Friday, May 28, 2010

No News is........well, no news.

It's been great hearing from lots of people about the pilot being picked up (including 5 former art directors I've worked with), but so far no one has offered me a job yet! There is no "obvious" in this business and I will have to jump through the usual hoops regardless of my previous experience or great job I think we did on the pilot. I was very pleased to see they kept the original opening credits and added a few "C.S.I." grid graphics while boosting the drums a bit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLKdYXyQa90&feature=email Also the trailer looks good as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmbrWOzvJDE

Not getting much publicity yet is the new ABC show called "Off the Map" about the Doctors Without Borders team. I did a couple of episodes dealing with them for "E.R." a few years back. They will be keeping the Hawaii Film Studio since they held the lease from "LOST" for the past 5 years. I suspect it will be your basic jungle clinic and tropical settings--again not "Hawaii." The humanitarian work these people do is amazing and there should be no shortage of exciting, ORIGINAL plots on this one. They shot the pilot already in the Caribbean. Also Steven Spielberg is supposed to be doing some sort of future/past series on the Big Island which probably means lava fields and fern forests and not much set decorating. "Pirates of the Caribbean" (12?) starts filming their water work this summer. Given that it is a franchise film (with major budget cuts) that already has much of their dressing, they are mainly hiring just to assemble and move things. The news makes it sound like there is a lot of work, but again, the reality remains that most of the jobs are filled in L.A. and with the exception of the 2 series, they will be over and gone by the end of summer.

In the old days they used to shoot pilots as MOWs (movies of the week) and air them before decisions were made. Given the expense of shooting a 90 minute or more show, they do the pilot and make an internal decision and just go for it. So you won't be seeing the pilot for 5-0 until it airs this fall on Monday nights with the series to follow. Other than their names and ethnic backgrounds, there is no attempt to replicate Jack Lord's famous rigid hair style. Interestingly though, both characters are of Irish descent. Makes you wonder if they ever revive "Magnum, P.I." if Thomas Magnum would have a moustache? Speaking of descents, I did work for a week on the George Clooney film "Descendants" as a shopper/buyer. No, George and I never had lunch together--in fact I never even met the decorator I was working for! They were all on Kauai filming and I was here taking pictures of potential set dressing and posting them each day. I was already involved in a roof extension project and garage sale when they wanted me back so it just turned out to be the one week.

Hopefully posting some actual (GOOD) news soon!

Aloha, Rick

4 comments:

Marco said...

Seriously - I LOVE the trailer! The humour is totally my style and if I can (technically ...) I will tune in! I think what the original lacked was humour - one thing I loved so much in "Magnum,p.i." instead.

So - I hope you hear from them ... they'd be crazy to let your talents and experience slip away.

So, crossing fingers - and as said: I like the way they are headin'!

Tom Curtis said...

If Dog the Bounty Hunter and CSI are so popular I think this series has a big chance of making it really big. After all, if a "New Kine" Cop show with sexy surfer girls, guns and exploding vehicles don't capture a large audience the characters and scenery should! The time is right unlike the corny Gary Busey version in 1990; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8LHQSTWt3U
By the way, I always wanted to see "Danno" punch McGarret.
Yes with all the work going on in the islands it is amazingly difficult to join a crew. No doubt Mr. Spielberg will bring much of his staff from the mainland for "Terra Nova". The "Grey's Anatomy" in the jungle series would be interesting but I would love to be on the 5-0 crew even if it was only as a PA. "Another cup of coffee Mr. Crowley?" As far as sets are concerned there seems to be a tendency toward "Found" sets over manufactured ones. Let's hope they will budget for some great new sets. Still keeping my fingers crossed at a chance to join the game.

Dave said...

Hi Rick,

I was reading the local paper here in Perth this morning and found that TV executives from Oz were in LA last week shopping for new series and our local 'network ten' have picked up Hawaii Five-O so I guess we'll be seeng it here some time soon too... end of the year maybe? I do hope they keep your talents in mind when production starts :)

Incidentally, the article also mentioned that the same network picked up "Blue Bloods" - Mr Sellecks new show...

Cheers,
Dave

jonathan said...

I really liked