[QUOTE]CE, it would be nice to let us know where to send emails and snail mail.[/QUOTE]
Rambie, all of the information can be found at the [URL=http://www.keepb5alive.com/]KeepB5Alive[/URL] website.
And, for your reference, here are the addresses we're writing to:
Warner Brothers Films
Features Development Department
Babylon 5: The Memory of Shadows
4000 Warner Boulevard
Burbank , CA 91522
and
Elstree Film Studios
Attention: Peter Heslop / Babylon 5: The Memory of Shadows
Shenley Road
Borehamwood
Hertfordshire WD6 1JG
UNITED KINGDOM
Thanks for writing!
Amy
Biggles<font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
According to [url=http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-32117/Young_Blades/]this page[/url] (I have no idea how reliable that site is), Bruce is filming something else in Canada until July 31st next year.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Fjordstone [/i]
[B]Rambie, all of the information can be found at the [URL=http://www.keepb5alive.com/]KeepB5Alive[/URL] website.
And, for your reference, here are the addresses we're writing to:
Warner Brothers Films
Features Development Department
Babylon 5: The Memory of Shadows
4000 Warner Boulevard
Burbank , CA 91522
and
Elstree Film Studios
Attention: Peter Heslop / Babylon 5: The Memory of Shadows
Shenley Road
Borehamwood
Hertfordshire WD6 1JG
UNITED KINGDOM
Thanks for writing!
Amy [/B][/QUOTE]
Hello and welcome Amy!
;)
Beer's in the fridge, and the nuts are all over the place!
:D
Random ChaosActually Carefully-selected Order in disguise
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Fjordstone [/i]
[B]Thanks, Jack. I'm used to hanging around with nuts. And, I brought my own Guinness - can you use some?
Just one comment about pirating: Even discussing the possibility hurts our chances for *anything* new to the B5 universe.
Read and understand:
A lot of people all around the globe bought B5 DVDs, and WB suddenly received money where they didn't expected it. *This* resulted in the possibility of new projects.
If those who decide should come to think that their investments *could* be too risky because of piracy, they will kill that risk and with it our hopes for new projects.
If you want to help JMS bring to life B5 projects the way *he* intends, then help these projects the best you can, because if they are successful, it could be seen as JMS's 'fault'... giving him greater freedom in upcoming decisions.
The write-up at TV Tome about Bruce is murky at best. It's saying that this YOUNG BLADES has been picked up as a series. And while Bruce is not mentioned at all in the write-up as to what the series is about, he is listed as a cast member with no character named.
This could mean that he was in the pilot which has already shot. It could also mean that he's a recurring role. It could mean any number of things, frankly.
Bottom line though is that anything he might do on a series could be worked around so he could work on TMoS.
Shooting schedules are often times juggled on shows so actors can do features.
I wouldn't read too much into it.
CE
Oh and thanks for giving out the addresses there Amy. I've been a very busy boy!:D And a big welcome here to Amy, SS, and others from elsewhere. I feel as if the B5 family is coming together! Gives me a warm feeling all over.:eek: :D
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by colonyearth [/i]
[B]...Bottom line though is that anything he might do on a series could be worked around so he could work on TMoS.
Shooting schedules are often times juggled on shows so actors can do features.
I wouldn't read too much into it.
[/B][/QUOTE]
I remember the closeness that the actors had, back in the days when I was working on B5:ITF...and you could tell that their long time freindship was still active when Biggs passed away too... (sorta the "Rat Pack" of SciFi in a sense)
I can only imagine how they would move heaven and Earth to do it again, even if only for a movie.
I do have to say that it was nice to see Mira on "Lost" recently. I guess she's been a momy long enough now to get back into the swing! ;)
You go girl! :p
Biggles<font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
CE: [quote]"Young Blades" stars Michael Ironside ("Total Recall," "The Perfect Storm") and Bruce Boxleitner ("Scarecrow and Mrs. King," "Babylon 5"), and is set in 17th-century France. Mr. Boxleitner plays a teacher at the musketeers military academy and Mr. Ironside plays the evil Cardinal Mazarin.[/quote]
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Language of Hope [/i]
Read and understand:
A lot of people all around the globe bought B5 DVDs, and WB suddenly received money where they didn't expected it. *This* resulted in the possibility of new projects.[/quote]
With this assessment, I fully agree,
and I understood it already before.
[quote]If those who decide should come to think that their investments *could* be too risky because of piracy, they will kill that risk and with it our hopes for new projects.[/quote]
But you see... if new projects are going to be written by Warner instead of JMS, if the show loses its originality and characters lose their credible behaviour... if I know that unfair decisions toward original actors were needed to achieve this... then is something really better than nothing? If this happens, why should there arise new B5 projects?
I say... in that case unfortunately... there should be none. (And how it technically happens is quite predictable -- from statistical knowledge. Diminished grass-root advertising, poor ticket sales, poor DVD sales, increased piracy. Why should I deny how things fail, if they do -- or my predictable choices in that process?)
For sake of honesty... I better admit I am capable of pirating. I would never directly mention this to Warner, but in debate... I think it should be prudent to reveal which considerations usually cause me *not* to pirate things (and how those considerations can be overridden).
If things go right, they go right. Provided it happens, I have no reason to consider piracy -- because my respect towards Warner (even if limited) will be preserved by their reasonable choice.
I read that article like three times. Where was that part? Hmmm. My eyes must be going all funny. :D
Oh well, still won't interfere with TMoS if it doesn't have to. They can still shoot around Bruce easily for a month or so while he's shooting TMoS. Done all the time.
If the series shoot isn't on normal hiatus around then anyway.
CE
Random ChaosActually Carefully-selected Order in disguise
In some ways I think Bruce would be best used in a cameo role rather then central to the story. But given that I don't know what story JMS wrote, I can't really say whether his unavailability is a major issue. If JMS wants Sheridan as a core character then the story change would be much more major then if he just wanted Sheridan to drop in and wave and say "Hi!" purple
It might be interesting to have a B5 story of the war 1000 years before based upon the B4 station with Sinclair as the Minbari :)
--RC
Biggles<font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
I'm with Biggles here; this just looks like a case of horribly bad timing. Myself, I'd rather postpone the project just for Peter Woodward, but with everyone else doing other things, it just looks like a really bad time to be doing anything B5-related.
As for juggling schedules to "make it work," well, that's not always possible, particularly if one show's being filmed in Canada and the other in Hollywood. Not everything happens in the Southern California anymore.
Biggles<font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
TMoS is being filmed in England, which is even more expensive to get to.
On the piracy issue, it's just wrong. I can understand the urge of having access when the publishing companies (whether that's film studios, recording companies or book publishers) don't release the material in a country or make it prohibitely expensive, but downloading it still is stealing in those cases. Copyright constitutes an exclusion right, the copyright holder decides how to distribute copies, it's their right, not that of the public.
Sleepy_Shadow, your argument about WB writing new B5 material instead of JMS seems completely irrelevant here, all derivative works in the B5 universe have been written by JMS (or produced or supervised/approved by him or those appointed for that, as in the trilogy of trilogies of B5 novels), JMS is writing the script for TMoS. But the copyright for B5 belongs to WB, JMS knew that he had to make it that way or B5 would never have existed. Even if WB were to take control of B5 away from JMS piracy wouldn't be justified. There are international agreements so that the copyrights registered in one country are upheld in another, I'm sure Sweden recognizes those treaties (your 59N 17E location makes me think that's where you're from) so downloading works made in the USA there should be illegal. [quote]Renting would be unfeasible. Firstly because local DVD rentals rarely obtain less widespread titles... and secondly because by renting something, one is already putting money into the pocket of its publisher. (Which, in case the publisher spoils a movie... is something to avoid.)[/quote] You seem to be jumping to conclusions that TMoS might be a limited release, even if it were there are services like NetFlix (DVD rentals through the web delivered by mail, which if not yet available in Sweden might be available later). You forget that the money you put in the publisher's pocket by buying, renting or going to the theatre is later distributed to the writers, actors, directors and the rest of the people that made the movie possible.
You also forget something: money speaks to the publishers, if TMoS opens in your country and you don't watch it Warner Brothers will assume there's no interest and stop publishing B5 related works there.
From what little I've seen online after googling "young blades" it's a show about a Musketeer academy (as in the Dumas novels of D'Artagnan and his 3 friends), and that Bruce is an instructor there, while Michael Ironside is the evil cardinal. If it really is about the young blades Bruce Boxleitner is more likely to be in a supporting role, which should give him the chance to shuffle his schedule for TMoS, and as CE mentioned BB can join the movie filming during the series hiatus.
Seeing those comments about Bruce Boxleitner latest projects makes it all the more important to write those letters supporting his appearance in TMoS... we have to save him from having to be in those SciFi movies! :D
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by ZocaloHobo [/i]
[B]So Ladies and Gents....
Do we have a game plan yet?
Time to pop out of Lurker mode...:)
Standing by for further instruction. [/B][/QUOTE]
Welcome ZocaloHobo! You can go to [url]www.keepb5alive.com[/url] to get the addresses to mail letters to. Right now, that's the thrust of the campaign....at least until after the holidays. Then we'll look at where we are, and hopefully Jan and I and Amy will hear something from our sources on how things are going, and we'll decide the next phase then.
For now, write letters to WB and Elstree Studios (where the B5 production offices are). Remain positive in the letters. No attacks. Tell them how B5 and the cast have moved you...how happy you are that there's a new feature film and that you're glad they're making it, but that you would prefer to see the original cast reprise their roles...since they worked so hard to help create and mold them.
There are some examples of letters at the keepb5alive site and one at my site, [url]www.sppictures.com[/url] -- just click on the news section and scroll down!
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Capt.Montoya [/i]
On the piracy issue, it's just wrong.[/quote]
Partly agree. As I mentioned before... piracy is generally neither optimal nor right... but exactly what happens, when potential consumers lose enough respect for someone on the other side of the publishing process.
[quote]your argument about WB writing new B5 material instead of JMS seems completely irrelevant here
----
But the copyright for B5 belongs to WB[/quote]
So it turns out... that my argument is not entirely irrelevant. Unless Warner realizes that B5 without JMS having creative control will not attract viewers... the possibility of them trying to override him does exist.
[quote]Even if WB were to take control of B5 away from JMS piracy wouldn't be justified.[/quote]
It would -- to find out, without paying them, what exactly they did (and how bad it exactly was).
[quote]There are international agreements so that the copyrights registered in one country are upheld in another[/quote]
You don't have to introduce them to me... I know them in sufficient detail. But I also know the reality... that in current times, in determining whether somethig gets pirated widely or less widely... laws and agreements are weak influences.
In an environment where networks of distributed storage can be established which are, for all practical purposes, uncensorable and resistant to state-level adversaries... simple economics of price and demand, of respect between publishers and consumers... translate into stronger trends than laws.
[quote]I'm sure Sweden recognizes those treaties (your 59N 17E location makes me think that's where you're from)[/quote]
I'm sure it does. So does the country where I reside (I notice that my coordinates contain an error -- it should have been 27E, which should translate to Estonia, 300 kilometers eastward.) But that... is not terribly relevant. If people, whatever their country, feel the product involved does not deserve compensating for... then copyright matters little.
[quote]You forget that the money you put in the publisher's pocket /.../ is later distributed to the writers, actors, directors and the rest of the people[/quote]
Some portion, after extracting the profit... yes, absolutely.
And if those, with the exception of the author... are no longer people who foremost deserved this compensation... but different people... then reason to reward the publisher (so it could cover the expense of paying them)... is rather limited, I think?
And some amount... the publisher will pay them anyway.
[quote]if TMoS opens in your country and you don't watch it Warner Brothers will assume there's no interest and stop publishing B5 related works there.[/quote]
Choose a wider perspective... if TMoS is done badly, this will happen in every country. And should that happen... B5-related works may indeed stop appearing... because Warner played the wrong card... and provoked an utterly predictable response (alienated enough of possible viewers).
People are not interested in compensating Warner for publishing anything labeled "B5". They buy disks because they still trust Warner to permit writers, actors, directors, CGI designers and other people... to tell interesting stories.
Essential to this is listening to the original author... hiring actors best suited for their roles... and perhaps, not losing the CGI files either (although the latter can be recreated, and probably with less time than 5 years).
Here are two addresses for Winchester Films which is the UK Production House attached to TMoS.
Let's get those letters going to them...they're the ones who need to hear from us. Also, there are fax numbers to both offices...I was thinking that a good number of instant fax letters wouldn't hurt.
In the UK:
Winchester Entertainment
19 Heddon Street
London
W1B 4BG
United Kingdom
Tel: 0207 851 6500
Fax: 0207 851 6505
And in the US:
Winchester Entertainment
701 Santa Monica Blvd.
Suite 230
Santa Monica CA 90401
USA
Tel: +001 310 395 4800
Fax: +001 310 395 8578
Let's get those letters going again, folks! There little time and lots to do!
No one mail or fax Winchester just yet! My source on the link between Winchester and TMoS was not what I thought it was and the other one is still not confirmed, so it's only circumstantial at the moment. So hold off for a while until we can confirm the connection for everyone.
If Bruce Boxleitner were (incredibly) somehow bound to making a "B" TV series in canada and not TMoS in Britain (if that is where it is gonna be) then BB would be happy to say "oh, they offered me the role but I turned it down." He hasn't. JMS would be equally free to say "On the subject of this rumor, all i can say is that some actors we would like to have are not going to be available." He hasn't.
If everything were on the up-and-up, we would know it. We don't. Just [B]what[/B] the mystery is is unknown. That there [B]is[/B] a mystery is known.
The prudent course is to take whatever actions have the highest likelihood of a positive outcome without risking a negative outcome. Sitting on one's hands is not that action. Deciding not to act is a decisive move. If that is your choice, why are you so sure it is the right one?
What about a slightly different approach?
Instead of chastising them or talking about rumors of the original cast being overlooked, why not THANK THEM for bringing the cast back. That's right, I'm talking about barraging TPTB with how happy we are that they are bringing back Bruce, Mira, Jerry, Andreas et al.
Go into great detail. Tell them how many years you have been waiting to see your favorite actors bring your favorite characters back to life on the screen. Kill them with kindness.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by quicksilver [/i]
[B]What about a slightly different approach?
Instead of chastising them or talking about rumors of the original cast being overlooked, why not THANK THEM for bringing the cast back. That's right, I'm talking about barraging TPTB with how happy we are that they are bringing back Bruce, Mira, Jerry, Andreas et al.
Go into great detail. Tell them how many years you have been waiting to see your favorite actors bring your favorite characters back to life on the screen. Kill them with kindness. [/B][/QUOTE]
Lol, now that approach i actually like, . Classic.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by quicksilver [/i]
[B]What about a slightly different approach?
Instead of chastising them or talking about rumors of the original cast being overlooked, why not THANK THEM for bringing the cast back. That's right, I'm talking about barraging TPTB with how happy we are that they are bringing back Bruce, Mira, Jerry, Andreas et al.
Go into great detail. Tell them how many years you have been waiting to see your favorite actors bring your favorite characters back to life on the screen. Kill them with kindness. [/B][/QUOTE]
That actually is an incredibly good idea... WElcome to the forums!
E-mail the networks and tell them that we don't want the original actors on the show - we're sure they have the ability to handle the casting of the film on their own without any help from the majority of the people who would be the ones who actually control whether this film would be a success or not.
Fans today unveiled the second phase of their effort to convince Warner Brothers to cast the original actors from the popular five year television series in the upcoming movie “Babylon 5: The Memory of Shadows”
On the KeepB5Alive site ([url]www.keepb5alive.com[/url]) site are links to ‘Babylon Bucks’ which fans are urged to print and send to Warner Brothers at:
Warner Brothers Studios
Feature Film Development Department
4000 Warner Boulevard
Burbank, CA 91522
Fans may add "RE: BABYLON 5: THE MEMORY OF SHADOWS" in their letter heading.
Fans are urged to send this message right away -- whether they've written before or not -- as the studio execs are now returning to work after the holiday break. Send the message to the decision makers at Warner Brothers is that the fans are willing -- even eager! -- to put their money where their mouths are.
News releases have gone out to all major media outlets!
A message from Joe DeMartino...the fan of fans...to all other fans!
A Call to Arms
Some of you may have heard the recent rumors about the upcoming "B5" feature
film, "The Memory of Shadow" - how the money people are talking about
recasting many of the roles from the original series with "name" actors,
I am here to tell you that this rumor is TRUE and that unless the powers
that be are convinced that tinkering with the cast will hurt them in the
pocketbook, they will do what they want to do, without regard to JMS's wish
or ours. The only people in a position to CONVINCE them that there's money
on the line are US.
WE are the ones who watched the show in great enough numbers to keep it on
the air for 5 years. WE are the ones who made the reruns and "B5" S5 such a
success on TNT that they spent millions of dollars on two extra TV movies
and a half season of CRUSADE before they pulled the plug on that show for
reasons of network politics as much as anything else. WE are the ones who
lobbied and wheedled and threatened until a very skeptical Warner Bros.
FINALLY released the series, the movies and ultimately CRSUADE on DVD - and
then bought the DVDs in such numbers that the studio decided to make this
feature film in the first place.
WE are the ones who will provide the all-important opening weekend opening
box office and the initial word-of-mouth. It is perfectly true that a
feature film like this can't succeed if only the hardcore fans go to see it.
It will have to attract non-fans, folks who have never even HEARD of the
series. But if WE don't make sure the film "opens" it won't stay in
theaters long enough for non-fans to discover the film. If WE don't provide
the positive word-of-mouth the film won't succeed.
I've heard that some fans don't believe the rumor, that recasting the roles
seems so obviously stupid and counter-productive that they don't think
Warner Bros. would ever do such a thing. I was skeptical myself when I
first plugged into the 'net after an absence of several month (hurricanes
are SUCH a bother) But I've since checked with a few individuals whom I
trust implicitly and who are in a position to know about such things. They
assure me the rumors are true. The studio is pressing for this, and since
they write the checks, there isn't a lot the production office can do about
it.
I've also heard that other fans are so upset about the reported story line
or indications that a given actor or character may not be in the film that
they're not interested in the project at all. Big mistake. Some have even
suggested that the story line and the cast changes are part and parcel of
the same thing - that the studio dictated a story that prominently featured
new characters and reduced the old ones to cameos that could be cast with
"name" actors as part of some deep, dark plot to remake "B5" in some new
image of their choosing.
WRONG.
I don't know the story line for the new film. But I DO know that it is the
story that JMS chose to pitch to the studio for the FIRST "B5" FILM.
Did I just say "First 'B5' film"?
Yes, I did.
Everybody wants this film to succeed. If it succeeds, WB will want a
sequel, the studios always do. If they do a sequel JMS can do a story that
uses the original characters more. Everybody signing up to do the sequel to
a successful movie will get a bigger payday than they did on the first.
Maybe it makes more sense to do something that ties up some of the threads
from CRUSADE and RANGERS in movie #1, with the original cast in supporting
roles. Then do the Teep War or some other story in movie #2. But this only
works if the original CAST plays the original characters in movie #1.
And that's where you all come in. We need you to write letters - real,
snail-mail, PRINTED and hand-signed letters, to get the attention of the
folks holding the purse strings. We need to remind them that ultimately we,
too, hold the purse strings. We buy the tickets at the box office.
An ad hoc committee of fans has been working on ways to get the studio's
attention, including press releases and getting stories into the mainstream
press. You can help by participating in a letter writing campaign with a
bit of a gimmick to help it stand out from similar campaigns. Go to
[url]www.keepb5alive.com.[/url] Download one of the "B5 Bucks" designs on the site.
Print them out, cut them out, and include them with your letter. We've also
provided form letters that you can hand-write your own address and comments
on, but I have to tell you - the studios pay a lot more attention to
individuals who took the time to compose a letter of their own than those
who merely signed a form letter that somebody else wrote. Just don't forget
to include the " B5 Bucks" whichever you do.
This may seem like a silly gimmick. So were the Budweiser frogs. Silly
gimmicks are memorable, they get attention. They WORK. So can this if
Warner Bros. gets socked with THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of letters containing
these novelty items. And that's the key - make them realize that this isn't
an issue that concerns only a few fanatical fans of particular actors but
something the vast majority of the fan community cares DEEPLY about and that
we will have to consider whether or not the "B5" movie WB eventual puts in
theaters is REALLY "B5" or some pale comparison that we, as loyal fans, can
and will rightly ignore. Go to the site, download the materials, join the
fight. The casting decisions are being made RIGHT NOW. The countdown to
the start of shooting has begun. The window during which we can make our
voices heard is closing, but it HASN'T CLOSED YET. Don't let it close
until you've added your voice to the chorus.
Print out a letter, preferably one you've written yourself, today. Sign it,
add a hand-written note and your address if necessary. Print out an
envelope, stuff it, with some B5 Bucks, seal it, put it on the counter with
your car keys. Make sure you mail it TOMORROW.
We've been here before folks. Our backs against the wall, no chance in
hell of getting what we want. We've been here every single season, we were
here at the end of S4 most of all. We were here trying to get the show
released on some form of home video and ultimately on DVD. We were here
trying to get a feature film off the ground AT ALL. We've always tried to
do the impossible and we've always been told that we never could. (One SF
entertainment news web site won't run a story on this controversy because
they haven't seen an official announcement of the film from WB and they
don't believe that anybody is ever going to make a feature film based on a
"little" cult show like "B5")
Comments
Rambie, all of the information can be found at the [URL=http://www.keepb5alive.com/]KeepB5Alive[/URL] website.
And, for your reference, here are the addresses we're writing to:
Warner Brothers Films
Features Development Department
Babylon 5: The Memory of Shadows
4000 Warner Boulevard
Burbank , CA 91522
and
Elstree Film Studios
Attention: Peter Heslop / Babylon 5: The Memory of Shadows
Shenley Road
Borehamwood
Hertfordshire WD6 1JG
UNITED KINGDOM
Thanks for writing!
Amy
[B]Rambie, all of the information can be found at the [URL=http://www.keepb5alive.com/]KeepB5Alive[/URL] website.
And, for your reference, here are the addresses we're writing to:
Warner Brothers Films
Features Development Department
Babylon 5: The Memory of Shadows
4000 Warner Boulevard
Burbank , CA 91522
and
Elstree Film Studios
Attention: Peter Heslop / Babylon 5: The Memory of Shadows
Shenley Road
Borehamwood
Hertfordshire WD6 1JG
UNITED KINGDOM
Thanks for writing!
Amy [/B][/QUOTE]
Hello and welcome Amy!
;)
Beer's in the fridge, and the nuts are all over the place!
:D
Yep, this nut's hollow ;)
Thanks, Jack. I'm used to hanging around with nuts. And, I brought my own Guinness - can you use some?
;)
Amy
[B]Thanks, Jack. I'm used to hanging around with nuts. And, I brought my own Guinness - can you use some?
;)
Amy [/B][/QUOTE]
BRILLIANT!
Read and understand:
A lot of people all around the globe bought B5 DVDs, and WB suddenly received money where they didn't expected it. *This* resulted in the possibility of new projects.
If those who decide should come to think that their investments *could* be too risky because of piracy, they will kill that risk and with it our hopes for new projects.
If you want to help JMS bring to life B5 projects the way *he* intends, then help these projects the best you can, because if they are successful, it could be seen as JMS's 'fault'... giving him greater freedom in upcoming decisions.
get Bruce to be in it.
This could mean that he was in the pilot which has already shot. It could also mean that he's a recurring role. It could mean any number of things, frankly.
Bottom line though is that anything he might do on a series could be worked around so he could work on TMoS.
Shooting schedules are often times juggled on shows so actors can do features.
I wouldn't read too much into it.
CE
Oh and thanks for giving out the addresses there Amy. I've been a very busy boy!:D And a big welcome here to Amy, SS, and others from elsewhere. I feel as if the B5 family is coming together! Gives me a warm feeling all over.:eek: :D
[B]...Bottom line though is that anything he might do on a series could be worked around so he could work on TMoS.
Shooting schedules are often times juggled on shows so actors can do features.
I wouldn't read too much into it.
[/B][/QUOTE]
I remember the closeness that the actors had, back in the days when I was working on B5:ITF...and you could tell that their long time freindship was still active when Biggs passed away too... (sorta the "Rat Pack" of SciFi in a sense)
I can only imagine how they would move heaven and Earth to do it again, even if only for a movie.
I do have to say that it was nice to see Mira on "Lost" recently. I guess she's been a momy long enough now to get back into the swing! ;)
You go girl! :p
Read and understand:
A lot of people all around the globe bought B5 DVDs, and WB suddenly received money where they didn't expected it. *This* resulted in the possibility of new projects.[/quote]
With this assessment, I fully agree,
and I understood it already before.
[quote]If those who decide should come to think that their investments *could* be too risky because of piracy, they will kill that risk and with it our hopes for new projects.[/quote]
But you see... if new projects are going to be written by Warner instead of JMS, if the show loses its originality and characters lose their credible behaviour... if I know that unfair decisions toward original actors were needed to achieve this... then is something really better than nothing? If this happens, why should there arise new B5 projects?
I say... in that case unfortunately... there should be none. (And how it technically happens is quite predictable -- from statistical knowledge. Diminished grass-root advertising, poor ticket sales, poor DVD sales, increased piracy. Why should I deny how things fail, if they do -- or my predictable choices in that process?)
For sake of honesty... I better admit I am capable of pirating. I would never directly mention this to Warner, but in debate... I think it should be prudent to reveal which considerations usually cause me *not* to pirate things (and how those considerations can be overridden).
If things go right, they go right. Provided it happens, I have no reason to consider piracy -- because my respect towards Warner (even if limited) will be preserved by their reasonable choice.
I read that article like three times. Where was that part? Hmmm. My eyes must be going all funny. :D
Oh well, still won't interfere with TMoS if it doesn't have to. They can still shoot around Bruce easily for a month or so while he's shooting TMoS. Done all the time.
If the series shoot isn't on normal hiatus around then anyway.
CE
It might be interesting to have a B5 story of the war 1000 years before based upon the B4 station with Sinclair as the Minbari :)
--RC
Do we have a game plan yet?
Time to pop out of Lurker mode...:)
Standing by for further instruction.
As for juggling schedules to "make it work," well, that's not always possible, particularly if one show's being filmed in Canada and the other in Hollywood. Not everything happens in the Southern California anymore.
Sleepy_Shadow, your argument about WB writing new B5 material instead of JMS seems completely irrelevant here, all derivative works in the B5 universe have been written by JMS (or produced or supervised/approved by him or those appointed for that, as in the trilogy of trilogies of B5 novels), JMS is writing the script for TMoS. But the copyright for B5 belongs to WB, JMS knew that he had to make it that way or B5 would never have existed. Even if WB were to take control of B5 away from JMS piracy wouldn't be justified. There are international agreements so that the copyrights registered in one country are upheld in another, I'm sure Sweden recognizes those treaties (your 59N 17E location makes me think that's where you're from) so downloading works made in the USA there should be illegal. [quote]Renting would be unfeasible. Firstly because local DVD rentals rarely obtain less widespread titles... and secondly because by renting something, one is already putting money into the pocket of its publisher. (Which, in case the publisher spoils a movie... is something to avoid.)[/quote] You seem to be jumping to conclusions that TMoS might be a limited release, even if it were there are services like NetFlix (DVD rentals through the web delivered by mail, which if not yet available in Sweden might be available later). You forget that the money you put in the publisher's pocket by buying, renting or going to the theatre is later distributed to the writers, actors, directors and the rest of the people that made the movie possible.
You also forget something: money speaks to the publishers, if TMoS opens in your country and you don't watch it Warner Brothers will assume there's no interest and stop publishing B5 related works there.
From what little I've seen online after googling "young blades" it's a show about a Musketeer academy (as in the Dumas novels of D'Artagnan and his 3 friends), and that Bruce is an instructor there, while Michael Ironside is the evil cardinal. If it really is about the young blades Bruce Boxleitner is more likely to be in a supporting role, which should give him the chance to shuffle his schedule for TMoS, and as CE mentioned BB can join the movie filming during the series hiatus.
Seeing those comments about Bruce Boxleitner latest projects makes it all the more important to write those letters supporting his appearance in TMoS... we have to save him from having to be in those SciFi movies! :D
[B]So Ladies and Gents....
Do we have a game plan yet?
Time to pop out of Lurker mode...:)
Standing by for further instruction. [/B][/QUOTE]
Welcome ZocaloHobo! You can go to [url]www.keepb5alive.com[/url] to get the addresses to mail letters to. Right now, that's the thrust of the campaign....at least until after the holidays. Then we'll look at where we are, and hopefully Jan and I and Amy will hear something from our sources on how things are going, and we'll decide the next phase then.
For now, write letters to WB and Elstree Studios (where the B5 production offices are). Remain positive in the letters. No attacks. Tell them how B5 and the cast have moved you...how happy you are that there's a new feature film and that you're glad they're making it, but that you would prefer to see the original cast reprise their roles...since they worked so hard to help create and mold them.
There are some examples of letters at the keepb5alive site and one at my site, [url]www.sppictures.com[/url] -- just click on the news section and scroll down!
Welcome aboard and welcome to the fight!
Let the Voice of the Resistance be heard!
CE
On the piracy issue, it's just wrong.[/quote]
Partly agree. As I mentioned before... piracy is generally neither optimal nor right... but exactly what happens, when potential consumers lose enough respect for someone on the other side of the publishing process.
[quote]your argument about WB writing new B5 material instead of JMS seems completely irrelevant here
----
But the copyright for B5 belongs to WB[/quote]
So it turns out... that my argument is not entirely irrelevant. Unless Warner realizes that B5 without JMS having creative control will not attract viewers... the possibility of them trying to override him does exist.
[quote]Even if WB were to take control of B5 away from JMS piracy wouldn't be justified.[/quote]
It would -- to find out, without paying them, what exactly they did (and how bad it exactly was).
[quote]There are international agreements so that the copyrights registered in one country are upheld in another[/quote]
You don't have to introduce them to me... I know them in sufficient detail. But I also know the reality... that in current times, in determining whether somethig gets pirated widely or less widely... laws and agreements are weak influences.
In an environment where networks of distributed storage can be established which are, for all practical purposes, uncensorable and resistant to state-level adversaries... simple economics of price and demand, of respect between publishers and consumers... translate into stronger trends than laws.
[quote]I'm sure Sweden recognizes those treaties (your 59N 17E location makes me think that's where you're from)[/quote]
I'm sure it does. So does the country where I reside (I notice that my coordinates contain an error -- it should have been 27E, which should translate to Estonia, 300 kilometers eastward.) But that... is not terribly relevant. If people, whatever their country, feel the product involved does not deserve compensating for... then copyright matters little.
[quote]You forget that the money you put in the publisher's pocket /.../ is later distributed to the writers, actors, directors and the rest of the people[/quote]
Some portion, after extracting the profit... yes, absolutely.
And if those, with the exception of the author... are no longer people who foremost deserved this compensation... but different people... then reason to reward the publisher (so it could cover the expense of paying them)... is rather limited, I think?
And some amount... the publisher will pay them anyway.
[quote]if TMoS opens in your country and you don't watch it Warner Brothers will assume there's no interest and stop publishing B5 related works there.[/quote]
Choose a wider perspective... if TMoS is done badly, this will happen in every country. And should that happen... B5-related works may indeed stop appearing... because Warner played the wrong card... and provoked an utterly predictable response (alienated enough of possible viewers).
People are not interested in compensating Warner for publishing anything labeled "B5". They buy disks because they still trust Warner to permit writers, actors, directors, CGI designers and other people... to tell interesting stories.
Essential to this is listening to the original author... hiring actors best suited for their roles... and perhaps, not losing the CGI files either (although the latter can be recreated, and probably with less time than 5 years).
Here are two addresses for Winchester Films which is the UK Production House attached to TMoS.
Let's get those letters going to them...they're the ones who need to hear from us. Also, there are fax numbers to both offices...I was thinking that a good number of instant fax letters wouldn't hurt.
In the UK:
Winchester Entertainment
19 Heddon Street
London
W1B 4BG
United Kingdom
Tel: 0207 851 6500
Fax: 0207 851 6505
And in the US:
Winchester Entertainment
701 Santa Monica Blvd.
Suite 230
Santa Monica CA 90401
USA
Tel: +001 310 395 4800
Fax: +001 310 395 8578
Let's get those letters going again, folks! There little time and lots to do!
CE
No one mail or fax Winchester just yet! My source on the link between Winchester and TMoS was not what I thought it was and the other one is still not confirmed, so it's only circumstantial at the moment. So hold off for a while until we can confirm the connection for everyone.
Sorry about the mix-up.
CE
If everything were on the up-and-up, we would know it. We don't. Just [B]what[/B] the mystery is is unknown. That there [B]is[/B] a mystery is known.
The prudent course is to take whatever actions have the highest likelihood of a positive outcome without risking a negative outcome. Sitting on one's hands is not that action. Deciding not to act is a decisive move. If that is your choice, why are you so sure it is the right one?
Instead of chastising them or talking about rumors of the original cast being overlooked, why not THANK THEM for bringing the cast back. That's right, I'm talking about barraging TPTB with how happy we are that they are bringing back Bruce, Mira, Jerry, Andreas et al.
Go into great detail. Tell them how many years you have been waiting to see your favorite actors bring your favorite characters back to life on the screen. Kill them with kindness.
[B]What about a slightly different approach?
Instead of chastising them or talking about rumors of the original cast being overlooked, why not THANK THEM for bringing the cast back. That's right, I'm talking about barraging TPTB with how happy we are that they are bringing back Bruce, Mira, Jerry, Andreas et al.
Go into great detail. Tell them how many years you have been waiting to see your favorite actors bring your favorite characters back to life on the screen. Kill them with kindness. [/B][/QUOTE]
Lol, now that approach i actually like, . Classic.
[B]What about a slightly different approach?
Instead of chastising them or talking about rumors of the original cast being overlooked, why not THANK THEM for bringing the cast back. That's right, I'm talking about barraging TPTB with how happy we are that they are bringing back Bruce, Mira, Jerry, Andreas et al.
Go into great detail. Tell them how many years you have been waiting to see your favorite actors bring your favorite characters back to life on the screen. Kill them with kindness. [/B][/QUOTE]
That actually is an incredibly good idea... WElcome to the forums!
E-mail the networks and tell them that we don't want the original actors on the show - we're sure they have the ability to handle the casting of the film on their own without any help from the majority of the people who would be the ones who actually control whether this film would be a success or not.
From the Save the Cast War Council!
The ‘Buck’ stops at Warner Brothers!
Fans today unveiled the second phase of their effort to convince Warner Brothers to cast the original actors from the popular five year television series in the upcoming movie “Babylon 5: The Memory of Shadows”
On the KeepB5Alive site ([url]www.keepb5alive.com[/url]) site are links to ‘Babylon Bucks’ which fans are urged to print and send to Warner Brothers at:
Warner Brothers Studios
Feature Film Development Department
4000 Warner Boulevard
Burbank, CA 91522
Fans may add "RE: BABYLON 5: THE MEMORY OF SHADOWS" in their letter heading.
Fans are urged to send this message right away -- whether they've written before or not -- as the studio execs are now returning to work after the holiday break. Send the message to the decision makers at Warner Brothers is that the fans are willing -- even eager! -- to put their money where their mouths are.
News releases have gone out to all major media outlets!
Act now!
A Call to Arms
Some of you may have heard the recent rumors about the upcoming "B5" feature
film, "The Memory of Shadow" - how the money people are talking about
recasting many of the roles from the original series with "name" actors,
I am here to tell you that this rumor is TRUE and that unless the powers
that be are convinced that tinkering with the cast will hurt them in the
pocketbook, they will do what they want to do, without regard to JMS's wish
or ours. The only people in a position to CONVINCE them that there's money
on the line are US.
WE are the ones who watched the show in great enough numbers to keep it on
the air for 5 years. WE are the ones who made the reruns and "B5" S5 such a
success on TNT that they spent millions of dollars on two extra TV movies
and a half season of CRUSADE before they pulled the plug on that show for
reasons of network politics as much as anything else. WE are the ones who
lobbied and wheedled and threatened until a very skeptical Warner Bros.
FINALLY released the series, the movies and ultimately CRSUADE on DVD - and
then bought the DVDs in such numbers that the studio decided to make this
feature film in the first place.
WE are the ones who will provide the all-important opening weekend opening
box office and the initial word-of-mouth. It is perfectly true that a
feature film like this can't succeed if only the hardcore fans go to see it.
It will have to attract non-fans, folks who have never even HEARD of the
series. But if WE don't make sure the film "opens" it won't stay in
theaters long enough for non-fans to discover the film. If WE don't provide
the positive word-of-mouth the film won't succeed.
I've heard that some fans don't believe the rumor, that recasting the roles
seems so obviously stupid and counter-productive that they don't think
Warner Bros. would ever do such a thing. I was skeptical myself when I
first plugged into the 'net after an absence of several month (hurricanes
are SUCH a bother) But I've since checked with a few individuals whom I
trust implicitly and who are in a position to know about such things. They
assure me the rumors are true. The studio is pressing for this, and since
they write the checks, there isn't a lot the production office can do about
it.
I've also heard that other fans are so upset about the reported story line
or indications that a given actor or character may not be in the film that
they're not interested in the project at all. Big mistake. Some have even
suggested that the story line and the cast changes are part and parcel of
the same thing - that the studio dictated a story that prominently featured
new characters and reduced the old ones to cameos that could be cast with
"name" actors as part of some deep, dark plot to remake "B5" in some new
image of their choosing.
WRONG.
I don't know the story line for the new film. But I DO know that it is the
story that JMS chose to pitch to the studio for the FIRST "B5" FILM.
Did I just say "First 'B5' film"?
Yes, I did.
Everybody wants this film to succeed. If it succeeds, WB will want a
sequel, the studios always do. If they do a sequel JMS can do a story that
uses the original characters more. Everybody signing up to do the sequel to
a successful movie will get a bigger payday than they did on the first.
Maybe it makes more sense to do something that ties up some of the threads
from CRUSADE and RANGERS in movie #1, with the original cast in supporting
roles. Then do the Teep War or some other story in movie #2. But this only
works if the original CAST plays the original characters in movie #1.
And that's where you all come in. We need you to write letters - real,
snail-mail, PRINTED and hand-signed letters, to get the attention of the
folks holding the purse strings. We need to remind them that ultimately we,
too, hold the purse strings. We buy the tickets at the box office.
An ad hoc committee of fans has been working on ways to get the studio's
attention, including press releases and getting stories into the mainstream
press. You can help by participating in a letter writing campaign with a
bit of a gimmick to help it stand out from similar campaigns. Go to
[url]www.keepb5alive.com.[/url] Download one of the "B5 Bucks" designs on the site.
Print them out, cut them out, and include them with your letter. We've also
provided form letters that you can hand-write your own address and comments
on, but I have to tell you - the studios pay a lot more attention to
individuals who took the time to compose a letter of their own than those
who merely signed a form letter that somebody else wrote. Just don't forget
to include the " B5 Bucks" whichever you do.
This may seem like a silly gimmick. So were the Budweiser frogs. Silly
gimmicks are memorable, they get attention. They WORK. So can this if
Warner Bros. gets socked with THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of letters containing
these novelty items. And that's the key - make them realize that this isn't
an issue that concerns only a few fanatical fans of particular actors but
something the vast majority of the fan community cares DEEPLY about and that
we will have to consider whether or not the "B5" movie WB eventual puts in
theaters is REALLY "B5" or some pale comparison that we, as loyal fans, can
and will rightly ignore. Go to the site, download the materials, join the
fight. The casting decisions are being made RIGHT NOW. The countdown to
the start of shooting has begun. The window during which we can make our
voices heard is closing, but it HASN'T CLOSED YET. Don't let it close
until you've added your voice to the chorus.
Print out a letter, preferably one you've written yourself, today. Sign it,
add a hand-written note and your address if necessary. Print out an
envelope, stuff it, with some B5 Bucks, seal it, put it on the counter with
your car keys. Make sure you mail it TOMORROW.
We've been here before folks. Our backs against the wall, no chance in
hell of getting what we want. We've been here every single season, we were
here at the end of S4 most of all. We were here trying to get the show
released on some form of home video and ultimately on DVD. We were here
trying to get a feature film off the ground AT ALL. We've always tried to
do the impossible and we've always been told that we never could. (One SF
entertainment news web site won't run a story on this controversy because
they haven't seen an official announcement of the film from WB and they
don't believe that anybody is ever going to make a feature film based on a
"little" cult show like "B5")
We've ALWAYS succeeded in the long run.
Faith manages.
Start writing.
Joe