Alex Levine's SciFi Blog - Updates

[morjana]

SG1/SGA - Alex Levine's SciFi Channel Blog Updated April 26th:


From Alex Levine's SciFi Channel Blog:


http://blog.scifi.com/stargate/archi...olden_tee.html

(Please follow the link for the complete update.)

April 26, 2007

Gak, Golden Tee and Improv Comedy

**snippage**

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Brad Wright was honoured Monday night by the Writer’s Guild of Canada with its first annual “Showrunner of the Year” award. I know I’m preaching to the choir, but no one is more deserving than Brad is for this award.

**snippage**

Here’s a funny little thing – Sci-Fi called Carter by the actor's real first name “Amanda” in their promo teaser on the web! It’s since been changed to the correct "Samantha" but we all got a kick out of it in the production office.


Enjoy the shows!

ATL

Posted by Alex Levine at April 26, 2007 07:45 PM

[morjana]

SG1/SGA - SciFi Channel's Alex Levine Blog Updated May 3rd:



Alex Levine's SciFi Channel Blog has been updated on May 3rd:

http://blog.scifi.com/stargate/archi...powers_al.html

(Please follow the link for the complete blog update.)

May 04, 2007

Super powers all around.

**snippage**


In “The Shroud”, Michael comes back as a Prior, so he had to be in make up for… oh about three hours every day. And he had lots of problems with the cosmetic contacts (that make one appear like one is blind) so he was only able to wear those in close ups. Look for it and see if you can spot the difference. So when Andy said “Michael always wants to be in make up” well that was sarcastic. As for Rick and Michael, in this episode Richard Dean Anderson comes back and he and Michael have a terrific scene together. Andy said it was awesome to sit back and watch those guys. Great chemistry, great actors.


Enjoy the episodes, and if you want a whole other behind the scenes perspective (with pictures!) check out Joe Mallozzi's blog at http://josephmallozzi.blogspot.com/.

ATL

Posted by Alex Levine at May 4, 2007 12:28 AM

[morjana]

SG1/SGA - Alex Levine's SciFi Channel Blog Updated May 10th:


From Alex Levine's SciFi Channel Blog:

http://blog.scifi.com/stargate/

(Please follow the link for the complete update.)

May 11, 2007

Chained to my desk...

I went to go talk to Rob Cooper about tomorrow night’s Stargate SG-1 episode “Bounty”, but he’s on his last day of directing “The Ark of Truth” and they’re out at the Norco set in the Hall of Fire. The Norco set is a bit of a drive from the Studio, and I’m chained to my desk, so I couldn’t really chase down Rob. But I can tell you that, among the exciting plot points to be shot today on “The Ark of Truth” (as detailed on the call sheet), are “Daniel yanked across room” and “Coverage against green screen.” Actually, there were some much more interesting descriptions but they were spoilers so I steered wide clear. Now, I don’t know how many of you saw “Sateda,” but I’ve seen the dailies of “The Ark of Truth”, and it’s going to be another action-packed Rob Cooper extravaganza.


**snippage**

[prion]

May 17

http://blog.scifi.com/stargate/

excerpts:

I also got to talk to Martin about Friday night’s SG-1 episode, “Bad Guys”, which he penned. Actually, Ben Browder shared the story credit because it was his original concept. Ben pitched a show where we go through the gate and end up in a museum on an alien planet, where their gate is on display. This alien civilization has never seen the gate work, and they think we’re terrorists. It’s a pretty great concept, and it turned into a great show. Coincidentally, we shot that episode just after the feature “Night at the Museum” finished filming in Vancouver, so all of the display cases you see are from that movie.



Martin Wood’s fondest memory from The Ark was the footage he shot using a handheld camera during the “shuttle sequence” (you’ll know it when you see it). There was no room for crew and camera – it was just Martin holding a handheld camera inches from Joe Flanigan’s face physically shaking him and screaming directions like “Look over here!” Afterwards Joe told Martin it was the strangest acting experience of his life. Look for some of that footage at the top of the show, before we flashback to tell the whole story.

And let’s not forget about the legendary Snickers bar that was left on a console in the ark by a member of the shooting crew that made it onto camera. It proved too expensive to remove with visual effects – apparently Snickers has a production plant in the Pegasus galaxy. Hilarious.


Full blog at link above

[prion]

May 31, 2007

http://blog.scifi.com/stargate/

Excerpts, full blog at link above.

Okay, enough nonsense. Shooting for the second Stargate movie, “Continuum”, began this week and it’s going strong. Martin Wood is directing this one, and Brad Wright has been on set almost everyday making sure everything is just how he likes it. Also Peter Woeste is the DOP (he was also the DOP for “The Ark of Truth”) and this guy is truly a talented photographer. We watched some dailies and I have to say, shooting those movies on film is going to make them look incredibly cool….

Back when Damian Kindler turned in his first draft of the outline for “Talion,” he was worried nobody would understand the title so he included a definition. “Talion. Def. A punishment identical to the offense, as the death penalty for murder.” And it’s a good title, and it stuck, but some of the other writers had a good laugh over it. …

On the Atlantis side, “Sunday” is a story Martin Gero had been pitching for a long time about a “day off” on Atlantis. Well they finally found the right time for it last season. One of the influences for this script, which in my opinion is one of Martin’s best, was the feature film “Elephant” by Gus Van Sant.

[sparklegem]

New entry for 6/8/2007 is up. Does anyone recall "diving pools" in Abyss? Is he referring to the gravity wells?

[PG15]

He was refering to the movie "Abyss", not the SG1 episode.

There are certainly some new bits in there:

Spoiler:

Miller's Crossing is now #12? I thought it was #9.

Also, JM told us that "Rise of the Googlions" was the working title for part 1 of the Carson-Returns 2-parter. Could "Send in the Clones" be part 2? If so, it definately sheds light on what happens to him. Also..."My Deepspace Friend"?!

[sparklegem]

Oh. Thanks. Never seen the movie, but I still feel a little stupid now.

[prion]

Oh. Thanks. Never seen the movie, but I still feel a little stupid now.

No, don't. Many people haven't seen the movie ABYSS. Alex should go back and stick in a little correction

[NowIWillDestroyAbydos]

He was refering to the movie "Abyss", not the SG1 episode.

There are certainly some new bits in there:

Spoiler:

Miller's Crossing is now #12? I thought it was #9.

Also, JM told us that "Rise of the Googlions" was the working title for part 1 of the Carson-Returns 2-parter. Could "Send in the Clones" be part 2? If so, it definately sheds light on what happens to him. Also..."My Deepspace Friend"?!

Remember PG15

Spoiler:

Even though Miller's Crossing is shooting 12th, it still maybe 9th in the airing order.

They do this all the time, you should know that.

[PG15]

Yes, I do know that, but when Alex said "episode 12" it makes it seem like it's airing 12th.

It's probably 9th though.

[prion]

http://blog.scifi.com/stargate/

June 14, 2007

The powers that be (often referred to as “TPTB”) said it couldn’t be done. “You can’t make it cool”, they said. “It’ll end up being goofy!” And they spoke from experience, because as many of you know, so many “creature features” end up looking more like the Muppet Show than Aliens. So that’s all Carl Binder heard when he pitched the idea and wrote the script for the Atlantis episode “Vengeance.”

Andy explained the challenges he faced… the creatures – 7 feet tall in their rubber suit and wearing prosthetics – could barely stand. The rubber suit was so cumbersome it took three helpers just to keep the monster from banging into the walls. And these are supposed to be agile, fearsome creatures, as you will see.

This week on SG-1, you’ll see “Dominion”. And check the credits people, because this one was conceived by a young and talented, up and coming writer who goes by the name of …. (drum roll, please)… ME. Yup, the kernel for this one was an idea that came to me late last season, like a flash of light.

The process of pitching is usually a bit gut-wrenching and this was no exception. The general rule of thumb is, the more people that are in the room when you pitch, the steeper the climb. It’s like threading six needles at once.

Full text at above link

[prion]

Oddly enough, there's no update, unless they're waiting for the 11th hour. Usually they have the blog up a day ahead....

[PG15]

Nope, not the 11th hour:

http://blog.scifi.com/stargate/

June 22, 2007

Then End of an Era

Stargate SG-1 has its final episode tonight, and it’s going to be a great… unending? You’ll see! So this morning I went around the office and gathered some sound bites from the writers and producers about the end of Stargate SG-1, the television series. Here’s what I got…

From Alan McCullough:

“What? Am I the first one? Do you have any examples?…” and then he realized I was writing it all down, so he added. “It’s a real shame… I felt like there were still stories left to tell and the characters were really starting to gel.”

From Kerry McDowell (Post Coordinator):

“So sad…”

From Paul Mullie:

“In my mind and in my heart the stories will continue.” And then he turned to Joe and said “Top that (*****)!”

[prion]

Nope, not the 11th hour:

http://blog.scifi.com/stargate/

June 22, 2007

and on SGA

On Atlantis, you’ll see “First Strike”, written by Martin Gero and directed by Martin Wood. Both Martin’s talked about the 90 second visual effects shot planned by Martin Gero. Martin Wood explained that nobody believed it would stay in the show. “Really?”, they kept asking. And yet, in each draft, there it was. And it stayed. Martin Gero defies anyone (DEFIES!) to find a longer visual effects shot in the history of television.

“First Strike” also features the introduction of two mainstays: Dr. Jennifer Keller, played by Jewel Staite (formerly of “Firefly”) who also played the Wraith child “Ellia” in a season two episode of Atlantis called “Instinct” and Colonel Ellis, played by Michael Beach (formerly of “Third Watch”). These are great actors who are going to make the show even better. Trust me on this one.