Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 394

March 17, 2015: Introducing Dark Matter Costume Designer Noreen Landry and the Dark Matter Costume Department!

Another whirlwind day! ��Wrote three new scenes, rewrote another, attended a few prep meetings for episode #108 with director T.W. Peacocke, and dropped by set to watch our awesome special guest star kick ass – and look absolutely stunning doing it. ��Tomorrow, we hit the bridge for more fiery antics.

P.S. I have no doubt that, after the show premieres, you’ll be scouring these past blog entries for clues and teasers.

Hey! ��You know who I’ve yet to introduce? ��The fun, hardworking, inspired and colorful, hat-loving ladies of the��Dark Matter��costume department led by Costume Designer Noreen Landry. ��They’ve been creating some marvelous outfits for the show (like the stylish yet practical number worn by Wendy, Zoie’s space suit, and team handler Tabor Calchek’s comfy outfits) and I’m sure there’s plenty more to come (Callie in #108, Vons and Tash in #110-111, and Alexander Rook in #112 to name a few).

Costume Designer Noreen Landry.

Assistant Costume Designer Anna Dal Farra.

Head Cutter Anita O’Toole

Truck Supervisor Jessie Gibbs.

Noreen again, overseeing a costumes meeting.

Anita throwing me the look and flashing the scissors, not-so-subtly letting me know it’s time for me to leave her work.

Daily Seamstress and Wardrobe Assistant Liz Gregg (Walters).

On-Set Supervisor Jozie Conte who keeps me lint and relatively dog hair free.

All fantastic to work with. ��After this season wraps, I think I’ll get them to revamp my entire wardrobe. ��Either that or start casting actors my size in season 2.

Tagged: Dark Matter, Dark Matter t.v.

March 16, 2015: Alex Mallari Jr.! Jamaican patties! Socks (the wearing kind)! Socks (the hitting kind)! And that new Android scene!

“Come on, Alex. ��What would Bruce Lee do? ��Make it awesome!” – Actor Alex Mallari Jr., all mic’d up��in preparation for another big training room sequence. ��Dark Matter Episode #107, Day 2.

More often than not, whenever we seek out Alex’s character, FOUR, we usually find him training. ��Originally, I envisioned him working with swords but, after a couple of rehearsal sessions with stunt coordinator John Stead, it became clear that we didn’t have to limit ourselves. ��Sure, Alex is dedicated and skillful enough to pull off an astounding double sword sequence in the opener – but his (character’s) expertise extends to other weapons as well. ��So far, I believe, we’ve showcased his (character’s) proficiency with four different weapons. ��And counting.

“So, not so irie?”

- VFX Supervisor Lawren Bancroft-Wilson today after Ivon and I complained that the pre-lunch Jamaican patties gave us indigestion.

LBW (and his monitor) save the day at last weekend’s Dark Matter gallery shoot.

Oh, it could’ve been worse. ��Much worse. ��Four members of the crew were felled by this bug that’s been going around, dropping a cast member and another half dozen crew members last week alone! ��Fortunately, I had the foresight to hire Consulting Producer Ivon Bartok for situations such as this.

Out for his birthday dinner (aka – his payment in full for this Dark Matter gig).

From the hermetically sealed environs of my office, I can just give him orders or receive text message updates like: “Finished blocking scene #35″ or “PB&J sandwiches at the craft table!” or “Anthony Lemke ate the last PB&J sandwich. Again.”

“I think something’s coming down with me.”

– Akemi, this morning, letting me know that her sore throat was the harbinger of a full-blown cold.

It’s gotten so bad that, unable to speak, she’s had me do a guest intro for her recent Avocado Melt video recipe!

Sock of the Day! ��Sock of the Day!

Had our concept meeting for episode #108 today, and spent much of the day on set. �� BIG fight sequence tomorrow with our special guest star who’ll be putting the beatdown on one of the boys. �� Note:��Dark Matter‘s first season will boast the most ass-kicking women this side of, well…

Finally, everyone seemed to love the new Android scene I wrote yesterday. ��I was inspired by the��unique talents Zoie Palmer displayed in her callback audition. ��She is one diversely talented actress!

Tagged: Dark Matter, Dark Matter t.v.

March 15, 2015: A trip to the post office! Mailbag! Stargate! Dark Matter! And Cloverblob!

“Girls who like Cinderella have nightmare marriage. ��Statistics show. ��It’s data!”

– Akemi today, on our walk back home from lunch.

I guess it makes sense.

Today also saw us visit the post office so that Akemi could sense her dad a chocolate shipment. ��Apparently, his stock is running low.

Of course no overseas shipment would be complete without the appropriate cartoon commentary that the post office employee must take great pains to avoid covering with the appropriate stamps.

“Hey, it’s a french bulldog!”I said.

“It’s not a french bulldog,”Akemi informed me, clearly disappointed. ��“It’s a rabbit.”

Upon closer scrutiny, yes, of course. ��A rabbit.

I couldn’t help but take a picture of this. ��It would seem certain customers are obsessive ringers.

Hey, spoke to the gang at SyFy this week and the plan is to target April for the big��Dark Matter��roll-out. ��So, in a couple of weeks, you’ll finally get a first look at all OF the��Dark Matter concept art, designs, set and cast pics I’ve been sitting on for the past couple of months. ��As for that awesome guest casting announcement, I urged them make it official this week.

But who knows?

Sunny day today! ��Got the dogs out and even worked on a ��new Android scene with Zoie Palmer. ��Great fun. ��That’s why we call her The Wizardress. ��Much to her surprise as you can sense from the following text exchange:

��Mailbag!

Spacelog writes: “What can you tell us about that planned Stargate Extinction comic book that never was.”

Answer: Alas, not much. ��Last year, I was contacted by a publisher about the possibility of writing some stories for a planned Stargate comic book series. ��I loved the idea – but my creative plate was full with the various projects I had in development. ��HOWEVER, I did tell them that I’d be very interested if I could translate Stargate: Extinction, that unproduced Stargate: Atlantis movie script, into a four-part comic book one-off. ��They loved the idea and approached MGM about the idea. ��And that was the last I heard of it. ��Maybe they felt it would get the way of the planned reboot? ��Too bad. ��I think it would have been great fun for long-standing fans of the series.

Debra writes: “Any idea yet on when the series will be shown?”

Answer: Dark Matter will premiere this summer. ��And maybe sooner than you think! ��Official announcement still to come.

dasndanger writes: “What (if any) is the relationship between the world in Dark Matter, and our earth?”

Answer: Dark Matter is set in a distance future in which multi-corps have gone out and colonized other worlds in order to exploit their planetary resources. ��These multi-planetaries are the big interstellar power players while the G.A. (Galactic Authority) ensures that law and order is maintained. ��A smattering of independent worlds exist as well, former colonies and powerful family-run republics. ��Earth is Homeworld Alpha.

Ponytail writes: “Have any of your visits to Tokyo (Robot Restaurant) influenced some of your writing/vision/color in Dark Matter?”

Answer: There’s a definite anime influence running through��Dark Matter. ��Some quite obvious; some less so.

Scott writes: “Will there be any epic space battles, with lasers and missiles and stuff?”

Answer: Yep. ��Epic space battles. ��Missiles, yes. ��Lasers, not so much.

JustLookAtTheFlowers writes: “1. Will the episodes be serialized or stand-alone type episodes?”

Answer: The show will be heavily serialized. ��Stuff happens EVERY EPISODE. ��Twists, turns, ongoing character arcs. ��Perfect for binge-watching. ��Or viewing the night it airs to avoid potential office and online spoilers!

“2. When can we expect Syfy to start promoting this show with an updated website, interviews, trailers?!”

Answer: Yes. ��April’s the month!

ivonbartokfans writes: “1. Is Zoie���s cat still around?”

1. Yep, Zoie’s cat, Cloverblob, is most definitely around. ��As I mentioned in a previous blog post, my date with her did not exactly go as planned. ��I sent Zoie the following text not long afterwards:

And we had the following exchange:

“2. How many cat t-shirts does everyone own? Who has the record?”

Answer: No idea. ��But I’ve seen a varied bunch!

“3. Is Robert Cooper a possibility to direct an episode?”

Answer: Nope, but he did write one – the episode we’re presently shooting now, #107.

“4. Are you and Ivon doing March Madness this year?”

Answer: It’ll be tough since we’ll be on set – but we’ll definitely try to catch a few games. ��Go Cyclones!

BoltBait writes: “I see that Terry Pratchett passed away today. I���ve never read any of his book but am inspired to. Where should I start?”

Answer: I started with Guards! Guards!�� But the entire Discworld series is great.

PBMom writes: “And I too want to know if Jelly had her butt in the water bowl for any particular reasons?”

Answer: Because it was comfy?

JT writes: “Was wondering if you could write about how you select the directors for each episode, what they bring to it, what you���re looking for from them etc.”

Answer: We’ve selected directors based on our past experience with them (Paolo, Ron, John, and Lee through their past work with Jay and Vanessa), (Amanda, Bruce, Martin, John, and Andy through their past work with me), and whole-hearted recommendations (T.J. and T.W.).

mylhibug writes: “I���m rewatching all the SGU episodes and am reminded that I love the music from the show. My questions are as follows: Who picked the music for that show? Will Dark Matter have a similar feel when it comes to music? Is there a SGU soundtrack out there that can be purchased?”

Answer: The late great Joel Goldsmith was our music composer through all three Stargate shows. ��Dark Matter��will have a different feel when it comes to its music. ��As far as I know, an SGU soundtrack was never released.

Tam Dixon writes: “How many seasons does the series bible outline?”

Answer: The series bible is in my head. ��And it covers the entire journey of the ship’s crew. ��Ideally, five season’s worth.

“How do you make chili oil and how do you eat it?”

Answer: Not sure but my guess is you drop a few chilis in some oil along with the appropriate herbs and let it all sit for a week so as to allow the flavours to infuse.

“Is the new guy David Hewlett?”

Answer: Wouldn’t that be awesome?!

anas bensidi writes: “Hi Mr Mallozzi, I just wanted to know if dark matter will be more like a guardians of the galaxy meets battlestar galactica thing with a more serialized tone to it or is it gonna be fun and light all the way as was SG1 for example or any show with the adventure of the week thing?”

Answer: Hmmmm. ��Guardians of the Galaxy meets BSG sounds like fun! ��Dark Matter will definitely be more serialized that SG-1 – but it will maintain a sense of humor.

Randomness writes: “Will we see any heart warming or memorable bonding moments between certain members of the ship’s crew this season?”

Answer: Yes. ��Lots of nice bonding moments. ��Also lots of nice antagonistic moments as well.

“Offworld, on a space station anywhere really, will we see moments where a crew member is interacting with someone who isn���t a member of the crew on their own in any significant capacity?”

Answer: Yep, plenty of those moments as well as we explore the individual backstories.

“Can we expect disagreements between the crew as to what direction a mission should take, or how a important decision should go?”

Answer: The crew aint one big happy family to start. ��There WILL be some heated disagreements.

“When the crew aren���t doing anything important, we will see what they like doing in their downtime, like hobbies, or just refinement of skills, things like that?”

Answer: Yes, we’ll explore what they do on the ship on their off-time. ��Also what they do for a little R&R when they hit the local space stations.

“Has to be asked, in terms of fight scenes, who do you think gets the most action?”

Answer: They all see action but, if I had to pick the crew’s top fighters, I’d definitely go with the ladies.

“Do you believe time travel stories have a place on Dark Matter?”

Answer: Sure, eventually.

“Which member of the crew would you say is the most diplomatic in a crisis situation?”

Answer: Definitely Two and Six. ��They walk a fine line between the rest of our more opinionated crew members.

shaneac1 writes: “well Joe my question is has a trailer been put together to be viewed by the syfy channel and if so what was there reaction.”

Answer: Reaction to the prod cuts of episodes #101 and #102 has been overwhelmingly positive. ��SyFy is working on the first trailers as I write this.

dasndanger writes: “Are any of the episodes completely done, and if so, have you watched them through, and if so, what do you think?”

Answer: We have a few locked cuts, but are still months away from finished episodes. ��Music, color timing, and VFX take time. ��I absolutely love everything I’ve seen – and am really looking forward to the fan response. ��It’s gonna be huge!

Scott writes: “Will Dark Matter have an opening theme song and intro for each episode, similar to SG-1 and Atlantis, or will it be like SGU and many of the newer shows these days, with just a 5-second title clip and no music (hopefully not)?”

Answer: The latter. ��Alas, most productions are moving away from those big opening theme songs in favor of shorter intros (that allow for more story screen time).

no1zoieplamerfan writes: “Any idea when we���ll finally get to see an image of the lovely Zoie Palmer the way she���ll appear as the Android?”

Answer: I expect we’ll start seeing those cast pics sometime in April.

Sparrow_hawk writes: “I���ll add my plaintive voice to Sylvia���s��� Dark Matter swag would be really nice ��� will there be some available and when?”

Answer: Executive Producer Jay Firestone has already talked to me about the possibility of��Dark Matter��swag, from posters and t-shirts to exclusive models of ships and weaponry. ��Stay tuned!

livingforcreativity writes: “When production wraps on Season 1, will you move back to Vancouver for the summer?”

Answer: Most definitely. ��Akemi and I (and the dogs) head back to Vancouver in June. ��I’ll hopefully be spinning stories for season 2 though July in August and then back here for production on��Dark Matter‘s second season in winter of 2015.

“Are any of the other shows you were pitching still in development (with a real possibility of actually getting a ���go��� order?)”

Answer: Yes. ��I still keep hearing rumblings about A.K.A.

Lowriders95s10 writes: “Any idea when you will be releasing episode titles?”

Answer: I’ve been releasing episode titles all along: #101, #102, #103, #1o4, #105, #106, #107, #108, #109, #110, #111, #112, and #113!

bambamfans writes: “Good to hear Ron���s cutting the directorial mustard. I wish I could see dailies. They sound like fun. Do you have a viewing room or just watch on a laptop or TV?”

Answer: I watch the dailies on my laptop whenever I can pop back into my office between meetings.

Ponytail writes: “The correct spelling of whisky is W-H-I-S-K-E-Y! Whiskey! Whiskey, whiskey, whiskey!! The other way makes me think of cat hairs, whiskers!”

Answer: Depends what you’re drinking:��http://www.thekitchn.com/whiskey-vs-whisky-whats-the-di-100476

Sylvia writes: “Please, what was name of realllllly smooth whiskey from Washington?”

Answer: Dry Fly Washington Wheat Whiskey:��http://www.dryflydistilling.com/whiskey/

Tagged: Dark Matter, Dark Matter t.v., Science Fiction Television, scifi t.v., scifi television, SF television

March 14, 2015: The end draws near! That’s my final Dark Matter first draft!

Holy crap! ��Just finished my first draft of episode #113, the big season finale. ��It comes in at a robust 57 pages and it is tremendous fun! ��Twist after turn after surprise leading to the final shocker that will positively blow your minds. ��Back when I first started developing the show, the show evolved around two colossal bombshell moments: the first being the final scene of episode #101, and the last being the final scene of episode #113. ��Lots of mini-bombshells along the way but these particular reveals are going to stun and stagger, not only our main characters, but the cast – and, hopefully, you viewers who come along for what promises to be a wild and very enjoyable the ride.

Coincidentally, as I was in the midst of scripting #113, I received some surprise gifts from a couple of cast members:

Whisky marmalade from the notoriously camera-shy Melissa O’Neil.

And these delightfully decadent brownies from Alex Mallari Jr.

Wonder what Anthony Lemke is going to get me? ��I bet it’s going to be amazing. ��I can’t wait!

I’ll do another pass on #113 this week, then send it Paul’s way so he can do his pass. ��After that, it’s in Jay’s hands and, after we implement his notes, the script will finally go out. ��And I’ll be able to breathe a sigh of relief and focus on other things: editing, prepping, producing, rewriting…and plotting out season 2. ��Fear not! ��I know exactly where we’re headed!

Feeling very good. ��Off to prep some potatoes for tonight’s dinner and, time permitting, maybe even get some reading in. ��These are titles I’ve been dying to get around to…

So, whatcha reading?

In the case of our cast and crew, it’ll be #113 very soon…

Tagged: Dark Matter, Dark Matter t.v.

March 13, 2015: Seething…working…entertaining…celebrating!

Ever get one of those morning phone calls that annoys you so thoroughly that is sours your mood for the rest of the day? ��I received one of those this a.m. and it irritated me to no end. ��BUT then, happily, I got distracted with work – a visual effects spotting session, a second unit production meeting, green page revisions on four different scripts (!), the first day of episode #107 (a Bruce Mcdonald joint!), and continued work on my first draft of episode 13, the grand finale (a tease and four acts done, an act and a tag to go!). ��I’m busy. ��Crazy busy. ��I liken it to juggling while having someone constantly throw extra balls into your routine. ��Yes, it’s exhausting – but also incredibly satisfying. I’ve seen cuts of our first five episodes and they’re all great. ��Yes, the episodes are great, the cast, crew and directors are great, and my fellow Executive Producers (Jay Firestone and Vanessa Piazza) have been great. ��And I have no doubt that when the show premieres this summer, you’ll all discover how great it is. ��And I can’t wait.

On the brighter side of this Friday the 13th…

Well look who dropped by the Dark Matter��studios today��. ��Stargate SG-1/Atlantis/Universe creator, Executive Producer, Showrunner Brad Wright was in town on unrelated business and I guess he had a hankering for some intergalactic adventuring – and I was only too happy to oblige. ��Great to see him, and equally great to hear about the various projects he’s got in development (a few of them, yes, of an SF nature). ��Here’s hoping he’s soon in production on his new show – to coincide with season 2 of Dark Matter!

There’s no telling what kind of unfathomable��treasures our space-faring crew will unearth. ��Particle accelerators, anti-grav boots, even a couple of ancient books from Earth’s rich literary history…

Some possible candidates for our Book of the Month Club reboot?

Hey, hey! ��Unit Manager Robbie David celebrated a birthday today in fine style – with balloons, fogged up glasses, and a personalized birthday cake.

Okay. ��Going to bed to sleep it off. ��And finish up my first draft of episode #113. The cast is going to flip!

Tagged: Dark Matter, Dark Matter t.v., Dark Matter t.v. series

March 12, 2015: Dark Matter second unit madness! We visit Eridani 6!

Today was a torrid writing day. ��Not so coincidentally, it was a day that saw me driving around a lot and, as many of you know, I do some of my best writing while driving, showering, or whenever someone I’m having dinner with is talking to me. ��The day saw me blow through 11+ pages, taking me into the top of Act IV. ��It’s a pretty damn exciting script if I do say so myself. ��They’re gonna go nuts.

The gang on main unit was wrapping up their 7th and final day on episode #106. Director Ron Murphy – who has done a tremendous job – surprised the cast and crew with these:

What a guy!

Meanwhile, over on the other side of town, John Stead was calling the shots on Eridani 6…

Today was, of course, cat t-shirt Thursday. ��Tanya Lemke (Daily Props) shows off her kitty-themed entry.

Meanwhile, Nikki Moss (On-Set Key Props) rocks the ewok.

Grant Boyle (2nd Unit 1st Assistant Director) leaves set for his second job as a blackjack dealer.

Krista Lee stands in for the dealer!

Tomorrow, Day #1 of episode #107 with Director Bruce McDonald! ��And VFX spotting for episodes #101 and #102 with VFX Supervisor Lawren Bancroft-Wilson! And editing episode #105 with editor Wendy Hallam-Martin! ��And the second unit production meeting for scenes from episodes #106 and #109! ��And last, but not least, I continue work on the script for our grand season finale!

Tagged: Dark Matter, Dark Matter t.v.

March 11, 2015: Intergalactic pet shipping, CG skin and Hong Kong dust!

Ship your pet via Intergalactic Express! ��Planet to Planet service! ��(video compliments of Kelly Diamond)

While Consulting Producer Ivon Bartok and VFX Supervisor Lawren Bancroft-Wilson were on set with Director Ron Murphy and the rest of the gang, shooting in the Palace and eating breakfast lasagna, I was back on the home front (and by that I mean my home front away from home – the production offices) working on the script for episode #113 (halfway there!) and prepping episode #107 with Director Bruce McDonald and co.

Bruce powers up for a full slate of meetings!

The episode #107 production meeting is underway with 1st Assistant Director Christopher Binney (flanked by Director Bruce McDonald) overseeing the action. Topics for discussion on this day included snow, retractable knives, CG skin, and Hong Kong Dust. ��Yes, it’s a thing!

We also managed to squeeze in an Art Department meeting as we prepare to shoot #107 – and parts of #106 and #109. ��What’s in the fancy box? ��You’ll find out this summer!

Hey, I’m thinking of doing another mailbag. ��If you have any questions, fire away!

Tagged: Dark Matter, Dark Matter t.v.

March 10, 2015: To Do! Introducing A Camera Dolly Grip Joe Strazzeri!

Pictured above: my growing To Do list.

It’s always great having a fellow foodie on set. ��Even better if that fellow foodie is also an accomplished cook just brimming with awesome recipes and culinary secrets. ��Such is the case with the indomnitable Joe Strazzeri – bon vivant, culinary composer, and, oh yeah!, A Camera Dolly Grip on Dark Matter. ��A super guy, great at what he does, and a real pleasure to work with.

And as if waking up at 4 a.m. and working twelve hour days isn’t enough, Joe keeps fit by hauling sandbags around set!

Last week, Joe surprised me with a jar of his home made chili oil. ��I didn’t get a chance to try it right away – but Akemi did. ��The next day, while I was at work, she sent me the following text:

And moments later:

I think that if this whole Dolly Grip thing doesn’t pan out, Joe has a promising career in the luxury food industry.

Tagged: Dark Matter, Dark Matter t.v.

March 9, 2015: Kitchen requests! Ron on a roll! And introducing Matti “Two Guns” Huhta!

The Dark Matter production office kitchen is fairly well-stocked, offering everything from iced tea and mini cinnamon rolls to boxes of seaweed chips. Sadly, the one thing they didn’t have today was the one thing I was looking for – club soda. ��And so, I went to the big whiteboard to write in my ask. ��Pictured above, the requests as of this late afternoon. ��The last two are mine, entered after I had to go all the way back to my office to grab a green marker.

(Wait! ��Which crew member is that lying on the infirmary bed?! ��Tune in this summer to find out!)

Director Ron Murphy continues to get it done on set, wrapping an enormous two-day infirmary marathon before shifting gears to our resplendent palace setting…in Kitchener, Ontario. ��His dailies look great and on-set producer Ivon Bartok has nothing but great things to say about the man and his work. ��I can safely say that episode #106 won’t be the last we’ll see of him!

I can say that because he’s contractually obligated to director episode #109 for us as well.

Well, hey, if it isn’t Script Supervisor Matti Huhta who, clearly bummed at missing out on my recent Dark Matter��“Girls with Guns” pictorial decided to make the most of an opportunity the other day, holding up production so that I could get the following blogworthy snaps. ��When Matti’s not posing with weaponry, she’s also keeping track of script continuity, timing my episodes short, and casually remarking how long it has been since Akemi last made cookies for the crew.

Tagged: Dark Matter, Dark Matter t.v.

March 8, 2015: A familiar face checks in! And introducing Dark Matter Director of Photography Craig Wright!

Well, look who it is. ��Yes, that’s director Andy Mikita (you may know him from such shows as��Stargate: SG-1,��Stargate: Atlantis, and��Stargate: Universe) flashing the Dark Matter��trade paperback. ��What’s the deal? ��A little recreational reading? Perhaps some professional research in advance of an upcoming gig? ��Well, I suppose we’ll all find out soon enough.

A member of the Dark Matter crew who needs no introduction – but I’m going to introduce him anyway, just in case – is our incredible Director of Photography, Craig Wright.

Back when we were assembling the��Dark Matter��production team, I met with several possible candidates��regarding the DOP position on the show. Craig seemed like a good guy in his interview and there was no denying his work looked great, but I was undecided – only because I really didn’t really know him. ��But Jay and Vanessa did know him, quite well in fact, as he’d been working on��Lost Girl��for them these last few years. ��I, ultimately, trusted their opinion and, in turn, placed my trust in Craig. ��And I’m happy to report that the production has been rewarded with a richly talented Director of Photography, a positive and dedicated member of the crew, and – my first instincts were correct! – a wonderful guy to work alongside.

Tagged: Dark Matter, Dark Matter t.v.