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Subject: Re: Attn: JMS - New short story book
From: [email protected] (Jms at B5)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
<font color=red>You can buy it over at http://www.amazon.co.uk/ . It's listed there and it costs 11 pounds.</font>
I was about to post this same info...the link to the location is:
[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/202-8410844-9883059"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/202-8410844-9883059[/ame]
BTW, for those in the States, you can also order from amazon.co.uk for deliveries here. Why, you ask? Because you can get music, and reference books, and fiction, and British radio dramas that are simply NOT available here. Oddly, I've found the UK version more prompt on responses and service than the US version of late.
Jms
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Well, that's at least ONE weight off my chest....
To those who've heard the news already, and those just now finding out...the SciFi Channel today announced that we have a new Babylon 5 TV movie going into production that will also serve as a pilot for a likely new series.
The movie (and the series) is under the heading of BABYLON 5: THE LEGEND OF THE RANGERS. The specific title for the 2-hour movie's story is "To Live and Die in Starlight."
There isn't much I can tell you about the story because we're kinda keeping the details under wraps as much as possible for the time being. What little I can say....
It's set in the B5 universe just under 3 years after the events of "Objects at Rest." At this point there's one major character from the B5 universe in the script (a fan favorite). Where B5 was a heavy drama with some adventure/action elements, this one is a little more skewed toward adventure with underlying drama (which is about what you'd expect from the Anla-Shok).
We've been sitting on this information for a while now...such that we're already well into pre-production. We'll be shooting this movie around mid-May, well in advance of any potential actor's strike (the script is done and so far everybody likes it a LOT).
We've already got designs coming in on a new ship, and a new *kind* of ship...and we're going to be getting more into Minbari aesthetics, technologies and philosophy.
It's got some great characters, and it's a lot of fun.
I have other news to announce on other fronts...have since the end of the year, in fact...but I'm still sitting on the details awaiting another press release from another studio. What I *can* say is that I have a firm GO order to executive produce a new series (nominally SF) that will go into production after the potential SAG strike. When that's finally over, if the strike indeed happens, we pull the trigger and go into principal photography and it's an order for a full season's worth of episodes.
I can't give you any details right now on the subject, title, studio or network. That will have to await the studio's release...so don't even ask.
As far as doing both projects at the same time is concerned...it's actually quite common, as testified to by folks like John Wells and Aaron Sorkin and David Kelly and others. So there won't be any conflict.
More later.
jms
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So the SciFi Channel asked me what order I'd like to air the series in, since the folks at TNT kafuffled the airdates and schedule based on what I'd originally had in mind. The theory is, you start out with general episodes to introduce the situation, characters and story, then you focus on individual characters. The first five we shot, intended to produce this effect, got shoved to the back of the line and we then had to air the individual-themed ones *first*...essentially inverting the order.
So SFC asked me what the preferred author's order would be...and that's how they've structured it, costume change be damned. Yes, there will be some dialogue glitches now, because we looped a few things to try and do least violence to the chronology of previously shot shows...but from an overall story perspective, this is the preferred order (as best I could remember it when they called and asked).
So here is the order in which the Crusade eps will be broadcast:
Mon, April 9 8:00 PM CRUSADE RACING THE NIGHT
Tue, April 10 8:00 PM CRUSADE THE NEEDS OF EARTH
Wed, April 11 8:00 PM CRUSADE THE MEMORY OF WAR
Thu, April 12 8:00 PM CRUSADE THE LONG ROAD
Mon, April 16 8:00 PM CRUSADE VISITORS FROM DOWN THE STREET
Tue, April 17 8:00 PM CRUSADE THE WELL OF FOREVER
Wed, April 18 8:00 PM CRUSADE EACH NIGHT I DREAM OF HOME
Thu, April 19 8:00 PM CRUSADE PATTERNS OF THE SOUL
Mon, April 23 8:00 PM CRUSADE THE PATH OF SORROWS
Tue, April 24 8:00 PM CRUSADE RULING FROM THE TOMB
Wed, April 25 8:00 PM CRUSADE THE RULES OF THE GAME
Thu, April 26 8:00 PM CRUSADE WAR ZONE
Mon, April 30 8:00 PM CRUSADE APPEARANCES AND OTHER DECEITS
jms
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Subject: Re: from jms re: new series
From: [email protected] (Jms at B5)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
<font color=red>But have any of them been writing three monthly comics at the same time as well? http://www.hostboard.com/ubb/wink.gif At any rate, this is great news! </font>
You've gotta understand...I've always done multiple projects. While I was story editing Twilight Zone, I wrote and sold my second novel, was writing a monthly column for Twilight Zone Magazine, and hosting a two-hour weekly talk radio show on KPFK-FM Los Angeles, Hour 25.
At the tail end of B5, I was handling all the post production for B5, writing the 2 new movies, writing and setting up Crusade, writing multiple outlines for the various Del Rey novels, writing the "We Killed Them in the Ratings" novelette that was published shortly thereafter in an anthology, and writing Rising Stars.
It's just kinda what I *do*.
It's always been that way with me...I like writing in a lot of different fields at the same time because it keeps me from going stale. The more work I have, oddly enough, the better I get...I'm at my worst when I have only one thing in front of me, and I fret over it and second-guess it to death.
I sometimes think I'm the only creature known to modern science whose natural environment is hot water....
<font color=red>Marcus should remain dead just like the Beatles shouldn't get back together.</font>
As Paul noted, the Beatles cannot get back together again as long as John stubbornly remains dead....
jms
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Subject: Re: JMS "fan favorite"
From: [email protected] (Jms at B5)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
There are several glaring inaccuracies in your message....
<font color=red>Then too, consider that the Skiffy Channel had $2 million to cough up for "Battlefield Earth" but didn't have the cash to buy out "Crusade" (thank goodness, IMO) from TNT before it was canned. </font>
It's not that SFC didn't have the money, it's that the situation came up when they had *already allocated* all of their budget for the year, and would have to have dug into their budget for the *subsequent* year and they just couldn't do that. If the situation had occurred a few months earlier, it would have been very different.
Remember also that SFC wanted B5 as well to make the deal, and TNT was asking a heinous amount of money for the B5 reruns to deliberately* prevent anyone from obtaining both shows because they were afraid that Crusade would do well at SFC and embarrass the network. What TNT was asking to get bought out on B5 was more than ANYbody sane would pay.
<font color=red>(and TNT in turn, didn't have the money to hire Tallman for one episode)</font>
Also incorrect. When you do episodic TV, you look at the days per episode that somebody works. When, for instance, we had Richard Biggs do an appearance in Crusade, it only required being there for a couple of days out of a 7 day schedule.
It's standard in that kind of situation to look at the actor's weekly fee and pay them for the number of days they appear. In other words...and these are totally bogus figures, just for ease of discussion...if Actor X gets 7,000 for a 7 day shoot, then if you only need him on another show for 2 days, you pay $2,000. If you need him for the whole episode, you pay the full $7,000.
That's what we did with Richard, and what we've always done. We offered Pat the same kind of arrangement on Crusade; we only eeded her for one day's work on "Path of Sorrows." She asked to receive her usual salary for a full week. We couldn't make that deal because it would establish a precedent that would come back to haunt us bigtime.
<font color=red>In other words, we're talking a production on the cheap -- hence the Vancouver shooting location. This issue (money, honey) alone, pretty well eliminates ANY of the main characters appearing for more than a walk-on unless they're willing to work virtually for scale, which one would hope none of them are so hard-up for cash as to do. </font>
LOTS of shows are shooting in Vancouver, with all KINDS of budgets, so I don't see that your slamming Vancouver as being a cheap place has anything to do with reality. X-Files and Millennium shot up there for years and were *massively* expensive shows. So right off the bat you're dealing with a false premise.
Our budget for the TV movie is absolutely in line with what's usually spent...and if you actually knew anything about TV production, you'd know that you don't spend the money to fly someone from LA to Vancouver, put them up, and do all the rest...just to use that person for a walk-on.
The role, as written, is extensive and all THROUGH the movie. So on that final score, you're just plain wrong.
Just an advisory that one should get ones facts a bit more in line before going around slamming on people and whole cities....
jms
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Subject: Re: ATTN JMS: Crusade Question
From: [email protected] (Jms at B5)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
<font color=red>Does the new Rangers movie (& possible series) mean that SFC doesn't want to do more Crusade? Don't get me wrong--I love the Rangers idea. I hate to see something (the Crusade story) left up in the air, though.</font>
No, it doesn't...it doesn't have any impact on that project one way or another. This is a B5 project based on the B5 ratings. Crusade hasn't even aired yet on SFC.
jms
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Subject: Re: Attn: JMS Promotion
From: [email protected] (Jms at B5)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
<font color=red>First off, you mention this new project is in pre-production now, with filming to begin in mid-May, well before the possible SAG strike. So, when might this strike happen, and how much leeway between needed filming time and this looming date? </font>
Writer's strike (if it happens) would be triggered on May 2nd, which is why the script has to be totally finalized before then. The actor's strike (ditto) would take place July 1st. We'd be finished well before this.
<font color=red>Secondly, with the rather odd seasons that cable goes for, seen most recently on Sci-Fi with the Farscape season premiere just last Friday, when might this pilot movie make it on the air? </font>
Airdate hasn't been finalized yet.
<font color=red>Filming starts in Mid-May, ideally, how long for filming, how long for post-production of a movie, and how long with the SFC hold onto it before putting it on the air?</font>
General rule of thumb for any kind of TV movie: 8 weeks prep, 6 weeks post, anywhere from 17-24 days shooting. Any network can hold any show for as long as they want, though the longer they hold said show, the more difficult it becomes to hold cast, crew, sets, stages.
<font color=red>Would you and your wife like to come to Agamemcon this year June 8-10? </font>
At this point, I'm only doing one con this year, San Diego Comic Con, though the invitation is of course much appreciated.
jms
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Subject: Re: My Prediction about the new Babylon 5 movie.
From: [email protected] (Jms at B5)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
<font color=red>In about ten/eleven days from now JMS will turn around and say...
APRIL FOOLS!!!!!!!!</font>
...go to your room.
jms
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Subject: Re: ATTN JMS: The JPL to Continue Their Involvement...??
From: [email protected] (Jms at B5)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
<font color=red>Will the Jet Propulsion Laboratories be resuming their involvement in "Babylon 5" productions, perchance? It would be great to incorporate actual, real-world space science into the fabric of the story. </font>
It's certainly something I'd pursue when it comes time to do the series.
jms
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Subject: Re: from jms re: new series
From: [email protected] (Jms at B5)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
<font color=red>Well, it's a more varied output, and I think that it's a more consistent quality of work, but the volume makes me think of Isaac Asimov.</font>
Not even close. I think I'd pretty much have to double my output to get within spitting distance of Asimov (though why anyone would want to spit on him is beyond my comprehension...).
<font color=red>The REAL question is where you manage to find all those 28-hour days while the rest of us are stuck with 24.... </font>
It came in the same transdimensional boxes ALL the aliens brought with them when they secretly invaded Earth, which were also given to their agents here, who have been charged with the task of....
Well, I've said too much already.
jms
