The good news or the bad news?
Ok, bad news first. After almost 5 months of patience, several days of work, and oodles of man hours; THIRD DEGREE is not going to happen. I have to say that I am disappointed, but not altogether surprised. I know that the quality of the work that has come out from ST:P has been absolutely top notch and the further along we get in the process, the less the scene stood up. I sort of see this as a personal failure seeing as I am the person who both wrote and starred in the scene, but that is the way the cookie sometimes crumbles. And just having shot the scene was a great experience for me and a learning experience for others in the cast and crew.
I will admit also that I saw this coming as we prepared “Holo-Victory” and “No Other Medicine” for release. I am a little less stellar than the gentlemen featured in those scenes and the writing, although very “Trek” isn’t the strongest; just ask any member of the crew. I was excited that the scene might be shown in part on Evening Magazine next month and maybe even a little more excited that it had been entered into SIFF. The entry will be withdrawn.
I have been assured that an effort will be made to complete the scene in some form in time for our appearance at Norwescon 32 in April, but with all of the other work that we have coming up between now and then, I don’t see it happening.
END OF PERSONAL PITY PARTY.
I am so honored to be acting with and writing for and working alongside the people associated with this project that I would be happy as a clam as the third spear chucker from the right in the back. I will remain pleased to have any part in this amazing endeavor (John Curley called us “an ambitious film” remember) with or without my own scene. And hey- it’s not like this doesn’t happen in Hollywood. If you saw STAR TREK: NEMESIS. Dr. Crusher had a lot of lines in that film, and Wesley had a few, too. None of that made it into the movie I saw. So if nothing else, I am in phenomenal company.
And now for the GOOD news. Remember, I mentioned good news. Because of the scrapping of THIRD DEGREE, the production was able to go ahead with the release of HOLO-VICTORY.
Isn’t Ben wonderful? This was a crazy shoot in the cold and the rain and with strange people and little children ruining our shots half the time, but the scene turned out great. Bravo to the boys and girls (you know who you are) who braved those conditions and especially PA’s Garrett and Jason for doing the dirty work. Bravo!
NO OTHER MEDICINE should be out soon. I saw a final edit without CG today and it’s already brilliant. We could release it with the green screen still in there and no one would think that area wasn’t supposed to be green. We’re slated to shoot WOUNDED for which I wrote the dialog, and FRACTURED LOGIC next month and both should be superb.
Shooting on the Pilot is also set for later this month and early next month and the final version of our ship is getting very close to being finished. You’ll all have a chance to see a piece of the Pilot including the first look at our ship this April at NORWESCON 32 so remember to mark your calendars for that.
‘Til next time…