by Michael D. Sellers
A long and very productive day yesterday — and now a huge one looming today so I’ll have to jam through this pretty quickly.
LOCATIONS
We spent three hours at UNEXSO and were able to nail down a number of location issues. A major one concerns the need this time around to depict a Navy dolphin facility that is theoretically on another island. We had to figure out how to use a section of the UNEXSO facility that we’ve never shown before and, with a little help from minor set construction and digital effects, make it look like an entirely different facility. We figured it out and this is one major headache that has now been taken care of.
We also spent a great deal two hours in Smith’s Point during the afternoon and had one major find — a rundown abandoned Elk’s Lodge that we can use for our studio set for the underwater lab. This is a big find on a number of levels. First, it’s a steal, price-wise, because we can have it for free as long as we are putting in minor improvements to it. Secondly, it gives us a “cover set” right in Smith’s Point so that any time it rains, we can just go there and shoot scenes from the overall load of lab scenes. That’s a luxury we didn’t have at all last time. And finally, by finding this site in Smith’s Point, it increases the number of things we’re doing there and that in turn helps our program to try and have a positive economic impact there. The more work we do in Smith’s Point — the more the crew will eat there, have a few cold beers after work — all of it putting money into the town.
Later in the afternoon we went over across the island to West End where there is something that I really wanted to put in the first movie, and still want to put in this one.
UNEXSO DISCUSSIONS
We also had discussions with UNEXSO head dolphin trainer Veronica Cucurrullo concerning the training issues — these were “get started” conversations and there will be many more while we’re here.
FISH FRY
We ended the day at the Smith’s Point Fish Fry…….the pix of this speak louder than anything I can say. It was pretty much a full house at all the Smith’s Point homes and restaurants that do the fish fry. More than 2,000 people in all were there — all shapes and sizes……
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