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J.M.S. Updates and Blows Off Some Steam....

From: jmsatb5@aol.com (Jms at B5)
Date: 29 Jun 2001 23:11:27 GMT
Lines: 115

Some general round-up things....

1) As folks sorta kinda know already, in addition to the B5 pilot movie, I'm
doing another project (a series) which goes into full-blown prep in just a few
weeks. Due to the air date being moved up a bit, and consequently the start of
filming and prep being moved up, I'm going to be unable to make it to San Diego
Comic Con this year. My apologies for those who were hoping to see some of the
footage from Rangers that I'd planned to bring. (And with regrets, I can't let
anyone else walk around with that stuff.) I've only missed it once before, due
to pneumonia, because it's my favorite convention and the ONLY big one I was
planning to do this year, but the way the shooting schedule is laying out, I
don't have any choice.

2) On the topic of the other, non-B5 project...which I *still* can't talk about
by name because the deal hasn't been announced yet (it's making everybody
nuts)...we're deep into casting, we've hired about 90% of our crew, and scripts
for the series are well underway. We will be rolling film on the opening movie
September 4th, finish that, then go right into filming the 18 episodes for a
total of 20 hours.

3) The producer's cut of Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers is now in hand,
and goes to the network and studio today. I think it's a really kickass movie,
and in terms of general production, performances, and stuff like that, it's
probably right there with In the Beginning (not in scale, of course, since ItB
is just *huge* and sews up the B5 storyline in this big tapestry, they're two
vastly different kinds of stories, but in terms of overall quality of
production and how well it works).

4) The latest draft of the Rising Stars screenplay, "Born in Fire," went to the
producers the other day, and I think we're now in pretty good shape. As it
turns out, there was an article in the Hollywood trades about a week or two
ago, in which MGM talked to vendors (licensees) about their upcoming films for
2002, and Rising Stars was among them...so thats kinda cool. If the first film
works out, they want to commission 2 more and make it into a trilogy that
reflects the 3 act structure of the RS comics.

5) My new graphic novel from Top Cow, "Delicate Creatures," will debut in
September at a bookstore near you. (I think it's coming out in hardcover.)

6) Jeanne Cavelos new installment of the Techno-Mage trilogy, "Summoning
Light," is scheduled to be out July 1st but is already in some stores.

7) Talks have resumed on the third TV project that I had alluded to earlier,
now that I've finished up enough stuff to clear the boards a bit, and I'll let
you know more about that if and when it becomes a reality.

8) Because of all the stuff going on in 1-7 above, there have been some delays
in the pub dates on RS and Midnight Nation. These are entirely my
responsibility because I can only write one word at a time, but I'll be
catching up shortly. Tow Cow has been very gracious in giving me the time I
need to get deal with the TV/film stuff.

-- and two annoying little nigglies to round it out to 10 --

9) Folks have emailed to ask if I'm still lurking on the scifi.com/babylon5
board because I haven't said anything there in a while...the answer is no,
because fan fiction began to show up, and where it is, I can't be. I do find
this kind of awkward, because it's the one thing I've ever asked from fans: if
you know I'm in X location, however infrequently, please keep fanfic away from
where I can see it, especially since I'm telling new stories now in the B5
universe and don't want to imperil myself legally by being exposed to fanfic.
There are plenty of sites where that stuff is available.

9a) A subset of 9 and a request...I keep seeing posts from people who are
freely exchanging textfiles containing the Crusade scripts that were posted on
bookface.com. To those folks, the rest of you can move on...I don't think
you've stopped to realize that what you're passing around so freely is my
property. It's not taking from WB, or TNT, it's taking from *me*. I own the
scripts that I write, under the Writers Guild Separation of Rights provision.
I allowed Bookface to put them up because they gave me assurances that they
could not easily or well be pirated. (They clearly did not anticipate the
ingenuity of some folks.) You are infringing on my rights, my copyright, my
ownership, and causing me to regret my decision to let folks see them, such
that I may never do this again because it greatly reduces my ability to ever
sell them or publish them in book form in future. You have, in effect, stolen
my property and are freely distributing same. That it's not available
elsewhere is not the issue; we all want things we can't have, or which are not
currently available. I'm asking you politely, as the guy who *made* this show
and *wrote* those scripts (and *owns* those scripts) for you to stop. If it
doesn't stop, I'm going to have to start taking action against those doing
this. (I've been giving my attorneys quite a workout lately, inclusive of
making sure that a certain individual who has been fabricating stuff about me
for six years on the unmoderated group...will do so no longer.)

10) Last bit of annoyance...in that past, I've recommended various websites to
folks as great places to shop or get free information...so it's only fair to
report back when it goes the other way. In all the time I've spent online, the
*worst* experience I've ever had has been with thinkgeek.com. They waited
weeks to send out stuff ordered for next-day shipment, screwed up the order and
sent the wrong stuff, spent weeks trying to get someone to talk to about it,
got the proverbial buck-passing, assurances made that were not kept, and the
result is that it's now three months and I'm still nowhere on the problems.
I've never seen a company this careless or inefficient or sloppy. If you're
looking for electronics to buy...go ANYwhere else. Trust me on this one.

Which is about the longest posting I've written in almost a year, because I
haven't had time to keep up on stuff...sorry for the frequent lapses, but as
noted above, things have been mad beyond description this year in terms of the
work involved, busier than at any other time in my life, so I've had to pull
back...on the theory that I can either write about the work or do the work, and
at this moment the latter has to take precedence.

Things will, one hopes, lighten up soon....

jms
jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
(all message content (c) 2001 by synthetic worlds, ltd.,
permission to reprint specifically denied to SFX Magazine
and don't send me story ideas)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


------------------
"Faith Manages"
 
Thanks for posting this, The One Who Was.

Folks, the crusade scripts issue is being discussed here in our crusade forum. Any comments on the rest of the above post?
 
"9) Folks have emailed to ask if I'm still lurking on the scifi.com/babylon5
board because I haven't said anything there in a while...the answer is no,
because fan fiction began to show up, and where it is, I can't be. I do find
this kind of awkward, because it's the one thing I've ever asked from fans: if
you know I'm in X location, however infrequently, please keep fanfic away from
where I can see it, especially since I'm telling new stories now in the B5
universe and don't want to imperil myself legally by being exposed to fanfic.
There are plenty of sites where that stuff is available."
--------------------------------------------

That's the part that really caught my eye, I mean obviously he must not "lurk" here or at The galactic gateway for the same reasons he doesn't at scifi.com/babylon5....
Shame really....

cool.gif
Millennium Man
cool.gif


------------------
"Faith Manages"
 
Well I don't see why he shouldn't come here (apart from lack of time!). We have a section specifically for fan fiction. The story ideas should be tucked away in there.
wink.gif
 
SwiftBiscuit,

Not necessarily. What about debates on subjects that give new ideas and explanations? I don't think he can see things like that, either.

This is one thing I really hate seeing in contracts. Marvel does this, too. If you're a writer for them, or ever have been a writer for them, you're not allowed to read fanfic or to take part in online rp (which, is a bit of a form of fanfic in its own way).

------------------
Ivanova is always right. I will listen to Ivanova. I will not ignore Ivanova's recommendations. Ivanova is God. And if this ever happens again, Ivanova will personally rip your lungs out.
 
True, but the posts at scifi.com/bablyon5 are labled as well....

I think he means he can't "lurk" anywhere it(fanfic) is at all because then nobody can say "He stole my idea, I know because he goes to that site"
Well he doesn't read the fanfic parts you say?
"Very convienent wouldn't you say your Honor?"
See, it's a damned if you do thing....

So really he basically has to stay away from sites that allow it at all I think....


------------------
"Faith Manages"
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by SwiftBiscuit:
Well I don't see why he shouldn't come here (apart from lack of time!). We have a section specifically for fan fiction. The story ideas should be tucked away in there.
wink.gif
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

And we are SO GOOD about posting in the right areas, aren't we?
tongue.gif


Actually, I get the impression that only tightly moderated messageboards and chats and such like that are all that JMS can do. I always thought it was because of time restrictions. I had NO IDEA about the rest of it. Law is the REAL 3-edged sword, isn't it?
crazy.gif


------------------
"Why not? Only 1 Human captain has ever survived battle with the Minbari fleet. He is behind me, you are in front of me. If you value your lives, be somewhere else."
 
I'm thinking of making this suggestion to Antony if he wants to encourage JMS to wander around here. - Place the following text in the banner and get every member to sign/click agreement.

"Story ideas are to be posted in the Fiction Forum. Any ideas posted outside this area are considered publicly owned."

Or something similar in legalese. Is it worth doing this?
 
This is not something new. JMS has been making this statement for several now since somebody sent him an idea for a story that was almost identical to a script he was writing for B5. I know he put the script aside and there was a lot of legal manoevering to get it straightened out. I'm sure Joe knows all the details.
smile.gif

Ever since then JMS has stated categorically no scripts, no story ideas, no fanfic. That is why he only posts in moderated groups.

------------------
 
Ivanova: >> Not necessarily. What about debates on subjects that give new ideas and explanations? I don't think he can see things like that, either. <<

I'm no expert on US law at all, but I don't see how anyone has a right on just a discussion that leads to ideas!
I personally follow the rules that SlipstreamBBS appears to have. There the show writers post in the same forum as threads describing how people expect the show to develop. Because they're guesses at not suggestions for future stories it's considered okay.

Slipstream Examples in the last 2 days:
"A couple of my theories regarding the show..."
"I figured out who Enigma is..."
If the writers of these posts happen to be correct, do they have a legal ownership? I doubt it.
 
SwiftBiscuit -- good idea. Just to be clear on that point... in case JMS wanders this way.


Point 1 is upsetting. I am going to Comic Con. I didn't know JMS was going/went. So now I'm upset about missing something that I didn't know was gonna happen anyway!
frown.gif



------------------
Dreg: "Most beauteous and supremely magnificent one, this dark spell I hold in my worthless and scabby hand is our gift to you, most tingly and wonderful Glorificus..."
Glory: "Please, call me Glory. And get up, looking at you is hurting my neck."
Dreg: "Forgive me, shiny special one. I beg of you to rip out my inadequate tongue."
Glory: "Gimme."
 
JMS will NOT come to sites where people post "wouldn't it be neat if..." messages. It was a message that started in Exactly that way that caused "Gethsemine" to be delayed an entire season while the Legal problems were worked out. It took only 3 or 4 sentences to describe an _Idea_ enough like the basic story to cause problems.

It's NOT just FanFic. It's Story Ideas.

Some stories take several pages to describe.
Others can be outlined "in 25 words or less..."

With the sort of freewheeling discussion that goes on here, JMS would not be able to lurk.

Lots of people have already tried to rationalize all the reasons why _Their_ story idea wasn't/isn't really a "Story Idea".

Or why _They_ would Never, Ever even Think of suing anyone. JMS isn't allowed to take the chance.

The Moderated newsgroups have a Moderator who READ every post and make sure JMS never sees any posts that step over the line.

I don't think any of the sysops here wants to take on THAT job.


------------------
Yes, I like cats too.
Shall we exchange Recipes?
 
I certainly have no problem moderating this forum in line with those guidelines. If Antony makes the ruling, I'll abide by it.
I read every post in this forum anyway, how else am I supposed to moderate it!
smile.gif


[This message has been edited by SwiftBiscuit (edited July 01, 2001).]
 
Think about how this would change the nature of this place, though. If I'm not mistaken, moderated groups read and either accept or reject all messages BEFORE they are posted. Think of the time dealy in posting.

------------------
"Why not? Only 1 Human captain has ever survived battle with the Minbari fleet. He is behind me, you are in front of me. If you value your lives, be somewhere else."
 
I just think it's incredibly sad that this world is SO business orientated and legalistic, that a dreamer of dreams and inspirational man, cannot freely walk around people who genuinely appreciate his work without the threat of legal action looming over him, this must be a bitter burden for jms to handle. He's knows what he wants for his works, he's not the sort of person who would want to rip off someones work, let alone feel the need to.

It's like people sueing their best friends over minor misdemeanors. Ok if they were injured fair enough, but forget this emotional damage rubbish. Everybody gets emotional damage at sometime in their life, and not everybody has the chance to make financial gain from it. Most Human beings just come to terms with it as best they can. If you sue the pants off people, just because you can and deep inside just for financial gain, you are basically pushing up insurance premiums for everybody else which is unfair.

By the way this is not having a pop at jms at all, nor people with genuine injuries and legal complaint. I am specifically referring to those people who are exploit and are in it for the money, the people whose existence forces jms to stay away.
mad.gif


------------------
"We Live for the One. We die for the One!"
 
You should see how the fanfic-writers are responding to JMS' comments over at scifi.com! Not well, I'm afraid. And one in particular is calling anyone who criticizes her a "JMS Worshipper". Give me a break!

Tammy

------------------
 
Antony, you're going to ComicCon? Hope you like San Diego!
smile.gif


Tammy

PS--Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend--I have to work.

------------------
 
hypatia: >> If I'm not mistaken, moderated groups read and either accept or reject all messages BEFORE they are posted. Think of the time delay in posting. <<

True
frown.gif
I guess I'm talking about relaxed moderation, where there's someone who wanders around the forum maintain standards. What we have now, really.
Unmoderated is, obviously, a free-for-all.
Full moderation would, I agree, have an impact on this place. And I personally would have to resign. My job means I can't promise to approve every post in a timely fashion.
frown.gif
Something Bakana was alluding to I suppose.

Despite your tounge-in-cheek comment, Hypatia, I think we are getting good at posting in the right areas. Relaxed moderation is a more risky system, but I think we could carry it off!
smile.gif



Like JMS would really be interested in the conversations going on here anyway!
laugh.gif
 
[QUOTE}
Despite your tounge-in-cheek comment, Hypatia, I think we are getting good at posting in the right areas. Relaxed moderation is a more risky system, but I think we could carry it off!
smile.gif



Like JMS would really be interested in the conversations going on here anyway!
laugh.gif
[/QUOTE]

Actually, I was laughing at myself and an early "introduction" to Antony. OK, so I posted in the wrong place. I'd never posted on any messageboard anywhere before, and I did not know that you have to go here and there before you can post in the proper category (heck, I didn't know at the time that there even were categories I think).

And the point I think is that any moderation other than extreme puts an author up to a legal risk. It's a shame, but I think I'd stop coming here if the kind of moderation required were enforced. Actually, I don't see HOW it could be, since I believe every mediator has a job!

And BTW, now I post in the right areas. I hope.
crazy.gif


------------------
"Why not? Only 1 Human captain has ever survived battle with the Minbari fleet. He is behind me, you are in front of me. If you value your lives, be somewhere else."
 

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