************ Topic 1 Sub: Babylon 5 - The Series (Non-Spoiler) ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 459 Wed Mar 02, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:09 EST "Target: Unknown" is a David Gerrold story that'll probably get done next season sometime. Ditto for "Metaphors." jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 465 Tue Mar 01, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] (Forwarded) We do plan to restructure the opening montage and narration for next season, Neilsen willing. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 468 Thu Mar 03, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:11 EST The interior of the station has the capacity for weather; there is often a haze and mist in the Garden area, which kinda softens things a bit. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 477 Sat Mar 05, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:29 EST Well, here's a date to write down: March 23rd. That's the last day of filming on Babylon 5: Year One. It took us seven years to get here, and suddenly the last day of the first season is just around the corner. We'll know if we get picked up around late April/May. Look for an "eep" if I can't say anything official. The weekend after we finish, we're going to take over a bowling alley for a B5 wrap party. Went out today and bought myself a new pair of bowling shoes, bowling glove (with wrist support), and actually invested in a proper, custom bowling ball. Will practice a bit between now and the party. Part of this emanates from Your Executive Producer's desire not to stand there throwing gutter balls in front of Ye Cast and Crew, and another part emanates from the fact that I actually *enjoy* bowling, and have been waiting for an excuse to indulge. (I actually used to be very good at it. Practiced every week. At a bowling alley in Richardson, Texas -- and it's noted because it was part of a bowling class, monitored by an instructor -- I actually bowled a *perfect game*. Just once. All that came to an end in 1977 or so, when I got mugged and had my hand broken in a couple places, making it both impossible and very painful to bowl for years afterward. I may finally try and work my way back into it a bit.) Really sad...most TeeVee producers play tennis, or golf, or swim a few laps in their olympic pool...I like bowling, and comic books, and watching awful movies. A man of the people. Unfortunately, the people left town without me, and didn't leave a forwarding address.... We're halfway through filming the two-parter, "A Voice in the Wilderness," which is coming along nicely. From a CGI and sets point of view, this is the largest and most ambitious thing we've shot yet, with more of each category than in any other episode. The last episode to be shot will be Larry DiTillio's "Eyes," which is sort of a nice wrap-up to the season, almost an overview. Once again, nothing that happens this season is simply forgotten...and a *lot* of it comes due in this episode. It actually manages to incorporate references to about 6 prior episodes without being obscure about it. Even though we don't yet know about Year Two, we have to begin planning for it on a story level. I've begun breaking out the individual threads that'll come up then, and have begun laying them out in terms of individual episodes. We'll also have a post-mortem on Year One with all departments, to see what we did right, where we can improve, and where we can go beyond what we did this season. In the best of all possible worlds, as the technology keeps changing around us and getting better, we would like to keep pace with that and constantly upgrade for a more realistic look...and for greater options. How can we do *more*, and do it better? I don't think we can *ever* afford to get complacent, and we have to keep challenging ourselves each season to raise the ante another notch. Now it's all in the hands of the Neilsens.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 480 Sat Mar 05, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:27 EST Best advice is always to write to your local station carrying B5 if the spirit comes over you.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 492 Sat Mar 05, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:24 EST No, "Eyes" is a new script unto itself. We're retitling "Raiding Party" (which I always figured was a working title, too prosaic) to "Signs and Portents." Figured it'd be nice to have one episode title per (projected) year carrying the year-arc title. BTW, Compton's has signed to do a CD Rom of the Babylon 5 Universe, which is going to be VERY comprehensive...all the alien races, including the League of Non-aligned Worlds, background on the war, dictionaries, other reference stuff, you name it; it'll also be able to take advantage of the latest voice- recognition software, so you can run it exactly as the B5 computer is run. ("Computer, language search, "Satai.") There will even be some original CG and live-stuff shot for it. It should be a killer CD Rom. (Now if only I could get my system up and running....) jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 497 Sun Mar 06, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:27 EST Kosh shows up in this week's episode, "War Prayer." jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 513 Sun Mar 06, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:27 EST Phil: I see the confusion. "The Ressurectionist" was re-titled "The Quality of Mercy." So it's 22. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 542 Wed Mar 09, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:52 EST Two quickies, before I forget (again): 1) Yes, to the pain in the butt who inquired, I bought the Quantum bowling ball, and it probably won't bowl any better, but I'm a stooge, and there we are. 2) I've nudged (gently) Christy Marx about the newsletter (as has the effervescent Katherine Lawrence) (and did you effer know her when she effervasn't?), and Ms. Marx and Ms. Drennan are now focusing in on getting the next issue out, which will be a double-issue, twice as big, with more interviews, probably a schedule for the full season, and other goodies. Amazing what a friendly smile, a soft-spoken request, and a meat axe can achieve.... jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 554 Thu Mar 10, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:01 EST It's easy; hit her while she's asleep.... BTW, we managed to track down and correct about 50% of the problems in video and audio that took place after we'd been delivering episodes, and so this and all subsequent episodes should look cleaner and sound a bit sharper, staring with "War Prayer." Anyone else noticing this? Also, just as an aside...was talking to someone today about how extraordinary a cast this is in terms of sheer intelligence; Michael O'Hare attended Harvard; Claudia is a Mensa member (genius IQ); Jerry is a financial wizard...they're all extremely sharp people, nowhere near the stereotype so many people have of actors. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 582 Sat Mar 12, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:24 EST We'll definitely see Bester again, probably twice next season, in one capacity or another. (And we'll *hear* about him once more this season.) Re: the CD-Rom...we're planning some very cool stuff. I've indicated on all pending licensing deals that I don't want them to be just one more media tie-in; they should have some independent value. So in this case, I really want to use it to de-mysticize what television is, and how it's produced. Something for educational purposes. So we'll track how the process is done, by taking a micro-example: from concept, to a scene in a script, to costume designs, production/set design, storyboards prosthetics, filming, editing, scoring and mixing. As a culmination of this, there will be 5-7 brief dailies shosts, all from the same scene. The job then is for the user to edit these dailies (establishing shot, medium close-up, close-ups, inserts and the like) into a *scene*. You can literally see the dozens of ways you can create a scene from the same footage. You can then play it back, possibly with some music, and see how it works...then play back the real scene as we did it, and compare and contrast. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 593 Sun Mar 13, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 16:44 EST Just a reminder to all and sundry in the LA area...our Conceptual Consultant, Harlan Ellison, will be signing his new collaboration at Forbidden Planet Bookstore on April 2nd from 2-4 p.m. (corner Van Nuys and Ventura, Sherman Oaks). Funny aside...on Friday, my accountant and his 10 year old son came by the set for a tour. His son was wog-boggled by everything. At one point in the filming, Michael O'Hare came over and struck up a conversation with the kid. The kid asked what that thing is on the back of Sinclair's hand. "That's my communications device," O'Hare said. The kid looked chagrined, glanced around, whispered to Michael to lean down, and explained -- to save Michael further embarrassment in future -- that the communicator was on his *chest*. I would give my soul for a photograph of Michael's face at that moment. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 1 Message 596 Sun Mar 13, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:58 EST Quick note...I *may* be doing a one-hour presentation at the Creation convention later this month in Pasadena. This is contingent, thouugh, upon the scheduled appearance being put back a bit, since I'll be flying in from Houston that morning. The Space Frontier Foundation is giving us an award for Best Vision of the Future. (They're also giving an award to astronaut Pete Conrad that night, and want me to present it.) jms ------------ ************ Topic 2 Sub: Babylon 5 -- The Series!! >>SPOILERS<< ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 560 Tue Mar 01, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:00 EST They're...................................astonished. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 578 Thu Mar 03, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:53 EST The framed item is a sign for Sinclair Aircraft, a real company that goes back to the early days of flying (we got permission to use it). C&C is military shorthand for Command and Control, which is the function of the Observation Dome (sometimes thus referred to as Babylon Control). There are hand-holds built into the seats, and on the walls and railings. >From that angle, unfortunately, you can't see them holding on, though you will be able to see it in "Survivors" and "Chrysalis," among others. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 618 Sat Mar 05, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:30 EST Will: it's very hard to answer that question without specifics; it does make me a touch nervous, but at the same time, it doesn't seem correct or proper to stop the kind of speculation you suggest, since the show is *bound* to elicit such speculations by its very construction. I dunno...so I'll leave it to the quiet turning of your own considered conscience. Re: the cast...they're simply pleased and flattered and moved by the attention on-line. Re: "Sky"...my theory is to *never* assume prior knowledge of the background info that goes into an episode. If you never saw the pilot, you will miss *nothing* going into "Sky" (though it'd be nice because of one quickie flashback to know where that came from). I don't think anyone will have a hard time following that one. Re: the core shuttle...yes, the exterior was all CGI. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 632 Mon Mar 07, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:50 EST For the Minbari, it's tee'la, which is a kind of poem-song, sort of. Delenn was mainly just unfamiliar with the term. Yes, the two Harlan scripts are temporarily on hold, due to some health problems earlier this season (two heart procedures), the quake and his injuries there, and other stuff. He has, however, served very well as our consultant, and it has been more than worthwhile. His health permitting, we hope to continue the relationship in future. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 643 Tue Mar 08, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:56 EST Some notes: "A Voice in the Wilderness" is just written by me, not me and Larry (either part), and is directed by Janet Greek. "Eyes" to be directed by Jim Johnston. Jim did not direct "The Quality of Mercy." It was one of our new directors...and her name has *just* fallen out of my head this moment. Will post it tomorrow. "TKO" was directed by John Flynn. "Deathwalker" was directed by Bruce Seth Green. "Grail" and "War Prayer" directed by Richard Compton. (Also "Believers" was directed by Compton.) jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 656 Fri Mar 11, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:02 EST You want Garibaldi, who's nearly twice Talia's size and weight, to punch her in the gut and walk away...and this is a *good* idea...? jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 658 Fri Mar 11, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 16:32 EST Overall, I'd say that "Legacies" came out better than "War Prayer," because Dorothy had more time to get to know the characters, and because it was better directed. (As a parenthetical, Larry DiTillio has developed some of his own scripts as well, specifically "TKO" and "Eyes." "Legacies" is the one I'd say was developed "outside the office" in the sense of being a freelance effort. Everything else was either an assigned premise or done in- house by staff.) jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 664 Fri Mar 11, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:20 EST He was thrown down the stairs of his house, received a broken nose, and contusions and a slight concussion when a large framed painting fell off the wall on top of him. He's better now. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 666 Sat Mar 12, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:45 EST Stories without subplots (or more precisely, B-stories; a subplot can be a thread that's not a whole story unto itself): "Sky," "Survivors," "Grail," "A Voice in the Wilderness," and a few others I can't recall offhand. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 682 Sun Mar 13, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:46 EST This was one segment of the battle; there were others going on in other areas as well. It's said that no one ever *saw* the Battle of the Bulge; each saw a small part of it. Same here. Reality is, no matter how big we would've made it, more would've been wanted. (If anything, it seems that the more we show, the more is wanted.) But all things considered, best to have folks wanting more than wanting less.... (And remember, we're managing to do all this with roughly *half* of TNG's budget. Give us their budget, and I'll show you ALL of the Battle of the Line, and the ENTIRE Earth/Minbari War, PLUS all their home worlds.) Nonetheless, as we go deeper into the season, the CGI/action sequences do get bigger and more detailed in many places. In "Signs and Portents" (formerly "Raiding Party"), you'll see three pretty good sized squadrons of ships engaged in a very fast-paced battle that goes on for most of an act and a half, as opposed to just a few scenes in "Sky." Big battles weren't really the *point* in "Sky," it was more about his REACTIONS and his personal fate. There were a number of action/battle shots we had on hand, but decided not to use because we didn't want to dilute the *point* of the scene. And as stated elsewhere...yes, you'll be seeing the Minbari war cruiser(s) again. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 2 Message 694 Mon Mar 14, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:00 EST Bear in mind, though, that Sinclair really had no reason to doubt what he remembered happening on the Line until the Minbari assassin uttered those seven fateful words. As for others...there have been suspicions, but more broadbased...and we'll deal with those a bit here and there. jms ------------ ************ Topic 4 Sub: Babylon 5 - Cast & Characters ------------ Category 18, Topic 4 Message 401 Mon Mar 14, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:02 EST Depends on what you mean by "just visiting." If someone comes on board, and we feature him or her, and this person just sorta wanders around without ever interacting with our characters...I don't think that would be terribly dramatic. We do have some shows with people who come to see our main characters, interact with them, and then leave again. A basic visit. ------------ ************ Topic 6 Sub: Where is Babylon 5? TV stations... ------------ Category 18, Topic 6 Message 590 Sun Mar 06, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:31 EST B5 airs in Orlando on Tuesday night, I believe, around 8 or 9. jms ------------ ************ Topic 13 Sub: Babylon 5 - Science & Technology ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 528 Mon Mar 07, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:38 EST It was always my thought that the weight, as indicated in the narrative -- "one and a half million tons of spinning metal" -- ONLY referred to the metal, not the vegetables or the water or the garbage. It specifies only the metal. And the metal is a high-resistance, very light alloy. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 541 Sat Mar 12, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:29 EST Of course, you're assuming that a Centauri year is the same as our year. The speed of light is constant...but defined by us by our own 12-month year. For instance, in one episode, we mention that B5 is 12 of our light years from the Narn homeworld, which is equal to about 10 of their years. So without knowing the Centauri year, the figures are faulty. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 13 Message 545 Sun Mar 13, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:50 EST There's still an *awful* lot of ground to cover in a war this big. Also, check the readout on Sinclair's screen as he's trying to engage the enemy. You'll see "negative lock" popping up. One problem in fighting the Minbari vessels is that they have a kind of stealth tech that makes it very hard for our weapons to lock on. jms ------------ ************ Topic 14 Sub: Lurkers/Introductions: Please Sign In ------------ Category 18, Topic 14 Message 548 Fri Mar 11, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:07 EST You'll see Garibaldi performing very seriously in "Sky," and in both "Deathwalker" and "Survivors," the first two eps after the few reruns following "Sky." jms ------------ ************ Topic 15 Sub: Babylon 5 - Alien Races ------------ Category 18, Topic 15 Message 454 Wed Mar 02, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:15 EST Not all aliens of the same species have the same accent; any more than all humans have the same accent. jms ------------ Category 18, Topic 15 Message 456 Wed Mar 02, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 14:51 EST G'Kar has the dominant accent of his people. So does Kosh. jms ------------ ************ Topic 17 Sub: Babylon 5 - Merchandising ------------ Category 18, Topic 17 Message 491 Sun Mar 06, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:30 EST Confirmed on all points. The novel deal seems to have closed, but I don't think I'm supposed to give any details yet. It's been asked that I try to find time to write the first novel, which is swell, but I don't know if I will have the time to do it properly. jms ------------ ************ Topic 21 Sub: Quotes from BABYLON 5 ------------ Category 18, Topic 21 Message 20 Sat Mar 12, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 19:32 EST Very, very little in this show is unintentional.... jms ------------ ************ Topic 24 Sub: Babylon 5 - Weapons and Warfare! ------------ Category 18, Topic 24 Message 459 Sun Mar 06, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 17:30 EST There is a side-button on the gun which arms it (the power whine you hear when it's drawn). It's just over the thumb. Then the trigger is used to discharge the built-up energy. You can push or pull the trigger to your heart's content if it's not armed and it won't fire. It works as a kind of safety; you have to do both or it won't fire. jms ------------ ************ Topic 26 Sub: Babylon 5 - Episode titles and info ------------ Category 18, Topic 26 Message 204 Mon Mar 07, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:40 EST I don't recall either actor's name in connection with B5; will have to check. jms ------------ ************ Topic 8 Sub: Infection (#101) ------------ Category 19, Topic 8 Message 143 Sun Mar 13, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:55 EST Re: not emitting a visible projectile, and not seeing a pulse zap across the room...you're used to seeing "lasers" that travel at about 60 mph in most TV SF (and some films). When somebody fires a regular gun at someone, do you expect to see the bullet fly across the room? No, of course not...so why do you expect that on something that is moving a lot FASTER than a bullet? The *reality* (and again, that's what we're going for here), is that you *wouldn't* see it. You'd hear it more than anything else, and at most see the muzzle flash. You're applying a TV and movie cliche which has nothing to do with reality. jms ------------ ************ Topic 9 Sub: And the Sky Full of Stars (#106) ------------ Category 19, Topic 9 Message 9 Fri Mar 11, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 16:29 EST We actually had a lot more shots we could've used to prolong the sequence, but felt we *really* had to get to Sinclair, and go into his point of view more. Also we step-printed the CGI to give it a more dream-like appearance, since we're seeing this from inside Sinclair's memory, and he wasn't really able to *see* all this, particularly stuff happening around and behind him, this is more his *sense* of the events of that time. The sections we didn't step-print were those where he was RIGHT THERE, to make a subtle distinction. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 9 Message 12 Sat Mar 12, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 20:10 EST The second shot to Knight One is a gut-shot, and the security guard is shot through the chest. Bear in mind, also, that some of this may be expected by folks here on the nets because of the ongoing conversations, speculation and the bits of info I drop here; but for 99.9% of the rest of the nation, this IS new info. And even with the nets, I suspect that there are some surprises here.... jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 9 Message 16 Sun Mar 13, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 04:37 EST Nothing anamorphically distorted, that's how they look. You will get a better look at Minbari war cruisers...umm...later in the season. Also a much closer look. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 9 Message 21 Sun Mar 13, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:10 EST On the question, "Why *can't* they all be this good?" there is a very simple answer: it's not for lack of trying. It's been said before of television that it's a collaborative medium. Collaboration brings with it a random factor. The script may be good, but if the director doesn't *get* it, if the actor's having a bad day, if the continuity person lets a mis-stated line get through, if the CGI doesn't quite cut together right...you begin to chip away at the quality. This happens on every single television series ever produced. A while ago, in cat 18, someone observed correctly that a bad episode can happen on any series through accident; but it's impossible to produce a *good* episode by accident. (Or at least highly improbable.) And never a great one. The job of a producer in my position is to pull the best possible elements together, in the hope that the attrition that takes place in the course of production doesn't diminish the whole too much. Thus, the good episodes are overall far more emblematic of what a series is capable of doing than are the weaker ones. If your best ones are so-so, you've got a problem. If your best ones are *good*, then you're doing okay. On any series, if you're *lucky*, you get one-third pretty awful, one-third good, one-third very good. So far, in looking at all the episodes filmed so far, I'd say half of them are *very* good, one-fourth of them are good, and one-fourth are fair to middlin'. That is 'WAY ahead of the odds on any show. Particularly in a first season. (And even then, bear in mind that much of this is subjective. I'm not that keen on a few of them, but some folks considered "War Prayer," for instance, their favorite episode. Even at our worst, I think there is something in every episode that will appeal strongly to someone. Which is why I'm a bit leery of the original question; to some people, they ARE all "that good." Tastes vary. We try very hard to make sure there is something of real value in each episode.) We really began this process not quite sure how far we could go, what our limits were, how far we could push it. So we started off kind of tentative, getting more aggressive as we went in, in terms of story and music and EFX and all the rest. So you will continue to see an escalation in the episodes over time. It's like anything else; as we learn more, and do more, we get better at it. Yes, this series has been planned out for seven years...but it's like planning a date. You can plan to your heart's content for days or weeks or months or years, but INVARIABLY some things don't work out when you actually go out on that date. So you learn, and adjust, now that you've encountered reality. (As one general once observed, no battle plan every survived contact with the enemy.) We've worked hard to make this a good show. And it is a good show. We occasionally hit speed bumps, but they're more the exception than the rule. To say "Why can't they ALL be this good?" is like saying to a painter or a composer, "Why can't your work ALL be on the same level?" There is always a learning curve, always some works that are better than others. It's not like turning out widgets in a factory where you can guarantee certain parameters in production. To expect any art form to be consistent misses the point. We could aim lower to avoid falling into the occasional valleys, but I'd rather aim high, and occasionally fall on my face, if it means hitting some peaks that would otherwise be unattainable. That's what taking chances means. And I think that's one thing that people find appealing about this show: we're not resting on our laurels, or aiming for the safe, lowest-common-denominator; we're willing to take chances. We're right out there on the high-wire without a net...no guarantees, no franchises, no built-in fan audience that will watch us regardless of what we turn out. And shows like "Mind War," and "Sky," and "By Any Means Necessary," and "Chrysalis" and "A Voice in the Wilderness" and "Babylon Squared" and other kickass episodes are the consequence. I think that in our first season, we've turned out more really nifty episodes than some series do in their entire run. Sidney Lumet once observed about his films that if you get just *one* really golden moment on film, it's a success. If we transplant that to television, if in one season you get even *one* truly spiffy episode, it's a success. And we've got a hell of a lot more than one. jms ------------ ************ Topic 10 Sub: The War Prayer (#107) ------------ Category 19, Topic 10 Message 6 Sat Mar 05, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:16 EST BTW, how was the "Sky" trailer for next week? (I never see these things, alas....) jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 10 Message 9 Sun Mar 06, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:56 EST There's a Billy Joel song, where one particular lyric (and I'm quoting from memory) says, "You still have a pain inside you / That you carry with a certain pride / It's the only part / Of a broken heart / You could ever save." That's Ivanova. She's had her heart stomped on a lot. And she's been holding it in. Even with her father's death, she sucked in the pain, fought back the tears. There is one episode, which will be right at the end of the year, where she finds she can't run from her pain anymore...can't run from the tears...and deals with them in a scene that's very moving and absolutely brings tears to the eyes. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 10 Message 17 Sun Mar 06, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:59 EST Hey, rationalizations are more important than sex. Try going a day without a rationalization..... jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 10 Message 21 Tue Mar 08, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:48 EST Directing can add to an episode, making it more than it is, or can make it less than it is. In this case, I think it's more the latter. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 10 Message 23 Wed Mar 09, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:49 EST Mmmmm...lemme see...I don't think there *are* any more "former lovers" stories coming in for pretty much the rest of the season; there's an acquaintance who comes back, and a reference to a prior relationship (but it's not on the station, and doesn't take place there), but that's it. No more former lovers coming to the station this season, that I can think of. (Is weird that the ones we *did* have got grouped like that; hadn't noticed until now.) jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 10 Message 45 Thu Mar 10, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 23:58 EST There's very little about one can say about "TWP" that I wouldn't respond to with, "Yup." Dorothy did a bangup job on the script, but so much gets lost in translation sometimes. All added up, there are only three episodes this season that, for me, aren't up to the rest: this one, "Infection," and "Grail." That there are only 3 out of 22 is extremely good for ANY TV series. (And again, that's only my POV; I know that there are a number of people who liked this show, liked "Infection," andf will likely approve of "Grail." Tastes vary. I'm just very, very hard on *all* of our episodes. I think you have to look at your own work with as baleful an eye as possible.) jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 10 Message 48 Fri Mar 11, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:57 EST Actually, I think this will be to some extent remedied for you by the end of THIS season. jms ------------ ************ Topic 11 Sub: The Parliament of Dreams (#108) ------------ Category 19, Topic 11 Message 108 Tue Mar 01, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:28 EST One of the things I like about the sets is that they're actually fairly large, and we tend to go for lots of extras to help carry through that sense of scale. It's not uncommon for us to have anywhere from 50 to 90 extras in a scene, just to fill it out. One scene had as many as 200-250 extras; many others have between 150-200. This is a *busy* place, and should feel like it. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 11 Message 119 Wed Mar 02, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:06 EST Ninety percent of the time, background business is written into the get improv'd (such as G'Kar switching the fruit). In those cases, we shoot it two ways: with the improv, and as scripted, to give us the option of using either. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 11 Message 123 Wed Mar 02, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 14:49 EST Actually, Jim Johnston's been around a long time; he's one of those directors who has made a name for himself, established his own company, and only takes on projects he enjoys. We're very happy to have him here. jms ------------ ************ Topic 13 Sub: Mind War (#110) ------------ Category 19, Topic 13 Message 30 Tue Mar 01, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:18 EST I'll have to check to see about the glitches; we've tracked down the technical difficulties further, and discovered (among other things) that after we'd delivered the episode, at one stage along the way they were being transferred to 1" *used tape*. Add in going from D2 to 1" and from that 1" to others to do closed captioning and commercials, and you're bound to get some weird stuff. Starting next week, episodes will be going out with most of the transfer work done on D2, not 1", so they should be cleaner henceforth. jms (If you could be as specific as possible on where the glitch is, I can check our master vs. the broadcast master.) ------------ Category 19, Topic 13 Message 34 Tue Mar 01, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:29 EST Zocalo is a South American term, meaning "the Grand Plaza." jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 13 Message 44 Wed Mar 02, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 21:34 EST I'd just be more comfortable if you didn't. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 13 Message 64 Thu Mar 03, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 01:45 EST Having seen the ship rocked and buffetted by the passing ship, I figured that it would be clear that this basically pushed it down, made its orbit begin to detriorate. Her ship was also riding *very* close to the edge of the atmosphere. Perhaps should've been clearer. Re: jumpgates...I knew that multiples were used, but was still working out the *exact* details of how they work, and I hate to post anything until I'm 100% set, since this stuff tends to end up in FAQs.... jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 13 Message 67 Thu Mar 03, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:00 EST It's because they dig *deep*. And to another telepath, who is sensitive to begin with...it hurts bigtime. (BTW, for those above, the planet is Sigma 957, not Delta Sigma 9 [DS9]. You t'ink maybe I's crazy?) jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 13 Message 86 Thu Mar 03, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 13:51 EST Bester wasn't killed because a) it took a *lot* out of Ironheart to take out Kelsey, and b) Bester *shot him* prior to being taken down, and the pain and trauma of being shot has a tendency to have an adverse effect on one; it took all his strength just to knock Bester down before collapsing to the floor, his energy (as you can see in the film) fading away.... jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 13 Message 102 Fri Mar 04, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:28 EST Tony: yes, that ambiguity is something to consider. I like ambiguity. I think. Yes, it was supposed to be closed-captioned, and there was a glitch after we'd turned in the episode. It'll be captioned for later broadcasts. (BTW, those who taped MW...I suggest you keep your tapes; there will be a subtle but definite difference in one shot in all later airings of the show after this next rerun. And no, I'm not going to tell you what it is...but any copies of the first version will probably be a rarity.) The core shuttle has hand-holds on the seats, and on the walls and other areas. They were both holding onto the lower hand-rails, though it can't be seen in that shot. It *is* visible in other episodes. A Rubik's Cube is a *very* good metaphor. The vaporized Starfuries *weren't* from B5, they were a separate wing not attached to this station. Black Omega is a special forces unit. "Believers" isn't next; up now comes "The War Prayer" by D.C. Fontana (okay, despite some problems, mainly in direction), then "Sky." The Soul Hunter was hit by a PPG, but not terribly slowed; you'll see others hit and harmed or killed by PPG down the road. (Actually, you'll see it in "Sky." Re: my favorite thing about this episode...it's that when all is said and done, *nobody knows anything*. Bester doesn't know what Ironheart is turning into; Sinclair doesn't know if Ironheart was really telling the truth or not; nobody knows where Ironheart went; nobody knows what the alien ship is/who they were...the closest I can come to is to compare it to writing a mystery novel, without revealing the killer, but *without* frustrating anyone in the process, because there's *closure*. In so much of TV SF, *everything* has to be explained, often explained to death. I just love that in the B5 universe, it's okay for there to be mysteries and wonders and the unexplained. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 13 Message 105 Fri Mar 04, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 02:58 EST Wrong. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 13 Message 145 Mon Mar 07, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 03:41 EST I mentioned it up-topic; maybe someone has the number. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 13 Message 168 Fri Mar 11, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 00:01 EST Correct; the gates themselves are complex, extremely so, but they are limited in production mainly by available amounts of Q40. (Also, in most cases, a gate is a gate is a gate; there's not much difference between them visually.) And in the case of Sigma 957, one can put in a gate, start to explore that sector of space...and discover to your chagrin that there is one planet where you don't dare go near. It's not like they *knew* that there was a problem on Sigma 957 before they (the Narns) put the gate in; that was discovered only afterward. Sort of like buying a house and then discovering that one room is haunted; you seal off the room and tell the kids not to go near it. jms ------------ Category 19, Topic 13 Message 174 Fri Mar 11, 1994 STRACZYNSKI [Joe] at 14:38 EST You don't leave one gate and fly light years to another; you use the same gate for going in and going out. Explorer Ship A comes out of hyperspace; looks around; decides that there are planets in this area that are worth possible colonizing, exploitation, that sort of thing; it's a very quick overview. (Or they go to systems that have been already selected.) They construct a gate, finish the job, and move on. Other ships can now use this gate for entering and leaving this system. Is this clearer? jms ------------