At long last, we have finally received an answer from Paramount Pictures, about our quest to host the movie premiere of Star Trek.
There is good news and bad news:
Bad news first: Unfortunately, due to timing and logistics surrounding the production and release details for the film, it will not be possible for the premiere to happen in Vulcan. This is largely due to the lead time that we require to rent and special order the equipment needed to put on the event (i.e. projector, screen, sound system etc); and the much shorter timelines the movie industry works with, surrounding film releases.
The Good news is that Paramount Pictures does want to involve Vulcan Tourism with the release of the film in Alberta. Although it is premature to know specific details, they have informed us that we will be invited to participate in the promo-screening of the film in Calgary. This screening will likely will be scheduled for a day or two prior to the film’s wide release on May 8.
Although this may seem, on the surface, to be the end of a long and colourful journey for the Town of Vulcan, we are thrilled with the results of our efforts:
* The support you have shown Vulcan for our lofty Hollywood goal has been overwhelming;
* The media’s response to this campaign has been remarkable; and,
* The idea has clearly caught the imaginations of the travelling public, as our visitor statistics continue to hold strong.
We are looking forward to seeing what Paramount Pictures has in mind to include Vulcan in its plans surrounding Star Trek’s release in May.
Even though Star Trek won’t be premiering in Vulcan this spring, we are still looking forward to a fun and busy year:
* The Town of Vulcan is currently in negotiations with CBS to become an officially licensed Star Trek destination;
* We have put in an application to the Guinness Book of Records to have the “Most people in one location doing a Klingon Bat’leth military-style drill” at our annual Spock Days/Galaxyfest this coming June;
* The Town of Vulcan will be bracing for a Klingon Invasion, as KAG Kanada members descend on Vulcan to celebrate their 20th Anniversary as a fan club at this year’s Spock Days/Galaxyfest weekend.
* The Canadian Space Agency and NASA is considering doing a downlink video conference between our local high school and Canadian Astronaut Robert Thirsk, live from the International Space Station in September (an event that will be open to the public).
If you would like to stay in touch with all of the goings on in Vulcan, we invite you to join our other Facebook group: “Trekking to Vulcan, Alberta” or ask to be put on our mailing list by contacting: info@vulcantourism.com
Thank you so much for your enthusiasm and support for our small town’s ambitious goal to host the premiere of Star Trek XI.
If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Live Long & Prosper!
Dayna Dickens, Tourism Coordinator
Erin Melcher, Information Services Coordinator
Town of Vulcan and Vulcan County, Alberta, Canada
After a long and colourful journey, the Town of Vulcan has finally received word, from Paramount Pictures, about its ambitious quest to host the movie premiere of Star Trek.
There is good news and bad news:
Bad news first: Unfortunately, due to timing and logistics surrounding the production and release details for the film, it will not be possible for the premiere to happen in Vulcan. This is largely due to the lead time the town required to rent and special order the equipment needed to put on the event; and the much shorter timelines the movie industry works with, surrounding film releases.
The Good news is that Paramount Pictures does want to involve Vulcan with the release of the film in Alberta. Although it is premature to know specific details, they have informed the town’s Tourism Coordinator that Vulcan will be invited to participate in the promo-screening of the film in Calgary. This screening will likely be scheduled for a day or two prior to the film’s wide release on May 8.
Although this may seem, on the surface, to be the end of a unique promotional campaign, Dayna Dickens, Vulcan’s Tourism Coordinator, is thrilled with the results of their efforts:
“The support Vulcan has received, for its lofty Hollywood goal — from both the government and our peers in the Tourism Industry has been overwhelming; the international media’s response to this campaign has been remarkable; and, the idea of Vulcan’s “Trekkie Tourism” has clearly caught the imaginations of the travelling public, as our visitor and gift shop statistics continue to hold strong, even through the current economic slow-down”.
Despite not being granted the premiere of the new Star Trek movie, Dickens is looking forward to seeing what Paramount Pictures has in mind to include Vulcan in its plans surrounding Star Trek’s release in May. She is confident that 2009 will be another excellent year for tourism in this little Trekkie Town on the Prairies.
For more information contact:
Dayna Dickens
Tourism Coordinator
Town of Vulcan/Vulcan Tourism
Box 1161, Vulcan, AB, T0L 2B0
Tel: 403-485-2994 Fax: 403-485-2878 dayna@vulcantourism.com
Website: vulcantourism.com
All right… even though I need to join another social networking site like I need another orifice in my cranium, I’ve decided to wake up and smell 2009… and join Facebook.
My page is at facebook.com/weirdal. If you’re my MySpace friend, why not be my Facebook friend too? Come on now — don’t make me go out and get a whole new set of friends.
Besides the argument that “that’s just what sentient organisms do now,” I got on Facebook partly for the same reason that I originally got on MySpace — there are people out there pretending to be (or at least represent) me. I assume that these people are just enthusiastic, well-meaning fans, so no harm done… but just for the record, anybody on Facebook who ISN’T facebook.com/weirdal … definitely isn’t me.
And you know what else? I just signed up for Twitter too. Yeah, I know. I figured I’d better hurry up, because somebody already snagged twitter.com/weirdal… so I’m at twitter.com/alyankovic. Feel free to “follow” me if you like, but for what it’s worth, I really don’t intend on documenting every single one of my bowel movements — and truthfully, there’s probably only 40 or 50 people that would be interested in that kind of thing anyway.
So what have I been up to other than Facebook-ing and Twitter-ing? Outside of the usual “enjoying my life” and “spending quality time with my family” stuff, I’ve been writing new songs and working on Al’s Brain.
I’ve mentioned Al’s Brain here before — it will be a pavilion and interactive exhibit at the Orange County Fair this year, the centerpiece of which will be a 10-minute 3-D movie written by, directed by and starring me. It will premiere on July 10 (the first day of the fair) and run though August 9. And then hopefully it will travel to various other places around the world after that. It looks like it’s going to be pretty cool, so if you’re going to be in Southern California this summer, try to check it out.
And I’ve been writing a few original songs — we’re looking at being in the studio in late April / early May to cut some tracks. And then my plan is to release 3 or 4 of those tracks digitally (hopefully with accompanying videos of some sort) over the course of the summer. I have no idea when the next album is coming out… but at least you’ll get to hear parts of it in the not-too-distant future.
And I’m involved with developing a few other things too, but I’m being told that I can’t spill the beans about them quite yet. I’ll keep you posted.
Trenton Lepp and team have posted a second trailer and behind-the-scenes production video for the upcoming web series condition:human, premiering April 1. Join the Facebook Group and subscribe to their YouTube Channel for the latest updates.
The Art of Kung Fu Panda by Tracey Miller-Zarnecke, with a foreword by Jack Black, draws readers into the world of the DreamWorks Animation movie that was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Animated Feature Film and kicked cartoon butt at the Annie Awards, defeating presumed front-runner WALL-E to become the surprise Chosen One of the evening.
Kung Fu Panda pulled out all its martial arts moves Friday night at the 36th annual Annie Awards, where it was named best animated feature.
Winning the top prize over such other nominees as the critical favorites WALL-E and Waltz with Bashir, Panda swept the feature film categories as it picked up 10 trophies, bettering Pixar’s Ratatouille run last year when it earned nine Annies, including best feature.
If there was an honour awarded for film tie-ins, then Kung Fu Panda would surely get the nod for The Art of Kung Fu Panda, as well.
Unlike many movie art books, which rarely warrant more than a single once-over, The Art of Kung Fu Panda is a treasure that begs to be admired over and over again. The dustjacket, a thick paper sleeve whose red, yellow, and black cover art reflects the traditional Chinese colour palette, glimmers with red foil dragons that undulate along the top and bottom margins. Hidden underneath, the red hardcover is covered in a delicate wave pattern and embossed with a large, glossy black dragon. Stunning gatefold pages are tucked at random intervals throughout the book, and even the endpapers are works of art, richly patterned with red and golden-yellow dragons and flowers in a style that emulates Chinese silk. A sealed envelope attached to the back endpaper, mysteriously marked “Prepare for Awesomeness”, contains the bonus gift of a small, folded replica of Kung Fu Panda’s film poster.
As an official companion book, The Art of Kung Fu Panda takes adventurous readers behind the scenes of the legendary movie with a team of master filmmakers as their guide. It traces the journey of the production from its first stages of development through to completed animation, accompanied by the candid, insider commentary that’s come to be expected from an “art of” book. Since Kung Fu Panda’s stylized look is so important to the film, the book spends considerable time covering its visual development, especially the use of colour and groundbreaking CG effects. The digitally rendered artwork is so polished and highly detailed that each piece of art, even the roughest of character sketches and conceptual designs, looks like a completed illustration from a children’s picture book. Character designs are thoroughly documented, with every nuance — name origins, clothing styles, related symbols, animal-associated mannerisms, choice of voice actors — explained, lending the animal heroes richer personalities and back-stories. The most interesting revelations in The Art of Kung Fu Panda, though, involve the changes that occurred during the film’s story development. Multiple screenplay and storyboard revisions are explored, showing what might have happened on the paths untaken, and thoughtful reasons are given for the choices which ultimately resulted in the version of Kung Fu Panda that made it to theatre screens.
Over the past two years, ten million people have come to recognize Jeff Lewis as Vork, the quirky leader of The Knights of Good on Felicia Day‘s hit web series The Guild. After spending years doing stand-up and improv comedy with such troupes as The Groundlings and The Second City, he’s also turned his talents towards writing. His first film screenplay, For Christ’s Sake, is in post-production, and his other writing credits include episodes of Nickelodeon‘s Catscratch and Dreamworks Animation‘s Toonsylvania. While he’s made numerous web and television production appearances, very little information is available online to provide insight into the man behind the Guildmaster (though he did just receive a bit of “exposure” by appearing in nothing but a blue Speedo in a CareerBuilder.com commercial), so Jeff graciously took time recently to answer some questions for us.
ÜberSciFiGeek (ÜSFG) I love your CareerBuilder commercial! What kind of feedback are you getting from it so far, and how do you feel about your picture being sent as a gift all over Facebook?
Jeff Lewis (JL) The feedback from the commercial has been great. I love being sent as a gift. I think they stopped it and that makes me sad.
(ÜSFG) Did you have an active imagination when you were a kid?
(JL) Yes, I did. I read a lot of fantasy and science fiction books and after I would read a passage, I would close my eyes and play it out in my head. And I spent a lot of time with toy soldiers, having battles where I killed several Nazis. I love killing Nazis. To this day, I will buy any WW2 video game that involves killing Nazis. I will continue killing Nazis even when the game tells me I am done with a certain area or level. And when the opportunity arises to actually play a Nazi, I will kill myself immediately and laugh about it. I hate Nazis. I cannot overstate it.
(ÜSFG) Lots of artistic people struggle with other things considered normal, like sports, academics, and social interaction, but then thrive when they discover the arts. Did you have a similar experience?
(JL) For the most part. I loved sports though. Basketball and football. But I always struggled with academics. Knowledge is just not my… thing. And as far as social interaction, it wasn’t great. Especially with women. Especially with women. I am repeating that sentence for dramatic effect. I came from a place of assuming immediately that any woman I met was not interested. There was a time when a woman could be naked in my bed and I still would question whether she was into me. I definitely fared better in the arts. It’s a real boost to your confidence when people laugh at you. And then, of course, social interaction improves. Although I’m still not sure that my fiancée is really into me.
(ÜSFG) How old were you when you decided you wanted to be an actor?
(JL) It took a long time. I was in a state of denial for many years. I just kind of did shows but didn’t admit that I was an actor. It just wasn’t something my parents wanted me to do or raised me to be. I think I probably knew the first time I stepped on stage. I’m going to give you a number just because I think people generally crave specificity. 28.
(ÜSFG) You just finished wrapping season 2 of The Guild. What was it like being back together with the cast and crew? How different was it to actually have a budget this time around?
(JL) It was great being with the cast and crew. Quite seriously, I like everybody and we have a great time. Sometimes too good. Especially with Felicia and Sandeep, just because I’ve known them so long and so many of my scenes are with them. I look forward to working more with Vince and Amy and Robin because I really like them too. And I love the crew. Everybody’ s just really nice and we’ve gotten into a good rhythm. If there was a way we could legally, morally and biologically have an orgy without the sex and various fluids, I would like to do that.
It was a little different having a budget. Not as much on the set because the writing and acting has always been there, regardless of budget, but more seeing the finished product. It just looks great. I take that back now about on the set. There’s more people. It takes longer for me to walk back from craft service to the set. More people to get by.
(ÜSFG) I know that Felicia Day wrote the part of Vork for you because she thinks you are one of the funniest men she’s ever known. Does that mean she borrowed heavily from your real life personality? How much are you and Vork alike?
(JL) I don’t know how much she borrowed. Vork is very exact in his words and actions. Everything’s a little calculated. I think I’m more stop and start, not exactly sure where I’m going. And dumb. I think emotionally, we might be similar. Prone to instant anger, albeit disarming. And frustration. We both have that and I hope it comes out in a funny way. Basically (and sadly), I think she just thought I looked the part of an older gamer.
(ÜSFG) What’s going on with For Christ’s Sake? There’s a great website up at forchristssakemovie.com (love the choice of Orff’s “Carmina Burana” theme). Can you tell us a little bit about the film and how you came to write it?
(JL)For Christ’s Sake is a feature about a priest who unwittingly becomes an investor in his brother’s porn movie. It’s got a great cast. Jed Reese, Will Sasso, Alex Borstein, Sarah Rue, Michael Hitchcock and John Schneider (of The Dukes of Hazzard). I wrote it several years ago in a writing workshop class and gave it to my friend Jackson Douglas, a director, and he got the funding and directed it. We’re just waiting to hear about distribution now.
(ÜSFG) You visited Kiko on the set of Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine show this season. What was it like working with Kim Evey and her crew over there?
(JL) It was great to work with Kim. She’s awesome! I had never worked with any of the actors and we just hit it off. Very fun. And Kim is great to work with on The Guild. I think of her as the script Nazi on The Guild. Maybe not Nazi but more of a “the mom that would keep you in line” and I mean that in the best way. She’s the one that would say, “No, Vork would never keep a small boy in the basement” or “Vork would never be in a hotel room with two hookers and an eight ball”. You need somebody like that. To keep you true to the characters and to maintain that ensemble feel. And by the way, Vork WOULD keep a small boy in his basement.
(ÜSFG) You’ve had a lot of success lately as a writer. Are you changing your focus from in front of to behind the scenes?
(JL) I’m not sure that I’ve had that much success, but if you say so. I will say that for about two years, I kind of gave up on acting and focused almost solely on writing and that was a mistake and will never happen again.
(ÜSFG) What other projects have you been working on?
(JL) I’ve been doing stand up for about 6 months and that’s been fun and horrifying. I’m also writing a screenplay with a new partner and trying to write my own webisode, hopefully with the help of The Guild people.
(ÜSFG) Do you get recognized in public now?
(JL) Once in a while, I do get recognized. It’s always a little awkward. I’ve gotten so used to living in obscurity. It was always a goal of mine.
(ÜSFG) Are you a Whedonite?
(JL) I’m not sure. I love everything he’s done. He’s pretty amazing. I was very jealous when I saw Dr. Horrible. I wish I could write like that. Especially the songs.
A single, long lost set of The Last Unicorn concept art has been discovered in storage and is being auctioned this week on eBay
In 2007 Conlan Press published a limited 500-copy edition of Hidemi Kubo’s 1979 concept paintings from the animated Last Unicorn. There were five pictures in the complete set: The Last Unicorn, The Red Bull, The Lady Amalthea, Mommy Fortuna, and The Full Cast.
They sold out of all the complete sets very quickly, as well as all the individual prints of The Lady Amalthea, the Last Unicorn, and The Full Cast.
However — last week a single complete set (#295) turned up in some old convention boxes. This is the very last one there is, and the only way you can get any of the three sold-out pictures.
The set is up for auction on eBay until 8:20 AM on Sunday, March 1st, with the same starting price that the complete sets originally sold for: $75.
Huzzah! Less than three months after putting out the Mystery Science Theater 3000: 20th Anniversary Edition box set, Shout! Factory has followed up with Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XIV.
From 1988 to 1999, the cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000 skewered B-movies from their extraterrestrial orbit. Now the revolving crew of the Satellite of Love returns in the awe-inspiring 14th collection of their most hilarious episodes. Join Joel, Mike, Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot as they supply their own playful brand of commentaries on some of cinema’s most misunderstood “masterpieces.”
The alleged masterpieces are Season 1’s The Mad Monster, Season 4’s Manhunt in Space, Season 10’s Soultaker, and Season 10’s Final Justice (“starring” legendary antagonist of the show Joe Don Baker, who also got roasted in Season 5’s Mitchell). Current IMDb ratings for the four movies are 2.8, 2.1, 1.8, and 1.5 out of 10, dismal scores which promise a banquet of MST3K riffing material. The packaging, slipcased DVD slim cases with illustrated movie poster art covers, is exactly the same as in the first Shout! Factory set, which gives the option of storing the DVD sets in their cardboard slipcases or taking the individual titles out to shelve them by season or other preference. Mini-posters of the DVD covers are included again, and each disc continues to have a different animated menu that ties in with the film it precedes. Bonus content features a brand-new interview with Soultaker star and MSTie favorite Joe Estevez, in which Estevez proves himself to be an extremely good sport about the ribbing he got for Werewolf and Soultaker; a brand-new interview with Final Justice writer, producer, and director Greydon Clark, who masterfully rationalizes getting the MST3K treatment; Mike, Tom and Crow’s appearance on ESPN Classic’s Cheap Seats without Ron Parker; and the original Mad Monster trailer.
Most excitingly, as was revealed in a press release late last year, the Volume XIV box set is comprised entirely of episodes that have never been released before. Previously, fans had access to these films solely through TV syndication and an online network of tape trading that was encouraged by Comedy Central in its “Keep Circulating the Tapes” campaign. For viewers who have only seen grainy bootleg copies of Volume XIV‘s four episodes, many generations removed from the original recordings, it’s a real treat to finally see them in first-run quality. Hopefully this trend continues, allowing MST3K home libraries to further upgrade their old, degraded tapes to a more modern and watchable format.
It will certainly be interesting to see what the themes of upcoming box sets will be. More “previously unreleased” collections? Polled favourites? Holiday sets? A special edition of Season 3’s Santa Claus Conquers the Martians and Season 5’s Santa Claus, complete with an appropriately tacky ornament, would be an obvious possibility, as would a complete set of the MST3KShorts. Shout! Factory is open to any suggestions, so e-mail them your lists of box-set-worthy episodes and help keep the Movie Sign plugged in.
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Evening Arwen at Etsy provides unique, customized costumes and corsets for roleplaying or fancy dress events. You can choose from premade designs or draw up the blueprints for your outfit completely from scratch. Either way, you will get a costume that wows all who see it.
How many out there love Halloween? Or have themed birthday parties? Maybe even there’s a huge movie premier that you want to dress up as your favourite character to? If you agree to any of those things than you and I have something in common… costumes. We clearly love to dress up and be something that in real life we probably never could, such as an elf or a jedi.
While I love the main characters of our blockbuster films I also love some of the side characters that you never seem to see costumes of. I’ve also found that nothing is worse than spending a lot of money for a costume that feels like it was made out of something that maybe resembles cotton and was made one size to basically fit all. And that’s where I come in…
My goal is to create movie replica costumes for almost any character out there that you could possibly want to be. On my page you will see costumes that inspired me to want to create them and they are listed up here to give you an idea of what I can do. But the purpose of this site is so you can contact me with who you want to be and then we will discuss in detail what your budget is, the colors, material and accessories that you would like to include with the costume. My prices I know are on the more expensive side but a lot of that is due to the fact that the materials I use are very high quality and the outfits made require quite a lot to create it as a whole. All pieces though can be sold/made seperately and if you only have under $100 dollars to spend then I will do my best to create something for you that’s still beautiful and will fit like a glove for that price.
I’m here to help you be the talk of the party… in a good way. = )
Becky
Becky’s most talked about creation at the moment is the Star Trek Inspired Corset, based on the Star Trek: The Next Generation jumpsuits.
The corset is available in red, blue, and yellow, so you can get decked out in your Star Trek uniform of choice. No need for shore leave on Risa when you’ve got this sexy little number hanging in your closet!
The brilliant Emilie Ullerup has brains, brawn, beauty and moxie!
In just a few short years, Dutch-born Emilie Ullerup has done what many actresses only ever dream of: going from bit parts to award-winning, starring roles. Soon after graduating from Vancouver Film School, Emilie (pronounced like Amelia) started her career in 2006 with guest spots on shows like Blood Ties and Battlestar Galactica. She then landed the role of Ashley Magnus in the Amanda Tapping and Damian Kindler produced web series Sanctuary. It was the first series shot with RED cameras on greenscreen sets, and was the most ambitious and expensive direct-to-web series ever produced.
While Sanctuary’s world was still being rendered, Emilie was then cast as video game artist Kaitlin Joyce on CBC’s jPod (based on the book by Gen X author Douglas Coupland). jPod was critically acclaimed, won a global audience through positive word of mouth (and torrents, since CBC chose to regionally lock the episodes they streamed on their website) and was nominated for twelve awards, winning four. While jPod’s fate was still being decided, Sanctuary’s was set in stone: redevelopment for television. Emilie rejoined her castmates for thirteen episodes of Sanctuary, which broadcast internationally, as well as on SCI FI channel. The show received high ratings in all of its markets, securing it a second season. In case you aren’t counting, that’s two lead roles in two hit shows in two years, and a Leo Award for Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series for her role in jPod.
With the holiday season just wrapping up, Emilie set aside some time to talk with us about her recent successes and her plans for the future.
ÜberSciFiGeek (ÜSFG) Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. I know you have been really busy and I’m sure your life has changed a lot over the last year or two.
Emilie Ullerup (EU)Sanctuary is really helping propel my career forward. It’s really exciting.
(ÜSFG) It is! I’m thrilled for you and we really appreciate how connected you are staying with your fans. It means a lot to all of them.
(EU) I LOVE MY FANS! They rock! They mean a lot to me. This business is at times so damn hard, and you get so much crap from all directions, that a strong fan base really helps to pull you out of the lows once in a while.
(ÜSFG) Everyone is thrilled every time you stop in and check the forums. And everyone I’ve talked to who has met you has just been very excited about how open and friendly you are.
(EU) I’m glad that I’ve been so well received. It’s a little scary being the “new young thing”. But it’s been a warm welcome.
(ÜSFG) I don’t know if you realize that sci-fi fans are fiercely loyal. We’ll watch anything you are attached to no matter the genre because we tend to get neglected by mainstream media so we are very thankful for people who work in sci-fi.
(EU) That’s good to know.
(ÜSFG) You’ve lived a lot of places in your life haven’t you? How does Vancouver compare?
(EU) Every place has its own charm. They’re all really great in their own ways. And they’ve all got less exciting things about them too. Vancouver is great for its outdoors, friendly people and it’s a major city so it’s just always open! You can always get what you any need time of day. I’m a fan of that.
(ÜSFG) I’ve moved a lot too, some big cities and some small towns and in addition to climate, I’ve noticed a lot of social changes. From one area to another, it seems there’s a completely different mind-set. Moving south, sometimes I feel like I’m on another planet, not just another part of the world. Has it been like that for you, too?
(EU) Oh definitely. There are places where it’s harder to build close relationships because you just don’t think the same way. And then there are cultures where you get each other instantly.
(ÜSFG) Yes, that’s how I felt in Seattle. I just felt like I was a part of it instantly. From everything I’ve heard, I think Vancouver would be like that.
(EU) Very similar.
(ÜSFG) Speaking of Vancouver, why did you choose Vancouver to start your career?
(EU) I wasn’t interested in going to L.A. right away. It seemed too big and too full of actors. I figured it was better to go to Vancouver where the talent pool is smaller, and then start a solid resume up here so that I would eventually be able to go to L.A. without being just “another new face”. I want to go there when there’s interest in me. It’s so easy to get lost in the movie machine down there.
(ÜSFG) Yes, well your plan seems to be working so far. You’ve gotten a lot of attention, not only with the success of Sanctuary (web and TV) but with jPod!
(EU) Yeah… I guess I have. It’s been an incredible ride. jPod was the best first experience for an actor. I still miss it.
(ÜSFG) So do I! I have to admit that after watching Sanctuary on the web, I was worried that I’d only see Ashley when I saw Kaitlin but Kaitlin was really a night and day different character then Ashley Magnus. I was surprised and delighted that I saw no shades of Ashley in Kaitlin. You changed personas very well. Are you drawn to a particular type of character, do you look for diversity in the roles you pursue, or are you still discovering what you want and enjoy in a role?
(EU) I certainly always yearn to stretch my acting muscle. There are things that I’m not as good at, but will take them on anyway. I love the Kaitlin characters. The dramatic parts certainly draw me in but then I look back at jPod and realize that Kaitlin was pretty crazy too! I think that as long as I feel that I can be free in my work, that I can explore and not be restrained by anything, I am happy with any character. Ashley is most certainly a challenge for me though.
(ÜSFG)jPod received rave reviews, developed a demographic-bending cult following and was nominated for 12 Leo Awards going on to win 4 of them, including yours for Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series. Congratulations for that, by the way.
(EU) Thank you!! Ah, I still get a bit of a rush in my stomach when I’m reminded of that win.
(ÜSFG) That’s so cool though. I mean, like you said, it was a first show for a young actor. I imagine that it’s going to feel good for a real long time.
(EU) It will always be “the first one”. (Hopefully of a few more (blush))
(ÜSFG) I’m sure there will be more.
(EU) I wish… It was such an important win, because it solidified the fact that we’d been cancelled waaay too early.
(ÜSFG) Yes! I know we fans feel jilted. A lot of us are really sore about how it ended. How do you feel having the series cut short like that, especially after receiving so much praise and fan support? Has there been enough noise made by the “Save jPod” websites to actually stir any interest in a second season or at least a “special” to wrap up the story and let us know what happened to Kaitlin?
(EU) I think that jPod is dead though. I felt awful when we got cancelled. We all did. We were the tightest group, we had so much fun, there was incredible trust, and we all completely believed in the show. So to sum it up, BOO!
(ÜSFG) So, you said Ashley is a challenge to play. Why is that?
(EU) It’s really an art to master the balance in Ashley. She’s no bullshit but she’s also scared and sensitive and has to be likeable. So it’s a challenge to be a likeable “no bullshit” character, for me anyway. Especially because I had formed such a strong Ashley in the web episodes that bringing it back and making her softer felt wrong at first. It was like trying to put on a tight sweater on top of a really big one. I didn’t know how to make it fit.
(ÜSFG) Yes. Ashley was my favorite character in the web series. Of all the characters Ashley Magnus seems to have gone through the most drastic changes in the transition from web series to television. I know I’ve struggled a bit with reconciling the changes. Comparing the two incarnations, what are some of your favorite changes? What are some of your least favorite changes?
(EU) I like that she laughs more, smiles more. It allows for some of me in there but I do sometimes miss the ridiculously short Ashley. Shoot and then think. Later… a lot later… It was fun to explore such an instinctual character. That has disappeared a bit but I do think that she’s much more 3-dimensional now.
(ÜSFG) Yes, it seems our “Kick-Ash” has become a bit mellowed.
(EU) She is. Hopefully season 2 will allow for some real madness.
(ÜSFG) She does seem more fleshed out as a person and that’s a very good thing for character development.
(EU) It certainly looks that way.
(ÜSFG) It also leads to questions like, “why is there a man’s shirt in her closet?” and all sorts of things…
(EU) Ha haaaa, yes. That was Sam Egan. I love his ideas.
(ÜSFG) What would you like to see happen in Season 2?
(EU) I would love to see her get real bad.
(ÜSFG) Well, I think Ashley is an incredible character, you have so much to work with, fans who’ve seen you in other shows know the range you have and could do with her so everyone is eager to see how far you can take her back into a bit of the madness we saw in the webisodes but still remain someone we care about seeing heal, change, grow…
(EU) Hear hear! Thank you for the compliments.
(ÜSFG) You are most welcome! I am far too used to seeing actors being the same character in different clothes from show to show so I am THRILLED to see a truly different persona emerge.
(EU) Me too! I would love some sort of head to head conflict with mom.
(ÜSFG) That would be great to see! That was one of the discussions from the webisodes, how the mother-daughter conflict wasn’t explored the way it could have been.
(EU) I hope the Sanctuary team will feel the same way and give me some juicy, juicy stuff for us all to sink our teeth into. And hopefully season 2 will bring out something way different from season 1.
(ÜSFG) What kind of Ashley-centric episodes would you like to see happen in season 2?
(EU) Hmmm… Other than some badass ash-kicking?
(ÜSFG) Yes, other then more ash-kicking. You’ve got so many different directions she could go. If you could pick something really juicy and challenging, what do you think it would be?
(EU) It’d be fun to explore how the possibility of power could mess with Ashley. She’s young. She’s been introduced to some new powers. She’s not levelheaded at this point. What if she, just for an episode, got disgustingly power-hungry and turned into a Dana times 10.
(ÜSFG) Oooh… I like that idea.
(EU) It would also be great to see her come back to the good side and then have to be taught how to use her powers by daddy. She keeps messing up her teleporting. Instead of landing in Thailand, she lands in a men only steam bath in Turkey.
(ÜSFG) Oh, that would be one of those classic bits of TV that goes viral in web clips!
(EU) Ha ha ha.
(ÜSFG) Would she be embarrassed or like, “Hey”. 😉
(EU) I think a good mix of both. Depending on the men.
(ÜSFG) Back in the web series days, Ashley was nick named “Kick-Ash” because of all the fight scenes. While she’s been toned down a bit, she still sees a lot of action. Do you have a lot of fun doing the fight scenes and, as an actor, how does that compare to the more dramatic scenes you share with your costars like Amanda Tapping and Christopher Heyerdahl or the humor-laced “romantic” scenes with Robin Dunne?
(EU) I love, love, love all of them. The fight scenes are so great to get to do. We have the best stunt team and so fight rehearsals are a blast but I wouldn’t be happy without the dramatic scenes. I really, really crave dramatic scenes.
(ÜSFG) Your fight with Bam Bam (stunt man James Bamford) is what got you hired in the first place, isn’t it?
(EU) Yeah, I believe it was one of the factors. They sprung that on us in the callback session.
Emilie with James “Bam Bam” Bamford on the set of Sanctuary
(ÜSFG) I have seen people take screen caps of some of your fights and give play-by-play descriptions of the moves you are doing, like it’s a football game or something.
(EU) Ha, really??
(ÜSFG) Oh, yes. Especially the martial arts or military fans. They will name the moves you are doing.
(EU) It’s been really hard training but a great base to have, to know some moves. And it’s so satisfying to see the show and know that a lot of the fights are actually me, and not the double.
(ÜSFG) Yes, that’s been another comment frequently made, to see a single shot with no cut away and know beyond a doubt that YOU are the one making the roundhouse kick to someone’s face, and then in the very next scene you’re moving us to tears with a dramatic moment.
(EU) Aaaaaaw. You guys… :*
(ÜSFG) Did you watch sci-fi when you were growing up? Were you planning on getting into the Sci-Fi/Action genre or did you just sort of fall into it?
(EU) I honestly just fell into it. I didn’t have any concrete plans when I started the business. I just wanted to work! But sci-fi is a really fun genre. Anything is possible!
(ÜSFG) There have been very few actresses who have been able to establish themselves as action heroes. Are you getting action roles sent your way more than dramatic ones?
(EU) I am getting a good mix of both. I think there’s excitement when they know I have a bit of training ’cause there are many parts that call for a bit of action and it’s upsetting when your hero doesn’t know how to hold a gun properly, I think.
(ÜSFG) Yes. People notice the smallest details and when something catches their attention, it isn’t as easy to suspend your disbelief and get into the show.
(EU) Precisely!
(ÜSFG) So, with new roles coming your way, you were just cast in the film adaptation of Arcana Comics’ Paradox. Kevin Sorbo has been cast in the lead role as Detective Sean Nault, a homicide detective on an alternate universe Earth where Magic rules instead of Science. IMDb.com lists you as “rumored” but doesn’t list what character you are rumored to have been chosen for. What role have you been cast in and who is she?
(EU) Yeah, no need for the rumored part, I shot it already, just before Christmas.
(ÜSFG) Oh? Really? What can you share?
(EU) I actually didn’t think I could do it because I had only about two days available. I had laser eye surgery and then was going to Denmark for Christmas so they weren’t sure what I was able to do. I ended up getting a small cameo part as a nutty lab tech. Brenton Spencer, the director, did two episodes of Sanctuary. We really hit it off, so it was such a blast to get to work with him again. And I got to work with my very close friend, Steph Song, who did jPod with me! I’m so happy they made it happen despite the tight schedule I was on.
(ÜSFG) I was going to ask about Steph! I’m glad to hear you got to work with her again. She’s been cast as Lenore, a fairly significant role in the comic book.
(EU) Yes, she is the female lead. And her first introduction to sci-fi! Very exciting.
(ÜSFG) I’m really thrilled that she got the part and that you two saw each other. That was actually one of the questions I had here so I’m glad you brought it up! Any chance you could try to get her a bit more rooted in sci-fi, oh, maybe getting her a guest spot on Sanctuary?
(EU) I would love to have them on Sanctuary. Unfortunately I have very little say.
(ÜSFG) Do you still keep in touch with the jPod gang frequently?
(EU) Yes! I just saw David (Kopp) and Steph yesterday! And of course I live with the crazy klown now!
(ÜSFG) Yes, yes. I know that! It’s great to see you two together. What was it like working with him?
(EU) Kyle (Cassie) was great to work with. He’s a madman, so working with him is a challenge, a great challenge. He’s so intense and all over the place, that you really have to work hard to keep up. It was the best way to get to know one another.
(ÜSFG) Did you actually have scenes with Steph or were you just on the set at the same time?
(EU) No, we had a scene together. Me, Steph, and Kevin. Good times.
(ÜSFG) You’ve been working with the Sci-Fi Pantheon for a while now. With Paradox, it’s really broadened that list of actors. What was it like working with Kevin? Did you get to meet Chris Judge?
(EU) Chris was leaving set right as I arrived. So I didn’t get to meet him.
(ÜSFG) Aw. I’m sure you will eventually.
(EU) Kevin was great fun. He’s really laid-back and welcoming. He’s so easy to be around.
(ÜSFG) I’ve heard that about him. I was a Hercules fan from way back and everyone who met him said he was a “California Beach Boy”… really laid-back, easygoing, fun, charming.
(EU) Couldn’t have said it better myself.
(ÜSFG) So when can we expect to see Paradox hit the big screen? It’s listed as 2009 on IMDb but there are no dates yet.
(EU) You know what, I actually don’t know! I should find out.
(ÜSFG) Have you done any other projects since Sanctuary and Paradox that we can keep an eye out for?
(EU) Nothing as of yet. Everything kind of dies down at Christmas so it’s only starting back up right now. I’m very busy with auditions and such so that’s good. Hopefully something will come my way.
(ÜSFG) I’m sure it will. Thank you and good luck!
Paradox is currently in post-production, but look for Emilie Ullerup in Season 2 of Sanctuary later this year, and don’t forget to pick up the jPod DVD box set now available at Amazon.com.
In the near future, man has begun to address the economic and environmental issues plaguing the early 21st century. Rapid technological advancements have changed life dramatically, especially the creation of advanced humanoid robots who have begun to play an integral part in everyday life. Takumi Kenji, the reclusive CEO of Kenji electronics, and father of all things A.I., has announced the first ever “companion” bots, a model of humanoid whose interactive capabilities are remarkably natural. As robots continue to evolve, their place amongst us must evolve as well, and as it does society carries the responsibility of answering the moral questions that come.
