Oh, what a beautiful morning. The moon was shining, the birds were sleeping, and the streets were as clear as London after the zombie apocalypse. Bleary-eyed and bushy-brained, I rolled into work at a little before six, just in time for the fog test that, I was told, would take approximately three hours to complete. One hour later, and I was back in my office, eating my bran flakes and imagining what it might have been like to sleep past 4:30 a.m.
The test, by the way, went very well. Wray and Scott had the smoke machines going. The fog was fairly heavy in the village set, a roiling cloud that seemed to hang in place and do a slow, almost imperceptible rise before being dispersed by the electric fans. Visibility on its perimeter was very good, but one giant step forward and I was suddenly disoriented, surrounded by shadowy figures moving just beyond my line of sight. The tented area was even more oppressive, a sea of grey that swallowed me whole and instantly robbed me of my sight. Unable to even glimpse my outstretched hand, I turned toward what I assumed was the exit – only to have Will startle me by abruptly stepping into view like some stage magician perfecting his latest trick. Cool, huh?
Yeah. Cool. And spooky as hell.
Speaking of spooky, we’ve received some more comments on F. Paul Wilson’s The Keep. AMZ wonders about the story’s shifting point of view. We start with Kaempffer, then shift to Woermann, then move to Cuza, Magda, and eventually Glenn – before Magda takes over one last time. At first we’re presented with the possibility that it will be a battle of twin evils, Kaempffer vs. whatever dark force inhabits the keep. Then, we are presented with a far more palatable anti-hero in Woermann. But he too recedes once Cuza is introduced. However, once Cuza begins to undergo his crisis of faith, the mantle is passed to his noble and spirited daughter – before she too is superseded by the enigmatic Glenn. And yet, given his mysterious past and secretive nature, it’s not all that easy to embrace Glenn as a hero. This shifting perspective is unsettling – and, dare I say it, purposely so – keeping the reader off-balance. Wilson subverts the traditional role of the protagonist just as he later up-ends the established notions of good and evil.
AMZ also brings up our fascination with horror. What draws us to horror novels, movies, and those breakneck rollercoaster rides that occasionally jam, leaving their hapless passengers suspended upside-down some two hundred feet from certain death? Great question. Discuss!
Today’s blog entry is dedicated to birthday celebrants LizB and gollysunshine.
Today’s pics: The fog test.
Today’s videos: The fog test!
http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee164/BaronDestructo/?action=view¤t=Smokeemifyougotem.flv
http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee164/BaronDestructo/?action=view¤t=Flaretest.flv
Mailbag –
Darsy writes: “I’ve just found out I’m pregnant! Do you have any favorite names of characters in the Stargate universe that you might suggest as possibilities?”
Answer: Congratulations! Might I suggest: First, Borren, Zipacna, and Otho.
Syble writes: “I do have to wonder though, with work, your blog AND the BOTM, do you ever sleep?”
Answer: Lately, no.
May writes: “Say, have you ever read Mike Resnick?”
Answer: Not yet. But I do have his New Dreams for Old on my To Read list.
Fsmn36 writes: “It seems the SGA crew gets into football and college basketball, but only Carl is a hockey fan? Being up in Canada, it’s surprising to me. Does Carl have a favorite this year?”
Answer: Carl’s team is the Anaheim Ducks. Paul enjoys hockey as well. I’m more of a NCAA basketball and NFL fan. Martin prefers jai-lai.
Padawan Aneiki writes: “One: How many people do you generally invite to one of your chocolate shindigs? And Two: How do you handle things if a star wants to do their own stunts?”
Answers: 1) About 50. 2) It depends on the stunt. We’re not going to jeopardize the production or the lives of one of our actors so that someone can perform their own stunt.
Belouchi writes: “I was wondering sir, do you have any news on the renewal of Atlantis for a sixth season?”
Answer: I don’t expect news on a potential season 6 until Summer’s end at the earliest.
Rebekah writes: “So, I have been asked to ask (by my husband who is in love with Larrin) – will we be seeing anymore of the Travelers in Season 5?”
Answer: Tell him to be sure to check out the mid-season two-parter.
Watcher652 writes: “Also, I just bought a copy of “The Android’s Dream” (which you have a missing “n” in your sidebar) so I hope to be able to join in the discussion later. Can I read that book without reading “Old Man’s War”?”
Answer: Yep.
David writes: “I know that the episodes are shot out of order, but are they written in order?”
Answer: Not exactly. With five different writers working simultaneously, you’re likely to get some scripts sooner than others. It’s very rare for us to skip ahead in the schedule however.
Nika writes: “Actually to expand on that, how do you guys decide which episodes to slot at which point in the season?”
Answer: As always, it has to do with our overall season story arc, actor availability, production concerns (ie. access to certain locations), and our idea of where in the schedule a certain story will work best.
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