Text 428, 179 rader
Skriven 2006-05-24 23:31:00 av Robert E Starr JR (874.babylon5)
Ärende: Re: Anything new going on
=================================
* * * This message was from Charlie Edmondson to rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.m * *
*
         * * * and has been forwarded to you by Lord Time * * *         
            -----------------------------------------------             

@MSGID: <446decd3@news.cadence.com>
@REPLY: <sgkr62p2l930jdn37k66s7bb4bf48lhvh4@4ax.com>
Wendy of NJ wrote:
> On Fri, 19 May 2006 03:21:24 +0000 (UTC), Jon Schild <jjs@aros.net>
> wrote:
> 
> 
>>
>>Charlie Edmondson wrote:
>>
>>>Jan wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>In article <oK%ag.4$bY4.0@newsfe5-gui.ntli.net>, AC says...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Just recieved a reply from Mr Sprange. All I will say is that he 
>>>>>seems genuinly (sp?) upset by Joe's reaction and he seems to really 
>>>>>care about B5, like the rest of us. I've also seen Joe's recent post, 
>>>>>which actually makes no sense to me, baring in mind what Mr Sparnge 
>>>>>has just written to me. I would post the reply I got , but I dont 
>>>>>feel I have permission.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>I've never had the impression that Mr. Sprange has any but good 
>>>>intentions
>>>>toward the B5 universe and that he and the writers want to do a good job.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>I think Joe needs to to be a little more candid here. For me, there 
>>>>>is something in between what Joe and Mr Sprange is saying. I like to 
>>>>>know what it is.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>I think it's gone entirely far enough, or too far, in public.  They'll 
>>>>either
>>>>work it out or they won't but none of their correspondence or 
>>>>negotiations has
>>>>ever been any of our business in the first place.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>I cant help feeling that had a way of continuing the Crusade arc been 
>>>>>found, years ago, we wouldnt be in the middle of this. If Joe cares 
>>>>>about the story and his fans, perhaps he should do something that 
>>>>>addresses Crusade, before others do.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>You seem to be implying that, regardless of how Mongoose approached 
>>>>JMS or what
>>>>they offered him that JMS should have bent over backwards to help?  I 
>>>>completely
>>>>disagree. If that's not what you're implying, then what do you suggest 
>>>>he do?
>>>>
>>>>Jan
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>This reminds me of a situation in my own industry.  While my company, 
>>>and most players, are in it for the big bucks (and they are pretty big) 
>>>there are of course, others out there doing free or almost free software 
>>>to do the same thing.  There are two, in particular, that have made 
>>>notable efforts.
>>>
>>>One of them works for a major company, and for him, the simulator is the 
>>>key part of the puzzle.  He has a very, very good simulator, is 
>>>supported by his big company, and has been very responsive to user 
>>>requests.  Our own software could learn a thing or two from his.  But, 
>>>he has one major deficiency - his front end is difficult and 
>>>non-standard, which makes using it professionally a problem.
>>>
>>>The other individual is the opposite.  While he has made a few 
>>>improvements to his simulation engine, it is in his front end that he 
>>>has made many improvements.  His software is easy to use, intuitive, and 
>>>very productive.  But, his back end is only mediocre, with the usual 
>>>bugs and deficiencies of open source software.  He is also just a single 
>>>individual, and has no other corporate backing for his software.
>>>
>>>Now, if these two folks should get together, there would be a real 
>>>competitor in the marketplace, with a great front end tied to an 
>>>excellent simulation engine, but fortunately for me and my livelihood, 
>>>they hate each other!  Seems when each of them first began publishing 
>>>their early efforts, they both delighted in taking pot-shots at each 
>>>other, mainly in the Usenet newsgroups I frequent.  By the time the dust 
>>>began clearing, and each has started to achieve worthwhile results, the 
>>>well had been poisoned - they will never work together.  At best, they 
>>>have recently become somewhat civil towards one another...
>>>
>>>So, we have a very similiar situation here.  Joe is a professional, and 
>>>while he enjoys being recognized as an 'Artiste' and having created 
>>>'Art', he and his spousal overunit are much more gratified by those nice 
>>>dollars that have rolled through his bank accounts while doing so!  He 
>>>also has a vision of this B5 universe that is unique, since he created 
>>>it, and is somewhat possessive of it.  Matthew has come into this 
>>>inspirational playground with a lot of enthusiasm, and maybe a few 
>>>bucks, but may or may not have a good understanding of it.  When he 
>>>initially approached Joe, it is apparent they were not on the same page. 
>>> It sounds like Matthew was approaching Joe the Artist, and had 
>>>evidently not done his homework on Joe the businessman!  If he had read 
>>>Joe's book on screenwriting, he would have had a much better 
>>>appreciation of where Joe's head is at.
>>>
>>>So, where does that leave us, the fans?  Screwed as usual, with the guy 
>>>that has the bucks and license separated from the guy with the knowledge 
>>>and vision.
>>>
>>>I mean, even if he had tried to negotiate a creative consultant credit, 
>>>like Joe did with Ellison, we would at least have been able to get a 
>>>little guidance on how Mongoose will take B5.  What I suspect is that we 
>>>will get a Star Trek type of business, with writers taking B5 in a 
>>>hundred different, competing directions, i.e. a lot more Del Rey novels...
>>>
>>>Charlie
>>>
>>
>>If the guy is lying about Joe's participation, then he is lying.  End of 
>>discussion.  How enthusiastic he is, how much he likes B5, now creative 
>>he is, all that crap, are absolutely meaningless if he thinks he has a 
>>right to lie about creative participation from someone who has not in 
>>fact participated.  That is nothing but an attempt to fradulently entice 
>>B5 fans to buy something that they might not buy on its own merits.
>>
>>And I expect that JMS will find it more than a little insulting that you 
>>imply he cares more about the money than anything else.  I know I 
>>certainly would, if I was in his position.
>>
> 
> 
> I didn't get that from what Charlie said. He said that money is part
> of the equation.
> 
> I did a concert last October - and the person running the venue (it
> was a "music festival" with 5 or 6 acts) was crying poverty to me
> during the initial negotiations. Since the concert coincided with my
> latest CD release, I came up with the notion that this would also
> double as my "CD Release party"... so I wound up spending about 500
> dollars to pay my band and rehersal space and rent lights and such,
> and I got comped about 250 dollars worth of tickets.
> 
> I found out at the gig that all the other acts were getting paid in
> cash. I was a little miffed about it, but I realize it was my own
> fault in my negotiations with the venue that I couldn't manage to at
> least break even on the gig.
> 
> People should not have to work for free. End of story.
> 
> -Wendy
> 
Thanks, Wendy,
Many don't seem to realize that, while Joe is a good writer, there are a 
lot of good writers.  Even rarer, Joe is a good businessman! That is why 
he gets approached as show-runner, not just writer.  He knows how to 
balance out the equations - "The numbers add up..."

My hope is that Matthew and Joe can find common ground, and make the 
best possible novels happen in the B5 universe.  I don't have a lot of 
hope, but it could happen...

So, no, I don't think that for Joe it is all about the money, or even 
sometimes mainly about the money.  But, it is a necessary part of the 
deal.  So is giving appropriate respect, allowing for input, and a lot 
of other factors!

Charlie
                                                                     
--- SBBSecho 2.11-Win32
 * Origin: Time Warp of the Future BBS - Home of League 10 (1:14/400)