[B5JMS] JMS: Why direct B5:TLT?

[b5jms at mail.fsl.cs.sunysb.edu]

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From: Jan <janmschroeder at aol.com>
Date: 21 Aug 2006 16:45:20 -0700
Lines: 23

JMS,

Back when B5 was being made, you seemed pretty indifferent to ever directing but
you directed Sleeping in Light, seemingly at the urging of WB.  At the time you
didn't seem to have fallen in love with being a director even though SiL was
just perfect (IMO, but also many other folks).

Last month you announced that you told WB that you wanted to direct the Lost
Tales.  I just wondered what might have changed your mind about it?

Thanks,

Jan


-- 
We are the voice of the universe, the soul of creation, 
The fire that will light the way to a better future. 
We are One. 
                       IA Declaration of Principles
                        (J. Michael Straczynski)                                



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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com
Date: 22 Aug 2006 02:23:56 -0700
Lines: 34


Jan wrote:
> JMS,
>
> Back when B5 was being made, you seemed pretty indifferent to ever directing but
> you directed Sleeping in Light, seemingly at the urging of WB.  At the time you
> didn't seem to have fallen in love with being a director even though SiL was
> just perfect (IMO, but also many other folks).
>
> Last month you announced that you told WB that you wanted to direct the Lost
> Tales.  I just wondered what might have changed your mind about it?
>

I directed SIL because...well, I really kind of had to, in order to get
that one last note out just the way I wanted it.  I've had no desire to
do any directing since (though I did a little uncredited second-unit
directing on Jeremiah when we ran short of people.)

I'm doing this first one for B5:TLT because it's going to be something
of a redesign in how we shoot B5, nothing major, just the feeling of
the shots and the CGI and to set a tone for the films.  It's six years
after B5, and there are a number of tools available to us now that
weren't available then, there's been more openness and experimentation
in television directing, and I'd like to explore those in the capacity
of someone who is also kind of the caretaker of that universe to set
the tone for future installments.

Once that's done, and the tone is set, I'll probably pull back again
and let others pick it up.  Again, I have no real desire to direct,
just to set the tone as it impacts the story.

jms