Q&A med Ron D Moore

Ron D Moore answering fan questions on Twitter.

Hello and welcome to tonight's Outlander Q&A. You may begin...

Q. You’ve brought the goods OutlanderS3. Will you & team bring tall ships into our homes as if we r on high seas w you?
A. Thank you! We worked very hard on the tall ships for the rest of the season and only locked the finale last week. I think you'll like them

Q. Really really really dying to know why Claire and Jamie didn’t hug/cry/have an ecstatic reunion in the print shop?
A. It seemed pretty ecstatic to us. We let the actors play the scene as naturalistically as possible and I think they conveyed the emotions

Q. I've felt Season 3 has a great rhythm continuity to it...do you guys feel that?
A. I think that internally we all feel like this is a great season and possibly our strongest to date, so thank you.

Q. Was the last shot on 308 a drone shot or helicopter? Was the tall ship real or CGI?
A. It was a drone shot. The ship was CGI as was a fair amount of the cliff and landscape.

Q. I was so happy to see Murtagh live. It was a great deviation from the book. What made you decide to keep him alive?
A. We used Murtagh in a different way than the book, made him more a pivotal part of the family and felt like we wanted him to continue with us

Q. Jamie once gave Claire the chance to go back to her old life in season 1. Was Claire doing the same on the cliff?
A. I think that's a fair reading.

Q. Whats the one scene you had to leave out for time constraints that really hurt to leave on editing floor?
A. Can't remember off-hand, unfortunately. There's a lot of extended bits of scenes that'll be in the DVD release, though.

Q. Do you know yet if there will be a season 5?
A. Not yet

Q. Who’s idea was it to release the scripts for fans? (Thank you! ) Are all scenes in the script usually filmed? Fergus scene?
A. I think that was Sony. Generally, everything that's in the final draft is actually filmed.

Q. What has been your favorite Outlander episode to date and why?
A. I'm partial to the Garrison Commander. Bravura performances in a very limited space. Felt like a stage play but never claustrophobic.

Q. Will you always make a point of writing the 1st episode of every season?
A. I broke with that tradition in Season Four.

Q. Given changes in technology, what advance has allowed you to tell stories now that couldn't be done 10 or 20 yrs ago?
A. CGI has changed the game in so many ways. The show wouldn't have nearly the scope or scale with the technology from two decades ago.

Q. Can you confirm that S4 will air next fall?
A. Nothing official yet

Q. When are we going to see Murtagh again ;)
A. Be patient....

Q. Will things be handled a bit different for S4 since not as much travel for exotic locales?
A. Like every season, Four will have a distinct tone and feeling to it. That's one of the great things about the show.

Q. Did you ever consider having Claire and Jamie tell Jenny and Ian the truth?
A. This comes up periodically. We always have to ask ourselves when and under what circumstances they would share that secret with someone.

Q. How long does it take to shoot one episode?
A. We shoot in two episode blocks and it takes about a month to prep and a month to shoot.

Q. When the script is different than the book, do you also have to look at changing future scenes as well?
A. We always try to keep the continuity of the show as we move forward. Both Frank & Murtagh have significantly different stories as a result

Q. Ron you & the writers have done a beautiful job w the adaptation. How involved have you been w individual scripts?
A. I supervise all of them, give notes at the story and script stage. But Toni & Matt do the day to day heavy lifting.

Q. Have you had any Kobayashi Maru scenarios as showrunner of Outlander?😉
A. Everyday....

Q. Is there anything fans can do to help lobby for more seasons?
A. Have your friends sign up for Starz or buy the app!

Q. What made Jamie marry Laoghaire aside from her girls?had to justify it somehow 2 himself given what she did 2 Claire
A. There had always been a little chemistry there, remember him in S1. Also, once Claire seemed to forgive her in S2 it allowed him to as well

Q. Was there a discussion to show us more of Claire as a surgeon in the 50s/60s and more of her friendship w/ Joe?
A. Yes, we had other scenes and subplots with both, but they got squeezed out as the shows developed.

Q. Have you ever filmed alternative scenes to see which would work best and if so, been surprised at which one you decided on?
A. No. In my experience, this is more legend than fact in the industry. Costs too much to do in most cases.

Q. Excited bout ships... what was best/worst part about filming on them
A. The smell of fake vomit actually made people sick during 310.

Q. Will there be more mentions of Frank this season? Feels like there is still so much unresolved issues between J&C
A. He's gone but not forgotten by any of the characters

Q. Do you read the press reviews each week?
A. I glance at a sampling, but try not to do it too much. I like keeping a certain distance from the response.

Q. What is your ultimate goal in producing Outlander? Keeping the fans happy or maintaining authenticity?
A. My goal is always to do a good show, one that I'm proud of and one that meets my expectations of myself and my team.

Q. Because I'm an accountant, what's the biggest expense in creating the show?
A. Culiean's expense account.
Kommentar: Deras hund😃

Q. If there was a supporting character you could bring back from the dead from S1 or S2, who would it be?
A. I miss Dougal & Colum & Angus & Rupert something fierce.

Q. Are you committed to completing 1 book per season or are you open to having books last longer? Great job on S3!
A. We approach each season with an open mind. So far the one book per season has worked well, but it could change.

Q. If Jamie couldn't swim back with the treasure when he 1st found it, how was Ian going to get back to shore with it?"
A. I think our rationalization was Jamie was tired and weak from years in prison and wasn't really all that interested in the treasure anyway.

Q. Is it hard making Scotland look like America? Any issues you've come up against in season 4? Will you eventually come to NC?
A. It's tricky, but it's surprising what you can get away with. Justified shot in Southern CA but was set in Kentucky -- much to my shock

Q. Out of all the tv series you have been involved in, is it easier to do an adaptation or just start from scratch?
A. They're very different challenges, hard to say which is harder. Each can drive you crazy and each has special joys.

Q. Are you amazed by what Terry And Jon Gary Steele do to bring the books to life. Hogmanay was incredible.
A. They amaze me with their talent every week. They're both at the very top of their professions and we're lucky to have them.

Q. How do you keep track of all the plot deviations, such as the early William reveal, so that you can change the future scenes?
A. We have a crack staff in the writer's room that tracks all of those kinds of things.

Q. How did young Ian plan to get that box of treasure back to shore?
A. He has very strong teeth

Q. Did any of the scenes on the ships include actual sailing on the water or is it all CGI? That ship looked so real!
A. Nothing on the actual ocean. We used the Black Sails ships, and some are in water tanks.

Q. Was surprised by (-) reaction this season. Most fans❤️it. Do u do pep talk w cast & crew since u've experienced this w ⭐️trek?
A. I tell everyone not to get too caught up in the reactions of the moment. The show lives forever, that's the important thing.

Q. The writers create thescript,what we see is an interpretation of the script by the director or do writers have a say
A. There's a writer/producer there all through prep and through the entire shoot. Changes are a collaborative decision.

Q. S2: Brianna & Roger go up Craig na dun, Roger says, "It smells like a f**king barbeque." Did Rick come up with line?
A. I think Toni came up with that line as a call-back to S1.

Q. Do you have a tradition on the first day of filming and/or the last day of filming?
A. After the first shot I always shake hands with everyone around the camera. On the last I look for a cigarette

Q. I wanted Claire to tell Jenny the truth earlier in book...did you guys contemplate revealing truth earlier than it was in book?
A. We've talked about this several times. It comes up in regards to her and other characters depending on the circumstances.

Q. I began to read the OL books because of S1. I'm enjoying the S3 but not everybody does. How do you take criticism?
A. It comes with the territory. Trust me, the Outlander fans are no more critical than the Trek or BSG fans -- it's part of loving a show!

Q. At what point did you decide to veer from the book and start S3 from Jamie's perspective at Culloden?
A. Pretty early on. Back in S2 I knew we were going to start S3 with Culloden.
Kommentar: That's how the book starts too. Diana won an award for her opening of Voyager. (Erin Conrad TIBS)

Q. How involved with the editing are you?
A. It's one of my favorite parts of the process so I'm very involved. Joe Menosky once told me "you do your 2nd draft in the editing room"

Q. Which prop, if any, will you keep from the the show?
A. I have my eye on a couple of things...

Q. Are all the scripts for each season written before filming begins, or do they write them as filming goes on?
A. We're constantly writing and rewriting all through the season.

Q. Do you get the final say in the editing room and once a scene has been cut have you ever changed your mind and put it back in?
A. I do get the last word but I have definitely been persuaded after the fact to go back and change something. You have to keep an open mind.

Q. Was Jamie really on just whiskey in surgery or laudanum from Claire's bag?he didn't flinch an inch!
A. He's the King of Men, what do you expect?

Q. The part where BJR reaches for Jamie when they are near the end of fight.Was that scripted or something Tobias improvised?
A. It wasn't scripted. I think the actors and director came up with that during rehearsal.

Q. Will you ever make another cameo appearance in a future ep?
A. It's no picnic being an extra, so probably not -- I don't like to work as hard as they do.

Q. Which would you rather have: more air time for an episode or more filming time to perfect the air time you have? #AskRonMoore
A. More filming time, absolutely.

Q. What's going on with Murtagh? Wondering why Jamie hasn't yet told Claire about M surviving Culloden and being at Ardsmuir.
A. I think we can assume Jamie tells her about this off-camera.

Q. How do you balance the wishes of the book fans with the non-readers who follow the show?
A. We try to keep both audiences in mind. But in the end, you have to go with what you think is the best story and hope the audience agrees.

Q. Is there already a Director assigned to the Season Finale Ep313?
A. It's already been shot and locked! Directed by our own Matt Roberts.

Q. Have you fully stepped back from all Outlander production? And if so why?
A. No, I'm still involved but I've delegated more of the day to day duties to Matt & Toni.

Q. Have you ever really disliked a scene already shot and made everyone do it all over again?
A. I wasn't happy with the wedding scene from S1, so we did it again. Ultimately, it's my fault if something wasn't done right the first time.
Q. This is shocking info since it turned out so well! Now I’m curious what you disliked? Will it be on the DVD extras?
A. I believe I talked about it on the podcast, which is now the commentary track on the DVD.

Q. Which writer tends to be last one standing defending his /her position in writers room?
A. They're all passionate and willing to fight to the end. That's the mark of a good writers' room.

Q. Who’s idea was it to do podcasts? They give us such a great insight into all your hard work. Missed u in the last!
A. It was my idea. I enjoyed doing them for BSG so I thought it would be great to do it again for Outlander.

Q. How do you select which questions to answer
A. It's hard to keep up with the torrent of questions, so I just try to scan through them and look for ones that are new.

Q. Do you have fav classic film actress/actor? I’m fond of Bette Davis (oh what she does w her face!) and Cary Grant.
A. I'm right there with you on Bette Davis.

Q. I loooove the podcasts. Are they recorded after near the air time or after the final cut is locked?
A. Much closer to airtime -- sometimes too close!

Q. I thought Matt was a writer/producer - not a director.
A. He's actually been directing 2nd unit for some time now

That's it for tonight folks! Thank you all for your questions and for your support of the show -- it means a lot to the entire cast & crew!