The plan was to make my dough the day before, allow it to chill overnight, and then wake up early Monday morning and bake my cookies so that they could be fresh and warm for the 10:00 a.m. cookie exchange. In retrospect, a late decision to test-bake a batch probably saved my ass. Given the…
December 12, 2014: Dark Matter! The Week in Meetings!
We are officially in prep on episodes #101 and #102 of Dark Matter. The train has left the station and is barreling down the tracks. There's no turning back now. We're making a t.v. show! As we creep ever-closer to our first day of shooting, the days grow longer, the pace more frenzied, and the meetings…
December 10, 2014: The shuttle!
We're heavy into prep on episodes #101-102 and, with the commencement of principal photography about a month away, sets are coming together nicely. Our ship, The Raza, has come a long way in the past couple of weeks. The corridors have been textured with faux-grate flooring, pipes, vents, and grills, its walls painted in metallic…
December 5, 2014: Introducing Locations Manager Zachary Beckwith! And our first official Dark Matter locations scout!
Remember that guy back in the day? The one with all the connections? The one who could get you and your friends in anywhere, no matter how popular or exclusive the place? Well, that guy now works on Dark Matter. His name is Zachary Beckwith and he is our Locations Manager. If you're looking for somewhere…
December 4, 2014: Natalie’s Birthday Blog!
The announcement was made over the office P.A. system at around 2:00 p.m. this afternoon: "Natalie Cooper, please proceed to the production office for your surprise birthday party." I hurried down and joined the others in waiting for the birthday gal who showed up fashionably five minutes later. The candles on the cake were lit…
December 3, 2014: Introducing Dark Matter Visual Effects Supervisor Lawren Bancroft-Wilson!
Our Visual Effects Supervisor arrived today - all the way from Vancouver, B.C.! Some of you may recognize him as the manager of The Fighting Hyphens, a team my Snow Monkeys crushed back in Week 4 of fantasy football league play: Some of you may identify him as the guy who was offered $1000…
December 1, 2014: Introducing Line Producer Norman Denver!
Sometimes, there are more producer credits on a show than acting credits and viewers can be excused for wondering: "Do they really need THAT many producers?". Which begs the next question - one I'm often asked: "What does a producer do?". Well, the answer is: "It depends." Producers can be divided into two groups: Group…
November 26, 2014: Welcome to the Gun Show – Part II!
Prep continues on Dark Matter! The other day, we had our follow-up gun meeting as we move toward arming our kick-ass crew. It's a dangerous galaxy out there! The inspiration for the weapon of choice the Ferrous Corp soldiers (corporate guards) will be carrying. Each corporation (Ferrous Corp, The Mikkei Combine, Traugott, Volkov-Rusi) will have a…
November 24, 2014: Introducing Dark Matter Set Designer Doug Slater!
I love working with talented people. Pleasant talented people? Even better. Pleasant talented people who also happen to be scifi fans? Best of all! Such is the case with Dark Matter Set Designer Doug Slater. He's a good guy, great at what he does, AND loves SF. And his love for the genre is clearly evident in his…
November 21, 2014: The New York Play By Play!
5:00 a.m.: I wake up so early that not even the dogs will get out of bed and join me. 6:15 a.m.: I catch a cab to the airport with my fellow Executive Producer Paul Mullie. As we pull away from the curb, I lament the fact that the production office didn't drop off my…
November 19, 2014: Introducing Dark Matter Art Director Kim Zaharko!
One of the most notoriously elusive member of the Dark Matter production team is Kim Zaharko. For days, rumors abounded of a supremely talented Art Director frequenting the lower offices, coordinating the design and construction of our awesome sets. There had been sightings but no visual confirmations. Intrigued, I set out to get photographic proof…
November 19, 2014: Introducing Dark Matter Production Designer Ian Brock!
The first time I'd ever heard about Production Designer Ian Brock was several months ago when I was having dinner with a fellow producer. We were discussing production challenges and the benefits of hiring talented people capable of making efficient use of often limited resources when my dining companion suddenly sat back and informed me:…
November 18, 2014: Notes! Notes! And notes!
Today, Paul and I sat down with fellow Dark Matter Executive Producer (and President of Prodigy Pictures) Jay Firestone for a marathon notes session. Well, it was only three scripts, so not so much a marathon as it was, say, a 5k sustained jog through episodes #101 through #103. And, I'm pleased to report, a good time was…
November 17, 2014: Welcome to the gun (sword and miscellaneous weapons) show!
My writing partner, Paul, got in yesterday for what should be a big week. We've got budget meetings tomorrow, script meetings with Jay Tuesday and Wednesday, and a whirlwind trip to the SyFy offices in New York that will see us flying out early Friday morning and flying back later that night. Today, we sat…
November 14, 2014: Tomfoolery and horseplay on set!
It's all fun and games until an Executive Producer gets hurt. And that's what almost happened today when I was visiting set to check in on the construction of our bridge and corridor sets, and the walnut finish customized jacuzzi for my office. As usual, I was accompanied by Executive Producers' Assistant Alison Hepburn and…