JMS on CompuServe (Aug 04, 1997) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*

[bbarrett at speedlink.com]

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 [ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
    Sb: #690512-The Casting Process
    Sb: #690523-The Casting Process
    Sb: #690685-Outside proj/scripts?
    Sb: #690513-B5FC Merchandise
    Sb: #690609-B5FC Merchandise
    Sb: #690847-B5FC Merchandise
    Sb: #690795-#->402


 #: 690512 S5/Babylon 5: General
    01-Aug-97  21:10:47
Sb: #690288-#The Casting Process
Fm: CARL CANTARELLA

>> If we like one of those, we cast that person.  If we're caught on two, we do
a callback with those two and decide<<

        So <g> ...any ideas so far  concerning who may stand to replace
Claudia?   :)
                Hey, I simply hadda ask even though I realize you may feel as
though can't say anything about it as yet.  ;)


 #: 690747 S5/Babylon 5: General
    03-Aug-97  01:51:02
Sb: #690512-The Casting Process
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      No, we're totally open to whoever walks in the door for the part.

                                                                    jms



 #: 690523 S5/Babylon 5: General
    01-Aug-97  22:19:30
Sb: #690288-#The Casting Process
Fm: REBECCA ESCHLIMAN

jms--

Thanks so much for the thoroughness of your answer, especially given your
current time contraints (or Constraints).  It seems an intricate process, like
a game of Monopoly.  A savvy agent can help an experienced actor get to "Park
Place," and Wayne Alexander's agent (and obviously his talent) got him all the
Utilities.  But it sounds like a Catch-22 for a neophyte actor trying to *gain*
experience -- you've got to have experience before you can gain experience (Do
Not Pass Go; Do Not Collect...).

But again, thanks for the gift of your time in illuminating a fairly mysterious
process for us on the outside.

-rje-

But then there was a star danced, and under that was I born.


 #: 690748 S5/Babylon 5: General
    03-Aug-97  01:51:05
Sb: #690523-The Casting Process
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      Actually, our casting director at the time (not the same as Fern)
apparently didn't feel Wayne had enough credits for our show, and it took John
Copeland (who'd seen his work) finally pulling rank to get him in the door to
where I could see him.  Once in...that was that.

                                                                    jms


 [ Summary: Comments that what Voyager needs is a script by a good
   writer, like JMS. ]

 #: 690749 S8/Babylon 5: Social
    03-Aug-97  01:51:07
Sb: #690685-Outside proj/scripts?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      The problem over there isn't the material, it's the restraints put *on*
the material by Paramount.  Jeri Taylor is one of the best writers and best
show runners in town; give her room to flex her muscles, and she can flatten
any show around and blow the doors off SF TV.  Unfortunately, due to the
Paramount heavy-handedness and restrictions on all their writers, you have a
situation with a Ferrari sitting in a garage and never allowed to go more than
20 miles around the block.

                                                                    jms



 #: 690513 S5/Babylon 5: General
    01-Aug-97  21:14:35
Sb: #B5FC Merchandise
Fm: SYSOP DUPA T PARROT

I haven't noticed anyone talking about buying merchandise from the Babylon 5
Fan Club, so I'll post my two cents.

I ordered the three B5FC T-shirts via letter on July 7th and paid with a
personal check. The merchandise arrived yesterday (July 31st), shipped by
priority mail with a return receipt.

A three week turn-around time for mail order isn't too shabby but I'm getting
spoiled by online merchandise vendors. I'd like to see the B5FC offer
merchandise online using current technologies.

I placed an order with Amazon.Com (www.amazon.com) on July 4th and received the
merchandise on July 8th shipped by Priority Mail. The package was postmarked
Sunday, July 6th

The best turn-around time yet was with MicroWarehouse (www.warehouse.com) where
orders received by 10pm (their time) are shipped by next day FedEx.

The worst turn-around time was with US Robotics which took six months to ship a
modem upgrade chip (no, not for 56k). They didn't bill until they shipped the
chip.

Other online stores I've bought from:

  Viz Video (www.j-pop.com): 2 weeks;
  Dilbert Store (www.unitedmedia.com/comics/dilbert): 10 days;
  Insight (www.insight.com): 1 week;
  L.L. Bean (www.llbean.com): 5 days;
  PowerStar (www.tvmerch.com):  3 days (BTW, very nice B5 Polo shirts!).

Regarding credit card security on the Internet: I use the 128-bit key version
of Netscape and only buy from sites running secure web servers.


 #: 690755 S5/Babylon 5: General
    03-Aug-97  02:10:16
Sb: #690513-B5FC Merchandise
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

"A three week turn-around time for mail order isn't too shabby but I'm getting
spoiled by online merchandise vendors. I'd like to see the B5FC offer
merchandise online using current technologies.:"

      Already in process; we just changed providers at thestation.com in search
of a really stable and safe charge system, and should have an online credit
charge system up and running very shortly.

                                                                    jms


 [ Summary: (See below.) ]

 #: 690756 S5/Babylon 5: General
    03-Aug-97  02:10:19
Sb: #690609-B5FC Merchandise
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

"We haven't ordered anything from the B5 Fan Club website because we can't get
into it without Netscape..."

      This is one of the things we're now correcting, with the change in
providers.

                                                                    jms


 [ Summary: Congratulates JMS on renewal and asks if the collectible card
   game is legitimate. ]

 #: 690854 S5/Babylon 5: General
    03-Aug-97  14:10:32
Sb: #690847-B5FC Merchandise
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      Thanks, and yes, the collectible card game is legit.

                                                                    jms


 [ Summary: "Will DC Fontana be writing anything?" ]

 #: 690856 S7/Babylon 5: UK/World
    03-Aug-97  14:10:37
Sb: #690795-#->402
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      I'm keeping DC and David in my hip pocket for the moment; there are an
awful lot of writers who've wanted desperately to write for the show in the
last few years, who couldn't because I did two seasons alone.  I have kind of a
moral obligation to give those folks a shot, and since there are only about 5
open assignments, I have to be very selective.  If I can in good conscience
give one to David or DC, I will definitely consider doing so.  But the new guys
deserve a shot.

                                                                    jms




[END]

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