Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 364

November 27, 2015: Rude dogs and Dark Matter!

This is what Akemi gets up to with the dogs while I’m at work…

According to her: “They love to wear their hats when they go out!”

I remain dubious.

Meanwhile, back on the work front: a little something props has been working on…

We’re going to lose the light at the bottom.

Work continues on the script front.  Act 4 was looking a little short, so I moved a scene up from Act 3 which was a little.  Now, Act 4 is perfect.  But Act 3 is a little short.  Tabor, meanwhile, has been an utterly delightful guest.  We need to get him on the ship more often.

Back to my dogs.  Lulu has no manners…

I think she broke the sound barrier on that one.

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

November 26, 2015: American Thanksgiving Treats and Teasers!

I’m pleased to report that I finally pushed through that pesky today.  In the end, I went with the one tried and true writer’s block-breaking method I failed to mention in yesterday’s blog entry: When in doubt, use humor!  With that done, it was a nice segue into that delightful Android-Tabor scene.  One more scene to cap the act and it’s smooooooth sailing!

This week has been like Magic: The Gathering, but without the magic part.  The other day, Anthony Lemke (THREE) dropped by the production offices with his family.  Today, it was Melissa O’Neil (TWO) with her adorable frenchie.  Yesterday, it was Alex Mallari Jr. (FOUR) who took the time to stop in and regale us with tales of his summer in Moscow.  Next time you see him at a convention, ask him to tell you the one about the receptionist, the Brad Pitt lookalike, and the drunken overprotective co-worker.

Happy Thanksgiving to our American fans!  Let’s celebrate with behind-the-scenes pics of our sets-in-progress: It’s okay.  You know the showrunner.  Come on through.

Warden Treihan’s office window.  Room with a view.

All the comforts of home.

Hyperion-8 is a doorknob-less environment.

Come on, guys.  Let’s move things along.  My laundry isn’t going to do itself!

Damn, our Construction and Art Departments do good work!

And, of course, this is the…well, I’d tell you, but then I’d have to hire you.  And make you sign a non-disclosure agreement because the only way to keep you from talking about it would be to kill you and that, of course, would be illegal.  And very troublesome.

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

November 26, 2015: Dark Matter season 2 teasers!

Presenting : our Dark Matter season 2 mystery concept sketch of the week. What’s going on up there?  Who are those guys?  What is that room?  What’s the deal with those green things?  Any guesses?

Today was a day fraught with audition screenings, tattoo discussions, and much spinning of creative wheels on this script I’m trying to complete before next week. I have been battling this scene for going on three days now and the usual breakthrough methods haven’t helped.  They are, in order of efficacy: 1) driving around, 2) bourbon, 3) ignoring the problem until the solution arrives in a panic-fueled inspiration.  Tick tick tick.  Meanwhile, every other aspect of production continues to speed headlong toward next week’s start of official prep!

Speaking of every one being incredibly constructive – in this case, literally – check out the work-in-progress modeling being done on the Hyperion-8 Galactic Detention Facility by VFX Supervisor Lawren Bancroft-Wilson and the gang –

They’re, to refresh your memories, the same people who brought you…

And –

And –

Set walk-thru today!  Pictures tomorrow!

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

November 24, 2015: Dark Matter graphics!

I feel like my head is about to explode.  And it’s only Tuesday.  I’m juggling revisions and rewrites on six different scripts, casting, prepping, and trying to figure out the most efficient way to schedule a bursting-at-the-scenes action-heavy Episode 202.  Also, fantasy football.

But mostly fantasy football.

Anyways, before I resume script revisions on Episodes 201 and 202 (while simultaneously trying to swing a deal for a Tier 1 QB), I thought I’d take a moment to show off some of the graphics that will adorn the monitors in same episodes.

Graphics by Second Assistant Art Director Kelly Diamond!

Graphics by artist Victor Mare!

Can’t wait to see them up and running in glorious HD!

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

November 23, 2015: YOUR Ishida Imperial Shuttle!

Last week, I asked you all to play producers by assisting me in selecting the design for the Ishida Imperial shuttle (to be introduced in season 2).

There were 11 options to choose from, all skillfully conceived and illustrated by artist Bartol Rendulic under the direction of Dark Matter Production Designer Ian Brock. Between this blog, Facebook, and twitter, we received tremendous feedback – and votes!

It came down to two candidates, #1 and #11 but, in the end, one just proved the slightly more popular choice.

Ladies and gentlemen, I submit your choice for the Ishida Imperial shuttle in glorious color!

It will undoubtedly see a few more tweaks as it makes its way through visual effects modeling and texturing but, all in all, I think it looks pretty kick-ass.

P.S. I made sure to upload a hi-rez version of the photo so you can use it as your desktop wallpaper.

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

November 22, 2015: Dim sum and dogs!

Recently, someone lamented the fact that I haven’t posted food porn or dog pics for quite a while.  Lately, it’s been nothing but Dark Matter this, Dark Matter that.  So, tonight, I’m going old school with this throwback entry.  Pictured above, Akemi shows off her new sweater purchase at dim sum.

After coming across the food-themed instagram account of my co-worker, Natalie Cooper (CoopDuJour: https://www.instagram.com/coopdujour/), Akemi was inspired to – ask me to make a reservation at Toronto’s top dim sum restaurant: Lai Wah Heen.

To ensure lunch didn’t conflict with fantasy football, we dined nice and early at 11:00 a.m.  The food was delicious, but it was the presentation that truly impressed.  Check out the lobster dumpling pictured above.

The deep-fried Berkshire pork dumplings with garlic chip ears.

Crispy-skin pork belly!

And now, onto the dog pics!

November 21, 2015: Dark Matter season 2 – new sets in progress!

With our second walk-thru of the new sets (at the new stage) scheduled for this Tuesday, I thought it might be nice to show you all what the Art Department and Construction have been working on for our season 2 opener.  Structures, shapes, textures and details – it’s all coming along nicely.  More than anything, I want you all to compare these early stages of the various builds with what you’ll eventually see onscreen in, oh, about seven months from now…

Well, this one’s a tight squeeze.  Any guesses as to what we’re looking at?

We stress the importance of ceilings and floors – but check out the wall details.

As work progresses, more detail will be added in the way of paints, textural elements and lights.

Future walls for another section of the facility.

Sliding doors are of course, de rigeur.

The aim is to create varied corridor looks.  It’s a BIG place.

Ajax’s cell-to-be.  All the conveniences…

It’s the little touches that lend it that sense of realism.

We’re building a two-level structure that will be cast and crew accessible.  Pretty damn amazing.

Your home away from home – for the duration of your sentence.

The view out your swanky room.  This too will change.

So far, so amazing.  Production Designer Ian Brock, his team, and the Dark Matter construction department never fail to impress.

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

November 20, 2015: Today in Dark Matter news!

Well, well, well.  Look who came by for their season 2 fitting.  Why, it’s none other than Alex Mallari Jr. (Dark Matter’s FOUR), back from a multi-month working vacation in Russia…which might explain the shoes (provided he didn’t steal them from the costume beside him).  Also in for a fitting following an equally busy hiatus was Melissa O’Neil (Dark Matter’s TWO).

We’re getting the band back together!

Yesterday was our first Episode 201 Preliminary Playback/Graphics/Rear Projection meeting of the young season.  A few of the visual delights we discussed:

What are you in the mood for?  A Binary Burger?  Hyperion Hen?  Some cosmic kebabs?  Just make your selection, slide your plate under the nozzles, and Bon Appetit!

And, of course, you’re going to need one of these in Hyperion-8.  Your money’s no good here!

One of the honking big-ass wall monitors in Warden Treihan’s office.  On Sunday nights, all the guards come over to watch The Walking Dead on the big screen.

Looking ahead to next week: Preliminary episodes 201/202 schedule meetings, set walk-thru #2, background inmate photo look-see, and, of course, I continue work on five different scripts.

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

November 19, 2015: The Ishida Imperial Shuttle!

Feeling opinionated?  Here are the candidate designs for the Ishida imperial shuttle.

So, which version do you prefer?

Thanks to illustrator Bartol Rendulic for the amazing design work!

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

November 18, 2015: The Great Green Screen Debate of 2015!

November 18, 1477: William Caxton prints the first English dated book.

November 18, 1626: St. Peter’s Basilica is completed.

November 18, 1916: The Battle of the Somme ends.

Today: Members of the Dark Matter production team engage in The Great Green Screen Debate of 2015!

We can’t do it!  We CAN do it!  We shouldn’t do it!  We should do it!  We’re not doing it!  We’re ARE doing it after all!

Highlights of the heated discussion included: shooting angles, techno-crane accessibility, plate shots, lock-offs, high angle reveals, low angle reveals, and crowd duplications.

***

You’ll be pleased to hear we finally got it all worked out.

Conceptually.

Hey, speaking of concepts, how’d you like to help us choose an Ishida shuttle design?  If you’re keen, and feeling opinionated, I’ll upload the concept sketches as part of tomorrow’s blog entry.  How’s that for audience participation?

P.S. As I mentioned in yesterday’s entry, the kick-ass Melanie Liburd () has been cast in the role of Nyx for the upcoming season of Dark Matter.  She’s on twitter so update your digidexes and follow her here: https://twitter.com/mellyliburd

Finally, a little something to leave you with from Roxanne Borris and the Art Department.

***

“DO NOT put any person in this washer”.  Sound advice!

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter