Babylon 5- The Lost Tales *SPOILERS*

[B5_Obsessed]

Thanks for getting jms to open up, Jan.

[Jan]

Thanks for getting jms to open up, Jan.

It's just luck that the newsgroup was up and running and he had a few minutes to reply but you're welcome.

Jan

[Lunan]

silly question, do we have any idea when we will see this dvd?

[Shabaz]

silly question, do we have any idea when we will see this dvd?

Latest word is still second quarter 2007, far as I know.

[NotKosh]

No I wasn't joking, Shabaz. I assumed the shake, zoom, and pan motions were tools at the discretion of the FX house to increase realism, much like blur and lens flare. I assumed the director gave the FX house descriptions of the action in a scene and then approved or rejected ideas based on test video. If that's the case, I guess I should say I hope JMS doesn't adopt the too-shaky-zoomy style of Galactica.

If the shaky camera dies a quick and permanent death, it won't be too soon for me.

Yeah, its a cute idea, yeah, it can make things more "realistic", but it is a pain in the ass, and can be a pain to watch. That was obvious at multiple times in "Saving Private Ryan". In the opening scene, fine. In a few other action scenes fine. When they are walking across the stupid countryside, Hell no. I want to enjoy watching the movie, not pretending I am in it. "Feelies" aren't part of our technological level yet, and that would be the appropriate forum for high usage of the shaky/crappy cam.

Just because something is novel or new, doesn't mean it is a good idea.

This can also be seen at times in Science Fiction authors. Sometimes they develop their own dialect, and think it is awesome to write a book in it. Example A for the defense is the "Seafort Saga" by Chris Feintuch. In the last book (Cities of Hope?), much of the Earth lower class speaks a spastic mangled version of English. A few main characters in the book speak this junk. After getting 20 pages into the book, I put it down, and have never picked it up. It was too much of a pain to parse/translate. It is not entertaining and it isn't amusing. When attempting to view/read becomes an exercise, than the product is crap.

That isn't to say limited usage of something isn't acceptable, but 9 times out of 10, "inventors" think they have the greatest thing since sliced bread. They have such a hard on for their own discovery/invention, that they don't realize what crap they are producing.

Sorry about that, but that was one rant I have been waiting to post for a few years, and the shaky cam conversation brought it out.

[Joseph DeMartino]

That isn't to say limited usage of something isn't acceptable, but 9 times out of 10, "inventors" think they have the greatest thing since sliced bread. They have such a hard on for their own discovery/invention, that they don't realize what crap they are producing.

"People have been cooking and eating for tens of thousands of years. Please understand that if you are the very first person who ever thought of adding fresh lime juice to scalloped potatoes, there is a reason for this." - Fran Liebowtiz Metropolitan Life

Regards,

Joe

[NotSoWize]

Hmmm... Foundation Imaging, Netter Digital, GVFX... All gone now. Babylon 5 sure is hell on FX companies, isn't it? If I were Atmosphere, I think I'd be a little nervous about taking this gig.

Regards,

Joe

Yes, Atmosphere should disappear about 1,000 years into the past (perhaps to help some sect of monks produce amazing illuminated manuscripts.) Meanwhile FXCo.#5 will struggle through and produce some of the most memorable effects for ever put on film (er digitized) for at least five years.

[grumbler]

Yes, Atmosphere should disappear about 1,000 years into the past (perhaps to help some sect of monks produce amazing illuminated manuscripts.) Meanwhile FXCo.#5 will struggle through and produce some of the most memorable effects for ever put on film (er digitized) for at least five years.

It took me a sec....

[Joseph DeMartino]

Yes, Atmosphere should disappear about 1,000 years into the past (perhaps to help some sect of monks produce amazing illuminated manuscripts.) Meanwhile FXCo.#5 will struggle through and produce some of the most memorable effects for ever put on film (er digitized) for at least five years.

You're a sick, twisted individual. I like that in a person.

Regards,

Joe

[Alpha-1]

http://www.gateworld.net/babylon5/mo...nthedark.shtml < here are so,e TLT Spoilers about the Stroy

[Jan]

I notice that no source is named for those 'spoilers' so everybody should remember to take them with a grain of salt.

Jan

[OmahaStar]

I notice that no source is named for those 'spoilers' so everybody should remember to take them with a grain of salt.

Jan

First, there's no mention of Galen in their story. Second, they claim each episode is an hour long, for a total of two hours of story. What else did they just make up?

[Shabaz]

First, there's no mention of Galen in their story. Second, they claim each episode is an hour long, for a total of two hours of story. What else did they just make up?

To be fair, there is a pretty obvious candidate of something that could be Galen in there.

The whole demon possessing someone sounds very much like some Techno-Mage antics.

But I agree, I would take it with a grain of salt for now.

[Joseph DeMartino]

Well, it doesn't sound like they made everything up. Check what JMS said in an e-mail that went out to the Scriptbook Mailing list on December 1st. (Scroll down past the pictures for the messages.)

Or you can click-and-drag on the spoiler box below to see the relevant text:

This first DVD, entitled "Voices in the Dark," covers the same 72 hour period of time as Sheridan travels on board a Presidential Cruiser en route to Babylon 5 from Minbar for a celebration marking the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Interstellar Alliance. One part of the story follows Sheridan as he picks up an unexpected visitor on the edge of Centauri space, Prince Regent Dius Vintari, and a warning about what will come afterward delivered by the techno-mage, Galen. The other part of the story is set aboard Babylon 5, as Colonel Lochley summons a priest from Earth space to deal with a problem that may have dark supernatural overtones. The two parts of the greater story intersect at certain key plot and thematic points, so that they overlap and complement each other while telling separate, but simultaneous, stories.

Regards,

Joe

[KoshN]

Oh, no! Let's not open up that discussion again!

Discussion of the Rangers pilot? Agreed!

Some parts I liked and others I certainly did not. I know for a fact that I was guilty of wanting to like it a bit too much for my own judgement. I was not pleased with the effects (and I'm not talking about hyperspace), but we all know the backstory on that anyway. Yes, it had potential. I'll just leave it at that.

I, too, really wanted to like the Rangers pilot, but just couldn't. Let's just say that a few really nice roses were growing out of that pile.