[B5JMS] B5:TLT update from jms

Thu Oct 5 04:57:50 EDT 2006

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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com
Date: 3 Oct 2006 00:17:35 -0700
Lines: 39

I'm kind of up against it right now on an assortment of deadlines, so
this'll be quick, but I did want to address some of the questions that
have been asked.

Yes, we're shooting this HD, so this is going to be quite a learning
curve for me as a director, since I've never shot HD before.  There's
also a HUGE amount of green-screen involved, so again, lots of learning
to be done.

For those who are getting the B5 scripts books -- and eventually the
B5:TLT scripts will be released -- you'll notice a substantial
difference between them and these scripts in that I decided to kind of
direct them on the page more than usual: calling out specific angles
and camera directions, locations and setups more than in any prior B5
script.  It probably resembles an animation script more than a standard
TV script, because it incorporates my directorial notes, shot for shot,
as we go.

The first three-segment DVD is called "Voices in the Dark."  We've
narrowed down the cast, and hope to have their deals closed this week.
There are already ten crew members working on this thing up in
Vancouver, pulling together stages, offices and other prep work.  The
first day of shooting will likely be either November 13th or 14th (due
to a Canadian holiday).  The last twiddlings to the script should be
done by this coming Monday.  Storyboarding starts the end of this week.

It's balls-to-the-wall right now, but it should be fun in the end.

jms

message content (c) 2006
synthetic worlds, ltd.
permission to reprint
specifically denied to 
SFX Magazine

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From: "Shabaz" <shabaz.x at gmail.com>
Date: 3 Oct 2006 06:41:07 -0700
Lines: 51

jmsatb5 at aol.com wrote:
> I'm kind of up against it right now on an assortment of deadlines, so
> this'll be quick, but I did want to address some of the questions that
> have been asked.
>
> Yes, we're shooting this HD, so this is going to be quite a learning
> curve for me as a director, since I've never shot HD before.  There's
> also a HUGE amount of green-screen involved, so again, lots of learning
> to be done.
>
> For those who are getting the B5 scripts books -- and eventually the
> B5:TLT scripts will be released -- you'll notice a substantial
> difference between them and these scripts in that I decided to kind of
> direct them on the page more than usual: calling out specific angles
> and camera directions, locations and setups more than in any prior B5
> script.  It probably resembles an animation script more than a standard
> TV script, because it incorporates my directorial notes, shot for shot,
> as we go.
>
> The first three-segment DVD is called "Voices in the Dark."  We've
> narrowed down the cast, and hope to have their deals closed this week.
> There are already ten crew members working on this thing up in
> Vancouver, pulling together stages, offices and other prep work.  The
> first day of shooting will likely be either November 13th or 14th (due
> to a Canadian holiday).  The last twiddlings to the script should be
> done by this coming Monday.  Storyboarding starts the end of this week.
>
> It's balls-to-the-wall right now, but it should be fun in the end.
>
> jms
>
>
> message content (c) 2006
> synthetic worlds, ltd.
> permission to reprint
> specifically denied to
> SFX Magazine

Awesome. I can't wait to see them. So strange to hear that people at
this moment are working on stories about these characters again, after
all these years. 'Voices in the Dark' certainly sounds evocative.

And thank you for answering my HD question about TLT. The AV nerd in me
is happy. ;) I wonder if this means if it will be shot on film and then
telecined to HD resolutions (usually to 1080p24), or shot with digital
HD cameras (1080i60 or otherwise)? Just curious.

-Shabaz

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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com
Date: 3 Oct 2006 21:12:00 -0700
Lines: 17

Shabaz wrote:
>
> And thank you for answering my HD question about TLT. The AV nerd in me
> is happy. ;) I wonder if this means if it will be shot on film and then
> telecined to HD resolutions (usually to 1080p24), or shot with digital
> HD cameras (1080i60 or otherwise)? Just curious.
>

The latter.  I figure if I'm gonna learn this stuff, I may as well dive
in at the deep end.

In for a penny, in for a pounding, I say....

jms

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From: "Christoph Erichsen" <erichsen-grosssolt at t-online.de>
Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2006 09:26:51 +0200
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will the Audio edit be made in DD5.1 Sourround? I was a bit dissapointed 
when B5:LR was only DD2.0 Stereo.

Greetings from Germany
Christoph 

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From: "Joseph DeMartino" <jdemarti at bellsouth.net>
Date: 4 Oct 2006 11:18:47 -0700
Lines: 23

Christoph Erichsen wrote:
> will the Audio edit be made in DD5.1 Sourround? I was a bit dissapointed
> when B5:LR was only DD2.0 Stereo.

IANJMS, but I'll take a stab at this one:

B5:LR was mixed in matrixed stereo because that is all that analog TV
channels like Sci-Fi in the US can transmit.  Only digital channels,
typically those transmitting in HD, use Dolby Digital.  Given that
B5:LR was the least successful of the TV movies Warner Home Video
probably didn't think it worth the expense to remix it for the DVD
release.

Since "B5:LR" is shooting in HD video for direct-to-DVD release and
obviously with an eye towards eventual HD broadcasts and/or syndication
I would be stunned if this weren't mixed in DD 5.1 and then downmixed
(if need be) for analog SD-TV.  

Regards, 

Joe

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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com
Date: 4 Oct 2006 14:50:52 -0700
Lines: 23

Joseph DeMartino wrote:
> Christoph Erichsen wrote:
> > will the Audio edit be made in DD5.1 Sourround? I was a bit dissapointed
> > when B5:LR was only DD2.0 Stereo.
>
> IANJMS, but I'll take a stab at this one:
>
> B5:LR was mixed in matrixed stereo because that is all that analog TV
> channels like Sci-Fi in the US can transmit.  Only digital channels,
> typically those transmitting in HD, use Dolby Digital.  Given that
> B5:LR was the least successful of the TV movies Warner Home Video
> probably didn't think it worth the expense to remix it for the DVD
> release.
>

Negative; we delivered a 5.1 mix on Rangers to WB.  What they did with
it is anybody's guess.

jms