<tVftG> Prismatic View

 Posted on 2/12/1998 by J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com> to CIS


Rebecca Eschliman <76072.2345@compuserve.com> asks:
> The main thing you show us in "View" is a change in perspective,
> which is the inherent possibility of the holographic viewpoint,
> no? Given that "View" was written much earlier, would you ever
> have imagined that your "rumors" Bo & Mack conversation (although
> delightfully reflective of the whole
> casting/cash/Internet-response dynamic)would wind up to be so
> eerily concise a statement about the sate of our "ISN?" Who among
> us would not be a better person for expanding their range of
> acceptible possibilities?

Thanks...as always, you catch all the nuances, and pick up on a
few things that I wasn't consciously aware of doing (the subconscious
is a sneaky, subversive thing that cannot be trusted).

One of the things I always do is look for ways to turn the
series format on its head, and show us our characters from other
perspectives, since perspective is so much at the heart of the show.
Whether that's jumping forward in time, or an ISN documentary, or
seeing everything through the eyes of a third party (or two), it's
always a risk, because it's never what one expects to see, and a lot of
people like to see what they expect to see.

jms



<tVftG> Prismatic View

 Posted on 2/14/1998 by J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com> to CIS


{original post unavailable}

Yeah, it's still a problem for some groups of fans...the core of
it is, you have to do some strong character stories amid the arc
stories, because if you don't, if you don't continue to make the
characters into people you *care* about, then the arc stuff doesn't
matter.

We had a couple of arc-light episodes to start off this season,
in part due to knowing that we were going to get a lot of new viewers
who had to be brought up to speed, and due to introducing Lochley, and
there's this group that goes over the edge saying that the arc is
faltering, it's going too slow....

But then you turn around, and if you do 3-5 arc episodes in a
row, the same group goes over another cliff saying that it's all moving
too fast.

If something's resolved in 6 episodes they say it should've been
done in 8; if in 8, they say it should have been 6...if it isn't a
strong SF-based story it shouldn't be in the show at all...if it
doesn't hew to our format, it's frivlous and self-indulgent and a
waste, get back to the arc....

One could go mad, quite easily.

jms



<tVftG> Prismatic View

 Posted on 2/15/1998 by J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com> to CIS


Ray Pelzer <70475.1263@compuserve.com> asks:
> BTW, how long did the actors portraying Bo and Mack sit around
> with you and Harlan in order to pick up on your respective
> personalities?

No, they didn't. What they did do...they got along famously,
the two actors, and they spent their off-hours rehearsing the scenes,
over and over, until they got it down to a patter, very natural. They
loved the roles.

jms



<tVftG> Prismatic View

 Posted on 2/17/1998 by J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com> to CIS


{original post unavailable}

I've been bugging her to do more...we'll have to see.

jms



<tVftG> Prismatic View

 Posted on 3/8/1998 by J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com> to CIS


{original post had no questions}

Cool....

jms