Staying safe?  Keeping busy?  Taking your vitamin D?

Production has resumed here in Canada  and so far, so good.  Officially.  Unofficially, however, I’ve been hearing about productions that have had to quietly shut down.  A couple are back up and running following a mere 2-3 day sabbatical while another bigger one is seemingly down for an extended count – suggesting either multiple cases or, more likely, a major cast member testing positive.  Hopefully, everyone makes a full recovery and they’re back at it sooner than later, but this just goest to show…moving forward on the production front is going to be very tricky.

This friday, the Crime Club convenes to discuss – Uncut Gems:

Amazing people with whom I have worked…

17 thoughts on “September 29, 2020: How’s everyone doing?

  1. Still safe, here. The Dutch government has increased the restrictions today, but things are good (and safe) at my day job. And keeping busy writing SGU season 5 (fan-fic) and a Star Trek PbEM Roleplaying Game about the adventures of the USS Pathfinder. Anyway, glad to hear that production has resumed. Because I need my sci-fi fix. And that way, TimEscape can be made once all the paperwork is order.

  2. Since you talk about productions starting up, I have been wondering something that perhaps you can answer since you are in the business. Why aren’t more studios turning to animation these days? It seems like it would be a lot easier for animators and voice actors to keep social distancing or even work from home than it is for live actors and film crews. I really expected more animated works to start being produced during these Covid times, but it doesn’t seem like that has been the case. Any thoughts on this?

    1. It’s not a simple matter of switching from live action to animation. This would be the equivalent of suggesting doctors become lawyers for a while or vice-versa.

  3. Everything going pretty well here in the “Atlantic bubble”. Our case rates are still very low, with only the occasional travel-related one popping up now and again. I do wonder how long it will be before I can travel some, though. It would be nice to make it up that way again next… year(?). I guess we’ll see.

    Personally, just been adjusting to the new Fall temps and having it be dark once again at 7:30pm. Ugh. However, the trees have started to change colour and hillsides are already looking quite beautiful. I’ve been getting out quite a bit on the trails and doing some work both on the Fundy Footpath as well as the NCC’s trail near here that I also help maintain. It really is my favourite pastime.

    You guys stay safe up there!

    1. GForce:
      I’m not surprised at the Atlantic Bubble. I look grimly at the numbers in a lot of provinces and envy the Atlantic Bubble. But I’m not surprised. I did graduate work at Dalhousie University and coming from Ontario I was impressed by how much community spirit there was in the Maritimes. People in a large city like Halifax were all very friendly and always had time to help one out. I have occasionally contemplated moving back to Halifax. Stat Safe!

  4. Restrictions here in Melbourne were eased on Sunday. We still have a 5km radius “travel bubble” but the 9pm curfew has been lifted and two households of no more than 5 people are allowed to meet in public spaces for up to two hours. If we can get the 14-day average of new cases down below 5 (currently it’s 18.9) restrictions will ease further, hopefully removing the 5km bubble and allowing people to visit other people’s houses. I’m really hoping the inter-state borders open up soon so I can get down to my house in Tasmania before Christmas! With “Work From Home” becoming the new normal I’d like to spend more time down there working from the beach rather than suburban Melbourne!

    I have a week off work this week so I’m feeling OK at the moment. I might get into the kitchen at make a big batch of my croissant dough cinnamon buns.

    I’m not really an Adam Sandler fan but this looks like a very different role for him so I’ll check it out!

  5. I’m hoping things are getting back to normal. I miss the shows I love. Normality wise, it’s rapidly normalizing in Sydney, I’ve been going into work two days a week in the city and the trains are getting fuller and fuller. People are getting a bit slack particularly in pubs and cafes as if it’s over. (It’s not.)

    I haven’t had time to join the Crime club, although I will for this one, I’m getting tired and I need a break. I loved the YouTube interview with Orville Nation, felt guilty taking time for that.

    I’m not sure if I shared, that I got great news, the largest telecommunications company in Australia and one of the big banks is supporting my program. I pitched them to redirect jobs they outsource to India, Philippines etc. to the youth I train that live in Australia’s regional areas. Youth unemployment was already high in the bush (over 27%), but everything got worse with the bush fires. So I’m doing everything I can to scale up and grow. Every time I think of what I need to do to grow I feel like vomiting – scaling up is scary if you’re an introvert.

    I also got asked to run the program in New Zealand for a college there in the top of the North Island. About 20 years ago for 20+ years this type of program on a huge scale was run in New Zealand not just in IT, it grew to about 20+ colleges and frightened the government of the day, because masses of white people were attending and there was talk of Maori assimilation of white people. (Very amusing, they even tried to ban whites/pakeha attending, but the Maori said that’s racist and Maori are inclusive). The government illegally broke 2 laws to get the founder out, took the colleges over and changed them to be an extension the white/pakeha system. The founder left New Zealand and moved to Canada, he had a guts full, he’s running a literacy program over there for Native Canadians.
    If Jacinda Ardern stays in as PM, I don’t think we’ll have the same fear, she’s more concerned for jobs and people, not keeping the colonial heritage intact.

    I hope we have a Dark Matter watch party soon. It would be nice to hook up again with online DM fans.

  6. How an I doing” Sad. That’s the word. I live in Utah. Cases and deaths are on the rise because we have no mask mandate and few restrictions. I stay home, mostly. A friend takes me shopping every other week or so, and we will go to the shooting range for me to try out dainty handguns. Yes, I know. I won’t carry, but a shotgun as home defense no longer works with aching hands. I’m tired of being American in a stupid state, I am worried about the next five months, and I miss my husband so much. I am okay, the house damage is fixed, the sprinklers repaired just in time to winterize them. Picking away at the usual yardwork and wind damage (the neighbor’s tree came down into my yard), and at the housework. I’m mostly just tired and sad. I have STNG on BBCAmerica, and that is soothing.

    I might do a rewatch of Uncut Gems, but it was very sad. I can only do so much sad.

  7. I’m confused about production starting. Soaps went back to set in July and don’t seem to be having any problems. What are they doing that other productions can’t? And these actors aren’t social distancing – at all, plus they work exclusively inside all day. I know they have protocols like any production these days, but still, it doesn’t seem safe. It worries me that as we go into fall, many TV/Film shows will be forced to shut down again, and the economy they support will further collapse.

    Things are slowly opening up in Los Angeles County, but I’ve been hunkered down since March. I was hired to door knock for Census but had to turn it down because I didn’t feel safe going to people’s homes asking questions when they might not be wearing masks. I really need the money, but not worth it since I’m a senior with issues. I go shopping once a week, but all of my friends and I have decided to isolate from each other until 2021. We’re all old, and want to get older.

    In the meantime, I’ve been packing belongings I need and want in case I have to evacuate for our current Bobcat fire. Our Santa Ana winds are coming this week, and will be worse in October to the end of the year. I’ve been breathing smoke for over a month, and my lungs are shot. It makes dealing with the pandemic miserable, along with the 110 degree weather we’ve been getting occasionally.

    Thank you for all of the flashbacks, photos and other goodies over the last few weeks! They are so much fun to see, and I’ve been spending time watching all five seasons of Atlantis. The good old normal days. It’s kept me sane for the past few months.

    Everyone stay safe!

  8. Safe but bored. Queen’s University has a couple of Covid cases on campus and just waiting for a local increase. Angry at the irresponsible people who are too selfish to consider others by gathering in large groups.

    On a happier note, I really liked Colin Cunningham in Da Vinci’s Inquest too. Couldn’t quite figure him out but a really likeable baddy.

  9. Things are going okay here in NW IL…. although, at work, I came into contact with someone that was Covid positive so I had to test (negative, whew!) and then quarantine before I could go back to work at the movie theatre. But the theatre has gotten even slower so we will now be closing a couple of days a week, in addition to our already limited hours. Job change coming, methinks. So I’ve been writing a lot in my free time. Practice makes… well, not perfect, but it sure is fun. Hope all is well with you and yours. Awaiting updates for your projects and/or Stargate news, as always. Stay safe!

  10. Still mad about Arrian’s demise, not gonna lie, he was so good. Testing and podding seems to kinda work? Bake Off’s bubble seems to be working though when a contestant wiped his nose with his hand and another blew up a sterile glove with her breath it creeped me out, things I’d never notice now seem awful. I’m sorry to hear about more people experiencing more lay offs. I’m reading and watching so many great shows and sharing titles with friends and family which is such a cool way to stay connected. We’ve been sharing recipes, movie suggestions, blogs, old photos and memories.

  11. I’m doing okay here. We go out and about. I had the antibody test a couple of months ago and it was positive. I recovered with a minor flare up of asthma being the only problem. My hubby/son had no problems with covid. Wear a mask and live life. I realize those with special conditions have to be extra careful, probably for years. Corona, in some shape for form, will be with us for a while.

    These new rapid tests and a vaccine might be a game changers for everyone. Availability will be a problem for a while but It’s coming, so stay positive.

    Meanwhile, my hubby’s work (he works at a local cancer hospital) says it’s extra important to get the flu shot this year. When my son was four, he was very sick with the flu. His fever shot up to 105F and his doctors called me a couple of times day to give me instructions. Anyway, the flu depleted his immune system, he caught two different kinds of flu (in a month’s time) and then got mononucleosis. It was a rough few months. So GET YOUR FLU shot people!

    1. Hey Tammy,

      Good to hear you and your husband were relatively unaffected!

  12. We have the chance to have a chalet in the forest where Covid is not there. So we stay there until the water will froreeze in the pipes!

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