Triple F

Just a FYI type thing for anyone who has downloaded the B5Scrolls website in the past. The last update is now finished (and included in the downloadable zip file). The final numbers are (and this surprised the bejesus out of me when I actually checked on them). 549 pages covering 18 (sometimes very) revealing and wide ranging interviews with the likes of Ron Thornton and Steve Burg explaining various technical and artistic stuff, along with additional contributions from Syd Mead and Wayne Barlow. Over 100 pieces of production concept art which the ‘guys’ who worked on the show sent over, much of which hasn’t been released before, 143 flash animations showing the ship designs seen on the show, as well as links to some other online B5 content that hardly anyone knew about – Like the Novo Babylonia audio drama which has apparently been kicking around since 2008 (the same year B5Scrolls went up)! It’s also been downloaded over 50,000 times! (Which is pretty cool : ). Anyway. Here’s the link to the sites front door (still free, no ads or any other nonsense attached.) http://www.themadgon...s/B5Scrolls.htm The download page. http://www.themadgon...tm#Screen4_01_5 And the facebook page set up last year to let folk know about it, when it looked like those hosting the site weren’t going to renew their server agreement. Just in case anyone reading this is unfamiliar with the site. https://www.facebook.com/B5Scrolls

Just a FYI type thing. Those hosting the site renewed their agreement last year, so it should stay up for the next two. Plus I just added an update, new interview as well as new production concept art. The links at the start of this thread still work. ; )

It’s not a joke, I wish it was. jms has spoken a few times about (B5 related) projects that get presented to him every now and then, but ultimately come to nothing for various reasons. Here’s an example of one - from 2007 - that will be particularly depressing for all the on-line gamers. The link is to a testing system holding the short article – which will be amongst a pretty hefty update to B5Scrolls, sometime next year – so none of the buttons work on it. ; ) http://www.themadgoner.com/B5/B5Scrolls/B5ScrollsTestAV22.htm Though that will be taken down in the next day or so. So here’s a more permanent link to the same thing over on the Facebook page set up for the website – and which contains some stunning 3D modelling work (showing cross sections of the station) for another abandoned B5 related project. http://www.facebook.com/B5Scrolls

Those who could put one together don’t believe there is the interest amongst sci-fi fans and the various artist who would normally by such things. I don’t know either way, and am not a big believer in “fan” backed drives, but at least the likes of Steve Burg, Ron Thornton, Alec McClymont (and some of the others) at least visit the FB page and will read this thread. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=341274842627582&set=a.283248628430204.70587.178490865572648&type=1&theater Here’s hoping, especially if they include some of the work done for the likes of Firefly, the nuBSG, Voyager, Enterprise, SG: Atlantis, etc. But I think it stands no chance unless more people hear about it. Hence this post.

. . . . specifically Babylon 5 ones. I know there’s quite a few lego models kicking around for ships seen in the Babylon 5 tv show. What I don’t know is, what’s regarded as the most technically challenging to build (and why is that). Can pieces be fabricated and added to them for thin or awkwardly shaped sections of a vessel for example. Do exhibitions exist, how long can they take to build, and what separates a great model from an OK one . . . . . . . . and where can half decent photo’s be found of them. ; ) After checking with the builders of course, it’s a subject which I’m thinking of adding to a “what fans get up to” section on an existing reference site on the show, and will be sitting beside interviews with a dozen or so Emmy award winners, production concept art etc. Although the site already exits, I’m using this facebook page to play around with possible additions to it, including various fan based modelling – paper, resin, plastic kit , etc. and lego of course. http://www.facebook.com/B5Scrolls

When someone recently read what’s on this link they got a bit annoyed and complained to NASA – stating the artists should be blacklisted. http://www.facebook.com/B5Scrolls?ref=tn_tnmn#!/photo.php?fbid=322007267887673&set=a.283248628430204.70587.178490865572648&type=1&theater The response? The Director of Communications at the Spitzer Centre thanked them – and added a new description beneath the image on the NASA, Spitzer and JPL websites – which includes the following. http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/1966-ssc2008-19a-Epsilon-Eridani-Double-the-Rubble I guess that idea backfired a bit. ; )

;)

Ron had been beta testing the PC version for six months prior to changing over to PC's at the start of season 2. Anyway. Cheers, everyone who helped out with this – you know who you are. ; ) Even with all the unique content from a bunch of Emmy award winners, I wasn’t sure if turning up on forums or setting that facebook page up was a good idea. But over 4,000 folk have downloaded a copy thus far, which is kinda cool. ; )

With it jumping over 500 since I posted the message about the facebook thingy, thanks to all those who ‘liked’ the facebook page – you know who you are. ; ) With over 1,000 new downloads, new folk are obviously finding the actual website and the information it contains, which at the end of the day was the reason for making a bit of a tit of myself by doing this. It’s genuinely nice to know that some found it of interest, and that some of the work of some of the artists, without whom the show would never have been made, is getting a bit of an airing. ; ) Cheers Tom

The effects where not that bad. The models where a bit low-rez but the use of cgi allowed a level of camera (and model) movement that traditional techniques like motion control can never achieve. After speaking with a few of the fx people (the link on the first page of this topic) I really gained an appreciation of what (and how much) they did, with the budget they had. It was a truly ground breaking show on so many levels.

I hope this isn’t the wrong place to post this, or it’s an inapropriate thing to add to the forum. Basically, more by accident than design a learning exercise in putting a web page together somehow ended up full of information and interviews provided by about a dozen of the FX artists who worked on B5 and the various spin-offs – they even sent over a fair bit of previously unreleased production artwork. Here’s a link to a facebook page showcasing the site – the reason for pointing there will become obvious once you see it. So hopefully you’ll ‘like’ the thing for the reasons stated. . . . . assuming that you like it of course. ; ) http://www.facebook.com/B5Scrolls Even if you don’t have a facebook a/c you can still use the link that you’ll see there to take you to the actual B5Scrolls website. Here’s a small selection of images from the Concept Art section. All the artwork was sent over by the artists for inclusion to B5Scrolls, and are happy enough for all of it to be included in the download.

Thanks guys. I tend to get lost - a lot - when joining new forums. ; ) [edit] and yeah, Crusade never did match up to the original series. I actually have a reason for asking if here's any B5 fans kicking around as I have a little surprise for you, that you *might* like. ; )

Just curious. Like the title says, anyone familiar with Babylon 5 – though I imagine there might be. ; )