Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 263

Dark Matter Goodies! Check ’em out!

Looking ahead…

Long-term goal: Read 365 books on the year.

Short-term goal: See that giant shark movie.

These various projects I have on the go may throw a wrench into those plans.  But who knows?  Just gotta stay focused!

Oh, hey!  Look at what I came across this morning.  Behind the scenes photos from Dark Matter.

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Anthony Lemke, all smiles, on the set of Episode 211, “Wish I’d Spaced You When I Had The Chance”.  I remember this one for the troublesome elements.  This episode had three looks – snowy, sunny and green, and muddy – and we did our damndest to meld the three into a single visual progression.  Kudos to VFX Supervisor Lawren Bancroft-Wilson for the CG snow that helped bridge two contrasting scenes.  I also remember it being DAMN cold in those woods.

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The Ishida Clan in happier times in this BTS image from Episode 312, “My Final Gift To You”: Karl Ang, Mung-Ling Tsui, and Alex Mallari.  I loved this location, a wedding and event hall with a Spanish feel we affectionately referred to as “The Palace”.

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 A BTS photo from Episode 212, “Sometimes In Life You Don’t Get To Choose” depicts an all too eager Ellen Wong rarin’ to get to work on Karl Ang – under the watchful eyes of stunt coordinator John Stead and director Will Waring.  This episode would mark the only episode Will, my former Stargate cohort, would direct for the series as he ended up fully booked for the show’s third season.

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Android on Ice – Episode 309, “Built Not Born”.  In retrospect, one of the more ambitious episodes we produced, it included twinning, multiple builds, and a couple of atypically late nights.

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Jodelle Ferland chats with one of our guest stars – Episode 309, “Isn’t That A Paradox”.  This episode was a lot of fun for many reasons, and a pleasant change of pace for the crew that finally had the opportunity to shoot an episode in a contemporary location.  No space ships or space stations or otherworldly mining facilities.  Instead, it was suburban streets, sidewalks, and homes.

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Roger Cross flashes his trademark smile BTS on Episode 210, “Going Out Fighting”.  Beware his hugs though!

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Melissa O’Neil shooting one of her final scenes – Episode 313, “Nowhere To Go”.  Damnit.  We never did get her that musical episode!

What’s Coming?

This week: Meetings, meetings, and more meetings!  Delivery of the final final final polish of that sci-fi script and bible to the broadcaster.  Further discussions on that comic book adaptation.  We start hammering out an outline for the first episode of the new series with an aim to delivering a pilot for early October. Possibly (finally) get the go-ahead on that supernatural pilot, and the adaptation of that horror novel.

Oh, and see that giant shark movie.

Taste-Testing Japanese Snacks and Sweets

Ivon and I taste-test a smorgasbord of Japanese convenience store offerings.

The snacks…

The sweets…

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The Perfect Storm Approacheth!

Here.  We.  Gooooooooo!

Looks like we’ll convene the writers’ room sometime in September.  Before then, the show’s creator and I will map out the first season game plan covering all ten episodes, character and story arcs.  We’re also aiming to have the pilot co-written by then.  After that, it’ll be smoooooooth sailing!  

All that will be left to do is get those nine other scripts written, rewritten, prepped, shot, then have the episodes edited, mixed, color corrected and delivered…and we’re done in time for Sanno Matsuri.  Yeah!

Dark Matter Remembered

A couple of little somethings from back in the Dark Matter days…

Anthony Lemke and Melissa O’Neil order their in-flight meals.

Ash is put to work by the Art Department following the conclusion of his episode.

Stargate Memories

And from ye olde Stargate days…

F-302 target locked!

Remember A New URL That Cometh Soon

Re: the blog overhaul.  Are we there yet?  Al-most.  Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you are being re-directed from the old blog site to this one: https://josephmallozzi.com.  Update your bookmarks and Christmas card mailing addresses! 

Meanwhile, please list the things you like and do not like about the new look. We’re in the process of adjusting.

Or shutting her down and switching over to a  weekly YouTube update.

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Share Your Rejections!

Every once in a while, one of these trending hashtags will catch my eye and I’ll think: “Oh, yeah.  I can add to this conversation.”  Like, say, yesterday’s #ShareYourRejections hashtag.  

I mean, are you kidding?  The life of a writer is filled with rejection.  When I first started off, I remember being fortified by a story about Stephen King who purportedly wallpapered a room with all of the rejection letters he received before his first story was accepted.  In time, I’ve come to doubt the veracity of that particular tale, but I believe in its message.  You’re going to be knocked down a hell of a lot more times than you’re going to rewarded in this business.  It’s all a matter of how quickly you get back up again.

Yep.  This was my contribution.  Back in the late 1990’s, Paul and I had just finished up work on a couple of one hour action adventure shows and were looking to land a new gig.  Our agent put us up for an upcoming sci-fi series, forwarding the production our writing samples – and forwarding us the series pilot.  I recall Paul and I sitting in my apartment in Montreal, watching the episode and, honestly, being left somewhat bewildered.  The show was…certainly unique.  When I followed up with my agent, he informed me that we had received an early cut and that the producers planned to re-edit the pilot.  I never got around to watching the re-edited version (and have long wondered how different it was from that early way-out version) because, alas, Paul and I were not Lexx material.  On the bright side, that left us free to pursue other opportunities – specifically, a series called Stargate: SG-1 that was looking for writers to staff on its fourth season.  All things being equal, I really can’t complain with the way it all turned out in the end.

Other rejections?  Boy, way too many to mention.  The ones that sting the most are, of course, the most recent:

The pitch for that comic book horror series I thought was a slam dunk – that went sideways and, ultimately, to someone else.

The pitch for that awesome sci-fi realtime strategy game that, had it gotten the go-ahead, would have truly blown you all away.

The pitch for that sci-fi novel adaptation that had such heart and humor that it actually pained me when the execs passed on my vision for the series.

The pitch for a television adaptation of Robert Heinlein’s Friday.

My pitch for a new Blake’s 7 series.

My pitch for a new Space: 1999 series.

My pitch for that Dark Matter spinoff.

My pitch for that absolutely loopy SG-1 time travel episode

I could go on, and on, and on, and on.  But the important thing is that I never let rejections get me down – for long.  If I had landed Lexx, I wouldn’t have landed Stargate.  And if I hand landed Friday, I wouldn’t have landed Dark Matter.

I truly cannot wait to see what amazing opportunities await as the result of these latest crushing refusals.  Something pretty amazing I bet!

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Week’s Best Comic Book Covers!

Here are my favorite comic book covers for the week of August 12th. Aren’t they gorgeous?

 

These were my favorites:

Coyotes #5 (cover art by Caitlin Yarsky)

Doctor Strange #4 (cover art by Jesus Saiz)

Extermination #1 (cover art by Mark Brooks)

Infinity Wars #2 (cover art by Mike Deodato Jr.)

Multiple Man #3 (cover art by Marcos Martin)

Ninjak #10 (cover art by Giuseppe Carmuncoli)

Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #308 (cover art by Chris Bachalo)

The Wicked + The Divine #38 (cover art by Cliff Chiang, Jamie McKelvie, Matthew Wilson)

Volition #1 (cover art by Omar Francia)

Weapon H #6 (cover art by Philip Tan)

Weapon X #22 (cover art by Rahzzah)

So, which was your favorite?

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Twitter Update!

If you’re not following me, @BaronDestructo, on Twitter, then you’re missing out on decisive input and thoughtful insights Like:

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A little trip down memory lane…

Hey, remember this? And this? And this? I get goosebumps every time I watch them. Hard to believe that I’ve spent some 17 years in space!

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August 13, 2018: A little trip down memory lane…

Hey, remember this?

And this?

And this?

I get goosebumps every time I watch them.

Hard to believe that I’ve spent some 17 years in space!

The Calm Before the Storm!

Yep.  That’s what it feels like to me.  There was something in the air this weekend – the sense of burgeoning buzz, a storm cloud of activity looming on the horizon.  What lies ahead?  Well, I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you…with kindness and ask you not to tell anyone because I may be totally wrong.  Still… Had a dream last night I was assisting Brad Wright with a new season of Stargate.  Not a new series but, of all things, a sixth season of Stargate: Atlantis.  Crazy?  Prescient?  Crazy-prescient?  Probably just the effects of that Carolina Reaper hot sauce I had with the chicken tacos. But let’s not discount some weird syncing with the universal harmony as yesterday offered all sorts of fortuitous incidents. The first – Akemi and I were taking an early walk down King Street when we happened upon our old friend, and Canadian celebrity chef, Vikram Vij who was in town for a cooking event.  The second – Akemi and I were walking down King Street some three hours later and happened across Akemi’s favorite youtube personalities, Simon and Martina, who are in town visiting family (and checking out the local …

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August 12, 2018: The Calm Before the Storm!

Yep.  That’s what it feels like to me.  There was something in the air this weekend – the sense of burgeoning buzz, a storm cloud of activity looming on the horizon.  What lies ahead?  Well, I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you…with kindness and ask you not to tell anyone because I may be totally wrong.  Still…

Had a dream last night I was assisting Brad Wright with a new season of Stargate.  Not a new series but, of all things, a sixth season of Stargate: Atlantis.  Crazy?  Prescient?  Crazy-prescient?  Probably just the effects of that Carolina Reaper hot sauce I had with the chicken tacos.

But let’s not discount some weird syncing with the universal harmony as yesterday offered all sorts of fortuitous incidents. The first – Akemi and I were taking an early walk down King Street when we happened upon our old friend, and Canadian celebrity chef, Vikram Vij who was in town for a cooking event.  The second – Akemi and I were walking down King Street some three hours later and happened across Akemi’s favorite youtube personalities, Simon and Martina, who are in town visiting family (and checking out the local eats).

I mean, what are the chances?  There was definitely something in the air yesterday.  And, after those completely random run-ins, is it too much to assume that maybe, just maybe, last night’s dream was a sign?

Nah, you’re right.  It probably was the tacos.

Well, we’re settled in to our new place, but no sign of either the coffee table or the book shelf we ordered.  No wall-mounted t.v. either but, in the meantime, this will do in a pinch –

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