Would You (or Joss) Conisder a Mini-Series? by Schism

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Would You (or Joss) Conisder a Mini-Series?

POSTED BY: SCHISM
UPDATED: Sunday, April 5, 2009 23:39
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VIEWED: 923
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Sunday, April 5, 2009 3:43 AM

The BDM was great, but the problem with a movie is that it costs so damn much to make, and to make that money back, you have to spend so damn much to promote it, which is more money to make back, so you have to make it big and eventful, and make it appeal to everyone, and not just the fans.

The problem with another series is that the network will see NOT the fanbase, but the fact that the first series failed.

But what about a mini-series?

Isn't that how BSG started?

Or even V, back in them old days.

A five-part mini-series or something, that shows what happened after the BDM and introduces a new story.

A mini-series that resolves the primary plot, but leaves it open for future stories, should the unbelievable happen.

To me it's a much more sensible way to 'test the waters' after the cancellation.

It would have to be a summer project, however, as almost everyone else seems to have other jobs...

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Sunday, April 5, 2009 6:09 AM

ECGORDON

There's no place I can be since I found Serenity.

I've been saying that for years, ever since Universal got the rights for the BDM and Sci-Fi ran repeats of Firefly. They usually do a mini-series a year, and Firefly would be a perfect fit. It might have to be scaled back a bit as far as budget goes, but I am sure all the principal actors and Joss would be willing to defer some of their usual salary, in much the same way Joss was able to do Dr. Horrible.

wo men ren ran zai fei xing.

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Sunday, April 5, 2009 6:16 AM

BYTEMITE

And as Dr. horrible showed, any money they spend on production could be gotten back with the DVD sales.

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Sunday, April 5, 2009 7:14 AM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)

The SIMPLE way to take less risk on it, from the actors', writer's, and director's end, is to take union pay, with a stipulation in the contract that you get a cut of the profits after the break-even point, and that that cut goes on in perpetuity, until your death.

That way, you're only costing a hundred grand or so up front, but if the thing is a hit on DVD, you'll be getting fat checks for years to come - and the studio will be glad to cut those checks, because it means that THEY are making so much more money off the sales.

But in answer to the original query, HELL FREAKING YES I'd be interested in a mini-series. Think about it - a miniseries is damn near all we got in the first place - a little over a dozen one-hour eps. Give Joss a 4-, 5-, or 6-part miniseries, with two-hour parts aimed each week, and he'd own that stupid SyFy network. Or Universal HD. Or NBC. Or Fox. The cost would likely be $25-30 million to do it right (if you figure around $2 million per 1-hour episode on the original series, which is the figure I hear tossed around most often), and if it's a mini-series, it should be within the contracts of all the principal players to do it. They may have clauses like "no series appearances on other networks" and such, but there's usually a way around that.

Problem is, I'm just not sure Joss & Crew are ready to revisit this 'verse. They've been burned a bit, TWICE, and might need some time away to recover.

But I would SOOOOOO be there if they ever managed to pull it off!

Mike

Just lying smiling in the dark,
Shooting stars around your heart,
Dreams come bouncing in your head
pure and simple every time.
Now you're crying in your sleep;
I wish you'd never learnt to weep.
Don't sell the dreams you should be keeping
pure and simple every time.
"Pure", by Lightning Seeds

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Sunday, April 5, 2009 11:39 PM

SHINYGOODGUY

Ditto EC. I've been in the mini-series camp for some time as well. So that is a BIG - HELL YES!

There is a fly in the ointment though - Fox still owns the TV rights. So that may put a damper on things. What I would suggest, if all the original cast are willing to do it, is this: Fox and Universal should share the production costs and split the proifts accordingly. Profits from DVD sales, t-shirts, posters, etc.

It's a win-win-win situation. The studios limit their liabilities (and make a killing in DVD sales), Joss gets to tell his story, the actors get to have fun again, and, oh yeah, we get our BDH back.

A 6-part mini-series should do it. They could start filming this summer and have a pre-Christmas release of the mini-series and a Christmas release of the DVD. Easy Peasy!

Damn, I'm good!

SGG

Tawabawho?

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