ATTN JMS & George Johnsen: hi from .hu

[B5JMS Poster]

Subject: ATTN JMS & George Johnsen: hi from .hu
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 No. | DATE        |  FROM
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s  1: Feb 26, 1997: Kemeny Andras <kean at isys.hu>
*  2: Feb 27, 1997: George Johnsen <ndeiprod at earthlink.net>

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From: Kemeny Andras <kean at isys.hu>
Lines: 116

Hiall,

This will be quite long, but bear with me, I'm
from Hungary and I'm HUNGRY for information.
Also, this is my first post here.

First part: both of You

So, well, this is my first posting from Hungary,
(can you find us tiny-teeny mideuropeans on the
map?), maybe the first ever posting from Hungary
at all. Just to make sure your word is spreading
to the weirdest places. ;) I'm watching B5 on the
German station Pro7 (aw, boy, it's awful in Ger-
man, but that's all I have here), and now it's
just finished season 3.

JMS: you... don't you do this to us! ;) (Yes,
Z'ha'dum was shocking even in German, whilst
I didn't understand cca 30% of the text -- no
problem, we have the lurkers guide, don't we).
Congrats. If I can believe the Lurker's Guide
and Spoiler Junkies synopses, S4 streches our
nerves even further. Good goin' on that.

Me: was a faithful trekkie, disillusioned on
DS9, faith a bit revamped with Voyager, but...
Basically, B5 converted me when I hit the
Lurker's Guide and got the scope of the series.
Believe me, it's hard to get the scope when
70% of your brain capacity is tied down just
to understanding German. Anyway, I only watch
the Cartoon Network, B5 and the X-Files re-
gularly. Sometimes I drop in for some TNG
and Voyager stuff. Oh I do watch Muppets.

Now: questions (shields up).

JMS:

Do you know anything about Pro7 picking up
Season 4 as soon as it's done? They were quite
faithful to B5 so far (all 3 seasons aired
in quite an even row, dedicated pages on
their web server, etc...), I guess they do,
I just need to be reassured. I want to see
your new CGI (Shadow Dancing blew me away
already).

Also, concerning TNT: TNT has an European
distribtuion, which is merely called TNT
classic movies. I guess it's not the same
in concept as the TNT picking up Crusade
et al, but the very same ownership. Any
plans on their part to show B5 in English,
on TNT Europe? Boy, that happening and
I'm in Heaven. Also: will TNT Europe be
distributing the two movies and Crusade?

Official website: content is great (especially
now that the previews are being put up --
that was my only way of hearing Sheridan
et al in English). But. The design could
use some shaping up... I mean lots of text
but not too well organized. If you think,
I can help (I'm a designer).

And just on the light note (ties in with
the latest bloopers thing): here we have the
official distribution of the MAD magazine,
only in Hungarian. The latest edition (that
being some back issue in the State) featured
an X-Files mock, which shown mulder wrapping
up an underground (literally) secret. In the
start frame, along Chewbacca, Yoda, The Bugs
Bunny Martian chap et al, was the big head-
integrated-to-neck-ugly-face-anyway alien from
B5. In a later frame, G'Kar holding a quite
discomforting hospital bill. Maybe worth
watching out for. ;)

thanks for your time.

GJ:

Some quickie stuff:

- what is the film material you're shooting
  your real-life shots on?
- have you heard of the new Kodak Primetime
  EXR film? maybe worth trying out (I've
  heard lotsa praises).
- what material are you using to record
  CGI stuff? video? film?
- might be of possible interest: as you may
  know, film has grain. CGI shots do not.
  how do you solve this? afaik, the Kodak
  Cineon system has this feature of removing
  and blending in grain, thus getting a very
  organic look even for CGI.

ah, it's not a sales pitch for Kodak. I just
happen to translate them quite a lot, and I've
got these information there (I've even seen a
promo video of the Cineon system showing the
making of some really cool ID4 efx, and it
also explained the grain thingy).

over & out

  Andras Kemeny
  Hullamfront MD
  "Computers are useless. They can only give answers."
    -- Pablo Picasso



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From: George Johnsen <ndeiprod at earthlink.net>
Lines: 26

Andras-

Cineon is not the only processor to have a grain remover/grain adder
module in the software.  The discreet logic Flint, Adobe After Effects,
and Lightwave 3D used on B5 also have various modules and plugins for
grain manipulation.  We use 'em all the time on composite and blue
screen shots to make the generated elements fit into the film elements.

We shoot with Panavision Gold super 35.  We have tested nearly all of
the emultions currently available, and 5298 is what John Flinn III, ASC
likes the best, so that is what we use.  He feels it preserves the look
he is going for the best.  I know an EXR test was scheduled, but we
haven't gotten there yet.

We record all of our CG elements to hard drive and optical disc.  The
images are created "resolution independent" meaning they could be
rendered for anything from video game to Imax, based on user input.  For
the NTSC version, we output to digital tape, eventually.

Hey, advertise Kodak all you want, they make good film.  Love that
Kodachrome, even thogh it's disappearing.

George Johnsen
CoProducer, B5


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