JMS on GEnie - 12/04/95

[b5jms-owner at cs.columbia.edu]

Forwarded message to B5JMS list.
Originally From: dstrauss at netcom.com (David Strauss)

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Note that I can't promise I can keep posting these on a regular basis, 
but I'll do the best I can.

=====

SFRT II RoundTable
Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 728       Sun Dec 03, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 19:44 EST
 
      The starfury vs. starfury shot is not from second season; take it as a
portent.

      I think the Londo bombing Narn scene, and the Londo/G'Kar in the
transport tube scene, are just two examples of how a shot came out better than
I could've hoped.

      Glenn: regarding residuals...you would, of course, be quite correct IF
B5 was going into regular syndication after it's finished.  But it's going to
TNT.  See, in regular broadcast syndication, your residuals are a percentage
of your original payment.  In cable, it's a percentage of what the cable
network paid for the show.  So as an example...if my Murder, She Wrote
episodes were playing in broadcast syndication, my first payment would be
about $14,000, second about $10,000, then it drops until you get to about $500
then it kinda stays there.  Instead, M,SW was sold to USA.   You know what my
first residual was there?  $24.  And it goes down from there, to where the WGA
doesn't even bother collecting them anymore, 'cause you're looking at a couple
of dollars here and there.

     The problem is that the WGA allowed huge discounts for cable, back when
it was just starting...and hasn't corrected this now that cable is HUGE.  And
who gets screwed?  Us.

                                                                    jms
 ------------
SFRT II RoundTable
Category 18,  Topic 1
Message 744       Mon Dec 04, 1995
STRACZYNSKI [Joe]            at 03:46 EST
 
      Sue: funny thing is, after the Serling special aired, I got a whole
passel of notes -- some in public over on CIS, also lots of email -- from
folks who, as one person said, "looked at Serling, looked at jms, looked at
Serling, looked at jms...and suddenly I realized who I've been speaking with
all this time."  It is, to be sure, high praise; given Serling's position in
my pantheon of writers/role models, I'm not sure there' is much higher.

      Since I've been writing nonstop for the last few days, I didn't get a
chance to actually watch the thing until late last night and this morning, on
tape.  For me, the most resonant parts were the quotes from Serling himself
about the work...the terrible deadlines, the fact that it's *you* right there
and you're the target because you're in charge  of the thing...the pressure,
the responsibility, the longing for a little house by a lake and some quiet
time...the basic and constant self doubt and wondering if it's ever going to
be good enough...I heard a lot of stuff that's come out of my own mouth over
the last couple of years.

     Overall, I thought it was very well done.

                                                                   jms
 ------------


-- 
David Strauss <*> Administrator, N.Y. Islanders Mailing List
"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War
 IV will be fought with sticks and stones." - Albert Einstein