Thoughts...

[TheHobb]

I've read a lot of comments here recently and thought I'd provide some of my thoughts for whoever is interested. Since I work in the film industry, these comments might or might not shed some light on some issues regarding how the industry works. I expect some will find my comments as detrimental to their efforts or controversial at best. That's fine, these are simply opinions based on my own observation and I am certainly not an expert or analyst of these sorts of things. I guess I'll just start typing and will eventually get around to the various points I'm trying to make so I apologize in advance if my thoughts meander around a bit.

Hollywood is unpredictable at best and usually insane in one way or another. This is because there is a lot of money at stake and what gets pushed through is more often a matter of politics, smooth-talking, and financial strategy than it is about content.

Take for example a mega-blockbuster-extravaganza that costs $400M to make (plus about $75M to advertise) and after it comes out, it makes $500 million in the theater. That's a gross profit of only about $25 million.

Now take a cheesy horror rip-off that costs 4 million to make (plus 1 million to advertise) and after it comes out it makes a measely 30 million. That's still $25M gross profit but with far less risk involved (only $5M out of pocket instead of $400M should the movie fail).

Even if the movie doesn't make much more than what it cost to produce, it will still continue to make money through video/dvd sales and rentals and will eventually be profitable. All for only a little bit of risk. If the big $400M movie flops and only makes say $75 million, it will be awfully hard for any profit to ever be made.

Television works much the same way. This is why there are so many sitcoms, they're generally cheap to make (at least at the start) and there's a high amount of interest in the viewing public. Even with only moderate interest, these shows are profitable. Shows like Firefly and Farscape though, ride the edge because they are often more expensive and are more unique, and therefore more risky regarding getting the viewership they need.

As a businessman, it's easy to see that content in this sense isn't as important as financial risk. Make a few big blockbusters or high-cost television series in succession that fail by mis-analyzing the public reaction and you're out of business. Make a hundred stinkers/B-grade/popular shows and a couple of them will probably hit some niche that will pay for all of them and then some.

When a project is greenlit, it is simply given a promise of financial backing. This can mean the studio exec deciding to put up the money likes the script, likes the director, likes the director's wife, was talked into it, or whatever. It doesn't mean anything is locked down and approved.

For example, Spider-Man 2 is greenlit but at this point there isn't a script. They've been shooting film in Chicago, here at Imageworks we're doing development, and a lot of things are progressing but until the script is bought off, any of it could change at any moment and many people's work will get thrown out the window. That's the nature of the beast and everyone working on it is (usually) getting paid whether they change their minds a hundred times or not. It's frustrating when they do but it's certainly not unheard of.

You can probably see where I'm heading with this. Galactica being greenlit is for the most part meaningless as far as what will come out as the final product. With it being greenlit though, chances are much higher that SOMETHING will be made and for that I'm happy. It means that someone has been convinced that it is possible to be financially viable for them to produce it.

This is not a guarantee that it won't get dropped again. There are many projects that get dropped even after being greenlit though. A few years back I remember a remake of The Incredible Mr. Limpet starring Jim Carrey was hot and heavy (I'm pretty sure it was greenlit at one time) but it ultimately fell through. Reasons why ,I'm not positive, but I would guess it to be primarily a lack of interest when polling the public and/or Jim Carrey's rise to stardom and becoming too expensive to bring on as being the lead. Galactica could just as easily go the way of the dodo for other reasons.

In Galactica's case, there is obviously interest and a lot of it. The problem is that as much as all the fans would like to believe they're on the same page, the truth is they aren't. Many fans couldn't care less whether the show was continued or "re-imagined," their priority is to see the show back on the air in any form and that it is done well.

Take Spider-man for example, remember noorganicwebshooters.com? Remember all the people harping on the fact that Mary Jane wasn't the one that Goblin dangled over the bridge (and actually killed)? Remember how people saying these changes completely change the Spider-man character and ruins the history among all the other nit-picky details that Raimi was changing?

I dunno, I really liked the movie and judging by the box office records pretty much everyone else did too. There were a lot of changes to the characters that the comic snobs agonize over but to the average fan, it didn't make a bit of difference. The movie was fun, well made, and ultimately a great piece of entertainment.

Galactica is no different. If it is well made it makes no difference whether Starbuck is female, the twelve colonies are on one planet, or even that there's several warships in the rag-tag-fleet. To some of the BG-snobs it will but to most sci-fi fans it truthfully won't because they will view these as simply cosmetic changes. Because of that and because of the financial considerations I mentioned above, it doesn't matter what the fans that have kept the show alive want. It only matters what the studio believes will sell and for that they go to all sci-fi fans, not the handful of of fanatics that are pushing their agenda on them (and yes, even a thousand or two or even ten of fanatical and vocal BG fans are but a handful of the millions upon millions of sci-fi fans out there).

This is where I think Moore is focusing, not just the BG fans but all sci-fi fans. One of the things that sci-fi fans in general argue about is the lack of realism in these types of shows. Even Babylon 5, which many fans praise for its accuracy, is picked on because even that show resorted to many of the things that simply work visually and not scientifically accurate. Example: Why do their fighters have to be in visual sight of their target anyway? Our fighters today can engage targets that aren't visible to the naked eye. It's because it's compositionally more interesting.

He may be trying to come up with a show that for once really does exhibit realistic space combat and realistic space warfare. Will he succeed? I'd say maybe but probably not. Not because of the concept of trying to do so but because watching realistic space combat will likely be very boring and dry. As a fan of sci-fi and of action, I like laser bolts flying across the screen, I like dogfights with starfighters, and I like seeing stars flying past giving the impression of speed. To get these things, to compose the shots in a way that makes them exciting, some of this really needs to be there whether it is realistic or not. If he can pull it off though, it'd be brilliant and would make the show unique and refreshing.

This is not to say that he will go that way when the product hits our televisions or that it will stay that way as the series progresses. He says he wants to do this now but that can change when he gets to the reality of making the show. The same can happen with the female Starbuck and whatever else. The script probably has many rewrites left to go before its final form will be realized.

Recreating the show is another option that Moore is focusing on. Most BG-snobs focus on keeping the status-quo, as really any fanatic of any subject does. If it ain't broke, don't fix it kind of attitude. The thing is, most sci-fi fans that were even alive at the time haven't seen any BG show in twenty-plus years and barely remember it. Many argue that it doesn't matter, that a continuation can still work but really, it is less risky to start over and have complete control than to try to work with something that even those pushing the agenda can't really agree upon. One only needs to look at these forums to see the wide differences in opinions. If everyone agreed, there wouldn't be threads hundreds of posts long in argument.

This is hollywood. It is a business that is really only concerned about making money, and to do that, it is a business that is only interested in making their product entertaining to as many people as possible. They'll listen to their audience to a point but they won't be controlled by them. There will be a point where they say "ok, enough is enough, we're doing it this way and you can like it or not because it looks like the best direction to go and this is what we want to do."

Todd

[Titon]

Thanks for posting this Todd, it's answered some of my questions for sure.

Good luck with Spidey!

Don

[Titon]

For all those up front Todd has worked with helping the Gladiators site with many professional based questions for over a year now. He even has a spot of his own on the main Glads Premiere section called the Psychotropic Ward. You can see him there occasionally were he's graciously answered many a fledgeling artist's question. Steve Wilson from this site has also built many of Todd's conceptual Galactica ships.

I look forward to hearing more of your insight Todd. Again Thanks!

PS, how's married life?

[Stevew]

Thanks for the insite Todd. Todd's concepts are what I tried to bring to life, when Todd speaks it it good to listen. As Don said good luck with Spidy
Steve

[thomas7g]

I agree with alot of Hobbs sentiments. I believed in those opinions before he posted here.

several things I would like to not though.

I don't think disliking Starbucks new found gender switch to qualify one for any sort of snob classification.

Also I would point out that Universal is on the financial ropes. So producing an expenxive show with Hatch, an unproven producer, may be more risk than they are willing to take right now. And they probably will only feel comfortable if someone with a proven record does this.

And quite frankly the studio don't care if Moore makes all the characters gay as long as they make a profit.

[thomas7g]

But also...remember right now Universal is vulnerable, so alot of bad PR is something Universal will try to avoid.

[TheHobb]

and you're welcome!

Thomas, you're right, Starbuck's gender isn't really a snob item but it does fit with the other items that in my opinion doesn't affect what I liked overall about Battlestar Galactica and for that reason I call it cosmetic. If the show is excellent and Starbuck is a female with a well-written role, I think only those that are snobs (and I only use that term for those that are so hung up on the changes that they can't see the worth of what's new) won't eventually accept the actress in that part.

Sort of like how the true Star Trek OS snobs have never accepted The Next Generation and to this day bash it even though there were many fantastic episodes.

p.s. married life is good, just bought our first house and moved in last week. Things are going real well!

[Stevew]

Where did you move to? Still down in the Mar Vista area?
S

[TheHobb]

Nope, Redondo Beach I guess I'll have to update my profile, eh?

[vmnjn]

Why can't we stay young, forever thinking women are icky.
Another man lost to the evil femalien apocalyptical plot that is marriage.
(Please don't tell my wife I'm saying this because I might get my nooky time revoked)
I agree with what you are saying, I am also saddened by the results. It is true that it does boil down to simple economics. A continuation of some sort would be preferred though the nature of that continuation does not really concern me. I am just saddened over the probable loss of so much of BG that appealed to me. No matter the continuity or lack thereof I just hope the show is well done and packed with every possible mind-blowing and oh-my-gawding special effect they can cram in.

Brought to you by SciFi Boom Society: If its in space, its in pieces.

[Stevew]

Redondo Beach, there are some great places down there but just too many people for me. Did you ever get a chance to see your searcher?
S

[Titon]

Hey Todd that sounds great!

Now you know what comes next...................kids!

[TheHobb]

I think a dog is next :laugh:

Steve, yep I saw the searcher and it looks great!

[Stevew]

Thanks Maybe someday we will see then in more than stills hehe
S

[LucianG]

Thank you for some good points, Todd. Since Baby Tre STILL won't go to sleep (ie, typing 1 handed, long after normal bedtime!), I'm posting an excerpt of my latest letter. While not everyone is ever going to be pleased with Mr. Moore, we may have him whether we like it or not, so I've tried to express an idea we've discussed here, at least briefly, as a compromise that would leave the door open for a continuation with the original characters at some point in the future.

"...there is a way of continuing Ron Moore’s Battlestar Galactica that will preserve the original AND allow for a possible future continuation as a theatrical release. It would mean some minor rewriting at this point, but as an ardent supporter of the continuation, it could win my support if well written. Rather than reimagine the original as Mr. Moore has proposed, project the series about two or three hundred years into the “future” following the original Battlestar Galactica. The colonists led by our heroes of the past settled on a new world or worlds after failing to find Earth. As this area of space began to prosper, contact was again made with the Cylons, and the story begins anew with Mr. Moore’s new events and characters, some of whom may have been named in honor of the original heroes. There would be no question of having any of the original characters in the new show since they would be long dead. The Battlestar Galactica could be a new ship that replaced the original, thereby allowing Mr. Moore’s design...."

IF the new mini-series is well-done as a continuation in the distant "future," Mr. Moore could basically do whatever he wanted in his continuation without contradicting or invalidating the original, and I would support it. That IF looms awfully big in the previous sentence, though. Assuming it so, Universal then has the opportunity to expand the fanbase, make money on the new show, AND reviving interest in the old show, sell DVD's and possibly a new theatrical release with the original characters and actors as well.

Tony

ps He's almost asleep...again.

[thomas7g]

*bump*

[Ninja]

Hadn't seen this post before.
It may be old now but what an interesting read.

[thomas7g]

Todd is quite talented. He is one of our orignal members. And he has gone a long way in the special effects field

[TheHobb]

Thanks Thomas, though a little news of late; I'm getting laid off from Sony after 5 years of being here (tomorrow is my last day actually).

Imageworks is overbudget by about $20M, has a bunch of people on contract, and has nothing to work on (other than R&D for various shows) for the next 5 months. So, at-will guys like me are all getting the axe.

Not all is lost though, it looks pretty likely that Digital Domain is going to make me an offer within the next week or two and Sony will probably want me back in about 6 months which is about the time when the show DD wants me for will end. Add to that a severance package and that sony policy is that if you're not gone for more than a year your benefits treat you as if you'd never left, thinks might actually work out great.

My email address toddb-at-imageworks.com is going to be inactive as of tomorrow so if you need to reach me, email me at thehobb-at-adelphia.net or birdie_t_raven-at-yahoo.com.

Sorry I haven't been around much lately, have just gotten distracted with projects and other aspects of life lately.

We got a dog by the way, a dachshund we named Bra'tac.

Todd

[thomas7g]

I'm sorry Todd to hear about Sony. I know how ya feel. I was in Mouseworks and had a similiar problem. So I feel for ya. But you are talented. So I know you will do fine!

A week isn't too bad. Loss of a week's pay sucks, but You will have a mini vacation to make the most of. You can do some more cool art for yourself! At least that's what I would do. Though you probably have alot more interesting ways to take up your week.

Keep in touch Todd. Let us know how things go.

Ganbatta ne! (hang in there!)

[Titon]

Hey Todd, sorry to hear about this. I'm amazed that first rate talent like you would even be let go but i know how you feel. I've had less contact with doing this stuff professionally than you have had but i know what it's like to loose work already.

I have no doubt you'll spring back with a vengence. Good luck to you and your family.

Don

[Stevew]

Sorry to hear Todd, At Will sucks but it looks like you have options. They would be stupid to let someone with your talent dangle for too long
Steve