JMS: What exactly is your writing involvement

[B5JMS Poster]

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From: fuzzy_bat at hotmail.com (Bat)
Date: 17 Jul 1999 21:55:37 -0600
Lines: 38

Please forgive me if I've overlooked this in the past, but after watching
the first three episodes of Crusade (I'm catching up), I've noticed
they're not written by you.

This brings me to my next query.

I've also noticed that every episode insists to utilize a dialog format
between characters that constantly over-simplifies and over-explains their
dialog deliveries which was hardly ever done, if at all, in B-5.

I'm talking about when a character mentions something about a character to
another character, and then goes into such painstaking detail about why
they said what they said, the reasons behind what that third character did
to deserve whatever it is they are talking about, the ramifications of
that third character's actions, etc... all of which are already painfully
obvious, or if anything, should be left for deduction or at least that
'mystery' element.

B-5 did this flawlessly yet with Crusade, I feel like I'm watching an
instructional film for 6th graders with nothing left for chance.

This is not meant to be any type of flame as like I've said in the past,
I'm completely in awe of B5 and the message it brought to the masses and
yes, I plan to purchase the entire DVD collection whenever it may come to
be - It's just that I'm wondering if there was a reason for the style
Crusade is presented in?

P. Stone
Bat

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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Date: 20 Jul 1999 17:57:53 -0600
Lines: 41

>Please forgive me if I've overlooked this in the past, but after watching
>the first three episodes of Crusade (I'm catching up), I've noticed
>they're not written by you.

To be specific: half of the first six were written by others.  I generally have
preferred about 50% freelance work; that's the rule on most of my other shows,
the only reason I didn't do it on B5 was that the story became too complex into
S3.

>I've also noticed that every episode insists to utilize a dialog format
>between characters that constantly over-simplifies and over-explains their
>dialog deliveries which was hardly ever done, if at all, in B-5.
>It's just that I'm wondering if there was a reason for the style
>Crusade is presented in?

Unless one is prepared to rewrite every single line of a freelancer's script,
the voice is going to sound different than mine.

That aside...the most frequent notes from TNT involved explaining more and more
to the audience, who may never have seen B5.  Nearly all the notes were
exposition oriented.

The thing that's been kind of maddening about this is that some folks have
said, "Gee, these shows are so talky, I can see why TNT asked for more action,"
but these are the ones made AFTER TNT got into the process, and those notes
were nearly all for exposition.

The first five to be produced will be the last five to air...and I think it
will be very clear that there was *plenty* of action, and humor, and character
in them.  Those represent the show when nobody was bugging us, vs. after the
process became very, very difficult and debilitating.

 jms

(jmsatb5 at aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com




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