Episode Behind the Scenes

TREKCORE > TNG > EPISODES > SCHISMS > Behind the Scenes
 

Brannon Braga's original ending was to have a single insectoid claw around Riker's bed in the alien lab with only a few sparse bits of light and the ever present clicking sounds.
   
Robert Wiemer describes the alien scenes as being too languid - "There was a story consensus to do lighting control, smoke control, to limit that one saw, but it's always harder to paint with light when you're on the crusher of time"
   
Braga along with Wiemer and Michael Piller, didn't like the look of the aliens, saying they wouldn't be back - "I felt they looked like monks - fish moks, and monks aren't terrifying."
   
Braga named the Amargosa Diaspora for a spot near Death Valley and his mother's pet finch.
   
The Kaminer character was named for author Wendy Kaminer.
   
Wendy Neuss, who oversaw the sound effects, recalls "We had decided what kind of clicks we wanted with Rick and Peter at the spotting session. Then the three of us actually sat there one night and wrote a script in English and then transposed it to clicks. We wanted it to be organic, not synthesized and we had a cadence to it; we decided where the clicks should be and what kind of feeling they should have. Then we brought in the group people to do it - so in addition to the individual clickers we had a group clicking: you see five people clicking, really intently, like the professionals that they are. And I just had to leave the stage - that's when you think 'I can't believe I'm doing this!'"

If you have some more behind the scenes information, send it in.