Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 352

May 9, 2016: And that’s a wrap on Dark Matter’s second season!

With the completion of today’s final second unit day of episode 213 (Episode 26: But First, We Save The Galaxy), production on Dark Matter’s second season has come to an end.  We are officially done.  Except for the edits, music, sound effects, mixes, color correction, visual effects, other outstanding post requirements, and deliveries.

I am beyond excited to see the finished episodes and for YOU to see the finished episodes because this upcoming season is going to be UN-BE-LIEVABLE.

You wanted more ship to ship battles?  You got more ship to ship battles!

You wanted more futuristic tech?  You got more futuristic tech!

You wanted more Android?  You got more Android!

You wanted ******?  You got ******!

Less than two months to go to our explosive season premiere!

Prepare yourselves by heading over to Netflix and binge-watching season one.

Or follow my alt. Dark Matter twitter handle (@DarkMatter_show) for behind the scenes pics –

Monitor Reddit, both the Dark Matter and Stargate sub-reddits, for goodies and my upcoming June AMA.

And, of course, continue to check out this blog for cool little BTS goodies like this –

Seriously.  You guys are spoiled!

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

May 8, 2016: The Dark Matter wrap party!

It’s the end of another season of Dark Matter and I can’t help but consider it a bittersweet conclusion to another fantastic year.  On the one hand, I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished and am looking forward to a little time off.  On the other hand, I’m genuinely going to miss my extended family, this cast and crew, with whom I’ve spent the better part of my days these past seven months.

Last night, we said our goodbyes in fine style with drinks, dance, drinks, food, and drinks…

Noreen shows off her spaceship purse.

Brianna and Matt

DOP Craig Wright looking dapper.

Alison and Akemi ready to party.

Akemi samples the refreshments.

Jean and Rowena

Anastasia and Jeff (aka Lieutenant Anders)

Norman sports his team colors.

Ellen and Adam

Zoie and Akemi

Lindsay and Vanessa

The Ferland sisters: Jodelle and Marisha

Melissa, Ivon and Brett

Roxanne and David

Jodelle and Mackenzie

Joe and Noreen

Ready for bedtime

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

May 7, 2016: Shaun Sipos joins the cast of Dark Matter!

The official announcement came yesterday over on Deadline.com.  Actor Shaun Sipos joins the cast of Dark Matter.  Here’s the article:

Shaun Sipos Joins Dark Matter

“Sipos will play Devon, a once world class surgeon, who is haunted by a dark past that may pose a danger to himself and his fellow crew members.”

Sipos.  Sipos.  Now why does that name sound familiar?

Oh, yeah!  Shaun’s sister, Jessica, played Tash, the mercenary with the weird sibling bond, back in the show’s first season (Episodes 210-211).

Having worked with both, I can personally attest to the fact that Shaun and Jessica share clear genetic predispositions.  They’re both terrific actors, exceedingly charming, and two of the nicest people you could ever hope to spend time with.

Tonight’s the Dark Matter wrap party.  I’m off to limber up for my treacherous signature dance moves (Professional dancer on closed dance floor.  Do not attempt to duplicate, re-create, or perform the same or similar dance moves.), so I leave you with a few mysterious set pics from the show’s upcoming second season:

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

May 6, 2016: And that’s a main unit wrap on Dark Matter season 2!

That’s it!  Today marked the end of main unit photography on Dark Matter’s second season.  We have one more day of second unit to complete Monday, May 9th but for all intents and purposes, heavy lifting has been completed.  Above: Executive Producer and Prodigy Pictures President Jay Firestone tail slates the season.

Commander Gena.

Main unit celebrates wrap with sushi and champagne.

And, of course, whiskey!

Today was suit day on Dark Matter!  Line Producer Norman Denver goes undercover in Miami.

1st AD Brandon Tataryn came in wearing a suit this morning – but costume designer Noreen Landry thought it too ill-fitting and redressed him with a little something from the wardrobe department.  Note the pocket handkerchief.

And the trinity knot.  He’s venturing into my territory.

Anthony Lemke flashbacks to his lawyering days.

Mel x 2!  Melanie Liburd and Melissa O’Neil.

Melanie, Norman, Ron, Jesse, Melissa, and that show runner guy.

We knocked down 17 bottles this season – and still have a day to go.

After the smoke settles on main unit, the Dark Matter whiskey club convenes.

Phil says “See you for season 3!”

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter, Dark Matter Season 2

May 5, 2016: Zoie Palmer (Dark Matter’s Android) answers YOUR questions!

Yes, it’s true.  Dark Matter’s excruciatingly adorable Android, played by the equally excruciatingly adorable Zoie Palmer, has agreed to drop by and do a little fan Q&A. If you have questions for Zobot, post them in the comments section.  I’ll gather them over the course of the next few days, then relay them via subspace in an encrypted data burst directly to her neural matrix (via The Raza of course).

DARK MATTER — “Episode Twelve” Episode 112 — Pictured: Zoie Palmer as The Android — (Photo by: Russ Martin/Prodigy Pictures/Syfy)

Three questions per customer, so make ’em count!

If you’re not following my dedicated Dark Matter twitter account (@DarkMatter_show), these are some of the BTS pics you’ve been missing:

While, over on Reddit, I continue my trip down SG-1 memory lane:

Stargate Memories: Watergate, The First Ones, Scorched Earth

As our second to last day of main unit photography on Dark Matter’s second season draws to a close, I leave you today with some pics from…one of our new episodes:

Airlock inside.

And out.

EOS-7 lost and found department.

Representing the Galactic Authority: Jim Codrington

Representing the Galactic Authority…

A snacking Kris Holden-Reid.

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Android, Dark Matter, Dark Matter Season 2, The Android, Zoie Palmer

May 4, 2016: The Dark Matter season finale named!

The results are in and this one wasn’t even close.  And you’re winner is…

“EPISODE 26: But First, We Save The Galaxy”.

Thanks to everyone who cast their ballots.  Next season, we’ll (hopefully) have another 13 episodes to title!

Hey, who is this familiar-looking mystery character?

Answers await you this upcoming season!

You’re following my unofficial all-things Dark Matter twitter HQ @DarkMatter_show for your daily dose of Dark Matter BTS photos, right?

Hopefully, yes, because that’s where all the live-tweeting action is going to take place when the show premieres on July 1st!

Meanwhile, over on Reddit, the Stargate fun continues:

Stargate Memories: Crossroads, Divide and Conquer, Window of Opportunity

And over on the Television sub-reddit:

My Top 10 Desert Island Comedies

Big BIG Dark Matter cast member fan Q&A announcement coming your way tomorrow.  Watch for it!

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

May 3, 2016: Pick a title for the Dark Matter season 2 finale!

12 episode titles down and 1 to go.  The time has finally come to name our season 2 finale.

To date, you (the fans) have chosen the following:

“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”

And now, you have one more choice to make.  Select a season finale title from among the following…

Take Our Poll

Polls close in 24 hours.  Vote away!

Some EOS-7 surveillance room visuals compliments of Kelly Diamond and the gang in playback:

Tell your friends to head on over to twitter and follow @DarkMatter_show for a daily dose of Dark Matter goodies.  Today, we continued our look back at some of the season 1 behind-the-scenes moments:

While, over on Reddit, the Stargate fun continues with another two posts:

My Journey to the Gate II – which includes the SG-1 theme with lyrics!

Stargate Memories: Small Victories, The Other Side, Upgrades

If you missed them the first time, head on over to Reddit and check out my trip down Stargate: SG-1 season 4 memory lane!

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter, Dark Matter Season 2

May 2, 2016: Final week of production on Dark Matter’s second season!

Tomorrow will mark the last Tuesday of the Dark Matter season 2 production schedule.  Where has the time gone?  It feels like only yesterday we were in Vancouver convening the writers’ room –

Back at a time when season 2 and the Trump presidency seemed so impossibly faraway.  And now look at us.

Finally, after many months of spinning, writing, prepping, shooting, and slaving over a hot editor, the end is in sight.  And once I finish my final edit at the end of May and get through a few mixes, I’ll be flying back to Vancouver for some much needed R&R – Research and Review as I prepare to beat out Dark Matter’s third season.  Juuuust kidding…

I’ve already started beating out the show’s third season.  I’ve got the major arcs, series and character, as well as many of the stories.  And, this morning, I just finished breaking the season 3 premiere.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.  Instead, let me get ahead of myself while you all relax and check out the show’s second season premiering in early July wherever all fine science fiction shows are aired.

Another little something in the works for our finale.

So, over on my alt. @DarkMatter_show twitter account, the BTS pics continue to come fast and furious…

If you’re not following, you’re missing out!

Meanwhile, over on Reddit, I posted this little goodie on the scifi sub-reddit:

And, for the Stargate-minded, this informative write-up of The 4 Best Atlantis Scripts I Never Got To Write! over on the Stargate sub-reddit of course.

This week’s highlights going forward: the mix, the ambush, and the knife fight!

P.S. My friend Carl Binder’s show, Houdini and Doyle premieres tonight at 9 p.m. on FOX.  Check it out!

Tagged: #DarkMatter, #DarkMatterSeason2, Dark Matter, Dark Matter Season 2

May 1, 2016: Easy to root for!

“Easy to root for” is a term Dark Matter Supervising Producer Ivon Bartok introduced me to years ago.  It was in reference to actor Brian J. Smith (SGU‘s Lieutenant Matthew Scott) on the heels of his Tony Award nomination for his Broadway performance in The Glass Menagerie.  “Easy to root for” in that Brian, in addition to being incredibly talented, was simply just a straight-up good-hearted, down-to-earth, sweet-natured guy.  We were happy for his success because it seemed an appropriate karmic payoff for a guy who had been nothing but positive, pleasant, and downright gracious during our years working with him on Stargate: Universe.

Flash-forward four years and the term comes to mind again in relation to actress Melanie Liburd who, in addition to her role in the upcoming sixth season of Game of Thrones, joins the crew of The Raza in Dark Matter’s second season as the mysterious Nyx Harper.  “She’s like the nicest person on the planet!”texted Zoie Palmer and I have a hard time arguing that statement of fact.

Today, Melanie, Akemi and I got together for a long-overdue meal.  We did dim-sum, got in some shopping, chatting, and capped our afternoon with a visit to Toronto’s premiere chocolate shop, Soma, for a major chocolate infusion.

Melanie shows off her lobster dumpling…that’s actually shaped like a tiny lobster.

Akemi and Melanie prepare to descend on dessert.  The calm before the snacking storm!

Can’t wait for you to finally meet her when Dark Matter season 2 premieres (July 1st on @Syfy, @Syfy_Spain, and @SpaceChannel; July 2nd on @SyfyAU, July 4th on @SyfyUK, and July 11th on @SyfyDE).

Speaking of the new season, I have a conference call next with Bipasha Ghosh and the rest of the Syfy International marketing teams to discuss plans for you, the fans.  And, oh, what plans we have!

This week, we head into the home stretch in what promises to be a season full of shocks, surprises and BIG pivotal moments.  What’s to come?  Well, here’s a hint…

If you’re not following @DarkMatter_show on twitter, you’re missing out on oodles of amazing BTS pics like these…

Jodelle and Alex support each other during read-thru.

The sassiest android in space!

Lately, I’ve also been spending time on reddit’s Stargate sub-reddit where I’ve been reposting some of my most popular Stargate-related entries.  So far:

Stargate Memories: My Journey Through the Gate – In which I detail my journey from animation writer to joining one of television’s most successful scifi franchises.

My Top 10 Favorite Stargate Episodes – Self-explanatory.  #1 may surprise you.

The Top 10 Best Stargate Episode Titles – In my opinion.

Top 10 Running Gags in SG-1 – From blue jello to whatever’s in O’Neill’s mug.

It’s been a lot of fun.  If you’re interested in reading about some of the BTS action on Stargate, subscribe to the subreddit.  I’ll be uploading daily entries moving forward!

Tagged: #DarkMatter

April 30, 2016: Bring Your Daughter to Work Day on Dark Matter! And more premiere dates!

This past Thursday was Bring Your Daughter to Work day on Dark Matter.  As a result Lulu had the run of the place.  Pictured above, seconds before she launched missiles on that Ferrous Corp cruiser.

Then, later, calling dibs on her new quarters.  Looks like hereonin THREE will be sleeping in the infirmary.

She also swung by the wardrobe department to see what Costume Designer Noreen Landry and her crew were working on.  As it turned out, quite a bit…

This military-style jacket in progress.

 This could be trouble!

Han-Shireikan’s gorgeous outfit.

Who?

Soon.  Soon.

Speaking of which…

Hurrah!  Another season premiere announcement!  Watch for Dark Matter’s return to Syfy_Spain on July 1st!

And one more! Dark Matter makes its season 2 premiere on SyfyAU July 2nd!

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter, Dark Matter Season 2