The novelization process has begun. I wish I could've adapted it myself,
but time constraints prohibit that. The writer who's agreed to take on the
project is one of the best, though, and a well-known SF writer to boot. More
on this as it develops.

We've finally locked down our line producer/unit production manager, who
rides herd on the physical production side...comes to us straight from JEDI
and INDIANA JONES and other high-profile films.

Meanwhile....WOW! Had the largest production meeting yet: me, my
associate and the other exec producer Doug Netter; producer John Copeland;
production designer John Iacovelli; Ron Thornton; our new line producer, and
others. And the newly finished sketches and blueprints for the sets were
rolled out.

I had no idea....

See, Iacovelli's been promising me a new, different, radical look for the
show. I've had a kind of general idea in my head from what he said, but it
came nowhere NEAR the reality of what he unrolled onto the table in front of
my boggled eyes. Take BLADE RUNNER, mix in a little ALIEN, add a touch of
Japanese design, some deconstructionist architecture, and an eye for colors,
and you've got something absolutely nifty. He's also made the most ingenious
use of soundstage space that I've ever seen; he has really pioneered some new
ways of doing things involving forced perspective, elevated sets, new uses for
trance lights, gymbaled sets, you name it.

Anyway, it's *really* cool. The amount of thought he's put into this,
into making this absolutely new and different, is staggering. See, if you're
doing a new TREK, for instance, a lot of the homework is done for you. The
doors open like THIS, in the middle...a turbo lift looks like THIS when it's
in operation.

But because this is a different show, in a different universe, we have to
go back to ground zero and think of ways we'd do this stuff based on new tech,
and different ideas. John came up with a new way of doing doors, and ports,
and transport tubes. Endless ingenuity.

After the meeting, Ron Thornton and I were talking, and he said, "Okay,
what's the deal on Babylon 4? I mean, are we ever going to see what happened
to it, or see it again?"

I smiled. "Do you REALLY want to know?"

He considered it for a moment. I think he gets nervous when I smile like
that. "Okay...sure."

So I told him. And his eyes went wide as pancakes. It was a wonderful,
Tex Avery effect. "Get out of here," he said, at first sure I was kidding. I
explained that I was quite serious.

Last I saw him, he was wandering off, muttering to himself, but growing
increasingly enchanted with the idea....

The shoot today (the behind-the-scenes preview shot at the office for
publicity purposes) went well. I *hate* being filmed, but I think I got my
main points across.

One other interesting thing Ron mentioned: apparently the GIFs from here
have been uploaded onto the Star Trek Echo Network (or whatever it's called)
BBS system, where apparently it's causing quite a stir.

jms