Gifts & Curses

Rescue Me!

2008-04-11T00:08:00.000-07:00

Work continues on season two - I knocked out a good 10 pages on 2.02 last week - which, for me, is pretty quick. Yes, I said quick. I've also begun work on the s2 credits video, which I think is going to be loads better than s1's if I can overcome my limited video editing skills and get it right. The concept is there, I just hope I can do it justice.

I'm also working on the s2 web site, which is also serving as my project for my Dreamweaver class, and will also be used as the template for Daredevil s2 and The Family Spell s1. There are still a few issues to be worked out, but it'd coming along well.

As for the season itself, I spent a good portion of March working out some of the kinks in the overall story we already had in place, adding some new elements, dropping some old ones, and just trying to make it better. I think it's going to be pretty damn good, if I do say so myself. Many of the issues that cropped up toward the end of season one have been addressed and the season as a whole is looking much, much stronger than our initial outing.

A quick little hint for the upcoming season's major arc: green. In so many ways.

I've also been posting promo graphics for s2 in the forums with some casting choices for new s2 recurring characters. Some you may have guessed already, and some you may not have. Some are new, original characters, and there are a few I haven't posted yet. To sum up the bulk of them, here's a list of some new faces you'll be seeing in s2, both original and comic-inspired:

Paul Campbell as Harry Osborn
Dane Cook as Daredevil
Sean Patrick Flanery as Patrick Jensen
Kat Von D. as Anna Watson
David Anders as Landon Bryce
Michael Emerson as Doctor Miles Warren
J. August Richards as Coach Marcus Briggs
Brent Spiner as "The Benefactor"

Also, before I wrap this up, the new credits video required that I change theme songs. The new theme is "Rescue Me" by Zebrahead and can be downloaded here: http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/3/20/907004/rescue_me.mp3

Season 2 Updates plus some

2008-03-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

Things have been quiet recently on the MZP board for G&C so I thought I'd take the time between classes to update a few things that are both Season 2 and non-Season 2 related.

First off, my two cents on the delay of Season 2. This wasn't something that we wanted to do at all, it was something that we decided to do to give everyone a better product. After 1.04 the season kind of took a nose dive off a very tall cliff, there were a few reasons for this. We planned out s1 very thoroughly up to that point, and rather than continuing the same detail in planning, we got lazy. We were exhausted and I was busy with class. I remember when we finished the final draft of that episode, I wanted nothing to do with G&C for a month, I think Jay was the same way but I can't speak for him. The issue, for me, was compounded by going into my last year of college and having a new girlfriend to occupy my time. But in the end, it really all amounts to procrastination, and there's really no damn good reason for it. So with that behind us, the delay ensures a better product and hopefully, if we can keep momentum going, we will be writing s3 as s2 is being released, which would make for less of a delay in between. But we don't know yet.

As far as the story goes for s2, there are some new things that Jay and I have discussed and we think will be great for the show as well as add some depth to the show. This season we know for sure we'll be exploring more of Peter as Spider-Man than we have thus far, and while that was a complaint for s1, the truth of the matter is that we had more-or-less planned on that from the beginning. The hopes are for more Spider-Man, more action, more stories that work together, as well as more drama. The last is important because in all honesty, G&C is supposed to be about the characters and a study of the events that shape who they are and who they become. We broke from that some in s1 but hope to return to it big time this season.

Now for some real updates:

-> 2.10 - "Perdition" has been dropped. Jay and I discussed the story that surrounded "Perdition" and decided that while we like it that it won't really fit into the story that we're going for as a whole. BUT! The idea has not been scrapped. It will still be written, and it will still be released, but as an extra on the V-DVD. I don't know if it will be s1 or s2, but it will be written, so expect that as a nice little bonus for one of the V-DVD's. Which one it will be, I'll let you know when I get to actually writing it (The outline is done). So this episode will be replaced in the season with another that I'll let Jay tell you about should he so please.

-> 2.08 has also been changed, to what we don't really know yet, so for the time being, 2.08 will be TBA. Sorry everyone, we just felt that the story wasn't really fitting in with the rest of the season at the moment so decided to change it. We may go back, we may not, but that's a long way away.

-> I've started work on "Hunted" and "All Hallow's Eve" so you can expect updates about those two in the coming months.

Now, as far as beyond s2 goes, Jay and I have discussed s3 story lines as well as s4 story lines. We're also tossing around the idea of maybe, and I do emphasize the maybe, ending the series after 4 seasons. But that too has yet to be decided.

So I look back and realize that this blog has gone on long enough, so I'll end it here and catch you later.

JB

Season 2 Launch Date Changed

2008-03-05T18:52:00.000-08:00

Some bad news to pass along this time...

Unfortunately, season two is being delayed four months. The original launch date was set to be September 10th, 2008. The new date is January 21st, 2009.

Yeah, I know...

The reasons for this are two-fold. One reason has to do with the batch of negative reviews we've received for the second half of season one. It's become apparent that we need to re-tool a few things planned for season two. Having said that, I've always felt the plans we originally set up for season two were far stronger than anything we did in season one.

Most of that will remain in place, but there are a few things that have been pretty consistently mentioned in reviews as being problems and I want to be sure those issues are dealt with before we start writing.

However, the other reason - the primary reason why we're delaying things - are strictly based in real life. The truth is, this would likely have happened regardless of any bad reviews. I've started back at school as of this past January, so my time is a lot more limited than it was last year leading up to the series' launch. On top of that, J.B. also has more going on now, and when you factor in that season two is three episodes longer than season one, the choice was obvious.

I have completed 2.01 - well, all but a few pages. It didn't need anything changed based on some of the new ideas we're introducing, but that's as far as the new season has progressed. Taking this into account, I realized there was no real way we were going to be able to meet the September launch date without hitting some delays mid-season.

The good news in all this? Once it does premiere the episodes will be released one after another, with no breaks in between, no shorts - only episodes. I realize that doesn't fix everything, but in the end I think this delay will do nothing but help things long-term.

In the meantime, expect the season one V-DVD to be released at some point this summer (yes, it's also being delayed) with some added features that will hopefully make up for that somewhat. We'll also be doing a series of production reports with information on the new and (hopefully) improved season two.

Until then - keep checking back and thanks for sticking with us!

Season Two! (sorta)

2008-02-19T11:39:00.000-08:00

Howdy,

I thought I'd drop a line between Philosophy and Confucian Thought and give you guys a little info on the V-DVD as well as my involvement for season 2.

V-DVD
I'm still working on collecting the best of the deleted scenes from Season 1, with the goal of hitting three to four for each epsiodes. Some of them have WAY more than others which may just mean some episodes will be able to take up slack for others. Jay and I have also done some work with podcasts, hopefully you guys will enjoy those.

Season 2
I'm working on four episodes this coming up season so I thought I'd give you a little info on those four. There's only a little that I can really say, but here's some info:

2.05 - Hunted
Yes, this will involve everyone's favorite Hunter, but there's a lot more to this episode than anyone can really know right now, so just hold your horses and I'm sure we'll let the beans slip on something big.

2.07 - All Hallow's Eve
Yes, a Halloween episode, I'm still trying to convince Jay to actually release it on Halloween, so that may me a change in air date. Everyone remember the chase scene in 1.06? Everyone remember how people said it'd break the FX budget? Just wait till you read this one...

2.09 - Bound
This will be a very dark episode and play into the story line(s) we're using to both finish the season and have through out season 3. If there were a rating system for V-TV, this would probably be MA (or the equivalent). I doubt an episode like this one would be aired on non-premium (HBO, Showtime, etc.) TV.

2.10 - Perdition.
This is actually part two to Bound. More important story lines developed here for the series.

Hope you guys like this stuff, we'll be in touch with progress reports and the such!

JB

Season Two Is Coming!

2008-02-09T12:27:00.000-08:00

Indeed, it may be a ways off right now, but season 2 is indeed in the works. Before I get to some s2 info, you may have noticed that the MZP-TV servers are down. If anyone is looking for G&C episodes/shorts, I've posted alternate links in the discussion thread:

http://monsterzero.proboards3.com/index.cgi?board=gc&action=display&thread=1185301755&page=32#1202505416

Work on s2 began a while ago. I actually started writing 2.01 this past summer, but got caught up with s1 work during the fall and didn't get a lot done with it. It's got about an act left to be written.

And now, the s2 release schedule (not including shorts) but it does include episode titles, which could give you guys a few hints as to what's ahead in s2:

SEASON TWO
2.01: Trust - SEPTEMBER 10th
2.02: Fallout - SEPTEMBER 17th
2.03: Summer Shudder - SEPTEMBER 24th
2.04: Broken Circle - OCTOBER 1st

TWO WEEK HIATUS

2.05: Hunted - OCTOBER 15th
2.06: Devil's Advocate - OCTOBER 22nd
2.07: All Hallows Eve - OCTOBER 29th

TWO WEEK HIATUS

2.08: Duality - NOVEMBER 12th
2.09: Bound - NOVEMBER 19th
2.10: Perdition - NOVEMBER 26th
2.11: Prices - DECEMBER 2nd

HOLIDAY HIATUS

2.12: Checkmate - JANUARY 7th, 2009
2.13: Red Sky - JANUARY 14th, 2009
2.14: Exposed - JANUARY 21st, 2009

TWO WEEK HIATUS

2.15: Detention - FEBRUARY 4th, 2009
2.16: Crossroads - FEBRUARY 11th, 2009 (Season Finale)

There you go! Speculate away, and yes, s2 is three episodes longer than s1 ;)

One Down, Five to go!

2008-01-22T10:33:00.000-08:00

Is that title a little bit of a spoiler? I'm sure Jay will say something to me about it, but for those of you wondering what it means, I'll let you wait a little bit longer.

As we've finished the first season of G&C, I'm taking a few moments to look back on the experience that we've had since the summer of 2006. Yes, it has been that long in the making. It's been a fun ride with its fair share of set backs, frustrations, and disappointments. I know that I’m not as active as I would like to be in the other aspects of the show, such as the online community, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t pay attention to what the fans are saying and how they’re feeling about the show. I really do regret not being on there as much, but my last year of college has taken priority and I know that Jay understands that.

So far, G&C has been a key player in my life, which could sound really sad if you think about it. What I mean is that this project has pushed me creatively as both a story teller and a writer (which are two very different things). This project is a labor of love and I hope to stay with it until it’s finished.

If only we could get this thing made.

And here’s something a little interesting you might find cool: Jay and I did in fact try to get G&C animated this past year, but due to fears of legal actions the idea fell through, but keep your finger’s crossed boys and girls, who knows what the future holds.

And now on to something that’s looking forward. As I write this I have begun work on several of my episodes for next season as well as story ideas for season three, which Jay and I have been hashing out more and more. But for now, a few little treats for season 2:

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enjoy!

JB

That's A Wrap!

2008-01-13T17:24:00.001-08:00

Well, here we are. It's finale week! Our season 1 finale will be released this Wednesday, and that really freaks me out. I have to admit, part of me never figured we'd make it this far. It doesn't seem like that long ago when I pitched G&C and here we are now, just about ready to wrap up season 1.

Some things worked, some things didn't. Some could have been better, and some could have been worse. We'll be going into this in more detail in the V-DVD podcasts, so be sure to check that out. It'll be posted on May 27th.

Last week's episode saw the debut of the Chess Club, and there has been some interesting reaction to them. I have to admit, they're my Mary Sue. Bad-ass redneck nerds, a pretty good combination of what I am and/or would like to be ;)

Last night I began working on the new web site design for season 2. I'm actually pretty excited to see how it works out. There's nothing wrong with the current design, but it takes a bit of time to update, and I'd just like to do something different come s2.

Speaking of the season finale, I'll end this entry with a brief scene from said episode:

---------------

EXT. ALLEYWAY - CONTINUOUS
Spider-Man lands directly on top of the van.

BONNER (O.S.)
What the hell?

Bonner quickly steps out of the driver’s side, but stops cold when he see’s Spider-Man. He turns to run, but Spidey webs his feet together, and YANKS him up into the air.

He catches him just before he hits the ground, and webs his feet to the brick wall of the warehouse. Spidey climbs the wall, and looks down at a shaking Bonner from above.

BONNER
What are you doing?!

SPIDER-MAN
Tell me what I want to know, and we can avoid the really painful stuff.

BONNER
I don’t know anything, I swear!

SPIDER-MAN
Where is she?

BONNER
Where’s who?

Spider-Man presses him against the wall harder.

SPIDER-MAN
Where. Is. She.

BONNER
Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about, I swear!

SPIDER-MAN
I think you do.

Spidey presses him even harder against the wall.

SPIDER-MAN
Who do you work for? Fisk?!

BONNER
Our boss was hired to track Fisk!

SPIDER-MAN
By who?!

BONNER
I don’t know! We never saw him!

SPIDER-MAN
Do you know where Fisk is?

BONNER
We tracked his men here this morning. Fisk showed up, but he left. I think he’s worried someone’s been trailing him.

SPIDER-MAN
He should be.

Spidey flips up the wall, and onto the ledge. He’s about to swing away when:

BONNER
Hey! You can’t leave me like this!

Spider-Man looks back. He reaches down and tears the webbing away from the wall. Bonner falls to the ground, crashing into a dumpster below.

Spider-Man quickly leaps out of view.

-------------

Until next time, watch out for mysterious black vans following you down the street!

New Episodes, V-DVD, & Short Changes

2007-12-27T17:40:00.000-08:00

Wow, I didn't realize just how behind I had gotten on this thing until I logged in and saw that my past entry was a full month ago. Hopefully things will pick up a bit in the new year.

Speaking of which, 2008 also brings with it the final 3 episodes of season 1, starting with 1.11 "Memories" this Wednesday, January 2nd, followed by 1.12 "Tonight" on the 9th, and the season finale "Lockdown" on the 16th.

It's hard to believe we're nearing the end of our first season. It may not seem like yesterday when I started developing this, but it sure as hell can't be any farther back than last week. Can it...? I guess it can.

A quick news item: the short scheduled to be released this Sunday (originally this past Wednesday along with 'Wasted') has been scrapped. I wrote it, but then realized it actually fit much better in 1.11 than it did on its own, so that's where it's going, almost exactly as it would have in the short itself.

As you may, or may not have seen, I posted a thread for the season 1 V-DVD yesterday. It contains the cover art I made, along with a list of special features we'll be doing for the project. I don't have a set date for release yet, but I'm guessing sometime in March/April right now.

One of the features will be enhanced PDF's for each episode, which will include built-in music cues you can click while reading, pop-up trivia & facts relating to the episodes, and behind the scenes info you can activate while reading. I'm hoping to make this the norm come season 2.

I'm also working on a DVD-style motion menu, but my limited knowledge of Flash is making it a slow process. Fear not, though. One way or another, it will get done.

We'll also be doing audio commentary for selected episodes, and two separate podcasts; one looking back at season 1, and the other looking ahead to season 2. We're looking for questions from the audience, so if you have any, ask away here, in the V-DVD thread, or in the G&C Discussion thread. I'm guessing there will be quite a few after the events of the finale ;)

Hope everyone had a nice [insert winter holiday]. I did, despite the fact that it was quite a bit warmer than I'm used to on Christmas. There was actually a discussion about this in the staff forums, about who had experienced a 'white' Christmas. It reminded me of my only white Christmas, all the way back in 1989 at the age of 5, and a funny little story I was told years later.

Nobody was expecting snow, so my parents hid my gifts at my grandparent's house, which was literally about 100 feet down the road. Because the snow was too deep to drive in, my dad had to walk there late on Christmas eve night and drag my gifts back home on a piece of ply wood with a rope tied to it...

My friend across the street awoke to the sounds of my dad cursing, looked out the window and saw a large man with a heavy coat and boots dragging a load of toys through the snow, and promptly ran into his parent's room shouting "Santa Clause is outside!"

His dad's response? "You better get your ass back in that bed then!"

If only life came with DVR.

Until next time (whenever that is) a late happy holidays, and a right-on-time happy new year to everyone!

The Blog Isn't Dead!

2007-11-27T23:17:00.000-08:00

That's right, I know we haven't exactly been working overtime on this puppy lately, but there hasn't been a whole lot to say, beyond the episode previews and such. The final episode of 2007 was just released - 1.10: "X" by Harrison Cartwright - so if you haven't already, I urge you to check it out!

As I said, it's our 2007 finale. That's not to say season finale, or the last G&C you'll get this year. We will be releasing shorts during December each week in place of episodes, leading up to the final three episodes of the season starting January 2nd, 2008 with 1.11: "Memories" by J.B. Gibson.

A bit of trivia: does anyone know what month it is? In G&C that is. I'm talking "on screen" time here, not real life time. 1.10 was actually written to be taking place in February, 2008. The upcoming December shorts will all actually take place in March, 2008 "on screen" and when we come back in January, 1.11 will actually be taking place in April, with the final two episodes of S1 being set in late May. The accelerated timeline was necessary, as with only 13 episodes, we wanted to cover the entire school year. Season 2 catches up with real time a bit, premiering in September, 2008, with the first several episodes taking place over the summer of '08.

I've been working on updating the season 1 credits video, and I've come up with a rough cut. Unfortunately Adobe Premiere won't encode it in any sort of decent quality so I've been unable to add logos and text and such to it. Movie Maker's just isn't the same.

You can view the video on YouTube: http://youtube.com/watch?v=HUysg8SC7hI

That's it for now. Hope you enjoy 1.10, and keep an eye out for the December (err... March) shorts!

Another Random Entry...

2007-11-02T21:20:00.000-07:00

I figured I'd do this one via text, rather than subject you guys to my sling blade accent again ;)

Yet another episode was just handed in to me. 1.10 - written by Harrison Cartwright - is complete in rough draft form. That means that only 1.11 and 1.12 remain incomplete, and I expect those will be in shortly. A few tidbits:

1.09 features the return of Norman Osborn, after a 3 episode break.

1.10 is the episode with an all-90's soundtrack.

1.11 contains a guest spot by none other than Doctor Strange.

1.12 is inspired by the movie Dazed & Confused.

1.13 is, obviously, the season finale. A regular dies in this one.

Wait... did I just say that? Whoops. Now all you guys have to do is try and guess if it's true!

Talk about a weird coincidence - I found out a few days ago that Dustin Milligan (as you know, G&C's Peter) is roommates with Vanessa Lengies (who is cast as Violet "Vi" Morgan in MZP's The Company). What a small, small world. A small virtual world ;)

I also just re-watched Spider-Man 3 for the first time since watching it in theaters... and it's even worse the second time around. This movie had the potential to be so bad-ass, but it flopped in a major way. The story was all over the place, they tried to cram WAY too much into one film, and who ever's idea it was to have Venom talk... that person needs to be fired. For some reason, he loses some of that bad-ass feel when he opens his mouth and Eric Foreman's voice comes out.

Alright, well, I told you this was random. Before I go, though, a preview from 1.08:

HOODIE
Punisher’ll be after him, if anyone. He runs a garage on 3rd street.

SPIDER-MAN
Good doggy. Thanks.

He steps back and lets fly with the webbing, pasting the kids to the front of the store.

HOODIE
Hey!

Spider-Man reaches into the front pocket of the first kid’s hoodie, pulling out a cell phone. He dials three quick numbers and holds the phone to his ear.

SPIDER-MAN
Hi there. This is Spider-Man.
(beat)
Yes, the Spider-Man. Does whatever a spider can.
(beat)
Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Well, that’s great, but I have two kids stuck to a wall. They were trying to break into a jewelry shop on 43rd.
(beat)
Yeah, thanks. I’ll just leave ‘em then.

He flips the phone shut and tosses it back to the hoodie kid. It sticks to the webbing.

s1 V-DVD and little teasers on the future

2007-10-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

J.B. here folks, how's it going?

Just wanted to drop in and give you some info that Jay hasn't about some cool things we're working on for you guys:

As we've written s1, we've cut a lot of stuff, and I do mean, a lot. Take this into account: As of completing 1.05 I've already compiled over 90 pages worth of deleted/extended/alternate scenes from just the first five episodes. 1.06 underwent some extensive re-writes and 1.07 has a few major changes in it that will add to the page count. By the end of the season, I'm predicting over 250 pages of deleted material. Will it be available? Yes and no. On the V-DVD Jay and I have decided that at most, two or three deleted scenes will be available for each episode, that way we can cut down on length. We're also working on including a text commentary for each scene, so you can get some insight into why that particular scene was cut, especially since there are more than a few that were difficult choices.

Also, we're thinking of doing audio commentaries for some, if not all of the episodes. We'll see.

As for the future... well... s1 is almost done as far as writing goes. We're waiting on a few episodes still, but I can tell you that if we pull this off the way it's looking, you folks are in for some awesome VS with one helluva cliffhanger. We've already begun work on s2, with many episodes already having their first treatments written. All I can say so far is that if you've enjoyed this season, next will be a whole different world.

Season 3 is already in the early stages of pre-production as Jay and I have discussed more in depth what we're going for as far as the story for that. You're in for a wild ride.

And that brings me to my last point. With the end of the season approaching and a very long hiatus between s1 and s2, Jay and have been tossing around some ideas and I think for all of you out there who love Sci-Fi, you're going to be quite surprised with what we're talking about doing.

But, best of luck to all of you and thanks for the reviews.

JB

It's Back!

2007-10-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

After a week with no blog entry from my lazy ass, the G&C blog is back! I had actually planned 0n doing an entry last week, but was busy putting the final touches on 1.07, and writing this coming week's short.

So, our first direct two-parter is now in the books, and I have to admit, they turned out better than I expected. It was touch and go there for a while, with all the edits and re-writes 1.06 went through, which also affected 1.07, which was based on the original draft. The feedback has been mostly positive, which is what really counts, and I am pretty happy with how each episode turned out in the end, especially 1.06, which I had my doubts about after undergoing so many changes.

I've recently contacted YouTube user p3jojoba about doing G&C's season 2 opening credits video. He's agreed to do them, and I can't tell you how excited I am to see the results. Just check out some of his other work: http://youtube.com/profile?user=p3jojoba

So we enter our second two-week hiatus this week, with the off week being filled with our fourth short. In a lot of ways, 1.08 marks a turning point in the series. It acts as a bridge of sorts between the introductions and formalities and the rest of the series. The events of this one will be felt all the way to the season (and in many ways the series) finale. It sets in motion events that lead to a lot of things that will shape the future of the show.

Here's your preview:

Written By: Rob Kenneth & Jay Everington

Peter and Robbie track a series of brutal killings seemingly aimed at organized crime to ex-Marine Frank Castle, who is dead-set on killing the man he believes to be the Kingpin: Wilson Fisk. Can Peter prevent a chaotic situation from becoming deadly, and might Castle have good reason for blaming Fisk for the death of his family, and countless others?

AirDate: November 7th, 2007

First, though, there's the short this coming week:

Written By: Jay Everington

"So what's your story, honey?"

AirDate: October 31st, 2007

And because I'm feeling generous today, a general preview of the rest of the season:

THINGS TO WATCH FOR:

WHO? Craig Watson
WHAT? The explosion
WHEN? The last day of school
WHERE? The dance
WHY? Because said guy turned out to be an ice freak!

Until then, if you're involved in organized crime, DUCK!

First Dud? V-DVD Info & The Weekly Preview

2007-10-11T23:26:00.000-07:00

A little earlier than usual this week, but I'm bored and felt like a blog entry.

It's been out a few days, and so far the reaction to 1.05 has been mixed. I half-expected this, coming off our most popular episode yet in 1.04, and also being the first stand-alone. I'm curious, though - you guys tell me - was 1.05 our first dud? No doubt a few of you haven't read or reviewed it yet, so I'll leave that question out for a while. Post your answer on the forums.

One common reaction is that it feels very much like a Smallville episode. This, I actually agree with. It wasn't intentional, but it does feel like a Smallville episode. Hopefully it felt like a good Smallville episode, but from the reviews so far, it doesn't seem like we have many fans of that show.

I've started on a little side project - turning my design for the G&C season 1 V-DVD into a full-size replica of an actual DVD set. I've been working on enlarging the designs I've had in place for months to make them print better, and working on the logistics of making it happen. The plan is to make three copies - one for me, one for J.B., and one to give away in a contest after S1 is over. It's looking like I may have to make 10-15 copies, though, based on what I've seen.

The design (edited to prevent spoilers) is available at: http://home.ec.rr.com/catalyst/vdvdcopy.jpg

And, so that brings us to 1.06 - the first episode officially completed - even before the pilot. It's undergone a hundred edits, and some re-writes, and I'm still making final edits as I type this. You all got a bit of a preview for it at the end of 1.05, but here's the official rundown:

Written By: J.B. Gibson, Jay Everington, & Harrison Cartwright

The strange headaches, and trouble sleeping Peter's been experiencing may be a sign of more than stress. With Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. hot on his trail, Peter is one step ahead, but how long can he keep them at bay?

THINGS TO WATCH FOR:

WHO? Nick Fury, of course.
WHAT? Guns.
WHEN? Now.
WHERE? The gym.
WHY? Why not?

Released: Next Wednesday, October 17th

Until then, keep an eye out for drones!

Off-Week Blues, Season 2, and... A Preview?

2007-10-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

It's been a weird week for me. First, I had to release the short early after being told that I was going to have to work late Tuesday night, into Wednesday morning. Turns out, I didn't have to after all, but oh well. Better early than late.

Speaking of the short, I hope it didn't seem as thrown together as it was. The first half has been done for a while now, but the second part I literally wrote about twenty minutes before it was released. I hope it didn't show. Deadlines have never been my friend, one of the reasons why I've tried my hardest to have as many episodes as possible ready well in advance.

While I'm at it, I've been meaning to bring this up here for a while, and always forget. The web site has a soundtrack section (within the features section) and I really do hope you guys make use of it. The next episode is the first one to feature multiple music cues, and it'd be a shame to let them go to waste. You have the option of either streaming them directly from the web site, or downloading the .mp3 file to your hard drive.

I've started final edits on 1.06 as of yesterday. You may be surprised by this, but it was actually written before the pilot. We had a rough outline from before I started writing of the first half of the season, and while it's changed, the basic story is the same. The episode did have to undergo some fairly extensive edits, and re-writes in the case of acts one and two.

Aside from that, I just finished writing the events by episode guide for season two. Basically, what will happen, and which episodes it will happen in. I really can't wait to get to S2 - I feel like the stuff we have planned there is much stronger than what we've done for S1. Not that I'm not confident with S1, but in S2 we really have more room to expand on things, and to put even more of our own spin on things. There's a feeling of having more freedom with S2, and I hope it turns out as good as this outline looks, because this is one of those rare cases where I've impressed myself.

Yep, today I didn't even have to use my AK... I gotta say it was a good day.

A cookie to whoever recognizes that line first ;)

Okay, so... the end, and... what's that? I already posted the preview for 1.05? Yeah, guess I did. So... in place of that I'm going to post a preview of 1.05:

-----

ALEX

You shouldn't have come here! This doesn't have anything to do with you!

SPIDER-MAN

Oh, if I had a bruise for every time I heard that one. Oh, wait...

Spidey flips down from the window, landing in front of Alex.

SPIDER-MAN

Nice mask.

Alex grabs him and slams him into the safe.

ALEX

Don't make me hurt you.

SPIDER-MAN

(dazed)

I'll try.

Alex spins around, throwing Spidey toward the far wall, but he's able to land feet-first onto it.

SPIDER-MAN

So, what's a big, ugly fella like you doing in a high-class joint like this?

-----

Well, that's it for now. The ep's out, as usual, next Wednesday. Until then, look out for rhino's !

Off-Week, Casting News, & Short #3 Preview

2007-09-30T00:48:00.000-07:00

Four episodes in and Spidey has finally arrived. The response to 1.04 has been as good (or better) than I was hoping. I've always felt it's the best episode we've completed thus far, so I'm glad everyone seems to agree. I still didn't expect that 10 from Matt, though. Those suckers don't come easy, and it's a double-edge sword because now 1.05 has to follow that.

Speaking of 1.05, I'm actually working on some last-minute changes to it, including one pretty big development that we're moving to a future episode. 1.08 to be exact. Keep in mind, though, before 1.05 we've still got short #3 - "Big Time Super Hero" - which is going to be quite a bit different than the first two shorts. This one is actually a better indication of what you can expect from shorts in the future.

The short will be released Wednesday in place of an episode. 1.05 is set to be released the next Wednesday, October 10th.

In the meantime, be sure to check out my interview with xandmatt Productions: http://xandpro.co.uk/?p=1160#more-1160

Speaking of which, I've just penciled in a new short which will introduce a new character.

Yes, that's Dante as in Dante's Restaurant.

Speaking again of characters, Robbie has been generating quite a bit of positive buzz. I'm happy to see that he's catching on. There are a lot of things he allows us - access to the Bugle for one - and he will play a big part in the season. I actually can't imagine an episode for the rest of the series that he won't be in. He might as well be a regular, and maybe come S2, that'll be made official.

Anyway, onto the previews - two of them this week:

By Jay Everington

"Ultimate Spider-Man? What the hell kind of lame-ass excuse for a title is that?!"

THINGS TO WATCH FOR:

WHO? Stanley.
WHAT? The cover story.
WHEN? All damn weekend.
WHERE? The Daily Bugle.
WHY? They're lazy bastards.

Released: Wednesday, October 3rd.

By Jay Everington

Star football player Alex Sytesvich goes down with a serious neck injury, but thanks to a dangerous new experimental steroid, based in part on the Renaissance serum, he is able to make a full recovery. The downside? Severe mental instability. Meanwhile, Gwen attempts to return a favor by helping Eddie through some difficult times, but is he willing to accept?

THINGS TO WATCH FOR:

WHO? Wilson Fisk.
WHAT? A miracle recovery.
WHEN? Friday night.
WHERE? Fisk Tower.
WHY? Robbie doesn't know, but he'll find out.

Released: Wednesday, October 10th.

Until then, enjoy the short and hopefully 1.05 won't completely suck ;)

New Web Site, Spidey Watch, & More...

2007-09-21T23:47:00.000-07:00

So here we are - three episodes in now - and I think by now people have started to really get what it is we're trying to do. I'm rather surprised that we haven't gotten a single major complaint from anyone about this new direction we're taking these characters in.

Speaking of new, next week's episode - as I've said many times before - is, in my opinion, our best to date. It just seems like it came together pretty much exactly as I always pictured it. My involvement in this one wasn't as extensive as the first two episodes, or even the spot duty I did in 1.03. I basically did some editing, and wrote a scene here and there, along with the outline for the episode, along with Jamel. The majority of the credit for this one goes to J.B. & Jamel (that's Jamel Baker, who will be making his official MZP debut with this episode Wednesday.)

I hope you guys enjoy this one as much as I think you will. I definitely think it's our most balanced episode to date, and it is without question Peter's most intense and important episode so far, and maybe of the entire season.

Random Off-Topic Warning:

I'll keep this one short and sweet - my Panthers got their asses whooped by the Houston Texans last Sunday. I shouldn't have been surprised - it was their home opener, which they haven't won in four years now. And so, with nothing to brag about this week, back to business:

I've noticed our characters doing pretty well in the Survival Game thus far - aside from Mary Jane. I hope that's more of an indication of the fact that she's gotten less attention in the early-going than it is of the fact that you guys just don't like her. Don't worry, though - MJ is a huge (HUGE) part of out plans this season, especially towards the second half.

The release of 1.04 this week will also mark the beginning of our first official hiatus. There will be a two week break - that's 14 days, not 2 episode releases - between 1.04 & 1.05. Fear not, G&C fiends - we will be releasing a short in place of an episode during the off-week. From the looks of things, it could be a special double-length short, but I haven't finished it yet, so I'm not completely sure how long it'll be exactly.

The release of 1.04 will also come alongside the debut of our new web site. Many thanks to Matt "xandmatt" Latham for allowing us the use of his kick-ass template, once used for his very own teIam, and for my latest addiction, the Company. The new site gives me tons more options when updating and adding content, as well as communicating with our readers who don't visit the forums - and from the looks of these download stats so far - there are plenty of them.

So, I'm out, and as usual I'm going to end the entry with a preview of the next episode:

When the identity of Ben's killer is discovered, Peter attempts to track him down, but is he prepared for what he may find? And just what's in the package sent to the Bugle with Spidey's name on it? Meanwhile, Gwen overhears her foster parents second-guessing their decision to take her in, and finds comfort in the last place she would ever expect.

THINGS TO WATCH FOR:

WHO? Dennis Carradine
WHAT? The brown box.
WHEN? When they were kids...
WHERE? Peter's roof.
WHY? Is she pregnant?

Well, that's all for this week - enjoy 1.04 and the new web site - see you next time!

The Reaction

2007-09-17T20:13:00.000-07:00

I'm incredibly surprised to see the reaction we've gotten after the first two episodes of G&C. It's exceeding well beyond what I could have dreamed and hoped, and yes, I was pretty confident but unsure of some of the liberties we've taken. I'm happy to see some of these things are paying off and working well. But I did want to take some time to address some of the criticisms we've received so that you, the reader, can understand better what we're trying to do.

1) Not enough action. I can see where this is founded, not all of our episodes will be packed full of action sequences. This is one reason why we're not labeled as an action show anymore but as a drama. That was a discussion that Jay and I had had many times before the final genre-casting was made. We feel that G&C is more a drama than anything else, about these people who are put into these extraordinary circumstances and forced to deal with them. Realism is our battle cry.

2) Too many characters. We do introduce a lot of characters in the first two episodes (believe me this is better, they were all in the first episode at first), and we know it's a lot, but we do nothing unless we find it to be pertinent to the story as a whole. Which is one thing I want to make a comment on here and now: G&C is an arc-based drama. We're telling many stories within one big one. The overall story is the story of Peter Parker. The best way to think of it as would be to think of each season as an act. Don't worry though folks, everyone gets their share of time.

3) One character is more developed than another. Jay and I discussed this a long time ago, and after fan reaction to everyone's favorite wise ass some things may need to be said. First off, no one character receives or has received more development than another. The way everyone seems is for a particular reason. Eddie, for one, does indeed seem to be more developed than the others, but a big thing to remember is that this is the Eddie we see. All the characters are only what we see. Trust me, as the season continues we'll begin to see some major developments for a lot of our main characters. 1.04, 1.07 and 1.11 are big for Peter, 1.04 is big for Gwen and 1.05 for Eddie. And MJ... Well, she's a little different. But that's for another time.

4) Shorts. This is more of a comment on things I've noticed being said about the shorts and I think Jay and I both feel the same way about this: The shorts are intended for optional story possibilities or as asides (chances for us to have fun with the characters, just wait for the Awesome Aussie). Please don't think that the shorts are major pieces of work. I wrote SPLAT! in an hour. Which explain some possible disappointment.

Overall, like I said, reaction has been great and exciting. I'm happy everyone is enjoying the series so far and I hope everyone enjoys "Renaissance" on the 19th, I know I had a lot of fun writing it and after it's posted I may take the time to post one of the deleted scenes here that I was sad was cut from the final draft. But that's for then and I still have a final pass to do on the draft, so good night, and good luck.

--JB

Eddie, Fan Reaction, & Those Creepy-Ass Squirrels

2007-09-12T23:47:00.000-07:00

It seems as if 1.02 has been largely well received, even more so than the pilot. This surprises me a bit, I have to admit. I've always viewed 1.01 as the stronger of the two, though I suppose 1.02 is faster-paced, and does much more to further the series. I'm guessing that's why most of you seem to prefer it to the pilot.

One thing I was very eager to see with this show was the fan reaction. I'm talking the hardcore comic fan reaction. I've always felt that the readers who went into this with the least experience with Spider-Man would get the most out of it, would enjoy it the most. I knew we were going to be changing some pretty fundamental elements of the character, and I was nervous as to how everyone would react to that. I still am, actually, as some of the bigger changes are still to come. So far though, I have to say, I haven't had a single complaint about the level of re-invention going on. You guys really seem to be enjoying the characters, and I think that's great. It's really the biggest compliment a showrunner or writer can receive, because in the end, if nobody cares about your characters, they're not going to care about your story and what happens to them.

I've always said G&C is about 60% character-driven, 40% plot driven, and 10% action driven. Yes, that's 110%, because we always give 110% ;)

Random Off-Topic Warning:
So NFL opening kickoff weekend has come and gone and my Carolina Panthers' record stands at 1-0 after defeating the Rams 27-13 in St. Louis on Sunday. I have to say, as much ass as that kicks, I am surprised. You see, the Panthers have not win a season opener since 2003 when they defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars in Charlotte on a last-second touchdown pass. That same year, they ended up making it all the way to the Super Bowl, losing to the New England Patriots 32-29 on a last-second field goal. I now officially have a good feeling about this season :)

On a more serious note, Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett suffered a very serious spinal cord injury during the Bills home opener against the Denver Broncos Sunday. It was just an ordinary play, he was covering a kickoff return when the return guy ran into him. Everett immediately hit the turf and didn't move again until just about 24 hours ago. It took paramedics 15 minutes to take him off the field. I'm such a huge fan of football, I often overlook the violent nature of the game, and while injuries are always a serious issue, it's usually because they hurt the team. This time, it cost Everett his career and nearly his life, and while doctors are optimistic that he'll eventually walk again, a tragedy like this really puts things in perspective.

If you're the religious type, do keep him and his family in your prayers. If not, then keep them in your thoughts. Here's to Kevin making a swift and complete recovery.

Back on the G&C front, as I spoke about characters before, the one who seems to be getting the most attention so far has to be Eddie. I kind of figured on this happening, given his wide-open, wise-ass personality. Trust me though, you guys haven't seen anything yet. Next week's episode is written by myself and executive producer J.B. Gibson - mostly by him.

Believe me when I say that there is nothing quite like JB-written Eddie. So, if you're a fan of Mr. Brock, you should enjoy 1.03. Speaking of which, this entry's coming to an end, which means it's preview time:

Peter must cope with his Uncle Ben's death, while at the same time dealing with his new found abilities. Meanwhile, Wilson Fisk continues his hunt for the Renaissance serum, and Nick Fury pays a personal visit to OsCorp in regards to the Gargan incident.

THINGS TO WATCH FOR:

Who? Alistair Smythe.
What? Web shooters.
When? Last week.
Where? Stanley's apartment.
Why? Circus people.

Release Date: Next Wednesday, September 19th.

Until then, watch out for those creepy-ass squirrels!

Post-Launch Thoughts

2007-09-06T21:39:00.000-07:00

So here we are - G&C has been officially launched for three days, and in those three days it's been very interesting for me to get a look at the various reactions to the show. Some of it has been expected, and some has not. In the end, I'm just happy people are reading.

The most common reaction seems to be surprise - largely regarding the pace of the pilot. This I expected and always have. I agree, actually. I've always felt that it's a little too slow-paced, but, as I said in a response on the forum, I viewed it as a necessary evil so to speak. The goal was to introduce the characters - or re-introduce them as it were - and begin to establish the tone of the show. Whether or not I succeeded, well I suppose that remains to be seen.

The original plan was for 1.01 & 1.02 to be released as one, feature-length pilot. In fact, the first two acts of 1.02 were originally written as acts 5 & 6 of the pilot. There were a few logistical problems though, and by the time I got around to re-shaping the pilot the way I liked it, it became clear that splitting them up would be the best option. They do still serve as a two-part pilot, though, and I think most of you will agree once you've read 1.02 next Wednesday.

Random Off-Topic Warning:
I just watched the defending NFL champion Indianapolis Colts put an ass-whooping on the New Orleans Saints 41-10 in the first football game of the season. The fact that the Saints are in the same division as my Carolina Panthers means that I am laughing my ass off right now. The fact that my friend/fantasy football opponent this week used Saints quarterback Drew Brees (who threw two interceptions) means I'll also be laughing tomorrow when I see him :)

Okay, now back to business. Before I forget, I want to thank everyone for their feedback. Positive or negative, it's what keeps most of us VS writers going, and it seems like every time I log on to MZP there's a new comment or review. For that, I thank you all.

I've also noticed that Gwen seems to have developed quite the following after just one episode, notching quite a few votes in the summer/fall 07 survival game. I guess that means we're doing something right ;)

I'll wrap this entry up with a preview of next week's episode:

In the midst of personal tragedy, Peter discovers his new abilities. Meanwhile, Norman Osborn gets some disturbing news regarding a leak in Project: Renaissance. Little does Norman know, the secret to unlocking the serum lies with recently fired project lead Mac Gargan, who has an agenda all his own.

THINGS TO WATCH:

Who? Robbie Robertson.

What? Peter's shoes.

When? During PE class.

Where? The OsCorp parking lot.

Why? She doesn't know.

Release Date: Next Wednesday, September 12th.

Until then, look out for genetically-altered spiders! Hopefully yours will be smaller than the one I killed in my living room Wednesday afternoon.

Here we go for real...

2007-09-04T16:55:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, maybe like June or July, I saw a post on the TrekWeb forums looking for writers for a Spider-Man virtual series. I was new to the idea and medium of the Virtual Series but knew that what it basically was, was something that I enjoyed doing as hobby: Screenwriting.

Now, a year later, and in less than four hours, we'll see the premiere of the first episode of the fruits of the past year. We saw the show and story rise and fall several times until we got the point where we wanted to be about six or seven months ago. It was right after we were picked up by MZP and before we knew exactly where we were going to go with the series and the story, and now we know and we're starting this journey.

1.01 will be fantastic and a treat for Spider-Man fans as we begin to weave this tapestry we've designed.

I have to agree with Jay that 1.04 is the best episode that we've finished completely, maybe even the best of the season, but that is yet to be seen.

I really don't know what else to say so enjoy and I know I look forward to hearing from everyone on what they think of this show, good and bad.

--JB

Two Days & Counting

2007-09-02T23:33:00.000-07:00

It seems like only yesterday. I opened Final Draft and set about making edits to the G&C pilot, hoping to make this draft the best it could possibly be. I wondered if there was an extra line of dialogue I could add that would add that extra something to the script, an extra scene perhaps.

Wait... that was yesterday.

I didn't make any changes, but yes, I did cave and in a moment of pre-launch jitters began to wonder if I needed to make yet another set of edits to the script. Nevermind that I've literally made about forty since the draft that got the show picked-up in the first place, for whatever reason I have this need for every word of every script I write to be as close to perfection as absolutely possible. Granted, most of those edits were minor things like cleaning up scene headers and adding or taking away a transition or two, but still, no matter how many times I read one of my scripts I always spot something that makes me think "why the hell didn't I see that before?"

I'm hoping that's something my fellow showrunners are familiar with, otherwise I just made an ass of myself on my very first blog entry :)

In any event, launch day is finally on the horizon and it's finally begun to dawn on me that even after all the planning, plotting, developing, and yes, writing, this show hasn't even released an episode yet. So here I sit: 2:54 am, with my laptop, wide awake, writing this and listening to Weird Al Yankovic...

Don't ask.

Not that this is anything new for me. I rarely make it to bed before sunrise anymore, but for some reason this premiere day thing has kinda crept up on me. Maybe it was that damn stomach flu I'm just now getting over that sent me to the hospital Friday morning at 4 am. Maybe it's the flury of activity surrounding football these last few days, I don't know, but for whatever reason it seems like September 5th (which also happens to be my 23rd birthday) is going to be here a whole lot sooner than I was expecting. Not that that's a bad thing - we do have the first seven episodes all ready to go - and the second half of the season well on it's way to being completed as well. Hell, even the season two premiere has an act done.

To be honest, I am SO ready to get this thing kicked-off. At the same time though, I'm both interested and nervous to see how people react, both from a VS perspective and from a comic fans perspective, and then there's the general audience. We've got the benefit of being based on one of the most popular characters around these days, I hope we don't disappoint. That being said, I've been told this stuffs pretty good. I'm not one to brag on myself, though, or even feel comfortable rating my own stuff, so I'll leave it up to you guys. I will say there's been some great work turned in by the rest of the staff. I personally feel that episode 1.04 (written by myself, J.B. Gibson, and newcomer Jamel Baker) is our strongest episode so far. Both of them did a great job on that one, and come September 26th, I hope you guys will agree.

Anyway, hopefully the entry's from here on out will be slightly less rambly (is that a word? guess I'll find out when I run spell check here in a sec - nope, it's not) than this one was.

For now, though, see you on the 5th!