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Just came across this emotional last table read for the "Big Bang Theory"

Wonderful to experience the series arc coming full circle for these actors and crew who spent 12 seasons and 279 episodes together as it was about to come to an end!

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0898266/

Advising FOR ALL MANKIND director Dan Liu and actor Joel “Ed Baldwin” Kinnaman on the flight deck of spaceship Ranger 1. Denise and I are tech advisors for the show, working with writers, directors, and cast to maintain technical accuracy. Although this set represents a conjectural spaceship, parts of the control panels are based on real space technology, and I'm explaining how to use the controls to maneuver the vehicle. Dan posted this behind-the-scenes photo, taken during the production of FAM Episode 403, “The Bear Hug,” which streams today on Apple TV+.

Finally! Just hoping the ratification process goes smoothly.

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Senators Coons, Blackburn, Klobuchar, Tillis announce draft of bill to protect voice and likeness of Actors, Singers, Performers and individuals from AI Generated replicas!
This needs our full support NOW!
Please share far and wide!

Click on image to read the proposed legislation, then visit the link for more.

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Actors like Katherine Heigl survive in this business for a reason. Here she demonstrates that she truly does know the hand that feeds her:

Fingers Crossed!

How will the Hollywood strike end? VCU sociology professor and union expert shares what history tells us.

One of the first times I met Gene Roddenberry was at a tiny Star Trek convention on the Big Island of Hawai’i, circa 1982. It was “Space Day,” held at the King Kamehameha Hotel, organized and sponsored by the late Maria Muhlmann. This was a few years before I started working at Paramount, but I had done a little bit of effects work for some local television commercials, so believe it or not, Gene and I were the convention guests!
Gene had brought a film to show his fans, as he often did during speaking engagements. A member of the audience volunteered to load the film into the hotel’s projector.
Back in those ancient days, long before YouTube, 16mm film projectors were commonly used in schools and businesses, so quite a few people knew how to operate them. The most common type of projector was made by a company called Bell and Howell. Unfortunately, the hotel’s projector was made by Eiki, which used an elegant, but very different mechanism that was unfamiliar to many. If you tried to thread an Eiki autoload projector the same way as a Bell & Howell, the device would instantly shred the film. I worked at an audio-visual equipment rental company at the time, so I was familiar with both projectors.
The volunteer predictably caused the projector to ruin several feet of Gene’s film before he managed to shut it off. A second person made another attempt, also chewing up a couple of feet of film. I stood up and volunteered to do it, but a third person confidently leaped forward, with predictable results. I looked at Gene (who I had only briefly met a couple of times before) and told him, “I really do know how to run those things.”
Gene stood up, and in a quiet - but commanding - voice, said: “Michael here works in the industry. Why don’t you let him do it?” And I did, saving Gene’s film from further damage. It was his personal copy of “The Cage.”
Later that day, at a Q&A session, I asked Gene a question about the original Star Trek, how he was able to assemble such an amazing team with such luminaries as Bob Justman, Gene Coon, Dorothy Fontana, Matt Jefferies, and more. Without hesitation, Gene answered, "the first job of a good producer is to hire good people and to let them do their job."
Today (Aug 19 2023) would have been the 102nd birthday of Star Trek’s creator.

Well, it looks as though the 75th Annual Emmy Awards, originally scheduled for September 18th on FOX will be rescheduled until early next year due to the current WGA and SAG-AFTRA negotiations breakdown with the AMPTP. However, the EMMY nominations were announced for the 75th Emmy Awards in a live virtual ceremony on Wednesday 12 July. Here are the nominees:

A little something I put together...

I worked on many movies in my early career as an extra and even a few in which I spoke a line or three!

This short piece contrasts Sam Elliott today ("1883") with a movie I spent quite a few days working on called "Lifeguard", released in 1976. I had more people come up to me and acknowledge my appearance in that film than any other!

This is not intended as an endorsement of any kind and proper attribution has been given.

Behind the scenes, shooting the film elements of Star Trek: The Experience on Stage 16 at Paramount in August 1997. Features Jonathan Frakes and LeVar Burton, plus a lot of the Star Trek TNG/Voyager production crew who came in on a Saturday for this shoot. The scenes being filmed were seen on the Enterprise-D bridge as part of the Star Trek attraction at the Las Vegas Hilton. It's fun seeing so many familiar faces that I haven't seen in two decades, and especially poignant to see colleagues who have left us, including First AD Jerry Fleck, DP Doug Knapp, and sound mixer Alan Bernard. The backdrop is a big photo transparency of the hangar deck set from Star Trek V. Dave DeVos of Landmark Entertainment directed the shoot.

RIP, Alan Arkin.
One of my all time favorite actors. I got the chance to work with him standing by on Stand Up Guys 10 years ago.
The day he first came to set, I waited for him to be alone at the chairs and I walked up to him in his chair and said, “Mr. Arkin, I don’t ever do this, but I have been a fan of yours ever since I was a child. Would you please sign my script?” He replies, “Well I don’t really do this. But if you tell me your favorite Alan Arkin movie, I’ll consider it.” Without a beat I say, “Freebie and the Bean!” He looks at me and says, “You couldn’t even have been born when we did that! I’ll sign!” I assured him I was indeed alive when they made it, and handed him my sharpie and script. Just then Walken and Pacino come over(their chairs were all together). “What’s this?” quips Walken. Pacino asks “What’s going on here?” Alan says, “Oh nothing fellas, this kid( I was 42!) wanted me to sign his script.” Al says, “I’ll sign it!” And takes it from Arkin, who looks at me with a kind of, “I’m sorry” look. Chris asks me if I want him to sign it, “Of course, and thank you fellas, I will cherish it.” We all all start laughing at my stupid comment and I walk away.
Two days later and I get an envelope on my cart. In it is an autographed photo of Arkin, from Freebie and the Bean and a note that says, “It was one of my favorites too, thanks!”
A legend. May peace be upon him.

The Accidental Turitz: Why the AMPTP’s Attitude Toward AI May Prove to Be Hollywood’s Version of Skynet

Lee Marvin was one who stood up for the crew:
Marvin took a lead actress aside once on set and said: "We’re the stars of this movie. If we allow them to work us so many hours, we’re not the ones that get hurt. It’s the crew. We have to stand up for the workers, for the crew, and we have to refuse to work these long hours. We have to stand up for the crew.’ And that had never occurred to the actress. Which was a huge lesson from Lee Marvin.

Cool post from Turner Classic Movies on FB

Jay Leno just came to Disney to hand out donuts to us writers. Thank you @jayleno for the solidarity!! #WGAStrong pic.twitter.com/4pq8kpWTSk

— Caroline Renard (@carolinerenard_) May 2, 2023

Sunset Glenoaks Studios - Construction Update

The stages at Sunset Glenoaks Studios are really taking shape! Check out the construction footage in the video below and reach out to Sales@sunsetstudios.com to schedule a tour!

Jack's Joke 1913 Edison Studio Directed by Allen Ramsey
Restored by The Library of Congress.

Jack's Joke is a short theatrical scene, put to film to demonstrate Edison's Kinetophone sound system. And given that it's 1913, and talkies wouldn't really catch on for another fourteen years, it's quite the impressive achievement.

Though the kinetophone was developed in West Orange and some experimental filming was done there, the films were shot at Edison's Bronx studio.

Plus all those they missed: https://aframe.oscars.org/news/in-memoriam

Even I didn't know this!