Writer: Joe Mallozzi
Director: Andy Mikita
---
Yet another title for Season 2 released! Since this is JM's episode, it won't surprise you to know that he's already provided many very-very-vague hints about it, and here they are (the newest hint, providing the title, is the last one):
http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...-more-mailbag/
http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...other-mailbag/
http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...-news-of-note/
http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...this-and-that/
http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...-one-survivor/
http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...nd-the-yuutai/
http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...uickie-update/
http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...essly-amusing/
http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...d-the-mailbag/
http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...for-your-kids/
http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...k-in-montreal/
http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...eep-on-coming/
http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...appy-new-year/
http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...7-the-mailbag/
http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...l-day-mailbag/
http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...-manslaughter/
http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...-some-mailbag/
Yes, I know that he has a "The" at the beginning of the title. Since this would break the trend of 1-word titles, I'm going to view it with suspicion until I confirm it with him.
Director: Andy Mikita
---
Yet another title for Season 2 released! Since this is JM's episode, it won't surprise you to know that he's already provided many very-very-vague hints about it, and here they are (the newest hint, providing the title, is the last one):
More spinning today in the writers’ room and more headway made on those first ten episodes. We ended up discussing the details of episode 1 (Paul will be doing the honors on this one), talking about the what’s and wherefore’s and, most importantly, answering Brad’s burning question: “How the hell are we going to get out of this one?!”. Carl has requested Episode 5 while I’ve cast my lot with Episode 2. Brad’s idea falls in the four slot, so he’ll take that one, which means Rob will be jumping on 3. What fun!
Instead, I’ll be switching over to [episode] 3 which, to be perfectly honest, would have been number five on my list of choices only because of the tech component of this particular story (techy scripts are on my personal No Fly list, coming in somewhere between Ancient storylines and anything involving replicator duplicates of our team reaching out to Atlantis). Still, the late addition of another story element (which I initially pitched out for another episode) has certainly made 3 far more intriguing.
Well, another day and still no work completed on the outline. I mean, seriously. Outlines usually take me about a day to complete but I’ve been so distracted of late that I haven’t even had time to sit down and run the scenes in my head. Paul, meanwhile, finished his today. He’s off on the annual end-of-season golf trip with some of the other producers and wanted to make sure he got it out of the way. I too would love to get mine out of the way, but I’m having a little trouble concentrating of late. Hey, I don’t suppose anybody out there would be interested in writing this outline for me?
Yesterday, we gave and received notes on three outlines: […] Episode 3 (my story, which will shoot fourth), […]
Anyway, I made a point of carefully writing down everyone’s suggestions on the hard copy of my outline and, once our meeting was concluded, packed up and headed home. Well, packed up everything EXCEPT the hard copy of my outline with the notes. So, I phoned up Birthday Boy Lawren, had him track down the outline (I’d forgotten it in Ashleigh’s office), and instructed him to give it to Carl who I was meeting for dinner that night.
Anyway, I made a point of carefully writing down everyone’s suggestions on the hard copy of my outline and, once our meeting was concluded, packed up and headed home. Well, packed up everything EXCEPT the hard copy of my outline with the notes. So, I phoned up Birthday Boy Lawren, had him track down the outline (I’d forgotten it in Ashleigh’s office), and instructed him to give it to Carl who I was meeting for dinner that night.
Well, I was back at it today and by “it” I of course mean working on Stargate. I finally started writing that script and made some good headway, hitting the ten page mark before flaming out. Still, ten pages aint bad. At this rate, I’ll be finished by this weekend. Which, of course, I won’t be.
More progress on the script, albeit of the slow and painful variety. Hit the 15 page mark today which means that, this weekend, I will no doubt fall well short of the 50ish pages needed for a full script. Still, 25 pages five days off an exhausting trip to Asia would be pretty impressive.
No progress on the script front. In fact, I re-read the eighteen pages I have so far and hated it.
Deni writes: “Hi Joe! What happens now that you’ve re-read the 18 pages you have and hate them? Do you start over or just tweak what you have?”
Answer: I’ll go over what I have, rewrite and polish what I think works, toss out what doesn’t and start again. Eventually, I’ll get a rhythm going and I’ll be able to ride that out to the script’s conclusion. Come the top of the fifth act, it’s smooooooooooooooth sailing.
Answer: I’ll go over what I have, rewrite and polish what I think works, toss out what doesn’t and start again. Eventually, I’ll get a rhythm going and I’ll be able to ride that out to the script’s conclusion. Come the top of the fifth act, it’s smooooooooooooooth sailing.
I worked on those first eighteen pages of my script and, after several re-reads and tweaks, I’ve gone from “hate” to “mere dislike”. I hope that further rewrites will improve my opinion to “firm ambivalence” before I leave for Montreal. In the meantime, I’ve forged ahead with the next scene – a toughie – and hope to be out of Act II by the weekend. Hopefully inspiration strikes and I can roll through Act III in time for my Montreal departure next week.
More writing – actually, rewriting – on the script today and I’m actually beginning to like what I’ve got so far. 30 pages in and that really tricky scene fast approaches.
I’ve finally discovered my “writing zone”, that oh-so-elusive long sought-after artistic sweet spot, a place that marries private serenity and social dynamism, where focus sharpens and creativity blossoms. I refer, of course, to the Air Canada lounge in the Vancouver Airport where, yesterday, I hit the 35 page mark, and concluded Act III of my script.
Did some more writing today and am well into ACT IV. Should have a rough first draft by middle of next week. I foresee a fifth act obstacle I don’t quite have an answer for. But I’m not worried. These things tend to work themselves out – hopefully well before this goes to camera.
Damn this script! It just doesn’t seem to want to get done! Usually, by the time I hit the midway mark of the fourth act, I’m able to blaze through the final pages in one seating. And yet here I sit, stuck at the top of Act V, agonizing over the attack on the opening scene, the elusive linchpin exchange, and, quite frankly, all that has come before. No script is easy to write yet, admittedly, some are easier to write than others – while others are much, much harder to get through. And this one falls squarely into the latter category along with such equally challenging (read: frustrating) past scripts as This Mortal Coil and…well, off the top of my head, that’s it. In all my days writing for the Stargate franchise, THAT was the script that I assumed would be the death of me. Until this one came along. It’s always very easy to put ideas up on the board. Actually incorporating them into a script and making them work is another thing entirely. And yet, in the past, I’ve always been able to find a way. Take Ripple Effect for instance. When I wrote the outline, there was a big TBD (To Be Decided) at the point in script where our team turns on the tables on their doubles. I started writing with no firm idea on how I was going to tackle that particular problem and, as the script progressed and that scene drew closer, I grew increasingly anxious – but when the time came to write the scene, the idea came to me almost as if by magic. And that’s the way it’s been through most of my writing career. I’ll foresee problems ahead and assure myself that I’ll come up with a solution simply because I’ve always done so in the past – and, sure enough, when the time comes, a solution inevitably presents itself. Until this damn script. No 11th hour revelation. No act four twists or clever fifth act resolutions magically coming to me when I most need them. Just a scene heading, INT. DESTINY – CONTROL INTERFACE ROOM – DAY, and a blank page.
Chevron7 writes: “1. What kind of attack? Traditional ship battle or biological warfare or attack on the systems? […]”
Answers: 1. I was referring to MY attack on the scene. […]
Answers: 1. I was referring to MY attack on the scene. […]
Mackenzie’s Momma writes: “My question is- so when do you head back to work?”
Answer: Back in the office January 11th – hopefully with a first draft of my script. And a title.
Answer: Back in the office January 11th – hopefully with a first draft of my script. And a title.
I’ve completed a first draft of my script. At this point, I’m not sure whether what I have is good or something I’ve re-read so many times I’ve convinced myself it’s good. It’s a little heavy at just a shade over 51 pages and I’d like to trim it down a little before putting it out. I’d also like to find a title for the damn thing. Not that your many wonderful suggestions weren’t…well…wonderful, but none quite worked. Neither does the placeholder titled, The Encounter, that my writing partner Paul likens to the infamous – but seriously suggested – “Turn of Events”. Maybe something a little more concise like…Cosmic Encounter…or…Dark Rendezvous (And Eli Too!)…Close Encounters of the Deadly Kind…Qu’Elle Surprise!…The Curious Case of the Mystery Ship – Book III of the Everett Young Detective Series…Any of them grab you? Lemme know.
I head back to the office tomorrow with the first draft of a brand new script AND a brand new title: The Awakening. I like it because it works on a couple of levels – none of which I can go into any detail at this point. You’ll just have to trust me.
Yes, I know that he has a "The" at the beginning of the title. Since this would break the trend of 1-word titles, I'm going to view it with suspicion until I confirm it with him.
At the end of season 2 it will be old.
Comment