Actor Anthony Lemke (Dark Matter's Three), forwarded me a terrific podcast about gendered robots and stereotypes. The participants point out that female androids tend to be sexualized entities while their male counterparts are usually powerful forces. http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-april-24-2015-1.3047057/ex-machina-s-portrayal-of-gendered-robot-perpetuates-stereotypes-1.3047064 It's an interesting listen and it made me think of our ship's android, played by the awesome Zoie Palmer,…
April 24, 2015: Aches! Pains! Production! And excruciatingly late lunches!
I think I may have pulled my heart muscle. Seriously. I suspect I may have done it during a recent frenzied coughing fit. During the day, I feel fine but at night, it feels as though I did two hundred left handed one-arm push-ups before bed. Also feel a wicked headache coming on, the type…
April 23, 2015: Less than a month to go!
Sympathy pains! Not a day after I was feeling after my habanero-caffeine upset, my girl Jelly is feeling under the weather. Apparently, she's been alternately sleepy since she woke up - which is me on a normal day. Hey, look at what the Dark Matter art department got! A 3D printer, perfect for making scale models…
April 22, 2015: From vampire to zombie on less than two hours!
If yesterday's late night insomnia gave me the taste of the vampire life, today's sleep-deprived shambling no doubt approximated the daily travails of your average zombie. It started promisingly enough with dinner at Wilbur's Mexicana where I was joined by my long-time nemesis and occasional writing partner, Tara Yelland. The Wilbur in Wilbur's Mexciana is…
April 21, 2015: I’m so busy, I don’t have time to title this blog entry!
I had the afterburners on today, casting, getting a new scene out, prepping episodes #112 and #1113, discussing the upcoming VFX show and tell, organizing the concept sketches for the visual roll-out, providing notes on the preliminary ship sounds. A dinner break with my friend Tara Yelland (Follow her here - https://twitter.com/t_yelland - but be warned:…
April 20, 2015: On tidbits, teasers, and a mailbag!
Duck for cover! We've got a whirlwind four weeks of production left on Dark Matter's first season. After tonight, it's 10 episodes down; 3 to go! The finish line is in sight! And, once all is said and done (well, in reality, with edits and mixes and ideas for season 2 percolating, it's never REALLY done),…
April 18, 2015: Name our fandom!
Star Trek has its trekkies, Firefly the browncoats, and the various Stargates their gaters (not gateheads as wiki would have you believe). So, I figure that now, less than two months out from our world premiere, is as good a time as any to come up with a name for our Dark Matter fandom. First, the show... "The crew of a…
April 17, 2015: Behind the scenes on your new favorite show – Dark Matter! And a Jelly update!
Because you asked, extra nicely, here's a picture of Dark Matter's Commander Truffault of the Mikkei Combine (Torri Higginson) standing alongside ONE (Marc Bendavid). Wait. Is that the mess hall? What is she doing onboard the ship? Consulting Producer Ivon Bartok was looking a little piqued so we placed him in quarantine. Nighty night to our brave little…
April 16, 2015: Scenes from the set of Dark Matter!
Another day, another off-ship location. This one a little harder to get into than your average space station. What's in the big weird box? On Set Key Props Lisa Amaral Wright shows off another mystery box - with some inspired gak. Anthony Lemke (Dark Matter's THREE) rolls in from his second job as a refrigerator repairman.…
April 15, 2015: Let the creepy black-masked paramilitary soldier be your muse! Elliot’s birthday bash!
This picture has been sitting on the back wall of Dark Matter Costume Designer Noreen Landry's office since the beginning of the season. It's not uncommon for her to tack up visual inspirations, but somewhat unusual for it to be something so nefarious looking. Every time I visit wardrobe, my eyes always gravitate to this…
April 14, 2015: My girl! And my show!
My sweetheart seems to be feeling under the weather tonight. No, my OTHER sweetheart. Well, technically, my first sweetheart. At 16 years, Jelly is my longest relationship. She's getting a bit fussy in her old age, more demanding, less inclined to suffer fools (mainly my other pug, Bubba), but I think that just makes her…
April 13, 2015: A final Dark Matter location scout! And one more Thank You!
I spent most of today out and about, checking out possible locations for our last few episodes. We were on the lookout for: a high-tech facility, cool corridors and stairwells, operating theaters, a dining room, and a field emitter room... This chamber offers a great-looking entrance and exit - when it's not being used to…
April 12, 2015: Dark Matter – A 7+ year journey!
I was actually developing Dark Matter as far back as 2007. That year comes to mind because, in 2007, we were producing Stargate: Atlantis's fourth season and I remember walking the corridors of the ship we constructed for episode #405, Travelers, and saying to Paul: "We've got to find a way to keep these sets. They'd be perfect for…
April 11, 2015: Our Stargate Family Reunion continues on Dark Matter!
Well, well, well. Look who it is. Director Martin Wood (Stargates SG-1 and Atlantis) hits the streets of Toronto - in his trademark shorts. Yes, if there are two thing I remember about Martin Wood from our days on Stargate, it's: 1) His penchant for wearing shorts year round, and 2) His onscreen cameo character,…
April 10, 2015: Check out the Dark Matter teaser trailer!
It's here! It's here! The Dark Matter teaser trailer is finally out! Share! Share! Share! Head on over to IGN.com for the write-up and links: http://www.ign.com/videos/2015/04/10/dark-matter-trailer When SyFy told us they wanted to produce a one minute teaser trailer for the show, my initial response was "Impossible!". We only had two locked episodes with no finished visual…