My posting a link to this brilliant article - http://www.scene-stealers.com/top-10/erics-top-10-worst-twist-endings/ - engendered a fair amount of debate about the merits of certain movie twists and what makes for a cheap cop-out on the part of the screenwriter. Today, I'd like to list some of my favorite movie twists - while still remaining spoiler-free! The Planet of the…
July 19, 2009: Bells and Whistles!
Every once in a while you come across an article that speaks to you with such depth of truth that it touches your very soul, presenting an argument that uncannily reflects your innermost convictions with such dead-on clarity you'd swear it had been written by your doppelganger. Friends, this morning, I stumbled across just such an article. I present to you Eric…
July 18, 2009: Script Progress! A Book of the Month Club Reminder! Dinner With Ivon! The Destiny Living Quarters!
So far, so good on the script front. I hit the 15 page mark this afternoon. Things get very busy very quickly and there’s a hell of a lot happening in what’s shaping up to be a fairly robust first act. Tomorrow, I’ll go over what I’ve got so far, tweak and tighten, trim the…
July 17, 2009: Face Your Phobias! Entrances and Exits! The Mailbag!
So I was perusing the internet today in search of some edifying and thought-provoking material when, appropriately enough, I came across an article in Yahoo Entertainment news titled “Celebrity Phobias and Obsessions”. http://omg.yahoo.com/news/celebrity-phobias-and-obsessions/25369?nc. Oh, do tell. The anxiety-producers listed range from the perfectly understandable (ie. Daniel Radcliffe’s fear of clowns) to the somewhat bizarre (ie.…
July 16, 2009: Continued Progress! What’s Up With CNN? News of Note! The Destiny Corridors!
I'm on a roll! I followed up yesterday's Tease by writing the first scene of Act I. At this torrid pace, I should have at least half a script completed when I return to the office in August. There'll be a lot of raised eyebrows when episode #20 goes wide. Hey, is it just me…
July 15, 2009: Getting Started! Protesting the Protesters! The Control Interface Room! And Some Mailbag!
Well, I finally did it. I finally started writing the season finale. Next to writing any of the first three and a half acts or doing the re-writes, actually starting the script is one of the hardest parts of the process. This morning, I decided to tackle the Tease (aka Teaser, aka Cold Open, aka…
July 14, 2009: Building the Gate Room
Back in mid-January, I visited Stage 4, what was to be the Destiny set, for the first time. Construction was well under way and the ship was taking shape: gate room, control interface room, observation deck, quarters, and corridors. My first reaction upon strolling through the work-in-progress was: “Wow!” And then, my second reaction was:…
July 1, 2009: Oh, Stuff and Such.
I haven't been getting much sleep of late. I blame my dogs who, for reasons unknown, have taken to waking up a full hour before my alarm. And if they're awake, you can be damn sure they want me awake. Rather than barking or biting however (Maximus is particularly adept at locating that fleshy area…
June 29, 2009: Counting Down To The Summer Hiatus! David Blue!
With three days to go before the official start of our summer hiatus, I was back in the office today, trying to figure out the beat sheet for the big SGU Season 1 finale (hint: the title rhymes with the name of the preceding episode). Lots going on in this one and this…
June 26, 2009: 20 Down And 0 To Go! Brian J. Smith!
Brian J. Smith (Lt. Matthew Scott) relaxes on the Icarus set. Brian takes a break between set-ups. Breaking a story can go either way. It can be a fast-paced and entertaining exchange of ideas in which all participants contribute to fashion a gripping, tightly plotted, detailed episode breakdown. Or, it can be a…
June 22, 2009: 19 Down And 1 To Go! Jamil Walker Smith!
Jamil Walker Smith (Sgt. Greer) Well, after several weeks of talking about it, we finally sat down and did it - the writers set aside their other work (editing, outlines, autobiographies) and their differences (the Binder-Gero feud is legendary) to gather and break Episode #19. And, in under two and a half hours, we were…
June 18, 2009: Golden Boy Gero Back in Town. No Topango Sightings Reported.
Hey, look who's back! Well, former Stargate: Atlantis Executive Producer Martin Gero finally made his triumphant return to The Bridge Studios. Yesterday. Unfortunately, I wasn’t around so I missed the parade and pizza lunch in his honor. I was, however, back in the office today and on hand to welcome him in proper fashion: with…
June 16, 2009: The Joys of Scriptwriting, Production Update, and Oodles of Pics.
Spoiler Alert! Brad's diagram explains the science behind an upcoming episode! Oh, and Carl. Special Features Producer Ivon Bartok loves to drop by the offices and just hang out - much to Paul's delight. Ivon shows off his People's Choice Award for Best DVD Extras. Coincidentally, MY People's Choice Award went missing today. Visual Effects…
June 4, 2009: New Episode Titles! -Ish! It’s Party Time! What Does The Future Hold? A Comic Book Series Perhaps.
Hey, everybody! It’s time to play “Guess the Upcoming Episode Names!” Episode #14 shares a title with a song by God Module. Episode #15 shares a title with a song by The Beastie Boys. Episode #16 shares a title with a song by Coldplay. Another round of clues tomorrow. In the meantime, knock yourselves…
May 29, 2009: Shifting From Dark and Dangerous to Moody and Mysterious. I Weigh In On The Big News Item. And – Some Mailbag.
Lock and load, baby! Julia Anderson (Vanessa James) takes a break from the action. Josh Blacker (Sgt. Spencer) tries to blend in. Director of Photography Jim Menard suddenly realizes he's standing in a puddle - much to Director Robert C. Cooper's delight. The quiet suspense of today’s shipboard mystery was in marked contrast…