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

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November 16, 2015

Photos: Dark Matter


One of the many, many things we’re looking to accomplish in Dark Matter’s second season is to introduce cool new futuristic energy-based weapons along the lines of THREE’s Bubba –

Well, we’ve got a lot of terrific concepts in the pipeline – a couple of which have already advanced to the design stage.

This afternoon, Props Master Victoria Klein dropped by my office for her daily show and tell…

“What,”you may be wondering, “is that?”. Well, does this inspirational photo I posted to last week’s blog give you a hint?

No, of course not. Anyway, it’s a component to one of those cool new futuristic energy-based weapons I was referring to. So what does it do? Well, you’ll find out right off the bat in Dark Matter Episode 201!

This one’s another non-lethal work in progress. The finished version will be sleeker with a black anodized barrel (presently the silver component). This one will also be making early season appearance.

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November 17, 2015

Photos: Melanie Liburd, Dark Matter


The news broke just a few hours ago. Actress Melanie Liburd (High Priestess Kinvara in this upcoming season of Game of Thrones) joins the cast of Dark Matter in the role of Nyx.

http://deadline.com/2015/11/madisen-...er-1201627495/

http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowand...slate-20151117

So who is Nyx? Is she friend or foe? And what’s her secret? (I only ask because, well, it would seem that every member of our crew has held some sort of secret.) For now, all I’m going to say is this: Galactic high security detention facility’s make strange bedfellows!

I’ll also say this about Melanie – she absolutely nailed the audition. We had a lot of strong candidates for the role, but she delivered like no other and I immediately knew SHE was our Nyx. Talented, yes, but also downright lovely. We are lucky to have her.

Kind of reminiscent of the excitement I felt after watching the audition of a certain Melissa O’Neil last season.

More exciting casting news to come!

Things continue to ramp up on the pre-production front. This morning was all script work; this afternoon, meetings and grand tour of our new sets-in-progress.

The new stage is only a five minute drive (15 minute walk!) from the production offices and our standing sets. Early still, but the structures and details are looking great.

Also today, I was deliberating over gruel:

I preferred the goopier consistency of the one on the upper left, but kind of liked the alarming off-brown coloring of the one on the upper right. I’d also bring down the mystery particulates by sixty percent.

Show running! There’s no job like it!

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November 18, 2015

Photos: Dark Matter concept art


November 18, 1477: William Caxton prints the first English dated book.

November 18, 1626: St. Peter’s Basilica is completed.

November 18, 1916: The Battle of the Somme ends.

Today: Members of the Dark Matter production team engage in The Great Green Screen Debate of 2015!

We can’t do it! We CAN do it! We shouldn’t do it! We should do it! We’re not doing it! We’re ARE doing it after all!

Highlights of the heated discussion included: shooting angles, techno-crane accessibility, plate shots, lock-offs, high angle reveals, low angle reveals, and crowd duplications.

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You’ll be pleased to hear we finally got it all worked out.

Conceptually.

Hey, speaking of concepts, how’d you like to help us choose an Ishida shuttle design? If you’re keen, and feeling opinionated, I’ll upload the concept sketches as part of tomorrow’s blog entry. How’s that for audience participation?

P.S. As I mentioned in yesterday’s entry, the kick-ass Melanie Liburd (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4927489/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1) has been cast in the role of Nyx for the upcoming season of Dark Matter. She’s on twitter so update your digidexes and follow her here: https://twitter.com/mellyliburd

Finally, a little something to leave you with from Roxanne Borris and the Art Department.

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“DO NOT put any person in this washer”. Sound advice!

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November 19, 2015

Photos: The Ishida Imperial Shuttle


Feeling opinionated? Here are the candidate designs for the Ishida imperial shuttle.

So, which version do you prefer?

Thanks to illustrator Bartol Rendulic for the amazing design work!

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November 20, 2015

Photos: Alex Mallari Jr., Dark Matter concept art


Well, well, well. Look who came by for their season 2 fitting. Why, it’s none other than Alex Mallari Jr. (Dark Matter’s FOUR), back from a multi-month working vacation in Russia…which might explain the shoes (provided he didn’t steal them from the costume beside him). Also in for a fitting following an equally busy hiatus was Melissa O’Neil (Dark Matter’s TWO).

We’re getting the band back together!

Yesterday was our first Episode 201 Preliminary Playback/Graphics/Rear Projection meeting of the young season. A few of the visual delights we discussed:

What are you in the mood for? A Binary Burger? Hyperion Hen? Some cosmic kebabs? Just make your selection, slide your plate under the nozzles, and Bon Appetit!

And, of course, you’re going to need one of these in Hyperion-8. Your money’s no good here!

One of the honking big-ass wall monitors in Warden Treihan’s office. On Sunday nights, all the guards come over to watch The Walking Dead on the big screen.

Looking ahead to next week: Preliminary episodes 201/202 schedule meetings, set walk-thru #2, background inmate photo look-see, and, of course, I continue work on five different scripts.

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November 21, 2015

Photos: Dark Matter sets


With our second walk-thru of the new sets (at the new stage) scheduled for this Tuesday, I thought it might be nice to show you all what the Art Department and Construction have been working on for our season 2 opener. Structures, shapes, textures and details – it’s all coming along nicely. More than anything, I want you all to compare these early stages of the various builds with what you’ll eventually see onscreen in, oh, about seven months from now…

Well, this one’s a tight squeeze. Any guesses as to what we’re looking at?

We stress the importance of ceilings and floors – but check out the wall details.

As work progresses, more detail will be added in the way of paints, textural elements and lights.

Future walls for another section of the facility.

Sliding doors are of course, de rigeur.

The aim is to create varied corridor looks. It’s a BIG place.

Ajax’s cell-to-be. All the conveniences…

It’s the little touches that lend it that sense of realism.

We’re building a two-level structure that will be cast and crew accessible. Pretty damn amazing.

Your home away from home – for the duration of your sentence.

The view out your swanky room. This too will change.

So far, so amazing. Production Designer Ian Brock, his team, and the Dark Matter construction department never fail to impress.

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November 22, 2015

Photos: Akemi, lunch at Lai Wah Heen, Lulu, Bubba


Recently, someone lamented the fact that I haven’t posted food porn or dog pics for quite a while. Lately, it’s been nothing but Dark Matter this, Dark Matter that. So, tonight, I’m going old school with this throwback entry. Pictured above, Akemi shows off her new sweater purchase at dim sum.

After coming across the food-themed instagram account of my co-worker, Natalie Cooper (CoopDuJour: https://www.instagram.com/coopdujour/), Akemi was inspired to – ask me to make a reservation at Toronto’s top dim sum restaurant: Lai Wah Heen.

To ensure lunch didn’t conflict with fantasy football, we dined nice and early at 11:00 a.m. The food was delicious, but it was the presentation that truly impressed. Check out the lobster dumpling pictured above.

The deep-fried Berkshire pork dumplings with garlic chip ears.

Crispy-skin pork belly!

And now, onto the dog pics!

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November 23, 2015

Photo: Dark Matter's Ishida Imperial Shuttle


Last week, I asked you all to play producers by assisting me in selecting the design for the Ishida Imperial shuttle (to be introduced in season 2).

There were 11 options to choose from, all skillfully conceived and illustrated by artist Bartol Rendulic under the direction of Dark Matter Production Designer Ian Brock. Between this blog, Facebook, and twitter, we received tremendous feedback – and votes!

It came down to two candidates, #1 and #11 but, in the end, one just proved the slightly more popular choice.

Ladies and gentlemen, I submit your choice for the Ishida Imperial shuttle in glorious color!

It will undoubtedly see a few more tweaks as it makes its way through visual effects modeling and texturing but, all in all, I think it looks pretty kick-ass.

P.S. I made sure to upload a hi-rez version of the photo so you can use it as your desktop wallpaper.

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November 24, 2015

Photos: Dark Matter graphics


I feel like my head is about to explode. And it’s only Tuesday. I’m juggling revisions and rewrites on six different scripts, casting, prepping, and trying to figure out the most efficient way to schedule a bursting-at-the-scenes action-heavy Episode 202. Also, fantasy football.

But mostly fantasy football.

Anyways, before I resume script revisions on Episodes 201 and 202 (while simultaneously trying to swing a deal for a Tier 1 QB), I thought I’d take a moment to show off some of the graphics that will adorn the monitors in same episodes.

Graphics by artist Victor Mare!

Can’t wait to see them up and running in glorious HD!

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November 25, 2015

Photos: Dark Matter


Presenting : our Dark Matter season 2 mystery concept sketch of the week. What’s going on up there? Who are those guys? What is that room? What’s the deal with those green things? Any guesses?

Today was a day fraught with audition screenings, tattoo discussions, and much spinning of creative wheels on this script I’m trying to complete before next week. I have been battling this scene for going on three days now and the usual breakthrough methods haven’t helped. They are, in order of efficacy: 1) driving around, 2) bourbon, 3) ignoring the problem until the solution arrives in a panic-fueled inspiration. Tick tick tick. Meanwhile, every other aspect of production continues to speed headlong toward next week’s start of official prep!

Speaking of every one being incredibly constructive – in this case, literally – check out the work-in-progress modeling being done on the Hyperion-8 Galactic Detention Facility by VFX Supervisor Lawren Bancroft-Wilson and the gang –

They’re, to refresh your memories, the same people who brought you…

And –

And –

Set walk-thru today! Pictures tomorrow!

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November 26, 2015

Photos: Alex Mallari Jr., Dark Matter behind-the-scenes pics


I’m pleased to report that I finally pushed through that pesky today. In the end, I went with the one tried and true writer’s block-breaking method I failed to mention in yesterday’s blog entry: When in doubt, use humor! With that done, it was a nice segue into that delightful Android-Tabor scene. One more scene to cap the act and it’s smooooooth sailing!

This week has been like Magic: The Gathering, but without the magic part. The other day, Anthony Lemke (THREE) dropped by the production offices with his family. Today, it was Melissa O’Neil (TWO) with her adorable frenchie. Yesterday, it was Alex Mallari Jr. (FOUR) who took the time to stop in and regale us with tales of his summer in Moscow. Next time you see him at a convention, ask him to tell you the one about the receptionist, the Brad Pitt lookalike, and the drunken overprotective co-worker.

Happy Thanksgiving to our American fans! Let’s celebrate with behind-the-scenes pics of our sets-in-progress:

It’s okay. You know the showrunner. Come on through.

Warden Treihan’s office window. Room with a view.

All the comforts of home.

Hyperion-8 is a doorknob-less environment.

Come on, guys. Let’s move things along. My laundry isn’t going to do itself!

Damn, our Construction and Art Departments do good work!

And, of course, this is the…well, I’d tell you, but then I’d have to hire you. And make you sign a non-disclosure agreement because the only way to keep you from talking about it would be to kill you and that, of course, would be illegal. And very troublesome.

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November 27, 2015

Video: Lulu

Photos: Akemi, Lulu, Dark Matter


This is what Akemi gets up to with the dogs while I’m at work…

According to her: “They love to wear their hats when they go out!”

I remain dubious.

Meanwhile, back on the work front: a little something props has been working on…

We’re going to lose the light at the bottom.

Work continues on the script front. Act 4 was looking a little short, so I moved a scene up from Act 3 which was a little. Now, Act 4 is perfect. But Act 3 is a little short. Tabor, meanwhile, has been an utterly delightful guest. We need to get him on the ship more often.

Back to my dogs. Lulu has no manners…

I think she broke the sound barrier on that one.

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November 28, 2015

Photos: Dinner at Parcae


On the recommendation of Montreal radio personality Sarah Bartok (http://www.thebeat925.ca/an/sarah-bartok-1060.html – P.S.: I know her brother!), Akemi and I checked out one of the latest entries on the Toronto restaurant scene: Parcae. Tucked away in the Templar Hotel, it’s a sexy, dimly lit place offering up “globally inspired, locally-sourced” cuisine. The plates are delightfully creative. Chefs Danny Hassell and Joseph Awad bring a mighty impressive resume to the table, with previous kitchen experience at Buca (my favorite Toronto restaurant), Cabana a Sucre Au Pied de Cochon (my favorite Montreal restaurant), and Osteria Francescana (ranked one of the world’s top restaurants and profiled, along with its head chef, Massimo Bottura in my favorite episode of Netflix’s Chef’s Table).

A few of the evening’s culinary highlights:

Nduja ravioli: nduja sausage, stracciatella, basil.

This one packed one nice, fiery punch.

Risotto: sturgeon bone marrow.

A festival of textural contrasts. Apparently, the sturgeon is braised for some 30 hours before plating.

Lamb brains: deep fried lamb brains, cicoria, mushrooms.

Somewhat reminiscent of KFC – and I mean that in the best possible way.

Clams: clams, guanciale, tomato.

Akemi’s favorite.

Duck ravioli: duck, mascarpone, tomato, olive oil.

My favorite dishes on the menu – the two raviolis.

Octopus and bone marrow: braised octopus, bone marrow.

Definitely a unique take on surf ‘n turf. The toast was the perfect accompaniment to the marrow.

Some of the other menu highlights not pictured: the romanesco (with guanciale, served with mom’s sauce) and the buttermilk-fried quails. Have yet to try the branzino (whole European seabags), porter house (20 oz veal bone on porter house served with salsa verde), or tomahawk chop (tomahawk pork chop with cipollini onions).

And, to finish: The pouding chomeur. Clearly, the Au Pied de Cochon influence was at work here. One of my very favorite desserts.

Cocktails and service were terrific.

Once we were done, I felt like my french bulldog Lulu after a satisfying meal and drink (see last entry).

PARCAE

348 Adelaide Street West
Inside the Templar Hotel

(416) 398-5335

M-Th 5pm–12pm
F-Sa 5pm–2am

http://www.parcae.ca

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November 29, 2015

Photos: Snow monkeys, fantasy football league, Dark Matter


Noooooooo!

Nooooooooo!

Nooooooooooooo!

My Snow Monkeys were trounced in week 12 fantasy football league play, blowing an opportunity to secure a first round bye in the upcoming playoffs. Relegated to third place following this humiliating loss, my team must win next week AND hope This Ones For John loses in order to avoid a potential first round post-season match-up against either the red hot Tramp Stamps or the Ivon Bartok’s dominant Running Dead.

Sad monkey.

On the bright side, tomorrow, official prep begins on Dark Matter’s second season. On tap tomorrow – director Amanda Tapping leads the proceedings with:

9:45 – 10:00 : Episode 202 Props Meeting – Re: The Claw

10:00 : Set walk-thru

15:00 : Episode 201 – Concept Meeting

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November 30, 2015

Photos: Dark Matter, pugs


Today was our first official day of prep on Dark Matter’s second season. Yeeeeah! Following a props meeting to discuss “the claw”, we all hopped in the van and headed over to our second stage for a tour of the sets-in-progress with Episode 201 director Amanda Tapping.

Check out the pictures above. What a difference a week makes.

“So future prison like Japanese capsule hotel!” – Akemi. Yep.

Love the detail that went into the corridors. Doors are, of course, of the sliding variety. Floor will be faux-metal similar to what we have on The Raza.

High angle overviews of the various sets in our new stage. I envision a James Bond set roof hop sequence somewhere down the line.

As always, it’s the little details that really make a set – and Production Designer Ian Brock is a stickler for details! Check out this ceiling element that will house an overhead fan in the antechamber outside solitary.

Our first concept meeting went off without a hitch, setting up tomorrow’s festivities:

9:30 : Episode 201 Art Dept / Set Dec Meeting

10:30 : Episode 201 Props Meeting

14:30 : Episode 201 Stunt / SPFX Meeting

15:30 : Episode 201 Wardrobe Meeting

9 days to the commencement of principal photography on Dark Matter’s second season! You ready?

Whew! An exhausting day. It’s so nice to finally be home…

So I can finally get to work on those blue pages for Episode 201 – and, time permitting, make some headway into the fifth act of that other script.

No doubt that, in a few hours from now, I’ll be feeling like these two: