=========================================================================== | This text is compiled from posts by J. Michael Straczynski on the Usenet | group rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5. This document contains material Copyright | 1994 J. Michael Straczynski. He has given permission for his words to be | redistributed online, as long as they are marked as being copyright JMS. | This document, as well as other Babylon-5 related material, is available | by anonymous FTP at ftp.hyperion.com. =========================================================================== From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 2 Jul 1994 23:58:42 -0400 Subject: DC Comics B5? We are trying to keep the B5 comic part of B5 continuity and canon,k though without the requirement that you have to read it to follow the show, because that would be vastly unfair. It just *fits*. I.e., we establish a prior relationship with a woman on Mars for Garibaldi, and she can show up in flashbacks in the book, or in the present. And yes, there is complete freedome to use Sinclair in the books since he's not entirely gone from the storyline at all, and still will carry a part. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 2 Jul 1994 23:58:45 -0400 Subject: JMS: hidden allusions and tips I think maybe 45-50% of our subtext and allusions have been noted to date, which is *real* good. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 4 Jul 1994 01:57:27 -0400 Subject: Violence-question for JMS No, so far the bullet-counters haven't much noticed B5, though they will in time, I'm sure. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 4 Jul 1994 01:57:30 -0400 Subject: Londo based on Brother Theodor Actually, no, Londo was not based on Brother Theodore, who I only discovered some time later on Letterman. But Harlan and Peter David mentioned at the panel that Brother Theodore could make a swell brother for Londo in some episode, so this is something I may consider.... jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 4 Jul 1994 01:57:33 -0400 Subject: JMS TV 31 cutting previews & c Will refer this to Warner Bros. programming on Tuesday. Thanks. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 4 Jul 1994 04:58:33 -0400 Subject: JMS: Do the actors know? Some of the actors know a bit of what will happen well down the road; some know what will happen during any given season; some don't want to know *anything*, just find it out during shooting. None of them knows the full story. And none have asked. I think the concern there is that they might begin playing the *result* rather than the process, that this prior knowledge might color their current performance, rather than making it a clean evolution. Sometimes it gets wonky. We filmed "Chrysalis" twelfth in shooting order, to air twenty-second. Part of the setup to "Chrysalis" is "Signs and Portents," which shot 4 episodes later. Meaning the actors had to act familiar with elements they hadn't performed yet, and hadn't seen yet in script form. So in that case, I had to sit down and explain what the various aspects of "Chrysalis" meant, and where we were going, for it all to play. Later, when "Signs" was published in-house, they got to see in more detail how the setup fit in with the payoff. If asked, I would probably try to refrain from telling any of the actors the full story. Let me rephrase: I simply wouldn't do it. If they would ask where their individual character is going -- and some have -- what I do is give them the general arc, but leave out a lot of specifics. For instance, Peter knows *in general* that his character is going in a darker direction, but not how he's going to get there or what it means to the overall story. And that, I think, is as it should be. Thus far, only three people other than myself have read the synopsis of the full five-year arc, which is 3 people more than I'm comfortable with. (One of them is Larry DiTillio, whose response was simply, "You're out of your fucking mind. You've *got* to be out of your fucking mind to think you can even TRY and do this on TV." Which seemed a pretty fair appraisal of the situation.) jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 4 Jul 1994 04:58:35 -0400 Subject: a question "How did Sinclair's duck thing get started?" Probably by watching an attractive woman walk across the room. jm(quack in residence)s From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 5 Jul 1994 05:27:44 -0400 Subject: Re: JMS: hidden allusions and Though you're correct about the shape of the EA symbol being a bit reminiscent of the Star of David...that wasn't the intent going in. We took the letter A, stretched it out, put a stylized E over it, and got the basic silhouette. The rest is happenstance. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 5 Jul 1994 05:27:46 -0400 Subject: ATTN JMS: Re-The Best CGI Crea Yeah, the Feeder is pretty cool; wrapped up Foundation's rendering machines for the better part of a week just to pull that one off. Alas, I really can't give out their address, as they'd hurt me badly. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 5 Jul 1994 05:27:48 -0400 Subject: JMS - yet another small questi The bays are called Cobra Bays because that's kind of the shape of the bays from the outside as they wrap around the front, round part of the station (narrow at one end, flaring out big at the other). The name refers to the look of the place, not what's stored inside. Will definitely keep on...well, spacin'.... jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 5 Jul 1994 05:27:50 -0400 Subject: Q: Naranek Aliens with two names: Kosh Naranek (not used yet in the show, but it's there), Londo Mollari, Vir Cotto. Single names: Delenn, Lennier. Composite names: Ko'Dath, Na'Toth, G'Kar. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 5 Jul 1994 05:27:53 -0400 Subject: JMS: Queries No, the dominant belief system in PoD is that there IS no dominant single belief...except our willingness to tolerate our diversity. Have never seen any Gundam, so no, no influence there. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 6 Jul 1994 00:47:24 -0400 Subject: Info gleaned from Chicago Comi Minor correction: the first B5 comic issue, "In Darkness Find Me," is the flip side of "Points of Departure," not "Midnight." jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 6 Jul 1994 02:59:44 -0400 Subject: What makes B5 different and sp Patrick: a truly excellent and well-thought out presentation. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 6 Jul 1994 02:59:46 -0400 Subject: What makes B5 different and sp Actually, one follow-up...one thing we've been very careful about is that when something is referenced in episode 9 that took place in episode 3, you don't *have* to have seen episode 3 for it to make sense; the information you need is collapsed or somehow incorporated into the dialogue in episode 9. Meaning that while VCRs and repeated viewings and groups can help to *predict* stuff, you don't need to have seen ANY prior episodes of the show to enjoy any one episode of the show. But the *more* you watch, the more you get out of it. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 6 Jul 1994 03:10:57 -0400 Subject: points of view in B5 storyboar If a story takes place in present tense, we can shift POVs around a bit; in the case of "Sky," we were *specifically* dealing with Sinclair's memory of events, thus limiting us to his POV. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 8 Jul 1994 00:25:50 -0400 Subject: Re: Grail SPOILERS Actually, no, the "forgery" story with the elderly couple didn't hold up, because repeating the steps they took didn't replicate the other crop circles. The stalks are bent, never broken, a counter- clockwise section beneath a clockwise section, the stalks continue to grow, and the bend seems more from heat than pressure. The forgery story was itself a fake, and has been largely discredited. Not to say that there isn't some other way of doing it, but that ain't it, and thus far, no one has been exactly capable of duplicating a proper crop circle. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 8 Jul 1994 00:46:14 -0400 Subject: Spioilers for "Quality of Merc ...awwwkkk...don't ever do that to me again...awwwkkkk! jm(thud!)s From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 8 Jul 1994 00:47:40 -0400 Subject: Transport MARY CELESTE ?! Yeah, it was a bit of *really* perverse humor...Jinxo survives all five Babylon stations, and leaves thinking all is well...on a ship named the Marie Celeste? We're a sick bunch, but we're fun. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 8 Jul 1994 03:38:54 -0400 Subject: Re: ATTN JMS: Re-The Best CGI Does someone get shot in something other than the shoulder? Oh, yes...most definitely.... jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 8 Jul 1994 03:38:57 -0400 Subject: Re: Info gleaned from Chicago The comics series is free to bop forward and backward in time, all over the B5 universe, wherever the writer wants to take it. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 8 Jul 1994 04:01:50 -0400 Subject: Re: What makes B5 different an Correct; the title of "The War Prayer" is a nod to Twain's piece of the same name, which should be ready by *everyone*. Given the growing problems with illiteracy, I try to refer not to pop society so much, as to literature...Tennyson, Twain, even writers whose last names don't begin with T. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 8 Jul 1994 17:49:51 -0400 Subject: Femme Fatales Article Cancelle Your information is behind the times; Femme Fatales magazine ran a piece on the Women of Babylon 5 quite some time ago. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 8 Jul 1994 17:49:53 -0400 Subject: jms: TRG songs? Yeah, I wrote all the lyrics for the songs in "The Halloween Door," including Egon's piece, and the lyrical (without music) goodbye to Poe, Bradbury and the rest. I've written a few songs here and there, a couple of which have actually been recorded, but I won't tell you where. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 8 Jul 1994 17:49:56 -0400 Subject: JMS: D.C. Fontana? (+ a flame) Dorothy is not exclusive to any other project, so there is every reason to expect to see more B5 from her next season (and, in fact, she is writing one now). jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 8 Jul 1994 17:49:58 -0400 Subject: Re: DiTillo at Westercon 4/2 I've conveyed as much of this discussion as I can, never having seen the original posting for some reason, to Larry DiTillio, and he is very upset about it, feeling that many of his comments have not been represented accurately or have been taken out of context. As far as the stations are concerned...it's the stations that are in partnership with Warners to form PTEN. PTEN "guidance" comes from the Executive Committee, which is a few representatives of that group. Every network show ever produced must have casting of regulars approved by the network. Ditto with the company that creates a syndicated show (usually the studio). It is the simple process of running the name or names past someone, for their approval, which is almost always assured unless the person is *very* controversial or just not right for the part. Every show ever produced goes through this process, and it is exactly the same with B5. We proposed the names for our cast, and they were approved. It's as basic as that. If Larry grumped a bit, it was because he was in the process of trying to pass a kidney stone at the time, which always makes him cranky. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 9 Jul 1994 02:11:46 -0400 Subject: JMS: Voting Procedure of Coun We didn't have the League of Non-Aligned Worlds up and running for the pilot. They get one vote, determined by majority decision. EAch mamber of the main Advisory Council gets one vote, equal to that. In "Deathwalker," you had one abstention (Kosh), two to try her (EA and League), and three against the trial (Narns, Centauri and Minbari). Abstentions don't count either way in such a vote; it's the negatives vs. the positives, and there were more no's than yes's. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 9 Jul 1994 04:06:14 -0400 Subject: Re: DiTillo at Westercon 4/2 Once again, some of this is getting distorted. We are looking for the best person to play this new role. Once we decide who it is we want, we will run this past PTEN for their approval. It is nothing more or less than this. Bostwick, who I personally very much wanted to work with, was NOT -- repeat, *not* -- turned down by PTEN. We courted him for a bit, but in the final analysis he decided that he didn't want to do a syndicated series. We have only this week, for the first time, formally presented the name of a prospective actor to PTEN. As stated, Larry was in considerable discomfort due to a kidney stone, and has been more or less out of the loop, due to working on his first script and not formally beginning his term yet as story editor for this season. As one example of this...the line that Sinclair will not be seen until *after* the second season is also incorrect. We have already shot a sequence with Sinclair, which is slated for the second season. Larry is very bothered about how this is being distorted, and he told me to remind certain people that he specifically said that if any of this turned up on the nets, he would find the person responsible, go to their home and kill them. Granted, he was on painkillers at the time, but *I* certainly wouldn't push it. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 9 Jul 1994 04:06:17 -0400 Subject: JMS: Minbari Worrior Casts Well, we'll be learning more about the warrior caste, that most definitely...as for the worrior castes...they're really a bunch of downers. "Look, the economy, it's in trouble again...Earthers, hoo boy, what a pain they're going to be, we don't want they should move in next door, you see how they make noise...is there something on my nose?" jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 9 Jul 1994 23:53:54 -0400 Subject: JMS: opening sequence changes I will be better able to comment on changes in the opening montage after we have made them. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 9 Jul 1994 23:53:56 -0400 Subject: EYES As story editor, Larry's job is to get it right as much as possible, and keep the dialogue natural to the characters once created. He's good at this, which is why I work with him. And yes, Janet is a *great* director, and will probably do the first episode of year two for us. We think she's nifty. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 11 Jul 1994 15:27:34 -0400 Subject: Reflections on "Grail" John Flinn, who is our DP, has at various times also been an actor, and so we used him to play Mr. Flinn in the episode as well. A cameo by yet another member of our talented and multifaceted production team. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 11 Jul 1994 15:35:46 -0400 Subject: A problem with S&P I hate to burst your bubble, but the Raider ship *was* rotating. Look at it again. It's most visible when the ship is being photographed from behind with B5 in the background. You can see the round part of the ship rotating (with the docking bay at center). jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 11 Jul 1994 19:27:53 -0400 Subject: B5 Ratings Just a couple points on the ratings cited...the reruns which were being broadcast at that time (and reruns get lower numbers anyway) were being killed by the NBA playoffs and finals, which were going on in the same timeslot. (Actually, throughout June, everybody was getting hit to some degree; we got it worse because we were at 8 in many markets opposite the NBA, but it ain't that much of a difference.) From the overnights on "Grail," we're pretty much back where we were prior to reruns, a definite jump upward...an increase of about two ratings points. Cost-wise, btw, we're about the same price as "Kung Fu," so there isn't much difference in that respect. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 12 Jul 1994 00:32:11 -0400 Subject: Update to Babylon 5 Dictionary Re: no entry for the O...Ombuds. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 12 Jul 1994 00:51:10 -0400 Subject: JMS:Re: Second Vorlon If you ever *do* see a group of Vorlons on this show...run like hell. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 12 Jul 1994 01:09:21 -0400 Subject: JMS: Please, NOOOOOOO! This is getting vastly misrepresented. What we're doing, which is something I noted here a long time ago, is trying to balance stuff a little. We did a *great* job, I think, creating the alien characters; so much so that our human characters kinda got short shrift over the course of the first season. Year Two will show us a bit more of the humans on the station; that is NOT the same as downplaying the aliens, and we're most emphatically NOT doing that. In point of fact, *all* of the major alien characters will be appearing (by contract) in more episodes than was the case last year. Even the diplomatic attaches like Vir and Lennier go from 6-7 episodes last year to 13 this coming year. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 12 Jul 1994 01:10:48 -0400 Subject: Attn: JMS What do you want? We'll continue to work at intensifying the relationships across the coming episodes. "Eyes" does a lot, as do several more upcoming episodes. As for "What do you want?" Morden...yes, he is a very significant character, and yes, you will be seeing him again. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 12 Jul 1994 01:12:13 -0400 Subject: Babylon 5 Filk Singers to Hono Elena...with all due respect...you were a Nazi in a previous life, weren't you? jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 12 Jul 1994 02:16:16 -0400 Subject: Who founded the Babylon Projec David...what an absolutely wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful question. I think I'll answer this in an episode next season. It's something that I've known, and just filed away, but yeah, this should be dealt with. And I'll do so. (Though now you have to wait to see it on TeeVee.) jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 12 Jul 1994 18:05:59 -0400 Subject: Uniforms Your initial appraisal of the uniforms seems correct. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 12 Jul 1994 21:47:44 -0400 Subject: Misinformed The way to defuse your potted pal is as follows: 1) DS9 is a direct spinoff of TNG, which is owned by Paramount. No one could pitch a ST spinoff elsewhere. 2) DS9 was created by Berman/Pillar, who were under contract to Paramount working on TNG, and thus would not have pitched it to Warner Bros. at any time. 3) B5 dates back to 1987. If he would like to see some sneaky references to it in print, tell him to go check out a copy of OtherSyde, my second novel, published in around 1990, which contains a reference to Babylon 5. Also, if he has a bunch of old Starlogs, if he wants to check in around 1988, he will find an interview with me in which one of the things mentioned is that I'm working to sell a show called Babylon 5. A final reference to B5 is in an episode of Captain Power called "Final Stand," which I slipped in for funsies. Your potted (to use your phrase) pal's obstinate opinions are irrelevant; the facts, in hard print, speak for themselves. He's got things in reverse; B5 was pitched to Paramount in 1989; DS9 was never pitched to Warners. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 12 Jul 1994 21:47:47 -0400 Subject: Re: JMS' Real Ghostbusters I believe the episode in question (yes, one of mine) was entitled "Take Two," and ended with actual footage of the movie. The wonderful part about that episode of TRGBs -- and this is something I kinda aimed at while writing it -- is that there are now whole bunches of kids out there who are absolutely *convinced* that the animated series came first, THEN the movie based on it. The only thing better than messing with somebody's sense of reality is messing with a whole LOTTA people's sense of reality.... jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 13 Jul 1994 01:11:07 -0400 Subject: Question about Sinclairs statu Is it a conflict of interest...yes and no. Sinclair functions much as a military governor in, for instance, California's past. Someone in this position may speak on behalf of his government with neighboring countrires, and represent others. Does it sometimes lead into a conflict of interest? Yes. Is it sometimes unfair? Yes. Which is kinda like life, and that's why I rather like putting him in an awkward position. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 13 Jul 1994 04:09:38 -0400 Subject: Thanks and praise! jeremy: thanks. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 13 Jul 1994 04:17:45 -0400 Subject: JMS: .plan files Email between folks is the best way to discuss story ideas; I think someone here put together a big list of folks doing it. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 13 Jul 1994 04:30:23 -0400 Subject: Re: Religion Kevin is correct, I'm an atheist. I'm also a human. Part of my job (such as it is) is to try to come up with aliens that are at least fairly realistic, and treat them with respect. How then is it any different for an atheist to treat religion with respect? Particularly when that is all that most atheists request from religionists...that we be treated with respect (as opposed to our good old pal George Bush, who at a Chicago airport news conference, said in answer to a question that he didn't think atheists could really be considered patriots since this is supposed to be one nation under god). Many people seem to have commented here on the notion that it is remarkable to see an atheist treating religion as much as it gets treated here, and as well as it gets treated here. As Kevin originally pointed out in his note, we deal with the issue a *lot*, generally in positive ways. I don't think it's remarkable at all. A writer's job is to be honest, and try to avoid skewing stories to meet some personal agenda. Religion has been with us for thousands of years, and it ain't going away tomorrow or the day after or in the next 250 years. Individual religions may come and go, but the totality of it...no. Won't happen. In addition, on one level it must be respected, if I chose privately to disagree with it: it is one more reflection of humanity's desire, its need to understand the universe around us. Early man was stunned by the sheer wonder of the world around us, stumbled for some way to explain it ...and, not being able to lay one's hand on a microscope, or an atom smasher, or a copy of the Origin of Species, turned to the only tools around at the time. The instinct, to explain stuff, is exactly the same instinct that drives any scientist or rationalist; only the methodology and means of codification vary. The religious explanation remains carved in stone (or tablets), where the scientific explanation is in a constant state of re-examination and flux. But the intent behind both is the same. I do not tolerate religious extremists. Neither do I tolerate atheist extremists. This nation was forged in the fires of diversity, and it is in a multitude of voices that you can hear the true sound of this nation. Or, put slightly differently....do unto others as you would have them do unto you. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 13 Jul 1994 05:49:42 -0400 Subject: Re: ATT: JMS - Happy Birthday! ...bah, humbug.... jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 14 Jul 1994 01:25:05 -0400 Subject: Question for JMS, Re: Mind War Some of the events in "Mind War" are significant indeed. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 14 Jul 1994 03:43:32 -0400 Subject: Who is JMS? I often find myself wondering the same thing sometimes.... jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 14 Jul 1994 03:43:35 -0400 Subject: Re: Light Brigade My original thought there was Tennyson, but I was also aware of the song, which I like as well. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 14 Jul 1994 16:16:15 -0400 Subject: "Voice"... The preview seen for next week is not for "Voice," but for "Legacies," which airs just prior to "Voice." jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 14 Jul 1994 16:16:20 -0400 Subject: JMS: A Starfury Question I believe they are used to control the thrust coming out of the engines. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 14 Jul 1994 16:47:56 -0400 Subject: JMS: "Eyes" Nods and Questions Will have to ask Larry about Interweb, but it could easily have been a reference. The masks were the basic (though somewhat modified) tragedy and comedy masks, associated with theater. And a couple of times, Ivanova's mother does use the Russian nickname for her as well as the English version. Susan was taught and raised to a large extent overseas, and they always tried to keep her in both worlds. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 14 Jul 1994 16:56:08 -0400 Subject: Re: *REALLY* Bad Previews Warners sometimes feels the need to "enhance" the shows through the promos...and sometimes they enhance them right into an alternate dimension.... jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 14 Jul 1994 16:56:11 -0400 Subject: Reflections on "Eyes" (SPOILER Yes, Psi Corps members must wear the Psi symbol at all times when in public. (Though since Grey was there undercover, that briefly went by the boards.) And we've rebuilt the forced perspective in the central corridor for year two, using a 3D construction rather than a matte, and it looks a hell of a lot better. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 15 Jul 1994 00:46:44 -0400 Subject: Eyes--maybe a 5. JMS a child o Sorry, but I don't agree with you about the characters being one dimensional. (Big surprise.) Londo...sometimes comic figure, sometimes tragic figure, in later episodes sometimes hero, and later still, something much darker. G'Kar...much the same, but never at the same time. As far as government types go...in the episode you cite, we show a Psi Corp rep who was *not* an evil type or an asshole. In "Survivors" we showed a government agent -- the head of presidential security -- who was in fact not a baddie at all. Had some issues, but was at heart okay. I could point to the Soul Hunter, who was doing what he believed was right, which others believed was a horror. I could point to "Believers," which was nothing BUT shades of grey. How can you say that the show demonstrates all government employees as being evil or stupid when, after all, our main human characters are themselves employees of the government? I could go on and on and on...but don't really see much point to it. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 15 Jul 1994 00:46:48 -0400 Subject: JMS: Grey's Psi rating? Mr. Grey would've been a P10. PsiCops are P12s. PsiCorps administrators at the upper reaches are P11 or better. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 16 Jul 1994 00:10:03 -0400 Subject: JMS - Credits: An idle questio Credits are negotiated by agents. Starring is basically that, your main stars appearing in every episode; also starring are recurring cast members; with refers to recurring cast who are pointed to specifically. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 16 Jul 1994 03:40:06 -0400 Subject: Ed Wasser Guerra was one of the dome techs, who worked down in the pit during the Vorlon attack, and during the explosion sequence. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 16 Jul 1994 03:46:58 -0400 Subject: ATTN JMS: The Ride Yes, in season two, we'll be seeing a lot of the jumpgates from up close, and straight through. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 16 Jul 1994 19:15:13 -0400 Subject: JMS: Speculation It's happened a few times, when someone's speculated too close to a coming story, and for reasons of concern over lawsuit, I've dropped it. So far it's only involved smaller B stories, but it has its moments of inconvenience, yes. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 16 Jul 1994 19:48:49 -0400 Subject: Re: Drumhead parallels Brett has already uploaded some of my comments from elsewhere on this topic. Let me only emphasize some stuff here. As stated, Larry never SAW the Drumhead. We generally make it a point NOT to watch what's done on ST to avoid being influenced. Second, the basic ending which you feel is strictly ST's can be seen in the Caine Mutiny, A Few Good Men and others. "Eyes" was a direct consequence of all that preceded it in our first season. It came about because Larry suggested that with all that Sinclair has done, sooner or later somebody's going to take notice back on Earth. There would have to be some kind of investigation. Because we are doing some very specific things with the Psi Corps this year and next, which I wanted to foreshadow, a PC telepath was inserted into the story, to show that they are starting to get a foothold into the military, with new laws concerning scans. We knocked the story back and forth for some time, and it went through many different permutations. We also figured that the episode should be kind of a Cliff's Notes guide to season one, hitting the high points for those who joined the series later than those who were here at the beginning. The ending also went through various changes, but what made the most logical sense was to get the Colonel to admit bias in some fashion or another...and the only way to do this really was to get him so angry, so furious, that he'd incriminate himself enough, or open the door enough for Mr. Grey to verify the bias. That was how the structure was arrived at. I was there. It had nothing -- *nothing* -- whatsoever to do with the Drumhead, which I have a vague memory was written by Jeri Taylor, who is a friend of mine, and further invalidates the very idea. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 16 Jul 1994 19:48:50 -0400 Subject: Ninja likely *not* paid for Correct; Kawasaki did not pay us a dime to use the bike in the show. We called around, to see who would loan us a bike, with the understanding that we'd be tearing it apart. Because Kawasaki does advertise with some of the PTEN shows, someone there had a relationship with the company, and gave us a name. After we tried a couple of other companies, we tried Kawasaki, and they agreed...not a donated bike, just a loaner. And that's what we used. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 16 Jul 1994 22:16:35 -0400 Subject: JMS KBVO Fox 42 does voice ove Alas, it ain't no violation.... jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 17 Jul 1994 00:37:14 -0400 Subject: CD information I'm sure that once the CD rom is out, this info will get distilled into various ftp sites. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 17 Jul 1994 00:50:45 -0400 Subject: JMS: Laserdisks I don't at this point know when the series will be out on disk; my guess it that it won't happen until a third year, when there will be enough at one time to make the transfer process from standard-screen to original-format widescreen more financially reasonable; do it all in bulk. Ironheart blew out the Omega starfuries. And more money for Caitlin wasn't the problem. She wants to do more feature films as a leading lady, rather than being a face behind a mask. It's that simple. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 17 Jul 1994 04:33:16 -0400 Subject: JMS: Explain the Eyes trailer? I have nothing to do with the trailers, except to sit in awe and astonishment, trying to recognize my episode in the trailer, which is a chancy business at best. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 17 Jul 1994 18:21:26 -0400 Subject: "Eyes" too much like TNG You may want to reconsider your message after you see "Chrysalis." jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 17 Jul 1994 18:21:29 -0400 Subject: JMS: Speculation and Copyright I guess the point where the line gets crossed is where it goes from speculation in the form of a question, to speculation in the form of a full-blown story suggestion. "Maybe what this means is that in a future episode, Sinclair will be changed into a large pink fez, which G'Kar finds and sells to Londo, who....." You get the idea. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 17 Jul 1994 21:39:08 -0400 Subject: Re: JMS' Real Ghostbusters Yeah, I knew Lorenzo Music while we were doing the show, but not afterward; we never really hung out or anything. He's a roundish, friendly kind of guy. We always had to separate him from Frank Welker and Maurice LeMarche in the sound studio, because if they were *ever* in close proximity, all kinds of hell would break out. One day they got into a competition to do celebrity farts...little Doris Day squibs, a George C. Scott roller...we managed to keep it together until Frank let fly with his version of a William Conrad thunderer...which went on and on and on... windows blew out...buttons flew off shirts...and when it finally came to its conclusion, *no one* was able to do *anything* for about twenty minutes. Shut *everything* down. No one could keep a straight face or get a line out. And Frank just sat there, smiling innocently. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 18 Jul 1994 00:36:32 -0400 Subject: Re: "Eyes" too much like TNG Re: Sinclair/Garibaldi/Ivanova basically liking each other; this will tend to stay, for many reasons. One of the things that grates on mhy nerves about some dramatic TV is that they invent phony tensions and reasons for the main characters to bitch at each other, that generally don't mean a lot. Also, we see a lot of conflict in other shows, but not a whole lot of what *friendship* means. And loyalty. These three are friends, as well as co-officers; they will go to bat for one another, will if necessary die for one another. I find that a lovely emotion. There are plenty of others who argue with them, and plenty of other shows in which the main characters yell at each other all the time; why not explore the other end of the spectrum? I will grant you that this is one of the more idosyncratic parts of the show; I have always placed a very high premium on friendship...my friends know that they can call me at midnight, and even if they're on the other side of the country, or the planet, I'll be there on the first plane if they're in trouble. And I know I can do the same with them. For some reason friendship, and loyalty, have become kind of passe in TV, and movies, and many other areas, as I think of it. So for me, this becomes something worth communicating. Bear in mind, though, that after this season, Sinclair goes elsewhere, and suddenly there's a new dynamic introduced into the show, which no one is entirely sure how to deal with. It disrupts them, and that is for the good, I think, as they try and work it out and decide whether or not they can trust one another. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 18 Jul 1994 16:15:30 -0400 Subject: JMS: There he goes again <*> Hey, a man's gotta have *some* fun.... jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 18 Jul 1994 16:15:33 -0400 Subject: General question on writing fo I have never seen *any* scriptwriting seminar that was worth $400 for a couple days. You would be best advised to take that money and buy $400 worth of scripts, the best-written scripts you can find. Read every one of them three times. By the time you have done that, you will have learned far more than you could have *ever* learned in any seminar. And I have my own problems with McKee's school of thought as well, but that's another story. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 18 Jul 1994 16:45:15 -0400 Subject: JMS: WLFLTV 22 Struck by Light Boy, those Paramount guys'll stop at nothing, y'know...? jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 19 Jul 1994 00:21:16 -0400 Subject: Attn: JMS: Local TV Stations We do what we can with the stations, which ain't much. Regarding future stuff...any time information is needed from prior episodes in a current episode, that information is *always* restated somewhere in the current episode, so it doesn't matter really if you miss a prior episode, you can follow it just fine. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 24 Jul 1994 21:39:32 -0400 Subject: I want to see some B5 stuff so We kinda sat on merchandising for the first year; now there's a bit coming out. Shirts, mugs and stuff from Creation (and others, whose names escape me at the moment), a CDROM in the winter from Compton's, a CD soundtrack around November, a comic from DC and some original novels from Dell (first one by John Vornholt). Trying to keep it manageable to maintain quality control over the stuff. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 24 Jul 1994 21:51:43 -0400 Subject: Re: Strong women's roles in "L Funny, I kinda thought that Dr. Maya Hernandez in "Believers" was an average (in the sense of not being a beauty queen) type person. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 24 Jul 1994 21:53:08 -0400 Subject: EA/Babylon 5 Uniforms Sinclair and other officers are pure EA military, so they get the EA pins on the chest. (Also the techs wear them in the dome, and others in charge of various divisions.) Security is under the jurisdiction of EA, but are a separate component, staffed under B5 financing. These, and medical, and scientific and environmental and other areas have their own symbol, which is worn on their chest and shoulder. You can tell who works for EA because they have the EA also on their shoulder, whereas those who are employed directly by B5 have the B5 symbol on their shoulder. The patches connote specialization: command is a starburst, lines that radiate into every area; security is a gunsight/targeting symbol; medical is a stylized medicine symbol, and so on. Sinclair and Ivanova wear their officer's bars on their epaulets; not the triangular part per se, but the bars at the very far end of the epaulet, below the triangles. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 24 Jul 1994 21:53:11 -0400 Subject: Re: SURROUND Sound.....Oh yeah Just for clarification, while Chris does a great job on the music, the sound mix is done in the studio with our regular sound guys, who do the surround mix. We spend a *lot* of time getting the mix to sound just right, to take full advantage of the surround channels. A lot of the credit here goes to George Johnsen, our co-producer, who is an absolute perfectionist about this stuff. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 24 Jul 1994 23:33:48 -0400 Subject: A thought about psi talents... Interesting, innit, how they suddenly blossomed like that...? jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 24 Jul 1994 23:33:51 -0400 Subject: Misinformed Yes, you're exactly right about the references in Writer's Digest; I'd totally forgotten about them. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 24 Jul 1994 23:44:54 -0400 Subject: Babylon 5 Frequently Asked Que What does it do to the grand scheme? Not much, really...except it allows us to broaden out the story and expand the scope of things. It all still proceeds on track. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 25 Jul 1994 01:50:50 -0400 Subject: Re: babylon 5 w/o sinclair? Re: Patrick McGoohan...this was a thought I had as well at one point, but we forget sometimes about the passing of time; #6 is ageless, but Patrick is now in his late 60s/early 70s. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 25 Jul 1994 01:50:54 -0400 Subject: Season 2 name? Overall title for season two: "The Coming of Shadows." jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 26 Jul 1994 00:53:27 -0400 Subject: Re: I want to see some B5 stuf No model contracts as yet; there have been some inquiries, but I don't believe anything's been finalized yet. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 26 Jul 1994 00:55:55 -0400 Subject: Points of Departure. The idea of a Chrysalis II went by the boards once I really got into the script, and realized that C1 had tipped over too many tables to even HOPE to resolve them in one follow-up episode. So the threads yanked in C1 will be paid off over several episodes, hence no C2; the first episode of year two is "Points of Departure." jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 26 Jul 1994 00:56:00 -0400 Subject: Re: Voices in the Wilderniss. Stuff like wearing gloves is only enforced if you're a member of Psi Corps; Allysa wasn't. In addition, though she had P10 *potential*, the talent was sporadic, came and went. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 27 Jul 1994 00:33:38 -0400 Subject: Is there an Executive Producer My GEnie/Internet gateway was down for the better part of a week; all back now. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 27 Jul 1994 00:33:41 -0400 Subject: Mars & Psi Corps Actually, the Psi Corp rep did mention that the Free Mars movement has been growing over the years, but that no one knew that they were quite this well organized, or well-armed, the sign of a good resistance; not that they "didn't know anything about the revolt." Just a clarification. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 27 Jul 1994 00:33:44 -0400 Subject: **JMS: Telepaths (was Voices i Yes, the abilities are often discrete; a TK may not be able to scan anyone's thoughts. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 27 Jul 1994 03:11:00 -0400 Subject: JMS: B5 Editorial: Lamentable So in other words 2001 and Blade Runner don't qualify as decent SF? I put this in the "get a life" category. If seeing a name of a product on the back of a wall "consumes the great potential of the series," if that's all the person can see...I'm sorry, but that's that person's problem, not mine. B5 takes place in the real universe, as much as we can make it such. We use language and cultural references that go back hundreds of years. One element was for a story point, the other was nominally a gag...deal with it. That's part of our culture too. Basically, for somebody to shitcan an entire series because he didn't like a sign he saw in the back of a room...hey, stop watching. You're right; "Star Trek does not do this." Which is as much incentive as anything else to DO it. Yessir...we've certainly seen how Blade Runner and 2001 and the Terminator and Alien Nation and Enemy Mine have been ruined for all time by such things. And let me add one other thing: we didn't make a dime off that stuff, no one paid Babylonian Productions to include it. How ANYONE can turn to me and say with a straight face that this kind of commercialism (done twice in one year) will ruin B5 and use STAR TREK -- STAR frigging TREK, the single most merchandised, licensed property in the history of television -- as an example of SF purity is out of his mind. It was STAR TREK, as noted in Engel's book, and Shatner's as well I believe, that stuck an IDIC symbol in in order to merchandise it; it's STAR TREK that changed Federation costumes between TNG and DS9 specifically so they would have another whole set of costumes to merchandise. On our behalf, we have resisted over-licensing, doing only a little, if we can exert quality control. I have deliberately fought against this show becoming a "franchise." We have *nothing* to apologize for. And I suggest to this person, as he sits wearing his Star Trek uniform, and his Star Trek communicator pin and his Star Trek phaser, and his Star Trek PJs, beside his collection of Star Trek pins, shirts, iron-ons, glow-in-the-dark Kirks and Spocks, Enterprise models, books and cutouts...as they say in the bible, take the log out of your own eye before you try to remove the splinter from your neighbor's eye. To hold up Star Trek: The Franchise as the model of untouched non-commercial purity is the most laughable thing I have heard in *years*. "B5 has brought the whole ediface crashing down by the blatant inclusion of advertising for commercial products." What the hell do you think Star Trek *IS*? (Leaving aside the story aspects for the moment, as he does for us.) All the stuff you see on ST is for SALE. Phasers, costumes, enterprises, pointy ears...they are ALL "commercial products." Which makes the show, on one level, one MASSIVE advertisement. Look...I got nothing against ST, or against ST licensing it's brains out. I think it's terrific. But for somebody, ANYbody, to use ST in this way as wonderful and free of commercial considerations, and hit US in this regard...give me a break. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 27 Jul 1994 03:11:03 -0400 Subject: Re: JMS: B5 Editorial: Lamenta RE: Coke being more "reasonable" in Blade Runner because it's closer...that doesn't seem to be the point of the original post. It's ANY "commercial product" in a show that ruins it. Extrapolation doesn't6 seem to enter into it. Which is what makes it, in my view, a doofus note. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 27 Jul 1994 03:12:27 -0400 Subject: JMS: B5 Editorial: Lamentable And just let me underline this again, on the "the sole motivation of this is money" (like Paramount produces ST because they think it'll cure cancer).... The Babylon 5 production company received no money from either of these companies. Okay? If your "reviewer" is going to start making charges like that, he had better learn to get his facts straight. Second, on the notion that current companies won't be around 200 years from now...there are companies here in the US that go back to the 1700s; there are companies overseas that go back 500 years or more. This is as absurd as saying, in the 1800s, that by gosh, that Guiness company in Dublin won't last past the end of the century.... jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 27 Jul 1994 04:17:26 -0400 Subject: B5 in Australia, Infection, S& "Infection" is definitely not indicative of the season overall; that is, in my view, one of our weaker, possibly weakest episodes. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 27 Jul 1994 16:26:23 -0400 Subject: JMS: Recasting Na'Toth Rumour Actually, no, it's not a rumor; I'd mentioned this some time ago, but apparently some didn't see it.... So to repeat: we'd had to replace Mary Woronov with virtually no notice after we found that she really had a hard time with the narn prosthetics (wouldn't wear the contacts, and other stuff). In a panic, our casting director called in a favor from Caitlin Brown, who is mainly a leading-lady type actor. She came in and, in fact, for the first episode (shooting almost immediately afterward) wore a variation of the Ko'Dath makeup, because there wasn't time to make one specific to her. She came in without being under the 5-year option that generally exists in these situations. Did one year, about 9 episodes, as Na'Toth. And had to turn down a couple of leading-female parts. During the hiatus, she did a romantic lead character in a film with Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep. And had to ask the hard question: do I continue to grow as a romantic lead actor in feature films, or play Na'Toth? She is a VERY gorgeous woman, and felt awkward hiding behind the mask and cutting herself out of leading female parts in feature films to do it. We went 'round and 'round about this for some time, it was a very difficult decision for her because she likes the show and everyone here, but finally opted out. On one level it's a pain in the butt, but we respect her decision. And it *is* her call, not ours. (Quick aside...pfffttthhpplttt to those who, in their theory that Sinclair/O'Hare quit, said that I'd naturally say it was mutual because I could never say it was the actors choice because somehow I'd get in trouble. No, I *would* say it if O'Hare had opted out on his own. And in this case, that's exactly what happened.) We didn't recast Sinclair because that character is going somewhere from whence he may (and will) return, and because that serves the story; in this case, we are recasting Na'Toth. By the end of season one, Na'Toth knows stuff that I need that character, G'Kar's aide, to know. (Though I was briefly tempted to do the Murphy Brown Secretary line, with G'Kar getting a new aide every so often due to terrible airlock accidents...but I went to lay down for a while and the notion passed.) So no, it's not a rumor, it's quite true. In fact, we just finished up a casting session and found someone who's very right for the part; and though we weren't confined to this, is actually about the same height, same build, same attitude as Caitlin, and whose voice is very similar. I don't think much difference will be noted in the long run, really. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 27 Jul 1994 16:26:26 -0400 Subject: Re: JMS: B5 Editorial: Lamenta Yes, you're absolutely right; we have maybe half Trek's budget. If someone said, as you posit, "Here...stick this futuristic Pepsi can in the background of one of your episodes, as was done with Enemy Mine, and you'll get five hundred thousand dollars you can use to make a better show," I'd do it in a hot second. Absolutely. Because it would let us do bigger, and better, and spiffier episodes, tell even grander stories, hire REALLY big-name actors for guest spots...yeah, I'd do it. It's just that it didn't happen *here*. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 27 Jul 1994 16:57:28 -0400 Subject: Re: JMS: B5 Editorial: Lamenta Actually, the idea of Zima lasting even into 1995 is hysterical. I keep fighting the urge to have some guy show up on B5, "Zo then I zays to him, nize ztation"...and five Narns just jump on him and beat the shit out of him, WHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAM! jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 28 Jul 1994 00:25:13 -0400 Subject: Legacies Dune refer? No, the name was not the same; his title was the Shai Alyt, his name was Branmer. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 28 Jul 1994 04:45:09 -0400 Subject: Cliffhanger city! (A Voice in I don't recall Ivanova ever telling Sinclair not to go exploring a planet; could you give me a reference on that one re: the about-face? Re: showing nothing and thus pondering nothing...hey, it's zen! jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 28 Jul 1994 04:45:11 -0400 Subject: Cry ... Spoiler warning, some As you will discover in part two, the system on the planet is breaking down, malfunctioning; there wasn't a concerted, organized attack, it was some automatic systems going on their own. The alien WANTED to get found, that's why his image appeared, beckoning them, and asked them for help. You're composing the problem in terms of an all-out offensive; it wasn't. It was one segment of a system that is breaking down. (In general, it's a good idea to check out both parts of a two-part episode before making story conclusions; some people have already missed the boat bigtime on a few things.) A First Contact situation is one unlike any other: you don't want junior officers around to screw it up. Remember, the Earth/Minbari WAr began when a First Contact situation got screwed up. EA's policy is that it's better to risk two people than a full war, and those two people have got to be command-level personnel. Soldiers get killed; it happens. And yeah, you can leave a backup person at the shuttle...but what if *he's* the one to make actual first contact? You're screwed. Ivanova and Sinclair have been trained in this; in "Soul Hunter," Sinclair makes reference to the rules of First Contact Protocol. If you like, I'll elaborate on this in some future episode. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 28 Jul 1994 04:45:13 -0400 Subject: Re: JMS: B5 Editorial: Lamenta Do not twist my words around. I don't like it. When I said that Zima making it to 1995 was "hysterical," I was not making fun of people or kids who are or become alcoholics. I grew up in an alcoholic family, and there is *nothing* whatsoever funny in that, nor was that intended in my message. It was strictly a comment about the product probably not making it past 1994. Period. Don't go off on tirades against my message that have nothing to do with what i wrote, and then try and blame it on me. That's not what I said, not what I wrote, not what was meant. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 29 Jul 1994 00:34:14 -0400 Subject: "Voice in Wilderness" forbiden Re: the commander and Ivanova going...remember, this is a First Contact situation, and that requires the presence of at minimum one command officer under EA regs. Two is preferred. You don't want junior officers hanging around or taking hostile stances which might provoke a fight. Remember that the last major First Contact situation was with the Minbari, which went afoul and gave us the Earth/Minbari War. EA would rather lose two replaceable officers than start another war via misunderstanding or a fouled move. This is a part of their First Contact Protocol, referenced in "Soul Hunter." (I should probably expand upon this a bit in future episodes.) jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 29 Jul 1994 00:34:15 -0400 Subject: Re: "Voice in Wilderness" forb RE: the big bridge shot...the storyboard artist came up with 3 shots we could use. One of them was a wide shot across a crystalline ground like area, through which a path can be seen at ground level, but it was narrow and still really didn't convey the scale of what I wanted. One other was not much different. The third was a downshot designed to pull back, and though I knew it would make folks say "Krell!", I knwe that it was the right shot for that scene, so chose that one and decided to live with it. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 29 Jul 1994 03:38:49 -0400 Subject: Reflections on "Voice" (part 1 Actually, this was not the first B5 or Sinclair had heard about the escalating problem on Mars; remember, that was the main reason that Ben Zayn had been sent to B5 in "Eyes," smoking out sympathisers with the Free Mars movement. Also, the fissure wasn't created by the quakes; Tasaki mentions it was artificial, but nudged open by the tremors. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 29 Jul 1994 03:40:14 -0400 Subject: Was "Voice" the Season Finale? Nope, you've got a few more to go. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 29 Jul 1994 03:47:01 -0400 Subject: JMS: Re: B-4 and Sinclair No commander had yet been assigned to B4; the highest ranking command personnel there was Major Krantz, whose job it was to supervise construction. It was barely operational for 48 hours when it blipped out. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 29 Jul 1994 05:00:54 -0400 Subject: Re: "Voice" (pt 1) quibble (sp Re: your suspenders of disbelief becoming unhitched.... You will learn how the alien knows English in the next part of the two parter. (Hint: after all, he's been there for a long while, in a high-tech machine...you'd think maybe he could monitor transmissions.) I don't think the Sinclair or Ivanova did automatically believe him; but they also had no real reason *not* to believe him. And granted the place was going to hell, quakes and danger. He wasn't armed, he seems rather sick, had to be helped away, almost carried...they won't turn the station over to him, they'll keep him isolated on the station, but there was no reason *not* to try and help him. How do you know he's a good guy? You don't. But he wasn't exactly imprisoned in that thing; it was a support, more than anything else, as was shown by the fact that they were able to get him out fairly easily. (And yes, your first guess was correct, it is a life support gizmo.) Regards to your suspenders. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 30 Jul 1994 01:32:45 -0400 Subject: Interesting lines in "Voice" It seems to me that every generation thinks that things are changing, usually for the worse. In some cases, they may be right. The B5 story is set at a point in time where things are very much in a state of flux. Every so often, the wheel turns. Everybody's feeling a sense of growing uncertainty, of the chairs being moved around. They're right. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 30 Jul 1994 03:57:30 -0400 Subject: JMS: Naming Babylon 5? Started with the notion of prior stations which hadn't worked out, made up a rough timeline, and settled on this being the last attempt, at #5. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 30 Jul 1994 04:22:44 -0400 Subject: JMS:Writing "Voice" It was always intended to be a two-parter, and was written that way. Background: the B5 2-hour pilot has done VERY well overseas in cassette form. Many of the prejudices in the american press that caused us problems don't exist overseas (it's done *extremely* well in Japan on laserdisk, in Germany, and England, among others). So they asked if we could do a two-parter that could be sold as a two-hour episode overseas. By all means, sez I. So I structured it accordingly. Bit of B5 trivia: during the dead of winter last year, I got hit by the flu as badly as I've ever been hit. Temperature so high that I was near delerious at times, but refused to go to the hospital (I don't like doctors, and I was under deadline and couldn't afford the potential time away.) We're talking mondo sicko here. It was during this time that I wrote "The Quality of Mercy," a script which I have *no* memory of ever writing. I know it's here, and I know I wrote it on an intellectual level, but the process...gone in the fever. It was also around this time -- either at the top or bottom of the flu, I can't remember now -- that I wrote the "Voice" two parter. And here's the trivia part...this isn't the original two-parter that I wrote. My brain already deteriorating, I wrote something that even I could see wasn't up to par. Wrote the entire two-hour script. Printed it up, and gave it to Doug and John. Before they could even respond, I looked at it and decided it had to go. So I trashed the entire script. By now we were getting very close to pre-production, and I was getting sicker and sicker...but I more or less locked myself in my office, swallowed down massive amounts of vitamins (as much as my stomach could handle), kept forcing down coffee, and wrote 12 hours a day for about six days, after which the original draft was finished. Turned it in; did some mild polishes thereafter, but what was filmed was essentially what I turned in in first-draft stage. In this case I do remember some of the process because the only way I could focus was to keep the stereo up full blast; in the writing of "Quality," it didn't help...I was beyond recall. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 30 Jul 1994 04:22:47 -0400 Subject: <*> Cryptic message to JMS 8) Honest to god, people, I don't know *what* the woman is talking about...she's speaking in tongues again.... jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 30 Jul 1994 04:22:49 -0400 Subject: Voice in the Wilderness CGI The CGI are definitely getting better. Year One was more or less getting used to the software and learning what was capable. They've now gotten more sophisticated in their use of the equipment, more artistic in some ways...and the preliminary renderings I've seen for stuff in the beginning of year two is *very* cool. It has even more of a sense of mass, and weight, and solidity. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 30 Jul 1994 19:49:22 -0400 Subject: Regarding the Voices 2 GIF fil And what, pray tell, is the nature of this unusual gif? jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 30 Jul 1994 20:16:45 -0400 Subject: JMS: San Diego ComicCon Appear Thank you for putting this note up; I wanted to post one myself, but am still unsure how to send an original message (not a reply) from GEnie to Internet. That said.... In addition to whatever panels I'll be on, I will be doing *two* Babylon 5 presentations at the San Diego Comic Con this coming weekend (August 7-10). The first will be that Friday, from 2-4 p.m. The second will be the next day, Saturday, from 11-1. At this point, the only cast member who may or may not be able to show up at either panel is Bill Mumy. No others are planned. So it may be just me at both. The presentations will be a bit different on the two days, but I think the one Saturday may be more interesting if you can only attend one. Will probably show the blooper reel (two, actually, one on each day), and a previously unseen episode will be debuted. One advisory: at just about every con I've attended and done this kind of presentation, the B5 items tends to wind up as either the most heavily attended event, or close to it. So if anyone's going, you may want to show up a bit early to make sure you get a decent seat. Also, I tend to show up a bit early myself, to make sure the video equipment and stuff is working correctly, and hang out; sometimes I say stuff I can't say in front of a larger group. (Those who were at the Chicago ComicCon on the first day can verify this one.) jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 30 Jul 1994 20:18:09 -0400 Subject: JMS:questions, queries, posers The Psi question I can't answer at this point in time. Jumpgate travel usually requires a few days within hyperspace, if you're going a LONG distance (say, Earth to B5). Only a few minutes if you're going to a local gate. That's time outside hyperspace; the span seems less when you're inside hyperspace. jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 31 Jul 1994 02:14:59 -0400 Subject: Re: Regarding the Voices 2 GIF It's a duck. Yes, why, of course it's a ducky. Why would I think anything else? What a silly question. It's a duck. A texture mapped metallic duck coming out of a jumpgate. A duck. Of course. A duck. * AAAAUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! * (I wanna see it...and I wanna see it now.) jms From: straczynski@genie.geis.com Date: 31 Jul 1994 17:50:01 -0400 Subject: > > JMS: Are You Going to Con No plans currently to go to WorldCon because a) we'll be in the midst of filming, and b) we haven't got a chance against Jurassic Park anyway. jms