Well, so much for best intentions. The plan was to start beating out the big season finale this morning, but with Brad on Stage 6 overseeing the first day of main unit on Seizure and Carl down on Stage 5 overseeing the icky second unit action on Hope, we never did get around to gathering. Then, after lunch, I was in casting for two hours, checking out potential Corporal Reynolds, Sara Johansens, Steven Johansens, 12 year old TJ’s, and Tasia’s. By the time I got back upstairs, it was too late and now we’re eyeing Monday as a potential target of opportunity.
I was enroute to the breakfast truck this morning and ended up stopping to talk to actor Patrick Gilmore (SGU’s Dale Volker). Then, actress Jennifer Spence came by (SGU’s Lisa Park) to apologize for taking so long with her Q&A. I told her not to worry about it, that I was in no rush – although certain fans were growing restless. She assured me she’d have the Q&A completed soon. Soon! Actor’s Bob Picardo and David Hewlett also came by to say hi, both styling in their suits. And, speaking of styling, check out Lou Diamond Phillips (SGU’s Colonel David Telford) in his dress blues –
Fans are still buzzing about LDP’s greatest interview ever! If you missed it, check it out here: http://josephmallozzi.com/2010/08/30/august-30-2010-the-greatest-lou-diamond-phillips-interview-ever/
Today, we said goodbye to Special Efffects Wiz Wray Douglas who rides off into the sunset after a dozen+ years spent sparking, flaming, dropping, ratcheting, and generally blowing all manner of shit up here on Stargate. You’ll be missed, buddy.
Another chocolate day tomorrow. I’m going to attempt maple-milk chocolate truffles. And, if I can get a hold of some more yuzu, another round of those yuzu-plum sake white chocolate truffles enrobed in toasted coconut flakes. Wish me luck!
Reminders!
Reminder #1: Start posting your questions for Supervising Producer Linda McGibney! You have until Monday after which you’ll just have to phone her up and ask her directly.
Reminder #2: Finish up this month’s Book of the Month Club pick: Masked! Discussion begins Monday!
Reminder #3: My birthday is a little over a month away! If you’re planning something elaborate, it’s best to get started now!
Reminder #4: My Georgia Bulldogs play the South Carolina Gamecocks in a huge SEC match-up tomorrow! Wish us luck!
LUCK!
Wray’s leaving 🙁 Thanks for such great special effects for so many years. You will definitely be missed. Good luck in whatever comes next.
Hello again everyone! This time I’m coming to you from Klamath Falls, Oregon. We just spent an epic day at Crater Lake. Much joy and fun were had!
Those are Awesome playbacks! Very, um, shiny!
Wray is leaving? Darn. His work on the shows have been incredible and it’s always enjoyable seeing him in behind the scenes DVD clips blowing stuff up and having fun while doing it! Oh well. All my best to his future endeavours!
So, onto some of those specific video comments:
@B.A.G: As soon as I get my bearings in California, the Great BAG shall be enshrined in Version 1.2 of the trailer! I will post the link here and all will bask in thy glory! In other words, thank you so much for the compliments and I will make sure to add you into the next version of the trailer! 😀
@for the love of Beckett: WOW! Thank you for all that positive feedback! 😀 YAG eh? I can get used to that. Haha. I would love to have the chance to do this “officially”, at least in what little spare time I have during my studies; I mean, I would get to see the episode before it airs, right? 😉 Seriously though, I’ll be living near Hollywood, so who knows? Maybe I’ll give it a try; it’ll be fun! As for time…well, it took me about 10 hours of work to do this one, and episode trailers are 30 seconds long, so…maybe a few hours given enough “inspiration”? I just need to remember not to spoil the ending! LOL.
Also, 100% agree about the importance of music. My favorite SG episodes have usually been those with a strong score; they just carry so much emotion with them. For instance, I much prefer Ark of Truth to Continuum (though both were pretty Awesome) because of the way the score is weaved through the former; it just became so much more powerful. I wasn’t surprised to read on the score booklet that Rob Cooper directed the movie with the music in mind and specifically cut it to include long scenes where Joel’s masterpieces can shine through. Another example is Doctor Who, where the bombastic music is allowed to thrive in full in the episodes. They just give everything such an emotional and epic scope. I love it!
@E: Thank you! Yeah, I love that ending too. I’m just lucky David Blue decided to swing his arm down after his line – it fits the final “bang” of the music perfectly.
@Rob: WHAT?! WHO TOLD YOU ABOUT THE GUN-oh, you’re joking. Ha. Haha. Hahaha. 😉
Seriously though, thank you for the compliments! 😀
@noelm: Thank you! Joe posted the trailer on the Sept. 7th blog entry.
To everyone else: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE COMPLIMENTS!! It was an honour to entertain you all!
LDP rocks on this picture! 🙂
As for your birthday I’m sure we, the fans, will come up with something awesome.
First off, good luck on the chocolate making!
“Sayonara, Wray!” was just cruel. With salutes to Wray Douglas, I’m glad it’s not Ming-Na that you’re farewelling! Way to give me (and most likely others) a mini heart-attack tho.
LDP *is* styling in that suit! Such a handsome, awesome man! 🙂
Questions for Linda McGibney:
0) What has been the most fun part of working on Stargate?
1) What has been the most challenging part of being a Supervising Producer on SGU? Did you ever fight to get or keep something you thought was important?
2) Which SGU character was your favorite to write for?
3) Do you do any social networking with fans (Twitter/Facebook/blog)?
@Das – I haven’t done one of these in a while –
What do you get when you cross a Dart with Rush Hour Traffic?
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Road Wraith!
hee hee!
So for the whole summer run of Warehouse 13 and Eureka there has not been one advertisement for SGU or Sanctuary. Now one day after they announce that Caprica has moved to Tuesday and will air in October there were not one but two advertisements during the Eureka summer finale for Caprica. What is so special about Caprica. From what I saw their ratings were pretty crummy. Where’s the love for SGU?
Best of luck to Wray Douglas in his future! I remember the first time I found out about him was in the SG1 season 6 DVDs, when he blew up the scale model pyramid! I love all the practical explosions that he has helped to do over the years and wish him the best in his future!
Hello Mr. Mallozi,
I really should come by here more often, but have been trapped in a Wormhole at convention after Stargate convention including having the privilege of our team at WHR interviewing the wonderful MingNa, David Blue, Robert Carlyle and Robert Cooper.
Your cool videos of the Destiny consoles are most apprecaited! As the world records holder of watching the same SGU episode 22 times in 24 hours (ask Mark Savela, he knows)!
I can therefore honestly say WHR will be able watch these wonderful videos approximately 19,432 more times before the return of Stargate Universe on September 28, 2010. I would shoot for an even 20,000 but I will be forced (twist my arm please) to watch the season two premiere at 6 PM on SyFy East! I hope you can forgive the WHR Team Leader for coming up 568 viewing short? *snirk*
In all seriousness, your RSS feed has been embedded on our news blog from the day it opened and I often (almost daily) scan your summary when posting news stories at WHR.
Now as for the chocolates, please do not let Colonel Telford have any as they may stain those lovely dress blues.
In closing and in all sincerity, WHR is confident about the new guest stars which should get certain factions in teh Stargat efandom to behave themelves if you know what I mean. I alwasy remember when WHR asked Martin Gero about such last November in Los Angeles “Will there be guest stars in SGU’s future from both Stargate Franchises?” Martin in his usual crisp fashion said “Yes”, but many did not believe!
Well I for one did and believe not only in Martin, but the entire Stargate family for bringing the franchise the wonderful Stargate Universe. Thank you.
Best Regards
WR_Systems (Kenn)
@ JulieAloha – 😆
Hey, did you hear Todd decided to open a winery while he’s out there in California? He’s calling it The Grapes of Wraith. 😉
das
It’s my 30th birthday in 8 days Joe! Does that mean I get something awesome?
Curses!
Dang it, Joe, 🙁 those videos – just like the Pineapple Diaries – won’t play. 🙁
I know it’s my computer but if they were on youtube or something then they’d work.
Oh, Joe, you underestimate the gift-givers! Some have been preparing for…dare I say it…YEARS.
Um, well, I’m only speaking for myself…and I may never finish your gift..,
Yay for more little information about “The Hunt”. 😀
Very cool videos, I really like to style of, uh, Destiny’s computer system. They’re detailed, and plain pretty.
The title scared me that something might have happened to Camile Wray, but it’s just as sad to see someone from the special effects team leaving. They’ve done an amazing job, SG series are beautiful to look at, especially SGU. Best of luck to him.
It is officially 9/11. Everything seems to be okay in the “blowing up part”. Someone put a muzzel in that extremist Christian Rev. Jones. No hurricane bearing down upon us in the gulf, I think it is safe to go have some fun, after a prayer morning of remembrance of those who not only died that day, but of those who helped clean up who are now sick and being denied medical treatment and some of those people have died, our troops and the sacrifices they and they families make to follow the orders of the commander in chief whether they are right or wrong. I just want to scream to all of these people — GIVE PEACE A CHANCE.
Best of luck to you Mr. Wray Douglas for whatever your future may hold. We will miss you on the Stargate franchise, but keep in touch with what you are doing so we can follow you along.
And Happy Birthday Elyse Levesque (On 9/10).
Give a big hug to Wray for us…he is really going to be missed…great effects for all the shows…
Kriss 🙂
Never really noticed the detail before, but I love the way the UI fits snuggly inside the screen’s shape. Looks fantastic like that.
..
I’m gonna start rewatching all the episodes, now, watching for those!
1 the priors of oris used stargate to go to our galaxy
Was it due to their powers ?
Did they use a power source like ZPM ?
2 There is a big difference of size between a supergate and a stargate.
Is it a problem if we send a traveler without ship by this one to contact a stargate ?
3 Why atlantis would vaporize if we used the engine with whirlpool?
Is it possible to mitigate this problem?
4 is the crystal skulls could be usefull to contact the destiny if we had one of them in the ship ?
We don’t know how to use them, but our allies could show us how to use these ones
You gave me quite a scare when I first read “Sayonara, Wray!” I was totally thinking of Camille Wray, and that would be terrible 🙂
Good luck to special effects wiz Wray Douglas, hope you get to blow up lots more pyramids! Hee hee hee. The Destiny console vids are so very cool, I’ve always been fond of the “Stargate Idle” at the SGC myself. As for the maple-milk chocolate truffles, all I can think of is that you know how to make your blog readers as hungry as a starved Wraith Mr Mallozzi.
Question for Linda McGibney,
How often when you’re in the middle of a script at a critical point (e.g. you don’t want to be disturbed by anybody for any reason) will Mr Mallozzi pop around with some grub (particularly of the chocolate variety), making you completely forget what you’d wrote?
Ok, seeing LDP in his dress uniform has me baffled. Not quite sure how he survived the whole Incursion process, let alone makes it back to Earth for what appears to be some kinda formal meet, but i’m sure it’ll all make sense in a few weeks.
So I was deep frying some french fries yesterday when I realized I wanted some meat with it. The only thing handy were hot dogs, but I was particularly lazy and didn’t feel like bbq’ing, boiling, or nuking them.
So I deep fried them too.
Not really a big different between boiling them in water or in oil I found, except they get a bit more golden brown on the outside.
Anyways….this brings me to the point of my entry here. I looked up deep fried hot dog recipes later and found one, and knowing your culinary curiousity for new things I thought I’d post it here.
Cheese-Filled-Bacon-Wrapped-Deep-Fried Hot Dogs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEBnf2E8tc4
They look good, but then again, you can wrap almost anything in bacon and it’ll turn out okay.
Cheers.
Hey Joe,
Hope all is well. Do you think with MGM starting to reform and get themselves out of debt, which was announced on Variety the other day, SGA continuing in Syndication, SGA continuing to rerun on SyFy, and SGA characters crossovering to SGU, will have any impact on getting the SGA movie greenlighted? Do you think that the wait will soon be over, and are you more optimistic now?
Thanks!
Squall78
Ah Joe, I see you’re trying exceptionally hard to annoy me by Super Secreting everything and constantly bringing up the LDP interview that upset me etc etc, but its not working. You’re just amusing me. I win..hahahahahaha.
Now onto plans for my Super Secret Project, which should arrive here in Melbourne any day now. Is it still OK to send it to you and get you to store it in your office and spread the word to cast/crew to stop by and sign it? There will be a chocolate bribe in there for you.
Remember the first rule of Super Secret Projects….Grease is the Word….it used to be Mum’s the word but that’s not hip anymore…we just need to keep it Super Secret from you know who.
Thanks for everything Joe!!
Cheers, Chev
Questions for Linda McGibney:
How did you get into the business?
How long have you been a sci-fi fan?
What tv shows do you like to watch?
Joe,
Today’s the big game, isn’t it? 🙂 May the best team win!
Oh, if Carolina does win, I’ll comment more later. 😉
@ PBMom Your sentiments on this somber day are appreciated and shared. God bless all innocents and responders who lost their lives Sept. 11, 2001 and all who lost their loved ones and friends.
Here on the East coast, MSNBC is airing rebroadcasts of that day synchronized with today’s real time — just heart wrenching. I do hope that the younger folks here on this blog, and elsewhere, take a moment to think about what this day means. It isn’t all about hate and revenge, it’s also about the greater struggle of some to raise up hope and peace vs. those who wish to conquer, and reek chaos so to rule by fear. It’s about choices, actions and results. Chose one ideology over another and take action to usurp the other, the reaction will be hideous.
This day has deeper, more honorable meaning than what is now often taught to our young. Keep the truthful spirit of this day in history alive, not just the sound bytes, not just the sad, sad, sorrow.
Thanks for the space Joe,
2cats
… remembering the day, with respect
Sorry Joe big win by the Gamecocks.
Hey, Joe!
Sorry about the Dawgs losing to SC! It was close, but looked like the Bulldogs got tired at the end… their offensive line couldn’t protect, and the defensive line couldn’t stop the run (although the d-line did look great on pass rushes). It may have been a different game without the fumble, but it seemed that SC was more “pumped” up than Georgia throughout the game and that may have been the difference maker. I still think Georgia is only going to get better as the season goes on and they are able to mature & gel as a team… and I believe them to be the odds on favorite to win the SEC East over Florida. An SEC Championship game of Georgia vs. Alabama will be an exciting one to watch!
Woolsey, McKay. Now Telford in dress blues… Hm. Is the episode going to include some flashbacks about the ninth chevron gate address and Atlantis? That’s be neat. 😀
Coucou me revoila!
J’ai enfin internet…même si ce n’est pas sur mon ordinateur..
J’espere que vous allez bien depuis la dernière fois?
En attendent de reçevoir mes cours par correspondance je me suis imprenié du mode de vie parisien…pour l’instant j’en tire un avi mitigé…
Moi qui ai toujours vécue à la campagne j’ai peur de me déplacer dans Paris…donc je tourne en rond dans l’appartement et je fait le ménage, j’ai l’impression de perdre mon temps…
Gros bisou,
a bientôt.
Anais
@link022
Your questions make no sense, in a wide variety of ways. Such as point 4. The Crystal skull episode is one of the SG1 oldies used by Jacksons grandfather(And then SG1) to contact the *Large* Aliens on that planet. Why would you think a simple plot device(Stand alone ep) that aired about 10 years ago would somehow be relevant to SGU?
Anyway, no questions from me for Linda, I think most of what I would of asked has been asked, and I’m not really overly fond of the stuff she’s worked on, so as a non fan of her past shows, it’d be difficult. Least I’m honest 🙂
Das: The olive selection was very sparse but I bought some Calamata olives. Also bought goat feta, no sheep feta available 🙁 . I’ll let ya know how I like it. Thanks!
@ Randomness – who wrote, “Least I’m honest”
And rude. Were you raised by wolves?
Here’s to hoping you do a mailbag.
1. Would it be possible for Sheppard to feed Todd a nice tasty snack named Kanaan?
2. Will the SGA gate be needed for the SGA movie whenever that happens? The only reason I ask is because saw that it was up for auction in pieces and I can’t see that you have another SGA gate laying around as I am assuming that all of the Stargates are equally expensive to make or at the very least expensive to get fix.
3. I noticed there were some things up for auction for SGA is cheaper to make it again should it be needed rather then to have it sit around collecting dust, like for example, a ZPM or balcony window.
5. I came up with this question before I knew the SGA set had been take down and when MGM was still considering the SG-1 movie but I thought I would still ask it and see what you answer would be:
Do you think MGM is hatin’ on SGA right now because it seems their still considering the SG1 movie but I haven’t seen anything lately that says their still considering the SGA movie. I know they have major money troubles and if it weren’t for them there would no SGA but I’d hate to SG1 get their movie and SGA not get theirs too. It’s a shame MGM couldn’t do the SGA movie first, that is if the set is still standing, then if the SGC was needed in the SG1 movie then Atlantis could be swapped out for the SGC and the SGU sets wouldn’t have to get disturbed like O’Neill’s office.
Sorry about Georgia today, Joe! Did you see my Jayhawks took down Georgia Tech!?! Woo-hoo!
Questions for Linda:
What is your favorite part of script writing?
What did you want to be when you grew up when you were 8? What did your parents want you to be? What was your major in college? What do you want to be now?
What is Joe’s most annoying habit?
What is Joe’s most endearing habit?
@link022
I think because the Ancients and the Ori broke off from each other and we know the Ancients created ZPM’s it’s safe to assume they developed an equally powerful power source. Or in this case a much more powerful device.. Just a thought, but we know that the Ancients created Destiny hundreds of thousands of years before they got there.. As we know Destiny is powered by the stars themselves. Who’s to say the Ori didn’t create something to harness the stars energy also. I’m not really sure when the Ancients broke off from them, but who knows. It could’ve been both of their ideas and the Ancients decided to implement it right when they got to Earth. As I said who knows.
As for the Super gate’s size difference.. As we learned in Sg1’s “The Pegasus project” we know that a regular gate can connect to the super gate.. Although they had to make it “jump” to it, I think that was just because they didn’t have the gate address. So while you probably could walk through it to a regular gate you can’t walk through space an that is where the super gates are.. And besides why would you want too?
If you’re talking about Atlantis’s “wormhole drive” Then yes Atlantis would be vaporized IF the calculations were off even by a fraction. So obviously just don’t get the calculations wrong. Problem solved.
As it was explained those skulls were used to contact the Aliens. Or in other words it makes you go out of phase. They aren’t a means of transportation.. And besides we have stones to contact the Destiny. So again even if it did transport you anywhere you wanted why would you want too?
Oh and good luck Joe 😀
Good Luck to Wray Douglas and have fun what ever he gets into now! You will be missed blowing things up,,BIGGER!!
Just read yesterday’s post, so the truffle-making has probably already commenced, so saying to follow a recipe (for the first time or two until you the feel for the proper balances), or to tell you to *listen* to Akemi (the expert) will be too late. But on the other hand, maple milk chocolate truffles should be easy and reeeeeally gooooood!!!! (Or it will also make a really tasty soup/pudding).
Good luck Wray in your future endeavors!! Hopefully, your next job will also involve “sparking, flaming, dropping, ratcheting, and blowing all manner of shit up” cuz that sounds like a whole lotta fun!!
I’m trying to decide if I should watch Pig Farm later tonight (Pickton serial killer), but I’m thinking I’ll give it a pass. It would probably just put me off pork for the next year….(again)….
I think I’ll just regift you, what you bought me, for my birthday….
Have a good one!!
Kymm
I just saw in your Sept. 7 post that you picked my alma mater to win the Sun Belt conference. Good ol’ North Texas.
The football team sucked ass (excuse me) when I attended UNT some years ago. The stadium would fill up in the 2nd quarter to watch the marching band (I played mellophone 2 years then was drum major 2 years) play at halftime, then the stands would empty out again after our performance.
A new stadium is currently being built…imagine that.
love love love! the animations for destiny’s systems! any chance of getting a schematic of destiny? would love to laser etch it on something. and the models are simply amazing. when do they go on sale??
thanks always
Awww, poor Wray. You know how we all love blowing shit up with visual effects, I have done this multiple times 😀
You will be missed <3
@Randomness: I think link022 is a newbie fan, perhaps translating from…Russian? Please give him or her a break.
DISCLAIMER: I was an SG1 newbie in 2005…not so very long ago!
If these videos have been mentioned, please forgive the duplication.
I have never before been so PROUD of the younger generations. We who were 1970’s geek and gamer girls salute you! *smiling through the tears*
http://www.break.com/break-originals/other-funny-stuff/geek-and-gamer-girls-anthem
There’s a “Comic Con Girls” video as well, also set to tune of “California Gurls” by Katy Perry. It’s available on YouTube. I’m on cell phone, can’t copy/paste from the iPhone YouTube app.
Both of the vids I mentioned make me proud. I was a sci-fi fan girl, now a fan WOMAN. Took a lot of guff for liking comic books and Star Trek back in the day. Some fans complain about “homogenization” of fandom; I say be proud and loud!
Best of luck to Wray Douglas in his future endeavors. He blowed stuff up so good!
Is there anything better than a nicely constructed man in a dress uniform? LDP is ringing the O’Neill hotness meter there.
I see I have much catching up to do.
Burning Man was cold enough this year we had ice on the top of the shade structure one morning. In the desert, in summer. Yeah baby. My camera died a dusty death. I had lurkers from eplaya where I’m a moderator show up in my easy-to-find camp because “they just had to meet me”. How weird is that? All my paintings and other art were adopted into new homes. My chickenwire gallery is so successful we opened a gift shop where the tee shirts and bandannas were actually gifts. We burned. A great time was had by all. The weather was here, wish you were beautiful.
@Gilder
Understood. Was more confused about the context of some of his questions. Like the Crystal Skull as the purpose was explained in its entirity during the episode in question and not mentioned again since. I guess you can say that I wasn’t sure if he picked up on the Skulls existing purely to enable contact with the Aliens on the planet. I guess you could say they were created by them.
Wray’s leaving? But… now who will blow things up with such gusto and glee?
Happy trails, Mister Douglas. May your future be filled with air cannons and fire bars.
In regards to reminder #3; not that you have to use this for your birthday but you have a open invitation to come stay at the hotel I manage near the Grand Canyon on me! In appreciation for the great entertainment I have received from the Stargate Franchise through the years!!