Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 244

March 25, 2019: Production Day #1

Rolling!

Yes, finally, after months of development, writing, designing, world-building, set and costume construction, and meetings, meetings, meetings, today was our first day of principal photography!  On set today were the former lieutenant, the former Agent, and the former bounty hunter – along with several others.

Boy, if this was Dark Matter, I’d be posting all sorts of cool behind-the-scenes pics but, alas, this isn’t my show so I can only allow you a sneak peek at the most mysterious of on-set elements.  Like…

The skylight.

This very Stargate: Atlantis-esque element of the space piano (What?  Did you think I was kidding about the space piano?).

This bit of set dec at the Trib.

And, finally, Set Decorator Andy Loew pleading for…what exactly?  Your understanding? For me to remove my shoes before they scuff up the freshly polished floor?  Seconds on today’s apple cake dessert?

1 down; 64 to go!

March 24, 2019: Suji Sunday!

High fashion pug.

Innerwear as outerwear.

Louging about with with sis.

Hanging with dad.

Lulu reflects on that fourth act turn.

Hey.  Move!  HEY!  MOOOOVE!!!

Suji has a modeling gig this Friday.  Wish her luck!

March 23, 2019: Let’s hit the mailbag and answer YOUR questions!

So, what’s on your mind?

Colleen Scott asks: “I have a question about Stargate Atlantis. Once you had decided to have David Hewlett reprise McKay did you have a contingency plan if he had not signed on?”

Answer: Ah, it may interest you to know that it was just the opposite.  As I wrote in a past blog entry: “Production on the new Stargate spinoff was fast-approaching, but we were scrambling to cast one crucial role: the part of the intrepid, dedicated team doctor. Multiple auditions yielded no suitable candidates and the producers were at a loss until… Robert Cooper suggested a different tact.  Instead of casting a new character, why not bring in an established one – namely, Dr. Rodney McKay who had already put in a couple of appearances on Stargate: SG-1?  To say that this last minute switch “worked out quite nicely” would be an enormous understatement.  Could you imagine Atlantis without him?”

Gildermcc asks: “I’m going to a Lou Diamond Phillips Q&A on Sunday. Any messages for Lou?”

Answer: Ask my favorite celebrity foodie “What was the best thing you’ve eaten this month?”

Sandy asks: “Some Dark Matter questions regarding our beloved Android:

1) How come she didn’t detect that Devon was an addict?”

Answer: She may have picked up on some unusual physiological readings but an actual cell or blood test would have been required to specifically confirm him an addict.

“2) Zoie Palmer has said Android was going to have an English accent, but right at the last minute before filming the decision was made to change that. Why was that?”

Answer: There were many different ways that the Android could have gone.  We opened the role up to all genders (and the character was originally envisioned as male).  In her audition, Zoie offered different variations on the role including readings with an English, German, and even Jamaican accent (which I filed away for later use – see Episode 7).  Having the Android speak with an English accent may have been a passing consideration, but it was never something I pushed for.

George Perham asks: “The new season of Dark Matter airs when?”

Answer: Whenever a broadcaster or streamer recognizes and rewards the show’s loyal fan base!

2cats asks: “Mailbag:

Ques 1… When can we expect to know more about this production? Name of show, cast, etc.?”

Answer: I don’t know.  Unlike Dark Matter, this isn’t my show.  I’m not the creator.  So it’s really up to our broadcaster and production company to decide how much to reveal and when.

“Ques 2… Do you find having a solid track record with previous productions, Stargate, Dark Matter, opens some doors for new product consideration?”

Answer: Yes and no.  To be honest, Stargate and Dark Matter are off most L.A. executives’ radars.  Rob Cooper once met with an exec who actually asked: “Stargate?  Did that air in the U.S.?”.  So it’s an uphill battle in that respect.  On the other hand, those who DO know about the productions are impressed with the quality of the work and, in the case of Dark Matter, how much we were able to accomplish with a very limited budget.

“Ques 3… Do you ever dream about your past shows, as in assuming a character or playing out alternate scenes that never were shot or used? Since you write them, just wondering how much lingers in your psyche?”

Answer: Oh, sure.  I’ll always reflect fondly on certain scenes or imagine missed opportunities.  The memories never quite leave you, both the good and the bad.

RazaArrows asks: “The very popular ‘Isn’t it a Paradox ‘ was written because another storyline could not be fulfilled. How would that original episode have played out?”

Answer: It involved Alt. Jace Corso’s return to our reality and would have had nothing to do with our crew traveling back in time.  In the end, as much as I loved the Corso character, I’m very happy circumstances steered us toward producing “Isn’t That A Paradox”.

“”In Season 2 onwards, what would have been One’s story arc, had you not been asked to ‘kill’ him off?”

 Answer: There would have been a showdown with THREE in which he would have come to realize that Marcus Boone was set up, and that the bullet that killed Derrick Moss’s wife was actually meant for Derrick Moss himself.  Then he and THREE would have teamed up to take down the man responsible.

Wayne Hughes asks: “Hi Joe, Do you ever have ideas for stories that seem so grandiose you feel you can’t do it justice ?”

Answer: Oh, all the time.  I try my best to produce on the page, meaning I write episodes I know the production can afford, but sometimes the realities of making television can be unforgiving.  That space battle you thought you could afford, when all is said and done, is UNaffordable and you need to make concessions.

Gildermcc asks: “Mailbag: Ever seen this comic, Joe?

https://www.12gaugecomics.com/ice”

Answer: I have not.

Ponytail writes: “How about the success of Jason Momoa since Stargate Atlantis? He was even presenting at the Oscars! Pretty cool!”

Answer: Yes, great to see him doing so well.  He took his craft very seriously and always worked hard at improving himself when he was on Atlantis.

Jen Blood asks: “In your future projects (like the highly anticipated “Untitled Awesome Project”), will you ever try to work-in any Akemi-isms?”

Answer: You know what?  THIS is a brilliant idea.  Thanks!

Darkmatterman asks: “When Dark Matter comes back and with people trying to get more seasons of Killjoys, if its saved do you think the Dark Matter/Killjoys crossover could still happen?”

Answer: Tonally, they’re very similar and I have much respect for what Michelle Loretta and her crew have accomplished.  For those reasons alone, I’d love to do it.  But realistically, given the ownership and legal issues (not to mention the fact Dark Matter is no longer airing), I’d think it unlikely.

“Also, what happened to those Dark Matter rumblings? Is that group of people still trying to save it?”

Answer: Alas, no.  Back in November, I had a conversation with a representative of a group that was looking to finance film and television productions through public/fan-backed, crypto-currency-funded structures.  What surprised me at the time was the amount of money they had raised for an original production – and how much they could have come up with to back a fourth season IF the timing had been right and they had reached out to the right people.  We were in discussions about the possibility of my helping them launch their original project in exchange for their backing a Dark Matter miniseries but, alas, before we could get further along, a major studio made them an offer they couldn’t refuse.  And, sadly, that opportunity disappeared.

Edmond Dantes asks: “If Disney made a serious offer on the Stargate IP/Franchise, (do you think that) MGM would sell or not? And why (not)?”

Answer: This a tough one for me to answer because I have no way of knowing what executives at Disney or MGM could be thinking.  From an outsider’s point of view, I think it highly unlikely that MGM would give up the Stargate since it’s one of its most profitable television franchises.  Which really begs the question: “What’s taking them so long to laugh a new series?”

Nathan Dionne asks: “Bit of an odd question I had after watching an episode of Stargate the other day and seeing the credits roll by at the end. What percentage of those names in the credits (or the credits for Dark Matter) would you have actually known/interacted with? As opposed to them being background/periphery crew or outside the studio or whatnot.”

Answer: As a showrunner, you’re not only interacting with department heads, but people   in those departments and working on the floor as well.  Even though I have a terrible memory, I do make it a point to try to learn everyone’s name.

March 22, 2019: Production looms!

So today was our last day of prep before Monday’s start of production and we celebrated, as is the custom, with a cast read-thru, mini cupcakes, and some 11th hour blue pages.  Also, a tour of the stages culminating in the grand space piano reveal!

Tonight, is the cast dinner followed by bowling –

 – which, quite frankly, will take me well past by bedtime.   This weekend, I’m going to do a future slang pass on Episodes 3-6, finish my rewrite of Episode 7, and wade into Episode 8.

Meanwhile, developments await on three other future fronts…

Oh, hey.  Good news.  Sis’s dog, Fernando, is apparently on the mend from Severe Acute Pancreatitis.  Here he is, all smiles –

Hey, it’s been a while since I’ve done a mailbag.  If you have any questions, be they Stargate, Dark Matter-related, or just general questions about the t.v. industry, post them in the comments section and I’ll answer them in my next blog entry.

March 21, 2019: Well – this may take a while.

You know what I hate more than driving around looking for parking?  Or weddings?  Yes,  rewriting scripts.  More often than not, it’s just a pain in the ass necessary evil.  Other times, it can be downright infuriating as you realize…

And that afternoon script polish suddenly turns into a three day rewrite.

Production meeting for the Episode 1/2 First Block!  We breezed through it in under two hours.  We could have gotten it done in one and a half if not for The Great Grinder/Flint/Spark Generator Debate.  Following a long and involved discussion on the shot in question (eventually tabled and picked up later that afternoon), a decision was finally reached.  And, as my former Stargate editor Rick used to say: “Saved the episode.”.

Only days away from the commencement of principal photography, so I picked up some professional-looking pens to be used in important meetings and for the signing of contracts and the like.  White sheep for good mood.  Black sheep for bad mood.  Poultry for undecided.

Today’s blog entry is dedicated to sis’s blind rescue husky Fernando who is in emergency.  Get well, Fern!

March 20, 2019: Week’s Best Comic Book Covers!

These were my favorites…

Batman #67 (cover art by Elizabeth Breitweiser, Lee Weeks)

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #4 (cover art by Andrew C. Robinson)

Immortal Hulk #15 (cover art by Alex Ross)

Infinity 8 #10 (cover art by Martin Trystram)

Invisible Kingdom #1 (cover art by Christian Ward)

Jessica Jones #3 (cover art by Martin Simmonds)

Spider-Man: Life Story #1 (cover art by Chip Zdarsky)

Star Wars #63 (cover art by Gerald Parel)

So, which were your favorites?

March 19, 2019: What delicious plans await!

Plotting and scheming with this evil genius.  Who knows what the future holds? Not sure.  But I do know the recent past included chirashi, squash agnolotti, black truffle-topped pasta, and schnitzel at Spago.

#GoldenBoy

Speaking of food –

New  Swiss Study Suggests That Hip-Hop Makes Cheese Taste Better

Wonder if I can find a way to work this into the new show?

Cadbury Promotes the Gleeful Destruction of Archaeological Sites?

In response to the uproar, Cadbury was “directing families to museums” – where, presumably, Easter Creme Eggs await for those determined to dig deep enough.

It’s finally here!  Maple Syrup Spray! 

Now if they can only make sprayable liquid bacon and egg yolks.

Is Dark Chocolate Healthy?  It Depends Who You Ask.

Oh.  You’re asking me?  Then yes.

Are you ever frustrated by the fact that, after frequenting a fast food joint, you eventually stop smelling like french fries after only a few hours?  Well then this soap is for you!

Do you enjoy honey?  What about hornets?  Well now you can enjoy the great taste of both together!

Finally –

Birthday Boy Robbie David enjoys a chocolate birthday cake compliments of his wife, Stephanie.

While Akemi settles for a big salad.

March 18, 2019: Teams with awesome (or occasionally suspect) nicknames I am sorry didn’t make the NCAA Division 1 March Madness Tournament!

Stony Brook Seawolves

UMBC Retrievers

Albany Great Danes

Wichita State Shockers

Tulane Green Wave

Richmond Spiders

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Stetson Hatters

TCU Horned Frogs

Depaul Blue Demons

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks

Idaho Vandals

Campbell Fighting Camels

Presbyterian Blue Hose

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

UC Riverside Highlanders

Delaware Blue Hens

Drexel Dragons

Marshall Thundering Herd

North Texas Mean Green

Youngstown State Penguins

Manhattan Jaspers

Saint Peter’s Peacocks

Akron Zips

Floria A&M Rattlers

Loyola-Chicago Ramblers

Southern Illinois Salukis

Evansville Purple Aces

St. Francis (BKN) Terriers

Austin Peay Governors

Loyola (MD) Greyhounds

Alabama Crimson Tide

Vanderbilt Commodores

Furman Paladins

VMI Keydets

Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks

Mississippi State Delta Devils

South Dakota State Jackrabbits

Purdue Fort Wayne Mastadons

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

Pepperdine Waves

UKMC Kangaroos

So, who you got in the Final Four?

March 17, 2019: Suji Sunday!

As is the tradition…

My girls in their matching sweaters.  Sadly, they didn’t have one in medium for Lulu.

Slo-mo Suji!

Mesmerizing.

Checking out her Pooch Patch.  It’s like having a mini park on our balcony!

Yet another addition to the every-growing Coffee Cup Cap Collection!

March 16, 2019: The fruits of our labor!

Today was the big day!  Yes, after hours and hours of molding, spinning, glazing, and generally not paying attention, it was time to pick up our finished works of pottery.  Akemi’s creations…

Put to good use…

Now, check out MY masterpieces…

When I heard we’d be glazing, I knew I had to make a donut.  It turned out pretty good, all things considered (and by all things, I mean the fact I made it in less than a minute). Krispy Kreme, eat your heart out!

A little too much wax ruined the color scene here.  [Warning: Not safe for gate travel!]

My glazing experience was one step short of disaster.  None of the glazing liquid colors actually matched what would be the finished look.  Also, it’s apparently impossible to do contrasting colors when you’ve already done a coat of dark.  Witness my Legion of Super-Heroes drink coaster.

The crown jewel of my collection, sadly, did not make it past the last stage of the process. RIP, Starro the Conqueror.  I draw consolation from the fact that the center eye came out pretty good.

As she was packing away out art work, our instructor commended me on my originality. Apparently, most students stick to the tried and true plates, bowls and cups and rarely venture into galactic super villain territory.

Hoowee.  As this week approaches, the Perfect Storm approaches.  I’m strapping on my life vest and going in.  Wish me luck!