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

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April 13, 2010

Photos: Bubba, Lulu, Maximus, Jelly


My dog-sitter sent me the following snaps she took of the pooches while I was away in Montreal.

Is it just me, or do all four seem a little melancholy, no doubt missing me terribly and reflecting back on happier times like our weekend walks, couch sprawls, and the last time they had something to eat.

Well, I’m pleased to report that I’ve cleared a HUGE hurdle. That early in Resurgence that had been giving me fits is finally done. I can now move forward, complete Act I and then it’s smooooooooooooth sailing. Until the next unforeseen issue.

Getting past this infernal scene is a big relief, especially with the first day of principal photography on Awakening fast-approaching. Day 1 = Friday, over on Stage 4. I put out my yellow pages today, incorporating everything Director Andy Mikita and I discussed in the concept meeting and in the various other chats we had in my office, in his office, in the corridor, or passing each other on the stairs. There’s A LOT going on in this episode and it’s great to have someone as talented as Andy calling the shots on set. I, of course, will be spending some time on set with him while the episode shoots, on hand to answer any questions and stand in exactly the wrong spot whenever equipment is being moved. I also get to spend time with the cast. I hear that Brian J. Smith is a super nice guy. Can’t wait to meet him.

After lunch today, Paul, Carl, Remi, Lawren, and I took a tour of the new sets. In a word: Wow! That work of art on Stage 5? Carl feels it’s the best set we’ve ever built for the franchise and I have to agree. The cast and crew will certainly get a work-out going up and down those stairs but still… Did I already say “Wow?”.

Carl put out his revised writer’s draft of The Greater Good late this afternoon – just to spite Paul who spent the day in editing, working on the producer’s cut of episode 1, Intervention. It’s six seconds over and I can’t wait to see it. Andy’s Director’s cut was great! Brad, meanwhile, put out a full pink draft of Cloverdale. It’s one of those scripts the cast will LOVE working on it. They’re going to have tons of fun. Fun isn’t a word I’d use to describe the episode presently in production, Aftermath. Great, yes, but heavy. It packs a huge emotional wallop. Rob, Remi, Linda, and I continue to work on our respective scripts while Paul starts thinking about the second part of the mid-season two-parter.

That cold that’s been winding its way through the production offices has finally found me (I was hiding under my desk at the time). Feeling somewhat miserably but my spirits are buoyed by the fact that I can look forward to working on my taxes later tonight.

WTF?!! I’ve just been informed that today is Tuesday, not Wednesday! How the hell did that happen? What was that phantom day I just lived through?

News of note:

Thinking of producing your own movie? Well head on over to Forbes.com and check out: Movie Genres That Make The Most Money – http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/personal...the-most-money

Two convicts escaped from a maximum security penitentiary in Argentina and successfully evaded a police manhunt by: a) Gunning their way out of trouble, b) having an accomplice pick them up in a helicopter or, c) dressing up as sheep. Hint: it’s not a) or b). http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...-as-sheep.html

I’m waiting for the complete box set of this North Korean t.v. series to come out on DVD. It should be about the size of my house: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=10348486

“Two strips of bacon, two slices of cheese and a healthy dollop of the Colonel’s Sauce all sandwiched between (insert drum roll please) two thick and juicy filets of deep-fried chicken.” Ladies and gentlemen, I present KFC’s new “Double Down Sandwich… http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/yahoocana...ich_on_america

Heavy.com offers up their list of the Top 20 Worst Saturday Morning Cartoons. Chuck Norris Karate Kommandos? Seriously? http://www.heavy.com/comedy/2010/03/...ning-cartoons/

Models striking weird poses. I dunno. Maybe it’s art? http://thechive.com/2010/04/12/model...ver-22-photos/

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April 14, 2010

Photos: James “Bam Bam” Bamford, Stage 4, Stage 5, other sets, meeting


So the plan was simple enough: dedicate the day to completing the first act of my script. I’d already hit the twelve page mark and really only envisioned another two or three pages to go before landing on that Dum-Dum-Daaaaah moment that takes us to commercial. Two or three pages. And I had an entire day to write them! How hard could that be? Well…

No sooner do I get into the office this morning than I’m headed downstairs for a tech tour of the various sets. On Stage 6, Director Andy Mikita breaks down the shots, offering up a play-by-play of the entries and exits, considerations and confrontations, and, of course, the big reveal. I find myself standing beside our kick-ass Stunt Coordinator James “Bam Bam” Bamford.

After chatting about THE-Next-Big-Action-Star Jason Momoa, he demonstrates a couple of lightning fast wrist locks that threaten to snap my arm like kindling. The man is dangerous – in a respectable and thoroughly lovable sort of way. Next time you see him at a con, do ask him to run through his inventory of grabs, holds, and locks. Make sure to make a special request for a little something I like to call The Pop ‘n Squeal. Tell ‘im Joe sent you.

Then, it’s the long hike across the lot to Stage 4.

There, we climb the stairs up to the second level and check out that inhumanly narrow space. It’s gonna be tight – but very cool!

A walk around the corner into the next room leads to a discussion on lighting and camera placement. Producer John G. Lenic waves me down with one hand, the other holding the cell phone up to his ear: “Yeah, Joe’s with me. We’re on our way.” And we’re trekking back across the lot where the rest of the gang awaits us in Stage 5.

Up another flight of stairs to another second level set: this one the BIG one.

We discuss paint treatments and windows, effects practical and visual, stopping every so often and falling dead silent whenever the alarm sounds to let us know they are rolling downstairs. Eventually, everyone is on the same page. And good thing too. We start shooting in here tomorrow.

We take Remi on an impromptu tour of the other sets -

By the time I get back to my office, I just have time to unpack my laptop and down breakfast before I’m in the conference room for the production meeting. Although the script is a robust 54 pages long, two separate timings have it coming in “to time”. Compare this to Paul’s script, Intervention, that, at 48 pages in length, ended up coming in six minutes long. Carl was quick to point out that page count is deceiving. Paul, like Rob Cooper, tends to write very tight, packing the page. I, on the other hand, prefer a far more flexible style that sees me giving each prospective shot its own action direction.

For instance, while Paul’s script may look something like this:

INT. DESTINY – CONTROL INTERFACE ROOM – DAY

Eli is working at a console when he hears something. He turns. REVEAL Young standing at the entrance. He throws Eli a sour look. Eli redirects his attention back to his console. ONSCREEN we see an image of the ship’s schematic. Eli points at – the holo screen that flashes up. He’s watching Lost.

While mine may look something like this:

INT. DESTINY – CONTROL INTERFACE ROOM – DAY

Eli is working at a console when he hears something. He turns.

REVEAL Young standing at the entrance. He throws Eli a sour look.

Eli redirects his attention back to his console.

ONSCREEN we see an image of the ship’s schematic.

Eli points at -

The holo screen that flashes up. He’s watching Lost.

This only becomes an issue when it comes time to board the episode. On the surface, it would seem that my script may take longer to shoot but, in reality, 8 pages of Joe script actually equal about 7 pages of Paul script.

Anyway, we kick off the production meeting with a special birthday announcement and an off-key rendition of Happy Birthday to Kerri after which A.D. Bill Mizel breaks down the shooting schedule. Then, we go through the script one last time. Julie reminds the department heads that their final budgets were due and that is that.

I follow Ashleigh’s lead and have a veggie burger for lunch. The bun is disquietingly chew. We watch the dailies and, finally, I’m back in my office. I actually start work on the script, revising the already revised dialogue from the previous scenes and am about to break new ground when Andy poked his head into my office and suggests I join them in the writers’ room for VFX Supervisor Mark Savela’s show-and-tell.

More discussion. A change in approach that will cause me to rethink a scene in my soon-to-be-shot script. Even more discussion. A change in the change in approach. All is well.

I return to my office and have just settled in to do some writing – when Ashleigh walks in and informs me that everyone has gathered to watch the producer’s cut of Intervention. Fer crying out loud!!! Ashleigh scurries off, fearful of incurring my wrath. And I -

Join everyone in the writers’ room for the screening. Great episode! I stand up, prepared to head back to my office and finally tackle that first act.

At which point Lawren walks in and hands me Rob’s first draft of Malice.

I head back to my office and read it. Great script! It’s going to be one hell of a location shoot!

I respond to some emails, phone mom, and…

Call it a day.

Tomorrow! Tomorrow, I’ll finally finish that first act.

Well, that’s the plan anyway.

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April 15, 2010

Photos: Jelly


Being a staff writer can be tough. Being a freelance writer, on the other hand, can be much more than just tough. It can be physically grueling, mentally challenging, spiritually taxing experience. More often than not, the difficulties a freelancer encounters stem not from a lack of talent but from the simple fact that they are on the outside looking in. And, if that “in” happens to be a scifi franchise with over a 300+ hours of television to its credit, falling into step creatively can be a daunting task at best.

Over on his ever-entertaining blog, writer Denis McGrath offers a rundown of his freelance experience on SGU’s first season. About this time last year, Denis delivered some very intriguing story ideas over the course of a phone pitch, demonstrating a strong story sense and, most importantly, a clever SF mindset.

On the strength of that initial conversation, we flew him over to Vancouver where we spent the day spinning one of his ideas, a story that would eventually become episode 13, Faith. As Denis explains in his blog entry, after two drafts Carl Binder ended up doing a pass on the script. The result – one of the strongest episodes of the back half.

Check out Denis’ hair-raising account of the experience here:

http://heywriterboy.blogspot.com/201...cer-tango.html

No work on my script today but I did end up finishing that first act – last night. Instead, I ended up putting out some green pages for Awakening which starts shooting tomorrow…sometime. It’s almost 9:30 p.m. and I’ve yet to receive a call sheet. Since it’s my episode, I’ll spend the day on set loitering around the craft service table and offering Andy unsolicited directing advice (“Hey, you know what would be cool here?! A swish pan!”). Of course the later the call, the later I get to sleep in – AND the later I stay at work. Looks like I may have to cancel my hot date..with Ghost Whisperer.

I was out late tonight having Chinese noodles and scary crab with Remi, Cintia, and Carl. Will deliver the full report in tomorrow’s blog entry – which I will undoubtedly write between set-ups. In the meantime, here’s a couple of pics I took the other day of Jelly doing her Queen of the Mountain routine...

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April 16, 2010

Photos: Lulu, Ashleigh, the catering truck, Jim Menard, Johnny Z., a sealed door, scene 24


6:00 a.m.: Wake up early to get in for the 7:30 a.m. call. Check my phone and notice a message from the production office informing me that shooting ran late yesterday and the crew call has been pushed to 8:30 a.m. I go back to sleep. I dream that I offer a stranded Ashleigh a lift home, only to have her abandon me when I experience car trouble a block from her place.

6:30 a.m.: Wake up, angry with Ashleigh, take the dogs out, feed them, give them their eye treatment and treats.

7:00 a.m.: Green tea, shower, harness the dogs, buckle them into the car and I’m off.

8:00 a.m.: Drop the dogs off at daycare and get into the office. Ashleigh greets me as if nothing is wrong. I ask her if she is going to apologize. She plays dumb.

Miffed, I retire to my office where I work on the script, banging out three glorious pages.

8:30 a.m.: Swing by the catering truck and pick up breakfast – a breakfast burrito with avocado and cereal with protein shake which I eat while chatting with actor Louis Ferreira about his character, Colonel Everett Young. He pitches a more lunatic Young, one that will allow him to delve deep into his wide repertoire of hilarious impressions.

8:45 a.m.: Andy picks up the “smoking gun” scene from the other episode. I’m bouncing emails back and forth between Vancouver and Vegas, growing increasingly frustrated.

9:30 a.m.: Blocking begins on the first big scene. What has the potential to be a disarray of complicated choreography goes off without a hitch – thanks to Director Andy Mikita. Damn, he’s good!

11:00 a.m.: Onto the next scene, an important exchange between two characters that will set things in motion for a little arc I’m pushing for (and Carl is resisting). It’s a brief conversation but loaded with significance. Both actors are amazing.

12:00 a.m.: I head over to Stage 5 where Robert Cooper is directing the second unit scenes from Aftermath and Awakening (Robert Carlyle is scheduled to assume directing duties on Pathogen’s outstanding scenes later today). The all-important seating issues are settled.

12:30 p.m.: Back to Stage 4 where they’re setting up the kino room scene. David Blue and Alaina Huffman coincidentally, given this morning’s email flurry, start talking about Vegas. David loves it. Alaina, not so much.

1:00 p.m.: Shoot the kino room scene. Gorgeous. We leapfrog scenes 65, 66, 67, 68, 79, 70, and 70A, tackling scene 108 that we end up moving up to a pre-lunch window of opportunity. Andy suggests shooting the scene in such a way that we never really see HIS face. I like the idea – but, just in case, we get coverage.

2:00 p.m.: We break for lunch. I head back to the office for a cold veggie burger and soggy yam fries (well, what are left of my yam fries that Ashleigh didn’t pilfer). I retreat back to my office to deal with the Vegas situation. Alas, it doesn’t end nicely.

3:00 p.m.: Picking up a pre-lunch shot, then launching into that gaggle of scenes. I tell the production office to give me the heads up when they’re ready to block scene 24, the last scene of the day (for main unit anyway. Looks like Carl will be here late, keeping the second unit crew company). Everyone is amazed that things have gone so swimmingly. Main unit may actually wrap early!

4:30 p.m.: Linda puts out the outline for Alliances. I file it away for later perusal.

5:25 p.m.: Wrap up the slew of scene and move on to scene 24. It’s a complicated little sequence for a number of reasons. While they work out the blocking, I spot “the prop” and wonder what the hell it’s doing there. I’m assured it was there at the end of last episode. I find it hard to believe and phone up Rob who passes me on to Carl who informs me the prop WAS there for the rehearsal, but he killed it before the scene was actually shot. So I kill it once again.

They get the blocking down and run through it. I make a minor adjustment, adding a line to end the scene.

6:15 p.m.: Lighting and green screen issues cause a delay. I leave to pick up the dogs from daycare and drop them off in my office. Their piercing unison howls echo through the production offices, much to the chagrin of David and Nathan still manning the front lines. I return to set and watch the sequence being shot. I love it – except for the passing background extras who only serve to distract. Andy kills the background extras. Not literally. I hope.

7:15 p.m.: With only the coverage to go, I head back to the office, pick up the dogs, and hit the road.

Arrive home, feed the dogs.

8:15 p.m.: I enjoy a bowl of ricotta, protein powder, and fruit, then am back on the computer, cataloging. Soooo tired.

9:30 p.m.: Hey, Faith aired! And the back of my kitchen chair gives out! Two down, two to go.

11:00 p.m.: Post my blog and prepare to head up to bed.

I thought today was busy. Tomorrow looks even worse!

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April 17, 2010

Photos: Carl Binder, Cintia and Remim Joe Malozzi, dinner


One of Carl’s fondest memories of me was of the time Marty G. and I invited him, the new writer in town, out for dinner. And I guess it’s been downhill from there. Well, two new writers have joined us this year – Remi Aubuchon and Linda McGibney – and I figured it would be nice to give them at least one happy memory of me to reflect back fondly upon years from now. So, Carl and I invited them out for dinner.

On the day of our outing, Linda fell mysteriously ill (Coincidence? You decide.) so it ended up being the four of us: Carl, Remi, his friend Cintia, and yours truly. Remi expressed an interest in seeing a noodle show, so I booked us a table at Shanghai Chinese Bistro, a restaurant that, last time I checked, does a nightly noodle show.

Apparently, it’s been a long time since I last checked because on the night we dined at Shanghai Chinese Bistro, there was no noodle show. But, there was this…

Today’s entry is dedicated to Luvenjack.


A quickie mailbag:

Jason967067 writes: “I was wondering if you could give us a hint and tell us if SGU is going to have a darker tone in season 2 or if the crew is going to be more upbeat?”

Answer: At the risk of giving too much away, I’ll just say that a number of characters will see an “attitude adjustment” as their journey develops.

Vojtech Gabriel writes: “About SG1 movie it looks like it will not be filmed…can you tell us if you created new aliens for SG1 or it is a story of the old one.”

Answer: Let’s just say the story stems from an issue that has plagued Stargate Command since its inception.

HBMC writes: “1. Did they leave people behind, and if so, who?
2. Was the pregnancy written into the show because of Alaina Huffman’s actual pregnancy, or was this always the plan?”

SPOILERS FOR FAITH…

Answers: 1. Yes. Kaine stayed behind with about a half dozen of his fellow crew members.

2. In Denis’ original pitch, a female crew member discovers she’s pregnant. As it so happened, actress Alaina Huffman announced her pregnancy around this time – so, rather than give the story to a secondary character, we gave it to the Tamara character.

Ponytail writes: “SyFy sticks their network logo down in the bottom right of the screen. Tell your (graphics?) people not to put names down in that corner.”

Answer: Yes, Carl gave us the heads up about this a few weeks back. Steps have been taken to rectify this.

Sean D. writes: “

1. I really enjoy the aspect of SG shows that is rooted in Earth-based stories: Will we see more of Earth in seasons 2+?

2. It was awesome seeing RDA’s dog in an ol’ SG1 episode: Any chances of any of your dogs making special guest appearances in SGU? Or have we already seen any other cast/crew/etc.’s pets in SG1/SGA/SGU?

3. Did I see what appeared to be a large Kino type device inside that Ancient device (that “looks like a robot”) that was found in a crate (in “Faith”)?

4. Eli said, in reference to the large structure on the planet (in “Faith”), “…markings like some kind of alien language”… so it’s probably not Ancient (unless the Ascended Ancients have another language or another race that Ascended), though curiosity is through the roof: did the Ancients, the Space aliens, or another race create that star, planet, and/or structure? (Or probably a safer question: Will that question be answered this season?)

5. Any chances of seeing either Ascended beings or Ancients in SGU?”

Answers: 1. We will.

2. To the best of my knowledge, not yet. Jelly is holding out for a really meaty role.

3. You’ll have to wait and see exactly what is up with that find.

4. Elements of this particular storyline will be picked up at a later date. Cryptic, no?

5. TBD.

Craig writes: “And why would Scott stay behind when he has a son back on Earth?”

Answer: He weighed his commitment to a son who is alive and well and being taken care of back on Earth against a group of people who faced an uncertain future on the planet. There was also talk of the possibility that a race powerful enough to create a planet might be powerful enough to help them get back to Earth.

Tim Gaffney writes: “Will you ever say how many people came to the Destiny and how many are military vs. civillian?”

Answer: We wont’ say but we do have a specific breakdown, civilian and military, in mind as we write the scripts.

Rich S. writes: “He mentions the pressure of writing for a series with such history, when you were seeking new writers for Universe did you deliberately go for people who did not know the franchise?”

Answer: Let’s face it – not that many freelancers would know the franchise. Auditioning writers for this show was simply easier because they could come to the show fresh without having to research about a decade-worth of mythology.

Rich S. also writes: “When the scripts come in from freelancers do you expect to do major re-writes?”

Answer: It’s a given that a freelancer will get rewritten. It’s simply a matter of how big the rewrite. Again, it has less to do with talent than the advantage we have of being on staff, knowing the character voices, and being aware of where we’ve been and where we’re going.

dasNdanger writes: “How many eps are you writing for Season 2? And is it true that SGU will be moving to Tuesday nights?”

Answer: Season 2 is still a work-in-progress, so I have no way of knowing how many I’ll write. At least two. As for word that we’re moving to Tuesday nights – like everyone else, that’s what I’ve heard.

Kabra writes: “So as a freelancer, when the story is rewritten to the point that’s it’s really not the original writer’s words or recognizable to the writer, does the writer still get full credit for it or do they share the by line with whoever rewrote it??”

Answer: Depends on the show. On Stargate, this is the case. I’ve seen scripts in the past that were totally written. Not a full sentence of the original freelancer’s draft survived. But the freelancer still received full credit for writing the script. One of my favorite freelancer stories comes from Brad who was presented with a sample script from a writer looking for a job. Brad recognized the script. It was the full rewrite HE had done on this guy’s script when he was working on another show!

Base8 writes: “Curious, “Instead, I ended up putting out some green pages for Awakening which starts shooting tomorrow…sometime.” does green simply refer to the color of paper in your printer, or does it refer to something else? I am assuming that you aren’t still writing the episode if it starts shooting tomorrow….?”

Answer: The Final draft that goes out to everyone is white. When it comes time for the rewrite, the changes are asterisked and that particular page is put out as a Blue page. If more than half the script’s pages require changes, then the office simply puts out a Full Blue script. If there are more changes required, said changes are put out as Pink pages. Subsequent color drafts include yellow, green, grey, salmon, dingleberry, and Tara Reid faux tan brown. For more on drafts and the revisions process, check out this past blog entry titled The Ultimate Extreme Extra Superfantastic Best Lucky Ultra Number One Final Final Draft: http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...march-10-2008/

DasNdanger writes: “1. Was the question of how the planet came into existence purposely not answered to allow characters (and audiences) to draw their own conclusions?

2. Will the question ever be answered?

3. Will we learn the purpose of the beam?”

Answers: 1. Yep. 2 and 3 – You’ll have to wait and see…

dasNdanger also writes: “Hmmmm…now you’re dreaming about her….hmmmmm…”

Answer: Once, I dreamt I was being chased through the London subway system by a serial killer. Doesn’t mean a future is in the cards there either.

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April 18, 2010

Photos: Chocolates, Stuart, Brian J. Smith, John, Ashleigh, Lawren, James, Ivon Bartok, Kathy and Will, Teresa and Alan McCullough, Carl Binder, Lan and Kerry, Peter and Holly Kelamis, Louis Ferreira, Alaina Huffman and John, Elyse Levesque, David Blue, Jeffrey, Al, Joe Mallozzi, Jen, Remi Aubuchon, Cintia, Alan and Kerry, food, Denise, Jamil WalkerSmith, Debbie, Hillary, Patrick Gilmore, Brad and Debbie Wright, Kandas and Andy Mikita, Steve and Jodi, Alex, Kerry, macarons, Chef Rob, Chef Ted, Tom


Every April, I hold something called a Chocolate Party, an annual event in which I gathered some fifty of my closest friends, feed them dinner, then try to kill them with massive amounts of chocolate. Over the years, this event has grown, from a modest get-together at my home to a gastronomic blow-out at Fuel now Refuel) Restaurant. The evening goes something like this:

The guests gathers. We chat and drink.

We sit down and enjoy an incredible multi-course meal prepared by Chef Rob, Chef Ted, and the rest of the gang.

Then, we move onto the main event: Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate!

It seems fairly straightforward, but even the most dedicated chocoholic would be hard-pressed to sample all that’s an display – the varied master creations of some twenty chocolatiers from all over the world. This year, I brought in chocolates from Paris, Troyes, Barcelona, Austria, London, Brighton, New York, San Francisco, Kansas City, Fort Myers, Montreal, Vermont, and, of course, Vancouver. It was quite a night!

I arrived early to help set up the chocolates along the massive bar and counter area, fully covering all available space with chocolates from...

Thanks to the gang at Refuel for an incredible evening!

What a night!

And what a day – spent uploading all of these pictures!

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April 19, 2010

Photo: The Stargate dish


The chocolate party was a success but, like most planned events, it didn’t go off without a hitch. There were a few disappointments, among them chocolatiers who put in previous appearances but who, for one reason or another, were unable to make Saturday’s chocolate fest.

Chocoatl: Sadly, Vancouver’s finest chocolate shop is no more. It will be missed, as will owner Themis Velgis who was always a delight to chat with whenever I swung by to sample his latest creations or his decadently luxurious drinking chocolate. Alas, the shop’s former location now houses a sandwich shop.

Wen Chocolates: The first time I laid eyes on Chef Will Poole’s marvelous creations was during an episode of Road Tasted. He was featured alongside some of his unique, out-of-this-world flavors: the Molotov Pineapple, the Mint Julep, and – what was to instantly become my favorite truffle of all time – his signature Bananas Foster truffle. Unfortunately, he too has closed up shop – but here’s hoping he and his Bananas Foster truffle make an eventual return to the chocolate scene.

Christopher Norman: A long-time regular at my annual chocolate event, Christopher Norman’s tea collection, baroque brownies, and hand-painted tiles are as stunning as they are delicious. This year, Ashleigh was particularly looking forward to their Blue Cheese Assortment. But it was not to be. A renovation issue resulted in my order being lost. By the time they got back to me, it was too late. Sorry, Ashleigh.

Vosges: This one really hurt. Vosges’ designer collections have been a Joe’s Chocolate Party mainstay, and their smoked applewood bacon truffles and peanut butter bonbons with sea salt enormous favorites. To be on the safe side, I phoned them ten days in advance and requested that the chocolates be shipped overnight. As Friday rolled around, I made some calls and discovered that instead of being shipped Express, they’d been sent Ground, ensuring that they would arrive Monday, April 19th – two days AFTER my party. I phoned Vosges and canceled the order, then contacted UPS and requested the package be re-routed. Well, it arrived today anyway. I have to admit, I was very tempted – but, in the end, I had it shipped back unopened.

Payard: Made its first chocolate party appearance last year – and its last. I contacted their Vegas store to place my order only to be told they didn’t ship to Canada. I informed them that they had, in fact, shipped to Canada last year. They took my order and assured me the manager would call later that day to confirm my order. That confirmation never came, so I phoned back the next day. I explained the situation to the woman who answered the phone and she transferred me to the manager. Or, at least, I’m assuming that was her intent. I was left on hold for five minutes and eventually had her answer again. Again, she transferred me. I was disconnected. I called back. Tried again. This time, I was left on hold for a little longer than I deemed acceptable for a phone call that didn’t involve my having to rectify an income tax-related issue. After fifteen minutes of waiting, I clicked off and crossed Payard off my list.

On set today for Day #2 of Awakening, and an early 7:00 a.m. crew call. Lotsa chocolate party fall-out discussion and a lunch-time chat with Peter K., Patrick G., Jen S., and David Blue about the cutthroat world of stand-up comics, high-school celebrity crushes, Battlefield Earth, and Adrienne Barbeau.

Off to watch the season finale of what is fast-becoming my new favorite show – Spartacus: Blood and Sand! But first…


Some mailbag:

PG15 writes: “And yes, I will have to echo my buddy Major D. Davis and say that you guys MUST save Balding Asian Guy!”

Answer: This is one fan campaign we’ll be hard-pressed to ignore. I suppose if you guys push hard enough, we’ll just have to bring him back.

yumenoko writes: “Do you allow your guests to invoke take-away privileges, so the decadent treats have a good home by the end of the night?”

Answer: Yes. Everyone is encouraged to take as much chocolate home as they can carry. And, if they’re looking a little light, I’ll send them back for more.

spacemika writes: “One year, you really do need to give CocoNymph a shot — maybe sign up for one of her classes to make your own contribution to the party!”

Answer: They made an appearance at last year’s party along with a couple of other Vancouver chocolatiers. This year, the local chocolate scene was represented by Thomas Haas and La Chocolaterie de la Nouvelle France, and DC Duby.

crayonbaby writes: “Are we going to get more backstory to T.J. and Young? You threw us a curveball with T.J.’s condition. There’s been really subtle hints, but nothing concrete.”

Answer: We will be exploring their relationship in coming episodes.

Arian writes: “It looks like most of the regulars in the cast were there, but there were a few absent, most notably Robert Carlyle, Ming Na, and Julia Benson. Were they unavailable, or have you killed them off and so they’ve left town?”

Answer: All were invited. Ming-Na and Julia were out of town. Bobby had other plans.

JYS writes: “who provided the stargate dish? Was it you, someone else from the crew, or did Refuel get it specially made for the party?”

Answer: Refuel had it specially made for the party. Cool, no?

Annie from Freemantle writes: “Who’s funding this opulence???”

Answer: That would be the host. Me.

Tammy Dixon writes: “Is the chocolate party something you take on yourself? Or do you have others that help plan/pay?”

Answer: I bring in the chocolate and the gang at Refuel do a masterful job of handling all other aspects, from drinks to dinner.

Shiny writes: “I still don’t see why the Civies were so mad about Rush being left behind — the Civies never mention those two dolts from the premiere who jumped through a Gate into some random world and got left behind.”

Answer: You said it yourself – “those two dolts”. THEY made the decision to head through the gate and were architects of their own demise. Rush was a victim, purposely abandoned on a planet to die.

Brian writes: “Have you tried Chocolatier Blue in Berkeley –http://www.chocolatierblue.com ? His style is similar to Norman Love but Chris Blue is the only north American chocolatier that uses exclusively Amedei’s chocolate in every part of his creation.”

Answer: Amedei is my very favorite chocolate bar (specifically, the Chuao). I found out about Chocolatier Blue too late to order in time for the party. Same goes for Lillibelle Farms in Oregon.

Brian also writes: “I am trying to organize a choco party myself, on a smaller scale. Any tips?”

Answer: Variety variety variety!

dasNdanger writes: “Joe – out of all the chocolates above – which one would you rate on top out of the dark, nut-free, non-flavored ones. I am very interested in which was just the ‘best’ pure chocolate, on the darker side.”

Answer: Hard to say. To be honest, I was focusing on the more exotic flavors and didn’t get around to tasting all of the simple darks. Of those I did taste, I found the Norman Love Black Single Origin Chocolates and the Maison du Chocolat dark ganache squares exceptional.

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April 20, 2010

Photos: Stage 6, the board, lunch, Remi Aubuchon, Ashleigh, Linda McGibney, Joe Mallozzi


I spent a couple of early hours on set this morning to watch Director Andy Mikita work his magic on Awakening (Day #3 of production). A lot of jumping around in this one which resulted in our block-shooting a number of successive scenes. Producer John G. Lenic swung by to inform me that we were pulling up a big scene from tomorrow’s schedule in order to give Andy time to shoot in that impressive new set in Stage 6.

Andy was confident that he could get it done – and so long as my director was comfortable with it, I was comfortable with the decision. And props go out to Louis Ferreira, David Blue, and Jennifer Spence who ended up having to pull up and prepare yesterday’s scene today on next -to-no-notice – and still hitting ‘em out of the park!

I eventually returned to the office where I tackled the infernally frustrating scene. Once I get pat it, I wrap up Act II and it’ll be smoooooooth sailing from there. I would have finished it up sooner but every time I get into a conversation with my fellow writers, I end up having to tweak the scene (or other scenes) in order to track a recent change or development in the ongoing story arcs or character through-lines.

Speaking of which, here’s peek at what was up on the board today – a cryptic hint of what’s to come.

SPOILER ALERT!

I hope I didn’t spoil anything for you.

Anyway, guess what we had for lunch today? If you guessed “chocolate”, send yourself an autographed self-photo. Ashleigh contacted the people at Vosges about the late chocolate shipment that arrived yesterday and she was told we could keep it. I felt bad and phoned up the company, offered to pay for the chocolates, only to be told the chocolates were on the house because of the shipping error made on their end. The woman I spoke to sincerely hoped the experience wouldn’t dissuade me from ordering from Vosges again. A classy act all around? Anyway, today’s lunch consisted of -

We also enjoyed their Exotic Truffle Collection (which includes Oaxaca, Gianduia, Ambrosia, Viola, Absinthe, Naga, Black Pearl, Budapest, Woolloomooloo, Red Fire, and Dulce de Leche), the Sweet Coquette Collection (described as “a dossier of aphrodisiac truffles” – which, in hindsight, explains a lot with regard to my late-afternoon mood), and the Collezione Italiana (Taleggio Cheese, Sicilian Sea Salt Caramel, Wild Tuscan Fennel Pollen, Olive Oil, and Balsamico). Linda declared them the best chocolates of the week.

More cause for celebration as today marked the birthday of one of our new writers, the lovable Remi Aubuchon.

And a pic of the white board in Remi’s office. Spoiler alert for every episode Remi has written and will ever write:

Today’s entry is dedicated to other birthday individual vv4072.

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April 21, 2010

Photo: Author Christopher Barzak


Production Day #3 on Awakening had me at work, bright and early, for the 7:00 a.m. crew call. There, I watched Director Andy Mikita work his magic on an extremely challenging set – with ten actors in play! Between the goings-on on Stage 6 and my office, I also found the time to join my fellow producers in taking in a matinee double-feature: Carl Binder’s producer’s cut of Pathogen (actually, I only caught the last 15 minutes, but I liked what I saw and loved those pick-up scenes, particularly that wandering look…yeah, I’m pushing this particular arc), and Will Waring’s kick-ass director’s cut of Rob Cooper’s equally kick-ass script for Aftermath (in which actor Louis Ferreira delivers his best performance yet in a suspenseful, absorbing, emotionally-draining episode). Oh, and I also found time to eat a piece of key lime. How’s that for multi-tasking?

Today, I turn this blog over to Christopher Barzak, author of The Love We Share Without Knowing, April’s book of the month club pick. If you haven’t gotten around to reading it yet, I highly recommend you do – especially if you have an interest in Japanese culture. A terrific book and the fact that it received a well-deserved Nebula nomination in the Best Novel category should put it on your radar the next time you’re looking to pick up a rewarding read.

Chris has kindly taken the time to field your questions. After you’ve perused his take on writing, influences, inspiration, life in Japan, and what he has in the works, maybe you can answer one of mine: Why hasn’t Ashleigh introduced me to any of her cute, single friends yet? After considerable thought, the only answer I can come up with is that she’s the jealous type and wants to keep me for herself.

Over to Chris…

**snip**

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April 22, 2010

Photo: Stewie


Production Day #5 of Awakening found me back on set at a very manageable 8:00 a.m. this morning. Understand, it’s not so much that I mind waking up that early than it’s the dogs simply refusing to stir if the alarm sounds anytime before 6:30 a.m. They’ll actually ignore me, feigning a deep, impenetrable slumber when I call out to them – and then, when I attempt to carry them off the bed, sprawl out and make themselves as awkward and difficult to pick up as possible. They’re smart. In fact, I think they’re pretty damn close to figuring out how to reprogram my alarm clock.

Some progress to report on the script front. I finished a rough draft of Act III yesterday. It’s a bit…rough. And a tad expensive. So far, I’m averaging about one visual effects shot per page! Call me a pessimist, but I have a feeling that aint gonna fly.

Anybody else catch the finale of Spartacus: Blood and Sand? The aptly titled “Kill Them All!” wrapped up the show’s first season in bloody spectacular fashion. What I at first assumed would be little more than an anemic 300 rip-off turned out to be a well written, well acted, well directed, incredibly compelling series. Sure, I kind of wished they’d made use of some of those spectacular New Zealand vistas, or injected just a little dark humor into the mix, but there’s always season two. Congrats go out to cast, crew, and, of course, Exec Producer Steven S. DeKnight. Loved it.

Well, with Spartacus done, I’m down to one lone scripted drama: House.


Mailbag:

Noelm writes: “It’s obvious to me. The reason for Ashleigh’s negligence is that her friends are about half your age. Ya dirty old man.”

Answer: Wow. That’s harsh. We’re not talking May-December romance here. More of a June-October thing. History is filled with many such happy relationships: Rochester and Jane Eyre, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, U.S. President Grover Cleveland and his First Lady Frances Folsom, that cadaverous rock guitarist and his bartender girlfriend. Besides, I’ve been told I act very immature for my age.

Shawna writes: “Why hasn’t Ashleigh introduced me to any of her cute, single friends yet? …Did I miss something?”

Answer: Possibly. Did you forget to set your DVR? How many episodes have you missed? The network work was inundated with emails by anti-shippers and eventually decided to shake things up by having the producers write out one of the characters.

Natasha writes: “Decadent, rich chocolate, covered in flowers – Vosges must be run by people that know women because they killed two birds with one stone. Thanks for letting Ashleigh share the chocolates with us gals! And, to Lawren for not enjoying them. He’ll eat brains, but not flowers and chocolate?”

Answer: Yeah, what is up with that guy? And I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the rose truffles. It was my pleasure. Hey, since we’re on the topic of food – do you like crispy duck?

Tim Lade writes: “Quick question for you Joe…what exactly is a consulting producer vs. executive producer.”

Answer: It really depends on the production. In my case, the difference between being a Consulting Producer last year and an Executive Producer this year comes down to meaningful input on all stages of production vs. actual hands-on producing (prepping, dealing with budgets, being on-set, doing my own cuts).

crayonbaby writes: “Is Lou Diamond Phillips coming back for any episodes?”

Answer: Aw, you shouldn’t believe me, even if I did tell you.

MrsB. writes: “Will Destiny ever pick up any new permanent/semi-permanent residents?”

Answer: Stay tuned.

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April 23, 2010

Video: NBC's Person's Unknown trailer

Photos: tide stick, highlighter, Ashleigh, Carl Binder, Lawren Bancroft-Wilson


Check it out. It’s an advance trailer for Persons Unknown, a delightfully creepy-looking mini-series that premieres on NBC June 7th. And its Executive Produced by SGU’s very own Remi Aubuchon! In addition to his show running duties, Remi also wrote a bunch of scripts for the series – as did SGU’s Linda McGibney – so I’m more than a little eager to check it out. The premise is intriguing and, quite frankly, it looks pretty damn cool. Circle the date on your calendars!

Slow progress on the script. Hit the 37 page mark of Resurgence (episode #10) and I still feel like I’m running in water. Complicating matters is the fact that I have two more production days on Awakening and will be entertaining my friend Cynthia (in from London) for the week. And I hear that both Remi and Brad will be putting out their scripts early next week, episodes #9 and #13. I really think there should be a rule that prevents a writer from putting out a script until all of the preceding scripts in air order have been released. I’m going to try to regain my writing mojo tonight by having a couple of drinks and forcing the issue.

Ashleigh is getting sneaky sneakier. Today, while I was in her office, she helpfully pointed out that I had a stain on my shirt. Fortunately, she keeps one of those Tide, stain-removing sticks by her computer and was more than happy to allow me to make liberal use of the stuff. Except that THIS -

Is NOT a Tide stick.

THIS -

Is a Tide stick.

While THIS -

Is a highlighter that would have marked my shirt a permanent day-glo yellow if I hadn’t noticed in time. She, of course, feigned ignorance.

And this comes only hours after she tried to kill me by attempting to induce a heart attack. I was sitting at my desk, innocently doing a google search for anecdotal evidence that would prove my point that the cutesy local weather girl is, in fact, a real ***** when – suddenly – Ashleigh kicked kicked my chair from behind. ”You were scared!”she cackled triumphantly. I wasn’t scared, I pointed out, merely startled – but I can see how it would be easy to confuse the two. Children and 19th C governesses of delicate disposition get “scared”. Guys get “startled”. I was startled.

About an hour later, I stopped by Lawren’s office to remind him to print something up – when Ashleigh suddenly leaped out from around the corner and startled me again (although this time, to the uninitiated, I may have appeared scared – but I can assure you I wasn’t).

Anyway, the aforementioned incidents apparently made her day. For the rest of the afternoon, she was all gloaty, blusteresque, and swaggersome.

Well, far be it for me to vow revenge. So rather than vow, I’ll just go ahead and do. Some ideas I’m entertaining include: placing a mummified head (on loan from the Vancouver Museum of Anthropology) in her next take-out order, filling her car with live crows, or sneaking into her apartment and hiding in her bedroom closet until 3:00 a.m. before sauntering out dressed like this -

I’m taking suggestions.

Other office happenings today included this -

This -

And this -

[EllieVee]

Persons Unknown trailer

Looks creepy, yes.

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April 24, 2010

Photos: Luckys's, food, Dragon, Cynthia, Lulu


My friend Cynthia is visiting from London so, for the rest of the week, I’ll be playing the role of affable host (as opposed to the role of ranty belligerent blog poster. No. Wait. Maybe I can do both). After picking up at the airport, I took her for dim sum at Sun Sui Wah, produce shopping at Granville Island, and dinner at Tojo’s. Our day…

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April 25, 2010

Photos: Brunch, Oliver, Lulu, Bubba, Jelly, chocolate, books, lava toothpaste, dinner


Another day spent entertaining my friend Cynthia who has come from London bearing chocolates, marmite cereal bars, and the Swedish film version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (that we should get around to watching sometime soon). Will be catching up on the mailbag tomorrow so if you’ve got questions, post ‘em. If you’ve already posted questions, be patient! I just said I was getting to them tomorrow!

The day in pictures -

5:30 a.m. wake-up tomorrow so that I can be in for that 7:00 a.m. crew call. Awakening – production day seven – shoots on Stage 4 all day, Destiny in the morning, then “up top” after lunch. In addition to being on set eating sandwiches and samosas, I’ll be in my office finishing that infernal fourth act! And once that’s done, it’s smoooooooooooooooth sailing!

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April 26, 2010 - Part 1


Mailbag:

Belouchi writes: “1. Will we ever encounter the race that built the star system and the obelisk in the future or is it meant to stay a mystery?”

1. It’s possible the Destiny crew will cross paths with these near-omnipotent beings again.

Belouchi also writes: “2. The odysey spaceship was on a secret mission during the events Enemy at the gates, and we know through your blog that it was Stargate universe Orientated type mission; however it was the Hammond that was there in Air. Will the next episodes of Stargate
Universe shed light on this issue or do we have to wait for either sga or sg1 movies to be released in the future? There is no need to divulge anything but just give us a bearing.”

Answer: You may get your answer in the SG-1 movie, Stargate: Revolution.

Belouchi also writes: “3. Seriously, Joe, what does it look like for Sga Extinction. It’s been a year and a half that we have been waiting for any sign of hope that it will see the light. I mean if you guys wait too long than the movie will simply be even harder to do. Just give us some sort of closure.”

Answer: I would love to say one way or the other but, unfortunately, there has been no definitive word on the fate of the Atlantis movie. As I’ve already mentioned, the hold-up is not from a lack of desire on anyone’s part.

Arctic Goddess writes: “When you wrote your short story, did you find it difficult to switch writing styles from script format to novel format? What was the most difficult part of that switch for you?”

Answer: Writing prose fiction is a whole other animal and I have the utmost respect for those who make a living doing so. Unlike scriptwriting where you have an immense support system of fellow writers you can bounce ideas off of, spin stories with, or receive input from, writing prose is a lonely business. And incredibly challenging. Also, the script is just one piece of a much larger puzzle whereas the short story or novel is IT.

Belouchi also writes: “Do you miss anything about StarGate Atlantis?”

Answer: Sure. There are a lot of things I miss about both SG-1 and Atlantis. Both shows had a particular sense of humor I always enjoyed writing.

will13 writes: “Why planets in episodes “Time” and “Justice” have the same gate address?!”

Answer: May have been a mix-up in the Art Department packages.

Kymm writes: “1. Have you thought of doing up a Frequently Asked Question section?

2. Do you get a lot of trolls that you have to screen out?

3. How often/long do you work out? What is your routine?”

Answers: 1. Sure, considered it, but information is constantly being updated so last month’s answer to a question may no longer apply.

2. Oh, yeah, the occasional trolls. It’s reached the point now where I don’t even bother to read their comments. Just seeing a familiar name pop up is all it takes to hit the trash button.

3. I work out every morning. Lately, I’ve been doing a variation of the crossfit program: a variety of exercises targeting different muscle groups totaling a little over 1000 reps.

E writes: “In “Human” – holding the gate open by sticking something into the event horizon would’ve given the rescue team only 38 minutes, but why didn’t they even try?”

Answer: In Air III, delaying the jump by having Eli stick his arm through the gate bought Scott and Greer the time they needed to reach the gate. In the case of the trapped team in Human, it was pretty clear that the time required would have far exceeded the 38 minute window.

Kymm writes: “So why don’t you tell us what your dream girl/women is? If you want us to match you up we need to know what umm floats your boat. No?”

Answer: I hear Japanese adult film star Maria Ozawa is half Canadian. She seems like she’d be interesting to dine with. Also, I’d be able to practice my Japanese. Set me up.

Kymm also writes: “Do you mean to say you only watch one TV show?”

Answer: I was referring to one hour dramas. I also watch some comedies, animated series, and, yes, a couple of reality shows as well.

Eric.Stewart writes: “How can TJ know that some plants have medicinal properties?”

Answer: The same way people discovered the medicinal properties of plants prior to the creation of lab equipment – through trial and error testing.

Eric.Stewart also writes: “I like the idea of a tracking device implanted in Rush’s chest, but how did he know in the first place he was implanted WITH A DEVICE, and that it was close to his heart.”

Answer: Any number of ways. Scenario #14: He awakens to find himself in an alien operating theater. His body is numb yet he is awake and cognizant. He watches in horror as they slice him open and implant the device…

Eric.Stewart also writes: “Why is Young sewing socks?”

Answer: Because he can’t go to the store to buy another pair.

vv0472 writes: “Did the network really make you write out a character?!?”

Answer: No, I was kidding. Re-read the question and my answer.

Kymm writes: “I am still wondering what happens to a comment if it gets denied by the moderator, does anyone know?”

Answer: I’m the moderator. I know. Offending comments get trashed.

Echelon writes: “Quick question, will we be seeing more of Lieutenant James in either the latter half this season or in season two?’

Answer: Yep.

MrsB writes: “1) Will there be any surprising relationships formed on board?

2) Any major deaths before the seasons end?”

Answers: 1) Depends what you consider surprising.

2) Hmmm. No comment. We’ll talk soon.

Echelon writes: “Are there any plans to have Louise Lombard return as Rush’s wife in flashbacks/hallucinations in future episodes?”

Answer: Chances are good we’ll be seeing her again.

Michelle writes: “Joe, do you care to comment on how you guys are feeling about MGM’s financial “troubles” and how that might affect SGU’s future?”

Answer: Heh. I read the article you’re probably referring to – essentially a op-ed that quotes two individuals who clearly know next to nothing about the situation, much less how film and television production actually work. SGU is in no danger of being delayed or shelved or carried off by a flock of angry hippogriffs.

Yumenoko writes: “Does Carl have a fun club?”

Answer: Yes. I’ve heard him refer to his “fun club” more times than I’d care to remember.

imadaman writes: “Do you know/have you guys decided if any of the Season 2 episodes take place in 2010?”

Answer: We’re not going to be specific about the time period.

Scarym writes: “Will we see Daniel again this season?”

Answer: Subversion.