London Film and Comic Con 2013: An Overview

This past weekend, the annual London Film and Comic Con took over Earls Court Two, bringing a host of celebrity guests, comic book artists and purveyors of unique merchandise to the venue. This year's event boasted a wide array of guests, with stars from the likes of Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, Star Wars and Star Trek. As this year marks the 20th anniversary of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (my favourite of the Trek series), LFCC 2013 celebrated the occasion with a great selection of the stars from the show; needless to say, I was looking forward to meeting the cast of one of my all time favourite SciFi series!

Once more armed with my dictaphone, a notepad and a sonic screwdriver that doubles as a pen, I set course for Earls Court Two.

Earls Court Two is somewhat of a place of nostalgia for me. I first came to this venue two years ago for my first ever London Film and Comic Con (actually, that's a lie – I really first came to Earls Court to audition for the role of Tom Riddle in Harry Potter many, many moons ago, and was less than successful, but that's another story!). LFCC 2011 was my very first convention, and also the first event I covered as a member of the press, having only started writing for Step2TV a month beforehand. There hasn't been another Showmasters' event held at Earls Court Two until now, so it was strangely nostalgic to be back there again this year... They say you always remember your first, and I still vividly recall my first interview: it was with Mark Sheppard (Battlestar Galactica, Supernatural, Doctor Who). We had a long discussion about his character on Battlestar, Romo Lampkin, followed by a slightly shorter conversation about his favourite cheese (manchego).

It was also at LFCC 2011 that I first met friend, colleague and co-conspirator Josh Harris, where we talked at length about Doctor Who whilst stood next to the DeLorean waiting to interview Christopher Lloyd (there's a time travel joke in that somewhere...). Befittingly, for LFCC 2013 Josh and I rallied at Clapham Junction and made our way there first thing Friday morning to set up the stand for Subversive Comics – for whom Josh works – and for me to pick up my press pass for the weekend.

Friday night marked the beginning of the event, opening with a preview evening where a handful of the guests were providing autograph signings and photo opportunities. The venue wasn't overwhelmingly busy, but considering that this was just a two hour preview there was still a considerable amount of people – a large amount of whom had already come in costume! I spent my evening taking a look around the various stalls that had been set up, chatting with some of the visitors and exhibitors, and attempting to plan out the weekend ahead.

Day Two, Saturday. It was ridiculously, unnecessarily hot. I know a lot of people enjoy the heat of the sun, but whenever this time of year comes around I turn into an angry summer goth. In hindsight, it was probably an unwise decision to wear black jeans with a black t-shirt and black jacket... It was impressive to see the amount of cosplayers who remained dedicated to their costumes and their roles in this weather – I can't imagine it's particularly comfortable being a PVC-clad Catwoman or full-armoured Iron Man in heats exceeding 28°C!

I attempted to grab a couple of interviews with a number of the guests for the afternoon. I had my eyes set primarily on the cast of Deep Space Nine and Stargate (Amanda Tapping and Jason Momoa; unfortunately, Michael Shanks and Claudia Black had to cancel their appearance).

The first guest I was able to interview was René Auberjonois. Amongst the many, many roles in his long and distinguished career, Auberjonois is probably best known for his portrayal of my favourite character in Deep Space Nine, Odo, and Father John Mulcahy in MASH (and, if you dress him in a pink satin dressing gown, you may remember him as Professor Tewksbury from an episode of Frasier). I was fortunate enough to grab ten minutes with Mister Auberjonois, in which we discussed his time working on DS9 and how he felt about Odo's character. Unfortunately things had to be cut short as a queue had started to form behind me, but it was an absolute pleasure talking with Auberjonois for the time I had. He's a genuinely excellent man.

In addition to meeting the fans and signing autographs throughout the weekend, Auberjonois was also collecting donations for Doctors Without Borders, a secular humanitarian-aid, non-governmental organization whose volunteers provide urgent medical care to victims of war and disaster regardless of race, religion, or politics.

My second interviewee was Nana Visitor, Kira Nerys on DS9, and chatting with her proved to be one of my most memorable interviews to date! We started to talk about her experiences working on DS9 (including the resultant nightmares of being chased by Cardassians), and things were running smoothly... Until I forgot what I was saying mid-sentence. My brain literally ground to a halt. All I could do was profusely apologise for my apparent lack of brain cells, and prolifically perspire in the sudden uncomfortable heat I was experiencing. Thankfully, Visitor relating her tales of also occasionally forgetting what she's saying (arguably in a worse situation, performing on Broadway and completely freezing up) gave my absent mind some space to breathe and cobble together some vague semblance of the interview I had initially planned out. It may not have been my finest hour, but it's certainly an interview I'll remember for quite some time! Visitor is a truly lovely lady, and an absolute pleasure to chat with.

Sunday being Sunday, things were a bit more relaxed – and nothing was more relaxed than London Underground's service that morning! I arrived a bit later than I had the day before, and set about attempting to arrange the interviews for the day. Among those who I planned to chat with were Avery Brooks (Captain Sisko, DS9), Amanda Tapping (Sam Carter, Stargate SG1 and Dr Helen Magnus, Sanctuary) and Jason Momoa (Ronon Dex, Stargate Atlantis, Khal Drogo, Game of Thrones), however I had been informed that their agents were incredibly restrictive about interviews. Again it was advised to try again towards the end of the day when hopefully the extensive queues would start to grow shorter. As such, I decided to return to having a look around the convention, occasionally returning to the guest area to try my luck with the queues.

I stopped by the Sea Shepherd stall to see some friends I'd met at previous conventions and at Sea Shepherd demonstrations and protests, and I was fortunate enough to meet one of Sea Shepherd's esteemed Captains, Peter Hammarstedt. I have the utmost admiration and respect for the work that the Sea Shepherd crew do to protect our oceans' wildlife, and I honestly can't stress enough how important everything they fight for is.

On the note of good causes, Amanda Tapping was also promoting the charity she started up with writer/producer Damien Kindler and Jill Brodie, Sanctuary for Kids. I was unable to formally interview Tapping over the weekend, but I was able to introduce myself and tell her how much I admired the work she was doing with S4K. Sanctuary for Kids is a charitable organisation dedicated to helping children in crisis across the world, raising money and working with small charities such as the Watari program in East Vancouver, Nepal Orphans Home, Asha Nepal, Next Generation Nepal and SOPUDEP in Haiti.

After speaking about the work she does with S4K, Tapping noticed my Sea Shepherd badge. Of course, her Stargate co-star Richard Dean Anderson is a very prominent supporter of Sea Shepherd and a member of their Board of Advisors, having worked with Sea Shepherd founder Captain Paul Watson for many years. So we also discussed Sea Shepherd's work, how she herself had also met Captain Watson, and the Captain's present situation following his unjust arrest in Germany last year under false allegations. Despite not being able to interview her properly, it was fantastic finally meeting Amanda Tapping, and even more so to discuss the causes we both feel passionately about.

Around mid-afternoon came the event I'd been looking forward to for most of the weekend: the Q&A with the cast of Deep Space Nine. The guests for this interstellar line-up for the Q&A were Avery Brooks, Alexander Siddig, René Auberjonois, Andrew Robinson, Armin Shimmerman, Nana Visitor, Salome Jens, Aron Eisenberg and Max Grodenchik. Among the things discussed were how the cast first got into acting (Auberjonois said it was because he “didn't know any better,” Shimmerman simply answered “girls”), and if they had to choose a different character to portray, who would they be (Auberjonois: “I would have been Morn.” Shimmerman: “I wish you had been.”). The mystery of what happened to Captain Sisko's baseball at the end of the series may also have been partially solved, as the subtle clues – and Brooks's suspicions – all seem to point towards Nana Visitor...

All in all, LFCC 2013 was a brilliant and memorable event. I met and spoke with a number of fantastic people, and had an overall highly enjoyable weekend. Interviews and transcripts of Q&As will be up soon, and will be linked to below.

For more pictures from LFCC 2013, please visit my website at www.bronjames.co.uk

London Film and Comic Con returns with a new winter event in October this year. 
Visit www.collectormania.com for more details on London Film and Comic Con Winter and for more of Showmasters' upcoming events.

Star Trek London: An Interview with Chase Masterson

This interview can also be found on Step2TV.

Whilst at Star Trek London, I had the great pleasure to meet and chat with Chase Masterson - known in the Star Trek Universe for her role as Leeta, the Bajoran Dabo girl, in Deep Space Nine.

Alongside her career as an actress, Masterson is a talented jazz singer - a number of her CDs can be found on her website - and a dedicated philanthropist, having been actively involved in numerous charities worldwide, including Caring for Babies With AIDS and Doctors Without Borders. She has also been mentoring children for over four years at Homeboy Industries, helping kids move away from gang culture.

She is currently working on a Big Finish audio series, Vienna, which is a spin-off from her character in the upcoming Doctor Who audio adventure The Shadow Heart, starring Sylvester McCoy. She is also working on a film adaptation of Karel Capek’s classic science fiction play, RUR.

Masterson is a genuinely lovely person, and it was an absolute pleasure to chat with her.

BJ: Hello, Chase Masterson! How’s it going?

CM: Very well, thank you, it’s been an amazing weekend.

BJ: It's an amazing event! What's the fan reception been like this weekend?

CM: It’s just a huge blessing to have this kind of support, and I want everybody to know how much we appreciate it.

BJ: And how was last night? I hear you performed at the 25th Anniversary for The Next Generation.

CM: It was a fun party! I sang for a really nice sized crowd, and it seemed very, very well received. I sang selections from my new CD, Jazz Cocktail, which is available through my website, and I feel very very very good about the whole thing!

BJ: Fantastic! Who would you say was most inspirational for your jazz career?

CM: There are several women jazz artists who I really respect. Julie London, Sarah Vaughan... Marilyn Monroe was a really great singer. Of course Ella Fitzgerald. Quite a few great female artists back in the day. That’s the music I love, golden era music of the 30s, 40s, 50s and early 60s.

BJ: It was a fantastic era for music.

CM: Yeah, sure was.

BJ: So yes, we’re here for the largest Star Trek convention to take place in the UK for over a decade, and it’s certainly drawn quite a crowd!
You’re known in the Trek Universe for playing Leeta in Deep Space Nine; how did you feel about your character’s development throughout the series?

CM: I really liked Leeta, I wish there was more grittiness in her storyline, but I loved what I got to do, and I think that it was a really great love story that she and Rom had. It was a pleasure to be a part of all of this.

BJ: In your opinion, what drew Leeta most to Rom? Was it the ears?!

CM: Haha, no not the ears! Rom was the guy who was pretty on the inside, and not on the outside but that didn’t matter. I think that’s something that the writers and producers wanted to make a statement with, and it’s an important statement; it’s what’s on the inside that counts. There wasn’t as much of an interesting relationship with Leeta and Bashir; it was more of a Barbie and Ken kind of thing. Boring. Leeta and Rom were more Lucy and Ricky, there was just more drama, more comedy and fun!

BJ: Yeah, there was a fantastic, comedic dynamic to the Leeta/Rom relationship. Now the show has had an undeniable impact on it’s fanbase, and on the world, and it means a lot to many people (as is evident by the Starfleet officers who are starting to queue up behind me!).
What does the Star Trek Universe mean to you?

CM: Well, the whole basic tenet of Star Trek; the infinite diversity in infinite combinations, the prime directive, everything that Star Trek has meant for the last 45 years is quite beautiful. I love that this audience appreciates that and sees it and loves the show for all the right reasons. It’s not a show that they love for sex or violence or anything gratuitous like that; there are really good messages here.

BJ: It makes my cold, misanthropic heart almost hopeful for the future of humanity!

CM: Yeah, almost! We’ll see...

BJ: We just need to get the world governments on board with this...

CM: You know, I think things are starting to happen in a way that is better than ever before in history. The Internet is making people feel more connected, and that will lead hopefully to more peace.

BJ: Absolutely, already through the use of cyberspace and social networking, people can be brought together, rally support and aid charitable causes greater than ever before.
I understand you do a lot of good work for charity, like with Homeboy Industries.

CM: Thank you! I’ve been mentoring kids at Homeboy Industries for about four and a half years, and it’s one of my favourite things in the whole world. They’re an amazing group that helps kids come out of gangs, and these are Los Angeles gangs that are bad, dangerous things to be a part of, and these kids get sucked in when they are very young and they are now turning their lives around. It’s really quite wonderful to be a part of that.

That’s at homeboy-industries.org.

BJ: It sounds like a truly fantastic cause.

CM: It really is.

BJ: And finally, I hear you’re also doing a Doctor Who audio series?

CM: Yes! I’m doing Doctor Who Big Finish, you can check that out at BigFinish.com. I did an episode opposite Tom Baker in the Doctor Who audio adventures, and did an episode opposite Sylvester McCoy. Then they spun off my character that I played opposite Sylvester McCoy - her name is Vienna - into her own series. It’s going into production next week, the series is called Vienna, and it’s going to be a huge amount of fun!

BJ: Can you share any details about Vienna, or is it completely bound by non-disclosure agreements?!

CM: Vienna is an incorrigible and charming assassin. She is a bounty hunter; she does what she does for a living - she’s rather dry and actually pretty fun about it. The whole thing is full of great english comedy, it’s got some good messages to it, and I just adore this project! I hope everyone tunes in.

BJ: Fantastic, I’m looking forward to it!

CM: I’m also doing a new project called RUR. It’s a beautiful piece of science fiction literature that we’re turning into a film. The original RUR is a classic play from the early 1900s, and it has been used as the basis for Metropolis, I Robot, Blade Runner, and a lot of other seminal, classic science fiction. It’s actually the first time we ever heard the word ‘robot’.

We’re doing the fundraising campaign on IndieGoGo.com/RUR, so check that out if you’d like!

BJ: Ah brilliant! The name rings a bell - think the original was written by a Czech playwright... Can’t think of his bloody name*! But yeah, certainly sounds like a fascinating project, I’ll be sure to check it out!
Thank you for your time, great meeting you. It’s been an absolute pleasure.

CM: Thank you! Great to meet you too.

Vienna is scheduled for release in February 2013, with Masterson’s character making her first appearance in the upcoming Big Finish instalment of Doctor Who: The Shadow Heart in November this year.
You can check out the RUR IndieGoGo page here, and Homeboy Industries here.


*It was a good 40 minutes later, whilst on the underground half-way home, that it hit me; Rossum’s Universal Robots by Karel Capek! My fellow passengers weren’t particularly excited about my revelation...

Destination Star Trek London: An Overview

This article can also be found on Step2TV.

Last weekend, the biggest Star Trek convention to be hosted in the UK in over a decade beamed down to London’s ExCel centre. With a wide array of guests ranging from every series in the Trek Universe - plus the momentous union of all five captains for the first time ever at a European convention - the greatly anticipated Destination Star Trek London promised to be nothing short of spectacular.

With the hall packed with a range of fantastic guests, rows of autograph signing booths, photo opportunities, talk areas, stalls stocked with merchandise, a prop museum and a stunt show, Star Trek London was like a particularly pollen rich flower to a hive of Trekkie bees. Over 17,000 Star Trek fans swarmed to the event to meet the stars of the show, hunt autographs and memorabilia, and indulge in two great British past-times; queueing, and tutting about the length of the queue.

Friday started off with a dedicated press hour; photographers, journalists and bloggers gathered inside the venue for the red carpet event, eagerly awaiting the arrival of some of Starfleet's finest. Headed by William Shatner, the stars made their way into the hall, pausing for photographs and interviews before being shown to what would be their home for the next three days. This is when the first defining experience of the event occurred, as Shatner shot past me on a golf-buggy yelling “warp factor 5!” If that doesn’t set the tone for the event, I don’t know what does! Of course, the monumental occasion of the first day was the opening ceremony, which saw the captains from each of the five Star Trek series take to the stage. Hosted by John Barrowman, the talk covered their experiences on the show, at conventions with the fans, the impression the series has made on the world, and generally all things Star Trek. It was a superbly fitting opening to this celebration of what Patrick Stewart most accurately calls “the absolutely unique phenomenon in the history of entertainment that is Star Trek.”

The first day of STL also played host to another first for the UK - a Klingon wedding. Held in the Klingon Zone (where else?!), Jossie Sockertopp and Sonnie Gustavsson were wed by Peter Wyllie in a traditional Klingon ceremony as seen in DS9: You Are Cordially Invited. The setting for the ceremony was complete with throne, faux-flames, and a 10ft Klingon statue, which I'm sure is something that not many other people can boast about their own wedding day. The wedding cake, created by Charlotte White of Restoration Cake, was composed of three Borg Cubes. As it turns out, Borg Cubes aren’t actually harbingers of destruction but are in fact primarily composed of delicious Red Velvet cake and fondant icing... Resistance was indeed futile (may the Prophets forgive me for this terrible cliche).

I wish Gustavsson and Sockertopp many happy years together, as I suspect Klingon divorces aren’t quite as pleasant.

Saturday was the day I had dedicated primarily to the Q&As with the five Captains (although due to the typical unreliability of London transport when you actually need it, I arrived mere moments too late for the Q&A with Avery Brooks, which I caught on the Sunday instead). Throughout the day, Scott Bakula, William Shatner, Patrick Stewart and Kate Mulgrew took to the stage to talk about their experiences and answer questions from the fans. Highlights from the captains include (but are certainly not limited to) Stewart regaling the audience with tales about his friendship with Brian Blessed, a great many humorous anecdotes from Shatner, and Mulgrew’s views on “Mittens” Romney (“He’s missing a chip and needs to be removed from the country!”). In fact, each Q&A was a highlight in and of itself, and the many facets of each talk are far too numerous to list in this simple paragraph - I’ll have to write up dedicated articles for them soon!

Sunday - aside from catching up on the Avery Brooks Q&A - was focussed on the other talks being held at the event. The problem with an event such as Star Trek London is that there’s invariably at least three very interesting things going on at any given time, and this was very much the case for me, with the majority of the talks I wanted to attend conflicting with at least one other. In some cases the decision as to which Q&A I should choose quite literally pivoted on the toss of a coin. Once I’ve perfected my time machine, I’ll be travelling back to get to the things I missed!

Highlights from Sunday absolutely have to be Avery Brooks’ deeply reflective and insightful comments during his Q&A; he is a truly magnificent gentleman. In addition, there was a Q&A with the omnipotent Q himself, John de Lancie, a panel with a number of the stars of Deep Space Nine, and a session with renowned producers and writers Ronald D Moore and Ira Behr. It’s always fascinating to hear the guest’s views and experiences on the show, and the process the writers and producers go through to create it.

I was fortunate enough to meet and briefly interview Ronald D Moore whilst at the event; I’ve been a fan of his for quite some time, and it was a great privilege to chat with the man whose work has helped inspire some of my own writing. Moore has just started working on adapting the Outlander novels, written by Diana Gabaldon, which is definitely something to keep an eye out for!

It was also a great pleasure to meet Chase Masterson (Leeta on Deep Space Nine) and chat about her career. The interview (which will be published soon) covered her time working on Star Trek, her career as a jazz singer (her latest album, Jazz Cocktail, will be available soon at www.chasemasterson.com), and her charity work mentoring children at Homeboy Industries helping kids move away from gang culture. Masterson is currently working on her own Big Finish audio series, Vienna, as the impossibly glamorous bounty hunter Vienna Salvatori (who makes her first appearance in the upcoming Doctor Who audiobook The Shadow Heart, starring Sylvester McCoy), and is also working on a film adaptation of Karel Capek’s classic play R.U.R., which are certainly things to look forward to!

Overall, Star Trek London certainly did not disappoint; I felt that the event was indeed spectacular, with a great selection of talks and a fantastic array of guests. At times, the queues seemed a little disorganised (especially when it came to the captains) and some of the visitors I spoke to felt disappointed by the expense of the weekend, but I personally didn't experience this, and my overall sense of the event was remarkably positive and I sincerely hope that there’ll be more events like this in the near future.

Personally, the lasting impression I received from the convention was how the show had made an impact on it’s fanbase and on the people who had worked on it. Hearing how Star Trek had changed people’s lives, how it had inspired and taught them, and witnessing the power that this science fiction series has to bring so many people together... It’s that community, that collective dream for a better, brighter tomorrow and the innumerable ways it’s touched people’s lives; that’s the beauty of Gene Roddenberry’s vision.
May it continue to live long and prosper.

---

Check out my pictures from the event here.

London Film and Comic Con: An Interview with Ben Browder

This interview can also be found on Step2TV.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again – I bloody love Stargate! As such, it was beyond brilliant meeting with the man who portrayed Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell – Ben Browder.

Browder, probably best known for his role as John Crichton in Farscape, joined the cast of Stargate SG-1 (along with former Farscape co-star, Claudia Black) for it's final two seasons, leading the team after Richard Dean Anderson left the show. Although Anderson's role as Colonel Jack O'Neil was certainly a tough act to follow, Browder proved to be a fantastic addition to the cast.

From the moment I heard Ben Browder would be attending LFCC, I couldn't wait to interview him!

BJ: Hello, Ben Browder! How have you been enjoying the weekend so far?

BB: Well it's been fun, although I'm a little jet-lagged. My soul is still somewhere over the Atlantic.

BJ: I guess you arrived recently then, just for this event?

BB: Yeah, flew in on Friday, so I'm almost up to Greenwich Mean Time.

BJ: Well, give it a few more days! When do you have to head back to the States?

BB: I head back on Tuesday.

BJ: Blimey, so you don't have a lot of time to acclimatise!

BB: Nah... I might see a mate or two on Monday, and then head back home so... I'm not staying for the Olympics, not going to see the Wimbledon final...

BJ: Can't blame you for not staying for the Olympics! It's going to be rainy, all the transport's going to be delayed... Very British concerns!

BB: Ya know what, it'll be fun. The Olympics is a great event.

BJ: No doubt about that, but I bet you a fiver it's going to rain on the Opening Ceremony!

BB: You're on!

BJ: Anyway, you starred in both Stargate and Farscape, two very prominent SciFi series. What was it like working on such critically acclaimed shows?

BB: It was a brilliant experience, I loved it. It was great. Farscape with all the amazing things we had on set, the prosthetics and animatronics, the fact we were shooting in Australia which has a very free-wheeling sensibility about it. It was great. Stargate, by the time I got there, they'd been doing the show for eight years so they knew what they were doing, and my job was to fit in; basically getting along with the cast, and they're fantastic people! Chris is very, very funny, Mike's a consummate actor, Amanda's just lovely and Claudia came along for a bit of the ride as well. Both were really great shows.

BJ: And you actually wrote a couple of episodes for both series as well.

BB: I wrote two full episodes for Farscape, and for Stargate I had a story idea which I gave to the writers, and they used it – I didn't actually write the script for that one.

BJ: One of the great things about Stargate was how hands on the cast were with writing and directing episodes, which I think really strengthened the cast with their input and the show as a whole.

BB: Well, I think it was a very good cast. They're obviously a very talented group of actors, many of them multi-talented. … Star Trek did that as well; Jonathan Frakes is an excellent director, so it's not that unusual to see that kind of thing happen. But definitely, all of the Stargate cast are terribly talented.

BJ: Absolutely – personally I reckon Stargate is one of the best SciFi series out there! Now, on the topic of brilliant SciFi, you're also going to be appearing in an episode of Doctor Who in the upcoming series.

BB: Aha, yes.

BJ: Are you able to reveal anything about that, or would a sniper take you out if you said so much as a word?!

BB: I'd probably be deported if I said anything. I can't tell you anything. If I said one thing and then Matt Smith says another thing, or someone else says something, by the time it all gets put together you might have the entire setup.

BJ: You've foiled my plan!

BB: Ha! So, no, I can't tell you anything, other than that it's a Western and that it was a lot of fun – I had a great time.

BJ: Had you been a fan of Doctor Who before-hand?

BB: Yeah, I've actually seen all of the new series. My kids absolutely love it, so you know, it was a no-brainer. When the question came up “do you want to do Doctor Who?” it was immediately “when and where?!”

BJ: Well, I'm thoroughly looking forward to it and... There appears to be a queue forming, so we're going to have to wrap it up.

BB: See, you're stood here for more than three minutes and people queue up behind you... It's England!

BJ: Can't resist a good queue! Anywho, I'm thoroughly looking forward to that episode! It's been an absolute pleasure talking with you.

BB: Great, thank you.

London Film and Comic Con: An Interview with Chris Judge

This interview can also be found on Step2TV.

I've been a fan of Stargate SG1 for as long as I can remember, and it still holds the number one spot on my list of all-time favourite science fiction series. Naturally, when I heard that one of it's stars, Chris Judge, would be at London Film and Comic Con, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to chat with the man who so outstandingly portrayed one of my favourite characters!

Starring in SG1 as Teal'c – a Jaffa warrior who defects to join the people of Earth, and fights to lead his people to freedom – Chris Judge is very much a part of the show's DNA and is deeply ingrained in Stargate mythos, having been on the show since it's inception in 1997 to it's finale in 2007.
It was an absolute honour and a privilege to finally meet him.

BJ: Hello, Chris Judge! How are you enjoying this weekend?

CJ: It’s been great. The people are just nice, the energy’s good and everybody’s happy, and meeting with the fans has just been great. This is one of my favourite conventions. I never cease to be surprised by how many Stargate fans there are!

BJ: Fantastic, glad to hear it!
Obviously you’re probably best known for your role as Teal’c in Stargate SG1, having been there since the show’s inception. What was it like working on such a popular franchise?

CJ: We were so kind of insulated when shooting in Vancouver, we just got on and did our job and no-one made a big deal out of it or anything, and so when we started travelling I guess that’s when it really hit us that the show was that popular. It’s still mind-boggling that we stopped shooting it 2007, and it’s almost like there are more fans of the show now than there were when we were shooting it! But yeah, it was great.

BJ: In some ways Stargate has gone down in SciFi history much like Star Trek - it may not have been as long lived, but its legend is one that’ll be remembered.
And whilst you were starring in SG1, you also wrote quite a few Teal’c-centric episodes that further developed his character...

CJ: Well I had to! [He laughs] It was hard for the writers, because if you wrote a Teal’c or Jaffa episode everyone had to speak in that way, and they always involved a lot of armour, so they were our most expensive episodes. It was really nice that Brad [Wright] actually let me start writing, because the only people that really enjoyed writing Jaffa episodes were [Damian] Kindler and [Peter] DeLuise. So yeah, it was really cool that Brad let me do that.

BJ: To what extent were you involved in the scriptwriting process for those episodes? Did you write the whole thing, or was it the storyline that was then developed by the writers?

CJ: I wrote the whole thing.

BJ: Ah magnificent!

CJ: And Brad even let me do that outside the box, because... Well, there’s a writers’ room, and they have a bunch of pitches that have been accepted and they spitball stories, and I really wanted to know if I could actually write so he just let me go away and write. So it really was a boost to my confidence.

BJ: One of my all time favourite episodes was The Changeling...

CJ: Ah thank you.

BJ: I loved how it deviated from the normal formula of the show, and toyed with the concept of reality - flitting between the two very different versions of reality.

CJ: I was always a big fan of alternate reality shows, where you can’t keep straight what reality we’re in or what version of Earth we’re in. But that’s why we stopped doing them because we didn’t know which Universe we were in any more! So it was nice to go back to that for an episode.

BJ: And I noticed you have a role in the upcoming Dark Knight Rises - can you reveal anything that?

CJ: It’s going to be great!

BJ: Well, no doubt about that!

CJ: There is some crazy stuff happening. I don’t want to go out on a limb, but it’s going to be the best movie ever!

BJ: What was it like working with Christopher Nolan?

CJ: He’s a genius. Everything everyone says about him is completely true. The dude is a genius. He sees what works, what doesn’t work, he can see where the camera should be... And he doesn’t micromanage you, he kind of tells you what the big picture is and it’s up to you to play it how you want to play it. He really doesn’t micromanage actors at all. It was just really cool to work that way and have that much freedom; a little disorientating at first - at least, for me - because he didn’t really say a lot direction wise, so I was kind of asking “is this alright?” and he’s like “no no no, if it’s not I’ll tell you!” It was just great to work that way.

BJ Fantastic! Well, I’m certainly looking forward to seeing it. Have you been working on any other projects recently?

CJ: Well, after this I have a film called To Have And To Hold which comes out in February, I go to Cambodia in a couple of days to start a new movie, and a TV series that’s just going into prep.

BJ: Fantastic, sounds like you’ve got a lot on at the moment! Is there anything you can reveal about this new show?

CJ: What I can say is that it’s a SciFi show, and it’s going to be announced soon - maybe in the next month or so. We’ve signed a deal with a certain company, and we’re in negotiations with another company - they’re doing some of the best stuff in film right now - and this will only be their second foray into television. I can’t wait to let it out of the bag; the fans are gonna get a kick out of it!

BJ: I wait with bated breath! Thank you for chatting with us, it’s been an absolute pleasure. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

CJ: Thank you, you too.

London Film and Comic Con: An Interview with Alex Winter

This interview can also be found on Step2TV.

Alex Winter, probably best known as Bill S. Preston, Esq. in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey, has an extensive CV as both an actor and a director, ranging from directing music videos for the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Helmet to co-writing, co-directing and starring in the surreal 1993 film Freaked. With his Napster documentary, Downloaded, recently completed and word of a third Bill and Ted film circulating the space-time continuum, I was thoroughly looking forward to talking with him at London Film and Comic Con.

BJ: Hello, Alex Winter! How’s it going?

AW: Not too bad, still conscious! There’s still some brain left in my head, but I can’t guarantee how much longer that will last.

BJ: Did you only recently arrive in London then?

AW: I got here yesterday.

BJ: Blimey, you must be bloody knackered!

AW: Yeah, yeah. Here, do a bit, go home.

BJ: That jet-lag’s going to be fun... But then again, you are used to travelling through time!

AW: Yeah, yeah. [He chuckles]  Well, I am used to travelling anyway, so it’s all easy.

BJ: Now this is probably a question you’ve been bombarded with since you arrived here, but, there’s been word about a third Bill and Ted film...

AW: Yeah, there’s a script and we’re playing around with it. It’s not definitive at this stage, but... That’s all I can say.

BJ: So you haven’t got producers, directors etc. signed up for it yet?

AW: Nothing I can talk about, nothing official. We’ll go official with it as soon as we can, but we can’t really say anything more than that. It may happen, it may not happen, we won’t know for sure, but we did have to do a script.

BJ: Did you and Reeves have a lot of input with the script?

AW: Oh yes, me and Reeves did, yeah.

BJ: Ah fantastic! I think with yourselves being so intrinsically part of the characters...

AW: Yeah, and with us and the script! It’s kind of all woven together.

BJ: Can you reveal anything about the script?

AW: I can’t because it’s not going. Once it’s going, I can say it’s going, but we’re not going yet. I mean, that’s not even a hint, that’s just the truth. We’re trying, it’s early, but it’s still moving.

BJ: Ok, well hopefully there’ll be official news somewhen soon!

And you’ve also been working on a documentary about Napster; Downloaded. What can you tell us about that?

AW: I’ve been working on that all year, just finished it about a week ago, and it’ll come out theatrically and on VH1 next year.

BJ: Ah fantastic.

AW: Yeah, so it’ll be a VH1 VOD Doc release, and then it’ll be out in theatres.

BJ: Have you got plans to hit any film festivals with it?

AW: Yeah, we’re just starting to put that together now. Definitely want to do some festivals here in England, because I love both the London Film Festival and Raindance.

BJ: Both are fantastic; I loved Raindance last year.

AW: Yeah, I love that festival. It’s a question of timing, so... But I’m aiming to do at least one of those, so that’d be good.

BJ: That’d be brilliant!

AW: Yeah it’d be great. Fingers crossed!

BJ: I’d love to see it at somewhere like Raindance; they certainly have a wide range of fascinating documentaries.

AW: I had a movie there eleven years ago, and they’ve done great things with that festival. They do good seminars and stuff for up and coming film-makers, helping new people get involved in the industry, I like that.

BJ: I don’t know if they ran this eleven years ago, but they’ve got this thing now where the festival’s winning film-maker creates the trailer for the following year’s Raindance - which I thought was rather cool!

I think with an industry that’s so hard to break into, it’s fantastic that festivals such as Raindance are supportive of rising talent, be it through the screenings, seminars, or newsletters.

AW: They’re incredibly good at nurturing new film-makers. Even in the states, they send out regular bits and they’re good with all that stuff. I’m on their newsletter, I like reading what they have to say.

BJ: There’s always something interesting, things like 25 Tips for Aspiring Writers or 5 Things Film-Makers can Learn from Andy Murray.

AW: Exactly, I love all that stuff. So yeah, we’ll be doing the festival run, and then we’ll go out digitally as well; iTunes, VOD, that kind of stuff - that’ll all be next year.

BJ: Well, I’m certainly looking forward to it, and best of luck!

AW: Thank you, yeah it’ll be good fun.

BJ: Thank you for your time, and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

AW: Thank you, you too. Take care.

London Film and Comic Con: An Overview

This article can also be found on Step2TV.

Last weekend, the Olympia Grand Hall in Kensington played host to the prestigious annual London Film and Comic Con. With over 90 guests from popular series such as Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, Star Trek, Star Wars and Stargate (hang on, I’m seeing a trend in science fiction titles...), as well as renowned comic book artists and writers, and a plethora of guests from numerous other genres, this year’s LFCC promised to be one of the biggest yet! And with it’s array of guests from cult TV shows to blockbuster films, there was certainly something for everyone.

This year marked my one-year anniversary of convention going, with last year's LFCC being my very first experience of this unusual world of costume-clad fans and overly long queues. I had hoped to celebrate with a bottle of champagne, but the best I could do was a large coffee and a blueberry muffin... C'est la vie!

For the preview night, I had arranged to meet friend and colleague Josh Harris at Clapham Junction – a convenient mid-point for the both of us and a short Overground service to Olympia. This worked perfectly for the first night, but apparently the Gods of London Transport thought otherwise. Our plans to arrive early on Saturday were foiled by the Overground being closed between Clapham Junction and Olympia (how typical!). Not wanting to be any later than necessary, we optimistically chose to take the replacement bus service in the hope it would get us there not-that-much later. We were wrong. Buses are invariably a poor transport choice in central London, although they are a nice way to see the scenery (a dubious looking cafe, several closed post offices and a man yelling at a letterbox). We were dropped off at Earls Court station, so we only had a 20 minute walk ahead of us, but that was exactly the moment it decided to rain. Heavily. It took at least an hour for my hair to dry out!

But none of that was anything compared to my Sunday travel escapades... (Best sung to the tune of “Twelve Days of Christmas...”) Three replacement buses, two delayed trains and a one mile long walk! A mile's walk is normally absolutely no problem – that's literally a walk in the park! - but when a journey that should take me only 40-50 minutes from my front door ends up taking 2 hours, that little extra bit to walk is God's final insult to my “early start.” I'm thoroughly looking forward to trying to navigate the city during the Olympics...

Anyway, enough of TFL woes, on to the weekend itself! Aside from the misadventure of trying to get there, the event was really quite brilliant overall. With talks and Q&As with a number of the guests, meet & greet/interview opportunities and a couple of exclusive screenings, there was a lot on offer!

Dredd Panel

Saturday saw the very first, world exclusive preview of Dredd; a new cinematic adaptation of 2000 AD comic book character Judge Dredd, starring Karl Urban (Lord of the Rings, Star Trek) in the titular role, and Olivia Thirby (Juno, The Darkest Hour) as Judge Anderson. We were escorted in by men clad in the iconic Judge armour, and were treated to a few minutes from the film, along with a half-an-hour panel featuring Dredd himself, Karl Urban; producer Allon Reich (28 Days Later); concept artist Jock (Battleship) and screenwriter Alex Garland (28 Days Later). There was also a brief competition to win one of five exclusive posters, but not being particularly familiar with Judge Dredd lore the questions that were being flung seemed to me as if they may as well have been asking about the implications of discovering the Higgs Boson and how it will influence the future development of the human race.

Anyway, having little to no knowledge of Judge Dredd, I could observe the preview from an unbiased position. Dredd looks futuristic in the dystopian kind of way; it's less shiny metal and skin-tight silver uniforms, and more crumbling, disused shopping centres, irradiated wastelands, screaming civilians, and ethical ambiguity in a totalitarian future state enforced by a super-soldier police force. In short; it looks like it has the potential to be brilliant!

I've always been dubious about the adaptation of comic book characters to the big screen, but in the case of films like the Batman/Dark Knight saga and The Avengers these have turned out exemplary. I should have more faith in the film industry when it adapts comic books (although I'm already feeling uncomfortable about the new Superman film, Man of Steel, and I know nothing about it except the title!), but with so many superheroes clamouring for my attention at the box office it's hard not to feel a little wary...

That being so, from the clip shown Dredd looks like it has the potential to be an enjoyable and action packed film. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing what the rest of the film is like when it's released on 7th September this year!

Frank Spotnitz and Melissa George

Sunday treated us to another exclusive preview screening, this time for BBC One's upcoming contemporary spy drama Hunted, produced by the makers of Spooks and written by Frank Spotnitz (best known for writing nearly 50 episodes of The X Files). Starring Melissa George (Alias, Grey's Anatomy) as Sam, a highly skilled operative for an elite private intelligence firm, and Adam Rayner (Hawthorne, Mistresses) as her colleague and love interest, Hunted is the the story of a spy with a bull's eye on her back, a human target unable to trust anyone at any time, even the man she loves.

The 10 minute preview was certainly a tantalising glimpse of what's to come. It was remarkably tense and engaging, to the extent that I'd completely cut out the rest of the Olympia Grand Hall and completely immersed myself in this clip. It's certainly placed itself at the top of my must-watch list! Hunted will air 26th October this year on BBC One.

Hayden Panettiere

Over the course of the weekend, there were also many talks and Q&As, to the extent my schedule had a number of conflicts with an array of Q&As with the likes of Jewel Staite and Adam Baldwin, Jeri Ryan, Hayden Panettiere, and the cast of Game of Thrones. On the whole, these were enjoyable, but in some cases the huge gap between guest and audience led to a communications barrier. This was most noticeable during the Game of Thrones Q&A, as the guests couldn't hear the audience's questions, and nor could the audience hear the guests' answers! More often than not, even when one could hear what the other was saying, the sound quality was somewhat muffled (no small part due to the overwhelming volume of the packed-out venue!) - it's certainly made trying to transcribe some of the Q&As an interesting challenge! There was even a moment when a mobile phone caused quite chronic interference during one of the Q&As, but was masterfully turned into a brief Morse-code sketch by Adam Baldwin which came together so perfectly that one would think he'd staged the whole thing!

Chris Judge and I

I was fortunate enough to grab a couple of interviews with some of the people I'd most wanting to chat with; I briefly spoke to Alex Winter about his recent work on Downloaded, a documentary about online music store Napster, as well as the word going around about the hypothetical Bill and Ted 3. I also managed to catch a few words with Ben Browder and Christopher Judge in-between signings, speaking about their time on Stargate SG1, Browder's guest appearance in the next series of Doctor Who, and Judge's experience working on Dark Knight Rises, as well as a new show that's on the horizon which he wasn't at liberty to say anything about!

Sadly, I was unable to interview Hayden Panettiere, as whenever I walked past her stand she was either under a mountain of fans or on a break. I had been looking forward to chatting with her, especially about her work campaigning to save whales and dolphins, her involvement with the Whaleman Foundation, and – having met up with a friend on the Sea Shepherd stall – ask for her support for Captain Paul Watson, who was unjustly imprisoned in Germany over false charges (more on the matter can be found on the Sea Shepherd website and on my blog). Alas, it was not to be...

Overall, London Film and Comic Con 2012 was certainly an enjoyable experience; meeting and interviewing many fantastic people, watching some rather exciting previews, and just generally having a brilliant weekend.

More pictures from LFCC can be found on my website at www.bronjames.co.uk
Transcripts of interviews and Q&As will be posted during the coming week or two, and will be linked to below this line...

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An Interview with Alex Winter
An Interview with Chris Judge
An Interview with Ben Browder

Collectormania 2012: An Overview

This article can also be found on Step2TV.

For people across the nation, last weekend marked the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, but for me and many others it also marked the 18th annual Collectormania. Held at Milton Keynes stadium, the event saw hordes of collectors, fans and convention-goers flock for the opportunity to meet some big names in the film and TV industry. Armed with a dictaphone, press pass and sonic screwdriver, I too made my pilgrimage to Milton Keynes to try and catch a few words with some of the celebrity guests.

Still somewhat of a convention newbie, having attended my first two events only last year, I naively thought I knew what I was in for; I did not. The main thing about Collectormania is that entry is completely free for everyone and as such it gets a lot more passing trade. The stadium was absolutely packed when I arrived on the Saturday at 11am, comprised of hard-core fans and inquisitive casual visitors alike. It was the proverbial sardines in a can situation, with Daleks patrolling the halls seemingly as a kind of crowd control, but probably also part of some insidious plan to exterminate Tom Baker/Peter Davison/Colin Baker/Sylvester McCoy/Paul McGann (delete as applicable).

Along with friend and colleague Josh Harris and a handful of his mates (Michael, Leon and James), we formed a ragtag press party and ventured into the bizarre world of the convention. First port of call (simply because it was the closest) was the bar, which was shockingly lacking in single malt scotch, and from there we began our circuit of the stadium. We made several attempts to try and get an interview with Brian Blessed, so that he may regale us with tales of his adventures in that glorious voice of his, but alas his queue was so long it may as well have been measured in miles. We kept trying throughout the day, but the queue never really diminished. This was the case with a good many of the guests (particularly the likes of Jason Mamoa, Karen Gillan and Tom Baker) with both they and their agents wanting to try and make time for each visitor.

As is often the case with these events, we decided that attempting to chat to people would be best left until towards the end of the day when there was less of a swarm – provided the guests didn't go for an early dinner. In the mean time, we made our way to the conference room, where a number of talks were being held throughout the course of the day. As luck would have it, we were in time for the session with Karen Gillan. The first ten minutes or so comprised of Gillan answering questions, only to be continuously interrupted by an announcement informing the owner of a blue fiat that their car was about to be towed, but after a while the Doctor Who star was eventually able to get more than five words out before the announcement blared out yet again. Whether the owner of the offending vehicle ever moved it is a complete mystery...

When asked about her favourite moment working on Doctor Who, Gillan said, “it may well have been my final moment as this character, which you haven’t seen yet so that’s not interesting yet... But of what you have seen, it’s either being in the Pandorica and getting to say ‘ok kid, this is where it gets complicated’, that just felt really cool! Also, in the Eleventh Hour, running around Matt, all those scenes were quite fun.” As the next series of Doctor Who will sadly be Gillan’s last, she also spoke briefly about her dream jobs outside of Who and, if they were still in production, she would have loved to have been a part of Star Trek: Voyager or Star Trek: The Next Generation – especially if it meant she could wear a prosthetic horn. Evidently a woman after my own heart, although personally I'm more partial to Vulcan ears!

Gillan's talk was immediately followed by a Q&A with John Barrowman. Fantastically funny and frank, Barrowman was engagingly informal and personable, making it feel more like a casual chat than a Q&A. Unfortunately, Barrowman was unable to comment about a second series of Torchwood: Miracle Day, nor did he wish to talk about his upcoming projects for fear of jinxing things, but he was more than willing to share skincare tips (incidentally, his men’s skincare range HIM is available through QVC) and his coping mechanism to overcome his fear of flying. “The pilots who are flying the plane want to get home safely, so... For me, it’s a control thing. I’m a control freak. My biggest worry before getting on a plane is ‘what has that pilot been up doing all night?’ … Is he going to be really angry and want to crash the plane?!”

Afterwards was scheduled to be a Q&A with the five actors at the event who had played the role of the Doctor during the classic series of Doctor Who. However, the door opened and only Tom Baker walked in, so we listened to his majestic voice for a few minutes. Suddenly, the door at the back swung open, and in walked Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann. “Are you related to Colin Baker?!” boomed Colin Baker, as a way of announcing their entrance, with McCoy explaining how they'd been stood outside waiting to be shown in, unaware that Baker had started without them.

And thus ensued the most surreal 45 minutes of my life, as the five Doctors crossed their own timelines and risked causing a reality-rendering paradox to take the stage. It very quickly turned from them answering questions to a discussion amongst themselves about the show, the BBC, life, the Universe, and everything. From anecdotes of Tom Baker's days as an altar boy and Sylvester McCoy asking why his incarnation wore a jumper covered with question marks, to Peter Davison's celery stick, and how all five of the actors have also worked on the Big Finish audio productions of Doctor Who; it was a very extensive chat indeed!

Inevitably, the infamous Tom Baker stole the stage with his overwhelming presence and delightful madness! One of the main things that strikes you about these guys is that in person they are incredibly similar to their portrayal of the Doctor, which is an absolute pleasure to watch – especially when the five collide like there's been some bizarre temporal anomaly.

After the talks concluded, we hit the main convention again to try our luck for a couple of one-to-ones with the guests; and we were in luck! Josh talked at length with Finn Jones about Game of Thrones, whilst I stood by boggling intelligibly – unfortunately being a Freeview-er I haven’t seen the show, and have yet to read the books – and Josh concluded the interview with one of his patented hugs, lifting Jones to the Josh-like height of seven foot.

We then decided to try and catch a few words with the five Doctors – I had bumped into Paul McGann by the urinals in the men's toilets beforehand, but felt it was probably the wrong place to try and spark up conversation... I at least waited until he'd done his flies up before I introduced myself! We elected to take a more conventional approach for the others, and made our way to the booth with Sylvester McCoy and Peter Davison.

“Oh no, not you again,” said Sylvester McCoy jovially as I approached. Having spoken with him briefly about his role in The Hobbit at London Film and Comic Con last year, he hadn't been particularly forthcoming due to the secretive nature surrounding the production, so I hoped that as we were nearer the release date he may be able to reveal more. Unfortunately, he could not. “I can't even tell you the colour of my costume,” McCoy jested. As he's featuring in the film as Radagast the Brown, I think I can hazard a guess...

This was followed by a brief chat with Peter Davison, who spoke about his familial relationship with David Tennant, and how even before Tennant started seeing his daughter (Georgia Moffett) Davison's grandson ranked David Tennant as his favourite Doctor. “Well ok, who's your second favourite Doctor?” Davison had asked his grandson pryingly. After a moment of consideration, his grandson replied, “Tom Baker.” Apparently Davison’s rank on his grandson’s Doctor-o-meter fluctuates depending on whether he’s been particularly generous with pocket money that week or not!

We also managed to catch a few words with Christina Chong, attending her first large-scale convention and finding it quite an eye-opening experience! Chong featured as Lorna Bucket in the mid-series finale of the last series of Doctor Who, A Good Man Goes To War. Whilst Chong’s character was primarily used as the catalyst that in an inadvertent manner reveals the identity of River Song, there were numerous allusions to the fact that Lorna had met the Doctor a while ago in the Gamma Forests, but it was yet to happen in his personal timeline. I thought that this background, and her implication on the episode’s narrative, made Lorna Bucket more than the usual supporting character with the potential for future (past, present, really depends on your outlook!) adventures. Alas, Chong said that she has yet to be invited back to do more work on Who, so it seems unlikely we’ll be seeing more of Lorna any time soon. Mister Moffat, if you’re reading this, please consider expanding the story of Lorna Bucket; there’s a tale to be told about the Gamma Forests, and Christina Chong would make a fantastic companion! She may have died at the end of A Good Man Goes To War, but with a time machine, death is seldom an issue and very rarely permanent.

I’m not really sure what to say now; I think I’ve already rambled on for far too long, so I’ll leave it at this. It was a complete pleasure to have the opportunity to chat with some truly iconic actors from equally iconic series and films. My only regrets are that we were unable to talk with Brian Blessed about his adventures, and that I didn’t ask Christina Chong out for a drink...

Entertainment Media Show: An Interview with Dan Shor

This interview can also be found on Step2Inspire.

As an actor, writer, director and teacher with a career spanning over thirty years, Dan Shor is certainly a veteran of the media industry. Having featured in one of my all-time favourite films, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, as Billy the Kid, I was looking forward to talking with him about his experiences in the movie, as well as his current career as a producer.

BJ: Hello, Dan Shor! You having a good weekend?

DS: Oh, yeah! What is that?!

BJ: Sorry, yeah, I'm recording!

DS: It looks like a laser gun or something!

BJ: It's the new model phaser; the iPod nano of Starfleet weaponry!

DS: Yeah, that's what it looks like! Anyway, yeah, it's a very good weekend. I didn't sleep last night, so, I'm like dizzy man. Literally the whole world is spinning.

BJ: Did you arrive in the UK recently then?

DS: I've been here three days, and I'll be here three more days, that's it.

BJ: Probably still a bit jet-lagged then!

DS: I'm quite a bit jet-lagged! Also, beer. But it should be gone, it should be out of my system! You never know...

BJ: Hmm, a good mix! You're well known for playing Ram in the original Tron, and of course Billy the Kid in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, and yesterday you and Jane Wiedlin held a Q&A on the latter. Did you do much preparation for your role in Bill and Ted?

DS: When I initially auditioned for Bill and Ted, I did that generic cowboy act. But when I got the part I went back and studied Billy the Kid, read up on all his history. The guy was a syphilitic lunatic! So when I turned up on the first day of shooting, I started to twitch and do all this weird stuff, and they shouted “cut that shit out! Do it like you did in the audition when you played Generic Cowboy Number 1. I want you to play Generic Cowboy Number 1.” Ok...

BJ: After all that work!

DS: Yeah! I worked my butt off for that! And then of course we're rammed into this phone box...

BJ: And they actually used a real phone booth didn't they?

DS: It was an actual British phone booth. It was just a normal sized phone booth, and you all get in. Do you know how long it takes to light any scene?! They shoved all these actors into a phone booth, and they squashed us all in at the back and put Keanu and Alex in the front. We're all like “I can't breathe! Abe Lincoln get the f-”. The next day they figured that they didn't have to squash Jane in because you couldn't see her, so she escaped it!

BJ: Ha, sounds like an experience and a half! Yesterday you also mentioned your production company, ShodaVision. Obviously you started out as an actor, so how did the production company come about?

DS: I left the United States and moved to the South Pacific and to Asia for seven years. During that time, I became a video director for visitor channels on four different Mariana islands, and did exposes and documentaries on the island culture, history, music, dance and sports, and became a documentarian. I then created my own soap opera, then created commercials that played around the world, then did a reality television series that I hosted and wrote in the Philippines, and all that knowledge, when I came back to the States, I used to create my own production company. I now shoot music videos, web stream videos for major power companies on the east coast of the United States and their energy saving programs.

BJ: That's an impressive amount of stuff!

DS: I've started a whole new career out of the sea, literally, and I still plan to act, but it's few and far between when I wait for people to ask me.

BJ: Have you got any projects your currently working on?

DS: Yeah, I just finished some. I've got seven web streams that are going to be airing on the web for major power companies, and I will be doing many many more. I'm lining up close to thirty-one, and that's going to happen in the next six months.

BJ: Blimey!

DS: That's all that I know of right now. I never know what's going to happen, actually, I just hope, you know.

BJ: Yeah, that's the nature of this industry!

DS: Especially when you're a freelancer. When you're a freelancer, you freelance! My daughter wants me to get a job, I want me to get a job! But, doing what I do.

BJ: That is a perk of being freelance – you can get on and do the work you want to do. But unfortunately it's also quite insecure when it comes to getting that work...

DS: Yeah, it's very insecure! You have many many many days that you can't explain to your child. “Dad, why are you still asleep?” Because I can!

BJ: Ha, both a blessing and a curse! Well, thank you for your time, it was a pleasure meeting you. Best of luck with the web streams, and all your future endeavours!

DS: Thank you, you too.

For more information on Dan Shor's production company, check out his website at www.shodavision.com

Entertainment Media Show: An Interview with Jane Wiedlin

This interview can also be found on Step2Inspire.

Having featured in a number of films, including Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure in the role of Joan of Arc, founded punk rock/New Wave band The Go-Go's with Belinda Carlisle, and currently working on her own comic book series alongside writing a couple of musicals, Jane Wiedlin is indeed a woman of many talents. As I had attended the Bill and Ted Q&A the previous day, I intended to talk to her about her upcoming projects as well as her work supporting animal charities...


BJ: Hello. How's it going?

JW: It's going fine, how are you?


BJ: I'm well! Do you attend these kind of conventions often?

JW: I do fairly regularly, but this is my first one overseas, normally I just do them in the United States.


BJ: Ah right, and have you had a good reception here in the UK?

JW: Pretty good. I'm surprised how many people are fans of the movie Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.


BJ: It's a classic! Quite a lot of people are really into it, for something that was initially shelved for several years.

JW: Yeah, when it first came over here it didn't do that well, but it's just gotten more and more popular. I guess because it gets shown on TV a lot.


BJ: It's especially popular around holiday periods. Did you do any preparation for the role of Joan of Arc?

JW: I actually practised a bunch of French, and they didn't have lines for me but they said to just come up with a bunch of French lines. A few years later, somehow my vocals disappeared and they got somebody who could speak French to do her lines. So when you hear Joan of Arc talking, it's not actually me. Probably my French was really atrocious.


BJ: And I read recently that you're quite the animal activist?

JW: Yes, I love the animals.


BJ: Have you done anything recently for companies like PETA?

JW: Not so much for PETA, but I live San Francisco and do a lot of work for two local charities called RocketDog and MuttVille, so I do a lot of fund-raising for them.


BJ: Have you always been a supporter of animal charities?

JW: I have been all my adult life, I think someone needs to be the voice for them. Over the years I've been involved with lots of different groups, and over the past decade or so I've been getting more involved with smaller and smaller groups because the really grass-roots groups are the ones that really get a lot done and get the most bang for their buck. With MuttVille and RocketDog, they grab dogs out of the animal shelters before they get put to sleep and they give them time to find the right homes for them. I just think animals are very special, in particular dogs.


BJ: I guess you're a dog-owner yourself then?

JW: I live in a six dog household. I'm practically crazy dog lady!


BJ: Haha, splendid! My mother's crazy cat lady, so you kind of have a kindred spirit there! And finally, have you got any work coming up, film-wise, music-wise or...


DS: Hello!


BJ: Or being interrupted by Dan Shor! Marvellous.

JW: Ha! Um, gosh, I've got quite a lot coming up. I did three films last year that are all coming out in the next few months, independent movies. One's called Casserole Club, one's called I Want To Get Married, and the other's called Doggie Boogie. And I just finished a tour with The Go-Go's, and I've been writing a comic book, called Lady Robotika, issue three is coming out soon. I'm working on a couple of musicals... Yeah, I'm busy!


BJ: Sounds like you've got a lot going on! Anyway, thank you for your time, it was a pleasure meeting you.

JW: Yeah, you too. See ya.

For all the latest from Wiedlin HQ, visit her website at www.janewiedlin.com.