Today, we watched the Day 2 Mix of Air III. Wow! White Sands is a gorgeous location. It lends the episode a depth and scale usually reserved for features. Terrific performances all around (That Greer-Rush scene? Whoa!) and spectacular score by composer Joel Goldsmith make this one simply a great, great episode. In…
August 16, 2009: My Belated July Picks
Lately, I’ve been so busy on the Stargate front that I’ve had little time for reading, much less commeningt on what I’ve been reading. So, today, with the first drafts of my last scripts behind me, I’d like to make mention of a few of the books I read and enjoyed back in July. The…
August 15, 2009: Addressing the Issues and a Robust Mailbag.
Today, I’d like to address the online controversy surrounding SGU’s late season episode Sabotage and, specifically, the concern stemming from the released character breakdown and casting sides as they relate to the character of Eleanor Perry. Let me begin by saying that it’s understandable why so many people are upset. That said, I can assure…
August 14, 2009: $#%& Michael Vick AND PETA!
Well, look who’s landed himself a job in the NFL. None other than convicted dog-killer Michael Vick. Let‘s hope he brings the same ball-hogging, stat-padding winning tradition he bestowed on Atlanta to his new home in Philadelphia. Yet another reason to not give a friar‘s fat ass about the Eagles this season. Please, understand. I‘m…
August 13, 2009: Awaiting word. Michael Shanks guests. Actor Luis Ferreira drops by the office. And Carl Binder in: Set Trouble!
Rob has been directing Human, Brad has been prepping Sabotage, and Paul has been finishing up his first draft of Subversion, so the only producer who has actually had the time to read my scripts, episodes #19 and #20, is Carl. He dropped by my office today to offer his opinion. Yes, I agreed, the…
August 12, 2009: Done and done! But not really. The Return of Peter DeLuise. Talking Eli with David Blue. Jelly checks in, tries to check out, but gets checked up.
Today, I finally finished the scripts. Well, not really because a script isn’t technically done until it’s been shot and I still have my most despised stage of the scripting process not to look forward to - the dreaded rewrite. But, for the moment, a much-needed breather. Now, it’s all in the hands of my…
August 10, 2009: Dinner with Ivon. Debating the issues. Cursed scripts!
Sunday night, Ivon and I enjoyed a magnificent dinner at Fuel. We started with the ultra dense corn soup (one bowl = five ears of corn!), then split the night’s feature tuna dish - served medium rare. I had originally planned to make the tuna my main, but upon learning Ivon had never tried Chef…
August 9, 2009: Elizabeth Moon Answers Your Questions!
With the exception of those who accidentally wandered onto this blog and have since been unable to find their way out, you’re all here because you're fans of science fiction. Or, more specifically and at the very least, fans of the Stargate franchise. Now I’m proud of the work we’ve done on all three shows…
August 8, 2009: My Ballooning Tokyo Restaurant List. News of Note. Mailbag.
Okay. Almost there. Today, I finally trimmed both scripts down to a manageable 51 pages. Next up is the “Print and Pace” stage in which I have Lawren print me up a copy so that I can walk up and down the halls of the production office, script in hand, reading and revising, looking very…
August 7, 2009: Revised expectations. Two Cuts. The Santa Fat Chicken Salad. Parents are destroying our environment. The bird is smart, but not a genius.
A bit of a frustrating day all around. I went into the office this morning with the intention of revising both drafts and having the scripts out by this afternoon. A little after lunch, I had to revise my all too ambitious plans and, instead, aim for only one script. By late afternoon, it was…
August 5, 2009: Who’s Up For A Three-Parter? Technical Difficulties! More The Speed of Dark Discussion!
“Ooooh fuuuuudge.” Only I didn't say 'fudge.' I said the word. The big one. The queen mother of dirty words. The 'f, dash, dash, dash' word. Yep, for a full minute this morning I was little Ralphie Parker. It was the moment I opened up Martin’s script, Lost, on my laptop and noticed the…
August 4, 2009: Announcing the Winner of the Caption This Contest! The Biggest Holy #%&@ Ending Ever! Some The Speed of Dark Discussion!
I’d like to kick off today’s entry by announcing the winner of our very first Caption This contest. The winner was chosen by none other than the awkwardly pictured party himself: Carl Binder. Thanks to everyone who took the time send in their captions. There were a lot of great ones - and a few…
August 3, 2009: The Speed of Dark, by Elizabeth Moon
In the interest of full disclosure: This isn‘t my first time reading The Speed of Dark. It’s one of my favorite books and I have nothing but good things to say about it. Okay. Onto my review: Thirty-five year old Lou Arrendale is a bioinformatics specialist working for a pharmaceutical company in the…
July 27, 2009: Happy 1000!
Today’s post is a milestone of sorts as this blog marks its 1000th entry. It has come a long way from its early days when it was originally conceived as a way to document my culinary adventures in Hong Kong and Tokyo. Back then, I averaged about 25 views a day. Over time, that…
July 21, 2009: Freelancing vs. Full-Time Commitment! The Early Gate Tests!
You know how you hear many a lottery winner state that, despite their sudden financial windfall, they have no plans to quit their jobs? Well, hopefully they’re true to their word because studies reveal that 70% of lottery winners blow through their winnings in just a few years. But that’s beside the point. Of greater…