Scan Problem Solved?

Now that I'm getting to the remains of the current photo collection, this is the only photo I have  representing the main filming company.  It was an episode that had some sort of carnival or side show plot.  It was set up at Sandy Beach on the eastern end of Oahu without regard to the very high winds that can happen there.  I remember that was a big problem but not finishing at this location was an even bigger one.  

The time it takes to film a scene depends on many variables:  the actor (mood, memory or mind), "wardrobe malfunctions," equipment, weather, and (more than once) how big the director's hangover was.  When it appears that the company may not finish filming a scene at a location and will not be able to return to finish, a decision has to be made how to complete the scene(s) without having to return and still maintain continuity.  At this particular location, the wind was a real problem.  Keeping an entire carnival set up at a public location until the time was found to come back was not an option.  It was determined at some point that part of the location set would have to be moved back to the studio backlot to complete the scene as part of another day.  Unfortunately it happened to include the ferris wheel.  It's odd to think of a ferris wheel as set dressing, but in this case it was.  Luckily it was the amusement company that was responsible for actually moving it while we began duplicating the rest of the set.  Back then all we had to go by were polaroid film shots--not always the clearest to see the detail.  Now  everything that is recorded on film is also on digital video and available immediately.  All film is only processed in L.A.    Sometimes it was as easy as putting an actor against a wall of the same color and hanging the same picture or drapes hopefully from the original location that could be moved.  There were times when one scene in a room might have been

 filmed many miles or days later than the rest of the scene.  I know I had to try and find some drapes and items to match some things to match one of the sets that had been shot in England.  I offered to go get them but..............    Ultimately all I can do is come close and hope no one notices--and usually no one does.

Getting back to the scanning problem of  my Magnum slides,  thanks to Google, I found a company that claims to do high quality scans at a very reasonable rate.  Decent slide scanners start at $800 and the better ones at $1,600.  I don't think I have enough Magnum memorabilia left to pay for half of one, so at .29 cents each, this company appears to be the winner.  The slides are actually scanned in India!  They are cleaned, scanned at 3,000 dpi, put on a disc, I can delete online, and then they are mailed back with a disc.  Sounds a little too good to be true, but I'm going to risk it.  It takes about 3 weeks and I may just do a few to start.  As these are slides, there are no duplicates or back up if something happens.  Anyway, given the time and money it will save, I think it's worth giving it a try.  So I'll stretch the remaining scans, tell a few jokes, and before you know it, I hope I will have some more photos to keep this blog going awhile longer.  I'd sure miss the applause!  Thanks again for viewing.

Aloha,

Rick

"Paniolo" Episode - 2 more photos found

Iguess I was so happy to have found the first 3 photos, I didn't notice I had 2 more.  I don't remember whose room this was, but he must have really liked horses to keep his saddle in his bedroom!  (or maybe some other reason I don't want to know about?)  Over his dresser is a print of one of Archie Bacon's cowboys.  He was the last Art Director I'd worked with on the show and had designed this room that we furnished.  He was a good artist and did a lot of western / cowboy drawings and even some sculptures during his slow times at work.  Wow, slow times at work??  Those WERE the good old days!  Nowadays, 14 hours is hardly enough.  I had to laugh at the hat on the dresser that says "paniolo" which was the name and theme of this episode.  Probably a good find of mine from the Goodwill or Salvation Army store.  No, I didn't dye the drapes to match the ceiling and door color, but it almost looks like it in the photo.  The absence of any age or character on the wall surface makes this set look less believable.

I see we used 2 "Hot Set" signs on this set.  As I recall they were ignored since the film company was still on the Big Island and this set just sat there. More than one person was caught napping on the bed.  Notice the floor was carpeted as were all of our sets (unless they were tiled or some other floor covering).  I could almost say that I would eat all of the carpet that was ever actually seen on this show--and still be hungry!  As it was difficult to store or reuse carpet (since it was cut to fit each set), most of the crew had Magnum carpet in their homes.  Universal Studios policy was that all materials (including lumber, molding, etc.) had to be disposed of and not given away.  Since we were 2,500 miles away from their watchdogs, this rule was often ignored.  I don't think the word "recycle" was used back then and all those rain forests were still there just waiting to be cut down.  I used to smuggle the discarded molding out and give it to the theatre up the hill where I used to work--ok, maybe a few pieces wound up in my house, too.   I think the statute of limitations has run out after 20+ years anyway.

Aloha (and stay warm!)  It's down into the 70's here today!

Rick

Happy New Year! - The Blog Continues...........

Maybe I should get out more, but it still amazes me that only 3 weeks ago was Christmas Eve, 2 weeks ago I was in New York City, last week in Minneapolis, and here I am back in Honolulu with a month's worth of Christmas decorations to take down.   While I was on the mainland, I did see an ad for a drugstore that scanned slides and photos, so there must be a place here that could do the same for me.  I'm kind of down to the dregs on what photos I have left, but something will work out.  I've had so many encouraging comments from you that it's the only applause I get these days!

These photos were from an episode called "Paniolo" which is the Hawaiian word (I think with a little Portuguese influence) for cowboy.  This was one of the few times an episode was partially filmed off the island of Oahu.  The only others during my tenure were the one on the cruise ship and the one when they went to England (and Tom met his future wife).  

A new luxury hotel on the Kohala Coast of the Big Island was opening and offered us rooms for "promotional consideration."  I remembered we scouted several big cattle ranches on the Big Island (Hawaii) which is larger than all the other islands combined.  At the time it was home to the largest privately owned cattle ranch in the USA (Parker Ranch with over 250,000 acres and 50,000 head of cattle).  The last owner, Richard Smart, had a career on Broadway and I was the designer of the theatre he built in the town surrounded by his ranch.  Ok, digression over, we wound up shooting on Monty Richard's Ranch, the name of which eludes me.

Some of the interiors were still built on the soundstage in Honolulu which are shown here.  I did spend some time on the Big Island with my crew, but most of the work for me was back in Honolulu.  As much as I would have liked to have spent some time at this incredible resort, it was a little difficult to hide behind the umbrella in my mai tai by the pool, so I went back to Honolulu and left my crew to deal with the bales of hay and horse poop at the real ranch.

This set looks like they had a sale on crackle paint but regardless, it's appropriate for a rustic ranch office.  If you wonder why that cord is hanging in the middle of the set, normally set dressing is responsible for hanging any visible, "practical" light fixtures.  Then the electricians hook them up.  In Hollywood they actually have a separate fixture crew to do this.

The HOT SET sign is Hollywood language for "Don't Touch."  Technically it's supposed to refer to a set that has been partially shot and needs to remain intact for continuity purposes until filming is complete.  Sometimes we would just use the signs so the crew (or extras) wouldn't have lunch on it, but more than once we would find someone taking a nap on a bed or sofa.  If the items were rented and had to go back in new condition, I just wish stun guns had been invented back then.

I think this set would still hold up today--maybe some old photos on the walls and I'm not sure what I was thinking with those curtains.  Maybe they were on sale along with the crackle paint?

Aloha,  Rick

Happy Holidays! and Good news / Bad news

Anybody remember me?  Sorry it's been so long....something about cooking for 43 at 5 different dinners here, cards, wrapping, mailing packages and 3 weeks of decorating.  It was great!  So to relieve my Post Christmas Traumatic Stress Syndrome, I put a ladder up from my library side today and reached in as far as I could under the eaves and managed to pull out a box labelled "Film Stuff."  That's a very scientific technical term, I know.  So the good news is that there is a lot of Magnum stuff in there.  The bad news is that, other than this photo of these 3 studly 80's  guys in their shorts, everything is unfortunately in slide form.  The other good news is that there is lots of stuff I can put on ebay and maybe make enough money to buy a slide scanner for my Mac.  The ones you see for $99 everywhere (I even bought one once) only work on PC's.   And no, I'm not sending you the slides so you can scan them!  So there will be some new posts of what looks like quite a few sets I haven't shown.  You may have to identify most of them as the slides aren't labelled.  Some boxes say "Luther Gillis Den, Guesthouse," "Whorehouse," "T.C.'s LR & Office" and some blank ones.  I think there still should be more slides somewhere, but I could only reach in so far.  The real access to that space is full of stuff.  There is also paper work, stationery, and even an asset list of set dressing for a year among other things.

The man who bought my Magnum jacket a few months ago would be amused to know that instead of the jacket at Christmas, we received this card.  It almost seems strange to see it say "Merry Christmas" on it.   I forgot the jackets took a long time and we were given this card instead.  A little "Magnum humor"  (very little).  The other is a page that we were given (at least mine seems to be an original) of an ad Tom took out in Variety magazine.  In case you don't know, no one ever says "Thank You" in this business.  I always say that fact you haven't been fired yet is the only thanks that you will ever get.  Tom was different and was very appreciative. 

So, not the most exciting post, but that's probably going to be it for my inagural blog year of 2008.  I'm going to be away from my computer until January 12 and will start posting again soon after.  I really appreciate all of your encouragement regarding this blog.  May all of my good karma pay off soon with a job in 2009! 

The picture is of  my crew members,  Al on the left and Russ on the right, and me with the great legs in the middle.  It was taken outside my office.  Tom's office was off on the right, next door to mine.

I will look forward to posting more next year as long you keep enjoying them!

Hauole Makahiki Hou!

Rick

Higgins' "Other" Bedroom Set

In the hopes that I might find some pictures, I climbed into a storage area under a stairway in my home that I open about once every few years.  I did find a Magnum file that had my original start papers and things from my employment.  I did find some photos printed from some slides.  They were labelled "Higgins' Bedroom.  I do remember doing an another bedroom for him later.  I'm guessing this might have been part of a flashback or something because the walls are just painted and not the usual aged plaster look.  Ironically there is virtually nothing from his original bedroom set posted earlier so there must not have been any interest in continuity.  There is also nothing of mine in this room which tells me it must have been closer to my "end" as the decorator or maybe even after when I became the assistant to the person who replaced me.  I still did many of the sets even though I was never given credit for them.........another long story that I can't put in this blog.  I do have a few more sets to post and then I have got to dig out my oldest files and hope I find the mother lode.  Maybe I could post some "Jake and the Fatman" sets and drive you all crazy trying to figure out which Magnum sets they were?  That wouldn't last long since you're all too smart for me on this subject!

     One of the few benefits of unemployment, I mean "availability," is I can really do up Christmas.  With no TV sets to dress, that leaves my house and lots of Christmas stuff I haven't had time to dig out in years.  It doesn't pay much, but it keeps me off the beach.  Hope all you anonymous people out there and my loyal 14 followers are having a good holiday season as well.  Posting again soon!

Aloha,  Rick

'Twas the Week Before Christmas.......or thereabouts

This is my "Magnum Christmas Story."  Sorry, it doesn't involve Santa, little children or puppies.  We were doing some sort of terrorist training camp out in Kahuku on the North Shore of Oahu (like no one would notice) right before Christmas one year.  Normally set dressing does tents, everything in them, and even camouflage netting.  Sometimes the net might be part of the set and sometimes it is used to hide something in the distance like the camera truck, inappropriate signs, or buildings.  The Kahuku location chosen was perfect in every way except for a large trailer home that was used by the caretaker and his family too near the set.  My crew hung a very large camouflage net to cover the house so that it wasn't noticeable from the set.  

     I think it was the art director who ultimately found the old plane that special effects head, Jack Faggard was to blow up.  Jack was a really good "powder man" and known for his big explosions.  In the film business, while explosive powder is used, it is more for show often blowing harmless pieces of cork as debris.  The actual damaged look might be created later by tools or paint and much more controlled than what might appear on the screen...still, it is an explosion and not always 100% predictable.  On the day of the explosion, all the usual precautions were taken, crew cleared, and the family of the home was allowed to watch from a distance.  Off went the charge--a lot more than was expected--and it looked great!

Moving on to the next scene, the family returned to their home on the other side of our camo net hung to hide their house.  What they found was that all  their windows had been blown out, their Christmas tree was on the other side of the room along with their presents.  Whoops!  So the show paid for new windows, another Christmas tree and I'm not sure what they did about the presents, but I'm sure there were a few more!  The shock wave of the blast had traveled through the netting and right at their house.  Possibly special effects hadn't noticed how close the house was behind the net or maybe it was just a mis-directed blast.  In any case, it was almost not a very Merry Christmas for the family who luckily had watched the explosion.  And they all lived happily ever after.  The End.

It's time to play....NAME THAT EPISODE!

This is another one of those sets that looked good then, but would probably get me fired today in its simplicity.  I think the painter would be in the same boat as the paint aging is pretty bad, too.  I have no idea which episode this was from but we built this from scratch in an area known as Sherwood Forrest on Waimanalo Beach--even though I think it was supposed to be in the mountains somewhere.  

I thought it was good that you see that we didn't build any more than was necessary--hence the half of a water tank.  It looks like the Greens Department had a ways to go getting some planting around the base of the cabin.  There is very little age or uniformity in the dressing out on the deck.  This sort of "screams SET" and doesn't look believable to me now.  I've already checked--the fireplace rocks do not line up with the ones in Agatha's house (which sounds like I'm succumbing to "Magnum Mania" for detail!)--although it is strangely the same size.  The stones all look too uniform and plain for supposedly being lava rock.  Well, not much more to say about this set since I don't really remember any more stories about it.  Since there is no way for me to top the last 2 postings, here is something less exciting for you to ponder.

As I am getting close to Thanksgiving, I may or may not have time to post again this week.  Robin Masters would be right at home with my overindulgent feast, but unfortunately Higgins has the week off and I'm doing it all by myself.  OMG, I'm slipping into Magnum dementia!

Happy Thanksgiving to all and let's be thankful for what we do have whether we are celebrating with turkey on Thursday or not.

Aloha,  Rick