Martin was first up with Search and Rescue. Paul followed with The Seed. And, today, it was my turn to as prep began on my episode, Broken Ties. We kicked things off with the 9:00 a.m. concept meeting. In attendance = everyone! In addition to special guest director we frankly don’t see enough of Ken Girotti. I love this guy. Not only is he a terrific director (his credits include 24, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Supernatural, Xena), but a genuinely fun guy to hang around with. Ken, myself, and the representatives of the various departments sat around the big conference room table while first A.D. Alex Pappas took us through the script, scene by scene. We stopped occasionally to discuss the transformation scenes, with Todd Masters and Mark Savela weighing in with their thoughts, recommendations, and best-case scenarios. By the time we hit FADE OUT, it was 9:28. “Time!”I yelled. “This has got to be a record!” I’d never sat through a concept meeting that clocked in at less than 45 minutes before! Sadly, we weren’t even close. The record is held by a Robert Cooper SG-1 season 10 script that took less than 1 minutes to get through!
As the meeting broke up, I checked my cell phone and noticed I’d missed a call from Martin. I swung by his office to ask him what was up and noticed the door was locked, the room dark. Strange. It isn’t like Marty G. to come waltzing in after 9:30. I gave him a call and got the scoop.
He was awakened early this morning by someone anxious to get his input on a story that broke in today’s edition of The Globe and Mail. The Globe article focused on a bill that the Canadian government is trying to pass which would allow them to yank previously approve tax credits from a production it deemed objectionable. In other words, someone can actually go through all the trouble of getting their project approved for funding, produce it, and THEN have the government decide it no longer deserves the funding, disallowing the tax credit and leaving the producer on the hook for repaying investors. Besides the censorship issue, there’s the issue of the uncertainty Bill C-10 will create for potential investors (like the big banks) who may think twice about getting involved in what will suddenly become a very risky business proposition. In short, this bill could cripple the local entertainment industry. “But what does this have to do with Marty G.?”you ask. Well, the article cites examples of productions that could have had their tax credits yanked under these new rules: Juno, for its shockingly positive treatment of the subject of teen pregnancy, Brokeback Mountain, for its depiction of shockingly non-traditional cowboy relationships, and, of course, Martin Gero’s Young People Fucking (opening April 18th at Canadian theaters, U.S. release date T.B.A.) for its shockingly shocking title. In any case, Martin was roused out of bed with the news that his movie (opening April 18th at Canadian theaters, U.S. release date T.B.A.) had made national headlines. The next thing he knew, he was heading downtown to be interviewed for tonight’s edition of The National. By the way, in case you missed it, Martin’s movie will be opening April 18th at Canadian theaters. A U.S. release date has yet to be announced.
We followed up the concept meeting with the art department meeting, the costume meeting, and the props meeting. Tomorrow, it’s stunts, visual effects, and extras casting.
Well, Whispers is almost done. Almost – except for that last scene. I’ll see how I do tomorrow and if I still come up empty, I’ll just hold a contest for the best tag.
Today’s blog is dedicated to birthday gal Jill. E. and Mackenzie’s Momma. And an early blog dedication goes out to sandyurbahns who is headed into surgery.
Today’s mailbag:
Iamjohn writes: “What exactly is a beat sheet? Is it basically the preliminary idea for a script?”
Answer: A beat sheet is a general breakdown of an episode’s key moments. It can be something as simple as = Act 1: 1. The team arrives off-world and discovers the device, 2. Back on Atlantis, the device is triggered, 3. The Atlantis personnel start acting funny, 4. Everyone wakes up to discover they’ve changed gender. End of Act 1. The outline, on the other hand, is a fleshed-out, scene by scene breakdown of the episode.
Neep writes: “ Re the different coloured scripts, it might be thoughtful to provide the most “eye-friendly” pages as possible, as it is a large part of the actor’s job, reading the darned things.”
Answer: True. And if this was a high school production of, say, Hamlet, I wouldn’t see a problem with providing white pages for everyone! But since this is a television production, and television (and film) productions make use of the “eye-unfriendly” multi-colored pages for a good reason, I’m afraid those possessed of sensitive eyeballs suck it up. Or maybe get someone to read the script to them. Not too loudly though as it may cause ear strain.
Annie from Freemantle writes: “What on earth are those three rather flat cylindrical thingies on the plate?”
Answer: Some of you have already guessed = cabbage rolls.
Masterchief writes: “is this really goodbye? a while ago you said there’s a chance to bring her back for 1/2 episode(s) in the back half. have things changed?”
Answer: It’s only goodbye insofar as she’s no longer a regular on the show. She will definitely be back on Atlantis.
PG15 writes: “ 1. Does the fact that Brad Wright is writing the 6th episode of S5 have anything to do with the fact that it’s the 300th episode of the Stargate franchise?
2. Is the mid-season 2-parter going to have 2 names (like Season 4), or just one name with “Part 1″ and “Part 2″ (like Season 3) at the end of them?”
Answers: 1. Nope. 2. Marty G. has yet to come up with a title.
K8T writes: “I have a job interview on Friday. Wish me luck! I’m so nervous, any pointers? Any good ice breakers?”
Answer: Yeah. My uncle always used to do this thing where he’d point out a stain on your shirt and then, when you’d look down, would flip his hand up and flick your nose. Start with that. And good luck.
Kathy writes: “Wow 56 pages WITHOUT the final scene? Am I reading this correctly; I’ve always been taught the page count for an hour series should be around 42.”
Answer: Not Atlantis. Less than 55 pages and you’re in trouble.
Amy Lynn writes: “When a restaurant has a tasting menu-would you rather try that or order off the main menu?”
Answer: Depends what’s on the main menu.
Val a ecrit: “Mais dites-moi Joe, bon ok vous avez dit aurevoir à Amanda mais est-il possible qu’elle revienne pour un épisode plus tard dans la saison 5.”
Reponse: Certainement.
Brendan writes: “How many changes usually get made to a script??”
Answer: Depends on the script.
Well, if you decide to hold that tag contest, I’ll be there. Of course, some idea of the rest of the episode is helpful, but hardly mandatory.
That gender-switching idea could be darn funny, if you ever get tired of doing serious drama and decide to try farce. And if the cast needs a break. It would be really interesting to see how totally different people play the characters. Although personally, I think I’d rather see an episode where they all wake up to discover they’ve been turned into wraith. That could be a hoot.
Thought it was cabbage rolls! I was right…(I pronounce them ‘cabbaarrzzh rolls’. Lovely!
At least Marty’s getting some publicity for his movie eh?? The name certainly is ear catching.
*sigh* …what are we going to do when SGA finishes this season? I’ll feel so empty!
“Less than 55 pages and you’re in trouble.”
Is that because McKay/Hewlett talks too fast?
Hey Joe
OMG! There’s someone out there still using 2mm leads? lol
Yes, I recognize the one person’s lead sharpener on the table, that little cylinder of blue and black. I guss it would be necessary for doing a rendering in a soft lead. I only ever used that size for hard leads to make guidelines. It’s just a shock to still see something like the still being used. It’s cool, too 🙂
Also recognized the Klean Kanteen the one person on the left is drinking from. Nice to see someone other than me using them. They are a very versatile drinking container.
So who did make that nice sketch of the person tied to a chair? Did he or she use the 2mm leads to make it? 😉
Eric
1. still laughing about the lisping Wraith.
2. still hoping Todd will be around for a long while.
3. finished seasons 1 & 2, and nearly done season 3 (just finished Echoes – I think that puts me more than half-way through)…and I gotta say, I will not mind it if Jason loses the dreads. I think they represent what he was, not what he is now. It took me a while to get used to the idea, but I’m ready for it.
4. More Todd – did I meantion that already?
5. I just realized that my husband looks like ‘Sheppard’ (very much so) – which means that I can never, ever let that dirty Wraith killer ever touch me again.
I think this show is ruining my love life… 😛
6. I was pleasantly surprised with the Return 1 & 2 …I think the whole ‘sounds like plan ‘F” did it for me – that had me laughing for a good 15 minutes or so. Kudos to whoever wrote that line.
7. More Todd – please. 😀
8. Real question: Can we see pets on Atlantis? Rodney with his cat would be nice to see, Teyla – a snake (very exotic)…Sheppard…a weasel, of course…and Ronon…an undead monkey. 😉
I think that’s about it. Keep up the good work!
das
awww… I didn’t get a blog dedication for my birthday? 🙁 (28st today – Feb. 28th)… Regardless, I still love ya!
Even though Brad’s 6th episode was not because of the “300th” episode of Stargate… is there going to be anything special referring to that milestone… perhaps a pop referece to the movie ‘300’???
GAHHH, I meant to say it’s my 21st birthday today (Feb. 28th).. haha, sorry.
Ummm…I’m not really good at Math and I’m almost as blind as a bat, but…does that gate have TEN chevrons? Joe, Joe…come on! I mean, we’e seen some gates with 8 chevrons on the show, now this one has 10…What about the ever elusive 9th chevron? Is it strictly reserved for “Universe”? 😛
There is a reference in the Princess Bride about the machine “sucking x years of life out of someone”. Did the wraith sucking life have any inspiration from it?
What Robert Cooper script took less than a minute to get through? I’m going to guess it was Unending?
Any idea when we might get a look at season 5 cast stills in their uniforms? Particularly with their new commander??
Glad to hear Ken Girotti is directing an Atlantis… he’s a fine director and I love what he’s done.
You can chastise him for me for not popping over for Xena on the Picket Line. We would have loved to have had him and reconnected with him.
Marty’s premiering his film on my birthday (April 18th), huh? Is he going to send me a screener as a birthday present so I can see it?
As for a tag to your episode, I’d like to see more tomfoolery between Ronon and Sheppard as they did at the end of Midway. Reminded me of the fun I had with Stargate in the old days and the best scenes between Jack and Daniel.
Speaking of Ronon, he is my favorite character, so any fun tag scenes with him goofing off and grinning would be fine with me. I actually endured watching “North Shore” because whenever he smiled, it brought a smile to my face. Seeing him dreadless will be a shock, but it’ll be less of one if you work it into the script as you mentioned you were planning to do. Not sure I ever forgave you all for Daniel going from long hair to short without a suitable explanation or remark.
Not Atlantis. Less than 55 pages and you’re in trouble.
Huh, care to share why? (Otherwise you know someone’ll just end up asking Jane Espenson over at her writing scripts blog.. 😉 .) I like the idea that it has something to do with certain actors speaking speed, but imagine it could have a lot to do with set and scene details.
Yay, I got 100% on my piano performance for one of my college classes! Yes!!!
Oh Conservative government, always trying to destroy things I like!!! Well, good thing is it probably won’t pass. Hopefully. Right? 😀
It’s my birthday! Well, the 29th is. And I only get one every four years so it’s extra special exciting.
Hey Joe,
thank you so much for answering my question 🙂 once again thanks for the pics. I’m surprised at the amount of people in that room. maybe it’s naive but I never thought so many people were involved in a prep meeting. pic #6 is interesting, let me guess: Ronon gets into trouble.
so what was the Rob Cooper script that took less than 1 minute to get through? ‘200’? I hope your answer to Iamjohn’s question was just an example and not something you guys are actually considering right? on the other hand it would be pretty funny. I can imagine Rodney’s face at finding out LOL. hm maybe something for s6
more than 56 pages huh? 56+ pages = 42 minutes. interesting, thanks for the info
Act 1: 1. The team arrives off-world and discovers the device, 2. Back on Atlantis, the device is triggered, 3. The Atlantis personnel start acting funny, 4. Everyone wakes up to discover they’ve changed gender. End of Act 1.
This is f*ing awesome!! Can you provide a beat sheet for the rest of the acts? And will this be in the first half or the second half of season 5??? 😉
-Emily
A tag-writing contest, eh? Well, despite me not knowing anything about the episode other than the barest of bare facts, how about this:
EXT. ATLANTIS – DAY
Establishing shot.
INT. SICKBAY
ON ANNE TELDY as KELLER pulls a blanket over her mangled, blood-stained body and her dead, blank eyes. SHEPPARD and MCKAY are standing over her, obviously in mourning.
MCKAY: She was…so young. And to think, if you just kissed her a few more times-
SHEPPARD: I tried Rodney, you were there. I mean, I even tried tongue, but no, it just didn’t work. Even Lorne tried, but no luck.
MCKAY: That’s true. Seriously, I never thought those space cows would sudden enlarge like that just from inhaling fog.
SHEPPARD: I never thought I’d see space cows in the first place. The meat was good though.
MCKAY: Yeah, that’s true.
Beat. They walk away from Teldy’s body and out the door. We follow them into…
INT. CORRIDOR
McKay and Sheppard walk along.
MCKAY: Did you see what Carson did when that last one reared up on its hindlegs?
SHEPPARD: Have they found his body yet?
MCKAY: No. I can’t believe he’s dead again.
SHEPPARD: The universe is a big place Rodney, we’ll see him again.
MCKAY: I hope so.
Beat.
MCKAY: I…hope so.
FADE OUT.
Come on, it practically writes itself! I think it’s a winner!
I got my licence today! It’s awesome being able to drive by myself.
Masterchief writes: “is this really goodbye? a while ago you said there’s a chance to bring her back for 1/2 episode(s) in the back half. have things changed?”
Answer: It’s only goodbye insofar as she’s no longer a regular on the show. She will definitely be back on Atlantis.
Val a ecrit: “Mais dites-moi Joe, bon ok vous avez dit aurevoir à Amanda mais est-il possible qu’elle revienne pour un épisode plus tard dans la saison 5.”
Reponse: Certainement.
thank you for answering! and especially thank you for the answer!! 😀
sally 😀
AscendedTauri Said:
awww… I didn’t get a blog dedication for my birthday? (28st today – Feb. 28th)…
A belated happy born day to you:)
I know its not the same as Joe doing it but at least someone noticed.
YAY its the weekend
What ever happened to Aiden Ford (Played by:Rainbow Sun Francks)?
Hi Joe! First of all, congrat on the show, it’s awesome! I’ve got two questions.
1. Now that Earth has very advanced starships, can we expect the Wraith to develop their own technology to match Atlantis’s growing power?
2.Will we see Todd in a more villainous role in Season 5?
My best wishes to Marty, I hope everything goes well for him. Has he considered releasing it anywhere in the UK? A lot of SG fans over here might want to see it.
Hello Mister Mallozzi !
Je voulais vs demander si vous avez vu “La vie en rose” avec Marion Cotillard ? Et comment l’avez trouvé ?
You and the team of Writers make a very good job
Thanks You very much
If an Atlantis script has to be 53 pages because of McKay speak, then the Daniel episodes will have to be novel length!
Salut Joseph =) Merci pour ces photo, vous avez encors passez une bonne journée de Travail =)!! impatiente de voir Amanda dans un futur épisode =)
Savez vous a quel date vous aurez finit de tourné tout les épisodes?
Le plus vite possible jespert, je suis impatiente de voir cette nouvelle saison!..en espérent que les premiers épisodes ne se retrouve pas sur des sites de téléchargement illégal avant comme pour la saison 4.
sayer j’ai finit de regarder la saison dix de sg1!! =)…Mais je reste sur ma fin, j’ai aussi vu “Ark of the truth” mais c’est pareil, on y apprend qu’on a tuer les méchants…mais je mattend a avoir plus d’information sur la vie futur des personnages, vont’ils continuer a traverser la porte? ils vont se marier? avoirs des enfants? prendre leur retraite? ..j’attend de voir continuim, peut être que ces imformation ci trouve.
Bon aller Bisou, Bonne journée =)♥
I’m going to a Madagascar Chocolate Tasting (chocolate bars and/or ganaches with beans of Madagascar origin)next week. Any ideas on what I should try?
Oh and if that is Mr. Girotti in the first picture-he sure reminds me of my dad. And almost can’t wait to see Martin’s movie when it hits the states. And that bill up there-pfft! some people.
You know… that bill could also cripple future episodes of Degrassi: The Next Generation and the re-airing of already made episodes… and yes… sadly at the age of 23 I have a strange addiction to that show…. I dont know why… maybe its because of how risque that show is for its age group…
[b]Joe said:[/b] [em] A beat sheet is a general breakdown of an episode’s key moments. 4. Everyone wakes up to discover they’ve changed gender. [/em]
That would be hilarious! Nice for a dream sequence. I watched the movie “Some like it hot” the other night and was SO picturing McKay and Sheppard as Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis! I could just see them trying to explain the movie to Teyla and Ronon and cutting away to a scene with McKay and Sheppard in those roles!
I can also picture them as McKay=Bob Hope and Sheppard=Bing Crosby!
[b]Neep writes:[/b] “ Re the different coloured scripts, it might be thoughtful to provide the most “eye-friendly” pages as possible, as it is a large part of the actor’s job, reading the darned things.”
[b]Joe said:[/b] [em] True. And if this was a high school production of, say, Hamlet, I wouldn’t see a problem with providing white pages for everyone! But since this is a television production, and television (and film) productions make use of the “eye-unfriendly” multi-colored pages for a good reason, I’m afraid those possessed of sensitive eyeballs suck it up. Or maybe get someone to read the script to them. Not too loudly though as it may cause ear strain.[/em]
OUCH! I guess no pampering of the acting staff? Personally, I don’t think white paper is easier on the eyes, but if they like it, couldn’t you just put the appropriate color you want to use as a 1 inch stripe across the page or as a border color around the pages? Also, are you using very bold colors for the paper or pastels? I would think pastels would be easier on the eyes…but I’m not a doctor so what the heck would I know? I tried looking up articles on paper color and eyestrain and really couldn’t find much. Most everything kept coming up as computer eye strain which is a whole different thing since it’s backlighted. Also, certain paper colors are better for people with learning disabilities and ADHD…but again, not relevent (at least I don’t think it is…lol)
Probably unhelpfully,
Kimberly
Dang it….I screwed up the coding again for bold and italics…grrrrr!
<b<dasNdanger Said:
5. I just realized that my husband looks like ‘Sheppard’ (very much so) – which means that I can never, ever let that dirty Wraith killer ever touch me again.
And, here I am thinking, “Wow…lucky you!” LOL
Ok…lets see if I got the bold and italics coding correct this time!
Kimberly
Joe said: The Globe article focused on a bill that the Canadian government is trying to pass which would allow them to yank previously approve tax credits from a production it deemed objectionable.
That is ridiculously stupid! I guess Canada doesn’t want any movies/tv shows to be produced there anymore. Why would any production company ever do any work in Canada if this bill is passed?
Kimberly
Yay! Bold and italics are back!! Kimberly
Thanks for the continuing daily show blow by blow + pix
While Beckett isn’t a top fave, Sunday was such a heartbreaker that I’m REALLY looking forward to seeing tonite’s ep, especially Rodney’s reactions.
Also still LMAO over the lisping Wraith. Too bad it would’ve made a priceless comedic break in an episode.
In other words, someone can actually go through all the trouble of getting their project approved for funding, produce it, and THEN have the government decide it no longer deserves the funding, disallowing the tax credit
Nice. I guess some idiot gov’t person(s) doesn’t want Canada to be a hotbed of entertainment production anymore that rakes in serious money? I’m assuming you guys can contact your gov’t reps and tell them you want this bill shot down? Not to mention the serious censorship issue…
DD
Hey there
I was wondering… have you seen any of the show 30rock? If not what on earth are you waiting for? Check it out!
Joe, I’ve been meaning to ask whether or not you got the treats I mailed a couple of weeks back? I was suddenly concerned that they were the cause of your dizzy spell. (Sugar crash!:))
Best of luck to Marty. I hope he doesn’t become the poster boy for this legislation. That’ll make life wacky.
1. Is s5 going to be like s4, episode-based? I loved how there has been much less ‘fillers’ than usual in s4, and almost every episode added to the main storyline (the only fillers I could think of are Doppelganger, Tabula Rasa, Trio and Harmony). Or is it going even further, in terms that almost every ep connects to the previous somehow, instead of pressing the ‘reset’ button at the start of each episode?
2. Please bring the old-skool Genii back. They had such great potential to be interesting villains with their large network of spies, atomic bombs and interesting characters like Kolya. Would love to see a couple of eps involving them, or, Michael and the Genii? He could surely use the spy-network and nukes in addition to his ‘hybrid’ army.
If the actors ever have problems remembering lines?
You should print their scripts on blue – apparently people absorb more from things on blue paper.
Hi Joe,
This may not be your area so sory to waste your time if so but..
Season 10 of SG1 started to air on Sky one (UK) recently, they airedthe first two episodes of the season and then stopped and went back to showing season 1 episodes. When I inquired as to when we might be able to see the remaining season 10 episode they emailed and advised they no longer hold the contract for season 10. Is that true? Will the season air on another channel?
Many Thanks
Kind regards
Sprinkles
Sorry to hear about that bill before your Parliament. Sounds like something we’d do down here in the States, though I’m pretty sure that here, business interests would ultimately win out over pandering to people who get upset about entertainment. It’s sometimes a tough call between those two.
You mentioned the script length, so I have to ask: are scripts for Rodney-heavy episodes (such “Trio”) longer than Rodney-lite episodes (such as “Outcast”)? He says so much so fast, I am perpetually in awe.
Looking forward to tonight’s “Kindred” Part 2!
Hello Joe,
What are the chances that:
1. Captain Vega is on Lorne’s team
2. We get an episode centred on Lorne’s team in Season 5
Cheers, Chev
Thank you for blowing yet another illusion (delusion?). I thought Canada was more open-minded than the USA. The type of censorship being proposed by pulling tax credit is very disturbing. Tell Martin to “go get ’em.” Make them scream like Rodney 🙂
Hey Joe!
Sorry to be nitpicky, but the art department gave the Stargate on its concept paper 10 chevrons. If ten chevrons ever appeared on a Stargate in the series, the Gateworlders will have a field-day with ‘What does the tenth chevron do?’-like topics. 😉
I also notice that somebody in your pictures has a Tim Hortons coffee (or tea, etc.). Did they win anything with the roll-up-the-rim contest, and, if you drink Timmy’s, have you won anything yet? 😛
As always,
– Enzo Aquarius
Yikes – that bill sounds kind of scary. I hope it doesn’t pass.
*notes the date of April 18th*
Since I’m at work, I won’t be able to watch the episode of the National until I get home (CBC.ca would appear to have at least some of last night’s episode on their website), but this bill really worries me- would it be of any help if I spoke with/politely badgered my local MP?
Cheers!
-Sheena
So how long *is* the average script? lol
*chuckles* and so begins the teasing, the tantalizing until Season 5 becomes a reality. 🙂 Yet the mild spoilers are far too subtle to ruin anyhing. The blog as art. 😉 Thanks for that…makes it fun!
Poor Marty g. terrible thing to wake up to. Hmm. I will have to dig out my Passport and travel north on April 18th.
I wanted to put in some thoughts on Neil Gaiman’s Smoke and Mirrors.
Over all it is a fantastic book. I am not a fast reader at all. Normally a book this size would take me a month or more to read, however the way Neil writes and the depth to the stories allowed me to finish this book in less than 2 weeks. I haven’t read a book that fast since Finals week my senior year in college. I can’t put a lot of thought into all of the stories because I did not read all of them. Some of them just did not interest me. I’ll go back later and read those sometime. There were a few that really stick with me. Such as: Chivalry, Troll Bridge, The Goldfish Pool and other Stories, Changes, Shoggoth’s Old Peculiar, Only the End of the World Again, Bay Wolf, Murder Mysteries, and Snow Glass Apples.
I particularly liked the last four I mentioned. 2 of them (Bay Wolf, Snow Glass Apples) are the retelling, in a sort of twisted way, of very famous stories that we all know or should know. Bay Wolf is the retelling of the classic Beowulf from a modern perspective. I thought it was very interesting when Talbot felt it unnecessary to help the coddling couple from being eaten by the monster. I think it showed that he was really in control of the situation not the guy who was in charge of the beach club.
Reading Snow, Glass, Apples made me think. I mean really think. What if Walt Disney has been lying to us all these years and Snow White really was a Succubus and Prince Charming really wasn’t that charming after all. This story made me feel bad for the Queen. She was just looking out for the well being of her kingdom.
I was raised to be a Christian. Sometime in high school I realized that it wasn’t for me and that I didn’t really believe any of the stuff the bible said. So I came up with my own ideas of higher beings. Don’t get me wrong, I am not attacking religion here or saying that everyone should believe what I believe. I am not at all like that. I do find the bible to be an interesting story. I’m sorry but that is all I find it to be. There is a little background into my idea of religion and maybe a little insight into why I liked Murder Mysteries. I found it interesting to read about the reason why Lucifer fell from the grace of God. Everything I have read prior to this about Lucifer and God’s conflict never mentioned a reason why they parted just that they did so. This story though seemed like filler to the bigger picture, or maybe a background. To me the bigger story here was the hinting at the fact that that man killed his ex and his daughter, and God’s Vengeance had to punish him for his crimes. The ending absolutely surprised me and maybe that’s why I liked the story so much. I makes a person wonder What if that bum on the street corner that you pass everyday really is who he says he is and is not really crazy?
This is odd. You haven’t updated yet or am I checking way too early?
Concept meeting or inaugural convention of the League for World Domination?
Thank god ‘Beauty and the Beast’ wasn’t made in Canada, I mean bestiality, kidnapping, imprisonment without consent, human rights abuse where will it all end?
Shame on you Disney and don’t get me started on the health and safety aspect of small children having their pictures taken with giant rodent.
Sorry off on a tangent yet again, happy Friday.
Pauline
Maybe the individuals who are having difficulty reading the unfriendly-color-paper scripts could invest in a friendly bottle of eye drops? ; )
Looking forward to the second half of Kindred tonight!
Oooh, I can hardly wait to see Young People Fucking!
Oh, wait a minute, that didn’t sound right, did it? Sorry, I had a heart-warming burner moment and now, a silly grin on my face. I’ll spare everyone the details of a new proposed theme camp at Burning Man called “Watch Your Parents …” Camp. Let’s not go there, shall we? (joke, it’s a joke. I think. you can never tell with burners.)
I lust after the entire art department, but I’m a Dirty Old Lady, so that’s no surprise.
All questions, no comments today.1) How often do you have the “big” meetings, like the concept meeting you were kind enough to photograph for us? 2) What percentage of time, roughly speaking, do you spend in meetings vs. working alone vs working on set/site of actual filming? 3) Is there anything American and/or Canadian fans can do to influence the Canadian legislaters voting on bill C-10? 4) How often do you have problems finishing up a script, especially one that you’ve managed to come so close to completing as Whispers? 5) How are the “kids” doing? We’ve been pictureless for awhile now. Can’t let those stupid kitten shots let someone else’s blog get more hits. 6) Mr. G’s film opens in April in Canada. Is there a dvd release being planned, and if so, any tentative release month? 7) About when can you expect to get word from Sci Fi network on when they want to start season five?
Will they actually put that title on a movie marquee in Canada? I don’t think that they can do that here in the U.S. (someone will correct me if I’m wrong).
So will they put ****? as in Young People F*c*k*i*n*g? (which will be opening April 18th–tba in the USA).
joanieloveschachi Said:
Will they actually put that title on a movie marquee in Canada? I don’t think that they can do that here in the U.S. (someone will correct me if I’m wrong).
So will they put ****? as in Young People F*c*k*i*n*g? (which will be opening April 18th–tba in the USA).”
They will not be able to put this name up on a marquee in most cities in the US, and advertisement space will be limited unless they are creative with the actual word. It will remain to be seen whether the shock value of the title outweighs the limitations of that title in terms of publicity. It’s either a very stupid or very brilliant move.
Dear Joe,
Skipping (teaching) classes today to get caught up on some long neglected housework and, instead, I’m catching up on your blog…How twisted are my priorities?!
1) The lisping Wraith thing was just precious!
2) LOVED the beat “change genders” thing…it made me laugh out loud.
3) Thank you ever so much for continuing to give us a look at the behind the scenes of the development and production of a wonderful television show.
4) Is there any word as to when S5 will air on Scifi?…I know you’re in production and S4 hasn’t finished yet, but I can’t stand the wait, already! Esp. if the last ep. of S4 is contains my three LEAST favorite words: “To be continued”.
Thanks again. Have a wonderful weekend. I need to get to the laundry now, lol.
MA
(once more, since it’s now officialy my birthday)
Hey Joe,
Greeting from The Netherlands
My birthday is coming up in about 30 minutes from now (29th of February, Yes I’ve heard all the jokes, Please spare me)
Any chance of dishing some incredible awesome news (as a birthday gift for yours truly) on SGA and/or SGU?
With kind regards,
Tonny “Angel” Aarts
Whaaouuuuuuuu je vous adore fort, c’est incoryable vous êtes génial, je suis trop accro oh mon dieux!! lovelove♥
..Voila j’avais besoin de dire ce que j’avais sur le coeur lol… et oui toujour aussi fan et groupie si vous voulez, attendez je vais faire un crie de groupie:
WWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH JOSESPH JOSEPHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
lol XD
tient en parlant de groupie….
regardez ça:
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=v6RljKKB908&feature=related
Franchement incroyable o_O! sa c’est de la groupie lol XD
There’s a chain of convenience stores back East who are advertising “Crispy Frickin’ Chicken.” They’re pulling their billboards because people are complaining about the suggestive language. What the fetch? Frell me, I thought “frickin’ chicken” was freaking hilarious. Can’t they take a frakking joke? Fudge! I mean, Flip! Some people need to get friggin’ lives.
As I would remark in the eplaya F*ck thread where the use of a certain four-letter word is mandatory in each post, “Oh. And f*ck.” Censorship is an ugly thing. Too bad Americans complaining to Parliment about legislation has little effect.
(Yes, I self-censored there, because I bet some of the Gentle Readers here aren’t ready for too many unexpected four letter words in one day.)
“Because goose doesn’t rhyme, silly!”
In regards to this new bill from the bloody Conservatives…
It is true that Canada used to be more open-minded. However, I live in Alberta– the Conservative capitol of Canada; land of the hicks, cowboys, cattle-ranching, oil, and the far-too-common ‘we wish we were in the States’ attitude– and I know just how close-minded Canada can be. For example, Brokeback Mountain was a beautiful film. But here in Calgary all we ever heard was how disgusting this film was, and how it was going to destroy family values. It didn’t. But people still gripe about it, and they hate to admit it was made here.
I dearly hope that this bill is NOT passed. And if it is, I hope that Stargate isn’t affected. It’s too good a show to lose out to censorship.
P.S. My mom blames the bill on ‘Plastic Man’ Harper.
My daughter is home for the weekend and our German Sheppard is singing her bloody head off she’smissed her that much. DO your dogs vocalise at all? what kind of fuss are you expecting them to make of Fondy when she gets back?
Okay – I’m gonna try this bold/italics thing…(I think kdvb1 helped me figure it out. If it doesn’t work, just slap me…)
kdvb1 Said: And, here I am thinking, “Wow…lucky you!” LOL
Yeah – well…I think Joe F. is as cute as a button, and love how he plays Sheppard (except for the Wraith-killing part 😉 ). But I just don’t think of him in *that* way…so, when I suddenly see ‘Sheppard’ in my husband’s face…well…as John would say, “it’s just weird.” Now…if I saw Steve, or Bob, or Todd in my husband’s face…things would be much, much different… *blushes*
OKAY…Gonna shut up about that now….
Nomen Said:
2.Will we see Todd in a more villainous role in Season 5?
Ah, you bring up a good question (hope JM answers it!). Now, while I personally don’t want to see Todd become a complete villain (I think there’s far more potential in this character for him to be just another ‘bad guy’), I LOVED the added edge he had in Kindred, and hope to see more of that in the future. I want to be reminded that Todd is a snarling, life-sucking Wraith, but I still don’t want to see him turned into an all out villain. Todd is the bridge between human and Wraith, and his uneasy alliance with the Lanteans has brought an amazing (and somewhat beautiful) dimension to the show, one I don’t wish to see ruined just yet, if ever.
drldeboer Said: Also still LMAO over the lisping Wraith. Too bad it would’ve made a priceless comedic break in an episode.
Oh god, wouldn’t it have been hilarious!?! I can just see a Wraith lisping out some threat, then marching away, leaving Shep & Co. looking a bit baffled, until Rodney pipes up and says, “Okay, I think THAT was their interior decorator…”
das
That’s interesting about the bill under debate. Maybe you’ve done a blog entry about this in the past, but it would be interesting to hear a rundown about how specifically the tax credits help Atlantis film in Canada. I’m aware the credits make it more affordable for a number of T.V. shows to film there, but that’s about all I know.
Well, I’m afraid I wasn’t a big fan of The Kindred, part I. I’m feeling less and less engaged by Teyla’s pregnancy plot. I guess we’ll see what tonight brings.
Have a good weekend and take care.
*waves*
I’ve got my bran new shiny laptop, and it’s just so purty. 😀 So, Mr M, have you not been feeling too good? I hate those dizzy spells that make you reach for a chair so you don’t collapse into a heap on the ground. I used to get it all the time when I was gazing up at Shep pics that you used to post. 😉 Alas i’ve not had that lightheadedness for quite some time. 😉 How’s my subtlety coming along? 😛
*giggles*
So did you get your blood pressure checked or your bloods done. You need someone to take care of you, cos you’re obviously not looking after yourself since Fondy went away on business. See, that’s so important, lots of love to make all the worry, and poorlyness away, cos it’s all about the caring. 😉
Imagine the most whiniest voice in the entire world (if it helps, think kids in the candy shop)!! 😛 Got it in your head? Good. 😛 Mr MMMMMMMMMM, can we maybe have some tidbits about a Shep eppy, please, pretty please with cherries on the top. I know you mentioned the extreme whumpage stuff a lil while back, which alas due to Alan whumping him past oblivion got put back a lil bit. Please can you reasurre us (and my nails, which i’ve bitten to the quick) that it’s still on the cards. Plus, maybe something in the first half for Shep. If I bat my eyelashes would that help? Don’t ask me to get on my knees, trust me it’s not a pretty sight, and my old knees just couldn’t cope. 😛
Look after yourself.
*hugs*
I was wondering about the earpieces that SGA uses…they seem to work by just pressing something but how does a conversation only go to the intended and not the whole base? It is just something I have always wondered about…on SG1 the walkie’s made sense because they could tune to a specific channel to keep the conversations strictly to them.
I was also wondering if Peter will be directing any episodes for season 5
Bonjour Joseph,
Toujours aussi intéressant ton blogue, merci de nous faire partager le processus de création.
Anaïs, ton petit bout de film sur les groupies est vraiment drôle! Trop mignon de voir des p’tites ado hurler comme ça pour leur idôle.
Joseph, ça me fait penser à une question: Qui est la personne célèbre que tu admires le plus et pourquoi ?
Moi, je crois que c’est l’auteur colombien Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Je crois que si un jour j’ai la chance de le rencontrer je lui dirai qu’il est, d’après moi un des plus grands auteurs d’Amérique latine (Cent ans, de solitude est l’un des meilleurs romans que j’ai lu dans ma vie…).
Bonne journée
Morgia
Re. SGA scripts, I won 2 signed scripts in the recent Superfan contest on youtube and received one SG-1 signed script and one SGA signed script. I joked with my flatmate upon receiving them that I was positive the SGA script was longer even before checking. When asked how I managed to guess, the answer was simply, “David Hewlett!!!”. He spits words faster than a P90 spits bullets!
For those interested: SG1 = 50 pages. SGA = 56 pages.
So, when is Marty G’s movie out then?? lol. I hope it gets a release in the UK too – sounds fun!
Act 1: 1. The team arrives off-world and discovers the device, 2. Back on Atlantis, the device is triggered, 3. The Atlantis personnel start acting funny, 4. Everyone wakes up to discover they’ve changed gender. End of Act 1.
Wouldn’t that be absolutely hilarious! David, Joe, and Jason all dressed up in drag! LOL
You really, really need to pitch that as a real story line.
Me revoila, j’ai une question qu’il est vital que vous répondiez:
IL y ‘aura du Jarter dans Continuim??
S’il vous plait répondé !
Love the drawing of someone (Rodney, I hope) tied to a chair. I know I said I prefer emotional/psychological whump to actually physical whumping for my dear Rodney but I was thinking that why not have both and satisfy alot more fans. : )
Rodney gets whumped and the rest of the team comforts and help him deal with the aftermath. Maybe even a Sheppard and McKay hug to top it all off. That is wish #2 for Season 5.
Je suis tout a fait d’accord avec la question de ma petite Anais ! JE VEUX DU JARTER !! Manifestation ! yen a assez maintenant ein !! ( j’y peux rien c’est l’accent du sud de la France )
Je voulais vous poser une question :
Pourquoi y a t’il la photo de Dany Boy dans l’épisode 200 dans le bureau de Sam sur atlantis? Le mariage n’était pas réel pourtant ?! A moins que vous nous cachiez des choses ! ( ce qui est sur ! )
Je crois que vous nous avez assez mis les nerfs comme ca non?? meme pas un tout petit indice ?!
Bon allez aurevoir !
Seriously, those cabbage rolls look like sarma..
How long has McKay worked at Area51 before going over to Atlantis?
Ivana
I am catching up on episodes I missed and watched Long Goodbye. It was hilarious. I had to watch it three times before I could delete it from the DVR.
Hope you are feeling better.
Well, the article cites examples of productions that could have had their tax credits yanked under these new rules: Juno, for its shockingly positive treatment of the subject of teen pregnancy, Brokeback Mountain, for its depiction of shockingly non-traditional cowboy relationships, and, of course, Martin Gero’s Young People Fucking (opening April 18th at Canadian theaters, U.S. release date T.B.A.) for its shockingly shocking title.
You’re kidding? Well, obviously you’re not. How ridiculous. I loathe political correctness and what I call ‘Mary Whitehouse syndrome’ with a vengeance. So what if the film has an expletive in the title, so what if a film is about homosexuality or has a disturbing subject matter? Only films about fluffy bunnies get tax credits/benefits? Growl. This makes me incredibly irritated.
*Stomps off to watch some Sheppy whump*
Growl.
Okay…I’m ashamed to admit it, but I have just learned that Marty G.’s birthday is July 6th…THAT’S MY BIRTHDAY!!! Joe, could you please transmit my (heterosexual) love to Marty? 😀
My dad is in the Army and we were watching an earlier episode (I don’t remember which one) and my dad pointed out that even though John is in the Air Force he was talking about Army planes. So I was wondering how you get your military info.
Val a ecrit: “Mais dites-moi Joe, bon ok vous avez dit aurevoir à Amanda mais est-il possible qu’elle revienne pour un épisode plus tard dans la saison 5.”
Reponse: Certainement.
Bonjour Joe,
Merci beaucoup pour votre réponse. Et merci pour le temps que vous nous consacrez.
Dans quelques heures Kindred part 2…j’ai hâte!
Bonne journée et bon week-end.
I second Scarym’s suggestion of a Rodney whump ep in season 5. Or a combination Shep-Rodney whump ep. And I really, really second her nomination for a Shep-Rodney hug.
Thanks hachi for the info. on the U.S. marquees.
Still wondering about Canada, or other countries for that matter. You’d think the U.S. would allow it with freedom of speech etc.
Hmmmm…..how would the title translate in French? German? Sorry, this stuff interests me!
April 18th at Canadian theaters. A U.S. release date has yet to be announced…….
“Neep writes: “ Re the different coloured scripts, it might be thoughtful to provide the most “eye-friendly” pages as possible, as it is a large part of the actor’s job, reading the darned things.””
Hey! That isn’t me! I am Neep from your old blog, that is an imposter!
So, since I’m posting anyway… I live in Wellington and yesterday my mum came into the city for an appointment. I jumped at the opportunity to “take her out to lunch” because with mum paying, this student could have some real food for once. Then I dragged her along to Schoc, where I got her to try my favourites: the ginger and wasabi and the lime truffle. Mmmm. I swear one day I will stop abusing her visits for food and chocolate.
Playing devil’s advocate…
Doesn’t the government fund a lot of films in Canada, so, hence, it’s the taxpayers who are footing the bill to a degree for much of the entertainment (and I must admit, Canadians have made some awful strange films over the years as well as good ones)… I can imagine some family sitting around the table griping about the high taxes, while some of their taxes go toward, well, films with ‘f**k’ in the title (which alas, no, would not entice me to see it).
But anyway, it sounds like you guys up north may just have to do what people down south do: get hedge funds and private interests to invest in your films. I don’t think the US spends money on films; we’re spending far too much on the war.
But in the end, whoever foots the bill for the product gets a say in it. That’s just business.
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/film/story/2008/02/29/mcvety-film.html
After reading your post last night, I wasn’t too surprised to come across this article on the front of cbc.ca this morning, with their little spin on the story – Mr. Gero’s movie is making quite the hubbub, eh? The whole thing is outrageous, in my opinion. I’m don’t have too much of an arts-type background myself, other than being a bit of an amateur musician, but I think you’re definitely right when you say that a move like this against a writer’s artistic freedoms in Canada could be bad for the entertainment industry as a whole. As far as the tax dollars go, it quite possibly could end up taking away an appreciable amount of federal revenue if certain productions decide to pull out of Canada over time, which in the end will fall back on the average Canadian’s tax contributions anyhow! Well anyway, at least it’s giving the movie a bit more publicity now than it may have gotten prior to this – might as well look on the bright side, after all 🙂
So here’s a question: What are the ‘Blue Pages’ the art department package is based on? Is that a raw finished copy of a completed episode you’ve written, or something along those lines?
On February 29, 2008 at 2:07 pm elyse Said:
«Playing devil’s advocate…
Doesn’t the government fund a lot of films in Canada, so, hence, it’s the taxpayers who are footing the bill to a degree for much of the entertainment (and I must admit, Canadians have made some awful strange films over the years as well as good ones)…»
Hum, elyse, can you clarify your mind ?
I bet David’s Hewlett’s fast mouth throws off the script count. Gahh, I love him.
Now that i#ve competely caught up with everything I missed. Thanks for all the pics and yummies.
I love the drawing from today, is that from an ep that’s yet to be broken? It looks like Ronon and i’m going to take a guess and say it’s from Broken ties?
How did my spideysense do?
*hugs*
Do we have a release date for Marty G’s film in the UK?
Prep, I meant, is the pic the prep for Broken Ties. Oh dear, i’m like a bus today, you don’t hear for me for days, and then suddenly 3 posts in one go! 😆 Sorry. 😳
Oh tell Marty G, there’s no such thing as bad publicity and the film will undoubtebly be a hit or at the very least reach ‘cult’ status. 😀
Okay i’m definately going now, my brain has officially crashed.
Hey Joe, I got the flu! not fun, but it does let me sit on my ass and watch all 10 seasons of stargate and 3 seasons of SGA on dvd that i own! Also I get to read and reread your blog, that is a nice bonus. Could you do me a favor and answer this question for a poor, sickly young man, What does it mean for an episdoe to have “whump”, for example, somone asking if an episode has “Shep whump” or “McKay whump”. Thanks Joe, you da man!
Well not quite. If the present political nonsense spooks film and TV productions away from Canada, you are looking at tens of thousands of jobs losses and no production revenues.
Everywhere other than the US, governments prop up their local entertainment industries with tax credits with very little say. As long as the local industries is functioning and generates revenues during production.
Private investments in films in Canada must have tax credits from governments. Canada is competing with other countries that offers tax credits. The ONE advantage that Vancouver area got is that it is in the same time zone as Hollywood and nearby with lower operating cost. Partially due to the tax breaks from the various levels of governments. Otherwise film production could go to Eastern Europe and other places.
The present Canadian government can have a say on films if they don’t want films being produced in Canada. That’s business.
elyse Said:
Playing devil’s advocate…
Doesn’t the government fund a lot of films in Canada, so, hence, it’s the taxpayers who are footing the bill to a degree for much of the entertainment (and I must admit, Canadians have made some awful strange films over the years as well as good ones)… I can imagine some family sitting around the table griping about the high taxes, while some of their taxes go toward, well, films with ‘f**k’ in the title (which alas, no, would not entice me to see it).
But anyway, it sounds like you guys up north may just have to do what people down south do: get hedge funds and private interests to invest in your films. I don’t think the US spends money on films; we’re spending far too much on the war.
But in the end, whoever foots the bill for the product gets a say in it. That’s just business.
elyse said >>>>But in the end, whoever foots the bill for the product gets a say in it. That’s just business.<<<<
ARGH! That is precisely why the government has no business at all meddling in art. Tax breaks are nice, but lawmakers and the public they represent should NOT have a say. Art by committee is BAD! Oh course you can have an art department where teamwork is key, but having input from non-artists on the moral values of a show or other artwork? ARGH! I repeat, ARGH! National Endowment for the Santized Arts? Nooooo!!!! I know many starving artists who whole-heartedly agree that they’d rather skimp to get by than take a fat check and degrade/censor their work. That’s why I support independent, self-representing, and outsider artists whenever I can.
Art or entertainment, there’s an ever-shifting line.
the Canadian government is trying to pass which would allow them to yank previously approve tax credits from a production it deemed objectionable.
That’s absolutely ridiculous. It’s not as if there isn’t enough competition and hoop jumping to go through to secure funding in the first place, but then to have it pulled on the whims of a handful of people is a joke. I assume there’s a ratings system in place so this just seems not only redundant but just a way of pandering to a conservative electorate who don’t want to see any conflicting viewpoints shown in public, which is what they actually mean when they say that it’s not in the public interest. Nice that they get to decide for the rest of us. Meh, hopefully common sense will prevail.
Government funding vs. non-government funding of movies (and the taz-payers money):
The issue isn’t whether they will fund ot not. They *are* funding. And hoops have to be jumped before funding is/is not approved. The big thing is, once the funding *is* approved it’s not in good faith to yank the money back because someone finds the film objectionable. Why wasn’t it objectionable (and denied) earlier? Not right at all.
And no, I’d not want to see YPF. Not my idea of a good film idea. At all. But if it was approved, well, live and learn.
suse
hey joe got a book for you to check out its a short one but my sister wrote it and wants input on it
Lost lives by Brenda Knodle
Heather Said:
I think I know the answer for the first bit. I believe they tap the earpiece so you, the viewer, knows they are talking on them and not to someone else in the room.
As far as talking to one person versus the whole base I’ve always assumed the whole base hears but only the person to which the question was directed answers.
Cheers, Chev
Cool 😀
In Alex Levine’s SciFi blog, he said that “the Wraith style ultrasound images were adapted from real ultrasound images from one of the Stargate babies. Unfortunately, I don’t know which – there were so many babies born last year we’ve lost track!” Is that just Alex, or does no one know? Because I would think the parents would recognize their baby’s ultrasound! It would be cool if it were David Hewlett’s baby, then you would have had 2 of Joe’s children, Rachel’s in utero and David’s baby ultrasound on screen in the same episode.