I suffered a head injury yesterday afternoon. No, not playing pick-up football. No, not in a fistfight with an angry Weir fan. I got conked in the head with a book. Seriously. I was at a bookstore, looking for Robert Reed’s Marrow, when I spotted it sitting atop a pile on the top shelf of the SF & Fantasy section. Standing up on my tiptoes and reaching out so far I think I may have partially separated my shoulder, I managed to touch the low title on the totem pole. I stretched and managed to carefully slide the pile out. In retrospect, I’m not sure what I was thinking. That pile was coming down. The only uncertainty was how many books I could catch on the way. And I certainly didn’t expect to catch one with my head. The corner of a nice fat fantasy book (curse that Tad Williams!) bounced off the top of my forehead as the rest of the titles showered down around me. I caught exactly none. But I did end up buying the Reed book (a recommendation by SFSignal’s JP Frantz) along with Jeffrey Ford’s Memoranda, Steph Swainston’s The Year of Our War, Harry Harrison’s The Stainless Steel Rat, Brian Lumley’s Necroscope (which I’m considering making next month’s BOTMC horror selection) and, yes, Tad Williams‘ Otherland, vol. 1.

Speaking of the book club, author Stephen Dobyns turned his Q&A around in record time so I’ll be turning this blog over to him tomorrow. In the meantime, I hope you’re all very busy reading this month’s selections because the week of September 15^th fast approaches when we’ll be discussing Justina Robson’s Keeping It Real with author Justina Robson. The following week, author Glen Cook be dropping by to field your questions about this month’s fantasy selection, The Black Company, and author Sarah Langan will be joining us the week after that to talk about The Missing, this month’s horror selection.

Oh, hey, the NFL kicked off today. This week, me and the rest of the gang in the writers’ room made our dark horse (sub-500 team last year that will have the best record this season) and reverse dark horse (team with a winning record last year that will have the worst record this season). I won last year’s dark horse pool with the Browns. This year, I’m rooting for the Buffalo Bills to impress, and the Tampta Baby Buccaneers to disappoint. GO BILL! DON’T GO BUCS!

Today’s blog entry is dedicated to birthday gal StarWars9771

Anyway, continuing with the Whispers breakdown…

ACT THREE

INT. MICHAEL’S LAB - NIGHT: Mirellus‘s revelation.

Another straightforward scene. Sheppard realizes the answer to dealing with Michael’s experiment lies in the data, and since his wraith reading skills are as rusty as Teldy’s, they set off to find Beckett and Porter.

INT. HOUSE - NIGHT: Beckett heads out to investigate.

Unable to contact Sheppard, Beckett is going stir crazy. His friend is in trouble and he is, in effect, stranded and can‘t help him. At which point he hears the sound of movement outside. As he explains to Porter, if there’s a threat out there, they’re as good as sitting ducks. Subscribing to the theory that the best defense is a good offense, he heads out to check the perimeter. In his mind, he can look around and stay close enough to the house in the event Porter sounds the alarm. Unfortunately, his little stroll takes an unexpected turn.

This run-in with the creature in the fog offers a good example of what I was referring to in yesterday’s entry re: editor Mike Banas dropping a frame in the cut to give the creature’s movement a bizarre, inhuman jump. One second the creature is turning and, in a split second, it’s teeth are bared as it has zeroed in on Beckett.

EXT. MARKETPLACE - NIGHT: Beckett encounters one of the creatures.

A fun little sequence. During prep, we discussed the various ways we could pull off the wall crawling stunt. Initially, we considered a harness and wires but, after some discussion, that idea was shelved in favor a little camera trickery. We built a section of wall that we lay on the floor, then had Paul lie atop the piece. By lifting his head and keeping the camera tight on him, it looks like he is sitting up. Thus, when the creature crawls up to him, it appears as though it’s defying gravity.

INT. HOUSE - NIGHT: Porter is gone. The others return.

In my mind, Porter is alone in the house, waiting for Beckett to return from his perimeter sweep when, perhaps, she spots movement outside. Assuming he’s come back, she opens the door and calls out to him. No response. A cautious step out onto the porch to see if she can spot him is all it would take for one of the creatures to present itself, between here and the doorway. She bolts, retreating into the fog…

When the others return, Beckett explains his theory on the creatures, and the fact that they exude the fog they use a predatory device. In my mind, a dozen creatures do not create enough fog to obscure an entire town. Rather, the mist they exude from the gills in their neck react with the surrounding atmosphere, sort of like a drop of dye turning a bucketful of clear water green.

As for the effects of the fog - Beckett theorizes that, since Michael wore a gas mask when experimenting on these creatures, it stood to reason that prolonged exposure to the mist might not be such a good idea. Given that the team’s exposure to the fog was limited in comparison to what Michael must have experienced, it’s arguable whether they would feel any of the purported side effects. That said, like Keller’s exposure to the pathogen from Michael’s lab in The Seed, these effects could have manifested themselves at a later date and provided story fodder for a future episode. Had we done a sixth season of course.

EXT. VILLAGE - NIGHT: Sheppard, Teldy, and Dusty split up to search for Porter.

Yep, they split up. And in this case, it makes perfect sense. They can cover three times the area in one third the time, and, with Porter out there alone, time is of the essence. They’re armed and, knowing the creatures are blind and hunt by sound, they’re ready for them.

In the first draft, I had the team use flares which, I thought, would have looked mighty cool in the fog. Unfortunately, they turned out to be a problem. For starters, they’re a potential fire hazard - especially when you’re shooting on a sound stage carpeted with dry wood and mulch. Second, the smoke they give off is apparently toxic. Who knew? Finally, they’re noisy - so it wouldn’t make much sense for the team to use flares unless they wanted to draw the creatures right to them. So we opted for the chem flares (production-friendly, unique to Stargate chem flares compliments of Production Designer James Robbins). The conceit is that, unlike the flashlights or radios, these flares are contained units, chemical in nature (which is why Sheppard shakes them to turn them on), and thus unaffected by the fog.

For the well scramble, we built a portion of the well, a green screen half pipe, lay it on the ground, and had our actor/creature crawl along it toward camera (and, also, away from camera after which we ran the film backward to give the creature‘s movements an erratic appearance. It‘s a camera trick that was used to great effect in the final scene of the original Carrie and a ghostly visit in Stir of Echoes). Our VFX department did the rest - creating the rest of the wall, adding a little more fog, and tweaking the creature’s movement.

INT. HOUSE - NIGHT: Mirellus, we barely new ye!

This was actually a deceptively complicated stunt. We required glass and wood to break and fly inwards but, as our stunt coordinator, James Bamford, pointed out, even something as thin and light as balsa wood could cause injury. In the end, we ended up with a suitable and safe alternative, using candy glass (mmmm) to approximate the look of real glass. A bigger problem was the timing of the stunt. The stuntmen/creatures waiting outside had to burst through the boarded-up window a) correctly and b) at precisely the right second. If they came in too early or too late, we would have to re-set and do the whole thing over again. If the glass and wood didn’t break away properly, we would have to re-set and do the whole thing over again. If the stuntment/creatures overshot their marks and missed, we would have to re-set and do the whole thing over again. As we set up for the shot, I turned to Wray Douglas, our SPFX Supervisor, and asked him whether he was prepared to go again if need be. “We’ll get it right the first time,”he informed me, displaying incredible confidence in his team. And, as it turned out, that confidence was well-placed because they got it right the first time.

ACT FOUR

EXT. VILLAGE - NIGHT: Sheppard and co. run into a spot of trouble.

My writing partner Paul tried to kill this gag in two separate drafts. First, he couldn’t imagine how a flare could be used as a weapon. Fortunately, these were unique chem flares and, as noted in an earlier scene in which Sheppard stabs one into the ground to act as a home beacon, they CAN be used as a weapon. Second, he argued that it would be impossible to pull off the reveal because that would require a fog thickness level nigh unattainable. By normal means certainly, but fortunately we had a brilliant VFX team to rely on. They had CG fog elements to help obscure the advancing creature until the second she popped out to reveal herself.

INT. HOUSE - NIGHT: Sheppard and co. find Teldy in the house.

But Beckett is long gone. While we were watching the mix, someone (it may have been Paul or Martin) found it strange that no one expressed concern for Beckett when Teldy points out the blood, so we ADR’d a line from Porter “Carson?!”. Had we had the time, I would have also liked to ADR the lines: “No, it was probably Mirellus.” followed by a “Thank God it was only the insignificant villager!”.

INT. HOUSE - NIGHT: Sheppard and Teldy’s team brainstorm.

One of the things I liked about this episode was that everyone had something to do. Dusty saves Beckett from the wall crawler and helps take out the creatures from her vantage point overlooking the well, Teldy is in on the creature kills both overlooking the well and in the catacombs, Sheppard rescues Porter, sets the trap that lures the creatures, and helps dispatch of the last group, Beckett figures out what they are dealing with and saves Sheppard and, here, Porter comes up with the final plan.

INT. HOUSE - NIGHT: Sheppard goes over the plan.

To those asking, the reason the laptop wasn’t affected by the fog is explained in the exchange between Sheppard and Porter. She cautions against letting the fog near the laptop to which Sheppard replies: “I’ll lower it about halfway down the well. That should keep it out of reach and working long enough for all nine of them to show.”

EXT. VILLAGE - NIGHT: Teldy’s team takes up high ground positions while Sheppard sets the trap.

Another fave sequence. I remember both Nicole’s father and Janina’s boyfriend and friends were on set for the pyrotechnics. We shot the Christina/Nicole coverage first, then turned around on Janina. Ivon (who was covering the episode for a special feature) and I (covering it for the blog, natch) took up positions previously occupied by Christina and Nicole. I was a little too close to the edge of the balcony because when Will yelled “Action!”, the opening pyro burst almost crispy-fried my eyebrows.

ACT FIVE

EXT. VILLAGE - NIGHT: The gals open up on the creatures.

This is the scene where armourer Rob Fournier’s gun school really paid off. Our actresses were put through the paces with P-90s and handguns prior to shooting the episode. It was more of a refresher course for Christina who had plenty of gun handling experience prior to Whispers (and you can tell by the way she unloads, expertly reloads, and resumes firing). Janina and Nicole were newbies and, after the first day, Janina’s fingers were so raw and painful she was actually dreading the sequence. Will and I pitched her the possibility that, in addition to the gum chewing, she could be wrapping her fingers in a cool preparatory shot or two. Janina liked the idea but, on the idea, decided to tough it out.

This scene was particularly hellish for our stunt creatures. There were a bunch of them and they had to negotiate the heavy fog and their wandering fellow creatures with very limited visibility through their eye webbing. We shot it once and Will, wanting to take advantage of the fog before it dissipated, yelled “Back to first positions!”. Watching these poor souls scramble to find their opening marks was truly a sight to behold.

EXT. VILLAGE - NIGHT: Teldy’s team take stock.

The first draft was vague about the number of creatures out there Martin Gero suggested I actually make this a plot point, 12 pods = 12 creatures. This gave me the idea for the episode’s final twist. Here, it’s the opportunity for a gag when Dusty seemingly miscounts the number of kills - and has a final creature pop up. Love the shot of the three of them simultaneously opening up on the final creature.

INT. CATACOMBS - NIGHT: Sheppard and co. make their way back to the lab.

Ah, the episode is over. Nothing else to do know but clean up some loose ends. Wait! What was that?! In true horror movie fashion, it’s never over when you think it’s over…

INT. LAB - NIGHT: Sheppard finds the other pods.

Ah, the old French reverse. We’re on Sheppard as he triggers the door and steps through, then pick him up on the other side where he is looking at the secret room. The secret room is, in reality, the same lab set shot from the opposite direction and slightly altered by our visual effects department.

INT. CATACOMBS - NIGHT: Sheppard and co. have to deal with the final batch.

The entire cast and crew should be credited for going above and beyond the call of duty in this episode. In particular, I’d like to make mention of Stunt Coordinator James Bam Bam Bamford and his stunt crew who really went all out. This reveal, for instance, called for Porter to turn and be confronted with a creature hanging upside-down from the ceiling. Well, we reinforced the ceiling and built a rung for the stuntman/creature to hook his legs over and hang off of. Apparently, it was incredibly uncomfortable.

This creature takedown was tricky. I remember we were running late on the day. It was a complicated sequence and, on the first take, the creatures overran the position. In the second take, another overrun. And, because we were running late, there was no third take. As a result, Will had to pick up some shots later in the schedule and insert those fog-obscured shots into the sequence.

INT. CARSON’S QUARTERS - ATLANTIS - DAY: Carson finally heads off.

This episode was intended as an audition of sorts and, in the end, Christina, Nicole, and Janina did a great job with their respective characters. I loved all three cand we certainly aimed to bring them back. However, by the time this episode was being shot, we had already developed over two-thirds of the stories for season 5 and, once we got into spinning stories for the final 5, addressing existing arcs and setting up the big finale became the top priority. Nevertheless, I was hopeful that if we received the sixth season pick-up, Teldy and co. would be back. I even toyed with the idea of placing Beckett on the team. Sadly, we didn’t receive the pick-up We did, however, get the greenight on an SGA movie so it’s more than likely we’ll see Teldy and her team again some time in the not too distant future.

Lonely monster looking for Miss Fright. Enjoys creeping up walls, terrorizing humans, and long walks on the beach.

Okay, now smile and say...

Cheeeeeese!

What're YOU looking at?!

Glen in the well

Actor removes her eyeballs and puts them in a plastic container for safe keeping.

Well, as promised, I’m dedicating today’s blog entry to a post-Whispers blow-by-blow. Since I was on set for this episode, I have plenty to talk about and, over the course of this breakdown, I’ll touch on a variety of subjects including revised scenes, deleted footage, and on-set anecdotes. And, seeing as how it looks like I’ll have a lot to say on this one, I may well run out of steam and have to pick things up tomorrow.

Before I get started, I’d just like to remind everyone that Will Waring, director of Whispers and countless other SG-1 and Atlantis episodes, has agreed to do a guest blog here, so start posting your comments. Quick, before he changes his mind!

To Das who asks: “What was your mindset while writing Whispers? Dead serious, tongue-in-cheek, something else?”  Definitely tongue in cheek popcorn fun, from Carpenteresque fog to the Ringesque well crawl.  In fact, Sheppard’s line late in the episode neatly summed up the spirit of the episode: “Great. Now all we need is for the prom queen and the kid in the wheelchair to wander off and we’re all set.” 

Today’s pics: Behind the scenes on Whispers.

Today’s video: Stage 2 walk-thru II (up until the point where my camera battery died on me).

THE TEASE

EXT. FOREST - NIGHT: A couple of locals run into a spot of bad luck.

This scene wasn’t in the first draft which actually started on Atlantis with Sheppard informing Beckett that Major Teldy’s team had found something off-world (the original end of tease was the reveal of the lab with Sheppard and Beckett). However, the network and Rob felt the script needed some action off the top. I thought about it and came up with this scene that 1) established the creepy mood we’d be touching on later in the episode and 2) offered me a way of working the gas masked figure (Michael) into the episode. Also, given that I wanted this episode to follow the traditional horror flick structure, I felt that a scare off the top was a terrific idea. The one point I was resolute about, however, was that we not reveal the look of the creature. Not here. Not yet. I also thought it important to establish some sort of unique sound for the creatures, something we could establish early and then use as a cue later in the episode to signal their approach. Editor Mike Banas came up with a temporary solution, a variation on a dolphin’s chittering which I found very effective. So effective, in fact, that when a new sound was created for the Day 1 mix, I asked them to put Mike’s original creation back.

Somebody asked about the creature twitching here and later in the episode. Some of it was actor action while some of it was the work of editor Mike Banas who lifted a frame or two from the cut to five the movement a peculiar, almost inhuman feel. He does this great effect later in the episode: 1) When the creature first spots Beckett in the fog and bares its teeth and 2) With the creature on the wall over Beckett’s head.

This was one of the last scenes we shot for this episode (yep, we shoot out of sequence for those who didn’t know). I remember it was very late and Will had set up a crane shot to open the scene. I was standing by the monitor, watching them rehearse and, as I stepped over to take my seat, the crane knocked over a ladder that came crashing down onto the spot where I’d been standing. Terry, our script supervisor, looked up at me, shocked, and informed me that if I hadn’t moved, they’d have been calling an ambulance for me.

INT. CATACOMBS - DAY: Major Teldy’s team make a mysterious discovery.

This scene wasn’t in the first draft either. Rather than pick things up one year later on Atlantis, I thought this scene would help make for a smoother transition. I love the look of the catacombs - slick and dark - and have to credit director of photography Michael Blundell for doing such a great job on, not only the catacombs, but this episode in general.

INT. BECKETT’S QUARTERS - DAY: Beckett and McKay chat. Sheppard enters with the news.

We wanted to have Beckett back for five episodes but we were faced with a bit of a problem. If he was back on Atlantis, then why weren’t we seeing him every episode? If he was back on Earth, then why was he coming back to Atlantis? In the end, I came up with a compromise solution: Beckett was going to participate in the Pegasus equivalent of Doctors Without Borders, heading off to treat the victims of the Hoffan plague. This would establish his presence in the galaxy and allow him quick access to Atlantis (and vice versa) should the need ever arise.

Given that this episode was running long, I had to make some significant trims to this scene, including a reference to Carson’s wee turtles which I named Michelle and Jeffrey after two of Paul’s most fervent supporters (if there had been a third turtle, I’d have called her Jen but, hey, I figured the letter of reference bought me some good will). Anyway, here’s the scene as originally scripted:

#McKay looks on as Beckett packs up his belongings.MCKAY: I can’t believe this. You were sick. We cured you. You go away for six months to recover. And then, finally, you come back - and only stay for a week before leaving again.

BECKETT: I’m sorry, Rodney, but I’ve come to realize that, for the time being, my place isn’t here.

MCKAY: Of course it is. Are you kidding me? It’s just like old times. You’re back on Atlantis, back in your lab, doing…whatever…it is you’re doing. This is great!

BECKETT: No, it isn’t. As a doctor, I can’t simply sit by while people in this galaxy are suffering. Especially since I had a hand in what’s happened to them.

MCKAY: You can’t blame yourself. Michael forced you to help him. He was the one who disseminated the drug.

BECKETT: And I was the one who helped the Hoffans perfect it.

McKay considers. Then -

MCKAY: Come on. You know how many times I’ve screwed up? Lots.

MCKAY: (then correcting himself) Well, not “lots”, certainly less than the average person, but still - it does happen. On occasion. (beat)Very rare occasions.

BECKETT: I have an opportunity to help these people, Rodney. To save some lives. And sleep a little better knowing that I’m making a difference.

Beckett glances up, notes a downcast Rodney. He adopts a more positive -

BECKETT: Besides, now that I’m back in the Pegasus galaxy, I’m just a step through the gate.

MCKAY: So you’ll be dropping by to visit?

BECKETT: Whenever I can.

Beat.

BECKETT: Oh, I’ll be taking my turtles with me.

McKay, clearly reluctant to part with them -

MCKAY: Well, technically, they’re not really YOUR turtles. I mean, to be fair you wouldn’t have even known about them if I hadn’t told you -

Off Beckett -

MCKAY: But if you want them - fine.

Doing a poor job of disguising his disappointment -

MCKAY: By the way, little Jeffrey likes carrots so try to include a couple of slivers with each meal. And little Michelle really enjoys these cuttlebones Jeannie sent over -

BECKETT: Now that I think about it, I’ll be moving around a lot. I realize it’s a bit of an inconvenience, but would you mind taking care of them a little longer?

MCKAY: Sure. Okay.

Sheppard enters.

BECKETT: Colonel, you’re just in time to give us a hand.

SHEPPARD: Actually, doc, you’re going to have to delay your travel plans. We just got word from Major Teldy.(beat) Her team has found another one of Michael’s labs.

Off Beckett -

ACT ONE

EXT. FOREST - DAY: Sheppard and Beckett meet Teldy’s team.

I didn’t want Sheppard and co. to have access to a puddle jumper, so I established early on that the area is heavily forested (something we emphasize later on) and only accessible on foot. Martin Gero suggested I go a step further and make it even more inaccessible, so I added the reference to having to rappel down the mountainside.

This scene was shot on location on one of the coldest days in recent memory. Every time Will yelled “Cut!”, the actors would scurry over to a heater that had been set up for them in a tented area. When Glenn Mowat, our craft service specialist, wheeled out some chicken soup, I was one of the first in line - not because I like chicken soup but because I needed the cup to warm my hands. Anyway, it was a crisp day but the actors enjoyed themselves. I love the way Paul plays Beckett here - initially weary and complaining about the long walk and then suddenly spry as he jogs after the women. Joe and Paul had a lot of fun with their walk and talk and subsequent meeting with the all-female team, adlibbing the fist bump at the end of this scene.

And, since many of you are asking why Sheppard had to be introduced to Teldy’s team - while Sheppard is the base’s military commander, he seems significantly more off-world action than desk duty. While he certainly keeps updated on the individuals shuttling in and off the city, he doesn’t necessarily meet all of them so he might be surprised to learn that the Dr. Porter and Sgt. Mehra he was apprised on are actually women. Furthermore, the various team leaders (in this case Major Teldy) have the autonomy to put together their own teams. And since, as suggested in this team, Teldy’s team is new, it’s not that incredible that Sheppard would need an introduction.

Also, for those wondering about Sheppard’s turtleneck - that was a game day decision by Joe.

INT. MICHAEL’S LAB - DAY: Teldy’s team lead Sheppard and Beckett to the lab.

A great-looking lab that is actually about half as big as it looks onscreen. The back wall is actually a matte extension that gives the chamber more depth and, of course, room for more stasis pods. As for the mysterious figures in those pods - they’re mannequins.

A couple of references to our season four finale and season five premiere, The Last Man and Search and Rescue, which I’m sure most of you picked up: Sheppard’s line “The last thing I need is three tons of rubble falling on my head again.” and Porter’s informing him that she disabled the security protocols thanks to the lesson McKay learned the last time he attempted to access Michael’s data.

EXT. FOREST - DAY: Sheppard, Teldy, and Vega make their way to the village.

The dialogue in this scene seemed to change with each subsequent draft. In the first, Vega’s complaint about not having the puddle jumper handy leads to a discussion of the midway station and the IOA’s reluctance to re-establish the gate bridge because of the events of Midway. Eagle-eyed (or eared) readers of this blog will recognize this dialogue as part of the deleted Sheppard-Caldwell conversation from Kindred I. It didn’t make the cut here either. Teldy’s character went from Major to Colonel and back to Major, and in one version in which she was a Colonel, she gave Sheppard a good-natured ribbing. Ultimately, however, it felt inappropriate and my writing partner, Paul, argued that making her of equal rank diminished Sheppard’s status on Atlantis. So, this scene was changed yet again but, for what it’s worth…

We find Sheppard, Vega, and Teldy on their way. Sheppard leads.

VEGA: You know what I’d love right about now?

SHEPPARD: A beer?

VEGA: A puddle jumper.

OBSERVER’S POV - They are being watched.

SHEPPARD: That could’ve been arranged if I’d known we’d be doing this much walking.

TELDY: Area’s too heavily forested. Nowhere to land.

She sizes him up.

TELDY: Besides, this is great exercise. It’ll help build those calves.

SHEPPARD: My calves don’t need building.

TELDY: If you say so.

SHEPPARD: What was that?

TELDY: I’m agreeing with you. You have marvelous calves.

BACK ON our trio.

SHEPPARD: I didn’t say that.

TELDY: Of course not.

She sizes him up again.

TELDY: Tightens those glutes too.

Sheppard throws her a look. She smiles innocently back at him - and on they go.

INT. MICHAEL’S LAB - Dusty takes a walk, leaving Beckett and Porter to talk.

All of the characters were fun to write for, but Dusty held a special place in my heart. She’s like one of those embarrassing family members with no social filter, quick to speak her mind and oblivious to the reaction she elicits. She is stuck on babysitting duty, doesn’t like it, and makes no bones about it. Annoyed with the lovebirds, she takes a walk, allowing Beckett and Porter to bond. Originally, this scene was significantly longer. Again, some of the dialogue had to be cut for time including an interesting reference to Beckett’s dear mother and her reaction to his sudden resurrection. BTW, the original draft had her giving away his guitar, but Paul McGillion suggested a budgie would be funnier. It was.

PORTER: I’m sorry.

BECKETT: You have nothing to apologize for - and, frankly, neither does she. She’s right. Resurrections do make for very interesting reunions - especially when the dead man didn’t know he was dead to begin with.

PORTER: I can see how that could make things a little - uh, awkward.

BECKETT: Yes, that’s exactly how I would describe showing up on my mother’s doorstep two years after my funeral. Awkward.

PORTER: What did you tell her?

BECKETT: Certainly not the truth: “Ma, I’ve spent the last two years a prisoner of the vindictive alien hybrid I helped create. P.S. I’m a clone.” I told her I’d been kidnapped, that I actually hadn’t been killed in an explosion.

PORTER: How’d she take it?

BECKETT: Surprisingly well. When the initial shock wore off, the first words out of her mouth were: “Dear Lord! But I gave away your budgie!”

Porter smiles.

PORTER: I’m assuming you forgave her.

BECKETT: Oh, he went to a good home. And it was easy to forgive everyone for moving on. After all, I’d died. What was far more difficult was finding out that my life had gone on without me for almost a year after my disappearance.

Beckett reflects for a second then, catching himself, throws Porter a look -

BECKETT: What about you, Dr. Porter?

PORTER: Alison.

BECKETT: What about you, Alison? Any interesting experiences you’d care to share? Encountered any dangerous alien predators? Been cloned recently?

PORTER: No, but in all fairness, I’m new to the Pegasus galaxy. Sounds like cloning is more of a second year thing.

BECKETT: Third actually.

PORTER: Ah.

EXT. VILLAGE - DAY: Sheppard, Teldy, and Vega search the deserted village.

A fairly straightforward scene shot on our village set. The archway they step through leads out to the faux forest where we shot the later creature attack on this trio, and the opening scene.

INT. MICHAEL’S LAB - DAY: Beckett and Porter learn about the experiments. Dusty makes a surprise appearance.

Another fairly straightforward scene that serves to reveal a little more about the creatures in the pods, establish that night is about to fall, and allow Dusty to have a little fun with her babysitting charges by screwing with them. As scripted:

#A clearly creeped-out Porter stares at the mysterious figure within the pods. Suddenly -DUSTY(O.S.): Hey!

Porter and Beckett are startled. They turn and find -

Dusty standing in the entrance to the lab.

DUSTY: Sorry about that. Didn’t mean to startle you.

Although clearly she did.

DUSTY: Just wanted to let you know it’s going to get dark soon. Are we planning on making this an all-nighter?

Beckett and Porter exchange looks.

Director Will Waring does a wonderful job here, pushing in on the figure in the pod, turning back on a creeped-out Beckett and Porter, then playing Dusty’s off-screen “Hey!” and revealing her standing behind them.

EXT. VILLAGE - DAY: Sheppard, Teldy, and Vega corner a local who reveals what he knows about the abandoned village.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s entry, this was actor Darren Dolinski’s first time on camera and I thought he did a terrific job - especially later in the big window snatch stunt. Christina was a stickler for proper military procedure and she and Leela consulted Atlantis armourer Rob Fournier for this scene. So, you’ll note that as Mirellus talks, Teldy backtracks to check out the area around the corner while Vega scans the building’s interior for trouble.   And, yes, they did set a trap for Mirellus - which is why, when Mirellus swings out to follow Sheppard, he finds him seated on the steps, gun out, waiting for him.

EXT. FOREST - DAY: Beckett, Porter, and Dusty walk and talk.

I revised and trimmed this scene significantly from the first draft that offered some interesting insight into the women, Dusty in particular. Also, in the director’s cut, we see Mirellus step out from behind the tree and skulk off. In order to save time, and because I liked the mystery beat, we trimmed the end of the scene and kept the hidden individual’s identity a secret.

BECKETT: My mother, my friends, and my extended family in Scotland. You?

PORTER: My parents, two sisters, some friends, and a three year old labradoodle named Quigley who, my roommate tells me, is doing just fine without me. What about you, Dusty?

DUSTY: What about me?

BECKETT: Who did you leave back on Earth?

DUSTY: No one. A family I hardly speak to and an ex-husband I speak to may too much.

BECKETT: I hear you served with Stargate Command before transferring over.

DUSTY: Yeah, but Pegasus had more of what I was looking for.

BECKETT: And what was that?

DUSTY: Bad guys that needed killing. The Milky Way just hasn’t been the same since the Ori got their butts kicked.

BECKETT: Some would argue the situation has actually impro-

Suddenly Dusty stops, quiets them with an upraised hand. Beat.

BECKETT: What is it?

Dusty takes a step forward, weapon at the ready.

DUSTY: I thought I heard something.

Beckett and Porter exchange uneasy looks.

BECKETT: What?

Dusty scans their surroundings. Beat. Then -

DUSTY: Probably nothing.

Dusty eases up, continues on her way. A creeped-out Beckett and Porter hurry after her.

Beat. As their footsteps recede in the distance, SWING BACK to reveal Mirellus concealed behind some forest cover. He watches them head off O.S., then quietly creeps out of hiding and hurries off in the direction they came from.

INT. MICHAEL’S LAB - NIGHT

Mirellus opens the pods. Nope, you didn’t miss this scene. It was never shot.

#Mirellus is standing in the entrance to the dimly lit lab.His eyes widen at the sight of the stasis pods. He hurries over, sets the torch aside and tries to open one of the pods, straining against whatever locking mechanism is in place - to no avail. Mirellus gives up and scans his surroundings. His eyes alight on -

The consoles. He approaches, gives them a cursory scan, and starts hitting buttons at random. The onscreen data changes. Frustrated, he goes over to another console, repeats the same process.

Unbeknownst to him, the front on one of the stasis pods slides up, releasing a coiling mist.

ON Mirellus, moving to another console, hitting buttons at random. A thick mist creeps in around him.

CUT TO:

INT. CATACOMBS — NIGHT

Beat. Then -

MIRELLUS: (screams)

INT. HOUSE - NIGHT: Sheppard, Teldy, and Vega leave Beckett, Porter, and Dusty for the night.

This scene remained fairly intact. The only line of dialogue I lost was Beckett’s request for a Venti vanilla bean frappuccino to go with Porter’s triple grande sugar free vanilla latte.

To Shawna who wonders why the team just didn’t go back to Atlantis after the local warned them of the dangers - 1. Unlike the local, the team knew the reason for the perceived danger. Michael was snatching villagers and experimenting on them. But the danger no longer exists because Michael has long abandoned the lab. That is, until the local releases the experiments. 2. We establish the fact that it is quite a walk from the catacombs to the gate (necessitated a climb up a mountainside as well). It’s not uncommon for teams on fact-finding missions to stay overnight. In this case, it was simply convenient to do so.

INT. CATACOMBS/LAB: Sweeping through the darkened catacombs and into the labs. The pods are opened.

Will’s direction, Greg Fox’s camera work, and Joel Goldsmith’s score combined to make this one of my favorite sequences in the episode. On the day, Will decided to play a practical joke on camera operator Fox and actually hid in the pod. Greg swept down the catacomb, into the lab, pushed in on the stasis pod - at which point Will slammed his hand up against the door, hoping to scare the beejeebers out of him. Alas, Greg was cool under pressure.

ACT TWO

INT. HOUSE - NIGHT: Beckett and Porter bond…much to Dusty’s chagrin.

I needed Dusty to be reading something in this scene and so, rather than have the art department make up a phony book, I contacted my buddy, editor Lou Anders over at Pyr, and asked his permission to use The Martian General’s Daughter by Theodore Judson. In the end, the cover is partly hidden and you can’t quite make out the title - but fear not! The book makes a second, clearer appearance in the first part of our mid-season two-parter, First Contact, in which we find gate technician Chuck reading it. Evidently, it was Atlantis’s book of the month.

Many of you know that Will Waring includes his trademark pineapple in every episode he directs. If you look closely, you’ll notice the pineapple appears in this scene - as Dusty’s pineapple bookmark.

EXT. FOREST - NIGHT: Sheppard, Teldy, and Vega experience flashlight trouble.

When it comes to horror movies, flashlights in the dark are fun, but no flashlights in the dark are even more fun! Again, props go to director of photography Michael Blundell as well as Wray Douglas, Scott Stofer, and the rest of the SPFX crew for the light and fog.

EXT. VILLAGE - NIGHT: Dusty takes a late-night stroll.

The creatures were originally conceived as eyeless humans but, when we got into prep on the episode, Todd Masters pointed out that completely covering the perfomers’ eyes would make taking direction, much less walking around, night impossible for them. So Todd and his crew came up with a creeptastic alternative - a fleshy webbing that covered the eyes yet allowed the actors limited visibility.

I thought it might be fun to work in a representation of these monsters in rudimentary doll form, perhaps the work of some crazy local who swore he glimpsed the creatures in the distant woods only to be summarily dismissed by his neighbors. Exactly what happened to him or his fellow citizens is a mystery. The only clue left behind is this creepy little memento.

By the way, somebody asked me which Stargate prop I would bring home with me, given the choice. Well, no question. It would be the creepy doll, lovingly designed by our Production Designer James Robbins.

Also, the well at the heart of the village, while incredibly heavy (it required a forklift to move around) isn’t real. It was maybe two and a half to three feet deep. Tops! The rising fog was achieved by having a member of the SPFX crew curl up inside and release the mist on cue. As for the seeming depth of the well when Dusty drops the stone - let’s give it up for Mark Savela and the rest of the gang at VFX.

EXT. FOREST - NIGHT: Sheppard, Teldy, Vega, and Mirellus are attacked. Vega buys it.

In the original draft, Teldy was the one who bought it here but, after some discussion with Paul and Martin, we decided that the audience would be expecting it. What they certainly wouldn’t be expecting would be for Vega to buy it.

On the day, we shot Leela’s coverage, then had a stunt double step in. She was harnessed and then yanked back into the fog (and onto a nice comfy mat) by our stunt coordinator James Bam Bam Bamford. Once we’d finished shooting the episode, Mark Savela and the VFX team added CG fog elements to obscure her so that it looked she was literally being swallowed up by the mist.

INT. HOUSE - NIGHT: Beckett and Porter hole up while Dusty heads off to investigate.

I love this scene for Dusty’s take charge attitude. She’s calling the shots, she’s going out to investigate, and Beckett is staying put. Period. As Porter points out in a later scene, if Beckett had continued to argue, Dusty probably would’ve decked him. A far cry from the weak, damsel in distress a number of fans were imagining when news of the all-female team first broke. This, by the way, was Janina’s last scene of the episode.

INT. CATACOMBS/LAB - NIGHT: Mirellus reveals that he was the one who released the creatures.

Yep, that’s pretty much what happens in this scene. Another matte extension, this time revealing all of the pods have been opened.

To be continued…

Hey, Whispers finally airs tonight (10:00 p.m. on Sci Fi)! If you enjoy thoughtful, character-driven stories that explore the themes of trust, friendship, and the indomitability of the human spirit, then you should definitely check out our last episode, The Shrine. If, on the other hand, you’re in the mood for some good creepy fun, then tonight’s episode is for you.  Sit back, break out the popcorn, and enjoy.

Back when I first started thinking about this story at the beginning of the season, I knew there were certain elements I wanted to include: an abandoned village, a mysterious fog, and things that go bump in the night. I also wanted to incorporate some new characters into the mix as a means of keeping the viewers off-balance. I didn’t want them to be red shirts but personalities that the viewers could invest in and care about - particularly when darkness fell and the fog rolled in. After all, let’s face it - we know that our cast will most probably live to fight another day. Secondary characters on the other hand are fair game and that’s one of the great things about horror movies: you never know who’s going to make it to the final credits. So, over the course of a week or two, I fleshed out the idea. I decided on a threat that, while different, was nevertheless linked to the show’s mythology. I came up with a logical reason for that pervasive fog. And, I created an all-female team to ride shotgun with Sheppard and Beckett on this one.

The three biggest challenges in this episode were the fog, the casting, and the look of the creatures. We ran into some problems with our initial fog test on stage 4. While it certainly looked great, certain crewmembers were feeling less so after spending a little over an hour in the swirling mist. Adding to the concern was the fact that it would take hours to fog up the village set and then a good half day to clear it out. Several ideas were bounced around, from trimming down the fog sequences significantly, adjusting the density, or even shooting through a fogged aquarium to approximate the desired look. In the end, it was Production Designer James Robbins who came up with the perfect compromise solution. Rather than make cuts to the script or go with a thinner fog level, we tented certain areas of the FX stage. We had three tented areas, each of which could be quickly fogged up for the appropriate scenes. Will would run a rehearsal with the actors first, then bring in the second team to make sure his shots were set up just the way he wanted them. Finally, the tent was fogged up and the actors returned to shoot the scene. We tried to minimize their exposure to the fog element.

The all-female team was made up of:

Major Anne Teldy, a tough as nails, by-the-book commanding officer who was, of course, named after blog regular (and contest winner) Anne Teldy. When it came to casting, I was looking for someone good, strong, and, above all else, believable. And Christina Cox’s audition delivered that in spades. Watching it, I totally bought into her as a kick-ass military officer. Of course, a lot of that could have had to do with the fact that Christina is pretty kick-ass in person. She’s had weapons training and extensively researched previous roles in procedural drama. She was perfect.

Captain Alicia Vega was introduced in Search and Rescue but her meaty scenes were unfortunately cut for time. Of the foursome and despite the fact that she is a Captain, she has seen little action in the Pegasus Galaxy. Despite being relatively green to off-world excursions, she’s eager to get out and flex her muscles (as evidenced by her take-down of the wraith dart in S&R). Leela Savasta had a small part in a past Atlantis episode (in The Tao of Rodney) but did such a memorable job that we had no qualms about casting her in the role. In my mind, the two characters are twin sisters - one military, the other serving as a member of the expedition’s science department.

Sergeant “Dusty“ Mehra, the team’s trash-talking loose cannon with a fierce hankering for some alien ass-kicking. There were a number of great auditions for this colorful character, but the role ultimately went to actress Janina Gavankar who, it turns out, was given the wrong sides and came in thinking she was auditioning for the role of Major Teldy. The fact that she had next to no time to prepare what was essentially a cold read made the audition all the more impressive.

Dr. Alison Porter, team scientist and resident adorable nerd. Nicole de Boer didn’t audition for Porter. Like Janina, she actually came in to read for the role of Major Teldy but, even reading Teldy’s dialogue, it was clear to Paul and I that we had found our Porter. After she’d been cast, Nicole admitted that she was actually bummed when told she’d be auditioning for Teldy. She thought she’d make a better Porter!

As for the creatures - more on them and the masterful job of Todd Masters and the team at Masters FX later next week.

Mailbag:

Shannon writes: “Have you ever read “The Eyre Affair” by Jasper Fforde? or “To Say Nothing of the Dog” by Connie Willis?”

Answer: I read and enjoyed both in January of 2007.

Janet writes: “when it comes to the Weird Food Purchase of the Day has there been anything you have changed your mind about trying after thinking it was a good idear to start with?”

Answer: Not yet.

Kanadra writes: “Any way you have shown that whispers doll once before What is it suppose to be of???”

Answer: Tune in tonight and find out.

Jeff Ford writes: “Joe: Glad you liked The Fantasy Writer’s Assistant. Hope you and all the book club are doing well.”

Answer: Thanks, Jeff. I have The Shadow Year, The Physiognomy, and Girl in the Glass on deck.

Caitlyanna writes: “May I suggest The Host by Stephanie Meyer?”

Answer: Tried it. Brad really enjoyed it.

Perragrin writes: “On a side note, i’ve been reliably informed in my blog that I needn’t worry about the impending cancellation of Atlantis. This, apparently, is mostly down to the fact that the world in general is due to be cancelled on October 21st.”

Answer: Could we push it to mid-December so I can get in my Asia trip?

Martyn Drake writes: “ Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is indeed one of the best books I’ve ever read. It was a little intimadating at first due to the size, but Neil Gaiman’s recommendation sold me on it.

Since reading it back in 2005 I’ve put up a web site (The Friends of English Magic - http://www.foem.org.uk) about the book and Susanna Clarke’s work…”

Answer: Great site. I’ve finished the first two volumes and look forward to finishing up the third before the end of this month.

Alfredo De La Fe writes: “I wanted to ask- at this point is there any point to fans “protesting” the cancellation of SGA? Could the jack be stuffed back in the box at this point? Is there even a remote possibility of them reversing their decision?”

Answer: I seriously doubt it. The decision has been made and, while I empathize with the fans, I think it’s unlikely that their protests will change anyone’s mind. A significant and sustained ratings spike, on the other hand, would certainly raise a few eyebrows.

MrsB108 writes: “Do any of the remaining episodes end on an unhappy note?”

Answer: Yep.

Iberostar writes: “As for books, have you read The Traveler by John Twelve Hawks?”

Answer: After reading the author’s website, I’m considering making this a BOTMC selection.

The Huntress Diana writes: “Question about “Whispers” . . . might that be Christina Cox that we got a little glimpse of in the preview?”

Answer: Indeed, it is. Hey, Bianca. Long time no hear.

Ilona Dex writes: “Is there any chance of really getting one of the costumes - especially now, that Atlantis

has been cancelled *sniff* - and if yes, who would be the one i have to turn to?”

Answer: At present, there are no plans to sell off the costumes.

Randy writes: “This is a question for all the Stargate bloggers out there. Do you have a problem with people quoting your blog or using pictures from it on discussion forums? Do you consider it in anyway stealing, or are you cool with it?”

Answer: That really depends on how the images are used.

Today’s video: Carl takes us on a tour of Stage 2.  Part 1.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Unless the lemons are made out of plastic.

Venom and Alex, the happy couple

Child's play - Whispers

Me, incognito, on the set of Whispers

Whispers - monitor shot

Whispers - monitor shot

Darren Dolinski as Mirellus

Paul walked into my office and held up the lemon so that I could read the message marked on its plastic surface: “SGA!! not SGU!!”. And so it begins.

“It’s part of the fan campaign protesting the cancellation of the show,”I enlightened him.

“Yeah, I figured.” He set the lemon down on my desk. “But why are they sending ME lemons? Why would I cancel a series I was showrunning?”

I shrugged. Thankfully, no lemons for me. Instead, I received an awesome stuffed Venom compliments of Shawna (Thanks, Shawna). And more books!

Speaking of which - with August behind us, it’s again time for me to list my favorite reads of the month. I realized that doing a monthly Top 5 was a little ambitious now that I’m no longer on hiatus, so I’ve scaled back to a monthly Top 3:

The Fantasy Writer’s Assistant and Other Stories, Jeffrey Ford

Much like The Empire of Ice Cream, the former book of the month club selection that introduced me to author Jeffrey Ford, The Fantasy Writer’s Assistant and Other Stories offers up a collection of tales both far-ranging and delightfully inventive. Ford juggles fantasy, science fiction, horror, and variations thereof with skillful aplomb. In “Floating in Lindrethool“, a door-to-door salesman falls in love with one of the jar-bound brains he is selling. “Exo-Skeleton Town” focuses on an alien world obsessed with classic movies, a planet frequented by humans who sport exo-suits in the form of silver screen greats. “Creation” spins elements of Frankenstein and Creationism in a poignant exploration of a young boy’s relationship with his father. A highly imaginative, often humorous collection with a lot of heart.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke

This book came highly recommended by the person who gave it to me two years ago and yet it has sat on my bookshelf since, partly because at 1000+ pages (despite the fact that it is broken up into three volumes) it’s an incredibly foreboding read, and partly because of the few people I know who have attempted to read it ultimately gave up on the book. Two volumes and I‘m honestly surprised. This a terrific novel that, while occasionally meandering in its plotting, delivers an endlessly entertaining tale of the awkward Mr. Norrell, England’s first practical magician in recent memory, and his upstart apprentice Jonathan Strange. It reads like a 19^th century account complete with faux footnotes in its depiction of 1808 London, the Napoleonic Wars, and its engaging discussion of the history of magic. Endearing in its subtlety and balls-out hilarious.

Sideways in Crime, edited by Lou Anders

Editor Lou Anders assembles a little over a dozen contributions on the theme of alternative history and crime in this interesting mix of stories. As is the case with most anthologies, some of the selections resonate more than others. Stand-outs for me were Mary Rosenblum’s “Sacrifice”, Paul Di Filippo’s “Murder in Geektopia”, and John Counrtenay Grimwood’s “Chicago”. Although I preferred the more wide-open possibilities found in Ander’s Fast Forward anthologies (I was struck by how many of the stories in this collection touched on contemporized Aztec culture, Sherlock Holmes, and French-controlled Louisiana), Sideways in Crime proved an entertaining read in its own right.

With Whispers set to air this Friday night, I thought I’d say a few words about of one of the actors I’ve yet to mention with regard to the episode. Darren Dolinski plays the role of Mirellus, the mysterious local with a secret or two about a certain abandoned village. Darren won the role on the strength of a great audition, but what we didn’t know when we hired him was that this was to be his first time in front of the camera. Needless to say, his transition from stage to screen was flawless as he delivered a terrific performance.

Hey, great news! I’ve successfully shamed director Will Waring into agreeing to come by and do a guest blog for us! I’ll start gathering questions for Will on Saturday as I’m sure you’ll have plenty of Whispers-related-what-the-heck-were-you-thinking questions for him.

Today’s video: The Weird Food Purchase of the Day = Duc Tung! Duc Tung!

Hey! Look who it is! Why, it’s 20-year film and television veteran Andy Mikita, director of such episodes as Heroes I and II, Before I Sleep, Be All My Sins Remember’d and, more recently, Search and Rescue, The Daedalus Variations, The Shrine, First Contact, and The Lost Tribe. Andy, who is presently prepping the series finale, Enemy at the Gate, joins us today to answer your questions, dish some behind-the-scenes dirt, and plug his new signature sandalwood-scented men’s cologne. (Ha ha. Just kidding about the behind-the-scenes dirt.).

Before turning things over to Andy, I’d like to remind readers that they have one more day to post questions for the show’s physics consultant, Mika McKinnon. How did she land this gig? What’s her take on the science of Stargate? Which producer writes the most scientifically inept scripts? Ask her.

In the days to come, I’ll be shifting to Whispers mode. Expect more behind-the-scenes pics in the next few days, and a big, BIG episode breakdown once the episode has aired. I have a lot to say about this one so I may have to make it a two-parter.

Finally, scroll down to the bottom of this entry for The Weird Food Purchase of the Day video. Today’s installment = Frog Legs!

And, over to you, Andy…

Wolfenm writes: “What can you tell us about the cut Zelenka scene? I mean, what happened during it? (Please tell me it will be on the DVD!)”

I was sad to see the Zelenka scene cut. It was a funny moment between he & Rodney where Rodney was unusually friendly and complimentary to Zelenka. As the 2 of them walked out of the room, the camera panned onto Keller, who was recalling the “new and improved Rodney” to Jeannie. It was a stylistic transition from one scene to another and was quite effective. But obviously not effective enough to make the cut! I hope it makes it to the DVD as a deleted scene.

“Were there any other deleted scenes?”

There was another brief Zelenka scene that was also cut. All he ended up with was a walk-by as the team was enroute to the Jumper. Believe me, it wasn’t by design. We love David Nykl, but unfortunately we have a specific cut time to meet and some precious frames had to be sacrificed.

“There was a lot of physical contact between John and Rodney, a lot more than usual (which I *adored*), in particular the shoudler-grabbing in John’s room and in the cave (twice!) — were those scripted, or were they your idea, or the actors’ …? How much direction — or leeway — do you typically get from a script, and how much do you, in turn, leave up to the actors?”

Some of those moments are ‘stage directions’ that are scripted and others are discovered during the blocking/rehearsal process. I think in those cases Brad (who was on set most of the time) and I agreed the physicality was important for those scenes. Joe and David were in agreement as it seemed a very natural and instinctive thing to do. Generally speaking, the script provides stage directions for key story moments, and we try to execute those as faithfully as possible on set. Having said that, we are certainly afforded the freedom to make adjustments if things aren’t working out. And when I say ‘we’, I mean the director and the actors.

“Also, I just want to say how heartbreakingly beautiful the scenes in John’s room and, especially, on the pier were. I used to spend a lot of time at the North Avenue and Oak Street beaches and Navy Pier (all in Chicago) after sunset, and the pier scene in “The Shrine” made me so homesick it hurt — but it was soo worth it! The camera angles, the guy’s performances, the lighting — just brilliant. (Yes, I know, the city was fake, but you still had input, yes?)”

Absolutely. We work in a highly collaborative environment, so we collectively discuss all those elements in advance – where possible. I didn’t, however, have much to do with the CG city. That was Mark Savela and the amazing VFX team. Thanks for the kind words! It’s my favorite scene in the episode.

Chelle DeBoer writes: “For Andy: What’s your favourite episode and why?”

That’s a tough one. Of the one’s I’ve directed – Before I Sleep, because it was my first Atlantis. Plus Midway & BAMSR because they were so much fun to do and I thought they turned out quite well. Overall, I’d have to say Poisoning the Well, McKay & Mrs. Miller, Common Ground & Tabula Rasa were amongst my favourite all time Atlantis episodes.

Namiko writes: “My question for Andy Mikita: You’ve been a part of the production since Children of the Gods — amazing! What’s the one thing that has surprised you most about the franchise?”

It’s longevity, obviously. But also, the amount of people who have never seen or even heard of the show. How is that possible??

The SkyPig writes: “Questions for Andy: What will your role be (if any) in upcoming SG-1 or SGA movies? Will you be directing episodes of the new series? And, last, what Stargate episode has given you the most satisfaction to direct and why?”

It would be very presumptuous of me to assume anything at this point, but I am hoping to direct the SGA movie and episodes of Universe. Hopefully it’ll work out.

The most satisfying SG1 was Heroes because it really resonated with people and it evolved from being a small 2^nd unit episode, to a pretty significant 2 parter with a lot of great performances. The script was amazing. 2010 was also a favorite.

Squeaikiep writes: “First, thanks very much for the multiple hours of wonderfully executed scripts. I very much enjoy your style of story telling. How do you keep the production on time and on point throughout the 5-7 day shoot? There’s a lot of cats to heard!! Thanks in advance.”

Thanks for the kind words! We have such a crackerjack crew that everything happens in a sort of shorthand. They are the ones who make it happen and deserve the credit for making the show look so good and to do it on time. For the director, it’s all about having a plan, and then being able to throw the plan away so you can go faster.

Portlandbound writes: “What episode did you like the best to direct from Atlantis or SG1? If you could pick any of the Executive Producers of Atlantis you found gave you the most trouble when directing? Was their a script you felt was hard to direct and what was it? Thanks for your time!”

For my favorite ep’s – see above.

And really, none of the Executive Producers give me much trouble because they all know I can beat them up.

The hardest scripts to direct were Vengeance (making one hall look like many, and trying to make the creature attacks scary) and Infection (6 days in the Hive set – a fate worse than death).

Thornyrose writes: “ First, favorite episode to direct/produce in the Stargate franchise. What one work would you like to have the chance to do over? Is there any one “dream” project, in film or tv that you would like to do in the future? And finally, what is the hardest aspect of directing and/or producing a show like SGA, or even a non-sci fi genre show? Thank you very much for your participation and time, and many thanks to Mr. M. for all the work put in to make that possible.”

Thanks so much! I appreciate it! See above for fave ep’s. If I had the chance, I’d redo parts of every episode I’ve ever done. I go crazy watching mistakes I’ve made.

Ultimate dream project? Sitting down & finishing a home video of my kids that I can send to my parents on the east coast. They’ve been bugging me for it for years.

And honestly, the hardest aspect of directing the show is to maintain the standards that have already been set. That, and working with Carl Binder.

Norriski writes: “Question/Statement for Andy M.  What has been your most challenging episode for the Stargate franchise and why?”

See above. Oh, and I didn’t mention it before, but Foothold is particularly memorable for me because it was my first ever episode of Stargate SG1. And also, Adrift & Lifeline – which were Martin Wood episodes, but I shot 6 days for him while he was in the Arctic for Continuum. That was tough because he prepped them & I shot them.

“On those same lines what was the easiest episode and why?”

First Contact and Lost Tribe (mid season 2 parter) because Martin Gero shot a bunch of it for me.

“Have you ever ended the day wanting to pummel one of the cast members, or a guest actor (I’m guessing you won’t tell us who but I have to ask)”

Yes. Yes I have. And no I won’t, but nice try.

“Lastly THANK YOU for taking the time to do the commentaries on the DVD’s. I’m one that buys DVD more for the commentaries than anything else!”

That’s awesome! Thank YOU!

Shirt ‘n Tie writes: “Thank you for all your wonderful direction over the years. I particularly liked Outcast last year.”

Thanks so much – I liked Outcast too. Earth based ep’s are fun.
“Questions: (i) Is there any specific difficulty that you continually encounter in the Sci Fi genre as against more mainstream direction that impeeds your vision for a shot?”

No, not really. The only restrictions we encounter are when there is a visual effect involved in the shot and the vfx guys ask us to lock the camera. But even that doesn’t happen much anymore. The size and scope of a set can dictate shot limitations. Some have no ceiling (which = no low angles). But if anything, I would argue that sci-fi offers more opportunites for creativity than any other genre.

(ii) In the directorial rotation, is there/have there been, any particular episodes that you’ve passed on/or not directed where you wish you could have been involved?

Yeah, that happens all the time. This season for instance Will got all the scripts with exterior locations. Those are the most sought after because we don’t do it very often anymore.

(iii) In reading a script do you have an entire vision at outset? and (if the occasion has arisen) would you suggest a linking scene including dialogue if you felt it was necessary?

Good question. Sometimes it comes very clearly and other times not. I used to vividly play the movie in my mind as I was reading a script only to find out the sets I will end up using don’t look anything like what was in my head, so now I try to find out which sets I’ll be using before reading. That way I can envision the action in the proper context.

And yeah, sure, I’ll suggest something to the guys if a transition feels bumpy. Then they’ll tell me to get lost.

(iv) Also, do you say “SWEET!” or “GREAT!” a la Mr Wood, after a great take? If not, are there any Andy Mikita-isms after shooting a difficult scene?

Nope, I just say cut. Call me old-fashioned.

“Also, may I just add, that I really enjoy your commentaries…I always get the sense that you are seeing the episode for the first time, and your recall for events at that time is great, even though it’s months later….”

Thanks! Many times I am watching the episode finished for the first time during the commentary. Typically I hand in the Director’s Cut & that’s it. Then I wait till it’s done (FX, music, etc)

Kerry: “Hi Andy. Have you ever had problems with a guest star who seemed great when you hired him but then turned out to be a real pain or crazy? Without naming names (unless you want to or you can just hint) want happened and how did you handle it?”

Hi Kerry. That’s a good question. Yes, I’ve had issues for sure. Some actors have been very over-enthusiastic about their character and consequently go way over the top in performance. That’s when you have to jump in & tell them to dial it back. Remind them of the context. Others just try to create something they’re not and it becomes forced. Sometimes it’s fixable and sometimes it’s not. And occasionally you get a full-blown nut bar. I handle those individuals by doing nothing & blaming whoever hired them.

Perragrin wites: “Q: If you were to step through the Stargate and join the Atlantis Expedition, which one, personal item would you choose to take with you?  And no cheating.. Personal Slave, carrying everything you own, does *not* cut it “

My drumset.

Astrumporta writes: “For Andy Mikita: I loved The Shrine and really enjoyed your interview about making it, at stargate.mgm.com. There you predicted mixed reviews for the episode due to the lack of action, but in fact, it seems it might be one of the most universally loved episodes of Atlantis ever! Are you surprised to see a character piece be so well received? Gratified?

Hey thanks – I’m happy you liked it! I honestly felt there would be more of a divided camp, but am obviously elated with the universally positive response. I remember when the script first came out and everybody was, “wow – this is incredible.” Including myself. I was blown away. It’s an episode everyone is very proud of. But I didn’t think it was for everyone…

“How did you approach directing the scenes that started in Sheppard’s quarters and moved to the pier, in terms of discussing with Joe Flanigan and David Hewlett how the scenes would evolve? They were played so beautifully. Was Joe wearing his own clothes, for real?”

First of all, I must mention that Brad Wright played the primary role in the execution of The Shrine. Beyond writing the script, he was heavily involved in every aspect of it’s making and spent the majority of the shooting schedule on set with me. It was awesome. We were able to talk about every shot and every take. It was a luxury that Joe & Paul & Martin & Carl can’t afford because they’re always writing or in prep or post. Brad was able to stay with it from beginning to end.

Most of the early discussions were primarily with David, since the story revolved around him. The Shep Quarter’s & Pier scenes were approached differently from a mechanical point of view. The former being approached like any other scene, with numerous rehearsals and adjustments. The Pier was predetermined because of it taking place in a virtual environment. We knew the shots in advance. David and Joe were amazing and it was a blast to shoot. They have a very natural friendship chemistry.

No they weren’t Joe’s clothes. I don’t think…

“Also in The Shrine, how do you make it appear the camera is so far away from the subjects, both on the pier and on top of the submerged Stargate? How do you keep the movement realistic as the camera appears to pull back so far?”

On the Pier set, we used a crane to pull back and away from the actors. At the submerged Stargate, we shot a locked off wide angle and the VFX guys created that amazing pull back & reveal of the setting. The shot becomes the central live action element.

“Looking back at your time on Atlantis, what are some of your favorite memories, and some of your most traumatic or difficult?”

I really enjoyed working with David Ogden Stiers. He would provide a continuous onslaught of hilarious jokes and stories. A prince of a man and a total pro. Also, shooting Before I Sleep was special ‘cause it was my first Atlantis.

I think the day Joe lost his dad was the hardest. I felt terrible and he insisted in carrying on. Every time I watch Search & Rescue and see him trapped under the rubble it reminds me of that day. That’s what we were shooting when he got the news.

“Have there been times you just couldn’t make a scene work and had to go to a “Plan B”?”

Yep, that’s happened lots of times. Sometimes B doesn’t work either and you move to C. Plans are switched during blocking rehearsals, or once you’ve arrived at the set to see all the trucks parked in the middle of your set (not that that happens!). Usually once you’ve rehearsed, lit, and started shooting a scene – there’s no turning back. I remember once shooting take 1 of a master and then turning to DP/Director Brenton Spencer in a panic, and saying, “This isn’t working – I have to start over.” He was so cool about it. He simply said, “No problem, lets fix it!” We did, and less than 5 minutes later we were back at it. It was something else. Situations like that can kill your day, but Brenton didn’t let that happen.

“How much do you “direct” guest stars versus the regulars, in terms of influencing their performances?”

Lots. But it’s more guidance and context. Guest stars have the disadvantage of not speaking the franchise language. It’s too much to expect a guest to understand everything that’s happened over the course of a shows history, so jumping in can be a little overwhelming. Our regular cast are great and supportive too. We all try to make a guest as comfortable as possible.

“Would you like to work on Stargate Universe?”

Heck yeah.

“Thanks for the great work, Andy!”

Hey, thank you & thanks for all the great questions!

Syble writes: “First off I want to say that I loved Search and Rescue. The look of that episode was spectacular. It looked and felt like a high budget big screen movie.”

Awesome! Thank you! It was crazy fun.

“1) During the filming of S&R, was the dust from the collapsed building scenes falling on the actors, or was that a camera trick?”

Some of it was, yes. Most of it we tried to place in front and behind them, but it needed to fall on them too. It was pretty uncomfortable for the actors. Joe was literally wedged in his spot (we designed the pieces to shift so he could get in & out, but…) and Jason had to negotiate lots of nooks and crannies & was hunched over awkwardly. May I please take this moment to express kudos to our amazing Art, Construction, Paint and Set Decoration departments who all did an incredible job building that set. It looked amazing and was by far my favorite of all time.

“2) Who’s idea was it to have Shepard’s shirt still on in the infirmary scenes. As Keller lifted it and then let it fall back down, all I could think about was what kind of doctor kept cleaning and then redepositing the dirt on a wound?”

Let’s not go there, ok? And btw, I agree completely.

“3) What has been your favorite episode so far??”

Please see above.

Jean writes: “ When you get a script, do you end up making any changes to the way that scenes are set up or to the transitions from one scene to another? Is this something that is worked out first with all the writers/producers before you get to the shooting stage, or do some things (that don’t work well) only become apparent once you are shooting (or both)?”

Hi Jean. Again, excellent questions. The answer is both. If we are able to identify a modification in advance, we discuss it in prep and work it out before shooting. Sometimes situations present themselves in context on the set and have to be addressed at that time. Transitions are best thought out in advance but often are created in editing. The rule is, to have a plan and then divert from it as necessary. Obvious things like if the actors walk out of a scene from left to right, they should enter the next shot the same way. It can be visually more jarring if they suddenly appeared from the opposite direction. But, having said that, all rules are meant to be broken and that jarring transition may be the desired effect!

“Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions!”

My pleasure! Thank you.

Airelle writes: “Mr Mikita ?- Do you have plans after SGA? I think your work is great.

Thanks Airelle, I hope to continue working on Stargate Universe.

“Can you pick the episodes you want to direct?”

No. We direct the scripts that fall into our rotation on the season schedule.

“Do you have the ancient gene?”

Of course.

Flygirl writes: “A lot of prep and planning goes into an episode. Is there an episode that stands out where you thought you had all of your “bases covered” and then everything just went sideways?”

To be honest, not really. The machine here runs pretty smoothly, so train wrecks are rare. That’s not to say we don’t have hiccups because we certainly do. It’s usually a collection of lots of little things adding up. Here’s one, a couple of days ago we were shooting a fight scene between Ronan and Wraith drones. When I called for Jason’s stunt dbl, he hobbled in with a cast on his leg and couldn’t walk by himself – he had 2 human crutches helping him. I could only laugh.

Chevron7 writes: “Questions for Andy: How do you decide how you are going to shoot a scene - what’s the process you go through?”

Usually I’ll read the script once or twice without considering how I’m going to shoot it. However, I like to know what the sets and locations are going to be so I can imagine the scenes in the correct environment when I start re-reading the script for planning purposes. Early on I try to find a visual theme to use throughout in order to give it some distinction, however subtle it may be. That could manifest itself in many different ways, from how it’s going to be shot (lots of hand held, or low angles, etc) Then I start imagining the scenes from different perspectives to decide what the main point of view should be. Then I make a blocking plan and a shooting plan – both of which often get used only as a starting point. It’s important to be flexible.

“What is tougher to direct: A complicated action scene, a highly emotional scene or a scene with the Asgard?”

Oddly enough, it’s the static scenes with lots of people that are the toughest to make interesting. Action scenes are tricky too, but they are always time consuming. Emotional scenes can be the easiest from a shooting standpoint because you want to keep the setups straightforward and you don’t want to do a lot of them. Let the actors do their thing. Asguard scenes are simpler too because there’s only so much of the puppet that can be photographed, so you work within those physical limitations.

“If you could trade jobs for a day with anyone on the production, who would it be?”

Brad Wright on pay day.

“What are your hopes for Stargate? Do you know if you have a role yet in the future?”

Like everyone, I hope it continues to evolve and live a long & prosperous life.

I don’t know if I will be part of the next chapter, but I am hopeful that I will be.

Today’s mailbag:

Evolution Anyone writes: “You all have no shame…again Atlantis is going to copy, scene for scene, an SG-1 episode? I let out a gasp when I saw the “alien autopsy” pics from First Contact/Lost Tribe.”

Answer: Oh, I hear ya. Another alien autopsy! It’s like we do one of those every second episode. And, wait, it gets worse! If you can believe it, there’s also a scene where the team exchanges weaponsfire with some aliens (shades of SG-1!) and even a scene in which two characters talk as they walk around (freakin’ ripped off from Louis Le Prince’s 1888 Roundhay Garden Scene).  Gasp!

Kath writes: “Its a shame that this has turned into a sniping match now and because some fans dared to voice their opinions that a lot of focus seemed to be going to a new addition of the cast then automatically we are deemed haters.”

Answer: You know, it never ceases to amaze me how certain fans can be so free and vocal with their own criticisms and yet so incredibly thin-skinned when someone criticizes their infantile behavior. Rather than simply “daring to voice their opinion”, some fans, who clearly lack the capacity to express their thoughts in any sort of intelligent manner, choose to be insulting or launch personal attacks. Of course, on the rare occasions when they are called on it, they seek to defend themselves under the guise that they are protecting their right to free speech. I’m afraid I’m going to have to call bullshit on that. If you don’t like a character or the writing then, sure, feel free to post your opinion. But if you’re so childish and devoid of any intellect that the only way you can get your point across is by being disparaging people, then expect to be on the receiving end of a firm smackdown. FYI, this all started two days ago because some fan, clearly upset by the fact that Jewel had received a Gemini-nomination, intimated that the only possible way she could have received said nomination was by facing no competition from her fellow cast members. This fan wondered whether Jewel was the only one submitted for nomination. I sarcastically responded that, in fact, she was. And when the rest of the anti-Keller crew started their foot stomping, I responded in an equally sarcastic manner. For the record, other cast members were submitted for consideration but only Jewel ended up with a nomination. If you’ve got a problem with that and suspect the Gemini selection committee of “being in love with Jewel” or playing favorites, then I suggest you take it up with them.

Laura writes: “Do you still have standing sets in 2 Vancouver locations (can’t remember what the 2nd one was called) or is everything at Bridge Studios now?”

Answer: As of this year, all of our standing sets are on The Bridge Studios lot.

Trish writes: “Do you think Annabelle misses Sebastian? Have you ever experienced a pet acting out after another pet passed away?”

Answer: Hi, Trish. Sorry to hear about Sebastian. It does sound like Annabelle is reacting to the loss. Like some have already suggested, paying some extra attention to Annabelle will certainly help. Socializing her with other dogs might be another idea if you can afford it. An occasional visit to a doggy daycare may help (which, I see, is something you’re already exploring).

A Honshuu writes: “And BLACK COMPANY… is that just one story or the whole Chronicles? The book I got from the library is MASSIVE!”

Answer: I got the same massive tome. But, for the purposes of this month’s book club, we’ll only be reading the first book in the series.

Chevron7 writes: “Ever considered writing some short stories yourself, perhaps with a horror theme?”

Answer: If I can get my act together, a short story will certainly be in the works.

Dyginc writes: “Thirdly, my cat Gus has been on the treatment given to us by the cardiologist…”

Answer: All the best to Gus. Hope he’s on his way to a full and speedy recovery.

Astrumporta writes: “High-larious. What’s really funny is people still believe your first statement that you could only afford to put one actor into the nomination process. Obviously you were kidding. Weren’t you?”

Answer: Yes, I was kidding.

Asturmporta also writes: “In fact, I seem to remember Stargate was boycotting the Geminis due to BC anti-scifi snobbery or politics or whatnot, no?”

Answer: I’m saving that rant for a future blog entry.

Monica writes: “Question…the village or “outdoor” set, is that also at the Bridge Studios? Will you and Carl give a tour of that as well?”

Answer: It is and we will.

Today, Evil takes over this blog.  And by Evil, I am, of course, referring to “Evil” Kenny Gibbs, our Stargate Atlantis Props Master.  Kenny a.k.a. Evil a.k.a. Yellow has been with the show as long as I can remember and it’s a pleasure to have him drop by for a little meet ‘n greet.  While you’re enjoying Kenny’s little show and tell, start thinking up questions for our next guest, Mika McKinnon who, as part of the props department, has been our physics consultant for the past two seasons. 

So, start posting questions for Mika, enjoy Evil’s Q&A, and scroll down to the bottom of the Kellerific mailbag to check out The Weird Food Purchase of the Day: Durian!           

Airelle writes: ““Evil” Kenny Gibbs— what is the evil in your name referring to?

A-‘evil’ was a nick name given to me by my nemesis…Martin Wood ( Martin and I are actually very good friends to tell the truth ). It was my first season on the show and everything was really great until we started shooting “Upgrades”. The main prop was an alien (Tok’ra I think ) arm bracelet device that would ‘upgrade’ a person’s abilities when worn. The prop was very tempermental ( I’m being nice…). Near the end of the episode, Martin called for a remote control version of the arm bracelet to be brought to set. Since he was sure the bracelet wouldn’t work he called it evil…then he called me evil. I brought in the prop, positioned it and activated it for a test. It didn’t work. I looked up, walked over to Martin and said “whatever” and walked away. Everyone laughed, including Martin. The name has stuck ever since.

How do you make those amazing props>? I know its not all smoke and mirrors, but a little magic? Have you had to fashion any prop that you scratched your head and said, #$%^&*$…?

A-Those amazing props are conceived and created by an amazing group of people. Our Production Designer ( James Robbins ) starts the process, and our model shop brings the drawings to life. The shop is lead by Gordon Bellamy, who has been with the show for years ( btw, he had very little to do with that arm bracelet ). The talented group that he supervises is a mixture of engineers, sculptors, machinists and inventive builders. They are the true magicians that make my job fun and rewarding.

How does the stargate turn)(if thats your dept)?

A-The mechanics behind the gate’s practical function is handled by our SPFX department lead by Wray Douglas. Another great team and amazing professionals.

Whats your favorite power tool to use?”

A-Power tool huh? Being the ‘office guy’ now, I don’t handle tools or weapons as often as before. I guess I would have to say my 24v cordless Bosh circ saw or drill. They always get the job done (