After Action Report (and some other stuff too)

This past weekend (I know, I’m a few days late here) was the commencement of filming for the STAR TREK: PHOENIX Pilot episode “Redivivus”. I have to say that it was GREAT. And I mean that in every sense of the word.

It was a MASSIVE shoot. We were in the ersatz-studio of Hangar 30 at Sand Point Magnuson Park in Seattle. I spent all day Friday setting up the enormous space with tables and chairs for breaks, makeup, hair, craft service, and green room space as well as tables and areas for the camera, props, our gaffer and his equipment, sound, the director’s monitor, etc. I also managed to gain a hairline fracture of my sternum in the process. Apparently the chair trolleys in that place are the YVH attack models. (if you get that reference, you’re a geek!)

I have to give immense credit to our crew for the eighteen hour day they pulled on Saturday in a giant old hangar with no heat in the 20-30 degreen (F) weather. Tamara Valjean, our intrepid Production Coordinator, had things under control beginning with crew call at 6:30 AM (really!). And our tireless AD, Gale Benning, who is thoughtful and thorough and creative and organized at the same time (I swear he’s got 2 hard drives running at once) kept things rolling no matter what. Leo Roberts, creator and Sr. Exec. Producer also served as director for the shoot and has found a real talent for it. Special thanks goes to Sunshine Whitton and Absolute Technology for all of the help and our ability to shoot on the AMAZING Red One camera.

It was a long day, beginning with interviews with Jim Dever of Evening Magazine which should air in the Seattle market some time in early March. Segments are often available for viewing via their website, so if you’re away from Seattle then you’ll have to settle for seeing us on your computer screen rather than on a big screen TV. Ben Andrews and I were featured in the segment along with Romulan Roy Stanton, and Brian Sipe of Gamut Studios who created the UNBELIEVABLE makeup effects. We couldn’t have aliens without him. Sr. Exec. Producer Leo Roberts and co-Exec. Producer Jön Johnson were also interviewed. The Evening Magazine crew were also provided with access to the set during shooting and footage from “Hollow” Starring Rodrigo DeMederios and three vignettes still in post. I can’t wait to see it when it airs.

The last shot of the last day of filming on a project is known as the “martini” shot. Well, on this project we have now a new tradition that the last shot of the first day of filming is the “cake” shot. I baked THIS CAKE

for the shoot and the cast and crew were more than willing to tear into it once we could get out of wardrobe.

Speaking of which: I have to give a shout out to Merrillee Schedin and Jon Schedin for their incredible and incredibly swift work on the uniform tunics. Bravo for makig us all look fabulous! Bravo also to Darren, Shynn, and co. for makeup and to Shannon for hair. I felt gorgeous. Everyone looked great.

Michelle McNamer did an amazing job at craft services and I hope that any film makers out there reading this who have a budget for such things consider contacting her to work on your set. She was awesome and no one of us went hungry or under-caffienated all day (18+ hours).

And to top it all off, we ended the day with a trailer shoot that will incorporate the entire principal cast and some material from the Pilot script. It was the first time that we have been together as a full cast, in uniform and in character, since we saw the script. We had a blast! It was cold and damp and we didn’t even care we were having so much fun. We even had a surprise attack by the evil bag-head-eans who were out to wreak havoc and get revenge on our Captain for having defeated them as a mere child. We will be doing more and more character work in the next few weeks and I look foward to it immensely.

This is a marvelous group of actors and an exceptional crew. Even the three young ladies who came to play random deck 39-ers (if you got that reference you are a geek AGAIN) were wonderful and we are pleased to welcome them into our world. You will be seeing Lt.s Ayiln and DeSoto and Ensign Kelly in the Pilot as well as in future episodes.

Tonight we have a production meeting where I get to demo some amazing software written by my very own husband (Windows 7 beta is awesome) and discuss what comes next. I can’t wait!!

Another Year… REALLY?

So remember when I used to blog regularly and then it was November and then it was the snowpocalypse and then it was Christmas and now it’s bloody January?!?!?!

The short version of what I hav been up to:
There is a post-NaNo group here in Seattle which I am trying very hard to find time to attend. There are some wonderful writers here and I can’t wait to show them all the TROPHY that NaNo HQ sent me in honor of our #1 fundraising (we wwew #1 in word count, too).

My mom came fo a visit and we had a BALL. It was nice to hang out with mom for a while and she bought me my Christmas present while she was here: A brand new SOFA! I love my living room now and will be having a party any minute to celebrate my lovely new furniture.

My friends Iuli and Mihai have a daughter. WOW.

STAR TREK: PHOENIX shoots beginning January 24th and we are still waiting to figure out where. Nothing like waiting ’til the last minute- although it’s not US who are the hold up. There is a lot of red tape in using someone else’s studio space and we’re waiting on our deal to come through or not. More on that as the story develops. The whole cast will be together this weekend to read the final shooting script and I can’t wait to see my fellow cast members all together again.

I auditioned last week for a new musical based on the story “Catch Me If You Can” which is being written by the folks behind “Hairspray”. The music is a lot of fun and I hope to get that job- but the casting is out of New York, so I’m not holding my breath.

My friend Maurica is coming to town with < a href="http://disney.go.com/theatre/thelionking/#/tour/">The Lion King very soon and I am SO excited to get to see her.

And if you think I am behind on blogging: I still have CHRISTMAS/ HANUKKAH presents which I rescued from under the tree so the kitties can’t mess with them but have yet to be mailed. So if you’re my best friends in FL, or a member of my family, and you’re wondering if I forgot you at Christmas: I didn’t. Really there was no parcel service due to the TWO FEET of snow we had and I have now, of course, fallen behind on getting chores done. Did I mention that the dryer was broken for more than a week? Yeah. Lots to get caught up on 🙂

And that’s pretty much it. Not so interesting, but things are getting rolling again- apparently there’s a little bit of an entertainment industry lull in December. Peace on Earth and good will to all y’all.