Re: Why "Babylon"?

On Tue, 20 May 2008 19:49:09 -0400, Dan Neely wrote:

Below/interspersed

Craig <CBobchin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> typed:
http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-11026&query=babylonian%20creation%20myth
From: jmsatb5@xxxxxxx (Jms at B5)

....

The notion of the Vorlons and Shadows representing Order and Chaos goes
back to the Babylonian creation myths, that the universe was born in the
conflict between order and chaos, hence part of the reason I decided to
name this show after Babylon. That's called *research*. It informs the
show, but it is not the show.

Given how much the vorlon/shadows seem to've changed from the original
plotting this seems slightly suspect...

Errr... the fact is that he named the show before he made any changes to
the plot. The fact that he made changes to the original plot is irrelevant.
He came up with a concept and through the 1st season JMS saw somethings
that were not working as he wanted, the studios saw things and wanted them
changed (whatever the reasons were) and he changed the direction a bit to
make a better product.

99% of the time we only see the finished product (be it TV Show, book,
movie etc...) and judge everything soley on that. We never see the process
that the creator goes through, the crumpled pages of dialog, the plot
threads that did not work and were eliminated, the character changes that
occur....

For example you have no idea what went into the writing of this reply. What
sentences I moved around or deleted or added before finally sending it. You
have to judge it on it's final version which winds up on the net.

I'm incredibly fascinated with the creative process. For me to see how this
was done is beyond what I expected. I expect change to happen. Joe once
likened the process of doing B5 to writing a book in a glass room and
taping the pages up on the glass as they came out of the typewriter and
letting people read it that way. No going back on what came before.

The fact that we can now see how things were originally concieved and
compare to how it turned out is a gift.

Just my $.02

.

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