Every couple of days, as today, I get one or another message saying,
"In this episode, did you have anything to do with, or were you involved
with...." and it's the script, or an actor, or whatever. All legitimate
questions. In thinking about this, it occured to me that maybe it might
be a good idea to go over what an executive producer actually *does*.

So file this under "How I Spend My Days," by J. Michael Straczynski,
Age 12

1) I write scripts. 12 the first year, 15 the second. When you see
my name on a script, every action and dialogue was written that way. My
scripts are very detailed. There is very, *very* little improv allowed
on the show, not necessarily because I think each word is golden but
because a changed word can mess up an important sentence that foreshadows
something 4-6 episodes down the road. If an actor is having a problem
with a line, which happens occasionally but rarely, and wants to substitute
one word with another, somebody comes from the stage to my office, 15 feet
away, and checks to make sure it's okay.

2) I work with the prosthetics/makeup people in conceptualizing
and approving makeups. I partly sculpted the original version of Delenn's
headpiece in the pilot. Prosthetics folks read the script, come up with
several designs, run them past me, and I approve one or the other.

3) I work with the costume designers, again with final approval on
all elements. Sometimes if I have something specific in mind, I'll try
and sketch it out. (I can't draw for squat, and our costume designer finds
my pathetic scribblings very amusing, and...."cute." I once drew a kitty
on the same page as a costume note, just to show her i was improving my
range. She stuck it on her wall. Argh.) Usually she comes up with
designs, runs them past me, I make some notes or suggestions of varying
coherence, and she runs with it.

4) I approve all set designs, and again, once in a while, will get
into the act with a rough sketch of one sort or another. Any artwork,
posters, signage, set dressing, props...all go through my office for
personal approval.

5) Along with the director and a few others, I sit in on all casting
and have final right of decision, along with Doug, and we rarely
disagree.

6) I approve all directors and writers for the show, and work with
both. In the case of directors, we speak about the episode many times,
and have "tone meetings" just before shooting in which we go over every
page to discuss the visualization and make sure we're on the same track.
I try to slip out onto the set when possible to make sure we're still on
the right track. If I see something that may not be what I had in mind,
I'll either defer if it works, or if I'm concerned, I'll pull the
director aside for a quiet discussion, and let the director relay my
notes to the actors. (On the set, there can only be one voice, and that
is the director, in terms of relaying instructions to crew and cast.)

7) I work with the composer, determining in- and out-cues for music,
and where I have something in mind, expressing it to Christopher.

8) Working with the CGI folks on exactly what given sequences should
look like, and how long they should be.

9) After the director makes his/her cut, John Copeland and I go in to
make the producer's cut. We sometimes re-edit every frame, or do a light
dusting. Generally I work more with the character stuff, and he's good at
action stuff (hence my nickname for John, Captain Action). We sometimes
spend as much as two days going over every single frame, to tighten and
make it stronger.

When you have a crew and cast as talented as we do, a lot of the
preceding stages amount to basically saying "yup" a lot, and in all of
this, John Copeland is my good right arm; I rely on his judgment
implicitly.

(John is also our resident military expert, and he does a lot to
keep us in line with tradition. I think when the B5 history is eventually
written, his importance to the show will really come through.)

jms