Joseph Mallozzi's Blog! (SPOILERS For All SG Shows and Dark Matter)

[PG15]

http://josephmallozzi.blogspot.com/2...r-11-2007.html

October 11, 2007

Photos: Chocolates, Cuts of Stargate episodes, and raw fish.

Video: Take another tour of the village set, because the last 2 years were just not enough time to showcase them fully.

Write-Up: Joe chips a tooth, and celebrates by getting, yep, you guessed it, chocolate. It's really cause and effect here folks. Joe also talks about his pilot, should Atlantis...you know. Also:

I returned home to find three discs sitting in my mailbox: a director’s cut of Outcast, a director’s cut of The Last Man, and a finished version of The Seer. The only one that couldn’t wait was the Product Cut A of Outcast…which wasn’t in my box. Hopefully, I’ll receive it soon so that I can review it, then swing by the studio tomorrow and make whatever tweaks need to be made before officially calling it a Prod 1 and sending it off to the network and studio for their input.

Questions:

Elizabeth writes: “1) What is the release date for Stargate Continuum? 2) Do you know what you want to happen when you start a TV series [like 'well, eventually Atlantis does blow up, the wraith will defeat the replicators, and in the third season the Doctor will die']?”

Answers: 1) No idea. 2) Sometimes.

Stargatemagic writes: “Will the next season involve evil plants?”

Answer: Next season will be all about evil plants and misunderstood marsupials.

MenNuniform writes: “Which has more Shep whump, Doppelganger or Travelers?”

Answer: In my opinion - Doppelganger.

Emily writes: “You know the scene in 'Adrift' where Carter and Dr. Lee are floating around weightless? How was that filmed?”

Answer: Wires, green screen, and, I believe, a skateboard.

Sq27301 writes: “After the s4 premiere you said you should hear about the show's fate anytime in the next couple of weeks. Since almost two weeks have passed since then... Do you already know?”

Answer: I do not. Still waiting.

Fargate One writes: “who created Vala Mal Doran character?”

Answer: Robert C. Cooper.

(zzzzzzzzzuzzzzzzzzz)

[Linzi]

Well JM's blog's up! Where are our fearless blog reporters?

Some very nice piccies!

[prion]

http://josephmallozzi.blogspot.com/2...r-12-2007.html

Among the handful of story ideas I brought to the table when we first started spinning season four, was one involving Ronon and his bittersweet Reunion with friends long-thought dead. It was a story about life’s choices, going back or moving forward, as Ronon is faced with a gut-wrenching decision between the established loyalties of the past and the developing friendships of the present. That was the A story. The B story involved Carter assuming command of the Atlantis expedition. And the more I thought about this episode, the more it became obvious to me that there were definite parallels between the two stories. On the one hand, you had Ronon struggling to choose between the new life he has built on Atlantis and the life he left behind on Sateda. On the other hand, you have Carter who has made the decision to leave the life she built for herself at the SGC to travel to the Pegasus Galaxy and start a new life on Atlantis. In the case of Ronon, this is easy enough to convey through his scenes with his fellow Satedans at first, and, later, with his buddies on Atlantis. In Carter’s case, however, I felt it would be unsatisfying to simply have her step through the gate and onto Atlantis fait accompli. We needed to see her leave what she knew behind and so, I thought a goodbye at the SGC would be appropriate. Of course having all of SG-1 and O’Neill there would have been great - but prohibitively expensive given that they would only be appearing in the one scene. And so, I elected to go with one member of SG-1 to represent the team and her past. I chose Teal’c. I picked up the phone and called up Chris Judge. Because it was a very brief scene, the production was only prepared to pay a nominal fee, so I was ready to give Chris the big pitch. But I didn’t have to. Before I could even get into it, he responded: “Sure, whatever you guys need.” I was so impressed that, right then and there, I vowed we would bring Teal’c back for a real non-nominal-fee appearance in the back half of the season. But that’s a story for another time - or, more specifically, when Midway air.

When I finished the script, and even after viewing the finished episode, I was a little anxious because, unlike the preceding two episodes - Adrift and Lifeline - which were almost non-stop action, Reunion is more of a slow burn. When the action does kick in, it is fast and furious, boasting some of the best fight sequences we’ve ever done (kudos to Bam Bam, Jason M., and guest star Mark Dacoscas for doing such a brilliant job), but the lead up is all about Ronon and the bonds he has formed (with his fellow Satedans, with Teyla, with Sheppard, with Atlantis in general) and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Carter and the relationships she is developing (with McKay, with Sheppard, with Atlantis in general) - and, of course, the relationship between Ronon and Carter - which gets off to a decidedly rocky start.

Oh, and to those of you asking about Lifeline ratings - I only have the raw number and, as was the case with Adrift, I say it would be irresponsible of me to reveal that until the DVR+3 comes out to make it an official rating. To those of you complaining that I released the number of Adrift on the Monday following the premiere - check again. When people asked back then, I said the same thing. I’m waiting for that frustratingly elusive DVR+3 which, I’ve been told, will honestly-truly-this-is-for-real finally be available next Monday or Tuesday. Seriously. It takes a weekend to figure out the same-day DVR numbers but almost 3 weeks to figure out a 3 day DVR number. Seriously! Are the results being hand-tabulated? Is it time for Neilsen Media Research to splurge on a computer upgrade? Scrap those Commodore 64’s for a brand spanking new VAIO’s or MAC? I’m starting up a collection.

Today’s pics: Oh, this and that.
1) Alien commissary - er, obviously alien planet where people sit and tables and have lunch
2) Uh, Mark Dacoscas ? sorry, i'm so used to this guy with LONG hair that the short hair always throws me
3) alien factory building, which reminds me sooo much of the alien factory building from the episode of SG1 where everybody had amnesia
4) sorta looks like atlantis stuck in sand
5) wraith ultrasound handset. oh oh... yup, for Teyla, from KINDRED part 2

Today’s video: Click on the date to take a stroll through the Phoenix.
http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/e...alkthrough.flv

Today’s mailbag:

Charles Schneider writes: “From first cut to final cut, how many hands does a single episode get passed to during the editing process?”

Answer: Too many to count but if I had to give you a number, I’d say approximately a lot.


Anonymous #1 writes: “Are you not giving out the ratings anymore?”

Answer: I have yet to give out any ratings for season four.


AmberMoon writes: “On the discs...one shows +1:09 over and the other shows +4:05...is this where you come in and cut the episode to within the required time limits?”

Answer: Yes it is.

Amz writes: “Is there a particular order to which episodes get finished first?”

Answer: Preferably, they would get finished in their air order - but that’s not always the case. Episodes are shot out of sequence, delaying some, moving others up, and the amount of visual effects in a given episode may also dictate delivery.

Amz also writes: “ What is the development process for an episode from editing to airing?”

Answer: In broad strokes: Editor’s cut - Director’s cut - Producer’s cut A - Producer’s Cut 1 - Day 1 Mix - Day 2 Mix - Final.

Anonymous #2 writes: “Joe promised that Carter would not overshadow the other SGA characters, but I'm beginning to have my doubts. Either that, or not all of TPTB got the same memo?”

Answer: Maybe you should watch the episode or, better yet, the fourth season, before you start complaining about Carter overshadowing the standing team. Just a thought.

[prion]

Well JM's blog's up! Where are our fearless blog reporters?

Some very nice piccies!

I was reading my mail, doing other stuff, then came over here

[Alipeeps]

Le bit Francais:

Atlantisfannew1 a ecrit: “1)Vous regarder beaucoup la TV? 2)Si vous viveriez sur la Cité d'atlantis, quel fonctions voudriez vous avoir?? 3)Quel alcool préférez vous???”

Reponses: 1) Oui, mais pas autant que la plupart des gens. 2) Chef. 3) J’aime l’avokaat.

Atlantisfannew1 wrote: “1) Do you watch a lot of TV? 2) If you could live in Atlantis, what job would you want to have? 3) What's your favourite alcohol?”

Answers: 1) Yes, but not as much as most people. 2) Chef. 3) I like advocaat.

[morjana]

I made some printscreens from two of the lastest Joe M. video clips that I thought were interesting:

From the NEW ship, the Phoenix (interesting name for a new ship):



And from the walk through of the village:

[prion]

http://josephmallozzi.blogspot.com/2...r-13-2007.html

excerpts:

Well, judging from the feedback here and elsewhere, it looks like most of you enjoyed Reunion - .....

THE TEASE

Entry to the village: These types of scenes are always a pain in the butt because you write so many of them it’s always a challenge to make this one different - even though it’s basically the same thing: heroes walk into new town and are greeted by the locals. Given that we were heading into fairly heavy territory with the rest of the episode, I decided to go with a little humor. The thing that stood out for me with this scene is Ronon’s protective big brother reaction to the villager pestering Teyla. It’s the first of a number of these little moments that will pop up over the course of the season.

Teyla tussles with the Satedans: A fairly straight-forward scene designed to introduce the Satedans and convey their brash spirit. In the original script, after Tyre says “But the wraith don’t always need their own ears to hear” (an perhaps not-so-subtle reference to wraith worshipers), Teyla countered with “I am not a wraith worshiper” - but it was felt that it tipped the third act twist.

We learn that Carter will be assuming command: A number of fans were upset that McKay seemed far too cavalier given that they had just lost Weir in the last episode. The impression is that the events of Lifeline just happened a day or two ago and he’s already forgotten about her. Not true. In my mind, it’s been several weeks since the events of Lifelife and while the loss of Weir still resonates (as demonstrated in some later scenes), some time has passed. Presumably, Sheppard had assumed interim command for the expedition (since our standing enemies, the wraith and the replicators, have had their hands full fighting each other - as Sheppard makes mention when we first glimpse him) and all are anxiously awaiting the appointment of their new leader. Given what we know of Rodney, it makes sense that he would consider himself a perfect candidate, even the obvious choice for the position, not out of sheer selfishness or ego, but because he honestly feels he is the best person to contribute and help out in a big way.

ACT ONE

Carter gets Sheppard and McKay up to speed: Omitted. I’ll post the missing scene tomorrow along with my commentary.

The Satedans get reacquainted: Ronon reconnects with his old buddies. Besides the obvious desire to explain how the Satedans survived the attack on their home world and why Ronon never sought them out (he assumed they were dead), I wanted to start layering in Ronon’s feelings of loyalty toward his fellow Satedans and, most importantly, his guilt at having, in retrospect, abandoned them.

Carter says goodbye to Stargate Command: Yesterday’s blog entry pretty much covers this scene. For me, it was a passing of the torch and a thank you to SG-1 which laid the groundwork for Atlantis and, quite frankly, even made the spin-off possible. Only one slight difference between my original draft of this scene and the one we shot. In the original, the scene ends with the following dialogue - Carter: “Well, say goodbye again to everyone for me.” Teal’c: “You may tell them yourself. They are all awaiting you in the gate room.” In my mind, it was a nice suggestion that even though we didn’t see the rest of the team, they were there to support her. In everyone else’s mind, it felt like a bait-and-switch, suggesting that we were going to see the rest of the team and then cutting out of the scene before we did. So I revised the ending.

Carter arrives on Atlantis: In the original draft, and even in the shooting script, Carter’s speech was somewhat longer. In the original, Carter references Weir: “#Today, I assume command of the Atlantis expedition and, although I am honored to accept the appointment, I do so with mixed feelings because I come to you under very difficult circumstances. You've all been through a lot these past few weeks, suffered some significant losses including that of Dr. Elizabeth Weir. (beat) It hasn't been easy for you and having someone, especially an outsider, suddenly step in here and take command may be a little hard to accept. I understand that. Nevertheless, I want you to know that I've come here, committed to Atlantis, the expedition, but most of all, committed to each and every one of you. And I look forward to working with you all.” There were some objections to the reference in the room and, after much discussion, the reference was dropped.

The Satedans discuss fallen comrades: When Jason came back from hiatus, he surprised us with a new tattoo - so we found a way to work it into this episode. What better reason for him to get a new tattoo than to commemorate his reunion with his old buddies. If you happen to have recorded the episode, watch the scene from the top and note Rakai’s look of utter astonishment at being slapped. That aint acting folks. Jason decided a little ad-lib for the scene, warning actor beforehand with “I’m going to try something new, but you’re a big boy and I think you can take it.” In fact, all of the reactions are genuine including that of Ara who almost chokes on her drink. The scene also starts off with a little “trip down memory lane” that offers some amusing little revelations with regard to Ronon. Unfortunately, it didn’t make the cut either, but I’ll include the excerpt in tomorrow’s entry.

McKay drops in on Carter, as does Ronon: I didn’t want Carter to have an easy time of it, so right off the bat I have her butt heads with Ronon - and not back down. Also, given McKay’s “thing” for Carter in the past, I felt it imperative that it be addressed so that both characters could move on since the Rodney McKay of today has really grown from the Rodney McKay from Redemption I and II. By coming in and making reference to the “unrequited lust thing that’s been hanging over our head for what seems like forever”, it is Rodney’s way of saying “Hey, I know I had a thing for you in the past and that’s made things awkward for us, but I want you to know that things are going to be different now.” Rodney is delusional. He knows that the “unrequited lust thing” only went one way, but his ego won’t let him actually come out and admit it. And so, he dances and awkward dance around the fact and, in so doing, still gets the point across.

Tyre makes Ronon an offer: This is the scene in which Ronon begins to really feel to pressure of the choice he must inevitably make. And, within the body of their seemingly innocuous walk and talk, is not only a sense of the type of life these Satedans lead (says Tyre: “That's one of the nice things about not being tied down. You go where you want, and you leave when you're not wanted.”) but a reminder of the life Ronon left behind as a runner. More importantly, despite his fiery nature, Tyre doesn’t show the Atlantis personnel any disrespect, never trying to win Ronon over by belittling him but by playing a far more subtle game in appealing to his roots and sense of warrior loyalty.

ACT TWO

The Carter-Sheppard balcony scene: As some of you noticed, yes, this was a call back to the scene in Rising. The intent of the scene was to demonstrate that despite the circumstances, Elizabeth is still on their minds and they are not giving up on her. It was also an opportunity to demonstrate to not only contrast the differences, but highlight the similarities between the two strong women. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.

Teyla and Ronon spar: If anyone was going to have a heart to heart with Ronon about the decision he faced, it would be Teyla. But, obviously, he’s not the kind of guy to open up easily, so she literally had to beat the admission out of him. However, it’s pretty clear that Teyla has already guessed as much (shows how attuned she is to her friends - nothing gets past her). In much the same way that we can draw parallels between Ronon and Carter’s situation, Teyla offers a much stronger parallel given that she faced a very similar choice. And even though the decision was a difficult one, she ended up choosing not so much with her heart, but with her head. “#I can do more here to help my fellow Athosians, and the rest of the humans in this galaxy, than I ever could on my home world.” Well aware that Ronon is only thinking with his heart at this point, she appeals to his head.

Ronon and Sheppard talk: Given the relationship that these two had developed over the past couple of years, it was important that Sheppard should weigh in on Ronon’s decision. But how to say what needed to be said without seeming to earnest? Easy. Have him not say it. In the end, this turned out to be one of my favorite scenes of the episode.

Planning the op: Amidst the back and forth and the revelation regarding what the wraith are up to is the burgeoning resentment and palpable dislike these two teams have for one another.

Ronon makes the decision to leave: In the end, it’s his loyalty to his former friends and his concern for their safety (ie. he doesn’t want them to end up like Marika and Hemi) that dictate his decision. To those who have complained that the wraith-worshiper revelation robs Ronon of having to make the choice, the fact is he does make the choice here.

ACT THREE

Carter pays Ronon a visit: There was more to this scene off the top with direct references to some of the items Ronon has in his rooms (including that painting), all connections to his past. I’ll include the excerpt in tomorrow’s blog entry.

Flashbacks: What flashbacks? An earlier draft included flashbacks to Ronon’s past. They were designed to help cement the bond between Ronon and his buddies AND demonstrate his role as almost a big-brother to them (thus the reason he feels it necessary to rejoin them and keep them out of trouble). Again, watch for these in tomorrow’s entry.

The jumper ride: Tensions between the two teams threaten to boil over - and Ronon is caught in the middle. This scene is pretty much the same as in the original draft except that, in the first draft, rather than say: “Compared to us, you guys are amateurs.”, McKay says: “Yeah, we're definitely more headline material. We're The Rolling Stones to your Hootie and the Blowfish.”

The op goes awry: Ah, the best laid plans… Lots of fun with the firefight, but my favorite moments here are the small ones. The team splitting up and Ronon watching Shep and co. head off until Ara snaps him back. Ronon taking off to back up the Atlantis team the second he hears gunfire and realizes they’ve been engaged. In the original draft, in keeping with the gag from the previous scene, after stunning Rakai, McKay glowers down at McKay and mutters: “Who’s Hootie now?”.

The rest at the bog as hey, it won't fit.


No pics, no mail, but one video ....another take of the stroll through the sandstorm -
http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/e...Sandstorm2.flv

[Pegasus_SGA]

http://josephmallozzi.blogspot.com/2...r-13-2007.html

excerpts:



The rest at the bog as hey, it won't fit.


No pics, no mail, but one video ....another take of the stroll through the sandstorm -
http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/e...Sandstorm2.flv

Rest at the bog? *snort* Did you find the ep crappy, Prion?

*runs and hides*

I loved all the thoughts and behind the decisons. Great write up, and what do you know, I was actually right on quite a few things. Fancy that!

[Killdeer]

Rest at the bog? *snort* Did you find the ep crappy, Prion?

*runs and hides*

Hey, she's just keeping in the spirit of the blog, which had quite a few typos tonight I noticed. But hey, it's forgivable since we got such juicy background on the episode. I'd love to have background like this for each epiosde - wouldn't that be great?

[Princess Awinita]

I wonder if he is going to do no mailbag on the day-after-the-episode-airs post? JM is a sweet guy

[prion]

Rest at the bog? *snort* Did you find the ep crappy, Prion?

*runs and hides*

I loved all the thoughts and behind the decisons. Great write up, and what do you know, I was actually right on quite a few things. Fancy that!

What?You've never heard of the bogosphere?

[Pegasus_SGA]

Hey, she's just keeping in the spirit of the blog, which had quite a few typos tonight I noticed. But hey, it's forgivable since we got such juicy background on the episode. I'd love to have background like this for each epiosde - wouldn't that be great?

I have blurred vision after too much posting, so didn't see any mistakes, I must have been drooling over the sand whumpage and thus my brain once more turned to mush!

What?You've never heard of the bogosphere?

Nope, it sounds very rude, and something that should only be discussed with your doctor.

[Killdeer]

Nope, it sounds very rude, and something that should only be discussed with your doctor.

Oh stop, you're killing me here. ROFL.

[Pegasus_SGA]

Oh stop, you're killing me here. ROFL.

Ooh can't have that! Killing off members might get me modded, and then where would I cause mayhem, chaos and anarchy! I wonder what the infractions worth on that bad boy!

Mods?

[prion]

http://josephmallozzi.blogspot.com/2...r-14-2007.html

He posted actual dialogue so visit blog (not bog) for all the details. Too long to repost here.

Well, as promised yesterday, today’s blog entry will be dedicated to those scenes and excerpts that didn’t make the final cut of Reunion. Tomorrow, back to the food and fun.

TEASE

Teyla and Ronon walk and talk as they enter the village: I completely forgot about this little exchange as it never made it past the first draft because one of the writers felt it was nothing but vamp. I thought it was fun, a call-back, and offered some good-natured ribbing between the two friends but, hey, in the end the episode didn’t miss it.

RONON: “Chuck the technician?”

TEYLA: “No! Ronon, you are mistaken in what you've heard. I harbor no secret feelings for anyone on the base.”

ACT ONE

Carter gets Sheppard and McKay up to speed: When an episode is running as long as the director’s cut of Reunion, you realize that all of the cuts aren’t going to come out of the body of scenes. Whenever possible, you’re going to lose some scenes - and this was one we could lose. It came away clean and didn’t effect the overall narrative, but I do miss it because it reinforces the reasons Carter was appointed to the command position on Atlantis. In the first draft, I made a point of having her mention that Richard Woolsey put in a good word for her with the I.O.A., helping her nomination.

Ronon and his fellow Satedans catch-up in the tavern: A fun little glimpse at a surprisingly artistic pre-Runner Ronon here that we ended up cutting for time. It offered a more playful exchange between the old friends. Paul strongly objected to the “beautiful singing voice” line:


ACT THREE

Carter pays Ronon a visit: The heart of this scene remained pretty much intact, but I ended up losing a discussion regarding the various unique items Ronon has in his room - which, ultimately, was little more than a preamble to the real conversation. This chunk came away easily enough.


The Flashbacks: There were two, one earlier in the script, the other here (although, in the first draft, Carter‘s visit to Ronon played even earlier). They were designed to convey the strong bond between the Satedans and the fact that Ronon was almost like a big brother to them - someone they depended on in the past. It offered a glimpse at Marika and Hemi, the lost Satedans. It also showed a softer side of Ronon and, for that reason, I was reluctant to lose them but the episode was already running long and so, in the end, we saved the production time (and money) and these scenes were never shot.

ACT FOUR

McKay and the replicator converse: Again, this entire scene came away easily enough and, in retrospect, I’m glad it did as, in retrospect: a) it really added nothing to the episode, and b) there’s nothing less scary than a chatty replicator.

ACT FIVE

Sheppard and Carter talk: This scene was intended to develop the friendship/working relationship between these two characters and close out the episode, but we were long and I thought it would be preferable to end with the Ronon-Teyla scene since it was Ronon’s episode.

Today’s pics: Snaps from the last week of production.

Today’s video: None today.

Today’s mailbag:

AMZ writes: “Is there a reason the producer's cuts are called "Producer’s cut A" and "Producer’s Cut 1" (why not "A" and "B" or "1" and "2")? And what is the difference between the Day 1 Mix and Day 2 Mix?”

Answers: The Producer’s cut A reflects an internal cut that will go through another edit before becoming a Prod cut 1 - which is the version that goes out to the network and studio. On occasion, we may bypass the Prod cut A, label it a Prod cut 1, and send it out. The Day 2 Mix is the next version of a mix (which includes music and sound effects) after the notes on the Day 1 Mix have been incorporated.

Foolishpleasure writes: “why didn't Sheppard, or any of the military personnel on Atlantis, salute Carter when she came through the gate and took command of Atlantis?”

Answer: Seahen already answered this one - “ The Air Force only salutes indoors during formal ceremonies and arriving through the gate is not a formal ceremony.” We did check with the Air Force on this one.

Anonymous #1 writes: “How much of the Sheppard backstory that Joe Flanigan wrote was used in Outcast?”

Answer: None. The idea that Joe pitched us (which was a verbal pitch by the way and not a written document) had to do with the action element/door into the story. The writers came up with the entire Sheppard backstory in the room.

Shawna writes: “As far as Carter's speech, it seemed a bit weird to me. Not anything she said, just the fact that it seemed she was making it to whoever happened to be wandering around the general area of the control room about the time she was scheduled to arrive. "Each and every one of you" seemed a bit odd when she's only talking to a handful of people, a tiny portion of all the people on Atlantis.”

Answer: I had originally envisioned this scene with a heck of a lot more people. As it turned out, there were only about 20 extras on the day - in my mind, they were the various department heads - which is why the speech was trimmed. Also, Carter’s “each and every one of you” is meant to imply not just them but all of the Atlantis personnel.

Sharma Stancil writes: “I would love to know if Ronon and Sheppard are/were supposed to have a long & bruising (for Sheppard) stickfight scene??? I think you alluded to it (WITH pictures) in an earlier blog, but now I can't seem to find it any longer. Were those scenes deleted or something???”

Answer: Wrong episode. You’re thinking of This Mortal Coil.