Prep week for episode #10, Resurgence, kicked off today with a 9:00 a.m. concept meeting. Those in attendance included all department heads, Director Will Waring (yes, apparently he IS directing this one), my writing partner Paul (who sat in to get a sense of who will be where on that new set), and yours truly. Assistant Director Alex Pappas ran the meeting, guiding us through the script, stopping only to direct questions my way or regale us with tales of his youth spent as the Entertainment Director of a local Buddhist community center. As Paul predicted, we ended up mired in the “Who’s where?” logistics of the new set and, after much discussion and dialogue tweaking, it was decided I would have to offer detailed positioning of each player in my next draft. I actually ended up sketching out a handy diagram in the margin of each scene to keep it all straight!. It looked something like this:
X X X
xx
X X
And it’s various brevpy variations.
After a ten minute break, we sat down for a very brief Art Department meeting – very brief because we’d had a pre-concept meeting meeting last week in which we’d brought in Wray and Scott from SPFX to discuss how we planned to shoot one of episode’s more interesting sequences. There was talk of ramps, rigs, cranes, and parallelograms until we finally decided on our game plan. More talk of relative speed and vectors of intertia, this time initiated by Paul rather than our Creative Consultant John Scalzi.
Next up was the props meeting – which proved equally brief. Talk of backpacks, pelican cases, weapons, shovels, crowbars, and big-ass flashlights.
After which we rolled right into another short meeting: Costumes.
Since we’d already had our preliminary discussion with the Special Effects team, the Stunts and Special Effects meeting went quickly. A couple of stunts, atmosphere that shouldn’t look like atmosphere, and sound and fury.
Given the brevity of the meetings so far, you’d think this episode would be relatively inexpensive. Think again because, tomorrow, we’re looking at THE meeting – Visual Effects – which is scheduled to run for an hour and a half, but could go longer. The 8:30 a.m. Playback meeting that precedes it is also going to be busy. Also on deck tomorrow: Extras and Hair & Make-Up.
Well, tonight’s the night! 10:00 p.m. NBC. The premiere of Persons Unknown…
It has an intriguing premise and, most important of all, was Exec Produced by none other than SGU’s Remi Aubuchon.
Speaking of Remi, I think it’s high time he got the official Stargate fan welcome – and no better way for the fans to officially welcome him than with a trial by fire, coal-raking, fan Q&A. So, if you’ve got questions for Remi, start posting them. Ask him about SGU! Persons Unknown! How delightful Joe is to work with!
And make sure to check out his show tonight. It’s common courteous, after all.
Mailbag:
Rex Carter writes: “One question though if the sgc should find another a 3rd icarus planet with enough naquadria desposits in it to gate to Destiny can they only use it once one shot per icarus planet and of course one-way travel to destiny.”
Answer: Theoretically, yes, they would be able to make multiple one-way trips to Destiny.
Ytimynona writes: “By “juicer” do you mean blender?”
Answer: Nope. I use the blender to make smoothies, and the juicer (that extracts the juice and discards the fiber) for juice.
SG7 writes: “With ScyFy moving SGU to Tuesdays, do you think that SPACE will do the same? And have you done any Q&A’s with Louis Ferreira or BrianJSmith? And if you haven’t are you planning on any with either of them?”
Answer: I don’t know what SPACE has planned for season two. As for Louis and Brian – I haven’t asked Louis yet, but Brian did a Q&A prior to the show’s premiere – http://josephmallozzi.com/2009/09/29/september-28-2009-actor-brian-j-smith-answers-your-questions-only-three-days-to-the-stargate-universe-premiere/
dasNdanger writes: “Joe…you stopped reading Wolverine Origins and Dark Wolverine, right?”
Answer: I stopped reading everything, but am still picking up trade paperbacks of The Walking Dead and Scalped. I’ll certainly pick up both of your recommendations and check them out.
JulieAloha writes: “Are you thin crust or pan pizza man? Tomato, white, pesto sauce or other? Wild toppings or standard?”
Answer: Depends on my mood, but I tend to prefer the New York style thin over the Chicago deep dish. While I’m more than happy to experiment with exotic ingredients, I like to keep the toppings minimal.
Louis answers: “On the topic of SGU though Joe I was wondering if I could ask u a small question, will we by any chance be introduced to any other LGBT characters onboard the Destiny in the future?”
Answer: It’s possible, yes.
Mix-Martes writes: “Hey Joe, just read the other day’s post about that World Cup pool and I was wondering… why no-one bet on Spain to win it?”
Answer: I think it could be because they’re a perennial underachiever.
Fiorenzo writes: “I have a question that you might not be able to answer but giving it a try anyway (note: I’m also a Lost fan) … do Brad and Robert already know how the series is going to end?”
Answer: As a matter of fact, yes, they do.
JeffW writes: “You could try making your own Pizza, or am I missing the point?”
Answer: I know, I know. My mother makes her own pizza and I really should make the effort but, well, it’s so much effort.
Chevron7 writes: “Btw, how are Brie and Stewie doing?”
Answer: They’re doing well. Apparently, very needy.
Tammy Dixon writes: “Sorry, Mr. M., I’ll try to keep the post down after this but do you know when/where Brian J. Smith’s film “Murder on the Orient Express” is going to be shown?”
Answer: Alas, I don’t. I’d suggest posting the question to Brian on twitter.
Salmo writes: “Way back when I used to live in Kits and Sympatico on Fourth Ave. was was the place for pizza. Is it still there?”
Answer: Doesn’t ring a bell.
steph writes: “1) Are there any rules/standards as to what you are allowed to do when using another person’s body (i.e. having sex with someone)?
2) Will we be meeting Dr. or military officer Cassandra any time soon? I know an episode of SG1 showed her in the future talking to the team, which implies she has access to the base.
3) Is there any chance of meeting some of the cool peoples we met previously (i.e. Asgard, Tollan, Nox, the old man whose wife died in Babylonia)?
4) Do you believe commanders of ships out all alone in space become alike or is it happenstance that there are many similarities between Col. Young and Admiral Adama of BSG?”
Answers: 1) Common sense dictates behavior although participants are required to sign a waiver.
2) No plans to revisit the Cassandra character.
3) Again, no plans to introduce alien elements from either of the previous shows.
4) Didn’t see BSG, but I imagine most commanders would need to demonstrate both unwavering strength and compassion. A tricky combination.
It that’s not in an atmospheric bubble on an alien planet….. the spaceships are not going to be impressive!
Joe – Wolverine Origins #48 just came out – the book ends at #50. The last couple of issues of Dark Wolverine have intertwined with Origins. DW#86 also just came out, and – I believe – that book is ending at #90. So you might want to wait for both books to finish up if you do decide to check out the trades.
After this, I think Daken will be moved to his own title, Daken: Dark Wolverine, and Weapon X will become Wolverine, with Aaron still writing…but don’t quote me on that. These changing titles get pretty confusing after a bit. 😛
While I’m at it, I asked before if you ever read The Dark Tower graphic novels based on Stephen King’s series of books by the same name?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Tower_(comics)
I think I remember you saying that you’re not a fan of King (or was it someone else??). Anyway, I’ve never read anything of his before, but I am going to try this series out…looks like there’s a real ‘Man With No Name’ vibe to it.
das
Did you know VerizonWireless not only has Stargate ringtones BUT McKayisms too!!! I needed a little change I didn’t want to totally get rid of the SGA theme song, so I downloaded a Mkayism. I miss the ol’ SGA gang. sigh
Unknown Persons looks good, have to give that whirl. Definitely need to record it, not sure if the ol’ peepers can stay open that late. I think the strain of flu I had altered my DNA, everything feels like it shifted, I feel weird, haven’t felt “normal” since.
BTW – the pup pix are too cute. thx
Ok. You’ve cracked me. Making home made pizza for dinner tonight now. I feel like I need to take and post pictures.
Q’s for Remi:
Are you a freelancer or on staff?
What rules did you have to follow in writing your spec scripts that you get to relax on while writing SGU for pay?
What scriptwriting rules did you have to tighten up on while writing SGU for pay vs. spec scripts? Vs. scripts written for Ronald Moore projects?
Space dolphins – what’s so bad about that?
What sea creature would you like to see in space?
Do you play any mmog’s (massively multiplayer online games)?
Who puts more actor direction into a script, you or Ronald Moore? What’s up with that?
How come choose your own adventure books are so unsatisfying?
What science fiction element from literature do you think should be seen onscreen more?
Where does Joe keep the good chocolate?
How often does Joe bring the dogs to the office?
Hey I am at w00tstock and scalzi is performing. He is funny!
I thought maybe you could use this in one of your
scenes:
X X
X X
X x x X
X X
X xxxx X
X X
X X
Or maybe this positioning:
XXX xxx Xxxx X
X X X X XX
X X X Xxxx XX
X X X X XX
xxX xxx Xxxxx x
Question for Remi Aubuchon: You always look like your fix’in to crack Joe’s camera over his head. Do you mind him taking your picture or are you just showing lots of patience with him?
OH Joe, my beautiful artwork did not work! Darn!!
Hey Joe…a few questions, hope to hear back…
1. You responded to the whole subject of venting the gateroom but someone mentioned this elsewhere, I thought I’d post it in here:
What if they vented the gateroom and the neighboring corridors *before* the stargate even activated so there would be zero air the moment L.A. stepped through; have an armed military person in a spacesuit hiding behind something, ready to retrieve Telford (perhaps even rig a mini-breathing apparatus from one of the spacesuits to offer Telford); thus leaving L.A. to die? Would that have been a feasible option?
2. Or is it just Young’s bad decision making that it all boils down to à la one of his current character flaws?
3. Did I hear Telford correctly when he, while telling Kiva that it’s him (after gating through to Destiny), told her that her father “was” [name] (I missed the name, couldn’t understand), but referring to him in past tense as in… is Kiva’s father dead? (And what’s her father’s name?)
4. If two people swap bodies via those intergalactic communication stones and one of them ascends mid-swap, what happens to the other person?
5. Are we going to see any more “former Goa’uld-possessed” tech in the hands of L.A. in future episodes/seasons (in addition to what we have already seen)? Like the zat guns?
6. How do you spell that anyway… zat’nik’tel, zat’ni’katel, or something else?
7. I understand the Goa’uld are known for being scavengers of various alien technology, though I’ve always been confused on who actually designed and/or built the famous tech that the Goa’uld used – primarily things like the ships (ha’tak/motherships, cargo ships, death gliders, etc.) and weapons like zat guns and staff weapons – did the Goa’uld actually invent/design and/or make those, or did the Ancients, or someone else entirely?
Thanks!
Sean
8. How do the communication stones work? Do they actually swap consciousnesses? Or do they create some kind of carbon copy, leaving the original in place but subdued, and swap the copies on top of the originals and, after disconnecting, return to the original?
Joe,
Can you talk to Brad and Rob and see if they can make David Blue’s Subway commercial canon? That would be cool!
Thanks,
K-man
Oooh, them’s some hot XXXxxxXXXs there. Nice, very nice. Can’t wait.
What I did this weekend: Rode in the Atheists of Utah truck in the SLC Pride Parade. I’m a mostly hetero female who is something of an agnostic neo-pagan with animistic leanings and a tendency toward heavy skepticism. I wore my huge Easter Bonnet and had my picture taken a lot. Of course, being in the parade means I didn’t see the parade, but I have some fun shots of the crowd. My gay friends skipped Pride this year. Backward weekend indeed.
RE: Pizza
Joe,
What’s with the off-hand dismissal of pizza? You spend a great deal of time and effort to cook many fancy things at home, but making some dough the day before is a tough one for you? With a good mixer, it takes maybe 10 minutes to make the dough from scratch and then you let it rise for a day.
At that point, the hardest part of making a pizza is rolling out the dough. The sauce should be the fun part. You have a multitude of sauce types that you can experiment with. As you do it more often, you can start experimenting with textures and flavors of different toppings from meats to veggies to cheeses. (For instance, onion is a chameleon topping: it takes on the flavor attributes of the other toppings and gives a little crunch)
From the guy that asked you why scriptwriters always put anchovies on pizzas on TV, try taking pizza making as seriously as you do making ice cream. Once you come up with a dough recipe that you really like, it becomes a fun canvas to experiment with – and they can be frozen before cooked for later consumption.
(Another tip – if you want a crispy thin crust all the way through, make only 12″ pizzas – making larger and not making it soggy in the middle is an art form that takes years to master. Better to make more smaller and get it right)
For Remi : How about one (or however many you need) word(s) to describe each of the other writers on SGU?
Sounds like you had a busy day at work today. There’s sure a lot of things that need to be done behind the scenes, isn’t there? It never ceases to amaze me, all of the meetings and things that you have to do. It would be fascinating to be a fly on the wall…..
I watched Persons Unknown, and I really enjoyed it. I will definitely tune in next week!!
>Question “Do Brad and Robert already know how the series is going to end?”
>Answer “As a matter of fact, yes, they do.”
Have Brad and Robert told YOU how SGU will potentially end?
Have you ever noticed that sometimes you answer a question, but you don’t really answer the q
If you like Dean Koontz, I think you would also like Steven King……
I’m on carb overload right now. I should not have ordered that damn pizza. I won’t be able to eat for the rest of the week *groan*
Have a good one!
Kymm
Wh-wh-what the hell happened???? I was in the middle of typing something and I got a white screen of death, saying it was a duplicate comment. I hadn’t even hit submit comment yet. Grrr I was in the middle of giving you grief!!! Maybe the Computer God knew that and was punishing me. What I was in the middle of saying was…..
Have you ever noticed that sometimes you answer a question, but you don’t really answer the question? I wasn’t referring to the Brad/Robert question. I was just going to tell you that you think we don’t notice but we do *giggle*
K
Doesn’t everyone own a big-ass flashlight? I do. It’s very heavy.
Scalzi started using the word redacted too. I can’t wait to fill in the blanks.
You should try making pizza. With pictures for us. And possibly a recipe if you find a good one. I’ve tried. It’s OK pizza. At least it’s not usually greasy like most pizza places.
@Remi: Congrats on premiere of “Persons Unknown”. Even Husband, who prefers historical documentaries, was intrigued.
Filmed in central Mexico, ¿si? Are you dubbing in Spanish and/or Italian? If so, are any of the English-speaking cast performing in a second language?
My academic credentials and best skills are in Spanish; I may start graduate courses in translation this fall. If Ps Unk goes to second season, I would be tempted to offer my services…!
@remi again : I’m particularly impressed with the hotel set…reminscent of the historic older hotels in Austin and San Antonio, TX. Did the Ps Unk set designer draw inspiation from the Fairmont, Menger and Gunter in SA, or the Driskill in AUS?
Question, any thoughts on this:
I have a prediction to make regarding “Incursion, Part 1”. I predict that ever since the Destiny came out of FTL, it has been in some proximity to a black hole or some other star with an accretion disk, and that the thing which vaporized the Alliance person was a gamma-ray burst or other kind of narrow-beam radiation from said object. The ship’s hull may have generally protected the occupants from this, but the vaporized person was standing under a gap in the hull, under shields barely not strong enough to keep in the air, never mind strong radiation. If this is the case, they may get hit multiple times as the star/etc rotates. This star may also be unexpected, which may explain why the Destiny’s countdown clock stopped, as it did with the “new” planet. Anyway, that’s my thought for a “real science” explanation. We’ll see at the end of the week if it was true.
I’ve been meaning to ask you. Since you are going to Japan with Ivon in December, are you still planning on doing your road trip?
K
One more for Remi: I will be out of USA the next two Mondays. Will I miss a lot of exposition in Ps Unk? Or will I be able to catch up with the fourth episode?
Five sleeps to Ireland…six if you count sleeping on the transatlantic flight.
Any chance of Jet Packs appearing in the franchise any time soon?
Its been a tad hectic here of late hence the lack of inane ramblings, at least on my part;)
My mum and I lost a very dear, precious friend yesterday, in fact when he hadn’t answered his phone mum went up the road to check on him and he had passed away in his sleep. Del was one of those rare people who always left you laughing, he had worked all his life in the costume department of theatre and screen, and had many tales to tell. He was my mums best friend and like an uncle to me and my kids, we played scrabble every saturday night over supper and hilarity and I’m going to miss him so very much.
R.I.P. Derek Colley. we love you.
Hello Joseph !
Shall see again the survivor of the episode “Faith” ?
Thanks
Guess what, Joe and Blog Crew? I’ve graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Science in Major Physics! Wooohooo! I’m a Bachelor now…of SCIENCE!
Actually, this happened a week ago but I’ve been too busy with school work (it never ends) to announce it. Heh.
Ok, moving on. Why are the 2 middle x’s lowercase while the others are uppercase? Do they represent children? Are you bringing children onboard the Destiny?! OMG THAT’S A DISASTER THE SHOW’S RUINED.
So, who else was momentarily confused when Joe mentioned “Wray and Scott from SPFX”? Also, who else was also momentarily excited that Wray and Scott have crossed over into the real world from the fictional world? Just me? Ok.
Big-ass flashlights? Do they come from some kind of Erotic Home Depot, or perhaps the office of a proctologist?
Yeah, I went there. What of it?
Time to ask, nay, DEMAND that Louis do a Q&A. Given the apparent prankster that he is, his inclusion in the Joe’s Blog Q&A Alumni is a must. Come on, Joe. Do it.
Do it.
Do it do it do it-ah, you know the drill.
In the meantime though, a few questions for Remi!
1. First of all, thank you for entertaining our unimaginably Awesome questions. Looking over your IMDB profile, you have amassed an impressive array of drama credits, with Caprica being your first Scifi show. Now that you have added another scifi show to your credentials, how are you liking the Scifi genre? Does the added fantastical elements make it harder or easier to write stories?
2. I’ve read from a freelancer who wrote a story for Season 1 of SGU that being in the series’ writer’s room is intimidating due to how quickly the others toss around ideas thanks to their familiarity with each other. Did you feel the same? Bonus question: are there special and/or weird initiation rituals that the other writers put you and Linda through? Any gritty/disturbing/blackmail-able details would be welcomed.
3. Any hints on your first SGU episode, “Visitation”?
4. How did you get involved with SGU in the first place?
5. Are you a fan of Scifi?
And finally…
6. What’s Joe Mallozzi really like? Again, any gritty/disturbing/blackmail-able details would be welcomed.
QUESTION FOR THE JOE:
Looking over my list of Season 2 SGU episodes, it seems I’m missing a bit of info, so here goes:
1. Who’s the director of Trial and Error?
2. Who’s the director of The Greater Good?
3. Who’s the director of Visitation?
4. Who’s the director of Deliverance?
Thanks!
@ Narelle: Right, so regarding that Methane lifeform that may or may not exist on Titan – it’s muchos exciting!
I usually get these news from Centauri Dreams, a website devoted to the exploration of space:
http://www.centauri-dreams.org/
Anyway, as for the story itself, well, Titan has always held a fascination with planetary scientists since it’s such a unique body in the Solar System. It’s a moon that has an atmosphere that exerts an “air” pressure on its surface 1.5 times HIGHER than the air pressure at the surface of the Earth! Said surface is visibly shaped by liquid erosion and there are massive lakes (with the biggest one bigger than the Caspian Sea) at the polar regions made of methane/ethane. It’s pretty crazy. With this news the interest in this world would just intensify even further.
But, let’s not forget that evidence =/= proof. As much as I would love for there to be life on Titan, the chemical process described in the article can occur through abiotic means. However, hopefully this will convince whomever’s designing the next probe to Titan to add an experiment onboard that will test for signtures of Methane life!
Speaking of life on other planets, the Symphony of Science has added a new video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZ5sWfhkpE0
For those not familiar with SoS, it is the brainchild of John Boswell, who took video clips of scientists (including Dr. Carl Sagan, Richard Feynman, Bill Nye, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and new this time, Brian Cox) talking about science and used special software to change the pitch of their voice so that it sounds like they’re singing – basically autotune but without the negative connotations. If you like the wonders of the Universe mixed with the emotions associated with music, then give it a listen. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the six videos that John has already made in this series.
My questions for Remi:
How did you end up working in SGU’s writing team?
How quickly did you adjust to SGU’s writing style?
Is this series very different from what you’ve done in the past?
Do you have a favourite character?
What’s the best part of writing a script? Constructing acts, tweaking dialogue or seeing how actors bring it to life?
And one for Joe:
Hopefully we fans won’t know anything about SGU’s ending for at least few years. But are you happy/excited/meh about what the finale will be? Was it a collective decision?
Joe – ya know I’m not a big fan of vampires (unless they suck through their buggy palms or hell-forged runeblades), but I just saw this author on tv (very entertaining fella!), and thought you might enjoy this book:
The Passage, by Justin Cronin
http://www.amazon.com/Passage-Justin-Cronin/dp/0345504968/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276002621&sr=8-1
In fact, since these vampires are ‘insectile’, I just might give it a try, too! 😉
das
Heys! Just wanted to ask why you guys never revisited Ford’s role in the later seasons of SGA. I cheered at his 5 seconds in season 5 though heh major props for that. Any chance you’d ever bring him back? Maybe in one of the movies or in SGU or possibly in what ever SG series comes on after SGU in the future?
I saw this posted on gateworld from Rainbow’s twitter idk when it was posted probably a billion years ago lol but it makes me sad! That’s why I asked =)
“”
My #SGU storyline is unlike anything ever thought of by the writers… “”
“”
If I died tomorrow most people would remember me for a job that broke my heart in stride… Better get to work kid. True Story. “”
“”
@James6ft3 I was pulled into am office and told I would no longer be on stargate without reason. I’ve never gotten a reason told straight.
“”
Thanks and I just wanted to add I love SG-1, SGA and SGU! The more the merrier in my book!
Thanks for answering my Q. I do follow Brian J. Smith on twitter and I’ll try your suggestion.
Gilder: Have fun in Ireland!!!!! I’m so jealous. 😳 Is there any way for you to post pictures? Twitter perhaps?
Work sounds fun! I’ve always had jobs with variety in my day. Sitting in one spot is hard for me.
Question for Remi: How much research goes into an episode? Do you have friends in different fields that you can ping about details for stories?
Headache left last night but was there to greet me this morning. So after 2 Aleve, an imitrex, a cool morning swim and a bottle of coke, I believe I’m ready for the day. Headache is ebbing…. I may have to call dr, grrrrr. I hope I’m not getting a sinus infection.
Just saw the numbers for episode 19
Stargate Universe
– 1.178 million viewers
– 0.8/1 HH
– 0.4/2 A18-49
not good, not good at all.
Now for at least the beginning of season 2 you will be going up against the rating winner (NCIS) on tuesdays for the last 4 or 5 years and now its spinoff (NCIS-LA). With the effort that you spoke about going into these last 3 episodes I would think that you are looking for numbers much higher than they have been. I would go out on a limb and say 1.3 for the finale.
@ pg15 – Congrats!! Here – just for you (so that, ya know, you’re not a bachelor forever… ) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcNFjy2Vk9M
Now. Go put a bra on your head. Come on, pg. Do it.
Do it.
Do it do it do it – ah, you know the drill.
😉
das
Gotta disagree on the comparison between Young and BSG’s Adama. Young is well, younger, and he hasn’t accumulated the tremendous baggage that Adama had.
Young is way more straightlaced and compassionate, while Adama was more emotional and unwavering.
Adama was more like Patton and Young is more like Kennedy.
If anything Young is a lot more like Apollo, with that JFK. Being a younger man allows Young to make more mistakes and have more faith in people than Adama did.
As for the pizza, you gotta make your own; I used to love the ready to go Boboli crusts that you could just pile your toppings on, heat and eat.
But if you really crave a great pizza that you don’t have to cook check out the ones at Mineo’s; they Fedex them all over the world:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_583248.html
As someone who has been enjoying stargate since 2001, I really had hope for this show up until the last few. I don’t know what it was but each epi had some things I like but each was somewhat off to me and after friday night’s episode I don’t think it will work unless there are major re-writes for this upcoming season this show may not last the full 20 on the schedule.
Maybe if you were on ShowTime or HBO but I don’t think SGU will remain on SFYFI for the full season 2010 – 2011. You cannot be pulling down 1.1 and less and last long in the TV business. I do wish you well but I can’t this show getting a season 3 if 3 or 4 early episodes in season 2 have these numbers. It was fun for the first 15 years nothing wrong with that.
It was great !!
sniff sniff sniff…
“ramps, rigs, cranes, and parallelograms”
snuffle snuffle…
“relative speed and vectors of intertia”
Hmmmm. Do I detect Zero-G?
Dear Mr. Mallozzi,
Besides the acting of Robert Carlyle, Stargate Universe’s music is quite awesome! However, there isn’t a soundtrack released for it (unlike that of Atlantis and SG1) Not to be comparing series, but do you have any information as to when a soundtrack will be released? Even many of the people who hate SGU’s storyline do in fact like the music, and all throughout you tube and the internet, people are wondering if or when there is going to be an OST.
Thanks,
Ryusei
@PG15: Congratulations!
Hello Joseph!
ça va bien? Moi super, j’ai passé une bonne journée dommage qu’il n’a fait que pleuvoir.
Today j’ai gouter mes premiers Oréo, en plus enrobé de chocolats blanc, j’ai remarquer que peu de gens connaisse ces gateaux en France, j’en ai fait fait gouter à mes amis et ils adorent, ils ont l’intentions d’en acheter^^!
Merci pour ces Q/A et le Trailer 🙂 Remi Aubuchon.. ça fait français ^^!
Passez une bonne journée!
Bisou!
Given how much of a season you’d have filmed by time a potential cancellation was announced, how would you implement the series finale you planned? Is it CG heavy and set all on standing sets so that you can change your 20th episode fast, or are there any plans for a feature length episode or TV movie on Syfy?
Questions for Remi…hmm might have to think on that one.
@PG15
Congrats! Do what Das says. 😉
@t’loc
Ouch… I really was hoping for at least 1.6 for part 1. I was litterally dumbfounded when I saw that number. I can’t understand why it would go so low after such a well recieved episode.
So Joe.. How concerned do we need to be.. You said you think it’s likely SGU might make 5 seasons.. But on these ratings how is that possible? Would there just be budget cuts? Do you think it’s possible that with enough promotion you guys can get enough viewers for season 2 to get a season 3?
Also what do you think incursion part 2 will get in live sd viewers?
Thanks so much,
Major D. Davis
@pg15 Congrats! All the best to you in your future endeavors!
Well… Saw Persons Unknown last night, it was good, really good what I saw of it – because once again N(everending) B(oring) C(ommercials) I missed at least half of it. Luckily I recorded it. But as soon as the commercials start – that’s it I’m gone. I started by getting some things done, because I know I have at least 5 minutes to do tackle laundry, then when I get back… watch 10 minutes of the show, more commercials, fall asleep, wake up more commercials, next thing I know it’s over. So I will watch it again this time w/out commercials.
t’loc, I was surprised as you personally, personally I think Syfy should advertise certain episodes in different ways, really to appeal to SG1 fans in the respect if Jack/Sam appears in SGU they should like really shove in peoples faces. It’s sad to see that people are disgruntled enough with the series to stop watching. All things considered when you take that shows like Ghost Hunters(Horrible series by the way) Is averaging 2 million, it doesn’t look all that great.
I know Ghost Hunters must have a fan base, but watching a bunch of people walk around different locations in the dark with a few bumps and creeks every now and then, and no concrete evidence of ghosts, just isn’t good viewing to me anyway.
To conclude, I would of thought LDP being in this episode would of attracted more viewers, do some Syfy viewers lack taste? He’s an awesome actor, and he was on that I’m a celebrity thing ages back.
Hey Joe
Was just listening to Michael Shanks on Sci-Fi Talks and he said the third SG:1 movie is filming this fall. Any comments?
Elminster
okay i just read the humongous Q&A about incursion and i think you can agree that LA made Young look bad. Young shouldve had that “abandon enemy on some planet” attitude and fought those pieces of s*** the way Greer would have. the one thing that Young shouldve feared was LA sending a bomb of sorts, if it was mentioned the whole lockdown wouldve made sense strategically. but if they were dropping out of the gate disorientated, i wouldve just had a few armed men shoot the incoming enemy, they even couldve used that balcony. i read others suggest venting the atmosphere before LA arrived (if there was time) that way they wouldnt be able to catch their breath literally. hey why not have both?–get those environmental space suits!
and Young shouldve anticipated those door openers, a military guy would anticipate these things, why would Young assume these doors were made for the purpose of keeping intruders out?
LA most definitely no matter what would have had a plan to break these doors. that was to be expected, and Young underestimated them greatly. so this part of the episode shouldve been tailored differently so the attack would lean on a strong enemy and not underestimating them. what i liked though is the how Young probably only thought about using this venting atmosphere plan after successfully using it on Telford.
another minor thing, i think but im not sure, the LA firing at military scene, couldve been edited in a way less frantic so the viewer could have a sense of geography which couldve created a certain suspense with that element of sudden danger. yes you know what im thinking— Star Wars A New Hope intro. but thats just me pondering on how the scene couldve been better, cant help it, aspiring filmmaker here lol. anyway, i definitly got a sense of confusion out of it like being attacked by ninjas.
you know my house got raided once when i was a kid, by the zimbabwean police. yeah that was crazy but even though i was hiding, i still knew where they were. they werent swat like in their approach, instead they took their positions and slowly moved in through the front yard or around it. no doubt i was super scared. the suspense of not knowing whats gonna happen next was the most frightening part of the experience. dont worry it didnt end badly, im not gonna bore you with the details, it was just a time when there was hostility towards white people.
PG15: Congrats! You have a BS degree 😀 .
Headache is gone! It will probably be back tomorrow morning but I’m enjoying the time off.
So sorry for your loss, Shiningwit.
Ummm, i shouldve used less words 🙂
Joe, … all kissing “X” and no hugs “O”?
I was wondering:
Could you post up a script for an episode that has already run? If not, how about a page or two? I would like to get a sense for how much and what specifically you (as a writer) write for an episode.
How many pages do you write for a ~42 minute episode? Is that typical amoung the writing group for your show?
What is the ratio of descriptions to dialog to direction?
Do you story board an episode? If so, who draws the pictures?
Do you work from an outline or bullet list of what needs to happen in your episode? If so, when is this written?
How do you manage continuity? In other words, with all the writers working on different episodes at the same time, how do you know where the characters will be at the start of your episode?
With so many different writers, how do you keep the dialog consistant?
Congrats pg15!!!!
Elminster
I DVR’d “Persons Unknown” and watched it later. The premise seemed all to familiar, reminding me of the B-movie “Cube” and the countless other “I’ve been abducted and don’t know where I am” movies and shows.
That being said, after the initial start of the episode I did find it to be somewhat interesting. It’s the pilot, I’ll have to see more before deciding to watch it, but then again, there isn’t much anything else on TV now that everything has gone to hiatus.
Knowing that a member of the SG family is involved, I wish it the very best.
Quick question, when you write something with a specific character, how much control do you have when it comes to casting of that character?
Hi Joe,
Goodness, you are a busy bee. Make sure you make time for more than pizza and veg juice – we don’t want you sick (although Ashleigh . . . )! BTW, you can make several pizza crusts ahead of time and freeze them, then just pull one out and defrost to room temp, sauce and top and bake – easy! My current fav is a white sauce w/white wine, garlic, mushroom and artichoke heart, mmmmmm!
I can’t think of any Q’s for Remi – I’m in awe of anyone who can write like you guys – so I’ll just extend a Welcome and Thank you for your hard work.
Smiles, Julie
@ Shiningwit – so sorry for your loss, Blessings on you and your family.
@pg15 – Congratulations on your Scientific Bachlorhood!!! Way to go! And OMG, LMAO! Too funny! Maybe the little x’s are Asgard – OR FURLINGS!!! And if there are big ass lights, are there small ass lights, or would that be petite?
Oh, and after you put the bra on your head, as Das commands, feel free to post any gritty, disturbing, blackmailable pics. 😉
@Tammy – keep working that headache, don’t let it win! My allergist kicked me off shots; I’ve done three series of shots with 8-10 years in between each set, but I keep getting to a level which becomes dangerous and I have to discontinue for awhile. I got up to 750 antigens in 2 shots weekly at one point – now my tolerances are falling again and I may have to go back on the needle. 😛
Well, that last emoticon went all wrong – it was supposed to be a tongue sticking out, not a happy face – yeesh!
Above you said that Brad and Rob know how the series will end.
Considering the ratings, would it be possible to film two Season 2 finales, one in case it gets renewed for a third season and one for if it is, indeed, the Series Final Ep??
Or will there be enough time to write up and film a final ep if SGU does only get two seasons and you find out about it in the fall?
I know people most likely will want a resolution to the story.
Bailey that would be impossible, shows like Stargate only get budgeted for 20 episodes, if MGM or Syfy wanted another episode they’d have to hand over the money, or somehow someone special would have to make the budget work for an extra ep, that being said what would be the point? SGU may pick up for its 2nd season. For all we know, people might develop a taste in Scifi and watch it.
Hiya Joe – I’ve been letting all of Incursion pt. 1 simmer on the low-heat burner. I think I would give more intelligent feedback (nowhere to go but up, really) after seeing the second part as well. And, one hopes, the feedback would be more concise. For example: “YOUR SHOW [redacted], MAN!!!”
My take on your scene diagram: Those anime babes are really getting to you, aren’t they? *g*
What was the reasoning behind Col Young’s decision not to use deadly force? As someone stated earlier, the “lootin’ Liance” could have been easily picked off as they came through the gate.
As far as character development goes are you using any real individuals …such as an Angela Davis or a Congresswoman Barbara Jordan (for the Camille character). I have stated this before but the women are soft, shallow and have no depth. They seemed to be defined from a male’s perspective. Can we get beyond the superficiality of how big their boobs are and who they are sleeping with? If I see one more emotionally unstable female character who kills a cheating lover….. Though there maybe an occasional woman that kills her cheater…most do not respond this way…this is a male fantasy.
How about adding someone like a Gina Torres to the cast?
Finally turn on some lights…dim or no lights translates as cheap sets.
Introduce some sort of new technology, aliens, worlds, craft, something!
Right now the show is dark, depressing, stinky and claustrophobic. The drama aspect doesn’t move the storyline along at all.
Get rid of the stones!
I’d also like to add, with all of the wonderful resources and autobiographies of explorers, military men, slaves, and scientist…if you get board use one of these references.
If you aren’t already please interview and do use our Astronauts including Dr. Mae Jamieson for inspiration.
pg15 – Congratulations. It’s official! How soon until you head off to CalTech?
You’d make the best physics tutor 🙂
Thanks for the link to the symphony too. In High School I was studying Physics and Music and was interested in how most innately know when a harmony isn’t correct or pitch is wrong. I tried to look at it from a scientific point of view but my Physics teacher didn’t want anything creative in his class (he tried to kick me out for producing a ‘creative’ assignment – hey I thought it was a great idea to not use Styrofoam balls and straws to build molecules and only use organic items (oranges, apples, pretzels)) and my music teacher wasn’t interested in the science behind it. **rubs chin in quiet reflection** Anyhoo, that was 15 years ago and now we have Google.
You know you answered my Twitter comment here though? 😉 My link yesterday was to Jupiter’s disappearing storm that makes up the SEB. But really, if I’m being fed great and interesting information, tell me anything!! I’m the Trivial Facts Cookie Monster. Nom, nom, nom. Very mature of me huh? o_O
Shiningwit – Thoughts are with you and your Mum.
Questions for Remi:
OK, so what specifically does an Executive Producer do on SGU?
Do you like to have your hand in everything? Or, do you like to delegate a lot?
How delightful Joe is to work with?
Hey pg15, not actually spoken to you here before, but anyway have you seen the topic the folks over at SGU Sucks have about you? Kinda creepy, I mean the stuff they’re saying about you. I mean, they’re calling you a Joe fanatic, and some think you’re a Joe intern? They’re not only SGU haters, but strange at the same time. Sorry if I’m like late, I don’t really view that site nor am I a member, just randomly viewed for some amusement over their thoughts of the current episodes ratings.
Oh I noticed you asked for Remi questions. Okay I’ll join in too.
1. What Stargate series is currently your favourite?
2. How did you feel when you were given the chance to work on Stargate Universe?
3. What are some of your favourite moments thus far working with everyone, cast, crew, writers alike?
4. Any favourite characters in the show? like chracters you generally like, or maybe love but hate at the same time?
5. Are there any episodes in Season 2 that you feel people will absolutely love?
6. Any favourite books, authors?
7. What made you decide to leave Caprica and move onwards to the good ship Destiny?
8. Do you feel Caprica can stand the test of time, and perhaps go on for a few more seasons?
9. What other shows on TV do you enjoy?
10. Obviously to write about Scifi you have to at least enjoy Astronomy, or at the very most understand the basics of the universe, could you ever see mankind making the leap into the far reaches of the universe, like Destiny, be it on a mission of exploration, or otherwise?
10 Questions from me, showing Remi the love. Lol
Narelle: Since you like acoustic physics, a friend gave me this link that you might enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDD7Ohs5tAk
JulieAloha: too funny!
Have you seen Pandorum ? I’ve watched it a few times now and like it. I prefer actual sets to CGI especially when they make neat gadgets for the actors to work with.
@PG15 — Congratulations. BTW, I was thinking the X’s were the “stars” of the show, and perhaps the “x” were the “guest stars” of the show. LOL.
@TammyDixon: Sorry to hear you’ve been having headaches.
@Shiningwit: My sympathies for your loss.
QUESTIONS FOR REMI:
1) Not so much a question as a request: can you write out–long form–the story of how you came to be a TV writer?
2) (ignore if answered in Q1) I’ve gotten advice on where to start if I want to write for TV (write A LOT and have two good spec scripts: an original pilot and one from a TV show you feel comfortable writing for/that you want to write for) but that’s usually where the advice ends. Say I have a REALLY good spec script. To whom should I show it in order to get my foot in the door? [[Can you tell the story of your “big break”? How did YOU get your foot in the door?]] Sorry that was such a long question! 😀
3) Do you blog? Tweet? Use Facebook?
4) Do you prefer writing/producing procedurals or serials? Comedy, drama, or dramedy?
5) Can (and do) you watch episodes you have written/produced as they air live, or is seeing the episode a couple dozen times before it airs enough for you? 😀
6) There is no number six. There was, but PG15 totally stole it. So I’ll use the space to say a huge THANK YOU for coming to Joe’s blog and letting us give you the third degree! 😉 In all honesty, we truly appreciate it! 😀