Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 344

June 13, 2016: The Dark Matter writers’ room reconvenes!

As much as I liked the familiar confines of The Bridge Studio conference room, I much prefer the season 3 writers’ room with its impressive view (see above).

The most important thing when spinning, next to the stories (well, some would argue AS important) is lunch options.  Where’s good to eat?  Being right downtown by the water, we have plenty of options: Miku, Meat & Bread, La Taqueria.  At the end of these three weeks, even if we fail to break single story, the lunches we’ll enjoy will make it all worthwhile.

Hey, eagle-eyed Stargate fans, notice that yellow mass in the distant background?  Look familiar?  Maybe this will refresh your memories…

That giant pile of sulphur has been sitting there for some 20 years now (at least)!  Yes, giant pile of sulphur.  I imagine the cast and crew had a great time shooting in that particular location.

The Dark Matter season 3 writers’ room.  Pictured from left to right: Executive Producer Paul Mullie on the phone with agent planning his exit strategy, Supervising Producer Ivon Bartok resisting the donuts, Story Editor Alison Hepburn tapping her archival knowledge of the show’s first two seasons.  Not pictured: Supervising Producer Lawren Bancroft-Wilson (it was too early for him as this picture was taken at 11 am…in the morning!), and yours truly.

Today’s Dark Matter sneak peek screen shot – something a little…moody.

Oooh, check it out.  TVInsider has some sexy first look photos from Dark Matter’s second season, shot by uber-awesome photographer Norman Wong.

First Look Dark Matter Season 2

You like?

A little something for the Stargate fans – early puddle jumper designs by Peter Bodnarus…

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter, Stargate

June 12, 2016: And so it begins…again! Dark Matter! Stargate!

Today marks my last free day before I get back at it.  Well, in truth, I’ve been back at it since production ended in early May, but there’s a difference between the leisurely comforts of freelancing from home and the more stringent demands of a daily writers’ room.  Having done a good amount of the leg work – story and character overviews and arcs for the show’s third season, story ideas, a breakdown of the season 3 premiere – I’m hoping it’ll be a fun, smooth experience free of the frustration and fury of every writers’ room that has ever convened.  We’ll see.

Today’s Dark Matter season 2 sneak peek screen shot comes courtesy of…THAT episode.  You know the one.

Hey, have you entered for a chance to win a cast-signed, annotated copy of the Dark Matter season 2 premiere script?  Check out this link for details:

Win a Dark Matter signed script!

Contest limited to residents of planet Earth.  Deadline July 1st.  Tell your friends!

Hey, Stargate fans!  Here are few interesting tidbits from each of the three shows:

Distant Ruined City – Stargate: Atlantis, Rising I – James Robbins, illustrator.

Blessed are the Ori prior staffs – Stargate: SG-1, Avalon – James Robbins

Control Interface Room – Stargate: Universe, Air I – Production Designer James Robbins.

Finally, a reminder that I’ll be a guest on GeekSoulBrother’s podcast this Tuesday night – 7 pm PST/10 pm EST.

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

June 11, 2016: Win a cast-signed, annotated Dark Matter script!

Last year, the wardrobe department put up Dark Matter-themed dog pictures, each corresponding to a particular episode of the show’s first season.  For instance, this picture –

…corresponded to Episode 5, the one in which our anti-heroes run afoul of the mutated, zombie-like crew of The Far Horizon.  And this picture –

…was a tip of the hat to Episode 8 in which SIX uses clone tech (Transfer Transit) to travel to a distant space station.

See how it works?  Great!  Now all you have to do is correctly match up all 13 of the wardrobe department’s dog pics with their respective season 2 episodes.  And it aint as easy as it looks.

Winner will be whoever manages to guess correctly.  Or closest.  It the event of a tie, the winner will be chosen randomly from our top contestants.

Ready?  Okay.  Here are the Dark Matter season 2 episode titles:

“Episode 14: Welcome To Your New Home”

“Episode 15: Kill Them All”

“Episode 16: I’ve Seen The Other Side Of You”

“Episode 17: We Were Family”

“Episode 18: We Voted Not To Space You”

“Episode 19: We Should Have Seen This Coming”

“Episode 20: She’s One Of Them Now”

“Episode 21: Stuff to Steal, People to Kill”

“Episode 22: Going Out Fighting”

“Episode 23: Take The Shot”

“Episode 24: Wish I’d Spaced You When I Had The Chance”

“Episode 25: Sometimes In Life You Don’t Get To Choose”

“Episode 26: But First, We Save The Galaxy”

And here are the Dark Matter season 2 dogs:

#1.

#2.

#3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

A lot of clues and connections here, some obvious, others, admittedly, very tenuous.

Good luck!  Lucky winner will be announced the week of July 4th!

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

June 10, 2016: Dark Matter contest to come!

Noooooooo!  My one week off is over.  Come Monday, I’m back at it, in the room with Paul, Ivon, and Alison, breaking stories for Dark Matter’s third season.  No, we haven’t been picked up.  Season 2 has yet to air (July 1st on Syfy and SpaceChannel!).  BUT, I’m feeling confident.  I mean, just wait until you see what season 2 has in store for you and you’ll know why I like our chances.  It would be nice to get an official green light sooner than later (later being sometime in September after the last episode has aired), but, hey, such is the business.

Pictured above: our sneak peek screen shot of the day.  As promised, the visual effects this season are going to be BIGGER and BETTER.  You asked for ship to ship battles, you’re getting ship to ship battles!

In the next few days, I’m going to announce a skill-testing contest for a chance to win a signed, annotated script for our season 2 premiere: “Episode 14: Welcome To Your New Home”.  What will you have to do for a chance to win it?  Well, it will be deceptively simple.  Details to come.  But here’s a hint.  Remember last year I noted how the wardrobe department had posted Dark Matter-themed dog pictures up on their walls, each corresponding to a specific episode?  To refresh your memories here’s a breakdown…

https://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/2015/08/23/august-23-2015-the-dog-days-of-dark-matter/

Well, they’ve done the same thing for the show’s second season.  If I posted these new pictures to the blog, do you think you’d be able to match them to their respective season 2 episodes?  Well, you’re going to have to for a chance to win.  Dog pics and details to come!

Over on reddit, my trip down Stargate memory lane continues with a few reminiscences, and plenty of pics from the Art Department archives like…

Khonsu’s planet – “The Other Guys” – artist, James Robbins.

Felger and Coombs at the control unit – “The Other Guys – artist, James Robbins.

3D Transport Ring – “The Other Guys – artist, James Robbins

And a little something from the playback department.

 

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter, Stargate

June 9, 2016: Dark Matter expands its viewership!

Good news!  You don’t have to worry about missing Dark Matter the next time you travel to Qatar because NBCU will be partnering with OSN to launch Syfy across the Middle East and Africa!

NBCUniversal and OSN Set to Launch Syfy in Middle East

I am READY for my first Dark Matter con in Dubai!

Pictured above, our season 2 sneak peek screen shot of the day.  Looks a tad nefarious, no?

A little more productive today as I got some work done on the new pilot.  About 40 pages in, I have a feeling I’ll be doing multiple “tighten and trim” passes to get it down to a lean and mean length.  By the way, thanks for those who offered to lend their military expertise.  I’ll be in touch!

Uh oh.  The Dark Matter season 2 premiere is about three weeks away.  Are you all caught up?  If not, head on over to Netflix and binge the entire first season.  If you are, then head on over to Netflix and binge the entire first season for review purposes.  And then, just to be on the safe side, check out this handy character primer from the gang at Syfy:

The Six: What We Know

One of the first things I did upon my return to Vancouver was to hit my favorite bookstores.  This is my latest haul:

Hopefully, I’ll have the opportunity this summer as my Dark Matter duties have really eaten into my free time.  At present, the only reading I get in is about an hour before bedtime.  And I’ve been relying on two marvelous online sites for that pre-bedtime reading material…

comixology – allows you to instantly purchase and download endless comic titles, from classics to new releases.  Never again will you miss a back issue with this handy site.

Rocket Stank Rank – offers aggregate ratings of short stories, novelettes, and novellas along with – in many instances – links to the various works.

My journey through my immense Stargate archives continues with a subspace communicator design for the episode “Avalon” (by James Robbins) –

Control room layout, “The Other Guys” –

Felger and Coombs activate the control unit, “The Other Guys” (drawn by James Robbins).

Finally, look at who got new goggles today, just in time for summer swimming…

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter, Stargate

June 8, 2016: ONE drops by!

Well, look who dropped by the house today to say hello to Lulu.  If it isn’t Dark Matter’s ONE/Jace Corso, Marc Bendavid.  In addition to coming up to visit with Lulu, he’s also in town shooting a movie.  Today was a rare day off from set, so we got together for lunch at Fable Kitchen (he got a double order of the chickpea fritters, I got my burger medium-rare), then…

Back to the house for some unbelievable sake (ginger and orange peel) ice cream we picked up from Tangram Creamery on Arbutus.  HIGHLY recommended.

Today’s season 2 sneak peek screen shot of the day.  A familiar piece of jewelry from season 1.

Approximately three weeks to the Dark Matter season 2 premiere!

Today was unproductive.  I’d love to chalk it up to distractions but, truth is, I just wasn’t in a writing mood.  Discussed some visual effects shots, gave notes on the blooper reel, and sent off my rough outline for episode 301.  I think I’ll spend the rest of the evening reading short stories, perusing comixology, and watching the new season on Chef’s Table.

A few BTS tidbits for the Stargate-minded among you…

Column control unit – “The Other Guys” (designed by James Robbins).

Wraith ultrasound handset – “Kindred II” (designed by James Robbins).

And a little something from playback.  F-302: Target locked!

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter, Stargate

June 7, 2016: Requesting military assistance! Dark Matter! Stargate!

Join me next week – Tuesday, June 14th at 10 pm EST/7 pm PST – as I guest on the GeekSoulBrother podcast.  Topics of discussions will include this, that, and much more!  Also, probably Dark Matter and Stargate.  So, swing on by!

Who is Geek Soul Brother and what’s his site all about?  Well, why don’t you check out here:

http://geeksoulbrother.com

And who is our affable host?  Well, I think it’s fairly self-evident, but Henry is a HUGE scifi fan.  Check out his list of 15 Sci Fi Shows That Shouldn’t Have Been Cancelled:

So, as I mentioned in yesterday’s blog entry, my new show pilot is military scifi – not unlike Stargate: SG-1.  Unlike Stargate: SG-1, however, I don’t have easy access to a military tech who I can ask questions, run stuff by, and generally vet my script.  Or do I?  Yes, that’s where you military vets come in.  Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines – make yourself known or remind me again and I’ll drop you an email.  Help me out.  I may ever name a character after you!

One aspect of the pilot I’m undecided about is who rules the space ways.  I could take a page out of Stargate’s playbook and put the Air Force in charge.  Or follow David Weber’s lead and give it to the Navy.  Then again, Space: Above and Beyond were on to something with those space Marines.  Or do we want to go Starship Troopers?  Or maybe create a future mix’n match version of all four? Let do this!

Hey!  Head on over to Syfy.com for some behind the scenes pics of Dark Matter season 2.

And while we’re on the topic of Dark Matter’s second season, here’s our Screen Shot of the Day:

Well, unlike yesterday’s instalment, today’s offering is a little more…discernible. Whaddya think?

Meanwhile, I continue to go through the Stargate archives and offer a few natsukashii tidbits from my time on the franchise.  Pictured above, onscreen playback elements for the Jaffa ship.

And a little onscreen playback elements from another familiar alien race.  Any guesses?

And, finally, a little Puddle Jumper playback…

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter, Stargate

June 6, 2016: “Relaxing”! Dark Matter! Stargate!

If today was any indication of the relaxing times I can look forward to in the week ahead, I may well need a hiatus from my hiatus…

— Went over the rough cut footage from the gag reel.  Lots of funny bits.  Now it’s just a matter of selecting the best and choosing the order.

— Went over the visual effect shots for a bunch of episodes.  It’s all looking fantastic.  Kudos to VFX Supervisor Lawren Bancroft-Wilson and his various teams.  Eye-popping stuff.

— Reviewed budgets for the show’s first two seasons, and prospective third.

— Reviewed a couple of terrific special features.

— Completed the beat sheet for our season 3 premiere: a tease, a tag, and five action-packed, character-driven, twisty-turns acts!

—  Did a little work on my new pilot script and am a little over halfway done.  It’s pretty different from what I usually write, more in the realm of military SF, but still the character-driven, action-fueled story-telling with that underlying humor I love so much.  Coming soon to a screen near you?  I’m counting on late 2017!

Today’s intriguing screen shot comes from…some episode in Dark Matter’s second season.  But what IS going on here?  Guesses?

Modeling the Hyperion-8 detention facility – Dark Matter (Darkroom Digital Effects, CG Supervisor: Craig VanDenBiggilaar, Modeling Supervisor – Brendon Morfitt.

Fancy light-up corporate name plate c/o Roxanne Borris.

Incoming transmission!  Trivia time!  More often than not, whenever a character is watching, reacting, or conversing with an onscreen display, said display is often a “burn-in” meaning the actor is not playing to a live-feed but a blue screen.  The actual onscreen elements are “burned in” later in post-production.

And a little something for the Stargate fans, from the archives…

Architecture designs – “The Other Guys”.Wraith mask – James Robbins.

Wraith warrior chest plate – James Robbins.

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter, Stargate

June 5, 2016: More Dark Matter and Stargate BTS pics!

Today’s screen shot of the day, posted above, is from some unspecified episode in Dark Matter’s second season.  Who’s the blond?  And who’s the guy?  Is that a drink in his hand?  Are they at some sort of party?

Questions, questions, questions.  Answers coming your way in less than a month!

We’ll be kicking the season off at the Hyperion-8 detention facility where the crew of The Raza will be making all sorts of new friends (?).  Pictured above, actors Alex Mallari Jr., Ronnie Rowe, and Mike Dopud are let out of their cells for lunch, exercise, and the shooting of one scene from the Dark Matter season premiere.

A selection of shivs and shanks for the discerning inmate.

First shot, first day, first episode – Dark Matter season 2.

Well, it’s great to be back in Vancouver, visiting some of our favorites places: Granville Island, Seafood City, The Vancouver Olive Oil Company, Beta5 Chocolates, White Dwarf Books, The Book Warehouse, Pete’s Meat, La Taqueria, The Vancouver Farmers’ Markets.  For starters.  I have a full week, seven glorious days of R&R before the Dark Matter writers’ room reconvenes to break season 3!

And, continuing my tour through the Stargate vault with more awesome James Robbins concept art. The Wraith Keeper.

And a view from within the submerged City of Atlantis – “Rising I”.

June 4, 2016: Looking back on Stargate! Looking ahead to Dark Matter!

Ah, there are no better motivations than anger or a deadline and, in the case of this new pilot, I can draw on both.  A little over halfway done and it’s coming along swimmingly.  Hoping to have it done soon so that I can get some feedback, do a rewrite, and then go out with it in the next couple of months.  As much as I enjoyed my time in Toronto, being back home these couple of days made me realize how truly awesome it would be to set up a show here.

So, in yesterday’s blog entry, I uploaded some pics from the Stargate archives. I’ve been going through a lot of these old files and am amazed by the brilliant work of James Robbins who, prior to taking over as Production Designer on Stargate: Atlantis, spent many years in the art department conceiving, creating, and designing some of the franchise’s most memorable visuals.  Like for instance…

The wraith pod from the Atlantis pilot.  Or…

The wraith mothership.  Or…

The headpieces for the wraith warriors.

Just incredible stuff.  You can check out more of James Robbins’ over at his website:

The Art of James Robbins

Speaking of art, on one of our last days in Toronto, Akemi and I had dinner with actress Ellen Wong (Dark Matter’s Misaki Han) and her husband Adam.  It was Ellen’s birthday and, to commemorate the  special day, we gifted her this awesome framed painting by a budding local artist:

Speaking of the new commander of the royal guard of Ishida, check her out…in uniform:

And, of course, you remember her ride…

So, today I resume one of my favorite spotlight features of this blog: The Screenshot of the Day!  Each screenshot will be selected at random and uploaded without context.  Assume what you will!

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter, Stargate