Sci-Fi/Fantasy - Andromeda #5 - Can we go back the other way, yet? - Page 4

Kathy W · 06-08-2005, 09:00 AM

Even cooler! Zach (one of the writers from Seasons 1-3) is also posting on Wolfe's Q&A thread! Some of this stuff is fascinating. Like Trance being purple, for instance. She was purple because violet is the "hottest" color in the spectrum; Trance is the avatar of a sun, so she's "hot".

Her tail was there for a reason, and Wolfe would have left her purple. She was changed because he was given two choices: Kill off a major character or make a major change in a character. He chose the latter.

**Cryostar** · 06-08-2005, 08:00 PM

I've not read the thread yet, in fact, I can't even find it Kathy, can you PM me a link?

I did like the CODA...I liked the original intentions for trance and her race...it explains Pityless Sun very well. I also would have bought their ending better than I bought Engles ending. I can take characters dying for a good reason....I can't take characters living for no reason.

ami_07 · 06-08-2005, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kathy W

Even cooler! Zach (one of the writers from Seasons 1-3) is also posting on Wolfe's Q&A thread! Some of this stuff is fascinating. Like Trance being purple, for instance. She was purple because violet is the "hottest" color in the spectrum; Trance is the avatar of a sun, so she's "hot".

Her tail was there for a reason, and Wolfe would have left her purple. She was changed because he was given two choices: Kill off a major character or make a major change in a character. He chose the latter.

Woh that sounds awesome....the things u learn

Kathy W · 06-09-2005, 08:56 AM

Cryostar: Sent you the link.

I haven't made it all the way through the thread yet; I've been skimming, looking for Robert's and Zack's posts, but I still haven't made it to the end.

If anyone else wants the link, just PM me.

**Cryostar** · 06-10-2005, 09:02 PM

Many many thanks Kathy...I'll be heading over their shortly after I finish up my moderation duties.

Kathy W · 06-11-2005, 09:43 AM

You're very welcome.

And it just got better. Ethlie Vare is posting there too!

(An excellent writer who left after S1.) She had an interesting comment about how Dylan Hunt was conceived by Gene Roddenberry and how he wound up under the new regime. Let me see if I can find it again, and I'll post the comment here.

ETA: Here's what Ethlie Vare said about Dylan:

"If I may wax philosophical for a moment.... the Dylan Hunt in early Andromeda, the Dylan conceived by Gene Roddenberry and Robert Wolfe, was a classically Hellenistic (western) hero: the Competent Man, chosen to lead by his own followers because he proved himself worthy. The "Paradine" Dylan Hunt is more a Persian (eastern) concept: The Chosen, annointed by the divine and destined to lead.

The former is the basis for democracy, the latter the basis for aristocracy. You pays your money and you takes your choice. I know which I choose."

John Crichton · 06-11-2005, 09:00 PM

That was very well said. I prefer the (Western) Dylan Hunt any-day of the week!

**Cryostar** · 06-12-2005, 12:21 PM

I'm actually surprised that they can relate the second Dylan back to a philosphical back drop....very nice, and true, though. Kinda makes me sick to think about it.

yossarin · 06-12-2005, 07:22 PM

Lexa Doig is a teacher on The 4400!!! It's weird seeing her fully clothed

Kathy W · 06-12-2005, 07:37 PM

And she's going to be a doctor on Stargate. I bet everyone will be feigning illness just to have her cure them.

JC: I much prefer the Western Dylan too. Although I must admit that Dylan still seemed to see himself that way even after the Paradine bit was announced. He seemed to reject that notion for a long time, as did I.

More tidbits from Zack and Robert:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zack

The budget problem was huge. Doing space opera with multiple alien species, big, sweeping storylines that necessitated numerous guest stars, and a mandated quota of "action!" each episode was incredibly difficult, if not impossible. Sometimes, as with "All Too Human" (in which we were given extra money and a full extra day of second-unit stunt work with Lexa and Roger), it worked. Other times we ended up with things like the Than (!), space battles patched together from stock opticals, and fights that consisted of the same five stuntmen running down corridors, getting sparked in the chest, and falling over.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert Wolfe

More specifically, we had both a small budget and crippling above the line costs, a deadly combination. B5 had a small budget, but miniscule above the lines, which helped them tremendously. DS9 had big above the lines, but a big budget to match. We had a B5 budget (or less) and DS9 above the lines (or more actually).

Farscape and Stargate both had larger budgets than us and smaller above the line costs (or maybe equal with Stargate). Production budgets are basically overall budgets minus above the line and other fixed costs. Once you do that math, we probably had far less money than any of the shows we're usually compared to, including B5.

Sad, but true.

And by way of explanation:

Above The Line costs. Movie production costs include most development costs, intellectual property costs, costs relating to the producers (including the producer's fee, the executive producer's fee and their assistants), costs relating to the director (including the director's fee, DGA fees and any assistants), talent costs (including the principal cast, the supporting cast, extras, casting director and casting fees) and travel and living costs for any of these "above the line" persons.

Below The Line costs. Movie production costs encompassing production and post-production phases, including labor costs for production personnel (such as the director of photography, the general production staff, the lighting staff, the editors, etc.) as well as any equipment rentals, wardrobe or props rentals and purchases, insurance policies, location fees and editing costs.

**Cryostar** · 06-14-2005, 07:38 PM

That's sad to hear...I bet if they had axed the stupid beastmaster sooner they would have had more $$$ to pony up for the better space battles.

I personally got tired of seeing the andromeda fly through the battle of witchhead for the 30th time.

Kathy W · 06-15-2005, 05:09 PM

I had no idea there were those kinds of budget problems! No wonder we saw the same shots over and over and over and over.....

Side note--anyone read "The Ancestor's Breath", which is Keith Cobb writing as Tyr? Man, those are good! I had a few archived, and on a whim I visited yesterday and found he's written new ones.

Ancestor's Breath

Click on the link in the first paragraph.

**Cryostar** · 06-16-2005, 06:01 PM

This is Keith Cobb writing on Andromeda?

Kathy W · 06-16-2005, 06:48 PM

It's Keith Cobb writing as Tyr. So, as Tyr, he talks about Tyr's parents, Tyr's childhood, and Nietzcheans in general. It's very good.

He started this during the first season of the show, I believe. My family discovered Andromeda in the summer between Seasons 1 & 2, and Keith had a few "Ancestor's Breath" entries on his website at that time. He's added some since then.

Kathy W · 06-18-2005, 08:17 PM

Woo Hoo!

I am the proud owner of the signed Commonwealth Charter used on the show in the S2 finale, courtesy of eBay!

(I'm also poor, but whatever.

)

Did anybody else see the props that are being auctioned off? A lot of them are from more recent seasons, and there are a lot of costumes, like Trance's catsuits and Dylan's famous buckled High Guard Uniform. But they're adding new stuff all the time, so I'm going to keep looking, much to my husband's distress.