Star Wars 'The Mandalorian'

[goflyblind]

computers are weird.

i like the throat singing in the trailer.

[LucasM]

It astonishes me that there will be a second season this soon, given COVID precautions.  However, for those that have seen the behind the scenes series about the Mandalorian, that 360º virtual/video set is AMAZING and - as I think Favreau said in some interview - requires FAR fewer people to actually be ON the set at any given time.

However, it IS a contained space, and those that DO have to be present would be in close quarters.  Mando has a mask, as do the Empire troops, but the others present (like Gina's character) would have no protection from airborne particles... and with the exertion needed for large parts of the series, that would be a problem, as that propels spittle particles much further than typical breathing.

However, Disney, with its legal team, I suspect is protecting their actors in any/every way possible.  It may also be that the virtual set, because of the heat from millions of LEDs (on all 'six sides' of the round room), has a massively vented soundstage, sucking air through it, up, and out.  That would greatly reduce what could hang in the air to potentially infect those actors not encased in polycarbonate.

I am incredibly happy that the second season is almost here.  I just hope they all stay healthy enough for a third season.

[Variety of Cells]

I am about to return to work on the TV show Younger, and while it’s an entirely different scale, it’s still shooting television on a sound stage. For New York we kind of have to shoot on sound stages to start because the city has so many restriction for shooting outside right now that it’s not practical for anything larger than a small news crew.

I know there will be testing all the time. I was tested today. Reduced crews, yes. Being strict about mask wearing. There’s an entire new position, covid officer, in charge of enforcing those rules. As to what kind of training they actually have, I do not know.  But it’s true that actors can’t wear masks while performing, most of the time. Some productions are having cleaning crews come in to clean the equipment periodically.

While there is AC on sound stages because they do get hot, it often times has to be turned off during shooting because it’s too noisy. There’s a lot of television out there, and most stages were not originally built to be sound stages. One of the more famous stages in New York, Silvercup, was a bread factory. 

The risk is definitely not eliminated. They are doing what they can, but it’s a job that requires a lot of people to work very close to each other in small spaces. Adapting it to these new rules will be difficult.

[LucasM]

VoC, thanks for the insider's perspective.  How do you feel about the precautions, i.e. do you feel safe enough working under those conditions?

Take care of yourself.

[Variety of Cells]

VoC, thanks for the insider's perspective.  How do you feel about the precautions, i.e. do you feel safe enough working under those conditions?

Take care of yourself.

I feel fortunate to have a boss who is taking this very seriously.  For the most part, it sounds like everyone is taking it seriously.  Some people have been fired for refusing to wear masks.  Which is good, to make an example of them.  But I haven't gone back yet to experience it myself.  I'll report back next week.

[Variety of Cells]

In Mandalorian news, I now have a baby yoda bobble-head in my cockpit in Star Wars Squadrons. Very happy about that.

In Covid news, I have returned to work on a TV show.  Lucas was curious what precautions we are taking, so here we go:

The set is separated into three different zones: red, yellow, and green. People with green zone clearance never come inside. They pretty much just stay out with the trucks and trailers. Yellow zone clearance means you can work on set, but not when the actors are on the set without masks. Once red zone is activated, you’re kicked out to what is deemed a safe distance away. Red zone are crew who have to be around the actors when they have their masks off. When red zone is active and if you’re within 20’, you have to wear goggles or a face shield in addition to a KN95 mask. Yellow zone crew can get by with cloth masks.

Yellow zone crew are tested once a week. Red zone are tested three times a week. I happen to be red zone.

Lunch is very different. Instead of the usual buffet style catering, it’s all boxed and handed to you.  Then we sit one person at either end of long folding tables. We are also not allowed to grab our own snacks. The people in charge of the snacks (craft services) have to hand them to us.

So yes, things are different. But it’s not as different as I thought. People still have to get fairly close to each other at times. It’s unavoidable unfortunately. There is a person on set whose responsibility is Covid compliance. But that person does not have to have any medical training, which same people have taken issue with. So far most people are happily compliant, except some people with the face shields.

It feels fairly safe.  However, we were shut down for four days because someone tested positive.  We all were made to leave the building we were in and separate into our zones in a field across the road, and we were not told why for about 10 minutes. It was real weird.  We don’t know who, but it must have been someone close to the talent.  They did their contract tracing, shut us down for a few days, and rescheduled some things.  We start shooting again tomorrow.

[LucasM]

In Mandalorian news, I now have a baby yoda bobble-head in my cockpit in Star Wars Squadrons. Very happy about that.

In Covid news, I have returned to work on a TV show.  Lucas was curious what precautions we are taking, so here we go:

The set is separated into three different zones: red, yellow, and green. People with green zone clearance never come inside. They pretty much just stay out with the trucks and trailers. Yellow zone clearance means you can work on set, but not when the actors are on the set without masks. Once red zone is activated, you’re kicked out to what is deemed a safe distance away. Red zone are crew who have to be around the actors when they have their masks off. When red zone is active and if you’re within 20’, you have to wear goggles or a face shield in addition to a KN95 mask. Yellow zone crew can get by with cloth masks.

Yellow zone crew are tested once a week. Red zone are tested three times a week. I happen to be red zone.

Lunch is very different. Instead of the usual buffet style catering, it’s all boxed and handed to you.  Then we sit one person at either end of long folding tables. We are also not allowed to grab our own snacks. The people in charge of the snacks (craft services) have to hand them to us.

So yes, things are different. But it’s not as different as I thought. People still have to get fairly close to each other at times. It’s unavoidable unfortunately. There is a person on set whose responsibility is Covid compliance. But that person does not have to have any medical training, which same people have taken issue with. So far most people are happily compliant, except some people with the face shields.

It feels fairly safe.  However, we were shut down for four days because someone tested positive.  We all were made to leave the building we were in and separate into our zones in a field across the road, and we were not told why for about 10 minutes. It was real weird.  We don’t know who, but it must have been someone close to the talent.  They did their contract tracing, shut us down for a few days, and rescheduled some things.  We start shooting again tomorrow.

Thank you for that write-up!  Hearing that kind of attention to health safety is encouraging.  And to have procedures like these described, it is nice to realize that people are still able to 'do stuff' like entertainment (without which, I suspect, MOST isolated people would go mad).  It isn't impossible to do without exposing people to significant danger, just difficult and requires focused attention.  [Reminds me a bit of one of the psych theorists who said, "Life is a pain in the ass - not a catastrophe."  I always thought he was such an inspiration! ]

I also want to thank you for the work you do, carefully maintaining your safety, but by your actions helping to keep many more people from serious psychological difficulties in these unprecedented times.  Isolating alone, and with my head injury limitations on reading, I know that I'd be in a lot worse shape if I didn't have multiple things to watch, including new stuff when available.

[Russoguru]

Holy Hell that was a great episode! Yeah, in a way, the story was kind of standard... but to be fair, there's nothing standard about

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

taking on a goddamn Krayt dragon.

Also, it was frickin' great for the first time in history to see

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Boba Fett without his helmet on, I mean, not as a little kid but as a character I can take seriously again.

[CJones]

I only just now realized Peli Motto is played by Amy Sedaris, and now every time she's on screen I can't not hear Princess Caroline from Bojack Horseman

[RoninFox]

I only just now realized Peli Motto is played by Amy Sedaris, and now every time she's on screen I can't not hear Princess Caroline from Bojack Horseman

When I watched season one of Mandalorian, I hadn't yet been hooked by Bojack.

Now that I've binged it several times in the last year I'm in that same boat.

[Darth Geek]

Since Bea Arthur is no longer with us, can we get Betty White as a Cantina bartender at some point?

[Russoguru]

Doctor Mandible is my new favorite Star Wars character. Maybe because this episode was directed by Peyton Reed he literally wanted an Antman?

[Darth Geek]

Doctor Mandible is my new favorite Star Wars character. Maybe because this episode was directed by Peyton Reed he literally wanted an Antman?

I like to think the noise he was making were done by Paul Rudd.

[CJones]

Since Bea Arthur is no longer with us, can we get Betty White as a Cantina bartender at some point?

She's 98 years old, and she'd probably still do it if someone asked her.

[Russoguru]

She's 98 years old, and she'd probably still do it if someone asked her.

With the technology Disney has, I would be very disappointed if we didn't have all four Golden girls(revived as aliens or something) singing "Thank you for being a friend" at Karaoke on Tattooine.