June 12, 2013: Top 10 Running Gags in SG-1!

My favorites and in no particular order…

10.  Blue Jello

The blue jello predates my involvement with the show.  By the time Paul and I joined SG-1 in its fourth season, the gelatin was already de rigueur in most every mess scene, eventually, finding its way to Atlantis as well.  So what’s the deal?  Search me.  I seem to remember someone saying it was simply something the prop department whipped up one day that stood out, both for its neon properties and sheer ridiculousness, quickly becoming a comically beloved visual staple.

9. O’Neill’s obsession with The Simpsons

O’Neill was full of Simpsons references and an admitted fan.  Why? Well, because most of the show’s writers were fans as well, although nowhere near as huge a fan as Richard Dean Anderson.  How big a fan was he?  So big that he attended the table reading of a Simpsons episode and was totally blown away by the experience.  Occasionally, he would even bring his daughter by my office to check out the various Simpsons-related dioramas and action figures that bedecked my shelf. Eventually, actor Dan Castellanetta guested on the show (Citizen Joe) and he and Rick hit it off.  They had a great time working together and, months later, Dan showed his appreciation by writing a Stargate/RDA-themed Simpsons episode to which Rick lent his voice talents.

8. Pineapples

If you’re watching Stargate and ever happen to catch sight of a pineapple, there’s a good chance the episode you’re viewing was directed by long-time Stargate director Will Waring.  The pineapples were his signature visual.  More often than not, however, the fruit were so carefully camouflaged, most viewers would be hard-pressed to notice them.  Still, there’s plenty of fun to be had in trying.  I once asked Will “Why pineapples?” and he told me that on one of his first productions, he was camera operator on a scene involving a high speed chase.  For some reason, he put a pineapple in the car’s back window as a gag – and then forgot to remove it for the actual shoot.  As a result, for the entire high-octane chase sequence, there’s a pineapple clearly rattling around in the back window of our protagonist’s car.  Nobody noticed – until the dailies.  The director was livid and was prepared to fire Will – but the producer LOVED the pineapple gag.  Will got to keep his job – and the signature pineapple was born.

7. The Big Wrench

Where Will Waring had his pineapples, director Martin Wood had his big wrench.  You’ll often spot it in the background, in the hands of Martin’s buddy and Stargate SG-1 Fight Coordinator Dan Shea, as he makes adjustments to equipment or simply walks around with this huge, oversized calling card.  Every once in a while, Martin would get into the big wrench background action as well, donning the persona of his onscreen alter-ego, Major Wood.

6. Peter DeLuise’s Hitchockian touch

Whereas Will had the pineapples and Martin had the big wrench, director Peter DeLuise had…Peter DeLuise.  Before he was a director, Peter was an actor, and so it was only natural that he’d take a page out of Hitchcock’s book and make himself his own visual signature.  He appeared as a host of background characters and even played the part of the young Urgo opposite his father Dom.  Even in the most challenging of episodes, Peter found a way to make his trademark appearance.  Once, we thought he’d missed his cameo – only to discover he’d found an ingenious way to make a subtle appearance.  In one scene, as Teal’c sits in his darkened room, deep in meditation, we pull back to reveal he is surrounded by candles – several of which are assembled to spell out the initial “PDL”.

5. Jonas’s voracious appetite

Actors have their trademark “bits” as well and, for Jonas, it was food. Whether it was buttered toast in Night Walkers or the infamous banana scene in Descent (which, incidentally, ran about three minutes long in the director’s cut), he was always snacking.  But he crossed the line in one episode where he showed up in the gate room sipping tea from a mug and had to be reminded – the tea mug was another actor’s trademark “bit” (see below).

4. Magnets

Every once in a while, whenever Carter tried to explain some scientific or technological wonder, Jack would try to tie it back to magnets.  What was the deal with O’Neill and magnets?  Well, this one was compliments of Creator/Exec Producer Brad Wright who once had someone pitch him some ridiculous scientific theory.  When a dubious Brad asked him to clarify the faulty science, the other individual shrugged and offered: “Magnets?”.  It eventually became the stock response to every befuddling question of logic.

3. The Wizard of Oz

This was another running joke that predated my involvement in the production but SG-1 was peppered with references throughout its ten-year run, culminating in the Wizard of Oz sight gag from the show’s 200th episode (200).  Of course, by that point in the series run, the line-up had changed, offering a slightly altered version of the originals: Carter as Dorothy, Daniel as the cowardly lion, Teal’c as the tin man, and, of course, Jack as the scarecrow.

2. Indeed

If there is one word that perhaps appears in more episodes of Stargate than any other (beside, maybe, “stargate”), it’s “Indeed”, Teal’c's short and sweet one-word response to most anything he is asked – and sometimes not.  Actor Chris Judge even took to inserting the odd “Indeed” on occasions where it hadn’t even been scripted.  I knew we’d reached the point of no return when, while watching dailies one day, we watched as as someone asked Teal’c: “Have you seen him?” to which Teal’c replied: “Indeeed – I have not.”

1. What the hell is in O’Neill’s cup?

Seriously.  This one is fairly subtle but after noticing it for the first time, I caught countless more.  Whenever Jack has a cup or mug in his hand there will come a point in the scene where he’ll glance down, frown, and then attempt to pluck some mysterious foreign object out of his drink.  Watch for it!

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May 15, 2013: Worst. Pitches. Ever!

Over the course of my 11+ years on the Stargate franchise, I heard my fair share of freelance pitches – some of them good, most of them fine but not quite what we were looking for, and a few of them truly horrible.  In the first case, kudos to those writers who were able to step up, well into the franchise’s run, take into into account Stargate’s immense mythology, and come up with an engaging, original idea that hadn’t been done yet (by us or Star Trek).  In the second case, thanks for trying and, while it didn’t work out, we fully appreciate that coming up with an original idea for this series is a daunting task.  In the third case, what the hell were you thinking?

What follows are some of my favorite from the latter category.  Worst.  Pitches.  Ever!

1. Tee-alc gets separated from the rest of sgi while on an off-world mission.  When O’Neil, Daniel, and Carter step through the gate, they end up trapped in another dimension where they must try to avert a nuclear showdown between India and Pakistan.

* Dude, seriously.  If you’re going to pitch for our show, do us the courtesy of at least watching an episode.  sgi?  Tee-alc?  Another dimension? Indian and Pakistan?

2. SG-1 visits a barren world, seemingly devoid of life.  While investigating the ruins of a long-dead civilization, the team is captured by a race of subterranean-dwelling humans obsessed with Earth’s pop culture.  Their captors are a bizarre mix of cowboys, gangsters, and guys in Beatle wigs.

* This pitch might have worked for Star Trek.  Fifty years ago.  Maybe.  But probably not.

3. The sequel to A Hundred Days.

* Great idea, but suggesting you want to do a sequel (with no tangible idea outside of the fact that you simply think it would be a great idea in the most general sense) to an episode you didn’t write in the first place isn’t going to land you that writing gig.

4. One by one, members of the Atlantis expedition begin to pop out of existence.  Where do they disappear to?  What is happening?  No idea.

* It’s all about set-up and pay-offs.  Anyone can come up with the intriguing mystery.  Coming up with the solution is, as Martin Gero informed the prospective writer: “What we pay you for.”

5. Carter is kidnapped by a race of men who require her for breeding purposes.

* Curiously, we’d get a variation of the “Gangbang Carter” pitch every season or so.

6. Teal’c is captured and forced to take part in a blood sport arena combat…to the death!

* Ah, the good old arena episode.  It never gets old.  Apparently.

7. SG-1 are the victims of a heist.  Their attempt to track down the powerful stolen artifact takes them to space stations, Star Wars-like alien cantinas, and a dangerous trek across a dessert planet, culminating in a confrontation with a powerful army.

* Yep, the budget for the entire season should just about cover the costs of this epic story.  If this one was ever produced, the ensuing episodes would have had to be radio plays.

I’m sure that this sort of thing isn’t confined to film and television.  I’m sure you’ve all been privy to your fair share of truly terrible ideas.  So let’s hear ‘em!

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April 2, 2013: From guest stars to recurring favorites! My Top 10! And 1 for good luck!

Television, like life, is just full of surprises.  Shows you expect to be huge hits tank while apparent duds become breakout hits.  Seemingly average episodes on the page magically come together onscreen while guest characters envisioned for a single episode appearance will pop, surpassing all expectations to develop into fan – if not writer – favorites.  Chalk it up to a number of things – the writing, the direction, the onscreen chemistry – but, in the end, you have to give credit to the actors who brought these characters to life and made them so much more.  Here are my Top 10 “guest stars to recurring favorites”.  Plus one for good luck!

WALTER HARRIMAN

Played by Gary Jones.

First Appearance: Children of the Gods (Stargate: SG-1, Episode #101) as Chevron Guy.

First, he was simply Chevron Guy.  Eventually, he got a first name: Norman.  And, finally, he got another first name – and a last name: Walter Harriman.  In time, Walter became as iconic a part of SG-1 as the gate itself.

OSIRIS

Played by Anna-Louise Plowman

First appearance: The Curse (Stargate: SG-1, Episode #413)

There’s something doubly, deliciously evil about a stylish villainess – triply so if she has an English accent.  Just too damn good to kill off in her first appearance, she returned for several more outings before her alter-ego, Sarah Gardner, got the happy ending she deserved.

HARRY MAYBOURNE

Played by Tom McBeath.

First appearance: Enigma (Stargate: SG-1, Episode #116)

Everyone loves a good rogue, and Harry Maybourne was good as you could get.  Sneaky, self-serving, and an incredible pain-in-the-ass, he developed into a perfect foil for Jack O’Neill.  A rival worthy of respect and admiration.

HERMIOD

Voiced by Trevor Devall

First appearance: The Siege III (Stargate: Atlantis, Episode #201)

The Asgard always had a dry sense of humor, perhaps none more than this acerbic fellow who, I suspect, would have been equally at home on Frasier.

MICHAEL

Played by Connor Trinneer (and Brent Stait for one episode)

First appearance: Michael (Stargate: Atlantis, Episode #218)

What made Michael stand out was his complexity and depth.  A product of Atlantis’s own creation, he was an outcast at odds with his own identity.  Can you blame him for being angry?

ACASTUS KOLYA

Played by Robert Davi

First Appearance: The Storm (Stargate: Atlantis, Episode #110)

Sure, aliens are plenty scary, but none proved quite as fearsome as Acastus Kolya.  It’s a testament to the character that he made an appearance even after his presumed death two years earlier.

RADEK ZELENKA

Played by David Nykl

First appearance: Thirty Eight Minutes (Stargate: Atlantis, Episode #104)

The unassuming Czech scientist first introduced in Thirty Eight Minutes eventually developed into a beloved member of the expedition – and his verbal sparring with Rodney became a regular episode highlight.

TODD

Played by Chris Heyerdahl

First appearance: Common Ground (Stargate: Atlantis, Episode #307

Dangerous and inscrutable, yet possessed of an almost palpable nobility.  He would develop into Sheppard’s most formidable adversary.

BAAL

Played by Cliff Simon

First appearance: Summit (Stargate: SG-1, Episode #515)

As far as villains go, you’d be hard-pressed to find one more stylish or possessed of a better sense of humor.

VALA MAL DORAN

Played by Claudia Black

First appearance: Prometheus Unbound (Stargate: SG-1, Episode #812)

A mercenary with a heart of gold (she would certainly trade in for cash if she could) – and serious trust issues – went from hijacking Daniel Jackson to earning herself a spot on SG-1.  Damn, she was fun to write for.

RICHARD WOOLSEY

Played by Robert Picardo

First appearance: Heroes II (Stargate: SG-1, Episode #718)

From irritating pencil pusher to lovable Commander in six short years. His road to redemption was a joy to behold.  And script.

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March 20, 2013: 2007 Silver Wraith-mobile for sale! Only used for picnicking and chasing down human prey! SGC Blueprints!

I had a feeling that trying to sell my car would prove a giant pain in the ass.  As it turns out, the experience has surpassed expectations. Initially, I thought I’d save myself the hassle by contacting my local Audi dealer and trading my Q7 in as part of a new vehicle purchase – but the salesman I spoke to actually convinced me that I’d be better off selling the car privately and then putting that money toward that new car.

And so, following his advice, I did my homework, snapped some photos, posted an ad on craigslist that included details like the low mileage and the fact that I would also throw in both summer and winter tires.  And waited.  And waited.  And waited some more.  At first, I assumed that craigslist had failed to publish my ad, so I went to the Cars & Trucks section and found it.  Yep, there it was – along with the other 500+ automobile ads from other private sellers but mostly dealers who positively swamp the section with their listings.

In hindsight, I should’ve found a way to work my Q7 into an episode of Stargate and then auction it off.  Hey, remember the all-terrain wraith-mobile from Tracker?  Or the five passenger space shuttle with the moon roof that the Asgard use in First Contact?  Or the SUV Sheppard and the gang drive off in at the end of Enemy at the Gate (a scene, now that I think of it that, that may have been cut for time)?  Yes? No?

The other day, someone asked me if I had blueprints of the SGC.  I looked through my old Art Department handouts and these are what I came up with.  From Stargate: Atlantis episode #412, Miller’s Crossing:

SGC Facility

Shallow Money Pit Hallway?  It was used for the crucial Icarus Base evacuation/corridor cave-in/explosion sequence in the Stargate: Universe opener.   Back in the day, we used to see a lot of that Long Tall Hallway – for instance, the scene in Window of Opportunity where Teal’c keeps getting hit by the door.

The Gate Room

There’s a note for the Art Department: “Gate address “Pegasus to Atlantis” (attached)”.  In fact, pretty much every episode the gate was used included a gate address breakdown as part of the Art Department package.  If you’re interested – and if you are, then I’m assuming you must be a pretty hardcore fan – I’d be happy to scan and upload a few.

There are also notes for a greenscreen VFX and rear-screen puddle projection.  Simply put, every time someone interacted with the puddle, it was a VFX shot.  In the early years of the show, you rarely saw the puddle unless someone was actually going through it simply because it was too expensive to show.  More often than not, you would play the “puddle effect”, that tell-tale shimmer of lights playing off someone’s face as they looked at the off-screen puddle.  Eventually, we started to make use of a puddle projection that allowed us to glimpse more of the puddle – less at the beginning because the visual wasn’t all that convincing, but more in the franchise’s later years as the visual improved.

Control Room

There’s a note for Construction to include the “iris plug” in the event director Andy Mikita wanted to feature the gate in any of his planned shots.  When not active, the SGC gate had an iris in place which was fairly convincing onscreen but much less so up close.

Lab and Hallway to Lab

Sort of like childproofing a room except, instead of a toddler, you’re preparing for a soul-sucking alien guest.  I always liked the observation room/lab set-up but it’s a room we rarely had occasion to use.

There is a reference to “2 hero workstations”.  The term “hero” refers to something that will be featured onscreen/used by one of our characters.  As a result, it should be the more convincing of the various versions in a given scene.  The hero zat gun, for instance, actually had some operating parts (short, sadly, of actual stunning/killing/disintegrating/lock-picking capability) as did one of the hero staff weapon.

Work Area/Boardroom

Don’t remember the scene but I assume this was a different boardroom than the one located above the control room.  It was there, at the long table, that Hammond would discuss off-world missions with SG-1. What struck me most about the boardroom back in the day was how chipped and weathered that table was – and what pains the director must have gone through to shoot it in a way that concealed all those blemishes you couldn’t help but notice every time you visited the set.

Mess Hall

Home of the infamous blue jello and WoW Fruit Loops.

Sheppard’s Quarters

Where’s the t.v.?

Holding Room

For the “other” guests.  If I remember correctly, this was Vala’s room.

I know, I know.  I’ve really got to get around to scanning and digitizing the rest of these files.  In the meantime, interested in checking out anything else?  Destiny?  Atlantis?  Those various gate addresses? Wraith facilities or Sheppard’s family home?  Let me know.

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March 15, 2013: Things Stargate!

Every so often, I like to check out this blog’s site stats to get a sense of the daily visits, most popular posts and, most interestingly of all, what leads people to check out this little corner on the internet.  In the case of the latter, if you go by recent search engine terms, it’s “Stargate”, “Joseph Mallozzi”, and “Julia Benson” – and not necessarily in that order.  Site stats also include  a rundown of Top Referrer’s who have provided links to this blog.  They’re usually fairly vague – facebook, google image search, etc – but, occasionally, they’re quite specific.   Like, yesterday, when I clicked on one of the Referrer links and ended up on Reddit where somebody asked: Does anyone have some deck plans for Prometheus?  Another user offered the following advice: “Joe Mallozzi used to be a writer/producer on SG-1 back in the day. He has a blog where he occasionally posts pictures of set blueprints. I’ve seen him post a bunch of set blueprints from Atlantis, but you might get lucky and find some Daedalus/Prometheus stuff. Gonna take a lot of digging though.”

Yes, admittedly, a time consuming process.  According to Site Stats (again), this will be my 2 333rd post.  That IS a lot of digging. UNLESS, you have an affable executive producer willing to take the time to wade through the mountain of Art Department handouts he received over the years in search of Prometheus schematics.

Sadly, I don’t have anything in the way of an actual ship plan.  I’m not even sure if one was ever drafted but, even if it was, that would have been during the SG-1 days, long before I started collecting these pre-production mementos.  However, I DID find a few Daedalus-related plans which, I hope, will prove somewhat helpful because – here’s a secret: the Prometheus was the Daedalus was the Odyssey was the Apollo was the Korolev!  They were the same sets and, for design purposes, the same ships.  When it came time to shoot them, however, one was able to distinguish them in a variety of ways: besides specific crews, there were the distinguishing plaques that adorned the walls. In addition, the lighting on the various bridges differed.  From what I recall, the Apollo was slightly blue while the Daedalus was slightly green.  The Prometheus, I believe, was white.

Anyway, this is what I was able to dig up:

From The Kindred Part 1 Art Department package: The Daedalus Bridge, Corridors, and Mess Hall.  Note the reminder to swap out the Apollo plaque for a Daedalus plaque.  Also note the reminder to repair/restore the section of the Mess Hall damaged during “Ark of Truth”.  Was it damaged in an actual scene in the movie or did Director Robert Cooper kick a crew member through the wall?  Again.  I don’t recall.

The Daedalus Bridge from the Be All My Sins Remember’d Art Department package.

Daedalus Engineering, also from the Be All My Sins Remember’d Art Department package.  Note the additions of Asgard tech that came with the last engineer, Hermoid, in Siege 3.  Also note the use of the term “gak”, used to refer to circuitry/wires/panels – essentially, cool, high-tech looking “ship innards”.

Sadly, that’s it.  BUT, I did find this cool layout of the Midway station:

 

Some interesting comments to yesterday’s blog entry “March 14, 2013: Veronica Mars fans are finally getting their movie! So when are Stargate fans getting THEIR movie?”  A few thoughts on your thoughts:

Matt writes: “Would a CG/Green screen set be more affordable now?”

Answer: Hmmm.  How shall I put this?  The problem with green screen sets is that they look like…green screen sets.

stargateatlantisseasonsix writes: “Have you ever thought of asking the fans to donate their abilities in effects making, set building, make-up and prosthetics, etc. for just the simple exchange of putting their names in the credits at the end. I don’t know a single fan that wouldn’t be estatic to see their name or see their work on the official film.”

Answer: While I’m sure many talented and dedicated fans would do wonderful jobs, there are agreements in place that require a production engage the services of unionized professionals – individuals with proper training and experience.  I’d argue that, at the end of the day, you’re better off hiring someone who has made a living building that sturdy set.

Emily H. writes: “And just as a side note, when the fans brought Farscape back from the dead, they did it with a 4-hour miniseries, complete with an epic story, space battles and astonishing special effects — all to the tune of about $20 million dollars. I may be an optimist, but I think that’s doable.”

Answer: Well, okay.  The fans did bring back Farscape with that 4-hour miniseries – but, in all fairness, they didn’t foot that bill to the tune of $20 million dollars.

Chris L writes: “Can someone please send MGM an email?”

Answer: Oh I’m sure MGM is receiving plenty of emails from Stargate fans.  It’ll be interesting to see if they receive enough to reconsider their options… 

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March 14, 2013: Veronica Mars fans are finally getting their movie! So when are Stargate fans getting THEIR movie?

This was the question many Stargate fans were asking themselves yesterday after news broke of the astounding success of the Veronica Mars kickstarter campaign.

For those of you who haven’t heard, series creator Rob Thomas approached Warner Bros. about making a Veronica Mars movie. According to Thomas: “Their reaction was, if you can show there’s enough fan interest to warrant a movie, we’re on board.”  Well, the fans stepped up and demonstrated their interest, pledging $1 million dollars (in a record 4 hours and 24 minutes) to the project’s kickstarter campaign [
http://money.cnn.com/2013/03/13/technology/veronica-mars-kickstarter/index.html
].  And, last time I checked, over 47000 backers had pledged close to 3 million dollars, about a million dollars over their goal – and this is only day #2 of their month-long drive! [

].

It’s awesome news for Veronica Mars fans that has also energized fandom in general.  Already, loyal viewers are asking about their own favorite shows ['Veronica Mars' Movie Funded...Could a 'Chuck' Movie be Next?! (Poll)].  Could a similar strategy work for us?  Well, I suppose it depends.

Over at Forbes.com, Paul Tassi asks: “How did a show that’s been off the air for eight years raise two million dollars in barely half a day?”, and then proceeds to break down exactly how they pulled it off [
http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2013/03/14/how-exactly-did-veronica-mars-fund-a-movie-in-ten-hours/
].  It offers great insight – and food for thought.

So how successful could a Stargate movie campaign prove if it attempted to follow the successful five-step strategy he outlines?  Well, according to Paul, “There are a number of factors at work here, and they’re worth exploring in order to understand if this kind of thing can or will happen again…”

1. The fanbase must be religiously devoted

Check.  There’s no doubt the Stargate fanbase is still strong and more than willing to support the franchise as evidenced by their continued involvement on fansites like Save Stargate Universe | Facebook, GateWorld | Your Complete Guide to Stargate!, and Stargate Solutions.

2. Get everyone on board ahead of time

Okay, proper planning is key but, in this case, it requires MUCH consideration.  In the case of Veronica Mars, Rob Thomas and Kristen Bell approached the studio and cast first, and THEN started their campaign. Which is, of course, what would be required here.  So, how interested would MGM be in a Stargate movie?  That’s the biggest question.  And the answer all comes down to economics.  Would it be worth their while (aka – not only financially feasible but lucrative)?  Will the potential rewards outweigh the risks?  Five years ago, the answer would have been  a resounding “Yes!” given the fact that Ark of Truth and Continuum surpassed expectations.  But, of course, that was before the bottom fell out of the DVD market.  Could alternate viewing platforms make up the shortfall?  Streaming?  Broadcasters?  Maybe the big screen treatment?

Which brings us to another question – “What does MGM have planned for Stargate? – because, let’s face it, as one of their most successful franchises, it’s not going to lie fallow for long.  Do they already have something in the works?

But, for the sake of argument, let’s say, it’s a best case scenario for fans of SG-1, Atlantis, and Universe.  The studio proves amenable to the idea.  Next up is ensuring we have a cast in place.  So, which cast? SG-1?  Atlantis?  Universe?  Or would it be a selective amalgamation of all three (which was Brad Wright’s original idea for an SGU movie)?

3. Offer rewards people want

Now this one is much easier to deliver on.  I, for one, would be more than happy to send you a signed script, arrange a set visit, or deck you out in prosthetics before blasting you out an airlock if it would ensure your support.

4. Leverage social media

Are you kidding?  Stargate fans are the kings (and queens) of social media.  We’ll get word to them and they’ll get word to EVERYONE.

And finally 5. Understand that not everyone will be able to do this

Why not?  Well, some former cast members may well be too busy to participate (Robert Carlyle now stars on Once Upon A Time while Jason Momoa has been burning up Hollywood post-SGA) while others may have simply moved on.  Still, provided we manage to cross this particular bridge as well, there’s the question of money.  To put it bluntly, we would need A LOT more money to produce a Stargate movie.  A LOT more to pay for the construction of new sets (alas, the Destiny, Atlantis, and Stargate Command are no more and would have to be rebuilt from scratch) and visual effects (I haven’t read the script, but it’s unlikely the Veronica Mars movie will feature much in the way of space battles), not to mention other related costs like cast, crew, and the onset aerobics instructor for my pug, Bubba.

So, conservatively, three out of five aint bad – unless you’re looking to make a Stargate movie in which case it aint good either.  Even if you could convince MGM to get onboard – and that’s a mighty big IF – there’s still the matter of the amount of money that would be required to produce a scifi movie.  How much?  Well, ballpark, I’d say significantly more than the 3 million dollars the Veronica Mars campaign has raised to date, but somewhat less than the $39 million dollars the Forbes article claims Serenity cost.

Certainly not impossible but, damn, them’s long odds!

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February 1, 2013: Stargate Prop Builder Mark Nicholson Answers Your Questions!

The hard work and contributions of so many individual went into making one of the greatest SF franchises in television history.  Over the course of this blog’s run, I’ve invited various members of the extended Stargate family to talk about their experiences on the show(s).  We’ve spotlighted writers, producers, directors, actors, stunt coordinators, VFX and FX supervisors, and many more.

Today, we turn the spotlight to Mark Nicholson, a longtime prop builder for (and, it turns out, fan of) Stargate.  Mark has kindly taken the time to field your question – AND offer up some visual aids!

Take it away, Mark…

Patricia Stewart-Bertrand writes: “As for a question for Mark Nicholson – my question: I’d like to know if you needed any special education or training to get into your current field. Did you want to work in the entertainment industry so looked for a job you could do and enjoy within it, or did you have an affinity to creating props and the rest naturally followed?”

MN: Special education or training? Sort of. I don’t believe there’s any places here that specifically teach people how to make movie props as a course. Most of the people I worked with did have a lot of special training, or a lot of experience in something before bringing it to this industry. I worked with people who went to school for Pottery, Engineering, Photography, Graphic Design, Sign making.  It’s kind of a weird industry.

While I never specifically set out to work in Film, I did always want to work in entertainment, starting with computer animation when I was young (I blame Reboot), and later video games (which I did for a while before Film, and still want to get back into). I most certainly didn’t have an affinity for creating props, and my first year really felt like an apprenticeship, spending a lot of time helping more experienced builders with parts of their builds and learning a lot of ropes.

gforce writes: “Question for Mark: How much input/freedom did you have in designing the items for the franchise? Were you able to have a lot of creative leeway or were things pretty much drawn up for you already?”

MN: Input varied. You can find a lot of production concepts here on this blog in fact, and many times, what we delivered was exactly that. Sometimes when things were rushed we’d get a ‘paper napkin drawing’, which is like it sounds, and while the important aspects are laid out, you do end up getting the freedom to interpret it.

Disruptor

We also had things like working from established themes. By season 10 of sg-1 and season 3 of Atlantis, looks like ‘Ori’ and ‘Wraith’ were already established, and while we would sometimes have a lot of freedom with the specific prop, it would still have to be known instantly as ‘Wraithy’, so sometimes we couldn’t deviate too much. SGU was my favorite show to work on because we got to spend a lot of pre-production making up a lot of stuff with a lot of new tools and technology, and allowed us to establish a lot of neat building systems.

JeffW writes: “Did you also make the electronics (lights) for the props, and if so, was it mostly LEDs, incandescent, or electro-luminescent? (Sorry in advance if that was too technical).”

MN:We had a full time electrical engineer who did nothing but build electronics. As for what kinds of lights, I think at one point we used everything, but mostly LED, and second probably goes to small fluorescent tubes (often handled by the lighting department for larger, stationary things, like ships consoles, or the 1/3 section of Atlantis gate for ‘The Shrine’). My favorite was side-lighting laser engraved acrylic.

Ori ship chair

Ponytail writes: “Hey Joe could you post a few pictures of Mark Nicholson’s handiwork so I know who I am talking to and have a better idea of questions to ask him. Did he help make that minature Destiny?”

MN: I had a very small hand in the miniature Destiny (though, that hand is the one in the pictures holding it while I make flying noises

Destiny

Choopy 49 writes: “Question for Mark – What equipment/technology/weaponry did you hope the crew of the Destiny would eventually discover on the ship had the show continued?”

MN: I should start this by saying I LOVED WATCHING SGU. I was a big fan of it, and as a fan was crushed when it was cancelled (let alone the fact that it was also my favorite employment ever). What would I have liked to see? or BUILD!? Either way, a Jeep or ATV would have been cool (the whole on foot all the time thing bothered me about the franchise as a whole). More adapted 3rd party tech (not human, or ancient, but from other sources that they could only reach once), especially weapons. Making weapons was fun.

Actually…

Joe, why didn’t they have jeeps and atv’s?

(I would love a detailed answer to this, apart from the obvious $$)

JM: Yes, part of it was $$$, but in my mind given that the teams would be heading out to make first contact or exploring a new planet’s eco-system OR, later in the series, heading into potentially dangerous situations that would require stealth, being on foot would make more sense.  Then, after that initial foray, IF transportation was needed, they could always go back and pick up a vehicle.  It just so happened that in most cases (well, all the ones we saw), there was either no time or necessity for vehicles, mainly because the civilizations they encountered were always located close to the gate – which made sense.  

DP writes: “Questions for Mark Nicholson…It’s hard not to hit duplicate questions this late in the game. What tools, materials, techniques, and resources are available now that you wish were available earlier in your work on Stargate?”

MN: Honestly, I can’t think of anything for this. We had a pretty high tech group, with several CNC machines, a 3D printer, a 3D scanner, and a laser engraver/cutter. I am not aware of any specific manufacturing technology that has been made available since that would have been handy.

“Is there anything that was available then that’s not available now?”

MN: I recall hearing that the quality of some Latex today isn’t as good as it was in the 60′s, due to tree farming practices, but I haven’t found any facts to back this up.

“How thoroughly were the needed props described?

MN: The function and role of most props could be described to us rather quickly, maybe 10 minutes to understand what it is they wanted (along with the concept art). But that’s also coming from my own perspective at the bottom of the chain. Prop meetings where it would be discussed what they wanted to have, and what was possible/affordable/deliverable were not things I attended, an were very long.

“Who did you go to for clarifications when you weren’t sure what was being requested?”

MN: Being off-site, it was a very rare day we would ever see a Production Designer directly. Often, we would see the Prop Master, but 95% of the time, I’d just go to our Lead Prop Builder.

“What’s an inexpensive thing to build with the help of a seven year old? If he can get plenty of big muscle movement during the build, during the use of it, or while destroying it, all the better.”

MN: I have no idea! …after some time thinking on it, I might suggest doing what my dad did, cut swords out of wood with a jigsaw (we did guns too, but that isn’t as well received today as it was then). Or candy glass.

“What examples of serendipity happened in your prop-building?”

MN: Ok. So you know that Jaffa Staff Weapon? The one that opens to fire? They only ever had one that actually opened. And it was only the front half of the staff weapon anyway. After Sg-1 ended, MGM expressed an interest in having a full, working staff weapon. So the working half weapon was pulled out, the back half was put on, it got a fresh paint job, and a custom box for shipping. It was finished, and out the door an hour later, never to be seen by any outside of MGM head office. So there was only ever a working staff weapon we could see and use for an hour. I just happened to get my brother from out of town a tour of the shop in THAT HOUR

“Did you think Lord of the Rings included too many visual details?”

MN: NO. Not ever. They did awesome work, and I would never wish them to do less, ever. And related to that, once you make a bunch of this stuff in movies, and really see what things look like, and how fake it really is, you pick it up when watching it in the theatre, or at home on TV. It then looks fake to you, ALWAYS. So getting to see something that manages to not look totally fake all the time then becomes one of the few movies you can watch and actually forget that it’s all fake. Captain America was another good example. The story was ok, and the acting was…eh. But the props and sets, those were always AMAZING.

Pontytail writes: “First some questions for Mark Nicholson then I have to watch The Shrine then I’ll be back for comments on that…much later.

1. Okay, Mark Nicholson, just answer the question. Did you make the mini Destiny as seen here on Joe’s blog on Aug. 28, 2010?”

MN: I did not make it, but I did make the stand and case for it, and did get to play with it, and make whooshing space noises flying it around the room.

“That model was the coolest thing ever! If you made it:
a. how long did it take?”

MN: I think my co-worker Jay spent a week turning the VFX model into something printable, and another two days to print the 5 parts (4 quarters and a shuttle), paint and assembly was a couple hours.

Destiny progress

“b. what was it used for?”

MN: Ask Joe! It was asked for so directors could plan shots and explore what it actually looks like in depth, in 3D.

(seriously Joe, feel free to chime in here and talk about it’s fate)

JM: Alas, I am unaware of its fate (or the fate of most of those props with the exception of a handful of those Scourge bugs and the pain stick sitting in my garage) but, yes, you’re correct – the model was used to plan shots and sequences.

“c. was it your proudest moment?”

MN: No, but it was one of the coolest things we made. We also did some test prints of a Wraith Dart and an F-302.

F302

Wraith dart

“2. What was the funnest item you made, and why?”

MN: Anything we did for 200. Weapons, and webbing, and incredibly acurately detailed uniform details including campaign badges for O’Neill, Carter, and Hammond, all at 1/3 scale.

Scale weapons

“3. Do you ever hang out on set just to see your art in use?”

MN: Every chance we got, which were unfotunately few.

“4. Do you get to keep anything you make?”

MN: Technically, no. On rare occasions, we would make samples that would not get used, and it was okay if those went missing. One of these was a spare of Tyre’s sword, made of ABS plastic, to see if the material was viable for stunt work. It was too wobbly, and thus discarded and sat in a room for a few years. It now hangs on the wall of a friend of mine who introduced me to Stargate, and is a huge fan.

“5. What have you made that got the most attention from the cast or crew?”

MN: Ironically, the same thing got the most attention both positively and negatively. The Asguard Suits in ‘The Lost Tribe’ and ‘First Contact’ got the most positive, and the same suits got the most negative attention in ‘Water’, when actors had trouble breathing in the new helmets.

“6. What was the craziest thing you ever were asked to make?”

MN: So tough to answer. Many things were crazy, and more importantly, I can’t even remember half the stuff we made, so I’ll just list what I can think of that was rather out there:

Wraith Ultrasound Device

Universe Gate

Universe gate

1/3 of an Atlantis gate (for the water scene at the beginning of ‘The Shrine’, no movable version of the Atlantis gate was ever built before this, it was all camera trickery and cg).

The Ark of Truth (or as those frustrated with it by the end called it, THE ARK OF LIES!)

A ‘Space Dishes Rack’ for The Destiny

A ‘Wraith to USB’ adapter

And I know I’m forgetting so many ridiculous things we did.

“7. How do you feel about seeing your work pictured on Joe’s blog?”

MN: Happy Memories, every time.

“8. Where are you working now?”

MN: Kodak, which is boring compared to making props, but reliable. (see Joe’s post last week about the state of the film industry in Vancouver)

for the love of Beckett writes: “Mark Nicholson — How cool was it being a Prop Master for Stargate? And now your creations are collectibles! A different kind of question would be about the overall style or look of each show, and getting the props to match the set and scene. What were your points of inspiration? It looks sort of like there’s an Art Deco feel to Atlantean objects, but still sci-fi. I liked the tall, copper standing piece of art in Woolsey’s office that Joe liked. Also, I’m not normally big on weapons, but Ronan’s/Jason Momoa’s big ol’ gun that charged up with sound effects was my favorite. Did you get to design that?”

MN: I was a prop builder, not the prop master, and it was VERY COOL. Most of the design feel came from the production designer, and coming in later in SG-1, and Atlantis, many themes were already established. We got a lot more leeway with SGU, and it was so liberating and fun to get to design things from scratch. I’m quite sure the tall copper thing in the office was done by the Set Decorators, who tend to handle things in the background that never get touched. Ronon’s gun was cool, and I didn’t get to design it. I did get to repair it a few times (and repair the rubber stunt ones even more. Rumor has it Jason didn’t like carrying the real ones, which were much heavier).

Mike from Canada writes: “I have questions for Mark Nicholson, if he doesn’t mind. I’ll repeat the questions I had on the shotguns with drum magazines if that’s OK.  How did you make them, what did you use, fiberglass? Actual metal parts?
Did you base them on actual firearms?
How long does it take you to make them?
Did you make each one a one off, or did you make molds?
Do you weight them so they feel more realistic?”

MN: Those shotguns are AA-12′s, and were cast from real ones. Real ones were used on set. I recall hearing not many exist tho, and they’re hard to find. We aim to make things as light as possible.

“New questions:
Do you make all your props pretty much the same way?
How did you get started building props?
Are you working on any other shows these days?”

MN: Yes, most were made with a lot of pre-established techniques.

How did I get in? Like most of the people I worked with, we never intended to be there, it just sorta happens through opportunity. My initial contact was through the model shop asking my old school for any grads who could help with 3D scanning tech they were testing.

I am not currently working in the Film industry.

Mike from Canada also writes: “Hey Joe. I thought of another question (or two or three or four) for Mark Nicholson.  Was there any projects that Mark was particularly proud of?”

MN: The Replicator Chip Merek uses in ‘Ark of Truth’

The backs of the chairs in SGU (I got to do whatever I wanted with them)

The Universe gate

Destiny’s bridge consoles

Bridge console

“Was there any that he particularly detested, that were a mess, or screwed up terribly?”

MN: The Ark of Lies (formerly the Ark of Truth) was built in 7 days.

“If there was any show he would really like to work on, what would it be?”

MN: Tron Legacy. We were asked to help, and had to decline, as we were in pre-production for SGU, and currently building the Universe Gate. (Second place goes to A-team, which I DID get to work on )

“Does he work on any software based graphic tools or such for his work? Maya, Vue, cad program, photoshop, etc.”

MN: YES. All of it, lots! Solidworks and Rhino were comonplace, as well as a lot of Corel Draw. And at some point we tested out anything that would help. I prefer 3ds MAX and Zbrush for 3d modelling too.

“How did Mark wind up doing this kind of work?”

MN: Like everyone else, through strange circumstance and lots of luck.

“Did you work on the sets/stages as well as props?”

MN: Not as such. But we did often work on detailed components that would get integrated into sets, like consoles and special panels.

“What is your current favourite TV show?”

MN: Top Gear.

“Have you read anything lately you would recommend? Fiction or nonfiction.”

MN: I just finished the last book in ‘The Wheel of Time’ series. Also, Zoe’s Tale (from scalzi’s ‘Old Man’s War’ series, which has gotten plenty of attention here), and my favorite book, The Count of Monte Cristo.

“Can we see pictures of your workroom?”

MN: Keith almost gave me a heart attack when I came back to see this guy, sitting there, all sad with his coffee (and again the next morning when I walked in, having forgotten about him).

Suit

“Sorry if I repeated any of the questions, or if I’m too late, or if I’m getting carried away. Curious monkeys want to know!”

MN: No, it’s good. We love monkeys!

Space monkey

BMc writes: “Mark Nicholson – are you AKA confracto? I’ve enjoyed your comments here!
What was the most used/re-used/re-adapted piece of equipment you made? And, were you involved with those great suits worn by the Pegasus Asgard, which I believe later re-appeared as Ancient EVA suits on the Destiny?”

MN: Yes, confracto is my online handle. It was the result of ‘Hey Mark! What’s the weirdest word you can think of!?’. We were bored and checking out what domain names were free and taken years ago. Confracto.com will take you to some of my work.

Most re-used peice? Probably all the knobs and buttons for Destiny.

Wall panels

Yes, I was involved with those suits. It was actually one of the best building experiences, since it took 100% from everyone for weeks to do, and really bonded the team. I have never felt more accomplished than seeing those go out the door. My wife tells me I have to mention that I missed our anniversary one year for these suits, due to working 14 hours that day. But they look so cool!

Thanks to Mark!

And today’s entry is dedicated to birthday gals mamasue9 and Ganymede!

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January 17, 2013: Stargate Q&A! Blog Hop! Introducing Fernando!

Hurrah!  I’m pleased to announce a new Stargate-related Q&A!  Mark Nicholson joined the franchise in SG-1′s tenth season (Atlantis’s third) and worked BEHIND the scenes, helping to build a lot of the amazing things you saw IN the scenes.  He was with us until the very end, Universe’s last episode, and, along the way, his contributions included everything from high-tech gadgetry to awesome weaponry.

So, what was his most complicated build?  His strangest?  His favorite? They say that every picture tells a story, so I’m sure every prop has at least two or three!

Let’s find out.  I’m gathering questions for Mark (who is, as it turns out, a long-time reader of this blog).  Post ‘em if you got ‘em.  I’ll gather them up through the weekend and then send them Mark’s way early next week!

A little while ago, I was invited to take part in something called a Blog Hop by another blog reader, Amanda Ball.  The Hop is essentially a promotional tool that introduces readers to new authors.  A writer is chosen to answer a series of ten questions on their blog about an upcoming or new release and, a week later, they hand off to another writer who does the same on their blog.

Amanda’s Blog Hop entry is up here - 
http://livingforcreativity.wordpress.com/2013/01/16/the-next-big-thing-blog-hop/
 - in which she discusses her latest book: _Famous…or Not_

In my case, my works-in-progress are super-secret hush-hush (please forget I mentioned this and promptly destroy your laptop after reading this entry) so I’ve decided to profile Dark Matter, my comic book series (the first three episodes four issues have been collected as a trade paperback).  Why?  Well, because the TPB was released a few months ago and…well…let’s just leave it at that for now (Seriously.  I need you to destroy this laptop after reading this entry).  I’ll be fielding the same ten questions next week after which I’ll be handing things off to award-winning New Zealand author Mandy Hager (Mandy Hager – Writer) who will be talking about her latest release, The Crossing (
http://www.pyrsf.com/TheCrossing.html
) over on her blog the week following.

Fernando, meet the blog gang.  Blog gang, Fernando.  This beautiful young husky was recently adopted by my sister following the passing of her beloved Aspen.

Rather than get a puppy, she decided to help out a dog in need – and Fernando was an ideal candidate, one of 45 other dogs (and 4 cats) rescued from an abusive environment last September.

Despite his rough early years, Fernando has proven a very sweet and gentle addition to sis’ household – although, apparently, he’s a little mischievous.  According to Andria’s facebook update:

“Yesterday Fernando crawled under one gate and jumped another to get out of the kitchen when no one was home. He also started un-decorating the Christmas tree. Today, we gave him free access to the middle floor with Roxy. He dismantled the pet fountain and continued to un-decorate the tree. Hint taken… time to take down the tree.”

Who? Me?

He’s special for a lot of reasons, but one in particular.  Can you guess? Notice anything about him?

You sure?  Nothing?  Take a closer look.

Still no?

He’s blind.  Sis thinks he may be able to distinguish light in one eye, but that would be the extent of his visibility.  Still, you wouldn’t know it.  Mom didn’t – even after spending an hour getting to know him. He’s very smart, has already figured out how to use the pet fountain and, apparently, looks up and cocks his head when someone talks to him.

A wonderful addition to our extended family.

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November 24, 2012: Stargate lives! Sort of.

Well, MGM may have pulled the plug on Stargate – or, if you prefer, placed it on indefinite hiatus – but it’s nice to see that interest in the franchise remains strong.  A recent google search turned up the following Stargate-related news items…

It was only a matter of time.  Apparently, China has started their own Stargate program:

At a cost of a mere $16 million dollars, 115 foot tall steel gate weighs in at 3 000 tons and includes 12 000 LED lights.

What amazing otherworldly entities will pass through its event horizon? No idea, but some Chinese net users have a few guesses:

What Will Come Out of the Mysterious Stargate in China?

Planning on proposing to a fellow Stargate fan?  Well, guarantee she’ll say yes by springing THIS on her:

The gate’s structure is 14k gold while the chevrons are 18k gold.  And, best of all, the inner ring actually spins!

Order it from WeddingBandDesign

Stargate SG-1′s “Camelot” makes i09′s list of - The 20 Best Cliffhangers Ever Shown on Science Fiction or Fantasy …

Colonel General President Jack O’Neill

Meanwhile, Colonel/General Jack O’Neill makes wired.com’s list of - Top 10 Fictional Characters We’d Like as US President

And for the cat who has everything, how about a Stargate-themed cat bed:

The puddle bottom is a nice touch.  Diy Stargate Cat Bed: Nine Lives, Infinite Planets

Over at blogcritics.org, Barbara Barnett is doing a Stargate: Universe rewatch.  Stargate Universe Revisited – “Light”

Which reminds me – I should pick up where I left off.  This week, I’ll resume my trip down Stargate memory lane with a look at Stargate: Atlantis’s fifth season.  See you there!

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October 14, 2012: Ice Cream Football Sunday! Birthday Cupcakes! And some winners!

Whaaaaaa???

Before you ask – no.  Sadly, my Snow Monkeys did not win this weekend.  Ah, what might have been…

If Trent Richardson hadn’t left the game with a rib injury.

If Brady Quinn had done a better job of looking for Dwayne Bowe.

If Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline hadn’t, apparently, missed the team bus to the stadium.

Anyway – as a result, the Snow Monkeys now sit at 2-4, along with 6 other teams, at the bottom of our 14 team league.  On the bright side, a playoff spot is still within reach.

Despite the loss, it was a good day overall.  The guys came over.  Rob brought chili and rice.  I made jalapeno corn bread.  Akemi made red velvet cupcakes.  And my first ice cream delivery arrived this afternoon!

“Ice cream delivery?”you ask.  ”Que’est-ce que c’est?”.  Why, I’ve joined Sunday Morning Ice Cream and am presently one of fifty subscribers who will be receiving a different flavor every Sunday in October.  You can read all about it here: 
http://scoutmagazine.ca/tag/genevieve-mateyko/
.  Here’s hoping owner Genevieve Mateyko generates enough interest to warrant a full-time commitment to her burgeoning business.

Ice Cream Impressario Genevieve Mateyko delivers this week’s flavor: Blueberry Basil!

Bursting with blueberry flavor with just a pleasantly subtle hint of basil. Creamy, fresh and delicious.

But, before we got to the ice cream…

Lulu stakes her territory…and her special guy, Ivon.

Lulu flirts with Cowboy Rob Cooper.

No tongue!

Lawren all comfy and ready for some football.

Rob’s green chili.  I’ll never go back to regular chili again.

My jalapeno corn bread.

When it came time to making the red velvet cupcakes, Akemi asked me for a recipe from “The lady on t.v.”.   “Which lady on t.v.?”I asked.  She provided the following sketch:

Ohhhhh.  Paula Deen!

Et voila! Red velvet cupcake with cream cheese icing and coconut flakes.

Today also happened to be Rob Cooper’s birthday.  To celebrate, we made him cook us lunch and then presented him with some birthday cupcakes…

I didn’t have any candles so we used a giant match instead. Sadly, it flamed out before he got a chance to blow it out. But it’s the thought that counts.

The results are in and SG-1′s Window of Opportunity has been voted The Best Comedic Episode in Stargate History with a whopping 53.83% of the vote.

Thanks to everyone who voted.

And congratulations to the following lucky readers who have each won themselves a signed Stargate script:

StellaByStargate

and

Ryan (of Stitchsloft.com).

Congratulations!  Leave a comment with your email addresses (I’ll delete rather than approve it).

Cookie Monster asked me to remind everyone to watch Shark Boy and Lava Girl for tomorrow’s Supermovie of the Week Club discussion.  Or else he’s coming over to your place and kicking in your t.v.

Monster mean business!

Today’s entry is dedicated to birthday boy Cowboy Rob Cooper.

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