Starfleet Logsitics:AOL chats/Ronald D. Moore/ron031.txt

Jump to navigation Jump to search
Subj:  Answers
Date:  5/14/97 2:58:24 PM
From:  RonDMoore       

<<Three people that I think are smart surprised me by saying they prefered
Voyager to DS9 (not that there's anything wrong with that). When I pressed
for the reason why, the closest to a common factor I could find was that
there is so much background, they can't figure out what's going on with one
episode. Do you ever run into this viewpoint? >>

Yep, all the time.  We the writers enjoy the fact that our plotlines get
revisited and amplified from time to time and that the characters change and
evolve, but this presents the new viewer with a perceptual obstacle:  "I
don't know what's going on."  It's amazing just how big a bugaboo that is in
people's minds.  They don't want to invest the time to get to know the
setting and the characters and they'll just move on to another show.  This is
one of the most powerful arguments given by the studio against "serializing"
the show.  We like to continue plotlines and character development over the
course of a season, but the series was created as an episodic drama and each
story is theoretically a "stand alone" episode that can be watched without
having seen the previous week's chapter.   But unlike the Enterprise, which
went from planet to planet each week, DS9 doesn't go anywhere and our
storylines tend to hang around and need periodic followup.  This
 contradiction in intent has now resulted in a show that is neither strictly
episodic nor strictly serialistic.  

<<I was surprised that the descendants [in Children of Time] were so open
about the details of what happened when the Defiant originally crashed.
 Weren't they afraid of changing their timeline?>>

They probably were concerned, but they also knew that unless they could
convince the Defiant crew to help them with the "duplicate quantuum Defiant"
theory, their entire timeline would collapse anyway (remember that only
Yedrin Dax knew it wouldn't work).  Even if they had tried to hide their true
origins, the Defiant crew probably would've found out anyway.

<<What was the point of the sceen where changling Bashier was in the turn\bo
lift, then brought the cheif and Dax some cookies [in Purgatory's Shadow]?>>

The cut to Bashir took place right after we found out that he's a
shapeshifter and might be up to something dire back on DS9.  So you cut to
Bashir, see him in a new light, wonder what nefarious scheme he's up to, pull
back and... he's bringing them cookies.  It's a small play on the audience's
expectations and also shows just how much O'Brien & Dax accept him as their
own Bashir.

<<do you any idea why the guys at your studio are sitting out the DVD
launch?? >>

I don't know, but I'd imagine they're taking the "wait and see" approach
regarding this new system before jumping in.  Then again many of the
decisions by Paramount Home Video are baffling, like why they don't put out a
Trek Special Editition Laserdisc with additional footage, stills, artwork,
audio commentary, etc.  Or one for "Raiders of the Lost Ark."  Or "The
Godfather."  Or about fifty other great titles sitting in their library.

<<In "Rapture," were Captain Sisko's visions REALLY going to kill him, or was
that just something the Bashir-changeling made up to prevent Sisko from
seeing future Dominion plans?>>

The visions were really going to kill him.

<<By the way, Mr. Moore, would you rather see DS9 on UPN, or do you like
syndication better?>>

There are advantages to both.  We don't have a network to deal with and that
makes life easier for the writers and producers, but the downside is that we
don't have a consistant timeslot around the country or the power of a network
to promote the show.  On balance, I'm happy with DS9 in syndication.

<<I'd like to ask Ron Moore  who some of his favorite Sci Fi authors were
growing up, with apologies if he's answered this before.>>

I remember liking Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Larry Niven, and Andre
Norton.  But my sampling of Sci Fi was hit and miss as a kid and there were
many authors I never tried.
-----------------------
Subj:  Answers
Date:  5/14/97 3:27:13 PM
From:  RonDMoore       

<< is there a clause in the actor guild conracts that all main charracters
need an appearnce unless busy or other circumstances?  I mean it seems like
some charracters are just thrown in for a scene and a line just to give the
actor an appearence while Cirroc Lofton has been in a handfull of shows.
 Also, can you tell us what Colm, Rene and Armin were doing when they missed
their episodes this season?>>

Our cast is paid for every episode regardless of their screen time.  Because
they are our lead actors and main characters for the show, we try to use them
in every show as much as possible -- after all, the series is about *them*.
 Sometimes that's difficult, but we always make the effort.  On a financial
level, as long as an actor appears in an episode, then s/he will recieve
residual payments when the episode is rerun at a later time.  As a result, we
usually try very hard to give everyone at least something to put them in the
show.  I don't recall exactly what Colm, Rene, and Armin were doing when they
missed the episodes in question, but I believe that it was another acting
project in each case that they wanted to do and we allowed them to
participate in.

<<Why wasn't Odo's place in Gaia society touched on at all?>>

Our intention was that Odo wasn't really a part of this society, that he'd
spent most of the time off by himself and kept away from the burgeoning
community.  I think there used to be a line or two in the script that
mentioned this, but somewhere in the rewriting process it got lost.  It's
difficult for a writer to keep all the balls in the air on an episode like
this one, and I don't think Rene should be faulted for what didn't make it
into the final draft.  The rewrite process on a TV series is brutal,
fast-paced, and done under a lot of pressure and it's not surprising that
sometimes nuances, small plot-points, and charming moments get lost along the
way.  That the show turned out to be a great episode in spite of all the
obstacles in its path, is a testament to Rene's abilities as a talented
writer.

<<How much talk was there among the writers on who in "Children of TIme"
would be the one that reprogrammed the autopilot?>>

This was a topic of much debate during the story break (the detailed
outlining and structuring of the show).  I believe that it in the initial
story, the quantuum Defiant duplicate idea did in fact work and that both the
ship and the colony were saved at the end.  There was dissatisfaction with
such a "pat" ending and I think it was Ira who originally suggested that Odo
change the autopilot to save Kira's life.  We argued the point around the
room quite a bit, but in the end the idea that Odo would sacrifice himself
and the entire colony for love was just irresistable.

<<What is your opinion of M. Piller writing ST9?  Is that even final,
contract signed, etc?>>

I think he's a great choice and I believe that the deal has been finalized.

<<What kind of preparations do the writers go through before making an
episode dealing with temporal mechanics?  Are there general guidelines you
guys use or is it anything goes?>>

There are no fixed guidelines.  We try to be consistant with the Trek
universe that we've established, but we're always willing to go for a new
take on temporal mechanics if we can make it work.

<<Are there any plans to release the music from this episode sometime in the
future? >>

I'm afraid I don't know.

<<do you mind all the side discussions Ron?>>

As I've said before, there are no real limits on the discussion/questions
here.  Say what you want, discuss what you want, ask the questions you want.
 Not everything interests me personally, but what does catch my attention,
I'll jump into wholeheartedly (see the past discussions on Holo-ethics and US
Presidents).  

<<what dates in the summer are you off?>>

We stopped filming April 22 and won't start again until early July.  The
writing staff will be outta here from May 16 -- June 9.
Real-World This article has a real-world perspective! Click here for more information
Previous:
Ronald D. Moore 030
AOL chats Next:
Ronald D. Moore 032

External links[edit source]