Back from West Coast

Caroline and I have returned from our excursion to the West Coast. Specifics below.

1) The recording session for “Young Justice” was great. Terrific group of actors. I think it’s shaping up to be a great episode; working with Greg and Brandon has been a terrific experience. Caroline spent time bonding with Kelly Hu, who not only voices Cheshire but also Stacy from “Phineas and Ferb,” which is Caroline’s favorite series.

2) Through a lucky contact on Facebook with a Disney security guard named Regina, I was able to arrange for a tour of the Disney studios, including Caroline getting to go up and visit the offices where “Phineas and Ferb” is actually made. We JUST missed meeting Dan and Swampy, the creators, but were nevertheless shown all kinds of neat stuff by other members of the P&F production team, including director Rob Hughes who showed us an episode in the early stages of production (sorry, can’t go into detail.)

3) Spent time at both California Disney (where Caroline got to go on “The Little Mermaid” and “Monsters Inc” rides) and Disneyland, the highlight of which had to be the revised “Star Tours.” Apparently there are fifty-four different combinations of how various segments come together to present the adventure). Caroline and I went on it twice and it was utterly different both times.

4) In Vegas, Caroline had a terrific time at the Children’s Museum, spending pretty much an entire afternoon there. Took her the previous evening to see David Copperfield. It seems to me that Copperfield took to heart criticisms that he’s all about big, showy, noisy and loud stunt magic. Instead he did a number of close-up magic tricks (accompanied by a camera man who projected them up onto large screens) including such delicate stunts as creating an origami butterfly which he then “transformed” into an actual butterfly, and various mind-reading stunts that seemed to defy explanation.

5) Attended the D23 Expo. It was kind of like Comic-Con except I didn’t have the pull to dodge lines. I mean, there were half hour lines to get into stores. Meanwhile getting into exhibits such as the Disney Archives took a minimal amount of time. We saw four minutes of the 3D “Lion King” at one booth, along with clips of other upcoming Disney 3D releases, and it was just astounding. I still remember being nine years old and seeing my first color television at the World’s Fair. That was what it was like seeing 3D television at D23. It didn’t even have the color diminishing problems that one sees in theaters. I’m not going to run right out and buy one, but it may well be as commonplace in houses years from now as color TVs are.

6) We entered a contest to try and win a limited edition “Lilo” statue. Winners were being drawn every hour. At one point we swung by to see if we’d won. “Name?” asked the young lady at the computer. “David.” She looked over the list and said, “Davis? We had a Davis win.” Thinking it might be a typo, I said, “What was the first name?” She said, “Betty.” I stared at her. “Bette Davis? You’re kidding.” I started to laugh. Then I saw her looking blankly at the same age coworker next to her. I stopped laughing. “Bette Davis? Film actress? ‘All About Eve?'” More vacant, uncomprehending looks. There was a guy about my age standing behind them and we exchanged pained expressions. Every day, in every way, I understand more and more how my parents feel.

7) No, we didn’t see the “Avengers” presentation. Caroline was not remotely interested in sitting still for a three hour panel when there was so much to see and do. So don’t bother asking me about it.

PAD

30 comments on “Back from West Coast

      1. “Aren’t you a little old to not recognize Bette Davis references?”
        “Yes. Yes I am.”

  1. “You know, the incredibly popular actress from the 1950s?”

    (BLANK STARES)

    “You know… the subject of the #1 hit song from 1981? ‘She’s pure as New York snow… She’s got Bette Davis eyes’?”

    (BLANK STARES)

    “C’mon! I mean, 1981 was only… 30 years ago?!? Cripes! Young people keep getting YOUNGER!”

  2. Was the 3D television there still requiring glasses to watch it? Because that’s a deal breaker for me.

      1. I don’t see 3D TV catching on as long as glasses are needed. Aside from the (I assume) extra cost to buy glasses for all family members, it doesn’t cover what would happen if you have guest over to watch TV, (if you have a party do you have to go buy extra glasses?), or how often the glasses will get lost. (Anyone I know with kids always complains about lost remotes, I see glasses getting lost even more often).

        And I know a whole bunch of people (including my sister) who can’t sit though 3D movies without getting a massive headache.

      2. I have to agree–the glasses thing is a huge pain for a lot of people.
        .
        Not sure of any of the “no glasses needed” systems will impress–I assume they work like those 3-D postcards with the grooved plastic covers. It’s kinda sorta 3-D but it would limit where you could sit, etc.
        .
        I used to be 3-Ds biggest fan but lately i only watch the 2-D films unless I have reason to expect AVATAR level quality. Otherwise I’m spending an extra few bucks for a dimmer picture.
        .
        (Though from the few times I’ve seen 3-D TV presentations I have to say sports and nature docs look really nice in the format.)

      3. Guys, really, the glasses won’t be that much of s “deal breaker” eventually. Once 3-D TVS become commonplace and people are spending mucho bucks for one the same people who are swiping their credit cards for X dollars will swipe them for the cheap-o glasses in an instant.
        .
        I can even envision companies INCLUDING the glasses in their sets.
        .
        Only have so many? So only the family can watch together (and how often does THAT happen anymore) or friends have to bring their own? hey, exclusivity is what originally made a little thing like Facebook hip and cool.
        .
        And if 3D sets really do become as commonplace as color sets, then I can easily see them sold at dollar stores.
        .
        3D is coming. we just can’t fully realize because we’re not used to it being the norm.

      4. I don’t know, Jerome. I think a lot of people are perfectly happy with their HD sets and don’t see the need to watch Keith Olbermann in 3-D (or 2-D, it would seem). A lot of us are multitasking while the TV is on and the glasses are just a pain.
        .
        There’s also the problem that the vast majority of the TV shows are 2-D and it will require either many many conversions of 2-D movies or a huge investment in 3-D cameras for new product before that changes. They won’t do that until more people buy 3-D TV. People won;t buy 3-D TV until there is more 3-D to watch. A vicious cycle.
        .
        And now is one lousy time to be trying to sell the public on a new, expensive, possibly failed technology. But I hope I’m wrong; anything that gets us one step closer to the Holodeck…

      5. “I have no interest in getting a color TV. The colors don’t look remotely realistic. Staring at it for too long gives me a headache. I hear if you get too close it gives off radiation that Can cause cancer.”
        .
        Remember all those from the 1960s?
        .
        PAD

      6. Nah, we are more accepting of technological change now than people were in the 1960s. If the 3D releases are as good as you say they are, then yep, people will eventually switch to them.
        .
        But so far, my experience with 3D movies has been very unsatisfying, except for “Avatar”. And the ones you mention are cartoon movies. So they wouldn’t suffer from the irreality problem I and many people have with 3D live action movies.

      7. and it will require either many many conversions of 2-D movies
        .
        Because that’s working so well right now for theatrical movies. (Hint: most of ’em look like crap.)

      8. I think the glasses will continue to get better. I’m an Optician in Canada and we were recently shown a line of 3D glasses by a popular, recognizable company that sells sunglasses and cameras that were actually fashionable and comfortable to wear, available in different sizes, colours and shapes, and could be adjusted to fit the wearer. They aren’t available for purchase yet but I can see a market developing for them as the 3D television technology gets better and is in more homes.

  3. I’m afraid 3D is a deal breaker in and of itself for me. I saw Fright Night and Conan this weekend and was forced to see them both in 3D. By the time I walked out, I felt like somebody had rubbed sandpaper across my eyeballs. I can’t help wondering if the fact that those two films grossly underplayed this weekend was due at least in part to the 3D aspect.

  4. I saw Thor in 3-D Imax, and maybe it was an artifact of having to wear the 3-D glasses over my regular glasses, but it kind of had a “Magic Eye” effect — I swear I could see the “layering” of the 3 dimensions. “OK, there’s Thor, and behind him on that layer are the bad guys, and there’s the layer with the background…”
    .
    J.

    1. No, that’s probably because it was shot in 2-D and later converted–you get that “layered” look. I don’t like it.

      1. You know, I kind of like the “layered look”. It kind of reminds me of the “3-D backgrounds” they used in the old special Technicolor Popeye cartoons like “Popeye meets Sindbad the Sailor”.

  5. I never got sick from 3D, but except for AVATAR, every other movie I saw in 3D looked more fake than 2D ones. Part of it is what Jay said.

    Watching a good 2D movie feels like a window opening in another universe. Watching a 3D one is like seeing realistic action figures being played in scale models of buildings, streets, etc.

    Particularly in the more fantastic scenes in Thor and Captain America, the sense of irreality was acute for me. It was not bad when they had close ups of the actors, but when they did panoramic takes of Asgard, for instance, it was like a very elaborated toy city.

    Avatar was the only 3D movie that was so astounding that it was worth it.

  6. I was one of those people who had disdain for David Copperfield’s penchant for oversized magic, preferably in the form of TV specials. A few years ago, though, I heard that he was mugged after a show, and managed to convince the muggers that his pockets were empty, even though he had his wallet, phone, and passport on him. Close-range sleight of hand, with no prep time, at gunpoint? That took him up several notches in my estimation.

    And yeah, it sounds like an urban legend, but here’s a link:
    http://boingboing.net/2006/11/10/david-copperfield-tr.html

    1. I remember that story when it was first reported. The best part? He was able to use his not-taken cellphone to take a picture of the muggers’ car’s license plate, leading to their arrest.

  7. Speaking of pained expressions…when I am trying to explain things to the basketball teams I coach, when they mess it up so badly I invariably say to them, “What? Am I speaking Klingon?”

    And they have no idea what I’m talking about. The first time that happened I about had a heart attack realizing I had become my parents.

  8. At least it wasn’t a limited edition collection of SKY HIGH and the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL series she won, or else you’d be joking about Betty Davis’ HIGHs.

  9. Sounds very cool! I’m actually a little surprised you couldn’t go into detail about the P&F episode because, much as I enjoy that cartoon, it *always* goes back to the status quo. Even when Mom finds out what the boys are up to (and it’s happened several times), there’s some fake-out (alien robot that looks like Mom), or amnesia ray, or time reversal (thank to Dr. Doofenshmirtz), or something else that lets the boys get away with it. Given that, tt’s hard to know what would be a spoiler for P&F would be.

  10. I probably shouldn’t admit that the part of the story I liked the best was Kelly Hu. sigh…Kelly Hu…sigh….

  11. So you are telling me you got to hang out with Laura Vandervoot and Katee Sackoff at Comic Con and Kelly Hu this week? Peter, Man your life does not suck. To think I thought you were burnt out on writing when I met you in Albuquerque last year.

  12. Hello, Mr. David, this comment has nothing to do w/ the above, I just randomly click a thread to write this:

    There is an error in your latest book, Blind’s man Buff, this is the 1st time I notice an error from your star trek series. It’s on page 324, at the bottom, where it says “What are you saying, Commodore?” It should be “Admiral.”
    Have a look.

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