April 12, 2013: Insight in SGA’s Quarantine! News of Note!

Let’s kick things off with a little something from a far flung prep week on Stargate: Atlantis’s Quarantine…

Atlantis Tower/McKay’s Lab

Remember the scene?  We require a steel for throwing, a tempered glass for breaking.  The existing wall has to be re-finished so that it looks convincing on camera and, of course, we need to add the climbing pieces.  There’s a note for both Paint and VFX reminding them that green lino will be required on the floor since the long drop down will be a visual effect.

Tower Climbing Wall

I didn’t recall – until reminded by this handout – that the Stargate: Continuum wrapped perhaps weeks before we went to camera on Quarantine.  There’s mention of the cargo hold (where Baal makes his grand entrance) and the Achilles Bridge/Deck that had to be removed, to be replaced by a high stunt climbing wall.

Infirmary

Recalling the Keller/Ronon isolation scenes.  Tempered glass (because we don’t want our actors stepping on the real thing).  There’s the reference to the 02-cylinder gag and specific placements for the various elements as they are moved around the room.

Plant Room and Botany Lab

The “gak box” to the right of the door is, again, a reference to a mass of wires/crystals/general techy innards McKay can fiddle with in an attempt to get the door open.  A nod to continuity makes reference to a larger version the hero plant “Rodneyana villosa” from Tabula Rasa. The best prop is, of course, the bag of manure for McKay’s “pillow”. Label to read “100% Organic Manure”.  It’s nice to know Rodney was resting his hand on the pure stuff and none of that synthetic crap.

Control Room Balcony

Where Sheppard ends his climb.  There is a note to possibly reinforce the rail.  The last thing we needed was for our hero to complete the hair-raising climb, go to hop over the rail and have the thing collapse on him and send him plummeting.  Tempered glass for breaking – and potted plants for throwing.

Atlantis Facility Corridors and Vent Entry

The episode’s most unlikely hero, Radek, makes his infamous vent climb, crawl and tumble.  Let’s hear it for the Zelenka!

Moving on to the News of Note:

Following yesterday’s blog entry about writing, here is Cracked.com’s tips for punching writers block in the face: http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-tips-punching-writers-block-in-face/

Finally!  Iranian scientist claims to have invented ‘time machine’ – Telegraph

NOW they’re worried?  It’s about time.  Broadcasters worry about ‘Zero TV’ homes – Yahoo! News

From the “Oh, you noticed” department.  Tech upstarts threaten TV broadcast model | Reuters

Tragic.  More U.S. Children Being Diagnosed With Youthful Tendency Disorder | The Onion – America’s Finest News Source

Teen has eaten nothing but ramen for 13 years!  And has the health of an 80-year old!  Teen’s Strange Ramen Addiction  | Healthy Living – Shine from Yahoo! Canada

My Causes of the Week:

Heather Weiand’s dogs were seized from her home for presumably biting a neighbor while she and her husband were out despite the fact that the dogs were left padlocked in their kennels on their property.  From Change.org: “On the date when the alleged incident took place, as well as every other day, the dogs were contained in their crates inside their locked home. When the family is home and the dogs are outside they are leashed or on leads. There is NO possible way they were involved! What is even more shady is that they asked to have bite impression the dogs to prove they weren’t involved, but were told “it’s too late for that the bite has already started to heal. In TWO HOURS?!”  Help out these poor dogs by visiting their facebook page: Help Save Kannon, Thunder and Sarge

Facing a similar predicament is PTSD service dog Dutch: Save Dutch

Today’s entry is dedicated to blog regular and birthday boy Jeff W!

Tagged: Atlantis, Help Save Kannon Thunder and Sarge, Quarantine, Save Dutch, SGA, Stargate, Stargate: Atlantis