[B5JMS] B5:TLT update from jms

Thu Oct 5 04:57:55 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: "Shabaz" <shabaz.x at gmail.com>
Date: 4 Oct 2006 04:12:33 -0700
Lines: 34

jmsatb5 at aol.com wrote:
> 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

This should be interesting; digital still has a pretty distinct look.
Especially with regards to the light sensitivity of CCDs versus film.
Better get a good DP. <g>

Might make the special effects pipe line a bit easier though. It is my
understanding that various special effects heavy shows, and some movies
like the last two Star Wars ones, switched over to digital because it,
among other things, made things a bit easier in that department.

And I'm guessing this in part would explain the million dollars plus
effects budget that was quoted by Dreamwatch. Putting enough extra
detail in CGI models so that they hold up at HD resolutions, and other
issues like the extra rendering time needed, can add a good deal of
cost, from what I understand.

-Shabaz

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From: "John W. Kennedy" <John.W.Kennedy at gmail.com>
Date: 4 Oct 2006 18:11:19 -0700
Lines: 29

Shabaz wrote:
> jmsatb5 at aol.com wrote:
>> 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
>
> This should be interesting; digital still has a pretty distinct look.
> Especially with regards to the light sensitivity of CCDs versus film.
> Better get a good DP. <g>

It doesn't have to be. The Filmlook process has been around for at
least a decade.

--
John W. Kennedy
"The blind rulers of Logres
Nourished the land on a fallacy of rational virtue."
  -- Charles Williams.  "Taliessin through Logres: Prelude"

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From: derekcbart at sbcglobal.net
Date: 4 Oct 2006 18:24:00 -0700
Lines: 14

Hello JMS.

Where is the Post Production on B5:TLT going to be done?

I happened to speak with Susan Norkin (who handled Post on the previous
series) a few months ago and she hadn't heard about this B5 project.
Are you going to be using any of the original Post Production people?

For the record, I met Susan through David W. Foster, who was an editor
on B5 and is my online editor on Mind of Mencia.  I am the Post
Producer on Mencia.

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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com
Date: 4 Oct 2006 21:31:45 -0700
Lines: 12

derekcbart at sbcglobal.net wrote:
> Hello JMS.
>
> Where is the Post Production on B5:TLT going to be done?
> 

Vancouver.

jms