Uh oh. This morning marked the return of sad rabbit as yours truly prepares for a big five months of production. Akemi has greatly enjoyed my two years of loafing about development which allowed me to work from home - and spend most of my days (and nights) with her. Now, with Dark Matter poised to…
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 17, 2014: Akemi scrooged! Everything is coming up Dark Matter!
So much for the Christmas spirit. Today, Akemi did something she rarely ever does. She actually bought herself something. The girl hardly ever spends on herself but, this afternoon, she made an exception when she came across a cup emblazoned with the letter A at a local shop. Being a big tea drinker - and…
December 16, 2014: Introducing 1st Asst. Art Director and Graphics Maestro Roxanne Borris!
I've only been working with her a couple of weeks and I already a huge, HUGE fan. "Why?"you may ask. Well, why don't I just let her a few samples of her work answer that question... She also designed our future currency - but those pictures are on my other laptop. Do remind me to…
December 15, 2014: The Dark Matter Cookie Exchange!
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…
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 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:…