JMS on CompuServe (Jun 08, 1997) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
bbarrett at speedlink.com
bbarrett at speedlink.com
Sun Jun 8 22:32:17 EDT 1997
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WARNING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The following posts may contain SPOILERS for
upcoming Babylon 5 episodes.
Continue at your own risk.
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Note that JMS has expressed his public permission
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[ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
Sb: #675158-'Drop Dead' Date?
Sb: #675168-#Grey Council composition
Sb: #675382-Official Web Site
Sb: #675385-#Newsweek
Sb: #675387-#TNT Movies
Sb: #674881-Lorien
Sb: #675368-Lorien
Sb: #675096-<5th Season/EVP>
Sb: #675643-#'Drop Dead' Date?
Sb: #675645-Newsweek
Sb: #675646-TNT Movies
Sb: #675551-A question on influences
[ Summary: Asks if it's too late to renew the show, as most stations have
already bought all of their programming for the new season. ]
#: 675541 S5/Babylon 5: General
08-Jun-97 03:53:44
Sb: #675158-'Drop Dead' Date?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
No, it isn't really a problem...the worst that could happen is that the
show might have to go on in January rather than November, but that's only a
small gap. The stations haven't locked down their January schedules yet, and
there's always fallout from what goes out in November, so there are still many
possibilities.
jms
#: 675168 S5/Babylon 5: General
07-Jun-97 00:16:14
Sb: #Grey Council composition
Fm: MARCIA SAMPSON
I would like to ask if the Minbari Grey Council has any relationship to the
Estates-General which was the French parliament before the Revolution.
The Grey Council with its 3 workers, 3 warriors and 3 religious caste members
reminds me of the old E-G which was a three-chambered legislature; one house
for nobility, one for commoners, one for clergy. Each house had only one vote
on legislation, which usually resulted in the commoners being outvoted 2 to 1.
Marcia
PS: I'm reminded of a joke: Louis 14 built Versailles. Louis 15 lived in it.
Louis 16 paid for it!
#: 675542 S5/Babylon 5: General
08-Jun-97 03:53:46
Sb: #675168-#Grey Council composition
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
While I was aware of the pre-Revolutionary French parliament, to be
honest, no, that wasn't the model I was using for B5. Unless my subconscious
is far smarter than I have been led to believe all this time. Also sneakier.
jms
#: 675382 S5/Babylon 5: General
07-Jun-97 13:18:45
Sb: #Official Web Site
Fm: DOUGLAS PILIGIAN
Joe,
I really enjoyed the new video clips on the official web site. That's a great
idea and adds a new dimension. How doing something like that with just you
talking to the fan club members at thestation.com?
Doug
#: 675543 S5/Babylon 5: General
08-Jun-97 03:53:48
Sb: #675382-Official Web Site
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
We're looking into some stuff like that.
jms
#: 675385 S5/Babylon 5: General
07-Jun-97 13:35:31
Sb: #Newsweek
Fm: DOUGLAS PILIGIAN
Joe,
Excellent article in Newsweek. About time you got some national press. Did
you know the writer? Will TNT be doing similar types of hype as we get closer
to January, 1998?
Doug
#: 675544 S5/Babylon 5: General
08-Jun-97 03:53:51
Sb: #675385-#Newsweek
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
No, didn't know the writer prior to the article.
TNT has a big campaign planned for the January launch...for the first
time, really, B5 is getting the full-fledged PR campaign it (in my opinion) has
deserved for a long time.
TNT has been nothing other than terrific.
jms
#: 675387 S5/Babylon 5: General
07-Jun-97 13:38:23
Sb: #TNT Movies
Fm: DOUGLAS PILIGIAN
Joe,
What can you tell us about the filming so far? What have been the reactions of
the cast and crew, both about the stories and the difference between making a
movie vs. television episode. I also read that you have some more "credits" to
spend now. How has that impacted the overall production? Thanks again for the
time you spend on-line with us, and for being so available and responsive.
Doug
#: 675545 S5/Babylon 5: General
08-Jun-97 03:53:53
Sb: #675387-#TNT Movies
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Actually, we don't really have that much more money. Each episode costs
a tick under $1 million; for purposes of discussion, let's round that up to 1.
So you're now talking 2 million for 2 hours. Now you've got another million to
spend. *But* ALL the prices go up by union scale and whatever else can be
negotiated. Actors fees go up, writers fees go up, directors fees go up, crew
fees go up...so at the end of the day, you find you have a *little* more to
spend, but not really that much.
As for how everyone's handling it...really no different than the series.
Actors learn their lines, directors do their shots, the atmosphere on set
really isn't much different. The only substantive difference is that, because
we know we won't be airing these until January and March/April, at soonest, we
have more time in post and can therefore do more EFX.
George calculated that there are as many EFX in "Thirdspace" as in the
entire first season of B5.
jms
#: 674881 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
06-Jun-97 03:23:37
Sb: #674394-#Lorien
Fm: BURHAAN AHMAD
>> Well Joe, there are _some_ of us (sniffing at good ole Burhaan <g>) that
_like_ the changes of pace. <<
Phooey. It sounded like a good question before I hit send button. <g>
#: 675546 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
08-Jun-97 03:53:56
Sb: #674881-Lorien
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
It was a perfectly *fine* question...don't worry about it. My reply was
more oriented toward the recent series of inquiries than yours. Remember,
sometimes the only way to get pertinent information is to ask impertinent
questions.
jms
[ Summary: (See below.) ]
#: 675547 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
08-Jun-97 03:53:59
Sb: #675368-Lorien
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"the way in which you broaden themes by making apparent antagonists sympathetic
while consistently creating a plausible future history is nothing short of
amazing."
Thanks. That really is a large part of the fun for me.
jms
[ Summary: Asks if JMS will announce the renewal news when he knows it. ]
#: 675548 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
08-Jun-97 03:54:01
Sb: #675096-<5th Season/EVP>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
When I know, believe me, you'll know.
jms
[ Summary: "If the show is not renewed, and all the stations have
allocated their slots to other shows, isn't there a danger that we
won't get to see the group of shows that WB is withholding to act
as the lead-in to the new year?" ]
#: 675691 S5/Babylon 5: General
08-Jun-97 16:16:56
Sb: #675643-#'Drop Dead' Date?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
No, the final four of season 4 are committed to airdates in October,
that's inviolable, whichever happens to be the last one, 422 or 501.
jms
#: 675645 S5/Babylon 5: General
08-Jun-97 12:43:32
Sb: #675544-#Newsweek
Fm: DOUGLAS PILIGIAN
Joe,
E-mailed TNT via their web site and got a really nice reply back. It must be
exciting for you to know that Babylon 5 is in the hands of fans with their own
cable network.
Doug
#: 675692 S5/Babylon 5: General
08-Jun-97 16:16:58
Sb: #675645-Newsweek
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Yeah, they're great at TNT.
jms
#: 675646 S5/Babylon 5: General
08-Jun-97 12:45:50
Sb: #675545-#TNT Movies
Fm: DOUGLAS PILIGIAN
Joe,
Question about the music. Will Chris be doing anything special for the movies,
new score, themes, etc? Any chance there will be a new CD with music from the
movies?
Doug
#: 675693 S5/Babylon 5: General
08-Jun-97 16:17:00
Sb: #675646-TNT Movies
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
He'll be scoring the movies, but nothing's set yet for a soundtrack for
either of them (commercially).
jms
#: 675551 S5/Babylon 5: General
08-Jun-97 04:15:06
Sb: #A question on influences
Fm: COLIN HEAPS
Joe,
I was watching the Disney channel on Sky here in the UK this Saturday and
caught a programme about George Pal. What struck me was the parallels between
his outlook on SF and your own, he seemed very much to encourage the artists
involved (cast & crew alike) to use their ideas to achieve the best result,
only correcting when it conflicted with his story ideas, (sound familiar <g>).
Also, I noticed that those who worked with him seemd to hold him in high
esteem, (though Rod Tayor did call him a quiet and gentle man - so there goes
one parallel <vbg>). I just wondered what your opinion of George Pal was and
if he had any effect on your life, (he seemed to have - according to their
interviews - affected the likes of Ray Bradbury & Gene Roddenbury).
Also, I noted from your messages that the request for an extension to their
contracts came from your cast. Was this instigated by you, or did they approach
you with the idea? Given that you commented that you have never heard of this
happening before - how did it make you feel when you found out? surprised /
relieved?
I have always noted, as have many many others, the enthusiasm of those involved
with the project and wondered whether you had hoped / anticipated this may
happen, or if it was a "blown my socks off" kinda day for you <g>.
Best hopes for S5 - and thanks again for the best SF programme I have ever had
the pleasure to watch. Your presence on-line really does make us out here feel
as if we are part of the community, even at times, the process itself.
My wife wants to add her thanks, she ranks you along side her favourite story
teller Anne McCaffery (the dragon sagas) and is likewise blown away by the
story, believe me when I say - this is no small compliment. Her constant moan
being that she forgets the timeline of certain parts of the story because there
is so much to it, "was that Season 2 or 3 - eh?? one? oh jeez", you'll be
pleased to know how much that messes with her mind ;-)))
Thanks again, looking forward to Wolf359
Regards,
ColKai
#: 675694 S5/Babylon 5: General
08-Jun-97 16:17:03
Sb: #675551-A question on influences
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks for all the kind words, from you and your wife.
Yes, my philosophy, from what you've said and others have said, seems
close to Pal's, in that if you leave creative people alone, and give them the
creative freedom to go nuts, they'll do more for you than if you bash them down
all the time. It's a simple notion but for some reason unfathomable to many
suits.
As for the extension, that was something WB asked for, it didn't
originate from our side.
And I'm very happy that the show has gotten the reception it has; makes
it all kinda worthwhile.
jms
[END]
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