Concept and creation Ori (Stargate)

1 concept , creation

1.1 genesis
1.2 story ideas
1.3 design
1.4 music

concept , creation
genesis

since eighth season of stargate sg-1 intended last, producers finished defeat of goa uld , replicators. when sci fi channel renewed series, however, producers had grown creatively tired of writing endings. having had experiences first season of stargate atlantis, producers hence decided revamp series in more fronts adding new characters introducing new villains , new missions. considered beginning of season 9 pilot of new show.

season 9 wiping slate clean , resetting story stargate sg-1 in first season. reason sg-1 team winning every time, having defeated main enemies previous season. since sg-1 had been grounded in earth mythology, producers chose king arthur mythology new season had not been done before. merlin famous magical figure made ancient, leading ancients enemies named ori. ori natural extension of ancient mythology had gone. until point, story of ancients had been kept @ arm s length because show not aliens human beings going out unexplored, fantastical universe. producers acknowledged premature full revelation of ancients have caused story less interesting.

producer brad wright believed ori still within overriding theme of stargate, aliens playing gods , false gods , relationship between aliens gods , ordinary human folk. introduction of ori prepare viewer invasion , overtaking take place later. ori served challenge new heroes in sg-1 team (mitchell, landry, vala). writers believed new bad guys , new obstacles characters overcome make more interesting story.

the name ori comes word origin , in origin of ancients. when executive producer robert c. cooper looked @ root of origin , retcon-invented word origin name of ori religion. cooper said interesting idea him address philosophical arguments various religious people, seeing whole challenge how prove god exists or whether god exists @ all? instead of goa uld, proved not gods killing them , figuring out technology, hard present same argument ori followers because ori ascended gods. if gods dead, not make difference them, followers continue believe; without magic powers of ori, followers , priors (the ori s missionaries) still use technology , ships. cooper said s not wrong believe in ... s wrong murder because don t believe way do. although cooper reluctant serious meaning behind ori stargate should first , foremost [...] entertain people , considered representative of television , media, mak[ing] people believe whatever people in charge of magic box – whatever want believe can pretty convince you, or convince vast majority of people. cooper, followers of ori interesting part , , wanted story in way reflective of differences between people s beliefs see around in our society, , how conflicts arise result of that. cooper particularly interested in interaction between ori followers , other normal human beings, resulting mysterious aspect , quality religious belief , passion invokes. producers therefore put ori in story background, similar way there little direct interaction between actual deities of religion , mankind in real life.

cooper concerned distinction between ori , ori s followers overlooked, , sg-1 team dealt followers, not ascended gods. if, shroud suggested, ori destroyed merlin s ancient weapon, real issue sg-1 teams became followers. brad wright pointed power corruption, , catch of ori killing unbelievers.

story ideas

in original pitch beachhead , brad wright had intended let ori build supergate , come through. decided among writers let threat of ori come through priors, , wait ori arrival until end of season.

the last ten minutes of camelot should serve great, ominous harbinger of foe sg-1 against. in season 10, ori sweep through milky way galaxy, forcing sg-1 start scratch again find technology, resources, , allies fight against them.

if stargate sg-1 had gone on, producers have considered search ark (of stargate: ark of truth) overriding story eleventh season, similar sangraal in seasons 9 , ten. producers did not explore more detailed ideas after show s cancellation.

design

art director james robbins developed design of ori , priors scratch. @ beginning knew basic description of them , powers, , carry staff weapon. art department first looked @ japanese , samurai costuming point of view. inspired remote jungle tribes mystical aspects, robbins came idea of scarification priors , doci. priors have scarifications on chin , cheek, while doci have them on forehead. scarification therefore symbol of high establishment. originally, considered have scarification on hands, , have priors have finger extensions, became impracticable. when prime jaffa gerak became prior in fourth horseman , golden jaffa tattoo on forehead replaced prior scarification, , makeup made gold had melted , become part of prior scarification.

each prior given own unique symbol, wear on wardrobe , on staff weapon. art department built each staff have little orb encased in natural wood, , orbs start glow when actor pushes little button on handle.

music

composer joel goldsmith s inspiration ori themes parallels s happening today, in modern day . admits music of ori intentionally given gothic, gregorian , christian feel. tried meld few different styles.