Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 375

September 23, 2015: Plotting my future! With Special Guest Star…Carl Binder!

Today was Day #1 of my whirlwind seventeen and a half hour Hollywood tour.  I’m in town looking to lock down a new U.S. agent and have lined up meetings with three terrific prospects.  First up was a duo with a breathtaking literary background, connections in the comic book world and, perhaps most importantly, a surprisingly thorough appreciation for whiskey.  In fact, I’d say fully half the meeting was spent discussing bourbon.  A great, great sit-down.

And while I was out working it, Akemi was out and about re-familiarizing herself with the neighborhood.

Apparently, her trip to Whole Foods was a colossal disappointment.

Akemi displays her trademark Japanese anger, taking her frustrations out on an art installation.

Hopefully, tomorrow’s visit to Trader Joe’s will perk up her spirits.

The last time we were in town, I let Akemi decide the restaurant.  She had a choice between Ink and L.A. Farm.  She chose (unwisely) the latter.  We rectified that grievous error this time out by going to Ink where we were joined by longtime Stargate Executive Producer (and weird food taste tester) Carl Binder – and enjoyed a splendid meal.  Some of the highlights…

The egg yolk gnocchi with hen of the woods mushrooms.

Salt and charcoal potatoes with sour cream and black vinegar.  Tasted like camping!

Apple, caramel, shortbread with burnt wood semi-freddo.  No, really.

Tomorrow = two more meetings, Trader Joe’s, Spago’s, and an ice cream sandwich!

Meanwhile, back on the home front…

 Fear not.  They’re in good hands with sis and Daisy!

September 22, 2015: The Devil’s snack!

Throughout my life, I’ve been fairly consistent in listing the three things I don’t eat.  They are, in no particular order: popcorn, candied fruit, and Shepherd’s Pie.

In the case of Shepherd’s Pie, it’s a bit bewildering as I do enjoy its ingredients separately – ground beef, mashed potatoes, corn – but there’s something about the sum of its parts that trigger my gag reflex whenever.  Popcorn is just bland – annoyingly so – with those little bits that always get stuck in your teeth.  And then there’s candied fruit.  Do I even need to explain why that’s on the list?

Anyway, these three have made my culinary don’t-go-to list for as long as I’ve been compiling lists and then, last week, the very foundation of my reality was rocked by this –

“I know you don’t eat popcorn,”said Robert Cooper, “but this stuff is great.  I can’t stop eating it.”

I was, of course, dubious.  Chicago Mix?  A caramel corn and cheddar cheese combination?  Urgh.  It sounded terrible but, just for a lark, I decided to try a couple, popping one of each kernel into my mouth.  My initial reaction: “Weird, but not bad.”  And then: “Actually, kind of interesting.”  And then: “Help me!  I can’t stop!”  Five minutes later, I was shoving fistfuls into my mouth while pleading with Ivon Bartok to hide the bag.

Chicago Mix popcorn is the Devil’s snack!

Joining this list of Foods-I’ll-Just-Keep-Eating-Until-They’re-Finished-Or-Taken-Away:

An avowed chocolate snob, I love my Amedei Chuaos and Porclenas,  Pralus Papouasies, and Patrick Roger’s pralinés – but nutella always takes me back to my youth.  I can eat it straight out of the jar or, preferably, on a bowl of Haagen-Dazs french vanilla.

I discovered Hattendo Cream Buns in the Akihabara subway station in Tokyo a couple of years back.  The ultra-soft buns are served chilled and stuffed with a variety of creams – from matcha to chocolate.  I can’t eat just one!  Any doubt to the relative guilt-inducing prospects of this delicious dessert should be dispelled by the following photo of me eating one:

I bet you couldn’t envision a more guilty-looking eater.

The last time my sister visited Vancouver, she brought me a tin of kouign-amman from Patisserie au Kouign Amann on Mont Royal East.  I could barely pronounce the name but one bite of the butter and sugar-infused layered puff pastry with its crunchy caramelized crust and top, and I was hooked.  I’ve had other versions but none come close to these.  Thank goodness they’re located on the other side of the country.

If you’re ever out to dinner with me and see a chocolate chip skillet cookie a la mode on the menu, you can be damn sure I’ll be ordering it – with an extra scoop of vanilla ice cream because the ice cream to cookie ratio is always off.  There was a burger place in Toronto that used to serve them and I used to love the place, suffering through the mediocre burgers just to get to the dessert.

And you?  What’s your culinary Kryptonite?  Your Devil’s snack?

Tagged: #guiltypleasures, guilty pleasures

September 21, 2015: Blindspot! And a Dark Matter season 2 update!

Tonight’s the night!  The premiere of Blindspot!  For those of you not-in-the-know, there’s a Stargate connection here.  The series creator, Executive Producer and showrunner is none other than Martin Gero who many of you may remember from such productions as Stargate: SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis, Stargate: Universe, The L.A. Complex, Bored To Death, and, most recently, a little something called Dark Matter.

Tune in tonight!

In other-show-related news, I’ve completed a rough first draft of Dark Matter Episode 202.  Paul is presently working on 201.  A late curveball thrown our way last week necessitated some minor re-juggling, dropping the story we had planned for Episode 209 into the Episode 205 slot and pushing everything forward. We’re also flopping 210 and 211.  On the surface, it may not seem like a big deal but given the serialized nature of the show and all of the developments we have planned for season 2, it was a challenge (to say the least).  But it looks like we’ve got it all sorted out and now I can finally turn my thoughts to more pressing matters like the shuttle shot, the Randroid, and Titch.

Call today with Dark Matter Production Designer Ian Brock to discuss the first four episodes!

Tagged: #Blindspot, #DarkMatter

September 20, 2015: The bitter taste of defeat! And sweet, sweet taste of porchetta!

What a difference a week makes.  Seven days ago, my Snow Monkeys were riding high, celebrating their first win of the young fantasy football season.  Today, they’re on the verge of tasting their first loss – unless, of course, the Packers D totally nuts down Marshawn Lynch AND Andrew Luck has the 6-TD game of his life tomorrow night.

On the bright side, Sunday football host Robert Cooper roasted up a delicious crispy-skin porchetta to help take my mind off my Snow Monkey’s sub-par effort.

Defeat may have been bitter, but this pork roast was savory, sweet, salty, succulent and crunchy!

In better news, it looks like we finally got a place in Toronto.  Sight unseen, but the pics look promising.  Well-located, dog-friendly, with a balcony I’ll never step out onto but my dogs will surely make great use of, especially this winter when the temperature drops to minus 30 degrees and the two block walk to the green space may as well be two miles.

Thanks to all who offered some great suggestions regarding what I should do with the Stargate swag I featured in yesterday’s blog post.  Ultimately, I think that rather than offer them up for auction, I’d like to give everyone a chance to win the individual items…and show off their Stargate knowledge.  So watch this blog for more details on how you can win by answering some skill-testing Stargate-related questions!

Big week upcoming.  My sister is coming to visit – and I’ll be heading to Los Angeles for a couple of days.  Got some interesting meetings lined up.  And more than a few interesting restaurants as well!

September 19, 2015: Stargate memories!

A buddy of mine is clearing out his place and came across a slew of Stargate swag – keychains, coasters, golf trophies.  He did a little research and was amazed by the value fans have placed on similar unique items.  Out of curiosity, I decided to check out some of the more readily accessible boxes in my crawlspace and came across these interesting pieces –

The Stargate: Atlantis phone.  At one point, it used to work.  Maybe it still does – provided I can find the charger.  I remember it used to power up and down with a Kawoosh!

I’ve never been a hat guy so these three haven’t seen much action.

A Stargate: SG-1 compact?  Sure!  Why not?

A rundown of some of the Stargate props/artifacts available back in 2010.  What were they?  No idea.  The book is still in its sealed plastic.

Now this is a pretty cool weighty duo.  Perfect for those Stargate-themed parties!

Now THIS is pretty nifty.  It’s the media package that went out prior to the Stargate: Universe release.  Press the button on the front cover and the chevrons light up!

The book offers a series overview in addition to character breakdowns.

And, of course, tucked in the back are dvd’s of our three part opener: Air I, II and III.  I remember something similar being released for Stargate: Atlantis that included a mini water-filled aquarium of sorts.  I have that somewhere.  I think.

I suppose I could put these up on eBay and make a couple of hundred dollars.  OR I could reward you long time fans with a few giveaways.  What do you think?

Tagged: Stargate

September 18, 2015: My Top 10 Desert Island Television Comedies!

You’re being exiled to a deserted island (The chances of this possibly happening to me are admittedly higher than the national average) and you’ve been given permission to bring ten (and only ten) television comedies to accompany you. What are they?

This is my list.  In the event your favorite comedies didn’t make my list, it may well be because I’ve never watched them.  Or have.

#10. The Flintstones

Back when I was in elementary school, my sister and I would hurry home every day at lunchtime so we could watch this show.    Sure, it’s a sentimental favorite but a lot of the humor still holds up.

#9. The Office

The American version was good, but the original was brilliant.  Over the show’s short run, the characters became like friends – and I was sorry to see them go.

#8. The Simpsons

Yes, they’ve been on the air a while and one could argue that the quality has varied over time, but any ten randomly selected episodes are still funnier than 99% of the shows out there.

#7. South Park

Speaking of long-running, this often crude, occasionally offensive cartoon is, oh by the way, one of the most clever and incisive comedies every produced.

#6. The League

The individual stories may not always tie up quite so neatly, but the scattershot humor of this fantasy football-themed series is delightfully unexpected.  And often laugh out loud funny.

#5. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

The darkest of the comedies on this list, I love this show for its hilariously reprehensible characters and button-pushing scenarios.

#4. Arrested Development

With characters as gloriously bizarre and over-the-top as the situations in which they land themselves, this is the ultimate family comedy.

#3. Seinfeld

The show about nothing is a classic, responsible for some of television’s most memorable memes.

#2. 30 Rock

The comedic barrage comes fast and furious in a show that rarely gives you time to catch your breath.

#1. Curb Your Enthusiasm

Pretty…pretty…pretty great!

Honorable Mentions: Community, The Office, Get Smart, Family Guy

What makes your list?

Today’s entry is dedicated to blog regular and birthday gal Debra!  Happy Birthday!

September 16, 2015: The Toronto game plan?

You know what’s even more challenging than keeping seven characters alive in a five act episode?  Apparently, finding an apartment in downtown Toronto that allows dogs.  Don’t get me wrong.  There are a lot of great places to choose from – if we weren’t bringing Bubba and Lulu along for our seven month stay in Toronto. A couple of times, we came close to closing – only to have the owners pull out upon further consideration.  Ultimately, we gave up and elected to go back to the place we stayed last year – far from perfect with its tiny kitchen, shallow sinks, broken bathroom door, cracked stove top, slow internet, and incredibly uncomfortable couch – only to discover that the strata has decided not to do anymore short term rentals meaning…

We’re still looking!  2-3 weeks and counting!

After we wrapped production on season 1, my writing/producing partner, Paul, suggested that IF the show got picked up for a second season, I should seriously consider selling the house and moving to Toronto, saving myself the trouble of transporting the dogs cross-country by transferring my base of operations to the film and television capital of Canada.   It made sense at the time.   Akemi was all for it.  I consulted a real estate agent.  And then July and August rolled around and…things changed as the prospect of making a permanent move to Toronto suddenly became a lot less attractive.

Ah, the life of a freelancer.  Maybe I’ll be in Toronto next year and the year after. Or maybe it’ll be Vancouver.  Or maybe it’ll be L.A.  Realistically, the only way I’ll know for sure would be to decide for myself.  And I’ll be taking a big step in that direction next week when I head to Los Angeles for some long overdue meetings. While Akemi checks out Trader Joe’s.

In the meantime, I’ve got to find a place in Toronto for October otherwise we’re all living out of my office!

September 15, 2015: Snow Monkeys surprise! Dark Matter season 2 takes shape!

 

Yeaaaah!   The young NFL Fantasy Football season is off to a rollicking start with an atypical week 1 win for my Snow Monkeys.    The highlights included stellar performances by WR1 DeAndre Hopkins, RB1 Jeremy Hill, the top-ranked Panthers D, and QB Andrew Luck who may have played below expectations but still managed to rack up a respectable 22 points in a winning cause.

With a 1-0 record and the #1 waiver wire pick (Come to poppa, James Jones!) the fearsome Snow Monkeys appear primed to make a championship run!  Check out the gory details…

So, how did YOUR fantasy teams do in week 1?

In what you’ll no doubt consider comparatively less exciting news, I also found time – between researching free agent players and considering my week 2 lineup – to convene with the rest of the writers to continue our discussions on Dark Matter’s second season.  Familiar names (Titch, Alexander Rook, The General, Jace Corso) were being bandied about alongside some unfamiliar though no-doubt-destined-to-be-just-as-memorable names (Nyx, Arax, Devon, Reynaud, Chief Inspector Kierken).

The directors’ schedule will start to solidify in the coming weeks with, again, some names familiar and unfamiliar (and familiar for other familiar shows ;)).

 Conference call tomorrow to discuss that 16-point season 1 post-mortem after which it’s smooooooooooooth sailing!

September 14, 2015: The Dark Matter writers’ room reconvenes!

Today, we kicked off the third and presumably final week of the Dark Matter second season writers’ room.  We’ve broken eight scripts to date and, tomorrow, we’re going to jump ahead and beat out the BIG season finale.  We figure with so many balls in the air, it makes sense to know exactly where we’re ending up so we can reverse-engineer some of the developing storylines and ensure everything dovetails in dramatically satisfying fashion.

Like last year, plenty of twists and turns, shocks and surprises, humor and pathos, with the added bonus of a more aggressive, kick-ass crew, faster pacing, bigger and better visual effects, new technologies, and cool SF elements underpinning all of our stories.  As my writing partner put it today: “Scifi fans are going to LOVE this season.”

In the meantime, I’ve finished my first draft of Episode 202 (Paul is writing 201).  What can I say?  The final act is CRAZY.

So, what would you all like to see in season 2?  Do tell.

The Galactic Authority storm the ship!  A few behind-the-scenes pictures from the Dark Matter season 1 finale…

Jeff Teravainen as Galactic Authority Lieutenant Anders

Melissa O’Neil (TWO) and stunt coordinator John Stead – on their way to an intergalactic super max.

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

September 13, 2015: All caught up on the mailbag!

Back to the mailbag:

2cats writes: “When is the background from green screen added – in post? I dabble with Adobe Premiere for little video stuff, but I can imagine it being a lot of work to add backgrounds to HD film. How many film editors does DM use?”

Answer: The show used three amazing editors in season 1: Paul Day, Wendy Hallam, and Teresa Hannigan.  The “background” is added by our VFX crew (lead by VFX Supervisor Lawren Bancroft-Wilson) during the post-production process.

clevere writes: “Are those doors manual or automatic?”

Answer: Much like Stargate, the doors on Dark Matter are manual, dependant on the impeccable timing and opening/closing skills of on set carpenter Jesse Partin and set dresser Jean Brophey, among others.

Tim Hendrix writes: “Will there be any repercussions when the crew finds out who wiped their memories?”

Answer: Probably.

“Can the Raza find a stray dog in one of those remaining hidden compartments?”

Answer: Jodelle has been lobbying for a space cat.

Woody writes: “What’s the time frame from the start of filming to airing?”

Answer: Last season, we started in early January and finished the first week of May, approximately four months later.  This season, we’re looking to start a little earlier and have at least one episode under our belt before heading off for the holidays.

airelle writes: “So the fish (looks like a tank on the wall) in the show, special effect?”

Answer: It’s practical playback, not a visual effect.  Or a real aquarium.

2cats writes: “And I too, like Tam Dixon want to know why do the sets have to be packed up until used again?”

Answer: Our standing sets continue to stand throughout hiatus.

Drea Crysel writes: “Are we gonna get to see Lulu n Bubba in Season 2 guest starring in the role as aliens?”

Answer: We’re in protracted negotiations with their agents.

duptiang writes: “what does a producer/writer do for the next few months?”

Answer: Come up with stories and scripts for Season 2.

shaneac1 writes: “Hey Joe is know this may be a long shot but by any chance do you know if amazon is going to put Dark Matter on prime for their instant video service?”

Answer: I don’t know about Amazon, but I DO know that the show will be available for binge-streaming in a couple of weeks.

Drea Crysel writes: “How much of the original Outer Limits factor into or otherwise influenced DM?”

Answer: That was one of the few SF shows/comic books/movies/anime that DIDN’T influence DM.

Ponytail writes: “Where does everybody go when production stops?”

Answer: Usually to work on other productions.

Drea Crysel writes: “So whose idea was it to give the bridge the feel of ST Enterprise?”

Answer: That was our brilliant Production Designer, Ian Brock.

Dallas Marshall writes: “BTW, how’s LuLu?”

Answer: Much better.  Now we have to get her down to her “flying weight”.

Tim Hendrix writes: “Can you give us a clue about how much of the Raza and its contents have not been discovered by the crew?”

Answer: There may be as yet unaccessed sections of the ship still waiting to be discovered – or existing unseen sections that may be repurposed for other uses (like, say, hydroponics).

“Have you decided on a good name for the massive, rabid and dedicated fan base as yet? Would you consider putting it up for a vote?”

Answer: Sure, what are your suggestions?

gforce writes: “I love the concept of Transfer Transit, and was wondering who came up with the idea. Was it yours, something that grew from discussions in the writers’ room, or was it an already existing idea?”

Answer: When I was first developing the series, I wanted an alternate means of travel that would allow solitary passenger to move from point A to point B without having to use a ship.  At first, I considered something along the lines of stargaze-like  transit points situated at space stations throughout colonized space but ultimately decided it was too much like Stargate.  Eventually, I came up with the idea of transfer transit which was inspired by the works of Cory Doctorow, David Brin, John Varley and Richard Morgan in which an individual is able to “back-up” their consciousness in the same way we would save a document draft on our computer.  I liked the idea of back-up bodies and elected to use them as part of an alternate means of travel, placing certain restrictions on their use (ie. the host body must remain in the sender pod until the connection is severed, failure to return to the receiver pod for recycling and memory transfer means all memories made during experience are lost, etc.).  For years, I sat on the series, the idea, and what I thought would be a fantastic tease that involved one of our main characters (seemingly) being killed in an episode’s opening.

“Given the recent introduction of the new Apple TV and the “Content as apps” concept, do you ever see a time in the future when shows (like DM for instance) are “app” based rather than (or as well as) broadcast based?”

Answer: Absolutely.  Eventually, technology will eventually allow viewers to access programming however and whenever they want either through standard viewing options, app-based content, or via direct transmission to the mind chip installed in your brain.

Sylvia writes: “Heya Joe, Is anyone involved/working on shirts (black) with the DM logo? ”

Answer: Not yet, but I grow impatient and am considering making my own.

Greg D writes: “In the episode where ONE learns he’s Derrick Moss, we see a bit of his personal bio on the computer screen. He’s born on Earth. Will we be learning anything about Earth in season 2? Will we be visiting?”

Answer: While there are no plans to visit Earth in season as of yet, there’s a possibility we will learn more about its place in the grand scheme of things.

Drea writes: “I’m not sure if someone else asked this already, but are we gonna hear more from Cyrus King in season 2?”

Answer: Possibly.  We’ve got a lot of ground to cover in season 2!

ceresis64 writes: “You’ve answered about Derrick Moss coming back. I was going to ask this too, how did he know to alter his appearance to Jace Corso? He must have had prior knowledge that Corso was a criminal and would be joining the Raza crew? Did he use his wealth to gain information or is Derrick Moss a dodgy businessman?”

Answer: This would be the most scenario, yes.

“You said we’d know more about Titch in S2, didn’t Five say in her dream that when she looked in the mirror she thought it was One but his face was different, then we found out that One was Derrick Moss. So, Titch is One?”

Answer: You’ll find out early in season 2.

“Will we see a flashback to show us how Six found out what he was really on the Raza for?”

Answer: Yes.  This will be answered right off the get-go.

“And why is Six on the Raza? Is it to turn over the crew to the GA , which he has done (perhaps as a deal, Six not going to jail for his part in the massacre) or a bit more? […] Did he also enter her dreamstate to not just save her, but to see if she’d give away the key’s hiding place?”

Answer: Answers come early in season 2.

“Will we see all the crew’s stories, in S2 as to how they all eventually end up on board the Raza?”

Answer: Again, this is one of the possible stories we’re considering.

“Who actually owns the Raza?”

Answer: The crew.

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter