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Domain: jmsnews.com
Stories and comments across the archive that link to jmsnews.com.
Comments · 24
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Cost per episode vs. viewership is the measure
And an outfit like Netflix, just like HBO, has to also measure in whether a show is bonding viewers to its brand. By bonding I mean is the loss of the show a deal breaker for resubscribing the service, and does it bring in new subscribers. A show like Daredevil might bring in new subscribers, but if its spinoffs/related titles only appeals to viewers unlikely to unsubscribe for any reason then those shows are held to a different standard. Deadwood and Rome were shows that were "worldwide hits" for HBO but as the series went on, and the costs went up, HBO crunched the numbers and very quietly didn't renew the shows. Quietly because immediately announcing "Cancelled!" could mean some people respond by cancelling HBO. With the Sopranos HBO got cute by increasing the hiatus between seasons. I suspect this was a factor with Game of Thrones as well though that show's producers claimed a desire to film in the winter is the cause. When a show is a hit everyone involved wants more money. Money that goes to salary and those with a stake can end up getting diverted from the quality feel of the show. I suspect this was a factor in the last season or two of BSG. Everybody got champagne tastes while the show stabilized around delivering Budweiser profits. Sense 8 was very popular among a niche of customers who aren't typical Netflix loyalists so I was a bit surprised at its cancellation. But having watched some episodes I got the sense its production costs were in line with the beautiful imagery that was on screen, so ultimately I can see how Netflix would be nervous about its numbers. JMS, of B5 fame, was involved with the Waschowski sisters, so that fan base was also invested. http://jmsnews.com/forums/foru...
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Re:it would work as intended. more resources for f
I'm glad you mention the back catalogues, from what i can gather they generally pay very very poorly:
http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-17408
And this is a guy who created, wrote, executive produced and owned the production company of a commercially successful show. I fear the average actor/author/writer would do much worse (than nothing).Now when you negotiate the contract for your second project you'll probably do better, but the fact remains with very short copyright terms it is in the interest of the publisher to screw the author around. Perhaps then they will move on elsewhere, but with short copyright publicity and reputation gets all the more powerful. These things play into the hands of the big boys not the small guys.
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Re:We all saw it coming.
Its almost as bad for television & movies too. While there are many production companies creating shows and movies, it is very hard to get distribution unless its on their terms.
http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-17180
Babylon 5 has made over 500 million dollars and their creative accounting still shows it in the red. It wouldn't surprise me if this happens even more with music sales.
The music industry is worse.
I can't find the link but I remember seeing a story where the record industry doesn't even include downloads in royalty payments. Because music was not available in a downloadable format when the artists signed their contracts, the record companies pay no royalties on downloaded music, they keep it all themselves. -
Re:Richard Biggs a.k.a Dr. FrankelinIn the words of JMS: Just over a year ago, Andreas Katsulas -- who loved smoking with a
passion that cannot be described -- was diagnosed with lung cancer,
which by then had already spread to other areas. He quit smoking at
once and went on a healthy diet and vitamin program, but there was
little hope of a good resolution even though the new regimen was very
good for him. When we spoke about it, he laughed, and said, "Now that
I'm dying I've never felt better!"
His spirits were always up and positive, putting everyone at ease about
his condition, because...well, that's the kind of person he was.
A couple of months ago, he and his wife convened a dinner with me,
Doug, and Peter Jurasik, which was filled with laughter and stories and
good food. He wanted to know all the stories we never told him
because, as he said, "Who am I going to tell?" So we did. Because we
knew we were saying goodbye, and there would not be a second chance.
Last night, in the company of his wife and family, Andreas closed his
eyes and went away.
He lived an amazing life...full of travel and wonder and good
work...was part of the world renowned Peter Brook company...he saw the
planet, loved and was loved, ate at great restaurants, smoked too many
cigarettes...he lived a life some people would die for.
And, sadly, due to the last part of that equation...he did.
Memorial arrangements are still being worked out, but will doubtless be
private.
Andreas is gone...and G'Kar with him, because no one else can ever play
that role, or ever will.
I will miss him terribly.
J. Michael Straczynski
and about Richard Biggs JMS wrote I was awakened today with several phone calls from cast members and Doug to
pass along the terrible news that this morning, Richard Biggs passed away.
We're still gathering information, so take none of this as firm word, but what
seems to have happened, happened quickly. He woke up, got up out of bed...and
went down. The paramedics who showed up suggested it was either an aneurysm or
a massive stroke.
His family members have been informed, and all of the the cast have, as far as
we can determine, also been informed.
This is a terrible loss for all of us. Richard was a consummate professional
but more than that he was an honorable, stand-up guy. If he gave you his word
on something, you never had to wonder about it afterward. He was always
helpful and supportive of all the cast, even those who only came in for one
episode, always with a ready smile and determined to do whatever it took to
make the scene work. He was, quite simply, a terrific guy, and everyone here
is just devastated at the news.
More word as this develops. We may try to have some kind of fund raiser to
help give whatever assistance may be helpful for his kids.
We all miss him terribly.
jms -
Re:Richard Biggs a.k.a Dr. FrankelinIn the words of JMS: Just over a year ago, Andreas Katsulas -- who loved smoking with a
passion that cannot be described -- was diagnosed with lung cancer,
which by then had already spread to other areas. He quit smoking at
once and went on a healthy diet and vitamin program, but there was
little hope of a good resolution even though the new regimen was very
good for him. When we spoke about it, he laughed, and said, "Now that
I'm dying I've never felt better!"
His spirits were always up and positive, putting everyone at ease about
his condition, because...well, that's the kind of person he was.
A couple of months ago, he and his wife convened a dinner with me,
Doug, and Peter Jurasik, which was filled with laughter and stories and
good food. He wanted to know all the stories we never told him
because, as he said, "Who am I going to tell?" So we did. Because we
knew we were saying goodbye, and there would not be a second chance.
Last night, in the company of his wife and family, Andreas closed his
eyes and went away.
He lived an amazing life...full of travel and wonder and good
work...was part of the world renowned Peter Brook company...he saw the
planet, loved and was loved, ate at great restaurants, smoked too many
cigarettes...he lived a life some people would die for.
And, sadly, due to the last part of that equation...he did.
Memorial arrangements are still being worked out, but will doubtless be
private.
Andreas is gone...and G'Kar with him, because no one else can ever play
that role, or ever will.
I will miss him terribly.
J. Michael Straczynski
and about Richard Biggs JMS wrote I was awakened today with several phone calls from cast members and Doug to
pass along the terrible news that this morning, Richard Biggs passed away.
We're still gathering information, so take none of this as firm word, but what
seems to have happened, happened quickly. He woke up, got up out of bed...and
went down. The paramedics who showed up suggested it was either an aneurysm or
a massive stroke.
His family members have been informed, and all of the the cast have, as far as
we can determine, also been informed.
This is a terrible loss for all of us. Richard was a consummate professional
but more than that he was an honorable, stand-up guy. If he gave you his word
on something, you never had to wonder about it afterward. He was always
helpful and supportive of all the cast, even those who only came in for one
episode, always with a ready smile and determined to do whatever it took to
make the scene work. He was, quite simply, a terrific guy, and everyone here
is just devastated at the news.
More word as this develops. We may try to have some kind of fund raiser to
help give whatever assistance may be helpful for his kids.
We all miss him terribly.
jms -
The 4 parts???
1. Copyright infringement attack-dogs.
2. The ones responsible for re-moulding excrement, spraying it with perfume and selling it as 'something new'.
3. The rich corporate types. They do nothing except leech more money from others.
4. The part that finds ever more inventive ways to screw their artists. http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-17408&query=m illion%20dvd -
Re:J. Michael Straczynski
What wrench? JMS has gone on record saying:
Since it's no longer an issue, because the show was not picked up, the series I'd mentioned that had come to me to talk about coming aboard as an EP was Warren Ellis' Global Frequency. I'd met with the people involved, been approved by the network, went by to meet Warren during filming in Vancouver, who seemed like a very nice sort, and was waiting for the next round of serious conversations...but the show has not been picked up by WB.
He wasn't involved with the pilot, but he would almsot certainly have been involved in the series.
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J. Michael Straczynski on Star Trek
I didn't think to post these when the last Enterprise story went up, but here's a couple of comments from JMS about writing a Star Trek series.
The first talks about JMS thoughts of Star Trek, and his interest in doing a series, the second (written a day later) talks about finding out that Paramont had no interest in doing anything more with Star Trek for a few years, and he was busy anyway.
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J. Michael Straczynski on Star Trek
I didn't think to post these when the last Enterprise story went up, but here's a couple of comments from JMS about writing a Star Trek series.
The first talks about JMS thoughts of Star Trek, and his interest in doing a series, the second (written a day later) talks about finding out that Paramont had no interest in doing anything more with Star Trek for a few years, and he was busy anyway.
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Mod Parent Down ... Karma Whoring
I like how you fail to post his follow up.
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Re:JMS! Save us!JMS appears to have been willing and eager to step up to the plate before Paramount decided to cool the franchise off for a couple of years. See http://www.jmsnews.com/thread.aspx?id=_UPN%20Canc
e ls%20Enterprise! for details.I'd be interested to see JMS's take on the ST multiverse.
Years ago, asked in an email if he'd ever considered adapting R.A. Heinlein's works to the screen (he had, but there were options on everything). IMHO, every recent effort, in particular, The Puppet Masters, has missed the mark by a wide margin. Don't think the problem is that classic Heinlein tales can't translate to the big screen, but rather that his work was more about exploring the possibilities - how changes in technology effect people, and their interactions with one another. I hate to imagine what goes through "the suits" mind's when they get hold of a good Sci-Fi script, but fear it involves separating wheat from chaff, and throwing away the wheat.
Hollywood has gone stark raving, and not only in the Sci-Fi realm. One of my fave movies is 'Flight of the Phoenix' - solid cast, good writing
To me, clear signature that the wrong suits are in charge
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Re:Enterprise
Unlikely, for a couple of reasons.
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Re:Great ideaWhile I haven't yet watched the 2nd half of season two, so far I've found the second season to be head and shoulders above the first, which had great ideas but varied wildly in quality from episode to episode.
More importantly, JMS himself maintains that the second season was vastly superior to the first - and more to the point, because of how hard he had to fight, against MGM itself, for the quality of the show.
Not to mention that him making a bad show just to show the execs that their notes were off the base seems incredibly dumb and, honestly, not something he would do (especially given what he went through with Crusade ).
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Re:Great ideaWhile I haven't yet watched the 2nd half of season two, so far I've found the second season to be head and shoulders above the first, which had great ideas but varied wildly in quality from episode to episode.
More importantly, JMS himself maintains that the second season was vastly superior to the first - and more to the point, because of how hard he had to fight, against MGM itself, for the quality of the show.
Not to mention that him making a bad show just to show the execs that their notes were off the base seems incredibly dumb and, honestly, not something he would do (especially given what he went through with Crusade ).
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This was debunked yesterday
Yet annoyingly it's being reported without mention of JMS' followup message.
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BROKEN LINK - CORRECTION
That link's broken. I thnk you meant this: http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-17287
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Re:Recantedhttp://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-17287
No slash...
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Recanted
He has already recanted this offer. http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-17287/
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JMS
Everybody keeps forgetting about Joe Michael Straczynski when Star Wars TV is brought up (and it is brought up often enough here).
http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?ID=1-17162
Has a bit of info regarding some TV series he's been offered a job on. "...one of them could be insanely
successful. I should know more about this situation in late October. (Neither
is Trek-related, just to nip any potential rumors in the bud.)" He's already said it isn't Dr. Who, but not responded yet (afaik) to Star Wars TV.
Given that he created Babylon 5, one of the best space opera TV shows ever made, I think he'd be an excellent (or at least the obvious) choice for Star Wars TV. One thing he made a lot of noise about when he made Babylon 5 is that there wouldn't be any annoying kids or robots (and this is before the SW prequels), it's clear from his various posts that he can't stand insulting sci-fi. This could easily wind up like the Knights of the Old Republic game or the Timothy Zahn novles.
But if JMS isn't involved, I fully expect a live-action Ewoks adventure given the way the franchise has been going lately. Although Clone Wars was good, even if I still hate Tartovsky's character designs and overall art style. -
Re:Feh!
Hell yes that helps. I'm a pretty big fan of B5 myself (it's the ONLY scifi show on tv that I've ever thought was any good at all), and I hadn't thought much about the books. I needed some new books to read, looks like I found them
Glad I could help
I wouldn't go as far as saying it was the only show that was any good. I enjoyed Stargate also and am slowly collecting the DVD sets. If you really are as you claim a pretty big fan of B5, then I feel it's my duty as another pretty big fan to let you know there's a new movie coming. TMoS (The Memory of Shadows IIRC) it's not in production yet but apparantly approved. You can read JMS's posts at JMSNEWS
Cheers -
He is..."One oddity...constant readers will remember a while back when I was asked what TMoS was, and I provided a list of things it *wasn't*. The aforementioned oddity is...one of those things has come up as an adjunct to TMoS."
Other clues he's posted tell us this is "The Memory of Shadows" a possible movie/miniseries/something.
1 of the relevant JMS News postings
Also mentioned is info on Crusade DVDs and a new book series.
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New B5 Project
Leave the dead horse alone - much more exciting new on the Babylon 5 front, straight from the horses mouth:
B5:TMoS
Now what on earth does that mean...?
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B5: TMoSJMS has (semi-)announced a new project with the aformentioned initials, but will/can not say what they stand for at the moment.
Here's hoping its a movie.
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Speaking of B5
Here's JMS on the NEW B5 project; B5:TMoS.
No details, just tasty, tasty hints.