Another late night last night meant a late call today which will no doubt translate to an even later night tonight. Yesterday began with a stunt sequence perfectly executed under the guidance of Stargate Atlantis Stunt Coordinator James “Bam Bam Bamford” with the assistance of the Blow Up Boys Wray and Scott. The first take was perfect, saving us the trouble of having to set up for another kick at the can and allowing us to move on to Tent #3 for Sheppard’s, then Dusty’s, lonely walk through the fog-shrouded abandoned marketplace.
It was smooth sailing until around mid-morning when we suffered our first on-set crisis. Because we were shooting a stunt, Glenn, our first aid guy, had to be there “just in case”. Alas, Glenn pulls double-duty as our craft service guy as well and, since he couldn’t be in two places at once (ie. on set seeing to the safety of our cast and crew AND preparing our mid-morning snack), our toasted reubens and veggies and sandwiches were half an hour late!
After lunch, we descended into the catacombs. The wide angle shots of the dark and dampened stone passageways revealed by the searching flashlight beams are eerily beautiful. Some walking, some talking, a discovery and then we capped things off with a pyrotechnic “show and mow” I like to refer to as the “Song of Fire and Iced” sequence.
This morning, following a brief debriefing with my fellow producers and a fast track breakfast burrito, I arrived on set in time to watch the blocking of the first scene: Creepy Well Sequence #1. From there, we jumped back into the catacombs, then over to the alleyway for a surprising discovery.
Things were going swimmingly until around lunchtime when I started to experience a minor eye irritation. I thought nothing of it until I popped into the bathroom to check it out – and noticed my right eyelid red and slightly swollen. Hmm, the last time this happened, it didn’t go so well for me. A little clean-up work around my wife’s office uncovered an unexpected surprise in the form of a faceful of fiberglass. This led to a minor eye irritation which developed into an infection which necessitated my getting my “eyelid flipped” during an examination that resulted in my being prescribed Amoxicillin that, one week later, triggered a massive allergic reaction that turned my skin tone a glorious magenta. Glenn (see paragraph 2) was kind enough to swing by and administer some eye drops which should, I hope, deal with the problem thereby ensuring I won’t have to sport an eye patch to my chocolate party.
Today’s blog entry is dedicated to lurker, occasional poster, and birthday girl Aboleyn24.
Busy day, indeed! Here’s to hoping your eye feels better soon. Although, I suspect if a patch is needed, you could simply make it a pirate themed party where people must fight with swords in order to get to the chocolate “loot”.
Just remember a poor rehearsal is a good performance. I know that’s from the theatre,but trust me it is true. I do hope your eye is better soon.
Take Care
Looks (no eye pun intended) good
Jean :~)
Thanks for the pictures of Bambam! I hope your eye feels better soon. xx
I trust your eye will be okay. The horror of having to wait on a ruebens!
Nola
Never fear Joe, if you do have to wear an eye patch, make it a Pirate Chocolate Party! Have the guests dress as pirates and hide the really good chocies in treasure chests around the garden.
Thank you very much for the photos and behind the scenes insights for Whispers. I am looking forward to this one. Well, I’m looking forward to the whole season, but Whispers sounds really fun!
I hope your eye gets better quickly. I should imagine a magenta show runner might not inspire much fear in the underlings.
I like that picture of your. It looks very artistic!
Thanks for still taking the time to blog even though you’ve been very busy! I know when you’re tired, every minute of rest you can get is priceless, so these entries are doubly special. 🙂
Hi, Joe.
Hope your eye is looking/feeling better tomorrow.
Thank you for the updates on season five production.
Wow, that mid-morning crisis situation was tense! Glad it was eventually resolved, hopefully, to everyone’s content.
🙂
Morjana
Mr. M hope your eye is better
Tent #3 for Sheppard’s lonely walk through the fog-shrouded abandoned marketplace.
OH!!!! WANNA SEE!!!! WANNA SEE!!!!
DD
yeeshh! sorry bout the bad luck with the eye. hope it’s okay. the pictures are great as always. and I love the setup of the stage.
Hope the Chocolate Party goes well and tastes delicious which i have the utmost confidence it will (sorry if i jinx anything).
Century
Hey Joe!
Hope your eye gets well quickly, I’m really sorry to hear about it. 🙁
“our toasted reubens and veggies and sandwiches were half an hour late”
Ah darn, reubens are so good, and I’m sure that they make some amazing sandwiches there at the studio. 🙂
Thanks as always, and I’m really enjoying this play-by-play of the shooting of “Whispers”!
– Enzo Aquarius
Darn, but I just can’t wait ’till July. Why do I always have to be wishing my life away? Oh well, the only good thing here is that my husband opened the pool last week, and thanks to a heater and wet suits we’ve already been swimming the last two days (not a small feat in eastern PA let me tell you). I’m not looking forward to going back to work next week; loved being off this week.
Hope your eye problems are all taken care of Joe. Don’t want you to not be able to type your blog.
oh man! I hope the eye doesn’t turn traumatic and dramatic this time.
Hi Mr. Mallozzi,
I found your blog on SGA/SciFi site. I am also a scifi fan, a big SG-1/SGA fan. Your blog is getting me thru the off season. I am going thru witdrawals. I admire the talent and work that goes into putting together an episode. You and the rest of the crew are incredibly talented and have great imagination.
I was wondering if there was room for one more in your BOTM club? Also I hate my job – are you guys hiring??I’m willing to relocate.
Thank you.
-Kabra
Love the pic’s. Any chance you know when or what the shep whump ep might be?? Any chance,huh, huh, any chance? Also how tall is Jason M. and Joe F. anyway? Thanks bunches, Nicole
Oh yes, p.s. would you tell the stupid American how tall they are in inches?? thanks Nicole…
They PAY you to have that much fun? Love the pics, as well as the VERY tiny tidbits on the story. At least we know where the scenes are taking place… how many more days of shooting are left? Hope the eye problem resolves quickly. Though I think you could find an appropriately suave eyepatch somewhere for the party. Just one more day till the weekend, so enjoy.
Ooh you look very smart on set! I approve of that photo. Shall I print it out and get it autographed? Heh.
Ouch. I hope your eye turns out okay!
Did I tell you about my sister’s eye blister? She had it around the same time as your eye infection and the doctor thought it might be because she had conjunctivitis at the same time her allergies flared.
Don’t look if you have a weak stomach.
Oh wait… that was the time a surgeon left an insoluble suture in her eye. The eye blisters were another time and even more impressive.
Well, hope your eye gets better soon! I wanted to know is there a set amount of hours you, or the actors, can be on set for? Like, can they only be there for 8 hours or something, and then they can’t do anymore filming until tomorrow?
Thanks;
David:)
Nice pictures by the way!!!
Yikes, not good to hear about your eye problem. I had to wince in sympathy at that, as I’m very sensitive about problems with my own eyes.Hope you don’t have to look like a pirate at your party.
I’m also hoping “Whispers” really takes the cake in as far as the creepiness factor is concerned. I wouldn’t say true horror is a favorite genre of mine but a suspenseful tale that sets one on edge is right up my alley.
And its still movie magic to me,thanks for the great pictures! even with one eye, I hope your eye is better,poor thing. and maybe get a helper for Glenn so those snacks can be on time, remember priorities… and maybe they can make a chocolate eye patch just in case. (always thinking) Have a better day tomorrow. 🙂
Oh, man, eye stuff is the worst. *shudders* I hope the eye drops worked. I have no fear of needles, but I hate, hate, hate anything around my eyes. There was this kid in elementary that used to flip his eyelids just to make me freak out, and unfortunatley it worked every time. Uh, I’m actually feeling a little queasy thinking about it now….
So, hope your problem was minor, and it vanished as quickly as it came. Take care.
Thanks for the pics of Bam Bam in action. The fog tents look like shower curtains. 🙂 I hope your eye gets better because I’m sure it would be difficult to match a suit to an eyepatch. I’m having my own “eye issue” at the moment so I feel for you.
Breakfast burritos? Is that on the health pyramid?
Sounds like Whispers is going gangbusters. One take? Who gets through things on one take? Cheers for the rest of the shoot. Oops, I hope I didn’t jinx you.
Cheers, Chev
Hi Joe!
Thanks for all the wonderful pictures! I hope it brings you some comfort when I tell you that your late nights of hard, tiring work have brought us blog reader lots of photographic joy. Is that Bambam in the last 3 pics? Thanks again!
~Rich
Ooh goodness. I surely hope the eye problems don’t start up again for you…once is enough!!
Sounds like Whispers IS going great guns…and man, the pictures are tantalizing. 🙂 (And not just cuz you’re in there. LOL)
How long did it take to put the set together for Whispers?
Eek, Joe, hope the eyelid gets to remain in its normal upright and vertical position.
The photos look awesome, and decidedly creepy even without the addition of the fog.
Has Glenn had to jump in and medic anyone since you’ve started shooting S5? Any minor injuries – not that people aren’t being careful or anything – just curious! Perhaps he’s had to save an overgrilled cheese from burning?
Hope you get a good night’s sleep tonight, and perhaps breakie will be on time tomorrow.
Nika
Tardy Reubens? Oh, the horror!
May your eye heal quickly, that sounds miserable. Although the eyepatch does sound dashing. Black satin? Or leather?
Tardy Reubens … now that is one fine monkier if I ever heard one.
(cooooome oooon, five! squee. Just a little one.)
Hi Joe!
Your suits are consistently fabulous. Were you always this meticulous in your clothing choices? Seriously, you’d make quite a dashing evil villain…
When I went to “gun school” it was with a marine gunny and hearing protection was not provided…how wou;d I have heard his “instruction” if it I had been wearing any? Mine lasted a day so that I could qualify on the M16 and the 45 and get the “easy medals.” Went your in medical you look for the easy medals. Well. gun school was anything but easy!! The ladies make it look simple, but it aint so! Of course, if I had a P90 it might have been easier 🙂
Thanks for the vids and pics. I’m enjoying them every evening. I appreciate the fact that you take time every day to communicate with us in this manner.
And Anne, glad to hear things are on the mend for you!
i just saw the ark of truth movie and i have a couple of questions:
1. was the ending intended to be like the ending of raiders of the lost ark? with the ark being studied by “top men” & being packed away in a warehouse? (which i was waiting for them to show BTW)
2. is there any word on a third movie?
hope your eye feels better.
aww, I hope that doesn’t happen with your eye this time!
I was wondering, what is envolved in producing a show like SGA? And how did one arrive in the situation to produce the show?
NZJ
Toasted reubens! Oh, my favorite sandwich of all time! Even though I’m really full after eating that custard pie, a reuben just sounds so good. And unfortunately I have to work the next 9 days in a row, which means granola bars at my desk every day for lunch until next Sunday, unless I can talk some nice patrol officer into taking a detour through a drive-thru for me. Maybe I can barter with some carwash tokens…
I hope your eye is ok, I remember what a hard time you said you had during the last ordeal. Today’s pictures are particularly cool. I like the “caught on the cell phone” picture.
I appear in pictures about as frequently as you do. When you’re the one doing all the picture-taking, you seldom make it into any of them.
For the locals in this part of the ocean: Lest we forget. Remember the ANZAC’s.
Snappy outfit Joe. Motorola have their next “face of” in that shot.
Here’s to a quick recovery of your eye. There’s an old remedy that I hear works a treat, but don’t think you would like to partake in, or anyone else for that matter. There’s a modern day eye treatment called Murine. Just remove the “M” and there’s the key ingredient to the old style remedy. *shudder*
Hope you get some rest. Maybe some blog time off while your schedule is hectic? I worry ok!
hello. thank you for the mention that my mum asked for the other day. she is busy at the moment so I’ve read your post to her and she says you need a poke in the other eye to even things out but I think she’s just joking, she says stuff like that to me all the time.
I love Stargate Atlantis, well, I didn’t used to but my mum watches it SO much that its hard not to like it but usually sci fi isn’t my thing. my mum says I’m too much of a girl and that I need to watch and read more of her stuff but I think she just wants a clone, anyway I really like Doctor Who as well does that count? Can you tell Carson that I think he is lovely and that I love his scot accent please and can you tell me how your dogs are? I’ve seen pictures and I love lulu.
bye
from Katherine
Dashed inconsiderate not having your food ready on demand, what does safety matter when people are starving? Aren’t more accidents caused through low blood sugar? Food first! safety second! Hope the eye clears up soon or we’ll be seeing you playing Jessica Alba in a remake of the remake.
The set looks fantastic and I’m really looking forward to Whispers, I’m sure its going to be extra creepy knowing what we do about your choices in reading and watching entails.
Cheers Joe. Happy Friday!
If it is true that you can heal via positive thinking, then that eye of yours should be all fixed by tomorrow morning. It may possibly be a little better than it was prior if the number of positive get well vibes are any indication here.
Man! Sucks about the eye thing, hate that.
Gotta say looking at photo #1 at the top there, you look very sharp in your suit.
Most people seem to be wearing T’s and Jeans around the office and on set. Do you not feel slightly over dressed? Or are you just bringing a touch of class to the proceedings?
😛
Narelle from Aus Said:
Absolutely.
Is there anything it can’t do?
Cheers, Chev
I agree with everyone. I think you’ve found a good photo to use when magazines want to interview you, etc. You look very producorial. (Wow. Making up words is FUN!)
I hope the eye is doing better today. Still curious how many asthma attacks there have been with the fog….
I hope you’re eye is ok Joe…is it the eye from the fibreglass incident?
I just noticed Narelle from Aus suggested you maybe take some time off the blog. As a fellow Aussie (birds of a feather and all that), I’m inclined to repeat that suggestion. Maybe you should take some time off your blog if it is too much of a mission for you everyday? As long as we knew about it I’m sure people would be ok with that…although I do like hearing what you’ve been up to every day, you need your down time like we all do.
Oh well, at least it will be the weekend soon, right?
Ahoy, matey –
Who took the picture of you on your phone?
Ahoy, matey –
Who took the picture of you on your phone?
Aw thanks for the dedication. It made up for the fact that lunch at my favorite restaurant was incredibly disappointing. The menu was full of mushroom inspired things ( I don’t like mushrooms they are second only to bananas in my foods to detest list), the calamari was undercooked and my salmon cakes had enough black pepper in them to be lethal and I really like black pepper. The blog dedication if much tastier.
Sorry to about the eye. I had a horrible infection once and could only wear one contact for a couple of weeks. I kept walking into walls because of my depth perception was so skewed. I hope it clears up for you
Dagnabbit! I see my daughter actually made a post, sheesh, it musta taken her all night to chew through the straps. That’ll teach me to share. I’m gonna have to think up some cruel and unusual punishment, let me see, I could make her sit through all the original series Star Trek while I do a karaoke to it, or there’s always handwashing all the laundry, thats a good one for keeping them out of mischief, maybe I’ll make her read your blog from day one and then ask her questions….
Only kidding, I think its great that I can share this with her.
Oh and Narelle from Aus, I DO remember the ANZACS, well not personally but where I come from and in my family the ANZACS were always highly thought of and I’ve carried it on with my own kids. In fact in my home town there was even an ANZAC Avenue. We won’t forget!
Thx for the pics… always love to see what happens behind the scenes.
And good luck with the eye. Hope you don’t live through the same problems as last time.
Eyepatch + 3-Piece Suit + Chocolate Party = STUDLY
I say you work it, even if you don’t need it. (And here’s hoping you don’t!)
The set looks awesome…can’t wait for this epp to air!
Hey
I was wondering why Jessica Steen was recast with Torri Higginson?
And is it possible for you to tell us why Torri isn’t coming back for season 5?
thanks
Joe: Ooh, more lovely pics! I love the fog tents, they look so…so…like big bits of plastic!! But useful plastic!
Sooo hoping your eye doesn’t cause you lots of trouble (like last time), though if anyone can pull off a suit and eypatch combo, it would be yourself! Still, really hope it clears up quickly and painlessly for you.
Anne Teldy: Posting you a little something on Monday – but as I’m in the UK it may take a couple of weeks or so to get to you. Sorry I’m so late in sending you a get well card – not been able to get to the Post Office this last couple of weeks due to the ME (or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as it is also known).
Leesa Perrie
Boy sounds like a busy day on set. So even the Producers get hurt. Joe might I suggest a nice long nap. Dangerous job being a Producer of a hot show.
Hugs
Fran
Hope your sore eye soon gets better.
Love the pics.
Catacombs. Oooh lots of creepy potential there.
The second pic of BamBam doing the scary pose – is it of the ‘scary something’ drawing you had posted sometime earlier?
The more tidbits you give us about the filming of “Whispers”, the more I can’t wait to see it! 😀
I hope your eye gets better soon Joe, it sounds quite uncomfortable.
Oy I can’t stand it, I’m such a sucker for imagery brought on by well chosen words… my imagination says Lonely-Sheppard-in-Fog is going to beat Lone-Sheppard-in Rain by several miles as emotions fly!!
Question- is this “fogging” technique the same as used for SG-1 s10’s Morpheus ep? or did you just happen to catch a foggy day then? because that atmosphere was awesomely creepy.
DD
Thanks a lot for those pics. Every time I see a pic of Paul/Carson I kind of jump in my chair out of happiness. He seems so over the tops happy on the pics. I just an’t wait to see the eps with him :o)
Having just presented a nox costume on the FedCon in Germany I wanted to ask you if it ever came to your mind to have the nox reappear on SGA. We haven’t seen them in ages and I loved them! And imho they’re a pretty important race, too.
I do hope you’ve had the chance of a good nights sleep by now. I couldn’t do without right now as some kind of illness is nagging at me for over a week now.