Today, we shot two of the most important scenes of this first season (if not the entire series), and every member of our cast - Marc Bendavid, Melissa O'Neil, Anthony Lemke, Alex Mallari Jr., Jodelle Ferland, Roger Cross, and Zoie Palmer - delivered BIGTIME. Sitting at the monitors, watching them in their first scene together,…
January 12, 2015: Scotch, Swords, and Dance! Dark Matter Production Day #3!
Today kicked off our first full week on our standing sets before we shift to Hamilton/Waterloo. Corridors and quarters were the order of the day and director T.J. Scott continues to deliver in a BIG way. I received the latest set of dailies late last night and was downright giddy by the time I'd finished reviewing…
January 11, 2015: Sleepless in Toronto! Looking ahead! A brand new Dark Matter feature!
Between my 5:30 a.m. wake-ups, the nagging rib injury, and one elderly fitfully slumbering pug, sleep has been very hard to come by lately. And it isn't going to get any easier anytime soon. When the doctor said "It's going to feel worse before it gets better.", I just dismissed his words as a worst…
January 10, 2015: Dark Matter, Episode #101, Second Unit Day #1!
It was just the boys today, Anthony Lemke (THREE) and Marc Bendavid (ONE), in for some anti-gravity fun and stunts. Later, at the craft service table, they both had a special request: more Zero-G sequences! I'll see what we can do for them. While we were chatting, I couldn't help but notice Anthony playing with…
January 9, 2015: Dark Matter, Episode #101, Production Day One!
One day down; about ninety more to go. And what a day it was! Sparks! Steam! Camera shake! An unexpected downpour almost taking out a camera! Stasis pods! Reveals! And apricot-coconut cookies! What more could I ask for? Unfortunately, Zoie Palmer was the only cast member not present today (She's enjoying a nice, relaxed long…
January 8, 2015: Last day of prep! There’s no turning back now!
Well, as a result of the injury I sustained yesterday (see last entry for all the gory details), I was unable to turn or put any pressure on my side and had to spend the entire night lying flat on my back. I also can't twist, jump, run, or perform aerial gymnastics (the latter is…
January 7, 2015: Read-thrus, camera tests, cast dinners, and sound medical advice!
Today, we had our very first read-thru (episodes #101 and #102). A great time was had by all - but especially Paul and I who had our expectations far surpassed. This cast is amazing! The rest of the day was spent doing camera tests of the ship's corridors and bridge. We tried different cameras, different…
January 4, 2015: Introducing…Director T.J. Scott!
One of the most important decisions we had to make early in process was the selection of our first director. Whoever we chose would be shooting our first two episodes and, as such, would not only be responsible for setting the tone for the series, but would be charged with the task of "working out"…
December 20, 2014: The Dark Matter pre-holiday wrap-up! Alex Mallari Jr. in action! THE katana!
One of the last things we did before packing it in for the holidays was go on a walk-thru of our standing sets. Of course, not all of them are quite yet standing (ie. the shuttle, parts of the space station) and those that are still have a ways to go, but our Art Department…
December 19, 2014: Prep hiatus! I’ll sleep ’til January!
Today marked the end of our final week of prep before the holidays - and despite the fact that it wasn't all that busy (it WILL get busier), I'm exhausted. Some of that may be attributable to the last mad dash to get pink drafts of episodes #101 and #102, and production whites of #107,…
October 25, 2014: Casting Dark Matter!
The six-person crew of a derelict spaceship awakens from stasis in the farthest reaches of space. Their memories wiped clean, they have no recollection of who they are or how they go on board. The only clue to their identities is a cargo bay full of weaponry and a destination: a remote mining colony that…
October 24, 2014: Introducing Natalie Cooper!
Anyone will tell you that the toughest thing about starting a new productions isn't the casting or the scriptwriting or ensuring that it all falls within the allotted budget. No, the toughest thing about starting a new production is remembering everyone's name. It's a problem that plagued me my many years on Stargate. My writing…
October 23, 2014: Introducing Alison Hepburn!
Now when most people hear we have an Executive Producers' Assistant on a production, they'll invariably ask: "What the hell do you need an assistant for?". Well, the obvious answer is: "Everything." Once we roll into prep, production, and post, Executive Producers like me are far too busy to deal with certain aspects of…
October 21, 2014: Introducing Jay Firestone! Notes! And carpet heaven!
As we head into prep on the first season of Dark Matter, I thought it might be nice to introduce you to some of the people who work behind the scenes to bring you (what will no doubt become) your new favorite new scifi series. Now people have often asked me: "Joe, what does a producer…
October 20, 2014: Early prep on Dark Matter begins!
Okay. I may not love where I'm presently living and I may hate the weather and the Toronto traffic but, boy, am I looking forward to production on Dark Matter's first season. Yes, of course I'm thrilled that I'm about to start prep on my very own show, but experience has taught me that, at the…