A Station Eight Fan Web Site
Ask Greg Archives
Starship Troopers
Archive Index
: « First : « 10 : Displaying #15 - #24 of 49 records. : 10 » : Last » :
Posts Per Page: 1 : 10 : 25 : All :
AZRAEL writes...
HELLO GREG!!!!! I WRITE TO YOU FROM PERU, IN SOUTHAMERICA!!!!!! AND I REQUEST TO YOU THAT EXCUSE MY WRONGS,SINCE MY NATIVE LANGUAGE IS NOT THE ENGLISH. MY QUESTION IS: COULD YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE FINAL EPISODES OF "ROUGHNECKS"?
SERIE WAS AIRED HERE WHIT VERY HIGH AUDIENCE RATINGS, BUT THERE WAS NOT THE FINAL EPISODES. ABOUT THE END OF THE WAR AGAINST THE BUGS. I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IT!!!!!!!
PLEASE, GREG, ANSWER ME,SINCE I WRITE YOU FROM PERU (VEEEEEEEEEERY FAR).
THANS AND GOOD LUCK, GREG!!!!!!!!!!!!
Greg responds...
Sony had an order for 40 original episodes. And we wrote all 40. And we voice recorded all 40.
But at some point -- I think because one of the CGI studios declared bankruptcy, taking with it a chunk of Sony's budget -- Sony decided that to save money on the order of 40, they'd have to cut four episodes and replace them with four clip shows.
By that time, pre-production was pretty far along. Since this was a money-saving solution (not a creative one) in the first place, it made budgetary sense to shelf the episodes that had the least work done on them. So the last four episodes were shelved. Then someone realized that the episode depicting the destruction of Buenos Aires would be extremely expensive to produce. So that one got shelved and they put the fourth to last episode back into the pipeline.
John Skeel writes...
Hey Greg,
What's the story on Max Steel? What are you up to lately? Want to have lunch? Call me sometime. johnskeel@hotmail.com
Greg responds...
Hey John,
About two years ago you posted the above message on ASK GREG.
Unfortunately, I'm so far behind answering ASK GREG questions, I only just saw the message. Two years out, I don't know if this hotmail address will still work. I know that the old e-address I have for you is dead. As are all the phone numbers. I haven't been able to reach you in forever.
On the other hand, I've had the same damn contact info since leaving DreamWorks in 1998.
So I don't feel too guilty.
Anyway, I'm still freelancing. I did a season of Max Steel.
What have you been up to?
FYI: John is a talented producer, that I partnered up with at DreamWorks. We also worked together on ROUGHNECKS at Sony. Haven't talked to him in a long while.
Laura 'ad astra' Ackerman writes...
Not a question- just a comment:
I saw a notice on SciFi.com that the latest Starship Troopers DVD was coming out (February). I took a look at it and the other three on Amazon.com. They are a fangirl's ideal! Episodes + lots of comentary (from recognizable names :) + behind the scenes. Now if I could only afford them... oh well, next career.
Still, somebody must be in a profitable profession. If "Amazon.com sale rank" means what I think it does two of the DVDs are among the ~50 and ~60 most common ordered things today. (or were in February)
Between that and noticing Disney has put a little link next to some of the Gargoyles tapes to say "I'd love to see this in DVD form" I think things bode well for a DVD release here too.
Greg responds...
Things bode very well, as the DVDs are scheduled to be released in 2004 to coincide with the series tenth anniversary.
And I think those Starship DVDs turned out great. I highly recommend them. (And I get no financial benefit from doing so.)
Sanjai K. writes...
Hi Greg, I'm a big fan of the Starship Troopers Roughnecks series, which you wrote for. I wanted to ask you, did the worlds we saw the Roughnecks fighting on then comprise all the worlds involved in the "First Interstellar War"? Or were there other worlds being fought over during that war, which we didn't get to see? Also, since I notice that it's referred to as the "First Interstellar War," does that mean that there were other interstellar wars following that one, presumably with different enemies? Again, the show was incredible -- so sorry that more episodes were never made.
Greg responds...
I wasn't the producer of that show, just one of the story editors, so what follows is only my opinion.
I believe that there were other planets involved in the war that the Roughnecks just weren't assigned to.
And I know we had plans for a second season and another "war". But we never got to even produce the last three episodes of the first season, so a second season obviously never materialized.
Zelandonii writes...
Will you be making any kind of public appearences in Northern California in the foreseeable future? Or anywhere else other than the Gathering? (I don't plan to bombard you with a dozen tedious questions about the ages of various characters while you're minding your own business at the supermarket or anything like that)
Greg responds...
I don't often get asked to make "public appearances".
I go to the Gathering every year, because (a) it's a blast and (b) they pay my way. I couldn't afford it otherwise.
I have been going to the San Diego Comiccon the last few years because the Starship Trooper fans have organized a panel and invited me. And I can afford to drive down to San Diego for a day. Don't know if I'm going this year. Don't know if they're doing the panel this year. I haven't been contacted.
I'd happily go anywhere I was invited assuming it was either close and uncostly and/or my way was paid.
So if you want me in NoCal, I'm not that hard to get. I'm a con-whore.
Aaron writes...
I just wanted to ask, what's your feeling on clip shows? I think they can be fun, in a kind of remember great moments of a series, or recap for new audience members way, but they can also be percieved as laziness on the part of the writers and/or actors. (Or am I completely wrong, and it's really, really hard to find a decent plot contrivance to string a clip show out)
Anyway, what's your feeling on them, and would we ever have seen a gargoyle clip show?
Greg responds...
I've never been a huge fan of clip shows -- which are absolutely NOT about writer (or any other staff member's) laziness. Rather they are a reflection of budgetary (and occasionally deadline) concerns. Clip shows are MUCH less expensive, for obvious reasons. And they can be put together, even with a framing sequence, much more rapidly than a typical episode.
I recall admiring some early year SIMPSONS clip shows, for being cleverer than most. And I actually think FRIENDS has done a half-decent job at taking a clip show and making it matter to the audience by tying the flashbacks to a character's important decision. But usually, I don't much care for clip shows. For example the STARSHIP clip shows all make me cringe, though I know that the people involved were working their hardest to make something worthwhile out of them. And the fact that some of my material was used in the clips is flattering, but doesn't actually make it work any better. Of course, I'm biased. Those clip shows on ROUGHNECKS were done to save money -- and they took the place of my last three episodes which would have concluded the series.
Like I said, just not a fan.
Jacob writes...
Hi Greg
Are there any series you have produced or created that you like more than others? Maybe you could write your three favourite ones.
Greg responds...
Well, Gargoyles. Duh.
But I also really loved working on Starship Troopers aka Roughnecks, though I was neither the Producer or Creator.
(I assume we're limiting this discussion to series that actually made it on the air.)
Anyway, those would be my top two, in that order.
Anonymous writes...
You idiot, do you actually think he'll answer everyone of those questions. If he actually gives straight forward and clear responses for half of these then I'm a monkey's uncle.
Greg responds...
Wow. Anonymous. Looks like you've got a new moniker.
Ladies and gentlemen, "A Monkey's Uncle".
I love being unpredictable.
Blaise writes...
Hi again!
This question actually deals with the credits listing of the series (yeah, I know it seems I have too much time on my hands, but that's beside the point).
Two things about GARGOYLES' credits stood out. The first you already talked about--the writers recieving credit at the beginning of episodes during the first season. The second however I also found to be quite interesting--GARGOYLES actually gave a true cast list. Usually in these Disney shows, when the credits say, "With the Voice Talents of..." they just lump the actors' names together without telling who they played. GARGOYLES was the first Disney animated series I know of (BUZZ LIGHTYEAR did it later) that actually listed both the actors and the characters they played. This enabled me to (when I started taping the episodes and could hit pause) more fully discover just how diverse and talented this cast was. I could recognize names and see if a person played multiple roles, and I was quite pleased.
So...
1) Is there any story behind this, like there was for giving the writers' credit up front?
2) Whatever the case, I'm glad I could know who played who.
Thanks!
Greg responds...
I don't know if this would qualify as a story, but I liked how Batman the animated series listed who played who. It seemed to show more respect for the actors (and as I was a fan of Batman) more respect for the fans who might be VCRing the thing and want to know.
So we followed their lead. And I'm glad we did. I tried to talk SONY into doing that for Starship and/or Max Steel, but they weren't interested.
GATHERING 2001 DIARY: Part Five
Monday, June 25, 2001
Once more, Kathy knocked on my door to wake me for the staff breakfast.
Once more, I ignored the first knock.
Once more, she didn't give up.
Once more, I got up and answered the door, telling Kathy I wouldn't make it to the breakfast.
Once more, I did get down there in time to catch the tail end of the breakfast and get some juice.
I checked out of the hotel and put my stuff in my car.
The first panel of the day was for Roughnecks: The Starship Trooper Chronicles. This was actually the panel I had been most nervous about. The reason? Well, we had gathered an impressive list of guests: David DeLuise, Jamie Haines, Alex Polinsky, Rino Romano, Steve Staley, James Horan, Jason Marsden, Sue Blu, Wayne Boon, Vince Edwards, Russ Isler, Joe Lawson, Dave Hartman, Lydia Marano, Jay Oliva and Tom Pugsley. But the panel was scheduled for 10am on Monday the night after the Masquerade. I was afraid that our panelists would outnumber the attendees. Fortunately, that wasn't the case. I played an episode from the series: "Funeral for a Friend". Mostly because it's my personal favorite. Yes, I wrote it. But I just love how it turned out, particularly the epilogue funeral itself. Then we gathered for the Q&A, which was fun. A lot of these guys hadn't seen each other for awhile. Then a short signing. Finally, I had to clear the room for the next panel.
3x3 Eyes. Guests included Thom, Jonathan Klein, Taliesin Jaffe, Mia Korf and Susan Chesler. This was a nice little panel too.
Then a short break and closing ceremonies. Lots of people getting thanked....
I hung out downstairs for awhile, then Brynne and Russ and I meandered up to the con suite. The Dead Dog Party took a while to get started. But we shared a pizza with the constaff. And then I had to take off. (My family missed me.)
And that, was the con.
But once again, I'd just like to thank everyone involved. Jen and the whole constaff, in particular. But also the guests and supporting members. And especially the fans who shelled out and showed up. It was great meeting you/seeing you again, etc. It makes my year. I'm already psyched about Virinia Beach in August, 2002. And, although, I wouldn't wish the workload on any of my friends on the G2001 staff again, I do hope that sometime we have the chance to do the con in L.A. once more. In terms of Gathering the cast and crew that worked on the show, you just can't beat proximity to where they all live. You guys always treat me wonderfully, but it was also very gratifying to see everyone else on the show get a chance to share in your respect and appreciation. GARGOYLES was never a one man operation, and I'm glad you all got the chance to meet each other.
I'd also like to point out, what I'm sure you're all very aware of -- how feeble my Gathering diary is. I have no defense. Except that I'm a fiction writer not a journalist. I've been lurking around though, and diaries by Christine, Lexy, Aaron, BrooklynX, Greg Bishansky, Shan, etc. have really put mine to shame.
And I'm also sorry that I missed a few things at the con. I was so busy, I didn't ever get to see Crispin's mythology seminar. I spent almost no time in the video room and it would have been fun to watch some of the shows with you guys. And although, I did get to the art room, I never had time to just hang there and really absorb everything (I never had time to vote, for example), and I somehow completely missed seeing the MAP that won the big prize. If it's scanned online and there's a link, I'd sure appreciate someone sending the link my way.
Thanks, gang. You rock. (Pun intended.)
Greg
: « First : « 10 : Displaying #15 - #24 of 49 records. : 10 » : Last » :