Dollhouse

As a creative person, how do you keep your head on straight when your work engenders so much intensity in both directions? — Karla

Joss: Um, have you met me?

Do you watch the movies/television shows the cast members from Buffy, Angel, or Firefly star in? Any favorite works of the cast members in particular? — Daniel

Dude, Summer Glau is a Terminator. Summer Glau is a Terminator! My work on Earth is done.

And Castle [the new show starring Nathan Fillion] looks fun.

Out of film, television, and internet, which media do you find is most enjoyable to work on, most stressful, most rewarding, and why? — Chloe

Honey, it’s all stress. I’m defined by stress. I’m on the ten best stressed list. The rewards are different — movies are big and intense, TV is long and deep, internet is tiny and personal and mine all mine — but all worth pursuing. I’m a media agnostic. If it’s stories, I’ll brave the stress.

How do you develop a character? Do you have a specific archetype, trope, or "slot" to fill in your shows that you fit a character to, or do you create their personalities separate from their purpose? — Anne

Purpose informs personality. It’s not like I say "I need a wacky sidekick" — although I did when I was working on Disney musicals, but that was the form. I tend to focus on one character (perhaps a young woman of unnatural abilities, to pull an example randomly out of nowhere) and then the other characters are built from the needs of that character’s journey.

You get a lot of critical and fan acclaim for being an excellent 3rd generation writer but I really enjoy your directing style. Who are your influences in that regard and what kind of background training did you receive before you got behind the camera? — buffywrestling

I had no production experience outside of my backyard, but I had the best professors in the world. I’m influenced by everything I’ve seen and I studied most of the great American directors at Wesleyan (hint: watch EVERYTHING.) If I’m gonna pick directors, I’d say Borzage, Minnelli, Hitchcock, Carpenter. Today. But for some reason, Soderbergh’s The Limey had the most immediate and visceral effect on my sense of style. It’s so casually daring. Also, comic books really help dynamic framing and narrative coherence.

I recently read an interview with you in Mother Jones magazine. "Geek God" I think was the term they used for you. How do you feel about your success? What advice do you like to give other "geeks" with good ideas? — Jennifer Russell

If you have a good idea, get it out there. For every idea I’ve realized, I have ten I sat on for a decade till someone else did it first. Write it. Shoot it. Publish it. Crochet it, sauté it, whatever. MAKE.

As for my success, well, I’m for it.

You obviously love music, and you’ve shown yourself to be a great composer and lyricist. Is that all self-taught or did receive some formal musical education? — Steve

I have a great piano teacher, Bill Augustine, who knows everything and doesn’t mind when I don’t practice (ever). But I never studied. I just like what I like.

All About Dollhouse

You’re known for projects where main characters grow and evolve with one another, which dramatically changes the dynamics of their relationships. How difficult will doing that be [when Echo, the main character on Dollhouse,] is different every week? — Michael

As the series progresses, I think you’ll see that there’s a great deal more to Echo than who she is that week. And the evolution of the people around her is going to be equally important, and therefore equally twisted. In some ways, this premise allows for radical character shifts that usually require a few seasons and/or an alternate dimension. But it’s all to a purpose — we don’t just randomly throw things out there. More I cannot say. Keep watching! That means you, all of America!

I’m enjoying your use of the phonetic alphabet as a naming system. Does that mean Echo was the fifth "doll?" Will there be an Omega? Or a child "doll?" Are there only 26 at a time? I have to admit I was surprised after seeing the previews to see male dolls. Will there be any duel assignments? Love interests? May I look forward to a musical episode? — "Freddie"

Duel assignments, love interests, check. Omega, check. Child dolls, no check. A.I. covered that territory powerfully in a much safer venue. We couldn’t and shouldn’t go there. And I can’t do a musical of EVERYTHING...

What is different about writing for the world in Dollhouse? What are some challenges or opportunities about writing in a more concrete version of reality [vs. the worlds depicted in Firefly, Buffy and Angel]? — Jenn Handorf

This reality thing is a bitch. You gotta obey the laws of physics. I didn’t take physics. I want my alternate realities! And more horses.

Actually, the human brain is the most surreal landscape I’ve ever walked through. Though this does try to be more grounded, in some ways this show has license to be crazier than anything I’ve done.

I heard a rumor that [you are] no longer interested in working on Dollhouse due to the success of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. I hope this isn’t true because I really liked the second episode of Dollhouse a lot. — Han-Earl

I’m cutting the last eps of Dollhouseright now and I’m sorry, but I’m in Heaven. Scary, crazy Heaven.

Adelle’s mentioned that Echo is highly requested among Actives. Why is that? — Jennifer She’s got that spark that no one else has. We call it the "She’s Eliza Dushku, For god’s Sake" factor.

What’s the confessional? — Jennifer

The computer station where you enter the details of your engagement, so you don’t have to confess to them to Adelle DeWitt, even though she is all comforting and British.

I’ve heard the original [Dollhouse] pilot had to be changed or re-shot. Will we get a chance to see the original pilot episode at some point in the season or possibly on a DVD extras? — Nathan

Bestest DVD extra since that musical commentary I read about somewhere.

There’s been a lot of comparison to the story of Echo being a sort of warped interpretation of the River Tam story, do you agree/disagree? — Vivienne

It wasn’t meant that way, but I do have my little obsessions...

Will we get to see some unethical women purchase the services of an Active? In my experience it’s women who have the kind of complicated relationship based fantasies that Actives would be suited to. Guys tend to (again just my experience here) fantasize about physical activities, not so much with the stories. — "Fionnlaech"

We definitely hit that (poor phrasing) but not as much I’d like. I guess we’ll have to wait for Season Two, All of America!

You mentioned in an earlier interview that Ms. Dushku hasn’t really had a chance to do much comedy in her career, will you give her a chance to bust out her comedic chops in a coming episode??? — "Fionnlaech"

Wait’ll you see her with Patton Oswalt. So cute.

Are you concerned about Fox canceling Dollhouse before it’s really able to grow into your dream? If so, what differently are you doing this time around? — Ryan

I’m doing what I did every year on Buffy — wrapping everything up with a pretty bow made of questions.

What aspects of hidden human desire are you most looking forward to touching on in Dollhouse? — Douglas

Perversion. Often more shameful than harmful. Why?

Also, as a side note, I want to become a television writer but have no connections, so could I be unofficially your child? Mind if I call you "Dad?" — Douglas

You may call me Miss Puppythighs.

I like the virtual families that develop on your shows. But between Adele’s "X" management style, and the lack of operative self-awareness, it looks like Dollhouse isn’t going there. Should I just be patient, or do you have an alternate plan to invest us in these characters? — Jane

You should be patient BECAUSE I have an alternate plan.