Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 210

January 20, 2020: On the scripting front…

A productive day!

I completed a final pass on my horror script, incorporating some of the notes I received on the first draft.  It was delivered to my agent this morning and will be going out this week to test the waters of that great unpredictable marketplace.  Are people still making horror movies?  Are they still looking for horror with a sense of humor?  Do people still read?  More importantly, is responding still a thing?  We’ll find out soon enough!  Or maybe not.

I also delivered the revised outline for my second episode of TimEscape, that bananas sci-fi series I am developing with the gang at EOne.  Thanks to writer Niko Troubetzkoy who drew an assist on this one and whose input to date has proven thoughtful, inspired, and incredibly helpful.

Starting work on that web series adaptation today.  This one promises to be a lot of fun – especially if everything falls into place between now and that April deadline.

I think I’m going to write another feature.  I was struck by an idea last night, then stayed up for hours, playing out the various scenes in my head.  This morning I woke up, wrote everything down and, lo and behold, I’ve got a movie.  Ish.  I’m still undecided about the ending, but very much looking forward to getting started.  Probably next week.  I want to give the ideas time to percolate.  This one will be a rare non-genre output that will, nevertheless, explore familiar territory in the relationship at the heart of this road trip tale.

Finally…

Wut? Apparently, you're supposed to cook steel cut Irish oats for 30 minutes. I've been making them in 5. Might explain my week-long stomach ache.

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 20, 2020

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January 19, 2020: Suji Sunday!

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Prepare to storm twitter!

We are one week out from our final Stargate tweetstorm!

The first storm let MGM know that the Stargate fandom is alive and strong and looking forward to a new in-canon Stargate series.

This storm will let broadcast and streamers know that the fandom is hungry from a new in-canon Stargate series.

Next week, fans will be tagging the potential homes for the new Stargate series…

Amazon @PrimeVideo

AMC @AMC_TV

Apple TV+ @AppleTVPlus

CBS All-Access  – @CBSAllAccess

Disney+ @disneyplus

HBO Max @hbomax

Hulu @hulu

NBCU’s Peacock @NBCUniversal

Netflix @netflix

Showtime @Showtime

Starz @STARZ

Take your pick.  Tag only one per tweet but, hey, feel free to tag a bunch over various tweets.  Let ’em know it’s time for Stargate’s return! 
Thanks to Robert Eliason for nifty Stargate: Superdrive graphics.
Continuing my #AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked series:



For some reason, I am no longer able to embed tweets into this blog so had to use screenshots.  Hopefully that’s an issue that will rectify itself soon.
In the meantime, don’t forget to save the date!

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January 17, 2020: Lexxie

Okie doke.  Lexxie is coming home.  Eventually.  I’ve filled out the proper paperwork and paid the adoption fee.  Now, all I have to do is get her here.

When we adopted Suji, two volunteers from the Pacific Pug Rescue kindly took me up on my offer of two round trip tickets and a hotel stay in beautiful Toronto in exchange for transporting her to us.  In Lexxie’s case, however, schedules will not permit it so it looks like I’ll be flying down to pick her up, either this week or the next.  Akemi and I discussed going together, with Suji, but I suspect Suji would prefer to lounge around the apartment rather than suffer a six hour trip (there and back) in a sherpa bag.

Ideally, I’d like my trip to line up with some other purpose – maybe a few pitch meetings for instance – but it’s looking kind of tight.  The best I can probably hope for at this point is to send out my horror script top of next week and meet up with potential interested parties the next.

If not, I may look to getting the trip done in a day.  Out of Toronto on an 8:00 a.m. flight and in to L.A. for 10:30 a.m.  Then, out of L.A. on a 3:40 p.m. flight and back home for 11:15 p.m.  Might be kind of tight – but doable.

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Downtime? Fuggedaboutit!

I find I have more time to relax and unwind when I’m actually working on a show.  At least, when I’m working and I have addressed any production-related outstanding issues, I feel comfortable making use of the downtime to read or watch something.  When I’m not in production, it’s technically all downtime but, really, time I should be spending setting up my next show.  So, unless it’s work-related, I feel guilty reading or watching something when I should be writing another script or developing another series or going out taking meetings.  The really frustrating part is you can’t just work on a single project and take comfort in a job well done because you have to have several projects on the go in order to give yourself even odds at landing something.  And, more often than not, it’s never the project you love most or think is actually going to go.  It’s a strange industry and makes me reflect fondly back on the Stargate days when we knew early we were going to be working on another season so I could actually carve out weeks of stress and guilt-free R&R.  Back then, we would get the pick-up well before wrap, then spend a good month after wrap breaking stories for next season.  We’d have 2-3 months off to write and, otherwise, unwind before the machine would start again.  It was great being able to travel or simply take the day off to read without feeling like I should really be working on projects A through J.  And A through J is conservative because, in this line of work, projects never really die.  They’re either shelved indefinitely or simply never referred to again, like some embarrassing cousin who no one likes to talk about at family functions.

In situations like these, it really helps to have a supportive partner, like Akemi who declares all of my writing “Great!” despite never having actually read any of it (although she watched and loved both Stargate: Universe and Dark Matter), or wholly backs the prospect of moving to L.A. for work despite the fact that, the last time we went, she was accosted by a homeless man and ended up spending the greater part of our stay, while I was at my meetings, sequestered in our hotel room surfing the internet.

Okay, off to revise a pitch, rewrite an outline, do a pass on a horror script, plot an 8-10 page series overview, get another project, and agonize over the lack of response on another three!

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January 15, 2020: Week’s Best Comic Book Covers!

These were my favorites…

Aquaman #56 (cover art by Skan)

Birds of Prey: Black Canary (cover art by Tula Lotay)

Hellblazer vol. 22: Regeneration (cover art by Yasmine Putri)

Lucy Claire: Redemption #2 (cover art by John Upchurch)

Niobe: She Is Dead #1 (cover art by Hyoung Taek Nam)

RWBY #4 (cover art by Stanley Lau)

Spawn #304 (cover art by Francesco Mattina)

The Batman’s Grave #4 (cover art by Jee-Hyung Lee)

The Flash #86 (cover art by Dustin Nguyen)

Vampironica: New Blood #2 (cover art by Audrey Mok)

Vampironica: New Blood #2 (cover art by Greg Smallwood)

So, which were YOUR favorites?

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January 14, 2020: Updates!

Check it out – the international times for our upcoming Stargate twitter event. Take note of the hour in your area.  This is for all those fans who weren’t able to participate in the last tweetstorm.  That’s Saturday, January 25th (ish)!

So, spent much of the day rewriting the outline for the second episode of TimEscape.  Working on this one reminds me very much of writing episodes like Stargate’s Window of Opportunity and Dark Matter’s All the Time in the World and Isn’t That A Paradox?  Producing an entire season of this show would be unbelievable fun.  Of course, the whole “in development” portion of the process can be frustrating and, often, vastly disappointing.  But for now, it’s been a blast.

Pug Quest 2020 Update!  We inquired about Bocelli.  He’s a sweetheart but a big barker, which sadly means he wouldn’t be a great match for our anxious Suji.  Lexxie was taken to the vet late last week after showing signs of lethargy.  Turns out she has a UTI which they’re treating with antibiotics.  They’re keeping me updated on her condition, the poor gal.

Meanwhile – could it be?  Following a year of disappointment, am I about to read back to back great books?  I absolutely loved Mary Miller’s Biloxi and am presently very much enjoying Sue Burke’s Interference, the second book in her Semiosis Duology.  I should be finished with this one sometime tomorrow and am nervous about my next pick.  Can I luck out and actually read back to back to back terrific novels?

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Zoie Palmer
Originally envisioned as a minor role, #DarkMatter's Android became an immediate fan favorite on the strength of @ZoiePalmer's performance at turns humorous, heartfelt, and altogether wonderful. Which pretty much sums up Zoie. pic.twitter.com/8ravLuleoV

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 14, 2020

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January 13, 2020: Projects on the go! #AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked

Okay, back to it.

Had a conversation with my agent today regarding the horror script.  A few notes to address before proceeding.  It’s high concept, chock full of solid scares (and humor of course), has a couple of good twists, and would be relatively inexpensive to produce. He thinks it’s a slam dunk – but I’ve been in this business long enough to know there’s no such thing.

Got the green light to write the second script for my sci-fi series, TimEscape, a month back and received notes for my first draft of the outline.  Writer Nikolijne Troubetzkoy (Orphan Black, Killjoys) has joined the development team as a story editor for episode 2 and has been amazing to work with – smart, funny, and fairly bursting with great ideas.

That big comic book project seems to have stalled out.  Which is all kinds of infuriating but, again, such is the business.  Is it actually dead?  Who knows?

Wanted to be in L.A. pitching this procedural this month, but pumping the brakes as I don’t think the pitch is quite there yet.  Early March seems more reasonable but it’s a long time to wait – considering I’ll hopefully be picking up my new (old) dog while I’m there.

About to close on a deal to develop a pitch package for a monster series. Interesting.

Offered a co-write on a pilot for a YA sci-fi series that sounds like an absolute blast.  The only reason I hesitate is because it has similarities to another project I’m developing…

This one!  It’s similar to the aforementioned only in the broadest sense of its setting – and even then…  Been working on this one for a few months now and spinning my wheels for going on two, trying to figure out the narrative engine. Hoping the answer will come to me in a dream.

Circling another adaptation, this one a big but utterly unique fantasy series.  I await word on whether the parties can reach an agreement on the film & television rights.

And another adaptation, this one based on a contemporary thriller.  We’re in the early stages of discussion, but this one, a possible miniseries, would be a major commitment.

Had to say no to a couple of other adaptations because – well, the books didn’t make any sense.

Finally, pulling the plug on a few projects.  The lack of enthusiasm on the part of others has caused my own enthusiasm to wane.

I think that’s it.  I have about a half dozen ideas in reserve – but will wait to clear my plate before

Continuing my #AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked series…

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
400+ hours of television as a creator/producer, 350+ as a showrunner, 100+ written. Brad Wright gave me my big break on #Stargate and taught me the keys to success: proper prep, great writing, and always treating your cast and crew with respect. pic.twitter.com/WmBsoNBO8F

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 11, 2020

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Writer-Producer-Director-Creator-Showrunner Robert C. Cooper was also responsible for giving me my first big break in the industry. A mastery story spinner, a great director, and an amazing chef! #Stargate pic.twitter.com/MeVb9FqOvR

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 12, 2020

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Krista McLean – in-house digital effects, supervisor, #Stargate
I was a big fan of the Stargate in-house visual effects crew, and an especially huge fan of Krista McLean whose meticulous mattes never failed to impress. #CaptainMarvel #InfinityWar pic.twitter.com/QMbNiEv0jO

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 13, 2020

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January 12, 2020: Suji Sunday!

Assume the crash position!

Snack time!

Wake me up when this blog entry is over.

Sooooothing…

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Pug Quest 2020 begins!

We have begun our quest to find Suji a new friend.  Or, if not a friend, then another pug she can snuggle up with when Akemi and I go out shopping.  Or, if not a another pug she can snuggle up with when Akemi and I go out shopping, then another pug to boss around.  In short, Suji seems lonely and it would be nice for her to have some company.

We’re looking to adopt another senior – special needs is fine – and have started our search.

Potential candidates so far…

Lexxie

Ah, Lexxie.  This 12 year old sweetheart has some hind-end weakness that makes it hard for her to get around (and know when she needs to poop), but she is incredibly cuddlesome – as evidenced when I visited her rescue late last year.  As soon as I approached, she just rolled over onto her back and allowed me to (requested I?) rub her belly.

Lao and Dao

Akemi desperately misses Bubba and would love a boy.  So, I thought, two boys would make her doubly happy.  These two 13 year old brothers, former strays, are bonded and still have plenty of energy despite their advanced age.

Bugsy

A young man at 6 years of age, Bugsy has significant mobility issues due to an inoperable cyst and a herniated disc issue.  Although his long-term prognosis isn’t great, that shouldn’t be a reason to deny him a good home.

Gertie

This 8 year old girl suffers hind-end weakness to the point that she is unable to walk and needs to have her bladder expressed (which sounds a lot like Suji when we first got her).  She’s described as a big personality in a tiny little package and is given to howling for attention.  She sounds like a bit of an alpha and so, might not be a great match for Suji, but we’re looking into her.

Bocelli

Estimated to be between 5-7, Bocelli is blind (the result of his eyes never fully developing).  Incredibly affectionate and downright adorable, he is a bit of a barker which may not sit well with Suji.

The plan is to actually travel with Suji, sometime in early March so I can fold our pug search into a round of pitching in L.A.  We’re thinking of hitting Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, staying at a dog-friendly hotel, eating on some dog-friendly patios, and then flying back home with two dogs when the time comes.

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