Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 354

March 5, 2016: Dark Matter and dogs! What else were you expecting?

 

It would seem that, every third or fourth episode, the Art Department tries to sneak some cosmic bongs into a shot.  And, every time I see them, I have them cleared out before we start rolling.  So determined are they to get these multicolored interstellar moofs onto the show that they will casually and quietly place them into background of the most innocuous locations: a bar (Episode 102, a prison cell Episode 202, a space station corridor Episode 207).  I think I’ve been pretty good at catching them so far but, just in case, I’ve decided that the next time I spot them on set, I’m loading them into the back of my car and dropping them off somewhere far, far away.

Editor Paul Day was on set yesterday, scouting things out in advance of his directorial debut later this month.  His accurate take on the days’ action: “Like watching really slow dailies.”

Hey, it’s the imperial crest of the House of Ishida.  Long time no see.

Awwww.  One big happy family!

Hey, with Sunday just around the corner, here are a couple of pics of Bubba and Lulu in their Sunday Best…

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

March 4, 2016: Wecome to Balda-9!

I was walking the corridors of space station Balda-9 today and was amazed by the  artwork adorning the walls.  From the techy cool to the comically bizarre, check out the visual background offerings that come c/o 1st Assistant Art Director Roxanne Borris…

From Hyperion-8 to Balda-9, Regulus-12 to Earth, our crew will visit some distant locales this season – but next episode sees them journey to the one of the most far-out destinations yet.  It’s out of this universe!

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

March 3, 2016: Dark Matter sneak peeks and comic book recommendations!

Director Jason Priestley was in action today, shooting Day 5 of (the as-of-yet-untitled) Episode 206.  He’s a crew favorite for his infectious enthusiasm and dynamic pacing.  Also, his heavenly shoulder massages.  The grips and electrics skip lunch just so they can get him to work their tired delts!

Also seeing action today was this stylin’ fashionista, THE agent of the future: Tabor Calchek (played by David Hewlett).  P.S. Check out the socks.  This season, Tabor finds himself an unlikely guest aboard The Raza.  And one of our crew members find themselves in the unenviable task of babysitting.

Uh oh.  Design by Victor Mare.

Speaking of Victor, he stopped me in the hall yesterday to ask about the Dark Matter comic that (seemingly) started it all – and we got on the topic of other titles we’re reading.  I promised to put together a list of some of my recent ongoing favorites – and here they are:

ARCADIA (written by Alex Paknadel, illustrated by Eric Scott Pfeiffer)

When 99% of humankind is wiped out by a pandemic, four billion people are “saved” by being digitized at the brink of death and uploaded into Arcadia, a utopian simulation in the cloud. But when Arcadia begins to rapidly deplete the energy resources upon which the 1% of survivors in the real world (aka “The Meat”) depends, how long will The Meat be able—and willing—to help?

The trade paperback, volume 1, will be available May 3, 2016.

LIMBO (written by Dan Watters, illustrated by Caspar Wijngaard)

A detective with no memory, no identity and no manners. A femme fatale seeking escape from a powerful crime lord. A voodoo queen with a penchant for mixtapes and hi-tops. A goat-eating TV… Welcome to Dedande City, where good people check under their beds at night and reality is never quite what it seems.

The trade paperback, volume 1, will be available June 7, 2016.

ROCHE LIMIT (written by Michael Moreci, illustrated by Vic Malhotra)

“Our destiny is the stars, and I will lead us there.” Twenty years after this promise, billionaire Langford Skaargard’s dream of cosmic exploration is no more. Roche Limit, a colony situated on the cusp of a mysterious energy anomaly, is a melting pot of crime and terrible secrets. When Bekkah Hudson goes missing, the search to find her will plunge her sister and a cadre of the colony’s underworld figures into an odyssey that reveals a grim future for mankind.

Trade paperbacks, volumes 1 and 2, available now.

THE VIOLENT (written by Ed Brisson, illustrated by Adam Gorham)

Meet Mason, an ex-con and former drug addict who’s trying hard to give up his old life. He’s got more important things to live for now: a wife struggling to contain her own addiction and a young daughter who needs them both. When threatened with losing his daughter, Mason falls into old habits, stumbling through a string of desperate criminal acts whose repercussions quickly become deadly serious.

Trade paperback, volume 1, coming your way July 12, 2016.

THE LAST CONTRACT (written by Ed Brisson, illustrated by Lisandro Estherren)

A retired hit man, known only as “The Man,” is forced back into the game when a list of his kills is leaked by a mysterious blackmailer. The list makes targets out of anyone associated with one of the The Man’s previous jobs, not to mention The Man himself. As he fights to protect those the list exposes, The Man sets off to uncover the identity of the blackmailer so he can move on with his new life once and for all, but will the truth ruin those chances forever?

PLUTONA (written by Emi Lenox and Jeff Lemire, illustrated by Emi Lenox)

Five kids discover the body of the world’s greatest super hero, Plutona, in the woods after school one day. This discovery sends them on a dark journey that will threaten to tear apart their friendship and their lives.

Trade paperback, volume 1, available May 24, 2016.

THE SHERIFF OF BABYLON (written by Tom King, illustrated by Mitch Gerads)

Baghdad, 2003. The War on Terror has been raging for two years. Iraq’s capital city has been devastated, and without a police force to keep its citizens safe. In an effort to establish some semblance of order in the war-torn city, Florida cop-turned-military consultant Chris Henry has been assigned to train a new group of cadets who will take up the cause of law enforcement. But even those with good intentions are not immune to the chaos found in the post-9/11 Middle East.

Trade paperback, volume 1, headed your way July 12, 2016.

VISION (written by Tom King, illustrated by Gabriel Hernandez Walta)

The Vision wants to be human, and what’s more human than family? So he heads back to the beginning, to the laboratory where Ultron created him and molded him into a weapon. The place where he first rebelled against his given destiny and imagined that he could be more -that he could be a man. There, he builds them. A wife, Virginia. Two teenage twins, Viv and Vin. They look like him. They have his powers. They share his grandest ambition -or is that obsession? -the unrelenting need to be ordinary. Behold the Visions!

Trade paperback, volume 1, available July 12, 2016.

AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE (written by Robert Aguirre-Sacasa, illustrated by Francesco Francavilla)

When Jughead’s beloved pet Hot Dog is killed in a hit and run, Jughead turns to the only person he knows who can help bring back his furry best friend—Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Using dark, forbidden magic, Sabrina is successful and Hot Dog returns to the land of the living. But he’s not the same… and soon, the darkness he brings back with him from beyond the grave begins to spread, forcing Archie, Betty, Veronica and the gang to try to escape from Riverdale!

Trade paperbacks, volume 1, available now.

Start with these and let’s circle back next week!

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Afterlife with Archie, Arcadia, Dark Matter, Limbo, Plutona, Roche Limit, The Last Contract, The Sheriff of Babylon, The Violent, Vision

March 2, 2016: Jay leads the Dark Matter charge!

Well, look who it is.  Dark Matter Executive Producer and Prodigy Pictures President Jay Firestone has been jetting across the globe, wheeling and dealing – but still finds time to for the production, weighing in on scripts through edits to final mixes.  Recently, I sat down with him to go over Episode 208 and our notes session lasted all of twenty minutes.  Like the cast, he REALLY liked this one. As do many who have read it – despite it’s somewhat…complicated narrative elements.  This one’s gonna be wild!

Speaking of wild – UK fans take note!

SyfyUK has joined forces with SFX to offer one lucky fan the chance to win a visit to the set of Dark Matter.

“You’ll be given the chance to have a tour of the Dark Matter studio, meet and greet cast and crew, and leave with a bag full of Syfy goodies. That’s not all – while on set, you may even get the opportunity to be filmed in an exclusive extra role.“

And what, pray tell, could that role be?  Drunken Miner #2?  Defenestrated Security Guard?  Or, perhaps, even the part of THREE for a scene (provided you sign off on the Bubba liability waiver).  The possibilities are endless!

To enter, answer a skill-testing question here: http://www.syfy.co.uk/DarkMatterSetVisit

And, if you’re looking for a good read, might I suggest the contest’s terms & conditions: http://www.syfy.co.uk/DarkMatterSetVisitTermsAndConditions

Speaking of fans of the show – we’ve got one right here in the Production Offices. Check out Assistant Coordinator Travis Lowry’s fine cross-stitch salute to The Most Dangerous Crew In Outerspace:

Let’s go in for a closer look…

Hey, speaking of closer looks, check out a couple of key props from some upcoming episodes…

Now where have we seen this before?  Oh, yeah, on this blog a little while back. So who does this little rocket ship belong to?  After all, our youngest crew member, FIVE, seems to have outgrown toys and moved on to gak and gadgetry.

It’s the little things.  Pick a set of pills.  Any set of pills.  ‘Cause someone’s gonna need ’em!

Whoa!  What weird cosmic elixir has the props department concocted for this episode?  No, wait.  That’s not a faux drink from the Dark Matter props department.  That’s actually my morning bulletproof matcha courtesy of my girlfriend, Akemi.  Vibrant, no?

On deck tomorrow: One more day on our standing sets with director Jason Priestly (Secrets!  A terrifying test!  More Tabor!) before production shifts to the high tech environs of Hamilton (Disguises!  Discord! Daring escapes!)

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

March 1, 2016: New Episode Title Revealed!

The fans have spoken.  We have a new episode title!

Episode 205 shall henceforth be known as:

“Episode 18: We Voted Not To Space You”

Thanks for taking part in the democratic process.  Join us next week when you’ll get a chance to name yet another episode!

Hey, what is the Dark Matter art department up to?

Well, I’m glad you asked.  Check out these works-in-progress:

Finally, speaking of creative construction, check out what Akemi made the dogs for breakfast:

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

February 29, 2016: Vote on a new Dark Matter episode title!

Hey, have you heard?  Fandom will be choosing ALL 13 episode titles of Dark Matter’s second season.  To date, they’ve selected:

“Episode 13: Welcome To Your New Home”

“Episode 14: Kill Them All”

“Episode 15: I’ve Seen The Other Side Of You”

“Episode 16: We Were Family”

And today, we kick off our Episode 17 vote!

The nominees are…

Take Our Poll

Cast your ballot!  The polls close in 24 hours!

And, while you’re feeling opinionated, why not weigh in on the design for Reynaud’s ship.

Designs by the amazing Jon Hrubesch.

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter, Jon Hrubesch, spaceship designs

February 28, 2016: Dark Matter Update! You guys are spoiled!

Glamour shot of consulting producer Ivon Bartok, on the set of Dark Matter.

Glamour shot of yours truly, on the set of Dark Matter.

Wait!  That’s it?!  The weekend is over?!!!  Noooooooo!!!  I was just sitting outside, enjoying the view from my patio…

Here’s hoping those buttresses do their job.

The week ahead is looking to be one looooong stretch.  In addition to director Jason Priestly shooting main unit on Episode 207, we’ve got director Bruce McDonald shooting second unit on Episode 206, director Ron Murphy shooting those outstanding Android scenes for Episode 205, and director Any Mikita prepping Episode 208.  I’ll also be receiving notes on the writer’s draft of 208 and spending tomorrow afternoon in editing with the wizardly Paul Day, completing my producer’s cut of Episode 205.  And then there’s the script work…

Episode 208: Notes forthcoming and tweaks will be made over prep week as we head toward production on this script that has engendered some enthusiastic responses.  To quote a few cast members:

“[REDACTED]?!?!?!  YOU GUYS ARE AMAZINNNNGGG”

“Wtf!!!

Omg!!!

So cool!!!!”

“My butt clenched reading it.”

This one is going to be a lot of fun – for the guest cast alone!

Episode 209: Consulting Producer Ivon Bartok did a great job on the first draft of this script which sees the return of a certain villain.  I completed my pass last week, then sent into Paul’s way so that he could do a pass before we put it out.

Episode 210: Paul finished a first draft late last week, but I haven’t had a chance to read it yet.  Three different flavors of Android!

Episode 211: I actually finished the writer’s draft for this one a couple of weeks ago before switching gears to 209.  It features what is fast becoming my favorite oddball pairing.

Episode 212: Our penultimate episode will be HUGE.  After the events of this one, things will never be the same.  I’m about seven pages in but have spent the weekend, hammering out the next two scenes.  The secret ingredient is chocolate. Oh, you’ll know what I’m talking about when we get there.

Episode 213: Shrouded in mystery.  Paul and I still have much to discuss here.

Also this week – on this blog:

Photos of all the Dark Matter on-set and behind-the-scenes action!

I set up another Dark Matter fan Q&A!

You’ll all get to vote on a new episode title, this one for Episode 205.  Tune in tomorrow for the nominees.

Speaking of nominees – tonight, I’ll be hosting my annual Pro-Zombie, Anti-Oscars Soiree.   Check twitter for the photo updates!

BTW – Can I just how much I love hearing from new fans of the show who discovered us on Netflix –  and binge-watched all 13 episodes.  Welcome to the show – and this blog!  Spread the word!  Catch us on Netflix – and then prepare for Dark Matter’s second season, coming your way this summer!

Finally, let me leave you with his intriguing visual graphic, compliments of artist Victor Mare:

Now don’t say I never give you anything.

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

February 27, 2016: Rules to Writing – #17! Establish a good support system!

Writing can be a lonely job.  But, there are occasions, when it doesn’t have to be – when you can count on gifted individuals who can lend you the creative support you need to make your script that much better.  I’m talking about the unsung heroes: the idea board bouncers, the pitch spinners, the story breakers, the readers, the revisers, the polishers, and the critiquers…

After completing a first draft of any script, I always read it aloud to Bubba and Lulu.  They are, without a doubt, my toughest critics.  Bubba is a stickler for dynamic act outs while Lulu is all over the teases and tags.  Also, anything that smells like beef.

Writer’s Block is nothing to be ashamed of.  It happens to the best of us.  And, when it happens to me, I prefer to set the script aside for a while and revisit it later, with fresh eyes.  Or just hand it over to Lulu who will often stay up into the wee hours, fine-tuning dialogue.

Defend your vision, but don’t be overly precious with your ideas.  A good editor will let you know when you’re getting in the way of your own writing.  Often with a look.  See above.

Well, it may have been Saturday but SOME people were very busy at work.  I’m not referring to me of course but to the cast crew, photographer and his crew, Ivon Bartok, and Grand Overseer/Executive Producer Vanessa Piazza who were on set today for the Dark Matter gallery shoot.  I dropped by and caught a brief glimpse of some of the work-in-progress.  Beautiful shots.

Pictured above, the newest member of our ragtag crew – that lovable rogue Domantre Von Suavington the Third.  Quick!  Update the wiki page!

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

February 26, 2016: Today on Dark Matter!

Uh, why is that stasis pod on?  In emergency lighting mode?  Haven’t seen that since…oh…scene 1 of Episode 101.

Well, look who it is.  Director Andy Mikita (Episodes 112, 113 – and soon-to-be 208) has come bearing gifts: not one but TWO bottles of whiskey.

A little something from the props department.  It’s actually a huge teaser – but you’ve got to know what you’re looking for.  Or at.

It light up and everything.  And when I say “everything”, I do mean…

A little work-in-progress via the VFX department.

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

February 25, 2016: A #Stargate Reunion on #DarkMatter!

Well, what do we have here?  It’s a Stargate: Atlantis reunion on Dark Matter!  Princess Harmony and Rodney McKay, back together again!  This takes me back…

And this…

Today was our cast read-thru for Episode 207 and, while I can’t confirm that Tabor Calchek will be making a return appearance on the show (There’s a possibility that David just came in to replace the space heaters in the conference room), wouldn’t it be funny if he ended up on the ship and had to go toe to toe with our Android?

Hey, while we’re on the subject of Stargate/Dark Matter, here’s a little something for an upcoming episode…

What could we possibly have in store in season 2?

Tagged: #DarkMatter, #StargateAtlantis, Dark Matter, Stargate, Stargate: Atlantis