JMS on CompuServe (Dec 05, 1996) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
Brent Barrett
bbarrett at speedlink.com
Thu Dec 5 22:29:48 EST 1996
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[ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
Sb: #620375-Snow White Script
Sb: #621228-JMS : Dreams?
Sb: #621307-#Lyta Alexander
Sb: #621319-#JMS: season 4 = arc end?
Sb: #621320-<<Falling>> Thoughts
Sb: #621378-B5 Book Advice
Sb: #621415-Babylon 5
Sb: #621424-<<Falling>> Thoughts
Sb: #621437-#Minbari lifespan
Sb: #621485-History recap?
Sb: #621102-JMS: B5 Parodies
Sb: #621786-B5 Laser Disc
Sb: #621657-2nd Ones
Sb: #621595-#Who knew what, and when?
Sb: #621814-Lorien = Ken Nordine?
Sb: #621820-Babylon 5
Sb: #621915-JMS: season 4 = arc end?
Sb: #621916-#<<Falling>> Thoughts
#: 620375 S5/Babylon 5: General
02-Dec-96 18:50:27
Sb: #Snow White Script
Fm: HART TREVOR
All,
Can anybody out there get me a copy of the script for the JMS version of
Snow White. Somebody said they were getting some a while ago but nothing
happened. Can somebody PLEASE PLEASE help, I just want it for general interest.
Many thanks.
Trevor.
#: 621354 S5/Babylon 5: General
04-Dec-96 11:45:25
Sb: #620375-Snow White Script
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Sorry, it turns out that material is no longer available anywhere. There
was a terrible fire....
jms
#: 621228 S5/Babylon 5: General
04-Dec-96 04:55:02
Sb: #620827-#JMS : Dreams?
Fm: LAURENCE MORONEY
Just don't have any nightmares....I don't want that worked into the writing :-)
May I ask another question? I have been curious about the strange scheduling of
the show in the USA (I arrived here just in time for season 4), and wonder if
it actually *helps* the quality of the show??? The long rerun periods must take
pressure off writing and shooting episodes, and therefore the quality may be
increased. What do you think of this?
Also, a minor point of critique, I cannot put my finger on why I say
this...will have to watch the episodes again, but I felt that the first 4 of
season 4 were looking a little tired. Was this the writers exhaustion reaching
the screen having written all of season 3 and a huge chunk of season 2?
If so, I hope the long breaks will give you a rest....
Best wishes, and thanks for the show,
Laurence
#: 621361 S5/Babylon 5: General
04-Dec-96 11:58:04
Sb: #621228-JMS : Dreams?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
The long broadcast breaks don't give us a break because we don't stop
filming during them. We start filming at the beginning of August, and we shoot
straight through to May, with only breaks for holidays and a quick one-week
hiatus in the fall and spring. It would be hideously expensive and difficult
to stop and start shooting every five weeks.
jms
#: 621307 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
04-Dec-96 09:13:20
Sb: #Lyta Alexander
Fm: JIMMY
Back in "What Ever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi", Lyta said she allowed the
Vorlons to modify her because she believed. What did the Vorlons tell her
about their intentions?
#: 621362 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
04-Dec-96 11:58:05
Sb: #621307-#Lyta Alexander
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Only that they'd still respect her in the morning.
jms
#: 621319 S5/Babylon 5: General
04-Dec-96 10:20:58
Sb: #620820-#JMS: season 4 = arc end?
Fm: SCOTT BAKER
>> And of those three elements, the personal life is the one that has to go
out the window to make the other two work. <<
Do you miss the trade off? I know you love your work, and you are doing a
superb job, but I'm curious if you feel you're missing something?
--Scott
#: 621363 S5/Babylon 5: General
04-Dec-96 11:58:14
Sb: #621319-#JMS: season 4 = arc end?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"I'm curiuos if you feel you're missing something?"
Having had a personal life, I found it vastly over-rated.
More seriously, though...I figure it's no different than joining the
military for five years. Except for the running, jumping, shooting and getting
killed bits.
jms
#: 621320 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
04-Dec-96 10:20:59
Sb: #620822-#<<Falling>> Thoughts
Fm: SCOTT BAKER
So how do you convey to the director and actors what you see in your head? Do
you make notes on the script, or do you talk it out, or what?
--Scott
#: 621364 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
04-Dec-96 11:58:16
Sb: #621320-<<Falling>> Thoughts
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
We have tone meetings where I go over every scene with the director, so
we both know what's required, what the subtext is, and so on.
jms
#: 621378 S5/Babylon 5: General
04-Dec-96 12:37:29
Sb: #621088-#B5 Book Advice
Fm: S.G. MENZEL
I am aware, this is a completely different matter, but you wouldn't have any
good advice on how to get ones hands on your scriptwriting book outside the
U.S.? I have tried several book dealers over here, but none of them could get
it for me!
SGM
#: 621552 S5/Babylon 5: General
04-Dec-96 17:06:23
Sb: #621378-B5 Book Advice
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Go onto the worldwide net to http://www.amazon.com, and you can order it
from anywhere in the world....
jms
[ Summary: Asks if JMS has had to "tweak" the storyline over time. ]
#: 621553 S5/Babylon 5: General
04-Dec-96 17:06:24
Sb: #621415-Babylon 5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Any work of fiction is organic and changes with time...it's part of the
process.
jms
[ Summary: Points out that one of Cartagia's severed heads looked a lot
like Andreas Katsulas made up as a Centauri. ]
#: 621554 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
04-Dec-96 17:06:25
Sb: #621424-<<Falling>> Thoughts
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Yes, that's Andreas' head, which I personally moved over to where it
would be beside Peter...who complained (in jest) that Andreas was again
stealing the scene from him.
jms
[ Summary: Asks how long Minbari live, on average. ]
#: 621555 S5/Babylon 5: General
04-Dec-96 17:06:26
Sb: #621437-#Minbari lifespan
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Minbari can easily live to about 140 or so.
jms
[ Summary: Is confused about who the humans met first in space. Thinks
it was the Minbari. ]
#: 621556 S5/Babylon 5: General
04-Dec-96 17:06:27
Sb: #621485-History recap?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
No, our first contact was with the Centauri, who gave us the tech. We
didn't meet the Minbari until long, long afterward.
jms
[ Summary: Asks if JMS would object to their theatre group doing a parody
of Babylon 5. ]
#: 621800 S5/Babylon 5: General
05-Dec-96 02:08:19
Sb: #621102-JMS: B5 Parodies
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I have never had any problem with parodies.
jms
#: 621786 S5/Babylon 5: General
05-Dec-96 00:34:47
Sb: #621195-#B5 Laser Disc
Fm: DANIEL BARER
Message text written by J. Michael Straczynski
> Nope again. They're like a monkey with its fist around a nut in a jar;
they won't let go, and can't take it out, or let anyone else have it. But we
will keep working at it...sooner or later, we'll win. We always do. <
Does Warners have all domestic video rights in perpetuity, or only while the
show is in first run? I wonder if any rights revert to the production company
when it begins its TNT run. (Boy, that sounds dangerous....)
#: 621801 S5/Babylon 5: General
05-Dec-96 02:20:26
Sb: #621786-B5 Laser Disc
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
They *own* the show.
jms
[ Summary: Asks where the Middle Ones went. Those races which achieved
space flight "30,000 years or 132,477 years" ago, in between the First
Ones and the younger races. ]
#: 621802 S5/Babylon 5: General
05-Dec-96 02:20:28
Sb: #621657-2nd Ones
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Well, technically speaking, I suppose you could say that the Vorlons and
Shadows are second ones, since Lorien's people came first, about which you'll
hear more in the next batch of eps.
jms
#: 621595 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
04-Dec-96 17:57:05
Sb: #Who knew what, and when?
Fm: BEN DIBBLE
Joe,
I would dearly love the answer to the following run-on
question, but if it's a possible plot point, I'll understand.
Could you possibly tell us the "Story of Kosh?" Are we ready
for this information? Or does it still contain hidden bits of story?
For example, During the pilot, the Minbari poisoned Kosh. _Why_ did
Kosh open his suit to "Sinclair?" Are you going to tell me he was *actually*
going to shake hands? Had Kosh read up on Earthers and already gone Native?
Since the Minbari poisoned Kosh, this implies a pretty good
knowledge of Vorlons. I'm guessing you really need to know a lot about
a creature to be able to poison it. (Who would guess that chocolate
in sufficient quantities would kill a dog, for example.)
And was this information provided to Sinclair by Delenn? Or
was that a case of Minbari dissembling?
What did Delenn see when she went to see Kosh, and *why* did
she go? Can you ___finally___ give us her prophesy?
My wife thought Vorlons could be rather like LCD beings. The
crystals being manipulated enough to change our perceptions, but I
don't think that would work with so many watching.
In the pilot, it says something about Kosh being crystal based. Is this
your story to stick with? I realize that putting together that kind
of special effect on the TV screen was pretty tough, but I think it would
be nice to have a little better description of their makeup.
Anyhow, thanks ditto, love it ditto, praise etc.
Ben
ps - hoping you liked the mouse pad - and if you want a story, I'll tell
you about dealing with the Sheilds Licensing dept.
#: 621803 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
05-Dec-96 02:20:31
Sb: #621595-#Who knew what, and when?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
There's a lot more to be said of the story of Kosh, and the Vorlons in
general...and part of me says explain it later...and another part says that if
you explain mysteries too much, it destroys them.
jms
[ Summary: Asks if Lorien's musing on time ("tick and tock") were inspired
by Ken Nordine's poetry and songs. ]
#: 621982 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
05-Dec-96 13:39:16
Sb: #621814-Lorien = Ken Nordine?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Having never heard his work, that would tend to mitigate against that.
jms
[ Summary: About fiction being organic and changing over time, this poster
asks, "I suppose that means my life qualifies as a work of fiction?" ]
#: 621983 S5/Babylon 5: General
05-Dec-96 13:39:17
Sb: #621820-Babylon 5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
That's what we've been saying about you for months....
jms
#: 621915 S5/Babylon 5: General
05-Dec-96 09:43:37
Sb: #621363-#JMS: season 4 = arc end?
Fm: SCOTT BAKER
>> More seriously, though...I figure it's no different than joining the
military for five years. Except for the running, jumping, shooting and getting
killed bits. <<
And probably more fun. So I take it you've decided not to have a family at
this point, outside of all of us of course <g>.
--Scott
#: 621984 S5/Babylon 5: General
05-Dec-96 13:39:18
Sb: #621915-JMS: season 4 = arc end?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
The way I live, kids would be redundent.
jms
#: 621916 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
05-Dec-96 09:43:37
Sb: #621364-#<<Falling>> Thoughts
Fm: SCOTT BAKER
I assume that you don't make comments during filming then directly to the
actors, so what do you do if you see something during filming that needs to be
changed?
--Scott
#: 621985 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
05-Dec-96 13:39:20
Sb: #621916-#<<Falling>> Thoughts
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I will, on *rare* occasions, address a note or correction directly to an
actor while we're shooting, but in general I give any notes to the director on
the set, who passes them on to the actor. There really can't be a multiplicity
of voices talking to actors on the set...it can become confusing, and they can
get contradictory directions. They can get skittish and lose concentration.
One occasion where I *did* do this recently...in the scene where Londo
explains to Cartagia why he shouldn't be killed for being late, the director
had Londo playing that scene submissive and nervous in rehearsals, didn't
understand that the whole point of the exercise was Londo standing up to
Cartagia, but doing so in a very sly way, not giving him any room to maneuver.
Cartagia likes Londo because there's intelligence and steel, in a very
manipulative fashion..."you think the same way I do," Cartagia says. So before
we shot the scene, I pulled Peter aside and gave him the correction, and that's
how we shot it.
But, again, those incidents are fairly rare.
jms
[END]
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