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Friday, 2/3/2006: Phone call for an Ewok
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Cory calls looking for an Ewok costume.
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Comments: Ken: Wow, this is going to be hard to find. Some of us have Jawas, but no one has an Ewok! They are apparently not a very popular costume or display item, it seems. The few I saw on the web weren't for sale, and there were none on Ebay. Looks like we may have to make one.
Melanie: |
Saturday, 2/4/2006: Dinner
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Melanie, Ken, Jess and Yvonne had the guys over for enchiladas. Kyle Newman, Matthew Perniciaro, Scott Lumpkin, Cory Lorenzen and special guest star, Joe McDougall!
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Comments: Melanie: We thought having the group over for dinner would be fun – plus they have been living in a hotel for 3 weeks – so I thought they might like a home-cooked dinner. They requested Mexican. They again arrived in their North Pole gear – but they did take the coats off. They were very nice and answered all of our stupid questions about how movies get made and what each one of their jobs was – I am serious, we are total movie retards, with no idea how it all works. I kept hearing all of their names, but I was having trouble putting names to a face. Who was Kyle? Which one was Matt? They took a look at Ken’s collection. Even though it is impressive as is, the poor things have no idea how much stuff Ken has put away in boxes. I will never hear the end of the SW room now…
Ken: |
Monday, 2/6/2006: Swords in the Darkness
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Comments: Ken: This is probably only exciting for me, but I was glad to help fuel Kyle's love for Lord of the Rings (my other obsession) and Scott gave his to his son as a gift, and it was a real hit. These are cool, they glow blue when you hit the hidden switch, and they have a battle clash sound when struck. |
Thursday, 2/9/2006: Casting Call
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We meet Gwyn Savage (Casting) and nearly every member of Mos Alba gets their pix taken at the 3rd St. Production Offices.
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Comments: Ken: Another exciting day! Gwyn is great, and we hit off a good partnership for the movie, with me helping her gather resources for different scenes. We also met Johanna Argan, the Costume Designer. Melanie and I volunteered to be Trekkies, kind of for irony. Johanna said she would make Melanie her own Trekkie costume. Richard Silva Lor was there, and he scoffed and swore that he would never be a Trekkie. But guess what? Melanie told Johanna that we'd go ahead and make the Ewok costume, since we weren't going to find one anywhere. Jess and I said we would make the silver THX Guard masks.
Melanie:
I was very excited to help in any way they needed – though how the hell I would make an Ewok costume was beyond me, but it had to be better than anything they might make or find… I offered to make the neck seals for the Stormtrooper costumes, as those would take too much time to order. I didn’t think the whole Trekkie thing would happen – but it was nice of them to offer. We really needed a schedule of when they needed what – being the responsible people with kids and jobs that we are – but all we got at this meeting was some gesturing at a blank calendar – scary! |
Saturday, 2/11/2006: Party
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Party at Karen's house. Fanboys attend. Kyle, Scott, Matt, Kim, Cory, Johanna, Damien, Melina (who am I forgetting?)
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Comments: Ken: Good party, and nice for everyone to see the Fanboys people again!
Melanie: |
Tuesday, 2/14/2006: Email from Johanna
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Johanna wrote Ken asking if we can find an Ewok anywhere. We reminded her that we would make one. |
Comments: Ken: Forming ideas on how to make this costume, especially the face...Sculpy? Melanie: They say they won’t need the Ewok until March 28th…. We have plenty of time…right? |
Thursday, 2/16/2006: Email from Cory
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I'm trying to track down a full size R2-D2 head that we can use for the top of the guys van. It will probably be something we'll have to buy because we may have to modify it to mount it onto the van. I need to track something down by the end of next week. Do you know of anybody who manufacturers R2 parts? I'm a little worried I won't be able to find anything. Hope things are going well. Thanks. Cory
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Comments: Ken: I replied with the URLs and emails of the R2 Builders club, but also with the info that many R2 Builders use security camera domes for the heads that only cost about $40. Cory likes this idea, and this is what they end up using in the film. |
Friday, 2/18/2006: Party
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Jess
and Scott’s b-day party at Ken’s house, Fanboys and THE
ACTORS come over.
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Comments: Ken: Wow, what a night! First, I get to meet Linda Crispien (Mara Jade Fan) from the 501st, whose extensive Star Wars appearances I have admired.
Around 11:30pm,
The Hollywoods showed up with THE ACTORS! Kyle Newman,
Matthew Perniciaro. We met actor Dan Fogler, Executive
Producer Kevin Mann, his tehn-girlfriend actress Kristen Bell,
actor Jay Baruchel, actor Chris Marquette, actor Sam Huntington, Nikki the 3rd St.
assistant, Paula (Kyle's then-girlfriend) and screenwriter Adam F. Goldberg.
We went to my
collection room and played with the props, especially the Master
Replicas FX Lightsabers. Took pix.
Had everyone sign the cover of
my Fanboys script, including Adam who I thought wrote the script at
the time, but later I learned he was working on top of Ernie Cline's story and screenplay.
Melanie: Then they all
began to drift upstairs – knowing it was probably rude to swoop
in to just view someone’s room and then leave – they hung out a
few minutes longer for pictures and chatting. I found myself
sitting next to a sullen young man with crazy hair. I did not
know who the heck he was (Dan Fogler). I tried to make small
talk but I obviously had nothing in common or anything
interesting to say to him. He didn’t try either. Later, when I
saw how animated he had been for pictures downstairs – I could
see how an actor can really be “on” and um, “Not on”.
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Wednesday,
2/22/2006:
Email from Johanna
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Ken
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Comments: Melanie: Ahhh, the first of those breezy emails where you are not quite sure – should you schedule time for this, start coordinating anything, ignore it – maybe it will go away…what? As we would learn with most of what was happening with the shooting schedule – just be ready to drop everything at a moment’s notice – not an easy feat with a full time job, two businesses, two kids and two dogs.
Ken: |
Thursday, 2/23/2006: Email from Kim
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Hi, Ken, hope you are doing
well. Cory forwarded me your Halloween decor email, it
would be so great if we could use that stuff. Also I
might need to borrow some of your action figures for the
comic book store for Saturday. Please call me today to
see if it would be OK to take a look at some of your
stuff tomorrow, and maybe pick-up the Halloween stuff. |
Comments: Ken: Sure! |
Friday, 2/24/2006: First Day of Filming / Jail Cell Scene / Armor Building / met Billy Dee Williams
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Visit to the Bernalillo County Detention Center (BCDC) set on the first day of filming.
The soundstage where sets and signs were being built. The Trash Compactor was pretty much done, the Death Star type doors were being welded. It was great!
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Comments: Ken: Jess's Bday! Ken and Jess took off work to make armor; we arrived at the 3rd St. Production Offices around 9AM, and started building the stormtrooper armor. Later, we met Cory Lorenzen and got invited to go to the soundstage to see the sets being built around noon. We then got invited to go to the set which was the jail cells in the basement of the Bernalillo County Detention Center (BCDC), so we hopped a shuttle over there. We were warmly greeted, and we watched them film the jail cell / sandwich throwing scene for an hour or two. Melanie: Oooh, I wanted to see the sets bad – but I couldn’t get away from work until later. Dangit!
Ken:
Blue Plate
catered all of their meals; it was good. Fish, Chicken,
Veal, etc. Then, back to the armor. We then worked on the armor again until about 5pm when Yvonne and Joseph and Anita showed up.
We got most of the armor done and packed it in around 9 or 10pm. |
Saturday, 2/25/2006: Filming Day 2 - Hospital Scene / met Carrie Fisher
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9am, arrived at West Mesa St Joseph's Lovelace Hospital
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Comments: Ken: 9am, arrived at West Mesa St Joseph's Lovelace Hospital, where they were being allowed to film in a new, unused wing. We watched them film some hospital scenes, including ones where Linus is hospitalized and being told by Dr. J. Arnold (Carrie Fisher) that he can't continue on the adventure to California. Also, scenes where the FB were in the waiting room talking. When we arrived, a crew member came around with a trash can and confiscated everyone's coffee. Carrie Fisher was on a no caffeine diet, and couldn't drink coffee, so she didn't want anyone else drinking it either. They said she just flew in and started her day with a Bourbon and Coke. We were told that she was feeling very prickly and we should not photograph or speak to her, and no autographs. We watched for a few hours and talked to Adam Goldberg, who was adding or freshening up some jokes in the original script. Melanie: I was excited to finally see a movie set. We arranged for the first (of many) babysitters for the kids so we could go watch. It was tight quarters but we tried to stay out of the way. Believe me, they told you to get out of the way if necessary. They had like 4 hospital extras walking and doing multiple parts of the scenes. I swore I was going to scrutinize the background of the movie to see the same lady aimlessly walking around everywhere. And the yelling – why is this man – Joe – yelling at everyone who is obviously ignoring him? Except for us – I was terrified. I could see the Hollywoods were concentrating very hard. The actors just screw around and joke the whole time they aren’t filming. There is a lot of equipment and people with headphones everywhere. It was amazing! Adam Goldberg – who I thought was the writer – is going back and forth writing up new lines and playing them off of everyone (although he passes every one through his girlfriend, first.) There are assistants and makeup people and stand-ins and grips and gaffers and the sound guy and it is all just so cool! The cameras are huge and the filters and lighting tricks and angles are mesmerizing. Matt and Kyle seems to always be arguing with the scruffy camera guy (Lucas) over how long everything will take. People are very nervous around Carrie Fisher (we brought mementos for her to sign – no sir, no way!). She lays on the floor of the hallway at one point. Everyone tries to look away. After one scene she just leaves the set. There is commotion – is she angry? The Hollywoods convene a mini meeting – I see how Kyle has to play the voice of reason and be the happy medium to get everyone to play together. She has just left for a minute her assistant says…whew! Although we were all warned to not approach Ms Fisher, Sam, who thinks he is quite the joker, thought he would introduce us all to her when she was standing nearby. I saw it coming so I got away, but Joseph asked her to sign his Stormtrooper helmet. She was fuming but held it together. Later, Gywn told Ken on the phone that groups of guests wouldn’t be allowed on any more of the sets since it was disruptive. She said people mentioned we were hanging around the monitors. Since I didn’t FEEL disruptive I didn’t see where this was coming from – and that pissed me off. I vowed not to visit their stupid set again, (which of course I didn’t keep). We do NOT recall any of us being in the way, especially around the monitors!  |
Sunday, 2/26/2006: - Bucephalus vs. Crazy Man
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Today the 2nd Unit shot scenes of the van, Bucephalus, pulling up to a drive thru window. Inside are the Fanboys, all wearing stormtrooper helmets.
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Comments: Ken: The actors were working on another scene with the 1st Unit film crew, so they used stand ins for the actors in the drive-thru scene. Our Own Jess Coffer got to wear his own helmet and stand in for Hutch (in the vest). Someone tried to pull into the drive through even through it was closed and roped off, and got into an argument with the crew.
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Sunday, 2/26/2006: Filming Day 3 - Comic Shop
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Today they shot scenes in a local comic shop, Comics Warehouse, which they made up to be The Hole in the Wall Comics shop. 
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Comments: Ken: 
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Monday, 2/27/2006: Filming Day 4 - Bottler Motors Car Lot Interior Scenes
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Filmed at the Melloy Dodge car lot on Lomas, which was made up to be Bottler Motors of Ohio
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Comments: Ken: 
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Tuesday, 2/28/2006: Filming Day 5 - Bottler Motors Car Lot Exterior Scenes with Dream Sequence Interior
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Comments: Ken: We arrived at like 10am and watched them film a bit. The call time was 4pm to arrive on set for the Dream Sequence scenes. We asked if we could go to the soundstage and check the set progress, and they said yes, so we did that. It was fun, the sets were more complete, and we took a lot of pictures. We saw set dressings and Halloween party props sitting on shelves along the walls and getting dusty due to the construction (which raised some red flags for some of us lending our cherished items to the production). Then we went to Hooters and sat around a big round table and joked and laughed, and that was fun. Around 2:30, we went back. Sean, Matt, Scott and I rode back in the Do It Dinners van. We parked along the street, and opened the sliding doors to get out and heard a megaphone amplified voice: "You in the Gold Van whose doors just opened: you are in the shot"! I was embarrassed and we moved and made jokes about it. "You f****rs in the Gold Van"! Melanie: I was excited to hear that a movie person had actually noticed/yelled at my Van……isn’t that stupid? Later I wished to run over Joe with that same van but…..just kidding! Ken: So, now it was 3pm and all of a sudden, they were rushing us into signing in, getting dressed, etc. even though it was supposed to start at 4pm. Everyone was there but Victor, who was sensibly planning on arriving at 4pm. We filled out our “Extras Vouchers” and 1099s so we could get paid. They showed us the dressing room trailers we could get dressed in, and the big white tent we had to wait in for our holding pen. It was pretty nice weather, though, just windy. They broke for dinner, and invited us to eat after the crew was done, and some of us did. Victor arrived. We dressed out in our armor and goofed around. We looked at the van, Bucephalus, and took pix. We met the production videographer, Andrew, and he interviewed us for the DVD extras. James brought his Chewie and Scott brought his Fett, and they dressed out too. They filmed us chasing Chewie around through the trailers. This was Scott's first wearing of his Fett armor, and Kyle and others were impressed, and in fact wrote him into the Dream Sequence scene on the spot! At 9pm, they had us line up at the dealership doors and bust into the room like a swat team, aiming everywhere as we ran past the camera. Then they had us flank the window while Big Chuck went into the office to talk to Eric. It took all of 30 minutes. Matt Giese made his debut as a Stormtrooper wearing the armor we built for Chris Marquette for the Halloween party scene. I took Matt's/Chris's armor home. Melanie: SW movie, Hooters, hot girls in bikinis, Trooping with friends – probably the best day in Kens life! 
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