Memory Alpha:AOL chats/Ronald D. Moore/ron038.txt

Subj: Answers Date: 6/30/97 19:52:23 From: RonDMoore

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We haven't scheduled her yet, but I imagine we'll see Keiko again next year.

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Darn fine question and I wish I knew the answer so I could start some screaming. As I understand it, the PR is a joint responsibility between Paramount and the local affiliates, but who provides what $$ and under what agreement, I don't know.

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I believe they've already selected a writer for the IMAX -- Hans Tobeason

<<"Time is the fire in which we burn..." ...or so said Dr. Soran.

Today at work while kicking around ideas for an ad campaign, someone quoted the above passage, attributing it to a poet by the name of Delmore Schwartz, but he couldn't remember which poem. It certainly got my attention. Ron, do you know the name of this poem? And how did you happen to use this in "Generations." Are you a secret fan of Delmore Schwartz (who, I must admit, I'd never heard of until today)?>>

We found the quote from Delmore in the trusty Bartlett's Familiar Quotations. The poem is called "For Rhoda" and is dated 1938:

"Time is the school in which we learn, Time is the fire in which we burn"

That's all that's in my copy of Bartlett's. Another poem is cited for Schwartz called "The Heavy Bear Who Goes with Me"

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Garak was created by Pete Fields and it was he who gave Garak his unique and ambiguous character attributes. Most of the character development of Garak and everyone else has been done episode by episode without a "master plan" guiding their twists and turns. It's been fun seeing how they all have changed over the course of the seasons, and yes, to a certain extent the character have all more or less guided their own development.

Subj: Answers Date: 6/30/97 19:53:01 From: RonDMoore

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I originally wanted to name the ship "Valiant" in "The Search Part I", after the ship mentioned in "Where No Man Has Gone Before" but it was felt that we shouldn't have a name that began with V since Voyager was about to premiere. I wanted a spunky, in your face kind of name and that led me back to another ship from TOS -- the Defiant, from "The Tholian Web."

<<So, how about Betazed? You said that while Voyager got the Borg, DS9 had all the other cool species.... Betazed, however, appeals to me as the sort of planet that might have had a matriarchal cultural heritage, despite my impression that they were originally imagined as just a race of babes. (Were they?) Or perhaps because of that impression, I think it would be a fitting irony to discover what's beyond the superficial. What has already been set down about their history and customs? Are they of any interest to DS9?>>

It's not a bad idea, but Betazed and Betazoids are not something we're that interested in. I'll keep them in mind, however, and maybe we'll find a way to use them.

<< I heard you guys were facing some budget cuts next season. Is it true, and if so, how is it likely to effect the show? Fewer special effects? More eps set on the station? Quark shown only in profile because you can only afford to make up half his head?>>

There are no budget cuts that I'm aware of yet. (It could still happen, though.)

<<(2) As to the sixth season premiere--are looking at a two hour episode, a two-parter, or another one hour story? (Seems you're gonna have a *lot* of plot threads to resolve in a single hour!)>>

At the moment, the opening episode is a single-hour show, but the war with the Dominion will take some time to wrap up beyond the first show.

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I did NO, repeat, NO writing while on vacation. I'm not a compulsive writer, but I do tend to *think* about the show overall, dialog in episodes I'm writing, stories, etc. all the time -- and yes, I did do a fair about of mental work over the vacation. But for the most part, I loafed, golfed, swam, drank, cuddled with the missus, watched TV, and read books ("Without a Doubt" by Marcia Clark, "The Far Side of the World" by Patrick O'Brien, "The Colonels" by W.E.B. Griffin, and "Descent into Darkness" by Edward C. Raymer).

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We haven't made any firm decisions about the Maquis non-fighters, and it's possible that we'll address them this year. - Subj: Answers Date: 6/30/97 19:53:46 From: RonDMoore

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The pecking order is as follows: Executive, Co-Executive, Supervising, Co-Supervising, Producer, Line Producer (not in use on DS9), Co-Producer, and Associate Producer -- you'll notice that the rankings on the on-air credits go UP and that the highest position is actually the first credit at the very end of the show, that of Rick and Ira, who get Executive Producer billing. On our show, Ira, myself, Hans, and Rene are all writer/producers, with writing as our primary function and producing secondary (except for Ira and I, who share a more co-equal burden between writing and producing). Rick is the overall boss of the entire show along with Voyager. The other producers are more strictly production-oriented with some specializing in post production (Peter Lauritson) and others dealing with the day to day operations on the set (Steve Oster). Many of the areas of responsibility bleed over across the titles and there's no definitive "border" between them.

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I'm not sure, but I think he was.

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The grey & black were designed to give the Enterprise-E crew a more military look that would also have more texture and variations in usage and thus look better on the big screen.

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I was in the KA dining room at Cornell eating a bowl of cereal when one of the guys in the House came upstairs with a shocked look and said "The space shuttle just blew up." I went down to the TV room and the first shot I saw on the screen was a live picture of the ocean. Debris was still raining down into the sea and preventing rescue helicopters from reaching the area. Other people drifted into the room and I spent several hours watching the replays and the endless speculation. It was a very emotional and deeply affecting moment and I'll never forget it or the brave men and women of the good ship Challenger.

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DS9 is committed contractually to the syndication market and it would be virtually impossible to put it on a network.

<< A while back I asked about Treks 5 and 6. I wanted to know what you thought of them. Particularly, on the issue of not communicating with TNG. Gene on said they never existed. What do you think?>>

I disliked Trek V intensely. I liked Trek VI, but felt that it was a bit heavy-handed and obvious and that it fell a little short in my opinion. The communication between those films and the TNG writing staff was nil, although I understand they did have a few conversations with Rick to coordinate the use of our sets and run a few things by him.

<> -- Subj: Answers Date: 6/30/97 19:54:17 From: RonDMoore

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I've only met Maurice once, several years ago, and I haven't heard from him since. I have no idea what he thought of either film.

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No. Let's not start the Great Heel Debate again.

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I don't recall saying anything about racism, but I have given some thought to the issue of sexism in the Klingon Empire. I'm still formulating my notions, but if all goes well, I'd like to deal with women's role in the Empire a little differently in the next Klingon show I do (whenever that is -- I'm not sure yet). Also, the next new alien race I have a hand in will not be automatically patriarchal as in the past.

<<If this coming season does end up being the last one, will there be a "final episode" like TNG or will there be just another episode like TOS? If that decision has not been made yet, which would be your  personal preference?>>

If and when we end the show, we'll have a definite finale.

<<Is there any chance of seeing either Ben's brothers or one of Dax's kids this season?>>

Possibly.