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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Buff, NY Buffalo Bisons Star Wars Night - June 7, 2013

Discussion in 'Buffalo, NY' started by BobaChris12, Mar 11, 2014.

  1. JediXXL

    JediXXL Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 11, 2003
    Any pictures yet?
     
  2. VideoPrince

    VideoPrince North Ridge Treasurers / Diplomat star 4

    Registered:
    May 31, 2002
    Thanks to the tireless crew who assisted in setting up and breaking down the tables and photo areas.
    Most urgent:
    Does anyone recall what happened to the action figure backdrop? I have the photo backdrop and stands, North Ridge banner and stand, but only the stand for the action figure backdrop. I was so frazzled that I don't remember much of how tear down ended. Most stuff made it's way downstairs to the changing area. But the action figure backdrop is not rolled into the other banner, definitely.
     
  3. BobaChris12

    BobaChris12 Former RSA star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Aug 30, 2002
    The action figure banner is probably still with the team right now. I will double check and let you know.

    The Bisons were very gracious to purchase the banner for use at SWN.
     
  4. BobaChris12

    BobaChris12 Former RSA star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Aug 30, 2002

    If you're on Facebook, there are a ton of pictures floating around. If you're not on Facebook, you're missing a lot of them. Too many to capture in one place and not enough time in a day to catalog.
     
    Wild Sidewalker likes this.
  5. lgtsbr

    lgtsbr Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 4, 2002
    Larry - I know one of the Interns carried the action figure backdrop downstairs during cleanup, I'm not sure what happened to it from there. I concur, it is definitely NOT rolled up in with the other backdrop.

    I'm still in a huge haze today.

    Thank you everyone. I know I was a last minute addition and I'm very grateful that you let me participate in my own little way. Even though I'm heading south, I hope to be able to come back every year and do this with my family.

    Now, who did I talk too about a Kit Fisto Saber, I still can't remember who it was, but I remember the conversation.........

    Dave
     
    Wild Sidewalker likes this.
  6. Solo42986

    Solo42986 Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 4, 2002

    I couldn't find it.
     
  7. BPStoyle

    BPStoyle Social Media Admin star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 5, 2010
    Been seeing/hearing good things via Facebook. Congrats everybody.
     
  8. MakanPyralis

    MakanPyralis Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 16, 2005
    I am working on sizing and touch ups on the ones I took. I should have them posted in a day a or so.
     
    Wild Sidewalker likes this.
  9. quigonschuel

    quigonschuel Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 13, 2011
    Me neither...
     
  10. Darth Erebus

    Darth Erebus Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    I'll double check. I did it really late last night lol
     
  11. BigDanLevitan

    BigDanLevitan Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 26, 2005
    It was me Dave that you talked to about Fisto's saber.
     
  12. BigDanLevitan

    BigDanLevitan Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 26, 2005
    Did anyone catch the interview I did on Channel 7? It was aired on Saturday at some point. I've been scouring the net for it since then. I've had a bunch of friends tell me that they saw me and now I'm curious as to what I looked like
     
  13. quigonschuel

    quigonschuel Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 13, 2011
    I tried looking on their website, but couldn't find it. :(
     
  14. Scooter42

    Scooter42 Jedi Master star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 15, 2004
    July 1977 – consider us then. Dan was 18, I was 17 and the first Star Wars had been out since May. The fan run convention Beta Draconis was going in downtown Toronto. I was hanging out with some friends from a Star Trek club and we went to the Eaton Centre to pick up some fast food.
    We were chattering, waiting for the elevator. I was looking over my shoulder as I stepped forward when the doors opened and bumped into someone – tall. Breathing funny. I looked up into the mask of Darth Vader.
    It was a Don Post Studios mask, with a black jumpsuit (not uncommon in the seventies, believe me), a highly detailed handmade chest pack and belt packs that were wired to light up, and a hand held tape deck that had an endless loop cassette with a recording of the breathing. It was quite possibly the coolest thing I’d ever seen.
    We became friends, Dan and I, and I helped when he wanted to upgrade the jumpsuit – time passed, invasions (as we called trouping then) came and went – ESB, ROTJ. Running blaster battles down the opposite side of the street as people lined up to see the next movie. Good guys were Corellian, or pilots, or other alien sorts – multiple Jedi wasn’t a concept back then. Bad guys were Imperial officers, mostly, since vacuforming trooper armour was almost unheard of. And, of course, the two main characters were Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker.
    Dan and Kevin, who did Luke, had worked out several battles depending on the circumstances. Small area/large area/moving/stationary. They had the lightsabers – hand made too, or toys modified. The rest of us had blasters and we were the coolest thing on feet.
    Skip forward 37 years to the Buffalo Bisons Star Wars night!
    We helped out two years ago and had a blast. Missed last year and MISSED it. This year, with the costume and the kiddies and the excitement – it recalled us to our younger selves, when a Han Solo blaster and some really excellent boots were the basis for some of the first costumes I ever made. When a Vader chest pack and belt boxes were constructed out of project boxes from Radio Shack using enough wire to climb the CN tower.
    Now, of course, the suit is pleather with a comfy lining, the helmet has computer fans in it that are NOT the size of briefcases, and the sabres...ah, the sabres...things of beauty. Multiple Jedi open up a whole new world of characters.
    Thank you all, from both of us – thank you for the chance to remember why we love the art and craft of costuming, and the simple joy of being with people with the same interests. And reminding us why we can still, at this age, still be the coolest thing on feet!
     
  15. Wild Sidewalker

    Wild Sidewalker Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 5, 2012
    Here is what I wish I had been able to say at the cast party Saturday night when AJ Swannie kindly called for an acknowledgement of my role with the North Ridge since September of last year… instead of feeling at the time like I was the Yamato after it had fired its Wave Motion Gun...

    ---

    It has been my honor and distinct privilege to have been entrusted by you, the North Ridge, with the direction of the seventh Buffalo Bisons’ Star Wars Night, “A Mysterious Light.” Thank you, Chris Solecki, for giving me this opportunity. As I am sure your friends and family have told you, like mine have told me, this was the best one we have put on together to date! We continue to remain far and away the leader among all the other Star Wars fan clubs and Minor League Teams who also provide a Star Wars Night to their cities.

    As you know, this is our club’s signature event and, first and foremost, creates an incredibly magical afternoon and evening for over 18,000 kids and adults. It also raises thousands of dollars for charity and helps bring public recognition for other associated and very worthy causes and events. And, it gives us incredibly positive name recognition that buoys us in the execution of our club’s mission. This would not be possible without our friends and fellow Star Wars fans across the state and region that come every year to join with us. This would not be possible without the incredible support of Anthony Sprague along with Matt LaSota and the rest of the Buffalo Bisons organization. And, we have been further empowered this year by Alfred State College, Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, Buffalo Museum of Science, Holy Ghost Lutheran School, as well as essentially being supported by Disney in that they did not tell us we couldn’t do it. ;)

    But, what truly distinguishes us from the rest of the nation, is our membership. I have been very pleased with everyone in the North Ridge, from the incredibly active to less able to be active, in how much of their available time and energy they invested into this event. From the start of pre-production all the way through the on-field celebration, you are the reason we have now sold out two years in a row. Each and every one of you has my admiration and thanks! But, in addition, I want to give some specific thank yous to the people I worked most closely with during this entire process.

    To the writing team, Bill, Jon, Steve, Dan, JXJ, Michelle, Chris, Larry, and Kathleen – this was a great first effort; I know many of you never wrote scripts professionally or worked in “the biz,” but you weathered my feedback and whip-cracking well. Special mention to Dan Malcomb who, despite work often taking him out of town, he would Skype and text and email to help bring many of the innovations in storytelling you all witnessed June 7.

    To my production team, Bill, Jon, Steve, Dan, JXJ, Chris, and Lisa – this was also your first time “on the bridge” trying to steer this incredible project effectively to a timely and satisfying destination. I know that personal lives really took their toll on almost everyone’s ability to engage in production as they intended this year. But, every bit you were able to do was helpful; this is a really heavy lift and the more hands I had helping the better.

    To the film crews, thank you, especially Bryan for “coming out of retirement” to take the helm of our second unit. But, also special thanks to Bill and Larry for stepping up when my multiple roles and lack of a cloning facility made it difficult for me to be everywhere I wanted to be that day.

    To all the film performers, great job! Your costumes, props, and performances got tremendous crowd response. Special mention to one of our newest members, Dan Reynolds, for his incredible job as this year’s narrator; I hope we don’t lose you to an event that pays better. And, while not a North Ridge member, I must also mention my son, Zakary Reynolds, for not only stepping up when we unexpectedly needed help with Celery but even more so for his hilarious performance.

    To all of our live show duelists – when I first came to the North Ridge, it was to help by providing consultation with duels as Lisa’s injury made it significantly difficult for her to continue in that role and not risk further injury or complications. Soon enough, I was asked if I would die… on the field… pretend die. Hahaha! In just over two years I have seen all of you grow significantly in your own dueling skills, some of you spectacularly so. Ultimately, for possibly many of our fans, your duels are the main thing they look forward to in our live show every year and likely why we will need to continue to present stories based in the days before the Empire so we can continue to clash lightsabers and not mock fire at each other... until someone invents a blaster... that won't kill anyone.

    Honorable mention was well earned by Larry Tetewsky who went from declaring he would have a minor role this year to stepped up to fill any role needed from writing, production, filming, editing, rehearsal, and… performance… on the field… as CHIP! WHAAAT! Incredible! I must also say that he is possibly the best protocol and interpreter human in the galaxy and I am sure I would not have made it through the event without him.

    Special thanks to Anna Swannie for her dedicated and apparently inexhaustible drive to create as a worblakraft mistress; I never would’ve been able to complete my mando without all of her incredible help. But, I am also thankful to her, and her husband, AJ, for their emotional support and good counsel seemingly at any time of day. Love you guys!

    Finally, my most esteemed thanks to Steve Lukasik. From the first day of preproduction through the last moments of the cast party, he was always there for me. For Star Wars Night, he was ALWAYS there as a writer, as a producer, as an actor, as a dueling coach, as a music supervisor, as an editor, and, while I am definitely biased, as one of our best duelists and performers. But, most important, he was there for me whenever I needed anything, be it advice as well as simply emotional support. Without fail, he never showed any doubt in my direction and always was ready to do what he could to support me. I am without any doubt that I would not have made it through the entire project, almost exactly nine months, without Steve Lukasik. Thank you, my friend; as long as you’re involved, you can count me in for future North Ridge adventures!
     
  16. MassageVentress

    MassageVentress Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Oct 24, 2009
    Thank YOU, Bill, for stepping up to the plate for this Huge event. =D= There was a lot involved!! You sacrificed a lot and we appreciate all the hard work you put into this. :) It was crazy though! There was a lot of ups and downs... Worrying about timing....music....figuring out this...figuring out that...will we have enough time to get off the field?....can we make it from 404? ^:)^ God bless you guys!!!!!!!!!!!! But WE ALL STUCK Together! We all helped out as a group. Definitely some stepped up even more, just like you mentioned and that's awesome.:D I thank you and I thank everyone else involved. This year's show definitely showed the hard work that was put into it!!! Awesome show!!! Awesome time!!! Now let celery and the Sith win next year[face_devil] !!!!!!!!!
     
  17. Rock Nightshifter

    Rock Nightshifter North Ridge Diplomat star 3

    Registered:
    Oct 27, 2013
    Well said sir!
     
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  18. Darth Erebus

    Darth Erebus Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    Ooohh celery should join the dark side! Lol
     
  19. MusicalNeko

    MusicalNeko Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Apr 21, 2009
    Gil, Lisa and I had a great idea of Celery joining the dark side, force pushing the others out of the race/using force lightning/force chokes, then finally winning the race, only to wake up to realize it was all a dream ;) it could be a cute segment to film!
     
  20. Darth Erebus

    Darth Erebus Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    OK so the video is on my Facebook page now
     
  21. Wild Sidewalker

    Wild Sidewalker Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 5, 2012
    I'm guessing FB is taking it down due to copyright issues with the music. :(
     
  22. Darth Erebus

    Darth Erebus Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    I just forgot to actually share the video before. Its there now though.
     
  23. quigonschuel

    quigonschuel Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 13, 2011

    Still can't see it... :(
     
  24. WookieeJedi

    WookieeJedi Merchandise Coordinator/North Ridge Diplomat star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 15, 2009
    Thanks to all that helped make this event simply rock....and the pleasure was all mine bill (sensei)
     
  25. Lee Solara

    Lee Solara North Ridge Secretary star 2

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 2013
    What a night! It took about 2 days to recover. Thanks for all the sith holding me together when I was white underneath my makeup right before we went on the field. Thanks Larry for keeping up with me even when I panicked in the middle of the show and forgot the routine. It was a pleasure to fight Chip. Steve it was awesome trooping with you. Don't worry I don't have any bruises on my face from getting wacked by your helmet. Thanks to everyone for all the tips in training and costume details, make-up tips, parking pass, and batteries that helped make this one of the best experiences I've ever had. I'm so glad Dan pulled me along for this adventure.