CM_SetReport Chat w/AJ Cook login info

Please click on the above 'chat now' button/link to join the chat with AJ Cook.  Make sure java is up to date on your computer.  The room will open 30 min prior to the start of the chat.  Please follow us on twitter (@CM_Setreport) or check back here for the most up to date information.  As of right now, the chat is scheduled for 5PM PST.  This is subject to change due to production needs.

Room password for tonight is: jareau

CM_SetReport Chat w/Writer Breen Frazier

Hope you enjoyed last night's all new EP "The Company." Writer Breen Frazier will join us tonight in the CM_SetReport chat room at 6PM PST



Click on the above 'Chat Now' button/link to join the chat. The room will open at 5:30PM PST.

Password: cindy

CM_SetReport Chat Transcript for Matthew Gray Gubler and Sharon Lee Watson 04-05-12

Sharon Lee Watson (SLW): Hi everyone, Sharon here. Really glad to be here. Let's get to chatting!

Fatima: How did you come up with the concept for this episode? It was very dark and it had a lot of freaky elements. I really enjoyed it and the song at the end was an excellent choice!

SLW: I wanted to do a classic gothic horror story, something that reminded me of my childhood watching old scary movies usually starring Vincent Price, and reruns of Dark Shadows.

CrimMindsFans: Sharon, what is your favourite part about working with the CM crew

SLW: They are just awesome. Seriously. Everyone works so hard to bring the scripts to life.

shoshawhat: First of all, amazing episode! It was creepy, atmospheric, and hauntingly beautiful. Plus, we got to see the Jackie Chan of prime time in action :) My question is for both of you - Are there any scenes or moments that were lost in the process of editing that you wish could have been left in? Also - who chose the closing quote? I'm a huge Poe fan and thought it fit perfectly.

Matthew Gray Gubler (MGG): The nature of TV requires that stuff gets cut out. At the end you never miss it but while you're cutting it it breaks your heart. A good sign of a wonderful episode is how much good stuff you have to cut out.

Claudine: Sharon, did you have a favourite scene in the script and did that differ from you favourite scene in the produced episode?

SLW: My favorite scene in the script stage was the Prom scene. After it was filmed, I also loved the overhead shot of Alice wearing the red dress in the empty storefront.

babruin: for Matthew, do you think your affinity for German Expressionism influenced how you use light and dark contrast to heighten the mood, like in the morgue scene? very effective!

MGG: Absolutely. German expressionism. And abide by it as much as possible. The morgue scene (and with all the somewhat typical scenes). Ie. BAU, Salem PD, etc. I strived to shoot them in a way we have never done before. Canted with an undercurrent of dread seeping throughout. As if James’ psychosis was bleeding through the entire world. German expressionism style. Thanks.

1harmoniouslife: For Sharon- Im curious as to your inspriation for the episode... did you study history, or have to wear one of those huge dresses before? Also were they designed specifically for the show?

SLW: The inspiration was classic gothic stories. No, I didn't have to wear a dress but I wish I had tried one on! They were not designed specifically for the show but they were chosen to reflect the specific time period.

rachelbrent: I loved last night's episode, very psychological! Matthew, which scene was the most challenging for you to realize from your imagination onto the screen?

MGG: Oddly none of them. ... BAU roundtable, if any.

jillian: Hello, the episode last night was amazing! Sharon, did you have MGG in mind as a director of when writing? And MGG, how much input did you have in the storyline?

SLW: I did not have him in mind but I was so lucky that the order of directors was changed so that I ended up with Matthew. I can't imagine the episode now without his touch.

tarynpreston: Were the pictures that James painted in the episode actually painted by Matthew? They felt exactly right and added to the overall impression that James was unbalanced. Hmm, that sounds like I think Matthew is unbalanced, but I don't!

MGG: Thanks. I did do those. It was a long, painful process figuring out what those should be. And then luckily, after having a show artist make a bunch of versions, Sharon finally said... Matthew, you should just make these. I wanted them to look unlike my artwork. So was hesitant but figured out a way to.

anniebelle: @sharon, where did you get the idea for nicotine poisoning? was it common in shakespearean times/witchhunting? were there any other ideas for modus operandi?

SLW: I wanted to use a poison dress as the cause of death. Ultimately, I consulted with a forensic toxicologist on the best poison and he came up with nicotine which is readily available as a pesticide and can cause death pretty quickly. I'm not sure if was common in shakespearean times.

purpletapir: hey gube:) if you could be shemar for a day, what would you do?

MGG: Give Matthew all my money. Then walk around town with my shirt off.

Morgan_McCarraher: Matthew what is it like working with the talented Robert Englund, and Sharon you said you wanted an old time horror type atmosphere, is that why Robert Englund was chosen to be in that episode. Being he is after all the personification of old school horror?

MGG: I’ve loved him forever. But mostly love the idea of taking actors and icons from my childhood and casting them in parts they would normally never get. He was great to work with. So awesome. And levitated the mood on set.

AmandaAlbertson: First, thank you Matthew and Sharon for a hauntingly brilliant episode. Question for both of you, What was you favorite part in the episode?

MGG: Every part. Loved the pre-production casting/art making/location scouting and everything else.

dancerbirgit: My question is for both of you: How did you decide on who to cast for each character? Did you have everyone in mind, or were they pleasant surprises? Beautiful episode, by the way, definitely my favorite so far!

MGG: All pleasant surprises. We went with our guts. I’ve worked with Kyle before and knew he was great. And Sharon and I loved Madeline’s voice and vulnerable nature.

NittyMcNitpicker: Any chance we'll ever see Betty White as an unsub in an episode that is an homage to Arsenic and Old Lace? :P

SLW: Great idea!

UNSUBmarineSandwich: Gube what aspects of directing make you the happiest? (bossing your fellow actor buddies around? ;-D)

MGG: Directors that boss people around usually make rigid, not so interesting, entertainment. I like trying to inspire everyone to do something unique. And something they haven’t felt safe to try before. I love everything about directing.

Wheelsup4demily: Sharon, was there a reason you wrote such a twisted ending? I loved it! It certainly makes sense! And Matthew, how did you decide how to stage it? Particularly the part when she's holding "the devil's" hand and then we see no one is there.

MGG: There was some talk of that ending not being in there. Since its something we don’t usually do. But Sharon and I felt SO STRONGLY about it. We got it in there. The fear was that it would be “hokey” or slightly comical. But we knew that as long as we NEVER show the devil other than his hand it would be effectively horrifying. Because everyone would create their own nightmare. Also, the actor we cast, although you never see him, was seven feet tall and horrifying; which naturally infused that moment with the needed quality.

epms2000: Great episode - fun, weird, scary. MGG how did you direct Kyle to get that "psychotic" look in his eyes towards the end?

MGG: I find that when working actors collaboration is your best friend. Seeing that THEY are excited about. Instead of rigidly forcing them into a moment. I try really hard to cast everything perfectly so no matter what an actor does it is truthful and perfect.

Sydney: Please please can you put this question through to Matthew? How did you get into directing? Thanks so much! :) - Sydney

MGG: I’ve always been obsessed with entertainment. And also with magic. Directing is the best of both those worlds. Like an ongoing magic trick that affects peoples’ emotions.

Llama_Ice_Hi: slw, mgg, you guys seem to be so in sync and have similar thinking processes..was there anything you disagreed on??

MGG: Nothing really. Sharon wishes the prom song was 1.5 decibles louder. I think it could have been 1 decible higher.

SLW: Strangely, there was nothing really!

MGG: And that’s super rare.

promptusvado: Why did you decide to include the kiss between James and Lara?

SLW: It was symbolic of James romantic projection onto his sister that she was a princess he needed to rescue.

Butterfly: What was the inspiration for the bucket catching and pouring the water vs just water dumping in?

MGG: Sharon is hesitant to admit this but I think she was inspired by a kids ride at Splashers water park. I loved it because it was just odd.

Monserrath: Sharon, what was your first impression when you finally watched the final cut ?

MGG: Sharon and I are perfectionists. So I think everytime we watch it there are like five or six things that BOTHER THE HECK OUT OF US. But no one else would ever notice.

Ami: Matthew so far you've directed 3 episodes of CM. Has it gotten easier with each episode and which one has been your favourite and why?

MGG: It’s always been easy for some reason. Heathridge and Mosley Lane are my faves. Lauren was great but challenging for me because I’m not really visually excited by guns and bombs.

ChickenHypnotist2TheStars: Matthew, on the very last episode of Criminal Minds, what very last thing would you want to see Spencer doing - his fade out?

MGG: Smiling. ... Or cutting a baby’s arm off. J/K

SSA_River_Song: I hope this gets through.... Matthew, Sharon: How much research went into this awesome episode/ Did you both collaborate?

MGG: Sharon had MOUNDS of books on salem witch trials, etc. We looked at paintings and painting styles for about two months. ALOT of research on all the art aspects.

theFisherQueen: What does MGG's mother think of the most recent episode? Does she approve of the "interesting" show choice he has been in???

MGG: She loved it. But wasn’t so sure at first. Hahaha. She said it gave her chills all the way through.

sam-maddy: Sharon/Matthew, if you could have CM do a crossever with any show past or present which

MGG: Alf. Honestly, Twin Peaks.

SLW: Sherlock (BBC version)


MGG: Thanks!!! You guys rule. It’s been a pleasure talking.

SLW: Thanks for chatting! Look forward to next time.

MGG: Don’t answer your doorbells.

CM_SetReport Chat w/Matthew Gray Gubler and Sharon Lee Watson

Hi Folks, please click on the above box labeled "chat now" to join the CM_SetReport Chat Room.

As with previous chats, you must have java (http://java.com/en/) installed and up to date in order to participate. Once the window opens, you will be asked for a login name (your choice) and then a password.

Tonight's password is: smoke eyes

The chat room will open @ 5:30PM Pacific Time. Director/Actor Matthew Gray Gubler and Writer Sharon Lee Watson will join us at 6PM.

CM_SetReport Chat w/Sharon Lee Watson and Matthew Gray Gubler

Very special chat this week following the airing of EP719 "Heathridge Manor." We've got writer Sharon Lee Watson and director/actor Matthew Gray Gubler in the @CM_SetReport chat room at 6PM PST. Thursday, April 5th, 2012.

Login information and details will be posted Thursday morning. Hope to see you there!

CM_SetReport Chat w/Kimberly Harrison Login Info

Click on the above 'Chat Now' button/link to join the CM_SetReport chat with the writer of EP716 "A Family Affair," Kimberly Harrison. The room will open at 5:30PM PST.

Password is: family

CM_SetReport Chat w/writer Kimberly Harrison

Hope everyone enjoys 2night's all new EP "A Family Affair." Join us tomororw at 6PM PST for a chat w/writer @iKimHarrison . #Criminalminds

Chat w/Virgil Williams login info

Click on the above 'Chat Now' button/link to join the CM_SetReport chat with the writer of EP715 "A Thin Line," Virgil Williams. The room will open at 5:30PM.

Password is: vote

CM_SetReport Chat w/writer Rick Dunkle

Click on the above 'Chat Now' button/link to join the CM_SetReport chat with the writer of EP714 "Closing Time,"  Rick Dunkle. The room will open at 5:30PM.

Password is: lifeguard

Chat with w/Writer Bruce Zimmerman

Click the above link/button to join the CM_Setreport chatroom.

Password is: sapphire

CM_SetReport Chat W/Bruce Zimmerman

Join writer Bruce Zimmerman for a chat tomorrow, Thurs @ 9AM PST! The chatroom link will be posted 30 min prior to the chat as will the password. Hope to see you there!

CM_SetReport Chat Transcript for Breen Frazier 01-26-11

pagetgirl101: BREEN!!!! YOU DA
MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Breen Frazier (BF): French slappy chick is our bad guy for season 8 y'all.

Hannah_CM: Hi Breen, do you have a favourite episode which you have wrote? :)

BF: Was thinking about this last night. I differentiate between the scripts and what's shot. I think if you read Cradle to Grave and compared it Uncanny Valley, C2G is a better read. Right now, Unknown Subject is my favorite. When I think about the process, the word that comes to mind is "seamless." The director, the cast, the way it cut together like butter. It really was a fab experience.

avferreira: Were the songs used in the episode already on your script or were they chosen by the music department?

BF: I chose the songs. Guess how much we spent? Over $100,000. They were both written by Jim Steinman, who co-wrote Meat Loaf's Bat out of Hell. They were written for an unused rock opera about a vampire. When the rock opera didn't go anywhere, he pawned them off to Bonnie Tyler and Air Supply. But if you listen to them, you can totally hear Meat Loaf singing them.

swon: Breen, amazing episode! Paget told us that the last jet scene was supposed to be longer...can you PLEASE tell us what else was written for that scene that didn't make the episode??

BF: Paget says, "I'm having a bad day." Hotch: "Do you want to talk about it?" "No." "Do you want some time off?" "No. (BEAT) I want the old me back." Then Hotch says, "Well, she's gone. But you're still here." And Michael Lange, the director felt that the scene's high point was Prentiss saying, "Bad day." That's why you hire directors.

LornaDavenport:What would YOU like to see in the show's future? Romance? More sick and twisted unsubs?

BF: More sick and twisted UnSubs, which we don't seem to be in any danger of running out of. That's the show's bread and butter, that's what keeps 15million people tuning in week after week. The challenge for me is dig into the psychology of why they do what they do. Romance is a close fifth, though. Personally, I don't love writing romantic scenes for these characters, it's a hard tonal shift after the disembowelment scenes.

bgmbrme: are there times were it's a great read, but doesn't work when cameras start rolling??

BF: Oh heck yes. Trying to think of an example. Well, here's one from 52 Pickup. Hotch and Rossi find the UnSub's mom and we see the source of all his trauma. She says, "I need to be changed." It was so bad the first time we reshot it and it was still bad.

thetruthbetween: I LOVED the Charade shout-outs! Regina Lampert, Hamilton Bartholemew, Peter Joshua? Epic. Is that a favorite movie?

BF: It is a favorite movie and I have no idea why it sprang to mind as I was writing this script. It's a lighthearted, low-key Hitchcock rip-off, but brilliant in its own way. I think what drew me to it was that the Hamilton Bartholomew character in the movie was underplayed by Walter Matthau, who turns out to be the ultimate bad guy. I wanted to convey that sense of pulling the rug out from under you, and you can't wrong ripping off that movie. Even if all you steal are the names.

laurenreynoldsisdead: Why did you choose Hotch to comfort Prentiss, rather than JJ or another team member?

BF: There was some chatter about this when I teased it in my last chat. Fans felt that any of the characters who suffered trauma could comfort her. And considering they've all pretty much suffered trauma, it was dealer's choice. However... Hotch was the only one who would have access to her psych report. Hotch was the one who covered up her death. Hotch was the one who was knife-raped by the Reaper where Prentiss was gored by Ian Doyle. As such, it felt like a rich Hotch/Prentiss scene to write. And that's why I went that way.

HotchDAMN: How did you decide to have 2 unsubs for 7x12 and was there ever any question that Regina would have captured the "wrong" man (not HER actual rapist)?

BF: No, I wanted her to capture the right guy. I don't know why, it was just storytelling instinct. The way we broke this ep was, we figured out the UnSub story first, meaning Regina/Hamilton. What that little play was, how she caught him, how he reacted in captivity, how he turned the tables with the slut-shaming story, how they fought, and how Prentiss would have to lie to her to get her to put the gun down. Going back to the first part of your question, THAT'S why it had to be right guy. I knew that Prentiss had to lie to her to disarm Regina. But I'll tell you this, I'm never writing an episode with two UnSubs again. Because the minute you do that, you double the amount of exposition the audience has to track. Or, as my father shouted over the phone to me this morning, "It was too damn confusing!"

poucelina79: Hi Paget, I really loved last nights episode, especially the plane scenes. My Question, did you have to film that scene about Sergio a few times? I think it was hilarious! ::laugh

PB: I'm so glad you liked it. Yes, we shoot every scene many times to give the editors and director choices in editing. Sadly, the final scene in the jet with Hotch had to be cut down to keep the episode at the right length for airplay. It was a longer scene and we had a great time doing it.

bookwurn32191: Breen, do you have any advice to aspiring screenwriters?

BF: How old are you? Rough Estimate. College? Post-grad? High school? 60s?

bookwurn32191: College.

BF: Okay, good. What I mean is, you're at an exciting point in your life. If you go to film school, you will be surrounded by budding directors, directors of photography, etc. But writing is the great equalizer. If you can WRITE you can tell a story. That's the first thing you have to be able to do is communicate visually through words on a page. The screenwriting software out there is top notch. I recommend Final Draft, that's pretty much industry standard and it's really easy to use. For story structure, I am a fan of Robert McKee's "Story." Virgil Williams recommends Christopher Vogler's "The Hero's Journey." Finally, and most importantly, WRITE. Every day. IT IS A MUSCLE. One trick that I learned recently is, don't write on a computer screen. When I have 60 pages to write, and there's a blinking cursor, all I want to do is check my email and Gawker.com in that order. But when I write longhand something unlocks in my brain and I can get the pages done. Unfortunately, ep720 is now at 72 pages when it needs to br 55. So there's that.

cmwonderlady: Hi Breen! What's your next episode and who will be the team member on focus?

BF: It's 720. Morgan is the focus.

jillian: Would you ever consider publishing one of your scripts online for the fans?

BF: If we're allowed. ABC has weird policies about that. But if we get permission and you guys vote on your favorite, we'll be happy to put it out. I think what would be most interesting would be the first draft AND the final draft so you can see how the writing evolves.

ZoeyJzzz: I can't believe I'm asking this, but have you ever read Criminal Minds fanfiction and if you did, what was your reaction?

BF: I haven't. I don't want to get inspired.

JJHotchner: Will anyone on the team ever meet Beth?

BF: Yes, that's going to happen soon. Can’t say when but soon.

debra: Are we going to see more of Prentiss continuing to deal with the repurcussions of the Doyle arc and her reintegration throughout the season?

BF: There will be a few beats throughout the season, but nothing substantial. I don't want to say that Prentiss is hunky-dory after last night, but it's one of those things where we've mined the most dramatic potential, mirroring her emotional state against the UnSub. There are only so many episodes where one of the team members goes, "That's just like me!"

kitten0409: Please, somebody tell Breen's dad that the episode was fantastic/interesting/intriguing, anything except confusing! ;)

BF: Mom?

toloveandbelovedbyme: did you always know you wanted to be a writer, and how did you deal with it when people discouraged you?

BF: When I went to college, I wanted to be a big movie director just like all of my classmates and every transplant to Los Angeles. Then I shot my senior project and discovered how freaking hard it is to direct. I am not a visual person. I don't think in terms of light or color scheme. I think in terms of character, dilemma and conflict. When I came out here, I learned that there was exponentially more work in TV than movies. That's esp true if you want to write. Think about it, there's 10 job on every show. That's 10 writing positions. There's only one or two or four names on a feature written by credit. Once I figured that out, I decided to focus on writing TV, and this was a time when dramatic TV was exploding. From ER to Sopranos to Buffy. You could do so much more over a season than you could in two hours. Once I made the shift, I never looked back and I've been very happy ever since.

ohmyhotch: If you could meet one real life serial killer or other creeper, for inspirational purposes or otherwise, who would you like to meet?

BF: Hitler, just to get a sense of his mania, as shown in the propoganda. There's an OSS psych profile of him online that's fascinating. Manson would be good, to get a sense of how he could get control over so many people. I wonder if he could do it without the aid of mind-altering drugs. Bundy, who seems like the charmer without the LSD.

TN-1T: In your mind, did Prentiss have qualms about lying to Regina?

BF: Yeah, I think she did. But I think it was a decision she made in the moment to avoid something much worse happening -- Regina pulling the trigger and going to prison. This was something I struggled with, would Regina be able to get under her skin. To a certain extent, she would be like, "Yeah, I did it, so what?" That's why Regina figuring out Prentiss was a victim of similar trauma was the turn in the scene. That's where she gets to stick the knife in. Or, if you prefer, the wooden stake.

MrJ: Do any of the team have a secret talent that hasn't been made canon yet because it's not relevent?

BF: JJ plays the accordion. Morgan plays the jews harp. Hotch plays a double bass. Rossi sings. Reid plays the harpsichord. They're going on tour like the Partridges for Season 10.

uhmlyeah: Why the emphesis on self-contained episodes. It really stymies character development of the team.

BF: This is a complicated question. At the end of the day, we're a CBS show. If you're on CBS, this is the deal. I think there's a way you can make that more interesting to the audience though, because part of them is tuning in for the comfort food TV of it. Part of them are tuning in so they can fill in the personal stories.

emilyPOW: do you ever get nightmares due to your job

BF: Nope. Never. People think we do, but we never do. I think there's an exorcism that happens on the page that keeps you from taking it home. I will say that I'm a lot more secure, more aware of leaving doors open around the house, keep my kids on a short leash.

Amplifigaytion: Can you give us a Morgan/Reid s7 tidbit? I'm not holding my breath for a secret marriage, but I'll take what I can get.

BF: There's not a lot. It's not a creative decision, it's just one of those things. For instance, right now, Matthew is getting ready to direct, so there's not a lot of Reid/Morgan. Shoot. I wish I could think of something good but I can't. But they still like each other. The characters and the actors. We'll spin them off in Season 9.

SesameSquirrel: What kind of other background reading do you do for prepping on unsubs? (besides OSS profiles)

BF: Depends on the UnSub. We have a great researcher who pulls anything and everything we want with frightening speed. In last night's ep, I had a vague memory of reading something in the NYTimes about the age at which music imprints on us and she had that article printed out within 5 minutes. My favorite book on SK's is Happy Like Murderers by Gordon Burn about Fred and Rosemary West. Crime non-fiction is a mixed bag. There's a lot of bad stuff out there and it's easy to waste your time. But that book is one of the best.

toloveandbelovedbyme: Do you ever get inspiration for the show from your dreams?

BF: No. I'm most inspired by movies. I mentioned in my last chat that there was a Korean movie about a woman lashed to a piano via piano wire. That's where the torture came from.

itscalledastarpuzzle: is there any content that you are not allowed to write about for the show?

BF: Network frowns on incest. You have to be careful with kids. And a lot of times the network just wants a win. Even if there are no survivors, they want to see the BAU arrest or shoot the UnSub. So to have an episode where we lose, it's an uphill battle. The network will let us do it, but we have justify it in terms of story necessity. And we can only do it so many times a season.

JJHotchner: Can you tell us the title for 7x20?

BF: The Company.

laurenreynoldsisdead: Do you have any spoilers for the upcoming episodes?

BF: Keep an eye on my bad guy for 720. Virgil's writing one that's a great structure screw up.

laurenreynoldsisdead: Will we ever get a sex scene?

BF: Not a good one. Only so much you can do on CBS.

toloveandbelovedbyme: Who wrote the upcoming episode where Morgan is half naked in Garcia's apartment? Because I Love them.

BF: Bruce Zimmerman. I love him too.

Jenn: Do you ever have particular actors in mind to guest star as the unsubs/victims you write? If so, so they usually end up being the ones cast?

BF: YES. I wanted Patton Oswalt for last night's episode. That was possible because Paget is friends with him. But he was doing press for Young Adult when we shot this and was unavailable.

BreenMegan: Can we get another serial killer arc? Like Foyet?

BF: We're working on it, but it won't be as many episodes as Foyet or Ian Doyle.

prentisslovesreid: Do you like writing episodes where the victim dies and isn't rescued before they catch the unsub? Should we expect any soon?

BF: Depends on the needs of the episode. If it dictates it, then sure. I'm more interested in writing compelling scenes and if how you handle death is part of it, great. Can't think of any eps where that's going to happen, but that's just my bad memory.

devoncarrots: Breen do you think that we'll ever see an episode that has a Trans* character?

BF: TG? No. If you remember, there was some outcry about that WRT Silence of the Lambs. I don't think we'll do a TG UnSub, because I don't want to misrepresent the TG cause. If you pursue that, your issues don't overlap with the paraphilia of most UnSubs.

theadoptedbrewster: breen i love you okay

ZoeyJzzz: You said that you write every day, Breen. What do you write, other than the scripts?

BF: Really, nothing. If I'm not writing, we're in the writers room, which is exercising the same muscle.

laurenreynoldsisdead: If you could have any celebrity on CM, who would it be?

BF: Can't think of anyone great. I was thrilled with last night's ep. Jay Karnes is actually a better fit than Patton. We have a great casting gang and that's what they excel at

personthing: Did you know you have a fanpage on Facebook?

BF: NO! What is it? Is it better than Minions of Drew Goddard?

SmileyGidget:Do you enjoy the opportunity (when you get them) to meet your fans and fans of the show?!

BF: Love it. They're really nice. Appreciative. And smart. Really, really smart. They value the show and in a lot of ways, that's who we're writing for because you keep us honest.

lauraandsergio: Have you ever had really awful writers block before something huge like february sweeps is supposed to happen?

BF: Some episodes are just harder than others. I hit the wall at the end of the season because I'm tired and don't want to write another scene of a girl screaming. No terrible writers block, though. One thing that keeps that from happening is, we've broken the story in the room. So you know what you're going to write. It's just a question of the discipline to write it.

CM_fan89: Do you ever write habits of the cast members into their characters?

BF: Paget biting her nails. That became an unexpected story turn in Lauren. The bit about Prentiss faking Declan's death was a late addition to the script. We needed something in the pictures to prove it and Paget's terrible incredibly gross fingernails suddenly became a useful plot point.

SesameSquirrel: What goes on in the writers room? Spitball fights? Brainstorming? Or will you be strangled with piano wire if you tell us?

BF: A lot of trash talking, but it's mostly good-natured. There was more drinking in Season 5. But we're healthier now.

tabularossi: How do you get the voice of each character right? (phrasing, word choice, etc.)

BF: That's the journey of each writer with the show. I think Reid was easiest for me. I just write a big speech and he delivers it verbatim. A lot of times you get feedback from the actors and we take it very seriously. The drinking was a component of a VERY small writing staff. Now that we have the right number of writers, we're not nearly as stressed.

criminalmusings: Drink more!

alyssa_croft_: Have you ever aired an episode that you wish you didn't? Or wish you could have changed? If so which one?

BF: Compromising Positions was my least favorite. I just never got that script to where I wanted it to be. I think part of it is, when the UnSub loses his mind and shoots up a swingers' party, you can't really come back from that and ground it. 52 Pickup... love the character stuff in that, but the UnSub just never made sense. Also, there was a mom who pooped herself in that one.

OrkutCM: Hello Breen, hugs from Brasil...

LornaDavenport: What's your favourite line you've ever wrote in an script?

BF: Last night's ep. JJ: "And his tramp stamp probably spells out Massengil." AJ nailed it.
That's it for me, guys! Thank you so much!!!

CM_SetReport Chat Transcript for Paget Brewster 01-26-11

Paget Brewster (PB): Hey Everybody !! It's me, Paget !

swon: Paget, do you ever get freaked out by the episodes and the content?

PB: Ha, yes, I did in the beginning, I installed some high tech, fully illegal home security devices. I think now I've gotten used to the dark material, though...

pagetgirl101: What are you hoping to see in Emily's future? (PS...You're awesome!)

PB: Hmmmm. I think it would be cool if we could get someone to play my Dad. We met my mom and Gubler and I both want to get John Waters or David Lynch to play my dad. That could be fun. Or, you know.... make out with Hotch...

BreenMegan: QUESTION FOR PAGET: How did the tweeting like Shemar start?

PB: Okay. I stole that from Gubler. He started it. I just did it better.

Love_from_Wales: Matthew said in his interview that you are most like a vampire, why is that?

PB: Because Matthew and I wanted to start a bath and beauty product line called BLOODBATH where we would make red bath gels and stuff. I am a vampire, too, though, that might be why. I am not kidding about the bathworks. We almost had a meeting with Guthy Renker..

laurenreynoldsisdead: Hey Paget! Di you like playing 'Lauren Reynolds'? How was is different than playing Prentiss?

PB: I let the wig do all the work. I am lazy.

swon: Hi Paget! You were so amazing last night as always--looking flawless of course! I must ask, do you really wear the same boots everyday to the set? BTW you're awesome

PB: Thanks for all the kind words. I am you fan now. I do have the saME BOOTS. tHEY ARE MOLDED TO MY FEET NOW AND GET RESOLED EVERY FEW WEEKS AT THE MALL. tHEY ARE MORE COMFORTABLE THAN ANY OTHER SHIOES. Look, alot of caps !!

lauragazora: What was the most emotionally challenging scene/episode you've had to whilst you've been working on Criminal Minds? How do you prepare yourself for those scenes, especially where you have to cry? LOVE YOU PAGET! X

PB: The most emotional scene was in my first episode back, the first this year. Being back was overwhelming after what we all went through and reciting the FBI's oath made me lumpy in the throat every time. It was strangely profound.

Aliyah: What's your favourite thing to do after a long day of filming?

PB: Wine. And watching The Bachelor.

BreenMegan: Paget, I'm planning a bachelorette party. What's a good wine and cheese combo to put together for it?

PB: All wine and all cheese is good. Do you have a Trader Joe's? They have the best brie and Freixenet Champagne is cheap and fantastic. Go for cabernet or merlot. And cut up one pear and throw a bunch of grapes on there, you're golden.

poucelina79: Hi Paget, I really loved last nights episode, especially the plane scenes. My Question, did you have to film that scene about Sergio a few times? I think it was hilarious! ::laugh

PB: I'm so glad you liked it. Yes, we shoot every scene many times to give the editors and director choices in editing. Sadly, the final scene in the jet with Hotch had to be cut down to keep the episode at the right length for airplay. It was a longer scene and we had a great time doing it.

SmritzCM: Which cast member can you do an impression of the best?

PB: Shemar and Gubler. I can imitate Thomas imitating a guy from New Zealand, though..

ChocolateDivine: Hi Paget! I love it when Emily speaks and translates foreign languages. Can we have more of that? And what foreign language do you like speaking the best?

PB: OH< YOU lucky chocolate divine, we have a two page scene in spanish coming up. It was terrifying because I want to be perfect but I don't speak spanish. I speak french, so that's easier. I'm hoping I might get to japanese, that would be very challenging...

criminalmusings: I thought I would never hear you say "poop" on CM but my life is now made, so thanks. Who paid Emily's rent while she was gone?

PB: Who DID pay Emily's rent...? Maybe mom ? Hmm..

awwunicorns: If you could swap places and play one of the male characters on the show, who would you play and why?

PB: I would play David Rossi. Yesterday we were shooting a scene and Joe was sitting on the desk and he stopped shooting because he was holding a local cop pen. He said "Hold on a second. Rossi don't use no bic.” We waited for his Mont Blanc pen and I love that guy.

Sae: Hi, Paget! Aj said that CM girls were texting like crazy the day episode 150 aired. Can you tell us what the texts were about?

PB: I don't know. What were we saying ? I'm trying to remember. We were taking a lot of pictures> We were super happy to be all together again.

theadoptedbrewster: After "Demonology" what is your perspective of Emily's religious feelings do you think that she regained her faith after that episode or if she ever went into the church she stood in front of?

PB: I think I chose that moment to shift Emily's faith more toward a spirituality and belief in "something greater" as opposed to being a part of organized religion. I think the scars from that childhood experience tend to do that to former catholics I have known.

Shmoo: Do you hope or plan to do more comedy shows/movies at any point? I love Comedic Paget.

PB: Thanks !! I would love to do more comedy. Right now we work so hard to get these shows in the can every week that there isn’t a lot of free time to do movies, or time to guest star on other shows. I do get to do the Thrilling Adventure Hour live radio show every month so I get my comedy kicks out there. The Coronet Theatre on LA Cienega!

jillian: When are you going to be on Thrilling Adventure Hour again? You are an amazing singer.. you should sing more on it! :)

PB: February 4th !! Come on down. We just did the San Francisco Sketch Fest last week and it was great fun ! We haD Christopher Meloni and Colin Hanks!

SmritzCM: Have you ever fired a real gun before?

PB: Yes. In fact Joe and Gubler and AJ and I are going to Ojai in June to compete in a skeet shooting match with shotguns. We came in 4th last year.

mschrispoulos: Are you a cat person like Emily, or do you prefer dogs? I'm partial to dogs myself.

PB: I have always had cats and sadly, I had to help send my 14 year old Chauncey to cat heaven last month because she had jaw cancer. We were on the cover of CAT FANCY magazine so she was a star !!

dearPagetadoptme: If you could create a TV character that you'd play, what kind of character would you create?

PB: I wish I could play a french bitch in something. Like a dominatrix or life coach who slaps people. I did not put that smily face in there. I am not kidding. A french meanie.

SmileyGidget: Who has been your favourite guest star to work with?

PB: Well, I really enjoyed Judith Hoag form last nights episode. she is in real life married to Vince Grant who was our unsub in season 3, "Doubt" And Dina was a joy. I also adored Keith Carradine and Amy Madigan.

LornaDavenport: Who's the biggest prankster on set? And what's the worst prank that's been done to you? (or that you've done to someone else on set) Love from the UK! x

PB: The worst prank was when Gubler insisted he had taken a dump in my Sear's blow up pool. He had been in my house hanging with my boyfriend and so Steve ( bf) sent me a photo of the poop in the pool while I was at work. It was actually a plastic turd but he had me furious for a few hours.

BreenMegan: Your singing voice is amazing. Would you ever consider releasing an EP of new music?

PB: Ha, ha... I DO want to do that but I'm afraid it's so "creepy actor", you know ? Maybe bar standards or something funny.

Amaris: Hi from NZ. Just wondering who your favourite ever actor/actress is?

PB: Maggie Smith. And Keira Knightly, all those fantastic English ladies, Imelda Staunton, Claudie Blakely. I love those BBC shows !!

lauraandsergio: Have you ever met a fan thats just completely crazy and you want to really get away from them?

PB: All of my experiences with fans have been positive, I don't like getting fan mail from prisons showing up at my house. One lovely older lady hugged me at the market last month and mostly just held her face to my boobs for an uncomfortably long time but she seemed nice.

Sergiocushion: If you could play an unsub, what do you think their story would be?

PB: I would be a mean french chick who slaps people to death. And makes fun of their corpses. That’s terrible.

SageWhit.: Gubler gives out Goobies, but if you were to give of Brewster awards, who would get what?

PB: I would be exhausted just fabricating enough of them because we have 170 people or so who work on this show and they ALL deserve one. Everybody in every department would get one. Excepet Krishna.

Sergiocushion: Can you torture Krish some more for us? It's endlessly amusing!

PB: Sadly, Krish takes every other week off because he is a lazy piece of garbage so I'll have to wait another week. But I think this next one will be a good one..

reader2112: What episode has been your favourite?

PB: That's so hard to answer. I think the one I liked watching the most was actually Gubler's first "Mosley Lane" because I think the actors and sets and visuals were just so.. Gubler. And I love his style. I loved "Lauren" and thought Breen and Gubler did an amazing job on that but it was still a sad episode for me at the same time.

Ohh ! Guys, I have to go to Glendale to shoot a takedown scene with everybody. I'll tell them you all say hi. And now, please welcome, your favorite writer AND MINE ! Breen Frazier !!!

Login for chat w/Sharon Lee Watson and Jeff Newburg

Click on the above box labeled "chat now" to join the CM_SetReport Chat Room.

As with previous chats, you must have java (http://java.com/en/) installed and up to date in order to participate. Once the window opens, you will be asked for a login name (your choice) and then a password. Tonight's password is:

redmist

The chat room will open @ 5:30PM Pacific Time.

CM_SetReport chats w/Writer Sharon Lee Watson and Actor Jeff Newburg

Tonight at 6PM PST, we will host a live chat with the writer of last night's episode "True Genius," Sharon Lee Watson and actor Jeff Newburg, who played Caleb Rossmore. We will post a login link for the hour long chat as well as the room password at 5:30PM PST, here at cmsetreport.blogspot.com

Hope to see you there!

CM_SetReport Chat w/Janine Sherman Barrois & Guests

Click on the above box labeled "chat now" to join the CM_SetReport Chat Room.

As with previous chats, you must have java (http://java.com/en/) installed and up to date in order to participate. Once the window opens, you will be asked for a login name (your choice) and then a password. Tonight's password is:

triathlon

The chat room will open @ 5:30PM Pacific Time.

CM_SetReport Chat with Exec. Prod Janine Sherman Barrois and Guests

Hey Folks,

So tonight we will be chatting with Executive Producer and writer of EP710 "The Bittersweet Science," Janine Sherman Barrois.  We will also have some random guests pop in and say hello!   Per usual the chat room will open @ 5:30PM Pacific Time. Look forward to seeing you there!

Chat w/Jayne Atkinson (aka Erin Strauss) and Exec. Prod. Erica Messer

Click on the above box labeled "chat now" to join the CM_SetReport Chat Room.

As with previous chats, you must have java (http://java.com/en/) installed and up to date in order to participate. Once the window opens, you will be asked for a login name (your choice) and then a password. Tonight's password is:

Strauss

The chat room will open @ 5:30PM Pacific Time.

CM SetReport Chat with Joe Mantegna

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Room password is: james

CM_SetReport Chat w/Joe Mantegna 11/3

Hi all,

Join @JoeMantegna in the @CM_SetReport chat room this Thurs at 6pm PST. We will post a login link for the chat as well as the room password at 5:30pm PST on Thurs, here at cmsetreport.blogspot.com

Hope to see you there!