First B5:TLT photos & report from jms

[Alpha-1]

Title: First B5:TLT photos & report from jms
Author: jmsatb5@aol.com
Date: 1 Dec 2006 16:33:39 -0800
Message-ID: <1165019619.083570.226170@80g2000cwy.googlegroups. com>

Sometime tomorrow, an email from the scripts team at
www.babylon5scripts.com will go out with information containing the
first somewhat detailed report and my on-set photos, mostly taken
during pre-production, from the set of Babylon 5: The Lost Tales.
Sometime thereafter there will be a link to the info at the main
scripts site, but for those who want to get an early peek at these
behind-the-scenes shots, go ahead and get on the list and you'll get it
when it goes out tomorrow.

jms

[Falcon1]

Damn it... tomorrow already. Can't wait to see the pics and read the report. Can someone post em here if they get them?

[samuelk]

Photos from the set can now be found here (http://www.babylon5scripts.com/TLT-JMS-Photos.html).

[ShadowDancer]

omg its actually happening!!! i didnt really believe it till i looked at those photo's, but its actually real!

*faints*

[Biggles]

I love the Minbari union photo. :D

[Random Chaos]

He should just upload them to the wiki :p

[DarthCaligula]

Wow, babylon5.com? That hell-hole will actually be updated? They still killed the old board, so I still hate them. Then again, I hated them even when I was posting there!
DIE YOKO DIE!!!!!
Colonel Lochley? By the B5 EA ranking, doesn't that mean that in about three years (since Crusade was in 2267) she's gone up at least two ranks? Or is it just a dumb mistake JMS made while typing that post? Hell, maybe she got that Apocalypse Box from Gideon to speed through the ranks like him!

[DarthCaligula]

Duuuuh... wait a minute.... three years? Uh.... That would actually be five years I guess. ME SMART!!

[David of Mac]

Originally posted by DarthCaligula
Colonel Lochley? By the B5 EA ranking, doesn't that mean that in about three years (since Crusade was in 2267) she's gone up at least two ranks?

There's only been one other Colonel in Babylon 5, that psycho in "Eyes," and it's difficult to tell if he was above, below, or sideways to Commander Sinclair. The only ranks we've heard of above captain are "Admiral" (and then only from that other psycho remarking that Sinclair was expected to become one, plus a character in the "Into The Fire" game), and General (which was virtually every other time a flag officer was mentioned or seen).

Anyway, you are right that in Battlestar Galactica, Colonel is two steps above Captain, with Major in-between. Of course, on B5, it seems that Major is either below or equivalent to Lieutenant-Commander....

I need a drink.

[Random Chaos]

Probably the difference between ground forces, fighter pilots, and ship commanders. Hmm. We never did figure this out for the wiki :)

[Messiah]

Is this really happening??! LLORT!!

[DarthCaligula]

I think that the list in I've Found Her is accurate. Let me go check my B5 magazines and see what I find....

[croxis]

December 1, 2006

As I write this, we have finished principal photography on "Babylon 5: The Lost Tales," coming in under budget and finishing a full day ahead of schedule.

This first DVD, entitled "Voices in the Dark," covers the same 72 hour period of time as Sheridan travels on board a Presidential Cruiser en route to Babylon 5 from Minbar for a celebration marking the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Interstellar Alliance. One part of the story follows Sheridan as he picks up an unexpected visitor on the edge of Centauri space, Prince Regent Dius Vintari, and a warning about what will come afterward delivered by the techno-mage, Galen. The other part of the story is set aboard Babylon 5, as Colonel Lochley summons a priest from Earth space to deal with a problem that may have dark supernatural overtones. The two parts of the greater story intersect at certain key plot and thematic points, so that they overlap and complement each other while telling separate, but simultaneous, stories.

The first DVD is going to require nearly 200 EFX shots, taking us all over Alliance space, and Babylon 5, which is being redesigned using the latest CGI technology. The same CGI is being used to create virtual sets a la Sin City, but on an even more detailed basis, in many cases integrating them with practical sets based on the original blueprint designs for Babylon 5.

A number of behind-the-scenes pieces were shot for inclusion on the DVD, as well as a number of original short pieces that will be filmed in February which feature glimpses into the future of Babylon 5 and her characters.

We have set-up a temporary webpage of photos from the shoot from my personal collection. These images mark the very first photos to emerge from production.
[http://babylon5scripts.com/TLT-JMS-photos.html]

For more information, keep an eye on www.babylon5.com as well as Babylon5scripts.com. WB will be integrating the internet as a key component for promoting B5:TLT and we are pleased to be a part of that effort.

[DarthCaligula]

Aha. Issue No. 17 of Official Babylon 5 Magazine, The Great Machine (Fiona Avery Q&A). She got this from John Copeland (this is only a part of what he said about it all):

So I've listed the ranks in grouping as a break-down. each rank listed second or third is lower than the first, except for Admiral and General. (i.e. Lieutneant [sic] Colonels are lower than Colonels.)
Admiral/General: They are of equal standing, however Admirals (and one of the reasons we didn't see them) are fleet (as in Pacific Fleet, or Atlantic Fleet) commanders. Generals (at least in our series) tend to be involved still on the tactical level. General Franklin and General Hague are two examples of tactical appearances on the show.
Colonels, Lt. Colonels, Majors: This is why Major Krantz outranked Sheridan, because Captains come next in order. [DarthCaligula's note: I think he meant Major Ryan from Severed Dreams]
Captain, Commander, Lt. Commander: The two Commander ranks tuck back into the Naval system.
Lieutenant, 1st Lieutenant and Ensign: These are the next levels coming down the ladder.
Security Chief: (As in Garibaldi). Even though Garibaldi was really, technically, outside the military. We never really explored how EarthForce Security worked in tandem with the military. I have also thought that they were like the Air Police of the AirForce, but again we never set that in stone.
And then we go into the regular ranks. Our chevrons and all were based on British versions. Some of our officers, like Major Krantz, wore British style pips of rank.

[David of Mac]

B-but Major Atumbe was below Ivanova...

I'm just going to concentrate on how the Admiral/General issue finally makes sense now, and that makes me happy.

[Falcon1]

Cool pics. Great to see the cast photo, really cool. And they're next door to BSG? Thats funny. Maybe they should sneak some vipers into the cgi scenes :)

[Messiah]

They could always have someone watching "classical TV".. ;)

[TheGimp]

I don't know if this will apply here, but the rank of 'Captain' and 'Commander' can be Command ranks, granted because of the position held. So the Captain or Commander of a ground base/space station/ship will outrank any Majors or Colonels in his command, because he is the boss of that installation/vessel.
Regarding Garibaldi, although his position was non-military, it was a position of command (being in charge of security for the entire station) and so the impression I got was that that put him on the same level as Ivanova or Franklin.




I think...


;)

[Messiah]

Sounds reasonable.

[Chicky]

Originally posted by Alpha-1 First B5:TLT photos & report from jms

quote:Title: First B5:TLT photos & report from jms
Author: jmsatb5@aol.com
Date: 1 Dec 2006 16:33:39 -0800
Message-ID: <1165019619.083570.226170@80g2000cwy.googlegroups. com>

Sometime tomorrow, an email from the scripts team at
www.babylon5scripts.com will go out with information containing the
first somewhat detailed report and my on-set photos, mostly taken
during pre-production, from the set of Babylon 5: The Lost Tales.
Sometime thereafter there will be a link to the info at the main
scripts site, but for those who want to get an early peek at these
behind-the-scenes shots, go ahead and get on the list and you'll get it
when it goes out tomorrow.

jms


Thanx for your report :)

with best regards
Chicky

[DarthCaligula]

Major Atumbe was only mentioned a few times in the first season, so maybe he was assigned to help run the place in its beginning stages? Would that actually make sense?

[E.T]

Originally posted by David of Mac
There's only been one other Colonel in Babylon 5, that psycho in "Eyes," and it's difficult to tell if he was above, below, or sideways to Commander Sinclair.Or left, right, or in a box by the door?
;)


Originally posted by TheGimp
I don't know if this will apply here, but the rank of 'Captain' and 'Commander' can be Command ranks, granted because of the position held. So the Captain or Commander of a ground base/space station/ship will outrank any Majors or Colonels in his command, because he is the boss of that installation/vessel.Yep, rank and command position are different things.

But actually naval captain seems to be higher than commander and even major of other forces.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_and_U.S._military_ranks_compared

[HuntSmacker]

The sets don't look that updated yet (panels aside), but I guess that's too early to tell ;)

[Mundane]

sweet

[Stingray]

No offense, but JMS without a beard is like Tom Selleck (Magnum P.I.) without a moustache. It just doesn't look right.

And that's all I have to say about that. :D

Great update though, I look forward to many more. Can't wait.

[DarthCaligula]

He'll grow a soul patch next.

[Entil'Zha]

Originally posted by TheGimp
Garibaldi, although his position was non-military, it was a position of command (being in charge of security for the entire station) and so the impression I got was that that put him on the same level as Ivanova or Franklin.




I think...


;)


Was his position Non Military? I thought he was Chief Warrant Officer, which was his position on Mars, he left mars at the request of Sinclair to become his Chief of Security, Since Garibaldi was an Earthforce officer on Mars, and was requested by an Earthforce commander to become Chief of Security on B5, i would have assumed it was a military transfer, and he would have retained his official Rank as CWO. (where CWO would fit in Rank structure i've no idea, but as Chief of security he would definately be in a command level position)

[Space Ghost]

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that JMS didn't ever establish a firm rank structure because he didn't feel it was that important.

I also think I read that Major Ryan was supposed to have a GROPO uniform but the wardrobe department made a mistake. This is the point that causes a lot of confusion. I really don't think Ryan outranked Sheridan (at least it didn't seem that way to me). If he did, that was only because he assumed command after Hague was killed. I prefer to think that Ryan was Hague's "right hand man" who commanded GROPOS. He changed uniforms (off screen) after Hague was killed in order to establish his command of the "rebellion" and the Alexander itself.

Then again, I could be full of shit. It seems that Lockley is now a Colonel... this should muddy the waters a little more. ;)

[TheGimp]

Originally posted by Entil'Zha
Was his position Non Military? I thought he was Chief Warrant Officer, which was his position on Mars, he left mars at the request of Sinclair to become his Chief of Security, Since Garibaldi was an Earthforce officer on Mars, and was requested by an Earthforce commander to become Chief of Security on B5, i would have assumed it was a military transfer, and he would have retained his official Rank as CWO. (where CWO would fit in Rank structure i've no idea, but as Chief of security he would definately be in a command level position)

Ah. I didn't know his official rank on Mars.
Playing with Google tells me that there is no 'Chief' WO rank in the British forces. CWO is primarily a US/Canadian rank. It is a kind of limited officer rank, with similar duties but no commission (they are instead 'warranted'), and the highest rank attainable without a commission. It can also be a command rank.
To my memory (which is far from perfect), Garibaldi was never referred to as a CWO on B5, always Chief of Security, although I wasn't aware that he was still officially an EarthForce officer whilst on B5. A military transfer does make sense, though.
Cheers for that.
:)

[Sanfam]

Might be helpful, might not.

http://tgm.firstones.com/wiki/Earthforce_ranks

Also, search is broken there, so...yeah. enjoy the lack of navigational potential ;)

[Random Chaos]

Fixed :)

Forgot to put the QSA flag on the rewrite rule.

[David of Mac]

Originally posted by TheGimp
To my memory (which is far from perfect), Garibaldi was never referred to as a CWO on B5, always Chief of Security, although I wasn't aware that he was still officially an EarthForce officer whilst on B5.

I don't remember if it was mentioned on-screen, but every off-screen reference I've seen lists his rank as Chief Warrant Officer, which also covers why his uniform was a different color.

[TheGimp]

Ah. Fair enough.

Isn't his uniform grey because he works security?



EDIT: I've posted a question in the Buda5 mod thread, if anyone wants to take a stab at it.

[Space Ghost]

Originally posted by Sanfam
Might be helpful, might not.

http://tgm.firstones.com/wiki/Earthforce_ranks

Also, search is broken there, so...yeah. enjoy the lack of navigational potential ;)

An interesting interpretation, thanks for the chart.

Unfortunately, it doesn't address why Ryan wore a blue uniform while others with a GROPO rank wore brown. Moreover, Lockely is now a Colonel so one wonders why she would "move sideways" in rank (according to that chart) rather than up. Her role (as far as we know) hasn't changed as B5's CO. But who knows?

[DarthCaligula]

Man, it's all so confusing. I used to go by the idea of the parallel ranks thing, but John Copeland's thing confuses me!

[Biggles]

Me, I don't bother worrying about it. jms himself has always said that whatever works best dramatically is what he does. :)

[Space Ghost]

But over analyzing trivial aspects of sci-fi is what we do! Just look at the BSG discussion at the Zocalo. ;)

[RubberEagle]

well, lochley could have lost her flight-status, and thus her rank was changed form "air" to "ground".

[Space Ghost]

Originally posted by RubberEagle
well, lochley could have lost her flight-status, and thus her rank was changed form "air" to "ground".

That is certainly possible.

[Messiah]

Originally posted by Biggles
Me, I don't bother worrying about it. jms himself has always said that whatever works best dramatically is what he does. :)

And thats why everything is so confusing.. Its not logical..

[RubberEagle]

Originally posted by Messiah
And thats why everything is so confusing.. Its not logical..
Actually, it is logical to use what works best ;)

[Entil'Zha]

"The universe tends to unfold as it should"