Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 295

October 7, 2017: This and That!

First, here’s the script I promised you for Episode 102 – final production draft, green:

DM EP102 15_01_21 Script FULLY COLLATED GREEN

Second, I’ve discovered my insane pepper threshold.  I tap out at roughly 1 million scovilles with the ghost chili, nowhere near the 2 million scorching scoville units of the carolina reaper.

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Third, the somewhat inexplicable cancellation of Dark Matter (P.S. one of syfy’s most watched shows of 2017) has really done wonders for my fantasy football team.  With the annoying distractions of prep, scripts, and casting, I’ve been able to give my Snow Monkeys my undivided attention, resulting in a solid second place standing after four weeks of play:

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Fourth, all set for my L.A. trip, last week of October.  BIG meetings I hope to land include: Martin Gero, Carl Binder, Ellen Wong, Marc Bendavid, Melanie Liburd.  Also, some broadcasters and production houses.

Fifth, guess which Dark Matter cast member I’m having lunch with tomorrow!

Sixth, I leave you with a pic from Suji’s spa day –

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October 5, 2017: Montreal!

I’m in Montreal, visiting with mom and, tomorrow, checking out condos.  I know, I know.  The plan IS to settle down in Toronto (or maybe L.A. if the the right opportunity presents itself), but I like the notion of having a home base in my hometown.

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Mom teaches Akemi who to make handmade capunti for tonight’s pasta e ceci.

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Speaking of culinary DIY, my sister is now growing her own peppers.  Her own very HOT peppers.  On the left, the ghost chilis I sampled at lunch.  Whoa!  On the right, the carolina reapers I’ll be sampling for dinner.  I’m going to have Akemi dial 9 and 1 and then standby.

To date, I’ve given you the scripts for Dark Matter Episode 1, Episode 212 (Sometimes In Life You Don’t Get To Choose), Episode 304 (All The Time In The World), and Episode 309 (Isn’t That A Paradox?).  Tomorrow (Remind me, please!), I’ll make the script for the second part of our two-part opener, Episode 2, available to you as well.    In time, you’ll have the entire series.

Flashback to our first Dark Matter table read:

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October 4, 2017: Sometimes In Life You Don’t Get To Choose…the script!

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If I had to make a list of MY Top 10 Favorite Dark Matter Episodes, season 2’s penultimate episode, “Sometimes In Life You Don’t Get To Choose” would undoubtedly make the list.  It’s a great Ryo Ishida episode and Alex Mallari Jr. does some of his best work ever here, negotiating a minefield of memories in an attempt to take back his throne.  Plenty of great character moments and, of course, those patented Dark Matter twists and turns that sees: 1) Oh, no!  Even though all signs pointed to General Drago, it was our old friends, The Seers, who were working against Ryo’s interests all along, 2) Which leads to the truth about Milo’s death being laid bare, and Nyx realizing her lover was responsible for the death of her brother as the would-be usurper faces execution at the hands of the Commander of the Royal Guards, Han-Shireikan  3) But TWO has put actually put it together behind the scenes and enacted a carefully orchestrated plan that involves the Android bluffing and buying FIVE the time to rescue Hiro and seemingly save the day, 4) Allowing Ryo to retake his throne, order the execution of every potential threat in the court including that of his half-brother, and complete his turn to the dark side, setting him up as season 3’s Big Bad.

Damn.  As far as WTF?! episode outs, this ranks right up there with TWO being blasted out the airlock at the end of Episode 210, the death of ONE at the end of Welcome To Your New Home, the big revelation at the end of the pilot, and the stasis pod reveal I had planned for season 4.

Anyway, this episode ranks in the Top 5 of the imdb fan ratings and I think really does a terrific job of showcasing many of the show’s strengths – from the terrific performances to the awesome visual effects.

And so, as part of my continuing Dark Matter fan appreciation campaign, I offer you a copy of the final shooting draft for your perusal:

DM2 EP212 16_04_15 Script FULL COLLATED YELLOW

The fan letters have started coming in.  We’ve received about a dozen so far, half from Canada, others from as far away as Germany and Scotland.  I’m ready to do some major reading!

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“Do you really think you should be eating hot peppers the night before you fly?”asked Akemi.

No.  Probably not.  But we’re off to Montreal for a week and if I didn’t eat them tonight, they’d go to waste.  An interesting mix including chocolate habanero, fatali, scotch bonnets, and ghost peppers.  I ate them an hour ago and I’m still perspiring.

October 3, 2017: Garlic! Monsters! Dark Matter! Suji!

The elderly lady beside me stepped up to the display table, dipped a chip into the sauce, and popped it into her mouth.  As she chewed, her face contorted and she made a noise, sort of a cross between a whoop and a wail.  She muttered something and marched off in a huff.  “She was mad,”Akemi pointed out the obvious.  Indeed.  But it was a winning demonstration so far as I was concerned.  I pointed to the hot sauce that had sent the elderly woman into an endorphin tailspin.  “I’ll take one of those.”

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Akemi has never met a cut-out display she hasn’t liked.

We were at a Toronto Garlic Festival, one of the many local events I was free to check out now that I was unemployed and all.  We’d picked up about a dozen different types of garlic, some garlic powders, and sampled a bunch of garlic-themed snacks including a chocolate and black garlic popsicle which, quite frankly, would have been just fine without the black garlic.  But it was the hot sauces that really drew me.

I moved on to the next table, spotting six bottles in a row.  “That’s a habanero base, right?”I asked, pointing to a bottle on the far right, its contents a vibrant orange.  The guy behind the counter confirmed it was indeed.  “Okay,”I said.  “I’ll take this hottest one on the end then.”

“Oh, that isn’t the hottest one,”he informed me.  “Our hot sauces start with habanero, and then work their way up.”

I eyed the half dozen or so other bottles, then glanced back at him smiling amiably, chip bowl at the ready.  A second’s hesitation and then: “Okay, let’s do this.”  And so, I worked my way down the line, from habanero to ghost pepper to scorpion chili to the Carolina reaper to one at the end that was a seven pepper mixture I suspect is also used for crowd control by certain dictatorial regimes.  So, yeah, I got a bottle.

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What a haul!

One of the nice things about having your new original show cancelled in favor of reruns of another show is the opportunity it gives you to expand your cultural boundaries.  For instance, I purchased Akemi and I an annual members to the Art Gallery of Ontario and this morning, Ivon Bartok in tow, we checked out the Guillermo del Toro exhibit, “At Home with Monsters”.

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All hope abandon, ye who enter here!  But photos a okay.  (This photo courtesy of Ivon Bartok)

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Aieeeeee!  No flash photography!!!

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You may kiss the bridge. Go ahead.  KISS THE BRIDE!

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Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary…did I remember to lock the back door?

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For the angry bibliophile who has everything – an electrified library!

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Museum security says “Please, take your snack outside.”

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He looked like he was about to read something aloud but after some twenty minutes of waiting, I decided to move on and leave him with his thoughts.

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From Flight of the Penguins: The Director’s Cut.

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Yeah, I think I’m just going to let my beard grow out.  Thanks anyway.

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Who wants to go for a swim?

Hey, to those international Dark Matter fans worried about getting your letters in time for the giveaway, the deadline has been extended to November 15th!  And, apparently, we’ve already received our first letter!  Jay predicted maybe a couple of hundred letters.  I suspect we’ll receive a few more than that.

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Suji Takes Flight!

But it’s not all fun and games.  The wheels are turning on some other projects. I’ve had some preliminary meetings regarding some interesting opportunities and, in early November, I hit L.A. to start pitching a new series – and take a meeting with some, er, old friends.

October 2, 2017: Those Dark Matter dog answers!

I’d like to kick off today’s entry with a reminder to get your letters in for a chance to win some Dark Matter swag which could be anything from a t-shirt to a hero prop.  Let us know what the show means to you, then mail to:

Prodigy Pictures
124 The East Mall
Toronto, Ontario
M8Z 5V5
Canada

As someone kindly pointed out – best to include Canada in the address lest your letter ends up going to the Toronto-Ontario Mars colony.

Okay.  Many of you have asked for the answers to the Dark Matter dogs contest.  What the hell am I talking about?  You can read all about it here.

Your answers…

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Episode 301: “Being Better Is So Much Harder”

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Episode 302: “It Doesn’t Have To Be Like This”

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Episode 303: “Welcome To The Revolution”

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Episode 304: “All The Time In The World”

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Episode 305: “Give It Up, Princess”

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Episode 306: “One Last Card To Play”

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Episode 307: “Wish I Could Believe You”

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Episode 308: “Hot Chocolate”

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Episode 309: “Isn’t That A Paradox?”

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Episode 310: “Built, Not Born”

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Episode 311: “The Dwarf Star Conspiracy”

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Episode 312: “My Final Gift To You”

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Episode 313: “Nowhere To Go”

 

 

 

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

October 1, 2017: Lunching and Touring with Ayisha Issa!

One of the greatest takeaways from this albeit short-lived experience with Dark Matter is all of the fantastic new friendships I made over the three years I worked on the show.  Melissa O’Neil invited Akemi and I over the other week for a wonderful home-cooked meal.  I caught up with our motorcycle-riding (Well, of course he rides a motorcycle!) director/stunt coordinator John Stead over poke and burgers.  And, recently, Akemi and I met up with the lovely and talented Ayisha Issa who gifted me a whack of hot sauces, took us out for lunch, then gave us a tour of her brand spanking new 4 Points Brazilian JiuJitsu training facility.

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Ayisha presents… 4PBJJ

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An academy, a community, a clubhouse – and definitely a labor of love.  Dual interior mural installations run the perimeter of the 2000 square foot facility’s walls, the work of world renown local street artist, Mediah.

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Ayisha and Akemi show off their vertical leaping ability on the premium DAX tatamis.

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Smart, spirited, talented, and fully capable of taking you down and out with minimal effort.  She’s the whole package!

Thanks to Ayisha for the lunch, hot sauces, and the tour of her new gym and teaching grounds.  Also, thanks for bringing Solara Shockley to life.  We had big plans for her in season 4!

Check out more about 4Points BJJ on their instagram: https://www.instagram.com/4points_brazilian_jiujitsu/

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

September 30, 2017: Until we fly again!

I’m just going to leave this here.  A little present from the Dark Council c/o PBMom:

Thanks to the architects of the Dark Matter fan campaign – relentless organizers of the Friday FTL Drives and tireless promoters of our little show: Hilda Bowen, Tom Gardiner, Kelli Zielinski, Lance Zielinski, Syrine Gouni, Lorena, Molina, and Elise Cochrane.

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Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

September 29, 2017: Fandom, start your blickensderfers!

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@TVjunkie63

Alright, Dark Matter fandom.  You ready to write?

As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog entry, Prodigy Pictures President and Dark Matter Executive Producer Jay Firestone has decided he wants to reward the fans. And he’s going to do so by making many of the show’s props and costumes, as well as DM-themed t-shirts and caps, available.  All you have to do for a chance at one of these Dark Matter mementos is write a letter (Yes, an actual letter!) telling us what the show means to you.  Write it longhand on looseleaf or use your computer and print up the results or, heck, use a Blickensderfer model 7 typewriter if you like.  Once you’re done, pop it in the mail and send to:

Prodigy Pictures
124 The East Mall
Toronto, Ontario
M8Z 5V5

And you’ll be automatically entered with an opportunity to win anything from a G.A. badge to a piece of the set.

Deadline for submissions is October 31st, 2017.  Don’t forget to include your mailing address!

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@ceresis64

Oh, hey!  Have another script!  This is the final shooting draft of “All The Time In The World”:

DM3 EP304 17_01_06 Script FULL COLLATED YELLOW

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Happy National Coffee Day!

 

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

September 28, 2017: BIG Dark Matter Fan Announcement!

Once a show wraps, the production usually holds an industry sale that allows them to recoup some costs and clear the stages.  In our case, I thought it would be nice to do something different.  A little something for fandom.  I suggested to Jay Firestone, President of Prodigy Pictures, that we hold an online auction and give Dark Matter fans a chance to purchase their very own Dark Matter memorabilia.

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Prodigy Pictures President Jay Firestone has a better idea!

Well, I spoke to Jay today and he has decided to go one better.  He’s not interested in making money off this wind down.  He just wants to reward fandom.  So, rather than auction off these items, we’re going to give them away.  And if you want your very own Dark Matter something, all it’s going to cost you is a little time and a little effort.

We want you to write us a letter explaining what Dark Matter meant to you.  Make sure to include your name and address for a chance to win anything from a Dark Matter t-shirt or cap to a costume, prop, or a part of the set.

I wanted a name for this mass giveaway, a tag that perfectly summed up what it was all about – thanking fandom for their incredible support and rewarding them for putting in that extra effort.  And I thought about it and, finally, I came up with…

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#ItsARealFanThing (not be confused with dozens of other #fanthing brandings of dubious merit).

Fandom, you all made Dark Matter one of syfy’s most-watched shows and we’re giving you the best possible reward (next to a season 4 of course).  Yes!  #ItsARealFanThing!

Over the next week, the production will collect, photograph, and itemize everything.  I’ll post some of the items on this blog along with the Prodigy Pictures address and final contest details.  And then, let the letter-writing begin!

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Artwork by @radiolaires

I gave you the first production draft of the Dark Matter pilot.  Then, I gave you the final shooting draft of “Isn’t That A Paradox?”.  Now, I’d like you to have the final shooting draft of “All The Time In The World”.  You remember?  THIS episode?

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All you need to do is hit twitter and tell me your favorite episode using the #ItsARealFanThing hashtag to kick off this ultimate fan giveaway event.  I’m looking for 10k tweets!  Once I have my tweets, you’ll get your script!

And remember…#ItsARealFanThing

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

September 27, 2017: And a not goodbye yet to the Raza set!

“Just because you’ve never done something doesn’t mean you can’t compete at a professional level.”

— Me to Akemi last night when she heard there was some archery competition going on this weekend.

Dark Matter mementos?  Maybe.

I have suggested to Prodigy Pictures that, if and when they decide to do away with the Dark Matter props, costumes, and set pieces, they do so by making them available for online auction instead of simply holding a private industry sale.  While it would require a little more planning, I think it would be a nice gesture to the fans who have supported the show these three years.

Will keep you posted on that front.

So, yesterday I posted pics of our final trek through our second stage at Evans. Today, I present you with our certainly not final visit to our primary stage where reside, amongst other things: Costumes! Props! The Raza! And, of course, my office with all that Dark Matter Whisky Club whisky!

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The whiteboard in my office.  Melissa O’Neil compliments my brain babies. Development exec Natalie Cooper’s To-Do list.  VFX Supervisor Lawren Bancroft-Wilson tacks on that little item at the end.  Accompanying artwork by Akemi.

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More impressive than the 39 episodes of television we produced was this collection of approximately 50 empty whisky bottles.

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Executive Producer Ivon Bartok and I caught raiding the Raza infirmary’s meds supply.

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We apprehend Dark Matter Playback Operator Greg Whiteside before forcefully removing him from the premises.  Everything must go!

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Strategizing our next lunch move.

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View of the mess hall.  Missing: triptych.  Also, everything else.

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Other view of the mess hall.  Missing: the mess hall table and, um, the floor.

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Ivon, Dark Matter Costume Designer Noreen Landry, and I.

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The Dark Matter costume department.  All the wardrobe and equipment are gone now.  The only thing left behind are those amusing dog-themed pictures.

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Ivon captioned this: Alex Mallari Jr.’s stunt double.  And I felt the need to point out that I had to go half speed when we sparred because I didn’t want him to get hurt[image error]

Fun time’s over.  Now let’s go quell a riot.

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Guys, come on.  One more tour of The Raza set.

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There’s nothing quite like the feeling of seeing 67% of your dream fully realized!

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Come, join us on the bridge.

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Ivon contemplates life after Dark Matter.

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Come on.  Who could say no to this face?

Okay, syfy, yes.  But who else?

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Ah, fuck it.  I aint going anywhere.

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter