Chronology on the 2 Hour version of Dresden Files' Storm Front

I had a chance to view the 2 hour version of Storm Front that recently aired in Canada. Despite being billed by many as an 'unaired pilot', it was obvious to me that this particular version uses later footage than would have been available to them as a pilot. So, I sent Robert Hewitt Wolfe, a producer and writer for The Dresden Files, a private message inquiring how/when the 2 hour version of Storm Front was created. He just replied moments ago and confirmed my initial suspicions with this rather detailed account.

"Just to clear things up, the "unaired pilot" that finally aired on Space is a bit of a Frankenstein's monster. Here's a very rough chronology for clarity. Dates are approximate because I'm doing this from slightly foggy memory.

Dec 05: Original Pilot shot

Jan - Feb 06: Original Pilot edited

March 06: Original Pilot cut down by trailer house into @65 minute Presentation. Temp Bob voice added. Rough VFX added.

April 06: Some critics see Presentation. Presentation is also tested. Response is generally favorable, but there are concerns. SciFi wants additional changes.

August 06: Series greenlit. David Simkins brought in as Exec Producer. As the series gears up, SciFi gives notes on the Presentation, asks for a strategy to address their notes. David, working with Hans and I, comes up with an approach and pitches it to SciFi. Approach approved, but requires significant reshooting (to add Bob, etc). Hans and I write several additional scenes to fill out the pilot, mostly involving the backstory of Harry and his father. Some recutting of the pilot begins in Los Angeles.

Fall 06: Terrance is cast. Pre-production begins. Due to budget constraints, reshoots for the pilot are back-burnered. Also, to save money, Post Production is moved to Toronto. Versions of the Harry/Colm backstory are rewritten by David and incorporated into the script for "Birds of a Feather." Hans leaves the show to work on another pilot. I go to Toronto to supervise on the set and in post while David stays in Los Angeles to run the writing room. Production begins with "Rules of Engagement."

Late Fall/Early Winter 06: SciFi, given the choice between beginning the series with either Birds, Boone, Rules or the Pilot (which still has not been reshoot to fill out the entire two hours due to budget issues) chooses Birds. The decision is made to cut down the pilot to one-hour and air it later in the schedule.

Winter 06: A new editor is brought in to work with David and me to cut Pilot down to one-hour. Cuts are made both to fit the alloted time and to better incorporate the Pilot into a later slot series continuity. Some revoicing is done for continuity, including Jane McLean revoicing all of Ancient Mai's dialogue to given the shapeshifting character vocal continuity.

Jan 07: Series premiere. Contractually, Lionsgate is required to delivery a 2 hour version of the Pilot to many markets. Lionsgate asks for a 2 hour version to be cut. However, reshoots are ruled out due to budget. In order to accomplish a 2 hour version without reshooting, it is necessary to treat the 2 hour as "out of continuity." In other words, it is simply not possible to make the 2 hour "fit" into the series. The 2 hour will be treated as a stand alone movie. The new editor and I fill out the Presentation version of the pilot with additional material from the original shoot and from various episodes, reincorporating elements from the original Pilot and from the restructured version David proposed in August. The scenes originally intended for the restructured Pilot but later used for Birds and Bob are cut into the pilot along with various other elements from the series.

Feb 07: Terrance revoices Bob. All the actors, especially Paul, record additional voice material to help smooth out the story.

March 07: Two hour version finished. Additionally, the two hour version is cut so it can be aired as two 1 hr episodes. Lionsgate intends to include the 2 hr on the DVD release.

Summer 07: Series cancelled. DVD set comes out without 2 hr pilot. (Why? I still don't really know. Probably something contractual.)

Jan 08: 2 hour version of the pilot finally airs on Space in Canada as well as in other markets.

And there you go."