[B5JMS] Would the actors do more just for the love of it?

[b5jms-admin at cs.columbia.edu]

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
From: "Wisewoman" <wisewoman at btinternet.com>
Date: 5 Jun 2001 12:24:43 -0700
Lines: 30

Hi there,
I was just rewatching B5 last night for the millionth time and my mind
wandered to the day i kissed John Sheridan (AKA Bruce) on the cheek at a
book signing. On the actual day i went all silly and giggly.. (it was too
much like my fantasy intruding on reality and the experience can be quite
un-nerving! ;))
Anyway.. i just thought of a fantastic question that i *should* have asked
him... I would liked to have asked him if he would be prepared to do one
more film just *purely* for the love of B5 and his fans. If i ever see
anyone from B5 again in the flesh i will ask this.
I would like to think that if i were in their positions and i was aware of
how great the fans thought it was, and if the studio had very little money i
think i *would* do something like this.
Before i saw the end of season 5 i remember virtually praying that Ivanova
would appear just once more.. even though there was that mess up over her
contract.. did she really understand how much we loved it... would she just
walk on right up and say look here.. i should be in it again before the end
and i'll do it for free...
Well as we now know she was in it again but only because it had beenf ilmed
beforehand !
I guess i'm forgetting all the politics that surround any production.. its a
shame really :(


Cheers
Melissa  :)





=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Date: 5 Jun 2001 13:13:57 -0700
Lines: 31

>I would like to think that if i were in their positions and i was aware of
>how great the fans thought it was, and if the studio had very little money i
>think i *would* do something like this.
>Before i saw the end of season 5 i remember virtually praying that Ivanova
>would appear just once more.. even though there was that mess up over her
>contract.. did she really understand how much we loved it... would she just
>walk on right up and say look here.. i should be in it again before the end
>and i'll do it for free...

You have to understand that there are various issues at work here.  It's never
an issue of the studio not having much money.  The studio of course is WB which
has all the money in the world.  They've got bucks they haven't even used yet. 
The budget assigned to a given show and the production company responsible for
that show is always far less...sometimes it's a lot and sometimes it ain't.

That aside...anyone working on a show, actor, writer, director or producer, is
a professional, and they have to be paid at a rate commensurate with their
experience.  If you don't, if you let that slip past, others will use it as an
excuse to lower your rates across the board.  If I didn't have enough to offer
someone at least a reasonable salary, I wouldn't make the offer.

 jms

(jmsatb5 at aol.com)
(all message content (c) 2001 by synthetic worlds, ltd., 
permission to reprint specifically denied to SFX Magazine 
and don't send me story ideas)