Tom Marshall
Actor!!!!!!
Thanks Matt... I think... :thumbsup:
FAT MONSTER FILMS presents "O2" ... Every. Breath. Counts.
- Thread starter Mark Johnson
- Start date
Mark Johnson
The Dude Abides
Is this cool or what?
Tom Marshall
Actor!!!!!!
I'm amazed that there was some thought that actually went into creating that set instead of a bunch of random **** glued to the walls... 
Slimothy
Veteran
Is this cool or what?
Dude!!! I can't frickin believe that. Mark told me the story today. Incredible.
MattinSTL
Sound Modulator
The guy with the arrow at his head is Wyatt Weed... he's got a company here in STL called Pirate Pictures. He's a cool dude... I think the FM crew would like him.
The set was built for a sereies called Star Runners... it was a relatively low budget production with an expectation higher then Dr. Who and Red Dwarf... but not by a whole lot. Star Runners was going to be aimed at a younger audience and I think the concept is actually pretty cool. The idea was that some period of time had passed and animals were walking upright and speaking... and intermixed with humans... and the ship had a crew of humans and upright animals... the original production sketches had these really cool wolves with the legs bent back (like a wolf's legs) and bristley hair... and some of the staff thought that the coolest characters would be too scary for kids, so they ended up taking it in another direction... unfortunately, as is often the case in productions that want to maintain kid-appeal... they freakin' Jar-Jar Binked it... or should I say they Twiggied it up... and ruined it... so the project never really got going... I think they did a few episodes that you'd be hard pressed to find.
Wyatt said that they went to these electronic junk yards... where they'd buy stuff by the pound... and they'd get pallets of the same broken item (like you'd see at a computer junk store)... and they also got plastic seconds from a place near there... the stuff that was just going to be melted down and re-used... (didn't you wonder why they had so many tripod cases in there guys? I did... those hard cases are $200+ each! but not SECONDS that were scheduled for chop and melt)... so then each guy was assigned jobs... and they created piles of the same parts... like piles of circuit boards and stacks of plastic cases... then they added up all the parts... "We have 25 of these... and 50 of these..." and then they sketched out the internal layout based on the shapes and quantity of each. He said the set used to have a sunken walkway... that there was another layer of grid that went up about 1' or so on each side... and the actors could step down through the center and back up... plus they originally rigged some things outside of the tunnels to create breaking/sweeping/moving light shafts. Pretty cool huh?
The guy that painted all of that did set painting for some other pretty incredible stuff... like the upside down titanic model? That's orange stucko! Wyatt knows that guy but I can't remember his name... I just remember the stucko and orange cheese curls were used for barnacle crap...
Wyatt has had a lot of involvement in visual design... if you check his IMDB you'll see he's done some pretty good gigs.
The set was built for a sereies called Star Runners... it was a relatively low budget production with an expectation higher then Dr. Who and Red Dwarf... but not by a whole lot. Star Runners was going to be aimed at a younger audience and I think the concept is actually pretty cool. The idea was that some period of time had passed and animals were walking upright and speaking... and intermixed with humans... and the ship had a crew of humans and upright animals... the original production sketches had these really cool wolves with the legs bent back (like a wolf's legs) and bristley hair... and some of the staff thought that the coolest characters would be too scary for kids, so they ended up taking it in another direction... unfortunately, as is often the case in productions that want to maintain kid-appeal... they freakin' Jar-Jar Binked it... or should I say they Twiggied it up... and ruined it... so the project never really got going... I think they did a few episodes that you'd be hard pressed to find.
Wyatt said that they went to these electronic junk yards... where they'd buy stuff by the pound... and they'd get pallets of the same broken item (like you'd see at a computer junk store)... and they also got plastic seconds from a place near there... the stuff that was just going to be melted down and re-used... (didn't you wonder why they had so many tripod cases in there guys? I did... those hard cases are $200+ each! but not SECONDS that were scheduled for chop and melt)... so then each guy was assigned jobs... and they created piles of the same parts... like piles of circuit boards and stacks of plastic cases... then they added up all the parts... "We have 25 of these... and 50 of these..." and then they sketched out the internal layout based on the shapes and quantity of each. He said the set used to have a sunken walkway... that there was another layer of grid that went up about 1' or so on each side... and the actors could step down through the center and back up... plus they originally rigged some things outside of the tunnels to create breaking/sweeping/moving light shafts. Pretty cool huh?
The guy that painted all of that did set painting for some other pretty incredible stuff... like the upside down titanic model? That's orange stucko! Wyatt knows that guy but I can't remember his name... I just remember the stucko and orange cheese curls were used for barnacle crap...
Wyatt has had a lot of involvement in visual design... if you check his IMDB you'll see he's done some pretty good gigs.
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Mark Johnson
The Dude Abides
Hey Matt,
I'm so fascinated by this kind of stuff. I did some quick googling and found this stuff:
I'm so fascinated by this kind of stuff. I did some quick googling and found this stuff:
First I found a listing for Michael Reeves whose resume includes this note: - Pilot script for Star Runners, sold to Fallen Artists Productions, 1988. Is this the same show???
Second, I found an actress listing for Patricia Tallman that includes this credit: Star Runners, USA Network; I wonder if this is the same show?
Then, I found the Wyatt Weed channel on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/wyattweed His bio does include this: "He also directed STAR RUNNERS, a science fiction television pilot. The pilot was purchased by Universal but unfortunately was never aired."
I'm still looking for a clip from the STAR RUNNERS pilot. If anyone else can find it FAT MONSTER will buy you a Dustin Rogan T-Shirt!Second, I found an actress listing for Patricia Tallman that includes this credit: Star Runners, USA Network; I wonder if this is the same show?
Then, I found the Wyatt Weed channel on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/wyattweed His bio does include this: "He also directed STAR RUNNERS, a science fiction television pilot. The pilot was purchased by Universal but unfortunately was never aired."
MattinSTL
Sound Modulator
Yes that's it... he told me about the Universal purchase I didn't think he directed the show... but maybe he did... he just laughed and said some guy forced these stupid puppy puppets into an otherwise good concept. We were having this conversation after 11p last night... but I'm sure we'll be getting together for a beer real soon now... I want to hear these stories as bad as you do... I was laughing my ass off last night as he told the BTS stories... but I can't repeat them here... but you'd love them to I guarantee it. I'm tempted to hook up a drink 'n dial conference call...
Yeah Mark he mentioned Patricia Tallman... one of the first things he started off with...
Hey that YouTube channel is cool! Do you remember our conversation on Luis' driveway Tim... *ahem* STL representin'.
Yeah Mark he mentioned Patricia Tallman... one of the first things he started off with...
Hey that YouTube channel is cool! Do you remember our conversation on Luis' driveway Tim... *ahem* STL representin'.
Mark Johnson
The Dude Abides
Hey Matt,
You GOTTA drunk dial us when you have some beers with this guy. Seriously!
So, it must have aired on the USA network briefly? You'd think there would be something more on the net somewhere.
Still lookin'!!!!
You GOTTA drunk dial us when you have some beers with this guy. Seriously!
So, it must have aired on the USA network briefly? You'd think there would be something more on the net somewhere.
Still lookin'!!!!
ConspiracyPenguin
Nosey Penguin
USA is part of the NBC-Universal Corporation. You said it was sold to Universal?
Anyway, I want one of those shirts. Off into the vast black whole of the internet...
MattinSTL
Sound Modulator
Notice that they all have the same cordless electric drill... that was standard equipment on the construction of the set... and Wyatt said it was common practice to kype somebody else's spare battery... so he got a few of these japanese batteries that nobody could take w/o getting caught... anyway... some guys screwed stuff together... some screwed stuff up on walls... some screwed the... *ahem*... oh and some cut plastic molds in half and stacked 'em up... they covered the floor with organized piles of inventory and Wyatt started drawing stuff up for the walls.
Yeah... it is funny to think that a lot of thought went into that place! I zoomed in on a shot of the back door... and asked Wyatt... "so who was in charge of the hamburger boxes?"... and he was pissed (not really) that so many of them have been broken off since he was there. :cheesy:
Yeah... it is funny to think that a lot of thought went into that place! I zoomed in on a shot of the back door... and asked Wyatt... "so who was in charge of the hamburger boxes?"... and he was pissed (not really) that so many of them have been broken off since he was there. :cheesy:
Shawn Philip Nelson
Veteran
Whoa, that set was for a show that was canned two decades ago?? Why is still there? I thought I read that this was a set for Firefly? Or is it both and some studio has enough space to keep around a set 'just in case its needed'?
Mark Harris
Pain in the ass
It was used in an ep f firefly. A couple pages back, Mark details it. And prob 100 other movies too.
Yeah it's in a rental space.
http://www.lcstages.com/
Many shows / films use it - show up and modify it, leave some of their modifications. The studio allows them to leave the modifications if they want because they are usually improvements - added detail that wasn't there before and who knows if the next shoot will really need that new added element or not.
For example. When 02 shot there the bedroom suicide scene was an empty gray room. The on set art director fashioned the interior from garbage and extra pieces laying around the outside edges of the set and unused costume elements. The video monitor was ripped from the Medical Bay walls, a light was put inside and crystal buttons on the outside then mounted on the wall in the bedroom.
So it's kind of like a piece of living coral, growing and morphing with each production. I think they left the bed they made and most of the art direction up in the bedroom, but returned the video monitor back to the medical bay.
http://www.lcstages.com/
Many shows / films use it - show up and modify it, leave some of their modifications. The studio allows them to leave the modifications if they want because they are usually improvements - added detail that wasn't there before and who knows if the next shoot will really need that new added element or not.
For example. When 02 shot there the bedroom suicide scene was an empty gray room. The on set art director fashioned the interior from garbage and extra pieces laying around the outside edges of the set and unused costume elements. The video monitor was ripped from the Medical Bay walls, a light was put inside and crystal buttons on the outside then mounted on the wall in the bedroom.
So it's kind of like a piece of living coral, growing and morphing with each production. I think they left the bed they made and most of the art direction up in the bedroom, but returned the video monitor back to the medical bay.
Blaine
Mr. Hollywood
It is just one of the many standing sets in the L.A. area. You want a "tramp freighter" check out Laurel Canyon Stages, a 747 you can find one. United Pacific Studios has all kinds of standing sets. A quick trip to LA411 will find just about anything you need to make a movie.
MattinSTL
Sound Modulator
Wow! It gets more crazy by the minute... I'm talking to Wyatt right now... and he says "so you said the guy that DP'd that was named Levy? I worked with Levy Isaacks on The Guyver and a Tales from the Crypt".... and yep... go to Wyatt's IMDB page and you see Guyver aka "The Guyver" and when you click on that... cinematography by Levie Isaacks. Now I'm no longer sure of the proper spelling... but it's him.
Do you know what this means? I just became Kevin Bacon!
Do you know what this means? I just became Kevin Bacon!
Blaine
Mr. Hollywood
It's LEVIE Isaacks :thumbsup:
Mark Johnson
The Dude Abides
Matty: That is too friggin' wild!!!! You know, the more we work here the more we really and truly feel like Hollywood is actually a pretty small town. That kind of proves it.
I love Jack's "living coral" metaphor as he is right about the studio letting the set "morph" as different people use it and add stuff. When we went in to shoot the opening scene as a pickup on Saturday June 14th there had been two shows shooting in there. One was a children's show of some sort and the other was a b-movie involving vampires in space or something. I was amused to see some of the tracking markers we had put up on one wall had been incorporated into some sort of design using some tape and a circuit board and apparently became part of the set design from one of those productions.
The spaceship set has been used in a bunch of music videos (three that I've seen myself) and a whole bunch of films and television shows. Its pretty cool how different it looks depending upon the set design and lighting.
I love Jack's "living coral" metaphor as he is right about the studio letting the set "morph" as different people use it and add stuff. When we went in to shoot the opening scene as a pickup on Saturday June 14th there had been two shows shooting in there. One was a children's show of some sort and the other was a b-movie involving vampires in space or something. I was amused to see some of the tracking markers we had put up on one wall had been incorporated into some sort of design using some tape and a circuit board and apparently became part of the set design from one of those productions.
The spaceship set has been used in a bunch of music videos (three that I've seen myself) and a whole bunch of films and television shows. Its pretty cool how different it looks depending upon the set design and lighting.
MattinSTL
Sound Modulator
Yes... "Levie"... but seriously dude... that's your response? To correct the proper spelling? Thanks for that... but where's the "Holy Coincidences Batman!"
Are you not just a little freaked out by the thread of connectivity here?
Jeez... had I known ANY of this before hand I could have had some fun conversation with Wyatt prior to even coming out... and I would have had the ultimate ice-breaker with Levie!
I REALLY liked Levie... so it would have been cool to establish a repoire with him early on... and I'll bet that would have done it.
After all... Levie was on of the few people to appreciate my favorite on-set joke... which virtually nobody else responded to... the guys were calling for Tom to waft... "WAFT! WAFT!" and Tom would spread the fog so that we could try to approximate the effect of a hazer (with extra density and layers of lighting)... and after a while I got tickled at the whole relationship of the yelling WAFT! and Tom (and sometimes Kyle's) instant reactions... so finally I said "did you know that Tom was part of the original Luft-waff-ah?"... and NOBODY laughed... but Levie turned around and looked at me like I was half-nuts... BUT... the next day... when we were yelling WAFT! I heard Levie say that afterall... Tom was in the Luftwaffa...
Dude... for comedy that was a solid endorsement... it stuck.
I like Levie a lot... he GOT it.
Mark... yeah... you GOTTA' hear some of the stories... I'm sure you'll be surprised at some of 'em... and yeah... I think that the overall pool of talent in the country isn't THAT deep... or else you'd see good sh*t all the time... but we don't... everybody appreciates an ambitious effort that's well executed... and that takes talent... where that talent COMES from isn't important... just that it's there when and where it's needed.
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Slimothy
Veteran
Yes... Levie... but seriously dude... that's your response? To correct the proper spelling? Thanks for that... but where's the "Holy Coincidences Batman!"
Are you not just a little freaked out by the thread of connectivity here?
Jeez... had I known ANY of this before hand I could have had some fun conversation with Wyatt prior to even coming out... and I would have had the ultimate ice-breaker with Levie!
I REALLY liked Levie... so it would have been cool to establish a repoire with him early on... and I'll bet that would have done it.
After all... Levie was on of the few people to appreciate my favorite on-set joke... which virtually nobody else responded to... the guys were calling for Tom to waft... "WAFT! WAFT!" and Tom would spread the fog so that we could try to approximate the effect of a hazer (with extra density and layers of lighting)... and after a while I got tickled at the whole relationship of the yelling WAFT! and Tom (and sometimes Kyle's) instant reactions... so finally I said "did you know that Tom was part of the original Luft-waff-ah?"... and NOBODY laughed... but Levie turned around and looked at me like I was half-nuts... BUT... the next day... when we were yelling WAFT! I heard Levie say that afterall... Tom was in the Luftwaffa...
Dude... for comedy that was a solid endorsement... it stuck.
I like Levie a lot... he GOT it.
Dude. All these coinkadinks are too much for me to process right now. Mickey's 40s. Bad choice.
But I wanted to say, I was laughing my ass off at the story about the Luftwaffa....
LOLOLOL. That is some funny shizz.