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Post by NicoleMarie on Sept 26, 2006 23:14:03 GMT -5
Hello Ms. SenGupta. Thank you for this second interview! 1) When you write these storyline, bring to to life, do you try to inject your own personality into them or do you try not to do that? 2) What do you want your characters to say to the viewer? 3) What is the most important thing to you in how the character is written and presented? 4) This season seems to be heading into the melodrama, intense territory. Is there a particular reason for doing so? What are you hoping to express through the characters by doing so? 5) Is moving CI in front of SVU a deliberate choice with the new intensity CI has? 6) There is obvious tension between the new captian and Goren, even Logan. Is this deliberate? Or is it an attempt to differentiate the new captians go-get-them personality from the easy-going, laid back Deakins? 7) Does intense fan reaction to characters or storylines amuse, startle or trouble you? 8) This is a silly question but has an outdoor shoot ever been rained or snowed out? To echo another poster, my apologies if my questions come out jumbled! And again, thank you for doing this!
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Post by Jefferaldo on Sept 27, 2006 0:30:38 GMT -5
Nicolemarie to answer Question 9, Stephanie SenGupta would have no idea about this. Even Dick Wolf would not. Its completely up to the decision of Universal and its US, AUS, and UK subordinates.
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Post by polarbear on Sept 27, 2006 12:39:45 GMT -5
I have one very question .How close was CI from being canceled and not returning this season and do you feel with all the changes this year could it jeperdise vincent and kathryn as the goren and eames show being its last and final case in the spring.leanne
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Post by janetcatbird on Sept 27, 2006 14:08:31 GMT -5
OK, silly fan clinginess, why were the chung-chungs yanked? Could we please get them back?
--Catbird
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Post by Sirenna on Sept 27, 2006 20:36:52 GMT -5
Thanks for agreeing to do this again for us, Ms Sen Gupta. We really appreciate you. 1. I liked the chu-chungs and scene intros. Do you think they'll bring them back?
2. Would the writers and new producer agree to auction off more signed show scripts and props (especially the paintings and sculpture seen on the show) for interested people like me to bid on for a good cause?
3. Do you see the show continuing past season six? I hope so but perhaps the cast and writers have other plans for their and the show's future. Please elaborate as much as you can without without infringing on personal territory.
4. I get such a kick out of the literary, historical and etymological references scattered throughout the episodes; especially in the carefully chosen titles. It's just so cool to be that eclectic. How much of that is your taste, as writers, and how much of that is researched specifically for the episodes?
5. Do you still use "ripped from the headlines" ideas as the basis of storylines or is this season's episodes drawn more from imagination?
6. What I've always connected with, in all the L&Os, is the human truth behind all the storys and characters. Poetic license aside, this is probably because many of the characters' reactions are based on actual people and events. If, as I think, season five and later episodes seem more creatively founded, how do you, as a writer, still make the stories touch us without being soapy or incredible? Specifically, what literary devices do you use? What clues do you notice in re-writes, with your collegues, that alert you that some piece of dialogue or plot might move the audience extremely or, conversely, lose them altogether?
7. Have you ever taught any sort of writing class or workshop and would you ever be interested in such a thing? (I'd be the first to sign up btw )
8. JanetCatBird started a foreign films thread which has fast become one of my favourite threads. Being of Bengali heritage, do you watch/like Indian movies. If so what are your favourite Indian movies and actors? Why do you think movies are so wildly popular in India?
9. I recently became interested in decorating a small space (my own). Do you think we will ever see what Bobby Goren's NYC apartment looks like- see his taste in art, books, organizational style and personal decorating quirks? What does his magnetic fridge poetry say? Will we hear his phone messages? In other words get to know him better indirectly? Maybe Nicole could drop off some poisoned scones. Not to stir up old rivalries or anything but we did once see Bobby Simone's apartment on NYPD Blues. He had great taste in Spanish abstract art btw...Thanks again, very much, for doing this interview, Ms. Sen Gupta.
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Post by NicoleMarie on Sept 27, 2006 21:22:10 GMT -5
Thanks for the answer Jefferaldo. I don't know how any of that stuff works. I thought she's have a say but I guess not. I edited out of my post so she doesn't have to read it.
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Post by Sirenna on Sept 27, 2006 21:31:05 GMT -5
sorry for monopolising but I have a couple more.
1. Neil Patrick Harris guest appearance on LO:ci changed my entire perception of him as an actor. He was fantastic. Any chance of seeing him again on the show or in anything?
2. I'm a huge columbo fan. I think Peter Falk lives in NYC or at least his mother did. What do you think of him making an appearance in an LO:ci episode?
3. could you write a scene where we see the Santa Mug move from Bobby's corner to Eames corner? In other words, she gets one up on him for a change?
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Post by gorenrocks on Sept 27, 2006 23:02:14 GMT -5
Thank you, Ms. SenGupta, for doing another interview with us. I've read through the questions submitted and wished to add a few more.
1. Most of us realise that our beloved series is in either its last or next to last season. If and when Criminal Intent ends, what do you hope to do next?
2. If you were not writing on Criminal Intent, is there another series currently on the air that you would like to write on?
3. If you knew of a young writer who was moving to Los Angeles to make it as a writer in television, what do you believe is the most important quality that person should have?
4. I second Sirenna's motion that if you were ever to teach a writing seminar that I'd be on line to sign up for it. And, this got me thinking. Let's pretend. If you were to teach a writing seminar on writing for television drama, could you give us an overview of what the syllabus would look like? Put differently, what would you like to see aspiring drama writers focussing on. I recall you mentioned before that the aspiring writer should write and rewrite. But this is kind of a follow-up to that question. Is there any specific advice you might offer to those who wish to write television drama? Now that I look at it, I think this may be two questions.
Thank you for giving us your time and respect.
Be well, gorenrocks
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Post by romulanavatra3 on Sept 28, 2006 2:15:09 GMT -5
hi okay here goes 1. will there be any crossovers between the two teams in this season. 2. you probally wont be in a position to answer this but can you confrim weather this season is the standard number or episodes or if it has been decreased. 3. will there ever be a crossover between all the law and order series. 4. will there be a clash of wills/and or methods between goren and the new ada, like there was goren and carver at times. all for now regards rom.
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Post by Patcat on Sept 28, 2006 8:49:40 GMT -5
A silly question:
Massive amounts of coffee are consumed by the characters on LOCI. Gallons of it. Do the actors, creative staff and crew consume as much?
And does Kathryn Erbe put as much sugar in her espresso as Eames does in hers?
And again, thank you very much for taking the time and effort to answer our questions, silly or not. It's a great and kind thing to do.
Patcat
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Post by spaniard on Sept 28, 2006 13:31:46 GMT -5
'Honk if you want the cha-chan back'. My new custom made t-shirt.
1. How long does it take to have a crime scene or location ready? when do people know what kind of location they will need? do they have a list of possible locations and they use them depending on the episode or do they look for the places once the script is ready?
2- How does the show handle the public around in the scenes taken outside? do you have many interruptions by 'spontaneous actors'?
3- Do you feel uncomfortable if the stories are too close to real stories happened recently? is it on purpose or a coincidence? do you think that if the audience still remembers similar cases they will think the fiction is more believable?
4- People like to 'play intellectual' saying that or internet is a waste of time or they only have online for the news and they like to look down on those who do more like joining a forum like if we were geeks with no life. We have a life and we have an opinion. Is there a responsible of taking a look at what is said on the internet about the show? what do you do with the information?
5- How do the team members feel when they read people taking a character too seriously like if it was real?
6- Have you ever found yourself smiling when someone writes a post like, for example, 'the way Goren throws that glass to trash shows he is angry, maybe he remembers his mother and feels frustrated because the suspect used his kid bla bla bla' and you know that Vincent D'Onofrio threw the glass just because he needed his hands free?
In other words, do you think sometimes fans over-think scenes too much trying to find hidden meanings or subconcious explanations to expresions the writers probably wrote that way because it looked cool? I study literature and I have to study past centuries authors that were too drunk or too busy chasing damsels and maids to be aware of all the subconcious meanings my teachers say they wrote.
7- I'm from Spain and here Criminal Intent is aired for the general audience at 1:30 am. When a show is sold abroad, what is the control you have over the way it is treated? the hour is very important for the success of the show and such bad hour goes against your own show.
Well, these are my questions, the rest have been said before. Thanks for your time.
Edit: I have another question:
8- How many times have you looked at this thread before the interview takes place? I would ask you if anybody from the show has joined any Criminal Intent forum but I won't do it. You wouldn't tell us.
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Post by darmok on Sept 28, 2006 22:40:35 GMT -5
1) Some of the critics and some of this board's members have commented that the Logan/Wheeler episodes get the "B" scripts. While I think this comment is premature given that it is based on 2 episodes, it did seem to be the case last year until the end of the season.
2) The two hour episode last year was so good because the writers had a lot of time to explore a lot of terrotory. Are they planning one this year (with one or both teams).
3) Do you think the discontinuity of having 2 separate teams confuses the viewers? It seems like 2 separate shows.
4) Will the Logan/Wheeler episodes have more of a CI feel than their first episode? There was limited psychology.
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Post by janetcatbird on Sept 30, 2006 12:48:50 GMT -5
While Sherlock Holmes has been most referenced, are there any other detectives that are even a partial model/inspiration for the Goren/Eames methods and interactions? Do you yourself enjoy mysteries on your own time?
Thanks again!
--Catbird
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Post by Observer2 on Sept 30, 2006 23:04:20 GMT -5
Ms. SenGupta, thank you so much for offering to give us another interview! Many of us remember how much time and energy you put into the first one. It’s very generous of you to do it again. You mentioned in your first interview that Balcer worked to educate the writers on what effects Goren’s childhood traumas would have on him in the present. With Balcer no longer head writer or showrunner I’ve been concerned that the character will not remain as true to his backstory as Balcer kept him. As consulting producer, will Balcer have any on-going influence on Goren’s behavior in the individual scripts to help keep him consistent with his backstory? I understand that you may not be authorized to answer all questions about the characters’ personal lives and/or backstories... but I can always hope. In Great Barrier Goren reacted strongly to the possibility of being stuck between floors in an elevator. As a child, was Goren locked in a closet, a trunk, or other small space? If not, is there some other reason in his backstory for that reaction? There have been elements in a number of episodes (notably Pilgrim, but others as well) that made me wonder whether Goren’s travels in the Army included more places than we’ve yet heard named. Did he spend time in the Middle East? If so, did his experiences there have anything to do with why he left the Army? He knows the word for midwife in a language that is something of an African “Lingua Franca.” Did he spend time in Africa? Can you tell us why Goren left the Army? Can you tell us why Goren was at Oxford, and how long he was actually there? From early on, I’ve thought that Goren’s affect when talking about his own intellectual accomplishments reflected some traumatic association. Were there times in Goren’s childhood when his mother (or father) reacted harshly to his intellectual accomplishments? Is there a definite story attached to the picture on Eames’ desk? Is it a dog she had as a child, or one she and her husband had? Is the hat hers? Her father’s? Her husband’s? How long ago did Eames’ mother have her stroke? Is she still alive? If so, has she recovered to any degree? Is Eames’ father still alive? Was Logan’s father largely absent or inattentive? Early in Stress Position Logan showed a fine disdain for book-style psychology, yet throughout that episode he demonstrated a fairly sophisticated understanding of “street psychology” – for instance, the way he responded when the four guards cornered Logan, Goren and the nurse. He first seemed to accept their fate, encouraging his opponents to let down their guard, then he hit them with a convincing promise to kill one of them, and reminded them of just how seriously the police and courts take cop-killers. It was perfectly designed to weaken the resolve of all but the ringleader, yet stayed well within Logan’s established style. On the other hand, in Tru Love he theorizes about Daniel’s psychological issues right along with Wheeler. Has Logan changed his attitudes about formal psychology? Has he taken up studying it? Although Wheeler came up with a theory about Daniel’s psychological issues, she didn’t come across as an experienced profiler. Is she supposed to have some profiling experience and/or background in psychology? Or is the Logan/Wheeler half of Criminal Intent not going to have a profiler/psychologically knowledgeable member of the team? If that’s the case, is that half of CI moving away from a focus on the psychological dynamics of the criminals (the “why-dunnit”) and moving more towards a Mothership-style who-dunnit? Is Wheeler hetero, gay, or bi? While Balcer was showrunner, one of the differences between CI and CSI was the fact that Criminal Intent never showed crimes in a way that was titillating, or that linked evoking tense anticipation in the viewer with sexualized violence in the show. Sadly (in my opinion) that difference has disappeared (in Blind Spot, at least) with the advent of what some are calling “the stalker cam.” Why was this change made in CI? Has there been any discussion of potential psychological effects on the audience? Dr. Dietz, in an interview about his work on Criminal Intent, once said, “First, I don’t want to contribute to any episodes that could create more crime...” Is Dr. Dietz still a consultant on the show? If so, how does he view the addition of such “stalker cam” scenes? Ms. SenGupta, a number of us are fans of your writing, as well as of the show in general. We appreciate the thought and skill you put into the episodes you write, and we’re grateful that you have been kind enough to grant us another interview. Thank you!
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Post by Techguy on Oct 1, 2006 22:33:12 GMT -5
OK, I thought of a few more questions, although I have to wonder now if Ms. SenGupta will have the time to answer each and every one being asked. Nevertheless, here goes:
---There have been some negative comments about the new Season 6 episodes, comparing the more graphic scenes to shows like CSI. Was it Warren Leight's intent as new showrunner to give CI this type of look to put his stamp on new CI episodes? Are the writers or other staff concerned about this type of comparison? Are there plans to continue this more graphic approach for the remainder of Season 6?
---There also have been comments about how some of the "ripped from the headlines" based shows relate to fairly recent events--the angry supermodel in "Siren Call" and the teacher/student sexual relationship in "Tru Love" for example. How do writers keep their stories current, original, and credible without resorting to cliches or stereotypes?
---Without giving away too many spoilers, what is the general direction planned for Goren's behavior over the course of Season 6? In what respect will Rene Balcer have a say or role in the direction of Goren's character?
---When writing scenes set in specific locations such as the Museum of Sex, how are the logistical details worked out to get permission and clearance for shooting scenes on location? Whose responsibility is it, and how far in advance are these details worked out?
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