JMS on CompuServe (Jan 21, 1997) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
bbarrett at speedlink.com
bbarrett at speedlink.com
Tue Jan 21 20:07:40 EST 1997
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[ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
Sb: #639948-Makeup Question
Sb: #640039-Writing
Sb: #640065-Kevin Dobson
Sb: #640066-Bester
Sb: #640075-?s of Sordid Biz Nature
Sb: #640157-From jms re: yr 4/5
Sb: #640159-From jms re: yr 4/5
Sb: #640165-From jms re: yr 4/5
Sb: #640176-From jms re: yr 4/5
Sb: #640193-B4 & After
[ Summary: Asks how long it takes Andreas Katsulas to get into the G'Kar
makeup and costume. ]
#: 640241 S5/Babylon 5: General
21-Jan-97 13:46:28
Sb: #639948-Makeup Question
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Last I heard it takes about 2 hours, not too bad, actually.
jms
[ Summary: Asks how JMS sits down to write an episode of the show and
how he would handle a story if he had no background and was given a
deadline. ]
#: 640242 S5/Babylon 5: General
21-Jan-97 13:46:30
Sb: #640039-Writing
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
It's a combination of things, and very hard to explain. I come to a
given episode knowing I have to do X...X might be "this is the one where I have
to plant the info about the giant space ferrets," or "this is the one where
Lennier gets nailed in bed by Londo." Then I kind of check in on the
characters in my head...I know what they've been going through, and I see how
they're feeling about it, where they are, what's going on...then I sit down and
"watch" the events in my head like watching a movie, or watching the news.
Some scenes are vaguer than others, so I keep replaying it in my head until I
can see the whole thing...then I write it all down.
In the latter case you mention, having nothing, and being under the gun,
I always, *always* start with character rather than a series of incidents or
plot points. Because character is the key to everything: plot, structure, all
of it. All you need to know is who your character is, what he wants, how far
he will go to get it, and how far somebody else will go to stop him. The rest
follows naturally.
jms
#: 640065 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
20-Jan-97 19:28:36
Sb: #Kevin Dobson
Fm: MR. TRACY SCHELL
Joe- I've seen the name Kevin Dobson in some credits for upcoming shows. Is
this the actor Kevin Dobson of Kojak, Knotts Landing fame and currently F/X The
series?
Thanks...
Mr.T- On Florida's Space Coast
#: 640243 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
21-Jan-97 13:46:32
Sb: #640065-Kevin Dobson
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Same name, different person.
jms
#: 640066 S5/Babylon 5: General
20-Jan-97 19:28:36
Sb: #Bester
Fm: MR. TRACY SCHELL
When's the next Bester episode?
Mr.T- Who ducks when Delta Rockets explode!
#: 640244 S5/Babylon 5: General
21-Jan-97 13:46:35
Sb: #640066-Bester
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
407, "Epiphanies."
jms
#: 640075 S5/Babylon 5: General
20-Jan-97 20:10:32
Sb: #639718-#?s of Sordid Biz Nature
Fm: PHYLLIS SCHMULENSON
If the B5 films are being done for TNT does that mean that it will only be on
cable? If the first film ? will be the earth-memari(sp) war what will the
second film be- what will the spin off series be. Why are there so many
disrupting reruns between continuing the story?
Thanks
Phyl
#: 640245 S5/Babylon 5: General
21-Jan-97 13:46:36
Sb: #640075-?s of Sordid Biz Nature
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
The TNT movies will air on TNT only at first, yes. The other stuff
isn't open to comment yet. There are reruns because WB prefers to show
episodes during sweeps periods only.
jms
#: 640157 S5/Babylon 5: General
21-Jan-97 09:26:34
Sb: #639911-#From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: SCOTT BAKER
>> I figure they'll probably bury the darned thing with me...and I'll still be
laying there and revising it.... <<
So how big is this thing? And what do you put on it? I'm trying to piece a
story together in my head and everytime I go to map out the story lines it
looks worse than a BellSouth network diagram.
--Scott
#: 640246 S5/Babylon 5: General
21-Jan-97 13:46:38
Sb: #640157-From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
It's about as big as my life these days....
jms
#: 640159 S5/Babylon 5: General
21-Jan-97 09:26:40
Sb: #639909-#From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: SCOTT BAKER
I know for B5 WB would care, since it's your project. But would most studios
care in other situations?
Where else have you walked from?
And, if I may ask, why do you do all of this (make the show, talk with us, deal
with the studio, etc)?
--Scott
#: 640247 S5/Babylon 5: General
21-Jan-97 13:46:42
Sb: #640159-From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I walked off THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS when they decided to soften the
characters and turn Janine into a mommy figure, off CAPTAIN POWER when they
decided to give the sponsor (Mattel) more control over stories...and others.
Why do I stay on the nets? I was here before B5, and I'll be here
after, to one degree or another. I see no reason to change.
jms
#: 640165 S5/Babylon 5: General
21-Jan-97 10:15:31
Sb: #639909-#From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: MRSPEEL
> Also, I think they know by now that if a project I care about is going to be
bastardized...I walk. I've done it many times before, and wouldn't hesitate to
do it again.<
Someone in Hollywood with artistic integrity? Joe, how'd you get in and
survive?<g>
Rhonda
#: 640248 S5/Babylon 5: General
21-Jan-97 13:46:44
Sb: #640165-From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
There are lots of folks out here with integrity; they're just not as
colorful to write about, and they don't fit in with accepted cliche.
Mainly, I'm genetically a pain in the butt.
jms
#: 640176 S5/Babylon 5: General
21-Jan-97 11:14:22
Sb: #639093-#From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: ANNE L. WARNER
Joe,
>> I'm *very* much looking forward to never, ever doing this (writing an
entire season or two singlehanded) again for the rest of my natural life.... <<
Is your life natural? <friendly giggles> Sorry, I couldn't resist. Just
don't burn out on us, pretty please.
Anne
#: 640249 S5/Babylon 5: General
21-Jan-97 13:46:47
Sb: #640176-From jms re: yr 4/5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
You can never burn out as long as you're doing what you enjoy. When it
stops being fun, then you burn out. And I'm still having fun.
jms
#: 640193 S5/Babylon 5: General
21-Jan-97 12:17:34
Sb: #B4 & After
Fm: THE JAWA / JAWA #2
In "WWE," they said that they had to go back in time so they'd have
time to get more ships to help win the war. But they're still having trouble
getting enough ships and they keep saying that there aren't enough ships to
fight the Shadows. So what was the purpose of going back to B4? Or is what
they wanted to do not working?--Jawa #2 "Are you pondering what I'm pondering?"
#: 640250 S5/Babylon 5: General
21-Jan-97 13:46:49
Sb: #640193-B4 & After
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
You misremember. The whole point of going back was to make sure the
last war was won, so that the shadow fleet would have *fewer* ships coming up
to the present, not to get more ships for our side.
jms
[END]
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