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

[PG15]

That explains things.

[Jumper_One]

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...009-a-sad-day/

April 30, 2009

Stargate suffered the loss of a loved and respected member of our extended family yesterday with the sudden passing of Nora O’Brien. Before becoming Vice President of Drama Programming for NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios, Nora was VP of Original Programming at SciFi Channel where, for several years, she oversaw the production of both Stargate: SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis. She was intelligent, skilled, highly-focused and, above all, a genuinely kind and caring individual.

Back on January 22 of 2007, I dedicated a blog entry to the often exasperating process of taking script notes. I wrote: “Still, good notes will not only make the script better, but they will make you a better writer. Bad notes, on the other hand, only serve to frustrate and occasionally cause you to question the intelligence of the person delivering them. For instance, while I may not agree with all of their notes, I respect the people I work with enough to value their input because, more often than not, they’re right. The same can be said for SciFi’s Nora O’Brien who always bring a sharp perspective to every script. In this respect, I am spoiled.”

And working with Nora, we WERE spoiled because, at the end of the day, she wasn’t just a network representative giving us notes but someone whose passion for her work and devotion to the franchise made her an ally, supporter, and friend. She was our champion at Sci-Fi - ever-approachable; always willing to lend a sympathetic ear.

Almost two years ago, Nora left SciFi for a position with NBC. At the time, I wrote: “It turned out to be great news for Nora O’Brien who, on the heels of a well-deserved promotion, will be leaving SciFi for NBC where she will assume the duties of VP of Development. As many of you long-time readers of this blog know, I’m a big Nora fan. She’s a pleasure to work with - smart, savvy, creative, and, well, just one hell of a nice person on both a professional and personal level. [… ] And so, to be perfectly candid, while I’m thrilled to see Nora move up and on to hopefully bigger and better things, a selfish little part of me is kind of bummed. I know I speak for Paul, Rob, Brad, Martin, Carl, and Alan when I say we’re really going to miss her. Nevertheless, congratulations to Nora. Maybe some day, if and when Stargate ever ends, we’ll get the chance to work together again.”

I’m saddened that I’ll never get that chance.

[Jumper_One]

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May 1, 2009

Photos: Actors David Blue and Christopher McDonald on the Icarus set, SGU console, Michael Shanks


I’m well into the rewrite of Space, episode #11 of Stargate: Universe, and finally got it down to a full 46 pages from a robust 54 (and that’s down from its original 60!). Paring down the dialogue, stripping away some of the superfluous beats, but still maintaining a lot of the character beats that Rob and Co. responded to in the original version (the Boone scene, the James beats, that thing with the sock). Hope to have a nice, tight, revised draft for when everyone comes back in about a week.

Yes, that‘s right. About a week. Things are going to be very quiet at The Bridge for a while as production of the show shifts to New Mexico. Andy Mikita, who‘s already there, sent some great pics of the location gate at White Sands. Hopefully, him and the rest of the gang won’t suffer a repeat of the location scout scenario that saw their truck give out on them in the middle of nowhere, causing them to weigh the option of hiking the twelve miles back to civilization before eventually being rescued (Thank you, OnStar!). And, hopefully, I’ll be able to share those location gate pics with you in time - but, in the meantime, here’s a behind-the-scenes snap from the two-hour premiere, Air I and II - actors David Blue and Chris McDonald on the Icarus set, Stage 5.

Although the Atlantis script is back in Paul’s hand, I went over my last draft today in search of opportunities for some downtime character moments. I found a couple and, over the next couple of days, I’ll have to decide which character relationships I’m going to explore and how. I’d prefer to go with something less obvious…maybe a Sora/Jinto scene:

Sora: Thank the gods, I thought they had forgotten about me! I’ve been trapped down here for three years!

Jinto: That’s nothing. I got lost playing hide and seek four years ago and nobody even noticed I was gone.

Hey, you guys are truly inspirational. Paul and I have a pilot script we’ve been dying to go out with but haven’t on account of our continuing commitment to the Stargate franchise. Well, the other day, Shawna Buchanan (I believe it was you, Shawna) posted a comment asking whether I might be interested in writing for comics. I replied that, yes, I had an original series kicking around - that I kicked around even more after that day’s mailbag. I got in touch with my agent and floated the idea by him. His response was: “Are you psychic?” I admitted I was slightly psychic and somewhat synesthesiac (Matrix II and III taste like terrible!). He informed me that he had just had a conversation with a major comic book publisher interested in potential film and t.v. properties. Did I have a pitch prepared? Did I! I pitched out the broad strokes of the story and he seemed very excited, suggested we set up a conference call. So, sometime next week, I’ll be pitching them the idea and, if all goes well, Paul and I may be on our way to working on our very own comic book series. Unfortunately, neither Paul nor I can draw so we’d need to track down an artist. Hey, I wonder what former Stargate: Atlantis Production Designer James Robbins is doing? Oh, right. He’s working as the Production Designer for Stargate: Universe, coming up with stuff like this -

So, looking ahead to next week, I have the comic book pitch, those Atlantis scenes to write, the revised draft of Space to go over and, oh yeah, that short story to finish up. I’ve only been working on it for seven months now and it’s almost done. Also genre-specific, but not the genre you’re thinking of. I’ve got the next seven days to go over it, send it Kellie’s way, get some feedback, another couple of weeks to do the rewrite, and then it’s in my editors hands. And, if he likes it, I plan to join him and the rest of the writers of the anthology for a San Diego Comic Con appearance - in 2010.

Of course, I’d love to make an appearance at this year’s Comic Con, partly so I can say hi to all of you in person, and partly to track down those two Bowen supervillain statues (Juggernaut and The Scorpion) I missed out on when they first came out. They’ll grace my office shelves alongside the likes of Darkseid, Magneto, Apocalypse, Doctor Doom, and, perhaps, this lovely piece of artwork actor Michael Shanks seems very attached to -

Mailbag returns tomorrow with, hopefully, that long overdue visit to the Icarus set.

[Alan]

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...ojects-galore/

May 1, 2009

Photos: Actors David Blue and Christopher McDonald on the Icarus set, SGU console, Michael Shanks

Oh! VERY nice update! Certainly Stargate-packed! Thanks for the heads-up on the update, Jumper!

[Ishay]

sgu updates

runs from spolers

[SGFerrit]

So they ARE going to White Sands? That should make for a great alien planet.

White Sands:

Spoiler:

[Jumper_One]

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...omic-round-up/

May 2, 2009 - Part 1

Photos: Dark Avengery
s, Daredevil, Frank Castle The Punisher, Irredeemable


I’ve discovered that I’m much less productive on a) days when I miss my morning work-out, b) following a sleepless night spent cleaning up after a nauseous French bulldog, c) when I’m distracted by chores such as laundry, taking my dog to the vet, and planting those herb plants my wife bought for me that have been sitting behind the kitchen sink for almost a week, and d)after eating an enormous bowl of Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Tracks and Haagen Daz’s Dulce de Leche ice cream. So suffice it to say today was most unproductive.

From a writing standpoint anyway. I did get the laundry done, plant those herb plants, drop off Lulu at the vet (They suspect kennel cough which may or may not explain her inability to keep anything down but want to keep her overnight for observation.), and babysat Brie (the other, tinier French bulldog) for the day.

And did some reading. As I work my way through the vast multitude of comic book titles out there, dropping the many that fail to capture my interest, continuing with the few that do, I’m noticing a bit of a trend. Of the 19 books that have interested me enough to pick up subsequent issues, 14 are Marvel, 4 are DC, and 1 is Other. After today, make that Marvel 17, DC 4, and Other 2.

Dark Avengers #1-4 - Writer: Brian Michael Bendis, Art: Mike Deodato

I’ve always been a big fan of villains (my office décor is “supervillain chic”), so I suppose it shouldn’t be all that surprising how much I’m enjoying Dark Avengers. Former Spiderman nemesis Norman Osborn, riding a vast wave of public support following the events of the Skrull Invasion, has disbanded S.H.I.E.L.D. (the Marvel Universe’s long-standing international intelligence agency once headed by Nick Fury) and replaced it with his own organization, H.A.M.M.E.R. In addition, he has refashioned The Avengers, filling the team roster with killers and kooks and appointing himself leader (after appropriating one of Tony Stark’s Iron Man suits and becoming The Iron Patriot). Of course, mercenaries and lunatics do not make the best of heroes, to say nothing of dependable teammates, so a lot of the fun in Dark Avengers comes from the personality clashes and various fish out of water scenarios as these self-serving sorts attempt to, at the very least, put on a good public show. Their trial by fire first op felt more a convenient canvas upon which Bendis paints some deeply rich and textured characters (always his forte). Sure, I suppose the action is important to the average comic book fan but, for me, the success of this title rests entirely in Bendis’s ability to expertly juggle his players. I’m hooked.

Daredevil #116-118 - Writer: Ed Brubaker, Penciler: David Aja (#116), Michael Lark & Stefano Guadiano (#117), Michael Lark, John Lucas, & Stefano Guadiano (#118)

If one were looking for comparable heroes in the DC/Marvel universes, one would be hard-pressed to find two more like comic book icons than Batman and Daredevil. Both are, at their core, regular human beings who have made the most of the bad hand life has dealt them, relying on their brains and physical prowess to give them the edge in their ongoing battle against the city’s criminal elements. And, unlike the rogues gallery of other heroes, Batman and Daredevil’s foes tend not to be super powered but, like them, extraordinary individuals. Gotham and Hell’s Kitchen are as dark and brooding as the heroes who protect them and thus the stories in both books tend toward the noir and the gritty. But whereas Batman’s multiple titles embrace the big event, crossing and criss-crossing storylines to test the patience of all but the hardiest of hardcore fans, Daredevil is a comparatively cleaner read, tenacious and tightly structured. Writer Ed Brubaker strikes an effective balance in his narrative, often sparing his prose in favor of allowing the art tell the story. In this latest adventure, long-time underworld figure The Kingpin is forced out of retirement and returns to the big city in search of revenge. His target: the mystical cabal of assassins known as The Hand. But a potential complication presents itself in the form of his old enemy Daredevil. Will the city’s protector stand in the way of The Kingpin’s retribution, or is this a case of “My enemy’s enemy is my friend”? The answer may surprise.

I’m enjoying this title so much that I’ve hit my local comic book stores in a bid to amass Brubaker’s Daredevil-run-to-date in collected form.

Frank Castle The Punisher #66-69 - Writer: Duane Swierczynski, Artist:Michael Lacombe

Of all the characters in the Marvel stable, The Punisher is, in my opinion, the easiest one to get wrong. All too often, writers fall in love with the vigilante persona, reveling in the over-the-top violence to such a degree that the character is transformed into a caricature, the stories silly and simple vignettes leeched of any real drama. But in this incarnation, writer Duane Swierczynski does right by The Punisher, weaving a D.O.A.-inspired tale that highlights a surprisingly sympathetic but still-scary-as-hell Frank Castle. Yes, it’s shocking, and, yes, it’s violent, but it never feels gratuitous, helping to tell the story rather than becoming it.

The Punisher is kidnapped. He awakens to learn he has been injected with a deadly toxin. In order to earn the antidote, he’ll have to kill someone. He doesn’t have a choice in the matter. Well, actually - and much to the horror of those who set it up - he does…

Irredeemable #1 - Writer: Mark Waid, Artist: Peter Krause

Well, whaddya know. I happen to mention Mark Waid in my last comic round-up and - lo and behold! - here he is again, this time as the writer of Irredeemable from publisher Boom Studios (where Waid presides as Editor-in-Chief). The author of Kingdom Come (one of my Top 5 graphic novels) is back at it, deconstructing superhero archetypes in compelling fashion. Square-jawed ultra-hero The Plutonian has gone darkside and his former teammates need to find out why before he comes after them. Twists and turns abound.

[Jumper_One]

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...omic-round-up/

May 2, 2009 - Part 2

Photos: Dark Avengery
s, Daredevil, Frank Castle The Punisher, Irredeemable


Mailbag:

StevenG writes: “What kind of art style are you looking for for your pitch?”

Answer: It’ll be a verbal phone pitch covering the basic series premise and first (or first couple) of issues. No visuals necessary, but thanks anyway.

JJ writes: “I assume that SGU crew wouldn’t take a long break in the mid-production, because SG1 and SGA movie will may both start producing this fall, right?”

Answer: The production always takes a mid-season summer hiatus. It gives the cast and crew the chance to recharge, the writers to finish up some more scripts, and the Art and Construction departments to build some new sets.

Ultracurious writes: “1. In various episodes (Paradise Lost, for example) he has noticed the sounds of Elk calling in the background. Is this a happy accident of nature where the episode was shot, or added later to sound more ‘alien-y’?

2. Please, please, please! settle this argument once and for all. Why don’t the Goa’uld use Jaffa as hosts?”

Answers: 1. The background animal noises are added later in post-production. By the way, that wasn’t an elk your husband heard but a “space elk”. I can understand the confusion though.

2. Simply put, the Goa’uld don’t see the Jaffa that way. They are their warriors and incubators. That is their role.

Delynn writes: “In the episode “1969? Teal’c says that if they don’t get back to the future and are forced to remain in the past, eventually his goa’uld will mature and take him as a host.”

Answer: Which was an improvisation on Chris’s part that really doesn’t jibe with the show mythology. But, oh well…

Jennie writes: “In the Atlantis movie, is there any chance for a romantic partner for Sheppard?”

Answer: Oh, sure, nothing is impossible.

Montrealer writes: “You got any Lobo items in your comic collectibles collection?”

Answer: Not a one. Not a fan.

Platschu writes: “1. Can you tell us the name of the 9th episode, if “Justice” became the 10th episode?

2. Can we expect other exotic shooting locations next to New Mexico in the second half of this season? Is it cheaper than building a set or make it in green screen?

3. Will any Atlantis actor make a cameo in SG:U? I will accept a simple yes or no, so if you want to keep the information as a surprise, than don’t say the name of the actor!

4. Do MGM and the writers plan to make a second Atlantis and fourth SG-1 movie next year after the shooting of the second season of SG:U at autumn-winter, or do you have to DVD sales number of the second wave?

5. Have you seen the recut version of Children of the gods? Will it be released really as a three disc set? Can you tell us when?

6. Which actor or actess has surprised you with his or her acting skill after the audition? Has ever happened that a shooted scene became even better as you imagined it on script?

7. You mentioned the SG:U team won’t be international. Was this creative decision influenced by Atlantis, or do the writers support character moments in SG:U rather than different nationalities? Will SG:U deal with different religions, environment protection, not sexual or ethnic minorities or other actual problems?

8. Is it true that SyFy and MGM have ordered season 2 too? There were rumors on the net about it and it would calm down every fan that SG:U is in no danger.

9. How do you expect to reach bigger rating, if the nuber of DVR is still growing? I mean you can make the best SG series ever, but I fear significantly more viewer won’t pay and watch SyFy only for SG:U.

10. Do you miss the “Budapest” restaurant and Hungarian foods?”

Answers: 1. Sure. Life.

2. Traveling all the way to New Mexico to shoot is definitely NOT the cheaper option.

3. It’s possible.

4. It’s way too early to tell. As of now, we’re only concentrating on the two movies on deck.

5. I haven’t. I have no idea what the plans are for its release.

6. The entire cast has surprised us in one great way or another over the past few months.

7. They won’t be international because they weren’t intended to be part of any expedition. They’re the wrong people in the wrong place at the wrong time.

8. Nope. I don’t expect to hear about a season two pick-up until this winter.

9. Nielsen ratings are down across the board, but that doesn’t mean networks should stop broadcasting shows. It’s simple become necessary to take other factors (like DVR) into consideration when judging a show’s performance.

10. I do but the owners have apparently opened up a new European restaurant close to the studio. Haven’t tried it yet though.

Trekkiegirlt writes: “Arggg! Joe you’re going to practically be in my back yard! I live in Dallas and my family and I go to the White Sands every year and sled down the dunes!
I feel and powerful force pulling me towards the gate!
So how would fans who showed up be treated??? “

Answer: Considering the location is a good dozen miles from civilization in the middle of nowhere, they’d probably think you were nuts and run for their lives.

Major D. Davis writes: “Do you enjoy me commenting regularly at your blog or should i leave?”

Answer: Feel free to stick around. Trust me, I’ll let you know what gets annoying.

Ytimyona writes: “ Any chance we’ll get to see what gets left on the cutting room floor on this blog instead???”

Answer: It’s more than likely that MGM would put it up on their site.

Dankriss writes: “Only one comment why did the guys change the ‘old’ sets…”

Answer: We have a limited amount of stage space and it doesn’t make sense to pay rent on a stage holding a set we may or may not use.

I Need Coffee writes: “Now that both SGU and SGA are “off-air”, are there any plans to publish any of the scripts of the series?”

Answer: I’m unaware of any plans to do so. Sorry.

[Jumper_One]

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...o-icarus-base/

May 3, 2009

Photos: Carl Binder, Stage 5 corridor, the Icarus Base Gate, the old Briefing Room, the Bay window view,


Back in early February, Carl and I wandered down to Stage 5 to check out the work in progress. After 11+ years as Stargate Command - gate room, control room, briefing room, and General’s office - it was finally undergoing a complete transformation. The control room and gate room, once separated by fictional wall, glass, and sliding blast doors, was now an open expanse, a metal walkway running from the nerve center directly through the gate. The surrounding corridors and control room had been given a new paint treatment, with touches of protruding rock suggestive of a rough and recent off-world construction. The upstairs briefing room had been emptied of its SGC trappings. Gone was that old table that served us well for countless years, chipped and scratched in so many places that directors were forced to choose their camera angles judiciously. The vast window that once looked down on the gate had been walled up. In a few short days, it would be a dining area. And, a month after that, the headquarters of Homeworld Command.

I was admittedly wistful. After all, I’d written for those standing sets for seven great years and, suddenly, they were gone. But eventually, as the new sets took shape, that initial melancholy gave way to excitement at the prospect of the upcoming Stargate: Universe series and the third SG-1 movie. Over the course of the next few weeks, the sets were finished and, as impressive as they were on those casual strolls, they were ten times more impressive once properly lit and engaged. And then ten times more impressive than that when we first saw them in dailies.

For now, I leave you with pics of the early stages of construction, Stargate Extreme Home Makeover - Phase 1.…

[morjana]

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...o-icarus-base/

May 3, 2009

Photos: Carl Binder, Stage 5 corridor, the Icarus Base Gate, the old Briefing Room, the Bay window view,

...For now, I leave you with pics of the early stages of construction, Stargate Extreme Home Makeover - Phase 1.…

Oh...sniff, sob, sniff...

Goodbye old SGC sets!

Welcome SGU sets!

[TwiceBorn]

I'm still grieving the SGC to be happy about SGU. It really desturbs me. I mean, does this mean there won't be the SGC on the new SG-1 movie?

[ScifigirlSG]

The producers have said they would use CGI.

[morjana]

The producers have said they would use CGI.

Or maybe the 3rd SG1 movie all takes place off world...

[thekillman]

hello! they can always rebuild the SGC, parts of it, or do some CGI. its not like its eternally gone. they might add some trinkets to the icarus base set and turn it SGC again. there might be changes, yes, but its not like its forever gone

[leiasky]

I'm still grieving the SGC to be happy about SGU. It really desturbs me. I mean, does this mean there won't be the SGC on the new SG-1 movie?

I'm thinking they've moved the SGC to Icarus so there won't be any need for the SGC as we knew it any more.

I'm totally excited about seeing Homeworld Security/Command, tho! We're heard about it for years but have never seen it.