ATTN JMS: Writing, Directing, Producing

[B5JMS Poster]

Subject: ATTN JMS: Writing, Directing, Producing
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 No. | DATE        |  FROM
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+  1: Jul 12, 1996: s-orso at staff.uiuc.edu (orso steven n)
*  2: Jul 12, 1996: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)

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From: s-orso at staff.uiuc.edu (orso steven n)
Lines: 31

JMS--

You've posted at length about your love of writing, and from time
to time you've acknowledged going back and forth with yourself about
whether you should try your hand at directing (most recently in a
post about two or three weeks ago).  There is, however, another
consideration.

At the end of the more than decade-long run consisting of "The
Gathering," the five-year *Babylon 5* series, and the five-year
side-story sequel series (Yes, I'm an optimist; you're a good bet),
not only will you have extended your already considerable resume
as a writer, but also you will have acquired substantial experience
as an executive producer.

That raises a question:  If you and associates like John Copeland
and Doug Netter were in a position to acquire the rights to a property
by an author whose work you respected (Harlan Ellison's screenplay
for *I, Robot* comes to mind), would you consider investing your
time and energy to bring that work to fruition (be it in television
or cinema) as a *producer* rather than as a writer?

***************************************************************************
******** s-orso at uiuc.edu ******** Every silver lining has a cloud. ********
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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Lines: 24

"If you and associates like John Copeland and Doug Netter were in a
position to acquire the rights to a property by an author whose work you
respected (Harlan Ellison's screenplay for *I, Robot* comes to mind),
would you consider investing your time and energy to bring that work to
fruition (be it in television or cinema) as a *producer* rather than as a
writer?"

In a word...no.

Being a producer is a pain in the butt of mind-bending proportions.  I
never had any desire to be a producer, and frankly still don't.  It's not
an ambition or a career goal.  The ONLY reason for wearing this particular
pointy cap, for putting up with the grief and the nonsense, is to protect
my words.  That's *it*.  I'm a writer, first and foremost.  Producership
is just an insurance policy for the story.  I would have no interest in
producing someone else's work.

I'm not a producer...I just play one on TeeVee.


 jms



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