January 6, 2014: Three days to the start of production!

We’re three days out from the start of production on��Dark Matter – and things seem to be moving along quite nicely. �� I mean, it’s still very early and I’m sure we’ll encounter a few bumps along the way but, right now, everyone is feeling really good about where things stand and what lies ahead. ��I have to say, it’s soooo much easier when you work with people who are not only good at what they do, but also genuinely fun to work with. ��As I’ve already mentioned, the vibe is reminiscent of Stargate – very positive, very confident, and very supportive.

Soon to be the corridor outside the mess

This morning, Paul and I went on our daily walkabout of the standing sets: bridge, infirmary, underbelly, mess, training room, airlocks, quarters, and corridors. ��The lights are in, the monitors are up, and the screens are on.

Back in the (Stargate) day, this is what we used to refer to as a BLU -

Blinky Light Unit.

Afterwards, I finished my second pass on episode #112 and sent it Paul’s way, then jumped on the blue pages for episodes #101 and #102. ��Only small adjustments at this point: dialogue tweaks, losing the montage, and swapping out the description of the shuttle launch (replacing the retracting shell with a sliding bay door drop).

Stopped by the costumes department today to talk hair (head and facial) with actor Alex Mallari Jr. (aka FOUR) who was in for a costume fitting. ��While there, I spoke to our costume designer, the lovely Noreen Landry, about the Ferrous Corp. guard armor. ��We’ve envisioned a future where colonization of space has been spearheaded by multi-corps, major intergalactic players with the money and the resources to seek out new worlds. ��Oh sure, there are a few independent colonies out there (the Principality of Zairon and the Republic of Pyr come to mind) but, aside from the autonomous space stations and GA (Galactic Authority) outposts, much of colonized space is run by one of the major multi-planetaries:

Ferrous Corp

The Mikkei Combine

Volkov-Rusov Industries

Traugott Corp

And others we’ll get to know as the series unfolds.

Of course policing and protecting their territory requires some heavy, heavy muscle in the form of cruisers, destroyers, shuttles and, of course, soldiers (aka “corporate guard”). ��We’re trying to give each multi-planetary a unique look, from the corporate logos to color schemes. ��In the case of Ferrous Corp., we’re looking at red accents in the armour – and guns…

We will, of course, weather it down a bit to suggest some wear and tear.

And finally…

This afternoon, we had our production meeting – our final big conference in advance of Production Day #1 – attended by 30+. ��Brandon Tataryn, our 1st AD, took us through both scripts, setting a torrid pace that saw us finish in about an impressive hour and a half!

Tomorrow, it’s all hands on deck for the hair/make-up/camera tests, the cast read-thru, the tone meeting, and the cast dinner! �� I’m going to get soooooooooo drunk…

Tagged: Dark Matter, Dark Matter t.v. series, film & television, science fiction, Science Fiction Television, scifi, scifi shows, scifi television, SF, SF television, television