Victoria. BC Lightsaber Battles: Illegal in Victoria (a first hand report)

Heh. . . hey remember how Dawn hoped we'd all stayed out of trouble today. . .

Ok, so after playing caterer for the party I mentioned in a previous post, I finally got off work at around 11:30. Figuring this was too late to rendezvous with you guys for AotC, some of my friends and decided to instead partake in a favourite activity: making movies. Today's project: working lightsabers. Of course, we needed raw footage before we could start editing, so we headed (shinai and props in hand) to the well-lit local school grounds to begin filming a lightsaber fight. Everything was goinging fine, when all of a sudden a voice from behind me demanded to know what we were doing. Wheeloing around, we beheld a lone police officer, to whom we related our intentions of lightsaber filming. She, after studying us for a time, told us that we shouldn't be running around with big sticks at night and essentially told us to get lost. So we did. On the way out, we watched as the affore-mentioned officer waved off three police cruisers (complete with big burly enforcers), and then were shocked to see another one slow down on approaching, then drive off. Apparently they don't appreciate lightsaber fights. . .

The lesson learned: if you want to film a duel, do it during the day and not on a school ground. Otherwise the police will hate you.

. .. and that's my story .

--Jer

 

Wow... that's funny!

I guess Darren's point in the film-making thread was a good one: always co-operate with your local officials!

Any chance you could meet up this afternoon, Jer? We're going to see the noon show, and then meet about three-thirty at Alzu's...

Hope to see you there!


*Derisa*

 

Derisa... you've heard how I blew all my money, so I can't make it to the noon, but what say I meet up with you guys at 3:30? I'd relish a chance to talk with ya again.

 

I'd love to, but I have a game scheduled for the early afternonn, and another (hopefully uninterupted) lightsaber choreography sessoion later on, folowed by editing in the evening. So, not this time. This means that next time, however, I'll come brandishing the spoils of a successful test, and will have a video of myself in a sabre battle .

Note, I'm also planning to edit the previous footage, which should be amusing .

--Jer

 

I didn't show up for the gather at Alzu's mainly because a friend and I got talking (over some WEG SWRPG books) and when I looked up at the clock it was five and time for my roast beef dinner!

 

Hey Jer (Saber Caddy) - I was just wondering how the saber practicing has been going thus far....you've been making a lot of progress, I'd wager, yes? Need any help? Can I be of assistance? Tee hee....

(no, no, I'm not eager or energized or excitable, goodness no, where did you ever get that impression....::giggle::....)


Dawn.

 

I wasn't sure where this should go, and maybe it deserves its own topic, but whatever....just bear with me, in any case. I hope people were fortunate enough to catch the beginning of "Star Wars" week on A&E today....all week, they've got "Star Wars"-centered Biography shows, starting with a full two-hour look at George Lucas tonight, and it was....absolutely spectacular, incredibly informative and useful and educational....and *supremely* inspiring, too! Goodness, it just makes me so gung-ho hyped up to follow in George's footsteps, right now....if he can do it, so can I. He makes films because he has to, because he loves them, he loves telling stories like no one else can. It's in his blood and soul and very being....he lives and breathes them....and so do I. And seeing him on Biography tonight has inspired me like nothing else could. And....I am ready. To make my film, to realize my vision, I am ready. I *need* to do this.

George Lucas needs to make the films he loves, telling the wonderful, amazing stories he does. He *has* to. And I know, now, so do I. And for being so overwhelmingly inspirational....for firing me up like this....for really getting me going....I thank him. I owe him so much, I feel, for being so inspirational and informative and educational....he's just such a wonder to me. The artist, the moviemaker in me recognizes and responds to the artist and lover and maker of film in him....similar minds....and I think that's why I respond to it so. That, I think, is why I am so very grateful!

I just....I had to say that. Thanks for listening, you people are such dears.


Dawn.

 

Hmm. . .progress. . .

well we haven't been able to shoot any more footage recently due to bad weather, and our editing suite has unfortunately been tied up by another memory-consuming project that we forgot to finish. Therefore, expect more progress once that is finished (think next week). I may have the footage we got the other night (before we got busted by the cops) edited together sooner than that, so and I'll do my best to bring that to the next meeting, and may post a screenshot or two sometime sooner than that. Unfortunately we have by my estimation only about 6-10 seconds of post-production footage, so there's not much to work with. . .but we shall see. . .

--Jer

 

Ahh, yes,

I really think George can be an inspiration to us all. His story is the classic follow your dreams type of ordeal normally confined to cheap novels and bad moves starring pint-sized rappers, and I think is can serve as a reminder to us all that dreams really can come true. . .but only through hard, dilligant work, much creativity, and the help of a stoned-out hippy room mate, two bumbling droid-men a wierd little professor with a speaking disorder, and a person on whom one has a crush*.

Anyway, there's my hoo-hah inspirational post for the day. BTW, Dawn, when are those SW specials on A&E? I missed the one tonight (watching AotC again) but might like to catch the ones later in the week.

--Jer

*See George Lucas in Love

 

Hold on a sec here. Editing *suite*? You have an editing suite?! This is me *extremely* jealous and wanting to get her hands on that setup....see? I swear, how is it you people hide in the woodwork so well to the point where I think you may not even be out there, period....and then, however, you *do* show up and now all I can think is that I'm plenty glad to keep you around. And did I mention I was jealous? Argh!

Now, back to the question at hand....you were wondering when these Biography specials were on, right? Well, apparently A&E's "Star Wars" Biography week ends on Thursday, I have *no* idea why, but I can tell you this darn well ticks me off....I mean, hey, they could've had a Biography of Liam or Ewan or Hayden, or James Earl Jones, or any one of a number of behind-the-scenes folks like Trisha Biggar....or Ben Burtt....or the geniuses behind ILM, or....well, anyway, as I said I'm still seething over the fact we only get three more "Star Wars" Biography shows this week. Not nearly enough hours in the day or days in the week to do what we'd really want to, to see what we'd love to, is what I'm thinking.... ::sighs::

So here's the upshot of the stuff coming up today, Wednesday and Thursday: Today, Tuesday, it's Mark Hamill on Biography, and that airs at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. on A&E....also tends to repeat way-early the following morning, like 3 a.m. or something, but you'd have to check into that. Wednesday, then, it's Carrie Fisher, and the times for that are again the same....5 p.m. and 9 p.m. with a wee sma's repeat the following morning. On Thursday it's Harrison Ford, same times, same channel. Certainly all worth a viewing, this is A&E programming at its finest, but you know....for me nothing can top the George Lucas two-hour special last night. That's as good as it humanly gets, in my book! And, yes, I *did* of course tape it....so rest easy, we can screen it at one of our next Fanforce meetings, or something. Well, we can screen that, anyway, along with all the other AOTC stuff I'm now taping....ahhhhhh.... ::sighs again, but delightedly::


Dawn.