been the most useful has been in asking questions that I hadn't thought of. When you put a show like this together, you try to second-guess problems or questions down the road. What's been fun here is that I've often been blind-sided by questions that I'd never considered. I then have to find an answer to those questions, which then sticks. There have been questions of sound in space, kinds of weapons technologies, that sort of thing. One person asked about the jump-gates, and how they got there, which led me to formulate the idea that big ships (cruisers) are big and powerful enough to form their own entry point into hyperspace, while smaller ships have to rely on jump-points...so it's the job of some of the bigger ships to leave jump-points behind them like bread crumbs, enabling us to move further out into space. In other words...I come up with pertinent information by being asked a lot of impertinent questions. Which is as it should be. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 196 Wed Dec 23, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:24 EST Oh. Emily Letilla voice: "Never mind." jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 201 Wed Dec 23, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:30 EST Don't know about the ad content, since I haven't seen it yet, but hope to soon. (Producer-types are always the last to know.) jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 203 Wed Dec 23, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:50 EST So far, the show has struck well with both SF fans and non-SF fans, which bodes well. We deliberately exposed the show to people who don't much care for the genre, and they were very much taken. BTW, about 1/2 the ads for the B5 pilot are now sold, a fair amount of time early. The network folks figured if they had half of the ads sold by mid- January, given the economy and how these things go, especially with new programs, they'd be doing good. To be at this point over two weeks early is a very positive sign. As I write this, a 50 minute cassette is playing here in my office, the soundtrack for Babylon 5. I got a copy of the full soundtrack to a) verify that some changes we'd requested were made (they were), and b) to see how the soundtrack stood up just on its own terms. It's very nice stuff. Stewart played with a variety of things, including sampling voices to use in some scenes, played almost like an angelic chorus. In the next 2 weeks, we will be essentially finished with all of the post- production on the movie...1 year and 2 months from when I first announced the project here on GEnie. What a ride.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 214 Thu Dec 24, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 16:44 EST Yep, Stewart's on-line for the series as well. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 223 Fri Dec 25, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:02 EST Well, in the interim a friend who's running a show has asked me to come in and help out for a little while (wrote a 21 page outline overnight the day after I said yes to help meet the production crunch), and I've started my third novel, which is actually good timing. For me, the first 100-200 pages of a novel are the hardest; after that, it's a lot easier. My hope is to have some or all of that part done by the time we really get going seriously on B5 the series, so that I can continue at a reduced speed from that point on until the book is finished. (I figure it'll take about a year, a year and a half to write the book, which I expect will be about 1,200 to 1,500 pages in length.) If I were to wait until B5 began in earnest to start writing the novel, it'd never get past the first few chapters because of the other pressures. This is my one window of opportunity to start the thing. So that's the main work now: B5 post, the new show, the novel, doing my BBSing...oh, yeah, and I've started a few short stories, and obviously will continue to do interviews and other promotional work for B5, as well as developing the long-term 10-hour project I mentioned a while before, which I should hear more about in the next few weeks. I've been asked to write a network pilot, which is kind of interesting, and may tackle that as well, just to see if I can do it. Other than that, it's real slow right now. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 227 Sat Dec 26, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:11 EST Slow in the sense that I generally have 1-3 more projects going at any given moment than is the case just now, but that's mainly due to the holidays, and passing on some other gigs. It's just that I get twitchy if I'm not working on something at all times. I *write*. It's what I do. Ten hours a day, seven days a week, all year round excluding Christmas eve (for my spousal overunit's sake, mainly), New Year's, and my birthday. If I stopped, I'd go bananas. Stephen: the network pilot is mainstream, and the 10-hour project is...not. Which is all I'd prefer to say about it now until we get some firm news. Generally speaking, I've been very fortunate in that I've never been "typed" as one kind of writer or another; I've done comedy, horror, science fiction, cop shows, fantasy, mystery, mainstream, originals, adaptations, animation, live action, you name it, I've probably written it. It helps a lot the way the business is going these days to be able to show up wearing whatever color hat is required for the job. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 239 Sat Dec 26, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:05 EST I don't think there is a bibliography contained in any message here, or for that matter, anywhere. It would be just a major pain in the butt to compile...there's been a lot of published/produced work, and it's scattered all over the place. I'm not even sure if it's 100% do-able, since there are copies of things I've lost or misplaced over the years (I've had something like 500 articles published, as one example, and I've always tried to get and keep copies of them, but I know there are some holes in the collection where copies didn't come through.) Let's deal with B5 first, meanwhile, before we even begin talkilng (or talking) about what follows. Re: a vacation...I've taken exactly two in my whole life. Both entailed trips to England, the latter with a few weeks also spent in Ireland. Both times I promised to leave the writing at home. And both times I ended up secretly purchasing small spiral-bound notebooks and scribbling down ideas and stories...I outlined sections of my second novel in bathroomverunit wouldn't know I was writing when I said I wouldn't, and I outlined a full length (2 act) play while I was over in Ireland (and, alas, haven't been able to find the notes since returning; I'm sure it's around here somewhere). jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 244 Sun Dec 27, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:45 EST The last five years, eh? oboy.... Let's see...that's 30 columns plus maybe 7-10 major articles for Writer's Digest...okay...1987 would include POWER, which means about 12 episodes on that (counting stories, and it *may* be higher than that, I'm doing this from memory)...12 total Twilight Zone episodes...4 or 5 episodes of Jake and the Fatman (plus 1 co-written 2-hour MOW)...the Jekyll and Hyde adaptation for Showtime's Nightmare Classics show (which earned Ace and Writers Guild nominations for writing)...4 or 5 episodes of the Ghostbusters animated series, plus the musical prime-time special... seven episodes of Murder, She Wrote...an episode of CBS Storybreak ("The Shy Stegosaurus of Cricket Creek," adaptation, which to this day I've never seen).... I think that's *most* of the produced stuff, though I'm pretty sure I'm missing a few items (oh, yeah...and Babylon 5, natch). On the unproduced side, we've got the 4-hour V miniseries, a feature film written for Ivan Reitman, another feature written for London Films, another 4 or 5 unproduced Jake and Murder episodes, another Nightmare Classics adaptation for Showtime, several unproduced pilots (live action and animation) for various studios...6 scripts, 4 outlines and 10 premises written to put together an anthology series which didn't fly...five or six spec feature screenplays, and some other stuff, again this is all off the top of my head. Then there have been articles in the late lamented L.A. Herald Examiner, the L.A. Times, cover stories for the L.A. Reader, articles appearing in Video Review and Penthouse...oh, yeah, and a dozen or more articles about Night Gallery appearing in Twilight Zone Magazine ("A Viewer's Guide to Rod Serling's Night Gallery") co-written with my spousal overunit...short stories in Amazing Stories, Shadows 6, Midnight Graffiti, Pulphouse.... Then there have been the two novels, Demon Night and Othersyde, both from Dutton, and the Twilight Zone anthology for which I adapted my TV scripts into short stories....oh! And comic books! How could I forget that? One issue of the Star Trek book, "Worldsinger," an issue of Teen Titans Spotlight ("Face to Face to Face to Face," pitting Cyborg against Two Face), and an issue of the Twilight Zone comic. Jeez, I almost forgot that stuff. And for almost all of those 5 years I was host of the weekly radio talk show, Hour 25 (first alone, then with a cohost, then with a cohost and alternating weeks the last year or two), 2 hours of talk with SF writers, actors and directors, among others. Somewhere in there, along with the WGA and Ace nominations, I picked up nominations for the Bram Stoker Award for Demon Night, and for a Gemini Award (the Canadian equivilent of an Emmy) nomination for an episode of Power. That's a partial list of the last 5 years. I've missed a lot, but that's probably the major stuff, in any event. (Under the category of "unproduced," I also adapted Elfquest to a series for CBS, along with a co-writer, but can't just now remember if that was 87 or 86.) If anything else comes to mind, I'll drop it in later. But that's really as specific as I can be without dragging out boxes and other stuff...I hardly remember titles anymore, or which month which articles appeared where. Eventually I'm going to have to get someone in here to straighten it all out and put it all in order. Because there's literally stuff that I've done that I've *completely* forgotten about; I'll be rummaging through tapes or boxes of manuscripts and come across something I'd utterly forgotten about. Senility, I suppose.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 245 Sun Dec 27, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:57 EST Oh, yeah...as it turns out, that was 11 original scripts and 5-6 collaborations on Power for a total of 16 episodes. And one of my GB episodes was the one that got the show nominated for an Emmy for best animated series. I also forgot the movie developed for Shelley Duvall, another feature screenplay for DIC (unproduced), also in the unproduced category an animated series for ABC of my own creation, plus an early development (bible and two scripts) for a Batman series for the same network. That's the major stuff. I think.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 251 Sun Dec 27, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:26 EST Actually, my percentage of produce to unproduced, and published to unpublished, is rather high in favor of the former in each category. I've been quite fortunate that way. The main unproduced stuff comes under the category of screenplays, and that's par for the course. Only about 1 out of 100 scripts ever gets NEAR production. I have friends who've been writing nothing BUT screenplays, all on assignment, all unproduced. They get very frustrated after a while. That's one of the benefits of working in television, the odds are better. During the 91-92 season of MURDER, for instance, I wrote six scripts, of which 5 were shot. One thing that didn't occur to me to mention is the fact that during these five years I've been on staff (story editor/producer) on five and a half projects. My main responsibility when on staff is to do what I refer to as "dialog-ectomies," where the structure is fine on a freelance script, but the dialog just isn't cutting it. So I go through and replace all the dialogue, leaving the structure intact. These are completely new scripts in that sense; they're rewrites from page one through Fade Out. If I were to have arbitrated any of those scripts (attempted to put my name on them as co-writer, for which you only have to show that you've contributed 50% of the material), there'd be another 20 or 30 scripts out there with my name on them. But I strongly don't believe in doing that. There's a lot of credit poaching in this town, and it hurts the freelancer. When I'm on staff, I'm getting a salary in addition to script fees, while the freelancer only has script fees in addition to residuals, and if a producer or story editor puts his or her name on the script, that cuts the residuals by half. I don't think that's right. Out of something like 200 scripts that I've edited, I think I've put my name on about 5, each under very specific or unusual conditions. It's tough enough for writers to make a living in this town without contributing to picking their pockets. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 256 Mon Dec 28, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:51 EST Haven't written any SF novels. When I work in prose, I tend to favor dark fantasy. Which is the same genre as the new novel I'm now working on. I just have a preference for contemporary dark fantasy in my reading _ Jonathan Carroll, and many of the South American writers of "magic realism" _ so that's what I tend to write, in prose. Haven't yet seen any of the promos on 13, but I've heard from others who have seen them. (Including the preceding note from Prof Mark.) I'm looking for this stuff as eagerly as everybody else. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 258 Mon Dec 28, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:43 EST The most recent M,SW that I wrote was a ghost story set in Ireland, which aired about a month or so ago, maybe two. The last one that I wrote for the current season will air sometime this month, I believe; it's about an old friend of Seth's, an actor, who returns to Cabot Cove to begin his theatrical career again. I think Peter Donat is the guest star; it was shot after I'd left M,SW, so I have *no* idea how it turned out. The title of the episode is "Final Curtain," apt since it was my last for this season. The pay differential between live-action and animation is QUITE substantial, starting with the fact that there are no residuals in animation. If I got residuals on all the animation I've written, I could retire tomorrow. Also, there's no one set fee in animation, whereas the fees in live-action are mandated by the WGA. Animation scripts can pay as little as $1500 or $3000, and again, no residuals. My going price is $6,000 to $10,000 per script in animation. (That's half-hour.) The price for a one-hour network show is about $20,000 and with residuals, that can add up fast (the second rerun on a network brings in about another $13,000, and it scales down bit by bit from there). jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 262 Tue Dec 29, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:10 EST It definitely does. And that's the trap. You come here to make it, but it costs so much to stay that it eats away at anything you get, so you're stuck on the treadmill. Rod Serling talked about that in his script for "The Velvet Alley," where someone's talking to a TV writer, new in town, and explaining how It All Works. Paraphrasing: "They pay you astonishing amounts of money for what you do...then gradually your standard of living goes up, and up, and up...until finally you HAVE to have that level of income just to get by, day by day...and then they threaten to take it away unless you behave. And then, *then* they own you." jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 272 Tue Dec 29, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:21 EST The script to the V mini is in my computer, and there aren't many copies floating around. At this point, I'd prefer to keep it that way. As for not being dead from exhaustion...I dunno...it's just what I do. I don't really give it much thought (though the last week or so of actual filming on B5 was pretty awful, from a physical standpoint; damn near did me in). jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 274 Tue Dec 29, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:48 EST It may well be adapted to a novel down the road, either by me or by somebody else. It ain't a bad story. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 282 Wed Dec 30, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:47 EST How do I stay sitting down that long, you ask? You ever own a staple-gun....? Re: the "Stegosaurus" adaptation...yeah, it was fun, and based on a fun character, although the network didn't actually want the specific story, something new using it. So I got to play in that world a little. My favorite moment, a scene I came up with: the steg is always sneaking up on this one kid, and finally the kid's reacion is how can somethilng big sneak up on anyone? The steg thought about it a second, shrugged (as best a steg CAN shrug), and said, "You watch rabbits for a hundred thousand years...you learn." Oh...re: TV Guide...they indicated that B5 came first, not the other way around. It's Newsweek that got it backwards. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 285 Wed Dec 30, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:12 EST Really? Have to remember to set the VCR.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 289 Thu Dec 31, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:23 EST I *HATE* being statesmanlike.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 298 Fri Jan 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:06 EST When someone asks, "What kinds of specific things have you gotten out of this interaction?" I think I will point to the question just uptopic about food. I've given this a *fair* amount of thought, mainly in the sense that there are hydroponic gardens (referred to in the script) and other areas for oxygen reclamation, I'd figured that there were also areas where alien- environment food was to be raised, and finally a third area where food that is simply impractical to grow on B5 would be synthesized. But the question opens up additional areas that I haven't given that much thought to...and many possibilities. Let me (so to speak) stew on this and get back to you. Thanks for yanking my blanket. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 302 Fri Jan 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 05:03 EST Jonathan....please, for my sake, one question at a time...pick one. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 310 Fri Jan 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:23 EST K'wicker (than a speeding bullet?)...I ain't fussy. My friends just call me Joe. (Usually preceded by, "That Pain In The Ass") jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 314 Fri Jan 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:44 EST The station is owned by the Earth Alliance, and if you're going to be staying there, you pay a fee. Station employees are charged a fee against their salaries...which some of them aren't happy about. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 318 Sat Jan 02, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:39 EST Dolphins are another area that I haven't gone into in any great degree since the odds of any of them showing up at B5 are minimal, for production reasons. Dolphins make for difficult actors, and their agents are even worse. The homeless question brings me to a difficult point in the discussion _ generalities are okay to discuss, Jonathan, but the more specific the questions get about plot points of the series, the less I can say. The five- year arc is triple-encrypted in my computer for a *reason*. And, as much as it pains me, I know that printups of this category go to a certain other studio...and would rather not give too many specifics for obvious reaons. I'd like us to do them first. Alas, we're not having this conversation in a vacuum. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 320 Sat Jan 02, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:17 EST Just as with the early days of ocean travel, you would generally have three levels of travel: first class, one just below, and down deep below decks, those traveling steerage. A small group can also pool all their resources, for instance, charter a ship one-way just far enough as B5, and hope to find work or new opportunities on far-away worlds. When this doesn't happen, they linger...sometimes for a long time. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 336 Sun Jan 03, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:56 EST Dave: Bingo! And re: genetic moofky-fooky...yes, it's a definite issue, and is referenced at least once in the pilot. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 345 Sun Jan 03, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:07 EST BABYLON 5 meets ATTACK OF THE GIANT CRAB MONSTERS, I like it.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 349 Sun Jan 03, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:30 EST Actually just handled this up in topic 1. Rumors are the bane of science fiction...and people at conventions who speak should try and get their facts straight first. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 351 Sun Jan 03, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:55 EST There's been some disagreement over that...I prefer the idea that he's uplifted. (It's between me and the prosthetics design team.) jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 357 Sun Jan 03, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:09 EST Hey, there's an idea...come up with a totally bogus B5 five-year arc and let it get accidentally uploaded and distributed to throw folks off... except of course folks might well believe it, which would work against us in the long run. Ah, well.... Any telekinetics on board Babylon 5? you ask? No. At least, not yet. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 388 Tue Jan 05, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:49 EST Pets is okay. Ah lahkes pets. Pets be cool. And cats be coolest. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 407 Wed Jan 06, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:31 EST There's haze in some scenes where you've got a lot of traffic, and food cooking, and braziers, and the like. The quarters don't have that. As it happens, Pat Tallman has pets...two bunnies and two chinchillas. I pointed out to her that she now has both food and clothing concerns taken care of. She's still not speaking to me. Saw the DS9 pilot tonight. Heh.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 422 Wed Jan 06, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:01 EST Katherine: oh, snarf you.... Bear: a 16 pound cat? Wow...some good eatin' there.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 428 Thu Jan 07, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:42 EST Eric...imagine two boxers in the ring, each bloodied and exhausted after 11 grueling rounds. It's now the last round. You've each got one last shot in your heart. Your opponent comes in with a big name, with the sports critics approval, with fancy clothes and a twelve million dollar windup. He pulls back and lets you have it with everything he's got. Then you look around...and you're still standing. And you're thinking "THAT was their best shot?" Because everything he had was intent on one hard shot to knock you out of the ring...speeded training, massive amounts of promotion, just to knock you out. And you're still standing. And you smile. Because now it's YOUR turn. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 441 Thu Jan 07, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:01 EST I can't remember when I was last this tired. (Well, that's a lie, it was during the last 2 days of filming on B5, but the former made for a better opening line.) After getting zero sleep (nervous with anticipation, running the pilot through my head over and over again to prepare for today), I went in with a number of the production people today on the first day of the final sound/dialogue/music mix. Ten straight hours, one half-hour break during which we ate at the mixing tables. Trying different combinations, re-showing scenes with slight modifications, over and over and over, until your eyes _ focused for 10 hours on the same focal distance, blinking against bright lights so you can make notes _ start to melt out of your sockets. And there are three more days to go of this.... But man, this thing is really coming together. It's exciting to watch it happen. To the question about music...the music in this thing is just terrific...dynamic, evocative, moody, exciting...and while it took me a while to get it into my head (as with the theme from the Equalizer, which has similar resonances), the theme definitely stays with you. Along wund editors, Stewart Copeland came by, as well as various of the film editors, the cameraman, others...and Richard Compton, our director, was also at the helm for the whole ten hours, as was our line producer John Copeland (no relation). People just wanted to come by and see it. It's gonna be a hoot, ladies and gentlemen.... 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. 430 message(s) total. ************ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 185 Tue Dec 08, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:03 EST Someone, somewhere (Ron? Mojo?) said that Cinefex had contacted us and was planning an article, but that was a few weeks ago and I haven't heard anything more about it. Will advise. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 196 Fri Dec 11, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:18 EST I imagine that we'll do some interacting (actors/cgi) as noted, but we will also do some actual ship-building. For instance, in the pilot, when Kosh arrives in the docking bay, there's a shot past him into the bay, where you can see part of his ship (we actually built a fairly large section of it, though only a small part is visible). I think that shot is in the CFQ article. We also built (and then trashed) a spider transport to match the CGI, though again you can't really tell because it's pretty demolished by the time the actors get to it. There will be more of this done down the road. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 199 Sun Dec 13, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:46 EST Rico: both, for different reasons. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 202 Mon Dec 14, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:04 EST Mmmmmm....maybe. And there are some shots that do so in clearer terms; in the council chamber are CGI "recorders," floating devices that record video and audio of the proceedings. They float above the heads of the characters, and later one of them goes between two characters as they walk out the door. So yeah, there's some, just not on the scale of looking at starships...well, except for the scene in the garden, which is CGI.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 204 Mon Dec 14, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:44 EST I don't think so...there *were* solid models made (which didn't move), and CGI versions which *did* move...and I don't think you can tell them apart. If anything, the CGI ones look better. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 206 Mon Dec 14, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:53 EST The sections of CGI shown at Wishcon were part of a non-color corrected print, which left it all a little darker and muddier than is now the case. Also the projection system muddied some of the shots, which come out much sharper on a regular TV. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 209 Mon Dec 14, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:26 EST Combination of air jets and magnetics. Would this face lie? jms ______ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 216 Thu Dec 17, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:51 EST Cost. And the degree to which they would show up on camera; very often the lighting required to illuminate an actor just washes out an LCD screen, regardless of quality. Probably by 2357 they will have some that will stand up to that level of lighting, but so far no one's shipped any back for our use.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 229 Sat Dec 19, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:30 EST Wait, I thought we *did* shoot this show at 30 fps. I'm confused.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 242 Sun Dec 20, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:54 EST They're not transferred, they're kept on video. Since the stations want deliver either on 3/4" or via sat-link, there's no need for the thing to be on film. Re: the recorders...one should broaden one's scope of SF beyond the latest television shows. Orbs, recorders, transcribers, floating TV cameras, on and on, they have all had a long history in SF. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 257 Sun Dec 20, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:43 EST Will: I don't think I'm getting through. Perhaps I wasn't clear. (Which is the likely prospect.) It's not a case of putting CGI efx on film via paintbox or that sort of thing. In cases of full-CGI only in a shot, the computer generates each frame of the sequence, which is then transferred direct into a laserdisk recorder for maximum video quality. This is then transferred to videotape. It never touches film. In the case of mixing CGI with live action, the scene in question is digitized, transferred into the computer, and mixed there with the CGI, then sent back into the laser disk recorder. Again, it never touches film. And we deliver the final product on videotape, not film. If we end up distributing the film theatrically overseas, at THAT point it will all be transferred to film, and the quality, I understand, will be terrific. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 266 Tue Dec 22, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:12 EST Actually, you could be right, it could be 1"...sometimes the Voices talk to me all at once, and I get confused and fall down.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 307 Tue Dec 29, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:23 EST Yeah, I caught the referenc to Cavorite as well. Always loved "First Men in the Moon," and have it on disk. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 349 Fri Jan 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:27 EST I use Windows a little more than I used to, but overall I suspect (well, know, really) that I'm not getting the most bang for my buck because I don't understand the mechanics of configuring either Windows or the computer itself. I'm sitting here with a killer megasystem, and...the best comparison I can think of is an australian aborigine who's found an F-16 figher plane and mainly uses it to shelter his sheep and goats under the wings when it rains.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 385 Sun Jan 03, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:12 EST I've tended to lean more in the direction of individual computers _ multi-gigabyte systems small enough to fit on the wrist, which also serve as communications systems called Links _ that are generally networked into the B5 database/central computer system. Ninety percent of any information you're likely to need you probably already have in the Link; anything additional you need, or if you need a direct interface with Babylon Central Computer, that can be accomplished with a simple voice command. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 391 Mon Jan 04, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:23 EST Just as a point of clarification, Links are only used by station personnel, not visiting aliens, or any visitor, human or otherwise, for whom multi-use terminals have been set up in their quarters. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 3 Message 407 Tue Jan 05, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:53 EST Basically, I think that there should be something on-screen if there NEEDS to be something on-screen. For instance, in both Sinclair's quaters and the briefing room, you'll see monitors on the wall in BG and later used for important stuff. (That should be quarters, not quaters, which is what you find on the moon.) When not *actively in use* they display only the B5 logo, sort of a carrier wave. When a signal comes in from local, you get the BabCom logo, then the signal. When a signal comes in from a ship, or the computer provides information, you go right from the B5 symbol straight to the display. When it's over, you go back to the static symbol until it's needed again. The only real exceptions to this are a) the consoles in the observation dome, which are going at all times to monitor incoming and outgoing ships, and b) displays in the business areas which show the internal B5 Newscast and commercials. jms ______ ************ 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. 451 message(s) total. ************ ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 214 Fri Dec 11, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:25 EST Actually, though his looks seem to imply otherwise, G'Kar is a mammal. (Costume designer Catherine Adair decided that the newborn Narns live in a pouch in the father's body, and designed the costume with a slight suggestion of that, a bit of a sling-look in the lower part.) Don't ask, it wasn't my idea.... Re: G'Kar and Lyta, two things: 1) It's got nothing to do with romance, strictly genetic business, and 2) what's not in the CFQ quote from the script is the section where G'Kar mentions the need to alter the genetic structure to make any offspring possible. "We still have to merge your genes with our own," he says. Left alone, such mating is about as likely as a fish mating with a bicycle to produce a walrus. But if the person(s) involved were willing to go through *major* genetic restructuring, or be cloned and allow *that* to be restructured, then it's possible, though still chancy at best. Mixed species offspring are nearly unheard of in the B5 universe. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 223 Fri Dec 11, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:23 EST Just to clarify, the pouch is for *after* birth, not before; the newborn Narn leaves the mother's body and enters the father's pouch. (At least, that's what Catherine Adair came up with...it ain't canon yet, I haven't decided if that's a Good Idea or not.) Re: Non-humanoid...bear in mind, you still haven't seen what Kosh is inside that suit...others, very non-humanoid, will make their appearances down the road...and there's one race that has not yet been heard from, one shadow government so secretive its existence is only whispered about, and when *they* make their appearance, and you finally see what *they* look like...well, let's just say that I've talked at some length with our EFX people, and it'll take about 2 years to work out how to do this and make it credible. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 240 Mon Dec 14, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:57 EST Well, hmm....I guess I can come out with this now. As you know, it was our plan to go for a very androgynous Delenn _ a male voice (which was to be computer/electronically altered), female mannerisms, and a very ambiguous makeup. We've now gone through about every possible electronic alteration, and frankly, none of them sound as convincing as I'd like. Many of them sound *okay*, but we've taken a hard and fast position on this show that "okay" is simply not sufficient. So we've decided to leave Delenn female, with the performer's original voice intact and unaltered. Interestingly enough, when the performance was shown at Wishcon and LosCon, the audience responded very positively to her natural voice, urging that it be left alone. Which is now what we're going to do. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 248 Mon Dec 14, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:23 EST Doesn't change a thing in the arc.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 256 Tue Dec 15, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:11 EST Nope. Nothing changes. Because Delenn was *always* going to end up female eventually, one way or another. Start male, end up female. Using the same performer with some adjustments to the prosthetics after the change. Which is why I haven't commented upon the gender-change stuff being said here. Some of you guessed right. So instead of waiting a few months and making the change mid-season, we start off with Delenn female. No changes to the overall arc. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 265 Tue Dec 15, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:20 EST The consideration I brought to the issue was largely this: when the planned male/female shift took place, there should have been substantial differences such that the change MADE a difference; if Delenn came out talking just the same, sounding the same, then the change becomes trivial. It isn't saying "male voices sound this way," it's s go from A to B, the difference should be noticeable." jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 267 Tue Dec 15, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:10 EST Yes. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 270 Wed Dec 16, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:46 EST We're making up a number of alien languages, and the plan is to use multiple terran languages in the series as well, though there wasn't time or opportunity to do so in the pilot. One can only cram so much into a pilot. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 281 Sat Dec 19, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:33 EST Garibaldi is a security chief, and not into karate or stuff on that order. Just a good roundhouse blow. When I said "cute robots" (which I still stand behind firmly), I was referring largely to things like Tweaky from Buck Rodgers. We will get into the question of robotics and artificial intelligence on the show, but I'm going to try for a different take on it. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 290 Sat Dec 19, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:41 EST It's hard to know WHAT Jerry's background is...his resume is filled with...um...well, stuff like how he belonged to the Dance Company of Harlem, and never did...so your guess is about as good as mine. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 293 Sun Dec 20, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:56 EST Yeah, we kinda suspected it. And he told us so right up-front, there was actually no intent to fool anybody, it was just all in there to get some attention. What mattered was what came across. And he came across wonderfully in the audition. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 309 Tue Dec 22, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:48 EST Actually she's sitting at a table NEXT to someone reading "Universe Today." Well, let's see...John Iacovelli is in the opening montage at the bar with another production designer (John's the one in the beard) when the narrator mentions "businessmen and travelers"...Christy Marx can be seen, if barely, in a couple of casino shots...you can barely make out Mojo in one shot...we had a shot of the Spousal Overunit in another, but that was cut...running the wheel of fortune is John Stears (in the beard) and Paul Bryant (black sash and tux accompanying him)...Ron Thornton can be seen as one of the two homeless people sitting on the floor in the Brown Sector (he's on the right)...one of our production assistants is a hooker just visible behind them...there are a bunch of others in other casino shots...there's an attractive blond woman sitting at a table in the bazaar who's our stunt- woman...and that's all I can think of offhand. And to the obvious question: no, I'm not in any of the shots. Neither is our director. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 311 Tue Dec 22, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:13 EST Nope. Not a chance. Because in large part, I'm telling this story for me, to do the show that *I'd* like to see on TV...and if I see me on tv, it shatters the illusion. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 332 Wed Dec 23, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:51 EST They'll let anyone use a modem these days, won't they? jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 349 Sat Dec 26, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:11 EST Gary...sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Twelve stars were all that could fit in the available space. BUT...you're right in general, however. There were very few who survived the Line, not as few as 12, but less than 100. So believe me, it IS a big deal. (Which is also why a lot of folks back home are looking askance at Sinclair...how could he survive, unconscious, for 24 hours in a ship floating through a war zone without being blown out of the sky?) jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 351 Sun Dec 27, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:19 EST Paula: Yup. That's absolutely what would happen. And I ain't saying a WORD beyond that. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 353 Tue Dec 29, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:51 EST No, physical contact is not required. Lyta hasn't tried to read Sinclair's mind-block because he doesn't know it's there...yet. Yes, psi ability is genetic, and appears in other races. There are non-Psi Corps members who have the ability, and are not licensed and bonded, and the PC would very much like to do something about that. Psi rating is based on strength of ability. The general ranking is P1 through P10. Psi Cops _ sent to engage and take out rogue telepaths _ are P12s. They don't talk much. They don't have to. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 356 Wed Dec 30, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:49 EST Curiously, unions and the inner running of the station is something that Harlan wants to get into once the series is up and running, so I'll leave that to him. Re: the other Psi questions...I'll have to pull back because that touches on some areas that I want to develop later. Suffice to say that the questions you raise will be answered. (And no, they're not part of the military...at least, not officially....) jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 361 Wed Dec 30, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:22 EST The answer to most of the questions preceding is "yes." Yes to politics, yes to divisions, yes to shields, yes to undergrounds. And beyond that I'm getting into areas I can't talk about just now. As far as non-Psi Corps telepaths...you have to remember what I said at Wishcon: no one is stomping down non-PC telepaths (at least, not officially). Telepaths are recruited for the PC, and the attraction there is that your abilities will be honed, and you will be given what amounts to permanent job security: you're bonded, you can testify as an unimpeachable witness in court, you function as a sort of mental Notary Public, there are an awful lot of benefits, plus working with others of your kind. If you're a non-PC telepath, you do what you want. IF you are found to have violated someone's privacy and stolen information (and this is hard to prove on the best of days), then there are laws under which you may be charged. When you license something like telepathy, there have to be laws on privacy.ere diLaws on electronic eavesdropping didn't exist before the devices themselves came into existence; once we knew they were there, we legislated. Is this at times unfair to telepaths? Absolutely. And this is one thing that I have to hammer at hardest...this is not the perfect, benign Federation style government. It's flawed, and may not at all times be operating in the best interests of its citizens. There are wheels within wheels, agencies within agencies. After 25 years of Federation-think, people say, "Well, why would they do this to this group of people, that's not right." No, it's not. Ours is a different universe. And this will lead to pressure cooker situations. And conflict. Which is at the core of good drama...and which underlines the present as well, in that things aren't perfect or fair now, either. If everybody agreed on how everybody else should be treated, we wouldn't require courts. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 364 Wed Dec 30, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:32 EST Jonathan....you have an uncanny knack for asking the very specific questions that I can't answer without revealing more than I feel that I can at the moment. Yeesh.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 376 Fri Jan 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:08 EST After a crocodile named Leviathan? Er...I think that it's likely a reference to the book of Job, where he is asked by god, "Canst thou draw out Leviathan with an hook; or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?" (JOB 41:1) jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 378 Fri Jan 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 05:04 EST They don't exactly get along, that's for sure. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 381 Fri Jan 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:28 EST There's a mid-season story that deals *precisely* with this issue. Hence...I'm forced to remain mute for the moment. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 398 Mon Jan 04, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:25 EST Ta-daaaa...Gary, take another look at the pilot. Every time you see Lyta, you will notice a silver insignia on her lapel. It's the Psi symbol set against a bronze background. That is, indeed, the preferred form of reference. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 401 Mon Jan 04, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 05:14 EST Bill Warren suspects more than he knows, and knows less than he suspects. And any resulting opinions are simply that, and though written are nowhere near writ, holy or otherwise. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 406 Mon Jan 04, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:36 EST The amount of contact required varies according to the telepath's strength. Lyta at P5 needs a little help. A P10 could nail you from across the room. And I want to have some fun with the commercial funding aspects of B5...ads, gov't support, commercials, all that stuff. That's an issue that I feel really needs to be addressed...who pays for this neat stuff? And what happens when the money runs out? jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 418 Tue Jan 05, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:41 EST Yes, we'll definitely see them in their civvies, and there will be a range of entertainment possibilities, including TV (again, there are shots of an internal newscast on B5, and commercials as well). Thee's _ er, there's _ one little thing that I'm gonna do the first episode or so to establish that that's so off-beat and (one hopes) funny that I'm sure you'll like it. If only I can get Warners to release the footage.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 426 Wed Jan 06, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:04 EST Yeah, that was the hard part with the actors...they're so used to seeing one costume actors in SF that even though they HAD other stuff to wear, it was hard to shoe-horn them into it. But that'll change. As for skivvies...who knows...there's a shot of Sinclair emerging from bed wearing just about nada until he gets his robe on that several women on the show kept re-running, saying "yum...". jms ______ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 450 Thu Jan 07, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:04 EST I can't remember height ever even being discussed, except once, when we were debating about two possibilities for a given role. I don't think it really matters. As it happens, it probably won't ever come up because both Michael O'Hare and Jerry Doyle (and I think Johnny Sekka) are all well over 6' tall. jms ______ ************ Topic 5 Tue Nov 03, 1992 T.ORTH [Mr. Rico] (Forwarded) Sub: Grid Epsilon Irregulars - News & Info. This topic is for information about Babylon 5 fan groups, newsletters, fanzines, get-togethers, B-5 at conventions, and other general fun. 169 message(s) total. ************ ______ Category 18, Topic 5 Message 124 Wed Dec 09, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:16 EST Straczynski the Great was Larry DiTillio getting me back for DiTillio the Dwarf in "Ragnarok and Roll," which was me getting him back for Straczynski the Butler in "Galaxy High," which was him getting me back for...well, you get the idea...we have a friendship based on mutual antagonism and abuse. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 5 Message 126 Thu Dec 10, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:22 EST You can have it...cheap. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 5 Message 134 Fri Dec 18, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:15 EST What shaketh is that Joe got up to his ears in alligators and put off writing a brief intro to the current issue. However, it got turned in this week, and Christy is in town tomorrow to go over my last minute revisions on the current issue (faxed to me by her, it's all done otherwise), after which she will get it to the printer probably within the coming week. Expect it shortly after Christmas. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 5 Message 142 Sun Dec 20, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:00 EST Actually, I didn't much like the "next Gene R" stuff. That line has appeared in a lot of places, and while it may help reporters get a grip on a Story Angle, it's misleading and just makes me wince. Was Rod Serling "the next Norman Corwin?" (If you don't know who that is, find out.) Was Roddenberry the next Joe Stefano? Is Orson Scott Card the next Piers Anthony? (Hmm.....) In the voice of the Ren and Stimpy Cartoon Horse, "No, sir, I don't like it. Don't like it at all." jms ______ Category 18, Topic 5 Message 149 Sun Dec 20, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:44 EST Kath: did Christy get the message I left at y? jms ______ Category 18, Topic 5 Message 152 Mon Dec 21, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:20 EST ...oh, rapture.... jms ______ 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.... 239 message(s) total. ************ ______ Category 18, Topic 6 Message 139 Sun Dec 13, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:48 EST The Prime Time Network goes on line January 20th. The airing of B5 is still slated for the last week in February. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 6 Message 163 Fri Dec 18, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:16 EST What's the other station in San Diego now carrying B5? jms ______ Category 18, Topic 6 Message 230 Wed Jan 06, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:06 EST Leviathan...as a local, mayhap you could ring up Dana Hersey and fill him in on the background, just so's he knows it ain't a DS9 riff. This is probably the single biggest problem I know we're gonna have with reviews. On every other level, we'll stand on our own; I just don't want that inaccuracy surfacing and skewing the review. jms ______ ************ 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! 332 message(s) total. ************ ______ Category 18, Topic 7 Message 167 Thu Dec 10, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:37 EST This discussion seems to be getting awfully rancorous.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 7 Message 171 Fri Dec 11, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:26 EST I think you're talking cross-purposes, the first one-hour episode vs. the two-hour movie.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 7 Message 184 Wed Dec 16, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:49 EST The logic on the door is this (sayeth our designers): the section into which the door slides is jigsawed. When the door closes, pins extrude between the walls into the jigsaw sections of the door that fit into the wall. This creates an absolutely *solid* pressure door, much more so than a door that, for instance, closes in the middle. If the whole side of the door had to go into the slot, it would be nearly impossible to move given the angles involved. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 7 Message 201 Sat Dec 19, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:38 EST Sue, if you're finding tall people ALWAYS sit in front of you, and you sit on the aisle, you may want to consider the fact that these two events are related. See, I stand about 6'4" or 6'5" (I can never remember which), and going to a film can be an amazing experience. I never knew my knees could actually go on either side of my ears. To minimize this, I (and most tall people I know) sit on the aisle, so we can stick our legs out the side while desperately trying to avoid tripping anyone. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 7 Message 220 Sun Dec 20, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:36 EST Re: the Lyta face stuff, yes the scene as describes takes place, and is definitely deliberate, and was a fairly elaborate effect that only lasts a few seconds. We went through several tests before we got one we were happy with. Definitely a story point. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 7 Message 291 Sun Jan 03, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:17 EST If I see one more message with a one-liner on top and then ten zillion lines of white space, which at 2400 baud go by too fast for me to read the damn thing, so I have to then go back and find the number of the message, and replay it time after time while hitting ^S to try adn stop it before it scrolls past again, I am going to do someone serious damage. (Well, everyone ELSE was having a tirade....) Paula...you're responding to and arguing with something that only you heard because it doesn't exist in the pilot. The line that Sinclair says is, "I managed to take out a fighter before they hit my stabalizers. I was losing control, I'd lost my team...." etc. Not vertical stabalizers. Just the device that keeps the ship from spinning end over end by controlling the various thrusts. No matter WHAT system you're using, you have to be able to go from A to B, and the minute adjustments required, particularly if you're in the midst of battle, are too complex for one person to make on the fly. It has to go through a computer. If the system _ hydraulics, pneumatics, air thrust, fusion, whatever power you happen to prefer _ is damaged, it's going to screw you up. THAT was the line. And the Line. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 7 Message 293 Sun Jan 03, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:13 EST I keep hearing Alladin's more of a pain than it's worth, which is why I generally do all my writing/reading on-line. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 7 Message 320 Wed Jan 06, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:13 EST Just one other little item you're forgetting, Paula...these are individual fighters, which are made to operate in and out of an atmosphere. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 7 Message 322 Thu Jan 07, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:21 EST Several reasons...first, she wouldn't be able to tell for sure if his memory had or had not been "doctored" to eliminate the memory of the action. (An upper-level Psi could notice the seams in the memory; she's basically a business-transaction person who's a teeny bit over her head in what she's doing, and she knows it.) Second, I'm playing constantly with how our society will deal with this kind of telepath. The idea is always "innocent until proven guilty." Now, you can bring someone to trial, and a psi can scan them, and boom, you know one way or another. But does that violate our judicial tradition of a trial BY JURY, and put 'WAY too much power in the hands of telepaths? Because bear in mind, we still have to take their word for what they "see" in someone's mind. They can function as key witnesses, but it's my sense that they would be SPECIFICALLY PROHIBITED from going into the mind of an accused person to determine their innocence or guilt, *even if so invited*. There are others, but those are, in my mind, the key reasons for this. It's a matter of trying to be logical and consistent in how these things are used; you don't want to have something (or someone) become the Magic Wand that solves every problem, a Deux Ex Lyta, so to speak. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 7 Message 324 Thu Jan 07, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:47 EST Yes, Lyta's always had an affinity for alien races from a telepathic standpoint. As for telling reality from subjective; as soon as it goes in your eyes, it becomes subjective. So that's the only POV from which she can act. It's easiest when it's straightforward visual or auditory impulses, not much open to coloring by the subjective aspect. If the person being scanned is unbalanced, then 1) it becomes VERY uncomfortable for the psi, and 2) there are signature aspects of the scan (colors, hallucinations, delusions) that would tip off any good psi that this may not be a very valid perspective. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 7 Message 332 Thu Jan 07, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:09 EST Yes, there are shields available, mainly implants, sometimes drugs, and cyberalteration techniques to mind-wipe people temporarily so they can't be read easily. Re: perjury, there are Psi review boards, as with the AMA (and of equally debatable power) that could be called into play in the case of suspected perjury, as well as other abuses of the Psi-Corps authority. If a review board or other PC arm finds you're in violation of standards, the next step is the psi-cops. jms ______ ************ 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. 122 message(s) total. ************ ______ Category 18, Topic 8 Message 90 Sun Jan 03, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 05:01 EST I'm finishing B5 post production this coming week, and writing my third novel, and am helping out a friend on another series (said friend having gotten in over his head a bit, through no fault of his own) doing rewrites and a few scripts. Just something to keep me busy while waiting to gear up for the series. (Also took time to write out a synopsis of each of the first 22 episodes for B5's first season, which will then be assigned as needed, interposing new ideas as they're suggested by other writers. Also finished an hour-length B5 script, which will be one of the mid-season shows to be shot.) jms ______ Category 18, Topic 8 Message 94 Sun Jan 03, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:19 EST All I can say is when Warners gives us the production go, we'll be ready. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 8 Message 97 Mon Jan 04, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:39 EST That'll probably be decided by forces wiser than I. And just FYI, all the PTEN shows are given 22 episode committments per season. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 8 Message 99 Mon Jan 04, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:00 EST Who...? jms ______ Category 18, Topic 8 Message 102 Tue Jan 05, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:56 EST That's simply a standard unit of measure. Some series do more than 22, but those are more rthe MURDseasons generally ran 22 episodes. 22 x 3 seasons is 66, which is enough for long-term syndication, if barely. And there won't be a Joe Jr. One doesn't go through a vasectomy for lack of anything better to do on a Friday night.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 8 Message 106 Tue Jan 05, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:45 EST Nope, B5 is shot right here in LA County. It helps that my Spousal Overunit is also a writer, and understands what it means when I come out, eyes like poached eggs, staggering towrad the coffee pot, mumbling, "Deadlines...deadlines...." jms ______ Category 18, Topic 8 Message 110 Thu Jan 07, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:22 EST They sure do cost a lot. We plan to do some such shots for the series, in the zero-g section of the garden, and possibly in the zero-g cargo section that rides on top of B5. My mandate to Ron is to come up with a way of doing it that looks good. Once we have that, we'll do the story. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 8 Message 120 Thu Jan 07, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:10 EST The series standard opening will be a variation on Londo's narration at the top of the pilot. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 8 Message 122 Fri Jan 08, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:43 EST Yeah, Londo seems like the *least* likely person to do the opening narration for a show like this; you don't even see him for nearly two full acts, and it's the kind of thing you'd expect the Commander to do. But there are reasons for everything.... jms ______ ************ Topic 9 Wed Nov 11, 1992 T.RESTIVO [Little Guy] at 18:27 EST Sub: Babylon 5 Humor From *Beep Beep*, to Top Ten Lists to full-blown paradies, this is where to put your funny bone in writing! 107 message(s) total. ************ ______ Category 18, Topic 9 Message 40 Thu Dec 17, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:55 EST Okay. That's it. I'm running away from home. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 9 Message 55 Fri Dec 18, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:48 EST Y'know what's funny, though? The crossover points illustrate better than anything I could say the kinds of things we *won't* have, the kinds of things we *will* have, and the difference in philosophy between the two shows. No whiz-kids saving ships, no Q's.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 9 Message 72 Sat Dec 19, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:43 EST No fanfic for the time being. I have to back up KL on this one. We'll see Londo's _ spouse/spouses, I'm avoiding saying which _ in time. Looking at this crossover stuff brings to mind a decision I had to make early on. I at one point thought, "Wouldn't it be great if we could make B5 the nexus point between ALL SF television and film universes?" So you could head down toward the customs area, and find somebody with a light sabre, walk past a cylon, that sort of thing. And part of it was very appealing, if legally a nightmare given what would be required to get permission. But finally decided that the show has to be its own universe, unique and distinct. But part of me still longs to see a British phone box just sitting in the middle of the central corridor.... jms ______ ************ Topic 10 Thu Nov 12, 1992 SANDMAN [Henry] at 19:25 EST Sub: Sex in Babylon 5 Can't do without this one!! 91 message(s) total. ************ ______ Category 18, Topic 10 Message 63 Mon Dec 28, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:53 EST Suffice to say that this is a question that we will indeed be dealing with. What you'd probably get is a "mirrored" effect, where you are making love, and seeing it from both sides. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 10 Message 66 Tue Dec 29, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:13 EST Yes, but strong feelings can bleed through. And it's easier for a more advanced Psi to shut it all out; Lyta, at P5 rating, is about in the middle, and B5 is her first major assignment. Her position (in terms of psi-rating) is one reason why she wears gloves and long-sleeved outfits that cover as much as possible; it makes it easier to shut things out if there's no direct contact. When and if she makes it up to a P7 or P8, it becomes less of a problem. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 10 Message 78 Wed Dec 30, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:24 EST Yes, precisely. Sinclair will have a steady relationship with one woman for most of the first two seasons; same for a couple of other characters as well. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 10 Message 84 Sun Jan 03, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:20 EST Actually, I said that Sinclair will have a steady VERTICAL relationship with.... Don't hit me, I'm a sick man. And nothing in life is permanent, not even relationships. jms ______ ************ 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. 273 message(s) total. ************ ______ Category 18, Topic 11 Message 118 Tue Dec 08, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:07 EST BTW, speaking of ancient Babylon, with all the people interested in what's going to happen in Babylon 5, I'm surprised more haven't gone into their history books and tracked the history of the station's namesake. It isn't *all* there...but a lot of it is. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 11 Message 161 Wed Dec 16, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:15 EST Since I have access to you computer whizs (whizes? whizzes? whizi?), let me pose a question. For my sound card, I have the Media Visions Thunderboard for Windows. Now, it works fine on such DOS programs as "Carmen San Diego" (though a couple it seems to have a problem with). But when I try to use it in Windows (for which after all it was intended), nothing happens. It hums for a second, but that's all. For instance, when I run After Dark, it clicks for a second, but nothing comes out. I moved the system.ini interrupt for the driver to 2 from 9, but that doesn't seem to work either. I installed the driver, but that doesn't work. I tried to run a sound program off a floppy (the pro demo that comes with the card) and the first time, it worked. The second time, I got two error messages; the first said "selected MIDI out port is not available or is in use by another application." The MIDI in port also got the same message. When I then used the MIDI setup on the floppy, it said "General protection fault in module timemidi.dll." And the thing crashed. I went through system.ini and the only thing I could find that looked like a midi port control was MIDI=msadlib.drv, which I deleted, and tried again. Same result. Any suggestions? jms ______ Category 18, Topic 11 Message 165 Thu Dec 17, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:57 EST But I *did* that. I went into Windows drivers, picked the new driver, put Windows disd 3 in, loaded it on, and selected that as the driver. Still nada. I *don't* understand. So I may pick up Microsoft Sound, having heard it's easier to use. Otherwise...I'm doomed. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 11 Message 187 Wed Dec 23, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:25 EST No story suggestions, please. Thanks. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 11 Message 190 Wed Dec 23, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:41 EST What's this yellow snow doing here? jms ______ Category 18, Topic 11 Message 219 Sat Dec 26, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:15 EST "Even if it succeeded in court...." In that one little phrase is encapsulated a year, possibly two, of depositions, interrogatories, counter- interrogatories, legal fees up the yinyang, court appearances, and legal maneuvering that can kill months of time that should otherwise be used in writing. People can be crazy sometimes. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 11 Message 271 Thu Jan 07, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:12 EST I've lost all track of how much time I spend on BBSs; two-three hours a day here, plus 1-2 per day on CIS, and then other services. I'm on several where I don't post messages, and the folks there engaged in SF-TV discussions don't know I'm looking over their shoulder. Why? Because if people know you're there, they tend to speak more politely about you, and your projects. They're free to be brutally honest...and lemme tell you, it brings one up short sometimes. But I think that's both good and essential. Sort of a control group approach...see what the opinion is like of folks who don't have direct access, and only hear stuff second-hand. jms ______ ************ Topic 12 Wed Nov 18, 1992 B.WIST [Brad] at 18:12 EST Sub: Babylon 5 Sightings Post here when you've spotted Babylon 5, whether it be on Television, Magazine, or somewhere else. Let us know where we can find it/see it, too. 159 message(s) total. ************ ______ Category 18, Topic 12 Message 28 Sat Dec 12, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:16 EST For those keeping track of new items in the press about B5.... * Expect a round up of new SF series, including B5, to appear in USA Today in the next 7-10 days. * Another round up of shows, including B5, is tentatively slated to appear in the January 9 issue of TV Guide. * The piece on the B5/Genie connection for the LA Times Magazine "Palm Latitudes" section should likely appear December 20th or 27th. (Not directly related to B5, but I just *have* to mention it somewhere...my short story, "Say Hello, Mister Quigley," which appeared recently in both Pulphouse and the Midnight Grafitti softcover anthology ended up in the Recommended Stories section of the December Locus. It was the only story selected from that issue of Pulphouse, and it's right alongside stories by Brian Aldiss and John Varley and others.) jms ______ Category 18, Topic 12 Message 32 Sun Dec 13, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:53 EST Yes, "Quigley" originally began as a TZ script, which the studio (MGM) loved, my exec producer loved...EXCEPT they thought the subject matter _ incest _ was too controversial. (Many of the folks at MGM operated out of the conventional wisdom that says that SF should not have anything to do with the real world, should be nice bunny fantasies about neato aliens and strange but funny people-weeples who live in scary but basically good houses and YYYYAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHH!!!! (Sorry, that was my head exploding.) Anyway, they said they'd produce the episode IF I removed that aspect of the story. Which, to me, was the *point* of the damned thing. So I pulled it, gave back the money, and squirreled it away until I could adapt it to fiction later. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 12 Message 36 Mon Dec 14, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:08 EST Yes, that's a gun, a PPG. I'm not thrilled with the way it looks, and we're going to re-design it for the series. They don't strike that pose in the pilot, but that's from an actual sequence, yes. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 12 Message 43 Tue Dec 15, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:12 EST Check my original message; I believe I typed PPG, not PPC. PPG is what's in the script. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 12 Message 74 Thu Dec 24, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:41 EST Don't know if I've mentioned this, but Computer Gaming World will be doing a cover story on B5 shortly. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 12 Message 88 Mon Dec 28, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:56 EST The basic logo is my design. We'd gone throug none of which were quite right, and finally I wrote a memo to Ron Thornton about what I thought would be correct. I described the word Babylon in silver appearing backlit by a red laser shooting across frame, with the 5 in black behind it. Big metallic silver letters, and a much darker, jet-black metallic 5. "The main thing," I said in the memo, "is that it should look way cool on a leather jacket." Ron then executed the logo as described, it came out right, and it *does* look swell on a jacket. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 12 Message 98 Tue Dec 29, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:00 EST Maybe twelve or so. Just for the EFX team, me, my spousal overunit, our director and another producer. (They were a gift from Ron.) jms ______ Category 18, Topic 12 Message 103 Tue Dec 29, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 18:24 EST Yes, there is a separate B5 commercial, which will begin airing around mid- or late-January. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 12 Message 133 Fri Jan 01, 1993 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:48 EST Aquila: give me the name of the paper and the reporter who wrote the article. jms ______ ************ 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. 93 message(s) total. ************ ______ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 39 Wed Dec 23, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 22:40 EST I believe it stands for Phased Plasma Gun. Re: the jump-ship scenario described just above...since the "exit ramp" jump-gate is usually (but not always) under the control of a nearby base, as B5 is tied into its local gate, it could *probably* contact the local base and request activation of the gate. But it's a good point to consider, and I want to dwell on that for a while before I lock it down. It opens up some interesting possibilities. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 52 Tue Dec 29, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:20 EST Yes, you would. Yes, they have tried. No, they have not succeeded. Probes tend to meet with unfortunate "accidents".... They also use a tight- beam form of communication, rather than the more broad-based radio waves. jms ______ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 54 Wed Dec 30, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:53 EST I'm sure I covered it somewhere...somewhen.... jms ______ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 57 Wed Dec 30, 1992 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:34 EST So they tell me.... jms ______