"I have my own sensibilities -- I like to tone down the violence and turn up the action -- but there's a lot more to it," says the 'Xena" producer and head of postproduction. "Sure I can enhance some things, like, if someone is stabbed, I can give them a big juicy stab or I can tone it down a bit, but it's usually more subtle."

Much of "Xena," in fact, comes together -- sometimes subtly, sometimes not in postproduction. "Sometimes when a tape comes in, I get calls from the studio asking where the person is going to be, where it all takes place or what's supposed to be going on, because what they are viewing is simply blank blue screen," she says. "Then, later, we put in the visual effects, or have them put in, sometimes in many layers." An average "Xena" episode features an astonishing 1,000 or more total cuts, 150 to 200 overall effects and an average of40 to 60 visual effects. This year' s season opener had a staggering 270 effects shots, a record for a one-hour drama. "In last season's finale, Xena and Gabrielle were crucified, and in this season opener, we brought them back to life showing our version of heaven and hell," Joyce says. "There were 3-D flying angels, demons, blue screens, wire removals. We ran the gamut from a quick cut to a full sequence." Technology has made the miles between where the show is shot and where it is ultimately assembled quite inconsequential, she insists. 'The biggest problem," Joyce laughs, "is clearing customs." All of the film-to-tape transfers from the show's New Zealand filming locales are done by effects supervisor George Port's team at the Auckland-based Digital Post.

The task is even more daunting when the show's two editors are asked to trim as many as 20 to 30 hours of dailies down into a 40minute program. Nevertheless, out of this hectic working environment, the series has won a number of awards and honors for its postproduction work and accolades for sound from the Motion Picture Editors Guild -- an International Monitor Award among them. Joyce credits her full-time staff of 11, and the 100 to 200 other techs who might work on an individual episode, for that success.

Another key part of the postproduction process is the music of composer Joseph LoDuca, who has done all the music for "Xena" and has previously worked for "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys."

"It' s built on trust," says LoDuca of his long-term work on the two series. "Rob Tapert (executive producer), Sam Raimi (executive producer) and I go back quite a few years, and we understand each other in terms of our language and how I can work to enhance whatever comes out of their heads. That's very important to have that language between a musician and people who are making the story." Based in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., LoDuca at first used Fed Ex to transport music files during the early days of "Hercules," a process that has since been refined to be handled over the Intemet, giving him a direct connection to music editors in Los Angeles and New Zealand. 'That's how we get over time and space. It means I have to be awake 24 hours a day. That's the only thing we haven't figured out yet."

LoDuca describes the sonic landscapes of "Xena" as being "a more dark and exotic palette than anything I've previously done (for Renaissance). Rob loves to hear singing even when there's dialogue. Even singing under action. We've exploited the use of the female voice, probably exploited every cultural style and even made up a few of our own. Rob really supports the use of a full orchestra. Almost every week there's a song or dance number or a montage where the music is featured front and center. The show goes from grand melodrama and opera about heaven~ and hell to the Three Stooges to really slapstick physical comedy. For the actors, and for the composer, it's a dream." LoDuca taps the ethnic communities in Michigan to find the combination of real historical and fantastic music for the show. "That's a challenge -- to actually invent a story of music that never existed."

'Xena" is a show that attracts young and old, and its cast and crew are responsible for turning the show into family entertainment that is palatable to all. For that and other reasons, this is not a simple show to put together. In some ways, that's precisely why it is so satisfying -- both to make and to watch.

"I'm very lucky, because I really like what I'm doing here, but a lot of people have to do their jobs to make it work," says Joyce. "We couldn't do it without the sound, visual effects and music people, or the editors -- so they deserve credit, too. It's a lot of work, but when we're finished and we deliver a show and people call and say they never thought it would be this good, well, it's just so satisfying. We all enjoy working on 'Xena' and I think it shows."

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