Weekly Sci-Fi Thread (09/20/09)

09/20/09 | Kevin Davis

[KevinDavis]

Weekly Sci-Fi Thread (09/20/09)

This week in Scifi:

Mon:
8/7 -- Heroes -- NBC

Tue:
9/8 -- Warehouse 13 -- SyFy

Thurs:
9/8 -- Fringe -- Fox

Fri:
All All Day -- Stargate Sg1 -- SyFyB

Also there are variety of scifi shows on www.fancast.com

[KevinDavis]

The reason for the Sg1 marathon.. SGU premieres next week and the question still stands.. A live thread or not??

[KevinDavis]

A big thanks goes to Visualops for the Banner!!

[freebilly]

Wow! Charlie got offed....

[longtermmemmory]

who?

[GeronL]

Lots of empty warehouse space out there. Lots of rentable equipment. I wonder how many FReepers and others would buy into an operation to make an independent science fiction film? How many volunteers?

SGU, I am looking forward to it. I hope its pretty good.

Live thread for the first one at least? Although I won’t be online while I watch it.

[MizSterious]

Looking forward to the SG; Heroes—not so much. Last season was so convoluted I gave up on the show.

[TomGuy]

According to latest reports, Defying Gravity has been put on hold, but ABC said they would broadcast the remaining (5 or so) episodes someday.

That sort of sounds like Fox and Drive. They were going to broadcast the 3 remaining episodes some day, but still haven't gotten around to it.

[wally_bert]

I would be interested and miss the production field. I could only contribute a tiny amount of money. However I have over a decade of TV production/engineering experience and have some lightweight equipment.

You are right about empty commercial space. I see a lot of for rent and lease signs all over my area. Sometimes I rent some studio space for my photography since I am not set up for it here in the burbs. Besides I have a pair of busybodies next door who would love nothing more to start rumors and step up spying from next door.

[GeronL]

Several expressed interest last time I brought the idea up. I think we could do it. I am definitely not the right person to lead the effort though. All I know is if those guys over at Phase 2 can produce a Star Trek episode a year, why couldn’t we do something like that, but original where we could TRY to make money without having Paramount stomp us.

I think we need to come up with the right story/script that doesn’t need anything out of reach.. (like a battle in Times-Square or something).

I have a lot of ideas. http://libertyfic.proboards.com has some of them. But I rarely FINISH a story (I would definitely finish something if it gets chosen).

I think if this is doable we need to choose a Project Manager and plan for a time-span of a year to two years for everything to come together. We can do this like an independent production with a bunch of volunteers (everybody can get paid if this actually makes money though)

I think the right location is all part of the process. I would nominate North Texas personally. =o)

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Same story with Kings.

[GeronL]

I am also looking forward to V. Aliens that think we’re food offering “Hope”.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Still vote yes for the live thread, we can always abandon it if appropriate.

[Kakaze]

Defying Gravity was like desperate house wives in orbit.

We watched the pilot and punted

[buccaneer81]

We watched the pilot and punted

It improved with every episode.

[wally_bert]

My producing/directing efforts have mainly been stock video clips at Shutterstock and a tiny bit of technical directing. I also helped once on an indie film as a boom operator/still photographer. I might know a few names of someone who could lead. There is enough wannabe talent on places like OMP and modelmayhem to start a screening process in addition to casting agents.

I am in SC and there is a lot of territory around here and in the NC border areas for locations.

For once I would like to be a part of producing something people might watch and like unlike the public TV stuff I worked in for so long but learned so much. Making some money for me and the others involved would be great too.

[TheOldLady]

I heard that they were dropping the convoluted format and going back to their roots. It seems as if a lot of people were uncomfortable with all the confusion.

[LibertarianLiz]

Heroes—not so much. Last season was so convoluted I gave up on the show.

Me, too. I really can't remember a show that had so much promise which deteriorated into a mess so quickly.

[GeronL]

One of my stories if chosen would need a large abandoned quarry. I have no idea where we might find something like that. Think they’d let us use that big crater in the desert? lol.

Of course it also has gigantic military vehicles that are base&barracks. I wonder if we could find an FX wizard who already has LIGHTWAVE?

My vision is a self-funded, volunteer operation (although we might have to pay some people, obviously). If the thing actually made it to the screen and made a profit the volunteers would be paid too. I don’t know how that works, pay them “future shares”?

I am trying to win the lottery, I’d definitely do this if I won. No reason I couldn’t build a giant bunker at the same time too. Maybe we’d call it a FReeper jobs program, lol. Come on Lotto!

Book of the Day: “A Little Commonwealth: Family Life in Plymouth Colony” 1970-John Dimos. Might help me with my stories set on frontier planets. I TRIED to get MK Kelloggs Texas Journal but it was not there, its about the 1872 “scientific expedition” into frontier Texas. Very interesting by the way.

[wally_bert]

I don't know anyone who has one of those. However, my relatives are in construction and heavy equipment. Odds are they would know somebody. There is always putting ads on Craigslist as well as browsing the commercial property category. Granted I have never asked for anything that big. Most of my requests were for private photo locations or studio space to rent by the hour.

Lightwave, Maya, CAD are things I have never messed with but would love to. I have Blender on here but need to get a hold of a good book to get into it. Odds are there unemployed FX types or ones who like indie film enough to participate.

As for most of the people on a project like this, offering screen credit and a cut of any profits would be what I would do.

Regarding science and old Texas, ever see a show called Hec Ramsey? It was part of the old NBC Mystery Movie lineup. I have never seen it. Apparently it had a short life. It was CSI/Quincy way back when.

[GeronL]

Any ideas on who could be Project Organizer? =0p

[GeronL]

Never heard of it. Wonder if Youtube would have something from it?

[Sudetenland]

Bump for later

[wally_bert]

All I can find on Youtube and it isn't much.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S_6IVGhwQI

Here is the Wiki article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hec_Ramsey

For no budget, CGI stuff, try these guys. I liked their movie a lot even with the subtitles which made it even funnier.

http://starwreck.com/

[dangerdoc]

I’m skipping Heroes this season. PC over plot this year. Bleh.

[GeronL]

parody is always great

besides they were allowed to try and make money from it because its parody. weird how that works.

[hsalaw]

I’ve seen some trailers for SGU, and it looks like it may be a soap opera like BSG - which I can’t STAND. I loved SG1 and SGA because they was more about the concept than about character angst. I enjoyed Eureka this season, too.

[hsalaw]

I’ve seen some trailers for SGU, and it looks like it may be a soap opera like BSG - which I can’t STAND. I loved SG1 and SGA because they was more about the concept than about character angst. I enjoyed Eureka this season, too.

[TomGuy]

I gave up on Heroes after the 2nd season.

It had so many different underdeveloped mini-plots that I lost interest.

[GeronL]

I hope not.

They seem to be lost in the labrynth of the wormholes without knowing the gate codes. or something. Does anyone know why they’re stuck/lost?

I look forward to seeing it.

what day exactly?

[TheOldLady]

Hubby and I have been hanging in because we love the concept and some of the actors so much. We’re really hoping that they actually do go back to the early format. It will save the show.

[hsalaw]

I look forward to seeing it. what day exactly?

The Syfy channel is advertising it as starting Friday, 10/2/09.

Oh, and in my last note: "they was" should be "they were." Cringe

[GeronL]

or they be

[Tanniker Smith]

Doesn't matter to me because I probably won't watch it live. I'll probably watch it Saturday morning while lounging in bed late.

Football's on NBC right now -- I'll pretend that's the reason that Defying Gravity isn't on tonight even though I know better.

[KevinDavis]

Truth be told I’ll be going to my old high school to watch a football game (20 year reunion that weekend) so I’ll be putting it on the dvr..

[tarawa]

Take a look at some of the graphic novels published by L. Neil Smith and others over at BigHeadPress.com. Roswell, Texas in particular, although the new one they are doing, Escape From Terra, has a Moon Is A Harsh Mistress feel to it.

[GeronL]

Cool. I will add it to my wish list =o)

[GeronL]

Thanks for joining. Feel free to test the new board and see if everything works.

[Jack Deth]

I saw that coming as soon as Peter found the new tech device by dead shape shifter, Charlie. Shame too, I've been a fan of Kirk Acevedo since Oz and Band Of Brothers.

Other than that, Fringe seems to be off to a pretty good start!

Warehouse 13 was pretty good, too. Nice set up for a show down with McPhearson for the season finale.

Eureka kind of left me hanging with their finale. The show is going to be much weaker if Zoe goes off to college. Gave me a distinct vibe that the show may not be coming back. I hope I'm wrong.

No Defying Gravity Sunday night. Another show that may not be returning.

Kind of off-topic, but I spent most of the day watching my complete Dead Like Me DVD set. Extremely well written and acted series that is loaded with lots of now, well known talent just starting out.

Brief guest star appearances from Jewell Staite ( Firefly, Star Gate Atlantis), Erica Cerra ( Eureka) and Vincent and Fargo from Eureka.


Jack.

[GeronL]

Am I not on this ping list??

That is an outrage!!!

Remember if you want to discuss making a low budget science fiction film, FreepMail me.