Exaclibur or EAS Excalibur?

[Candlelight]

http://photos.b5archivist.com/GalleryFilmstrip.aspx?gallery=212359&mid=7083983&mt=Photo&ci=008

I bid $10 for the lot.

You're missing some zeroes there. Lots of zeroes. Well, it's all priceless to me, anyway.

Jan

Been meaning to ask, what is your most prized B5 possession? Forgive me asking in public, pm me if it's like Garibaldi's codpiece or something.

I remember a few years ago looking on eBay and seeing a whole load of season one vhs production tapes of rough cuts and fine cuts of vaious episodes. The one I most wanted (but was either way too expensive or the auction was finishing as I found it) was three different versions of Babylon Squared.

 

[Jan]

Interesting. I see someone on the set dressing team was a George Lucas fan.

Yea, apparantly. I've read in a few places before that there were gags built in to work screens or other things that wouldn't be readable by the audience. Or weren't supposed to be. I think I remember somebody finding something mildly reprehensible on some of the customs area signage once the DVDs came out and could be paused with the picture clear. Another time somebody from production mentioned that a 'memo' posted at some duty station was a 'no sleeping on the job' policy memo that somebody made up.

I bid $10 for the lot.

You're missing some zeroes there. Lots of zeroes. Well, it's all priceless to me, anyway.

Jan

Been meaning to ask, what is your most prized B5 possession? Forgive me asking in public, pm me if it's like Garibaldi's codpiece or something.

Nah, I'd never go after Garibaldi's. G'Kars, now...different story.

My favorite things (after the scripts, natch) are the white models from the pilot, especially the one of C&C. The amount of thought and detail it took to put on the show is always fascinating to me; any show, I'm sure, but with this one I've got evidence of it. Those models are the things that really feel like bits of history of the show.

I remember a few years ago looking on eBay and seeing a whole load of season one vhs production tapes of rough cuts and fine cuts of vaious episodes. The one I most wanted (but was either way too expensive or the auction was finishing as I found it) was three different versions of Babylon Squared.

I've picked up director's and/or editor's cuts of several episodes (Severed Dreams, A Late Delivery from Avalon, Ship of Tears, Walkabout). I had a dailies tape of part of Z'ha'dum but lent it to somebody where I was working at the time and he unfortunately got fired before I got it back. Grrr... They're really interesting watching.

Jan

 

[Reverend]

Yea, apparantly. I've read in a few places before that there were gags built in to work screens or other things that wouldn't be readable by the audience. Or weren't supposed to be. I think I remember somebody finding something mildly reprehensible on some of the customs area signage once the DVDs came out and could be paused with the picture clear. Another time somebody from production mentioned that a 'memo' posted at some duty station was a 'no sleeping on the job' policy memo that somebody made up.

In a way it's a shame HD will (if it hasn't already) put a stop to this kind of tongue-in-cheek fun as these days there's very little that you can't make out clearly...though I'm sure someone will still try to sneak something in.

As for B5 visual gags, the only ones I can recall spotting include the lettering on the Vorlon ships spells out the names of the animators that did the scene, someone's kid's birth date being included in the Hyperion's hull number, something significant to do with B4's transponder code (another birthday I think) and I'm pretty sure there was something in the quick flashy data screen in 'A Voice in the Wilderness Pt.II' when the alien ship scans the computer...can't remember what it was though.

My favorite things (after the scripts, natch) are the white models from the pilot, especially the one of C&C. The amount of thought and detail it took to put on the show is always fascinating to me; any show, I'm sure, but with this one I've got evidence of it. Those models are the things that really feel like bits of history of the show.

I don't suppose that model labels which station does what? I remember JMS mentioning they worked it all out but have never seen what they came up with. I remember being disappointed when I first got the Security Manual that there wasn't a floor plan of C'n'C. I mean it seamed like a pretty logical inclusion, but instead they take up a third of the book with fake arrest reports and training forms.

Anyway, speaking or early B5 relics, I don't know if anyone else has seen this before (I can't imagine there's anything B5 Jan isn't aware of) but I found these to be an interesting glimpse at the dawn of the third age. They're both from Mojo's blog, the first being a look at the central corridor being built while the second is a look at the abandoned miniature that was intended to serve as the central core before they switched to all digital.

 

[Candlelight]

I remember a few years ago looking on eBay and seeing a whole load of season one vhs production tapes of rough cuts and fine cuts of vaious episodes. The one I most wanted (but was either way too expensive or the auction was finishing as I found it) was three different versions of Babylon Squared.

I've picked up director's and/or editor's cuts of several episodes (Severed Dreams, A Late Delivery from Avalon, Ship of Tears, Walkabout). I had a dailies tape of part of Z'ha'dum but lent it to somebody where I was working at the time and he unfortunately got fired before I got it back. Grrr... They're really interesting watching.

I bid $10 for the lot.

(Seriously, as an editor I would looove to get my hands on those. Very envious)

 

[Jan]

I remember a few years ago looking on eBay and seeing a whole load of season one vhs production tapes of rough cuts and fine cuts of vaious episodes. The one I most wanted (but was either way too expensive or the auction was finishing as I found it) was three different versions of Babylon Squared.

I've picked up director's and/or editor's cuts of several episodes (Severed Dreams, A Late Delivery from Avalon, Ship of Tears, Walkabout). I had a dailies tape of part of Z'ha'dum but lent it to somebody where I was working at the time and he unfortunately got fired before I got it back. Grrr... They're really interesting watching.

I bid $10 for the lot.

(Seriously, as an editor I would looove to get my hands on those. Very envious)

Sorry! None of the collection is for sale, I'm afraid. It is very interesting. I'll tell you where I learned *tons* about editing was when I did the Joe Cuts for the script books. I'd always thought that the well-known rule about not changing ANYthing without permission was at least partly hyperbole until I saw how he could snip off bare seconds or a couple of words and change the whole feel of a scene.

Reverend, I checked the C&C model and none of the stations are marked. They were mainly meant for set construction so there were measurements and notations about 'wild' walls and designations for where chairs and doors would be but nothing in detail about what would happen where.

Jan

 

[Triple-F]

Anyway, speaking or early B5 relics, I don't know if anyone else has seen this before (I can't imagine there's anything B5 Jan isn't aware of) but I found these to be an interesting glimpse at the dawn of the third age. They're both from Mojo's blog, the first being a look at the central corridor being built while the second is a look at the abandoned miniature that was intended to serve as the central core before they switched to all digital.

A while back I found a few interesting early bit’s and pieces, these are the only two I can remember off hand.

Take *some* of what he says with a (rather large) pinch of salt - I already checked with others. ; )
http://barnyardfx.blogspot.com/2010/05/babylon-5-you-may-think-you-recognize.html

This is the guy who did the original design for the Na’Ka’Leen feeder while working with those at Optic Nerve, and built the model jms sold a few years back. I have NO idea where this thing fits into B5 but apparently it was pencilled in!! . . .. . . . . . . Jan, does the “Maq Parasite” ring any bells - I forgot to check with others.
http://schellstudio.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=90

 

[Jan]

Jan, does the “Maq Parasite” ring any bells - I forgot to check with others.
http://schellstudio.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=90

No, I don't recall anything, Triple-F.

Oh...the sculpture of the Na'ka'leen feeder...I *so* loved that statue! Out of all the things JMS sold back then I think I wanted that one the most.

Jan

 

[Reverend]

^Well I imagine "maq" is just short for maquette and as for the design itself, it's definitely a Na’Ka’Leen. The only other parasites on B5 I can think of are the Vindrizi from 'Exogenesis' and the Drakh Keepers, neither of which look anything like this.

Nice find with the video. I'd actually been watching the original cut of 'The Gathering' just the other day and I do remember seeing bits of that video in the background. Mostly the albino Narn looking thing.

 

[Triple-F]

The head does look a bit like the feeder but as for the rest . . . . . . . hold on, I know a man I can bug about this.

[edit]
Just checked with Everett, your right. It was a model of the feeder. huh!

 

[David cgc]

...something significant to do with B4's transponder code (another birthday I think)...

The date Elvis was born and the date he died, all smashed into one long twelve-digit number.

They're both from Mojo's blog, the first being a look at the central corridor being built while the second is a look at the abandoned miniature that was intended to serve as the central core before they switched to all digital.

That shot of the Fall of Night revision of the central core just reminds me of one of my monday-morning-quarterbacking things, that I always kind of wished they'd reprinted the transparencies they'd did at the beginning of season 2 for the view outside Sheridan's office and whatnot with the more detailed version.

 

[Triple-F]

The date Elvis was born and the date he died, all smashed into one long twelve-digit number.

This thing.
http://www.themadgoner.com/B5/B5Scrolls/B5Scrolls.htm#Screen2_06_2
Apparently Mojo tried to sneak Elvis references into the show all over the place. George Johnsen caught a lot of them before they got to the screen but at least one other turned up – (on a single frame looking at Besters psi-corp id . . . . I think).

There was a fair bit of that going on during the early years. The one I thought was really funny (after reading a long explanation for it on B5Tech relating to the size of the earthforce fleet) was the signigicance of the number on the side of the Hyperion cruiser – IAK 21494.
http://www.b5tech.com/oldb5tech/science/misc/fleetsize/earthfleetsize.html

Turns out it wasn’t used to hint that it was the 21,494th ship built, but was the initials and date of birth of Mark Kochinski’s son.
http://www.themadgoner.com/B5/B5Scrolls/B5Scrolls.htm#Screen2_01_2

 

[Tim Earls]

That may be partly down to the credits page. It could be read as if jms directly contributed to the site (which he didn’t of course). Though Tim Earls did briefly, but his ‘importance’ to the show was over stated slightly by incorrectly listing him as the CGI Director for B5 & Crusade.

Actually, I was Visual Effects Art Director. Not sure what is meant by "briefly". Although I was uncredited part of the time, I was set designer and concept designer for 4th season of Babylon 5 then promoted to VFX Art Director when the first of the B5 movies were shot until the cancellation of Crusade.

TE