Okay, I understand the theory: the idea of blogging is to write about what’s going on, and the point of a news blog is to write about what’s going on NOW.

Too much has been going on for the last month. All of it good. Most of it wonderful. I was too exhausted to write, and too exhilarated to place it in perspective and to find the words.

I’m still exhilarated. Something may be broken; I may just have to stay this way for life.

Just the basic facts, for now:

Last week, from December 7th to December 12th (actually until 2:00 AM on the 13th), we shot the sequences of our movie which take place aboard the spaceship. Our studio was a warehouse in Fort Washington, MD. The weekend before we rolled was one of sleepless, frenetic activity devoted to finishing the sets and costuming, collecting and setting up lighting equipment and so forth. Cast and crew call was 10 AM each day; for the first two days the camera didn’t roll until around 3:00 PM in the afternoon.

By the end of the week, under extreme time pressure and very limited conditions, we’d shot 33 pages of script. Everyone involved performed their jobs magnificiently, with patience and skill and without temper or off-screen drama.

The possible exception to all that may have been the director, who tended to check out and start walking into walls late in the day. Once we got him out of the way, work could be done.

More later.

We wrapped at the stage somewhere around 2:00 AM this morning, and locked up at around 4:00. It’s already gone.

To the magicians, mind-readers and muses of Polaris:

Maurice - I could never do your job. You saved this ship.

Paul - the leader of the cast. Entered as Chaney and wrapped as Bogey. And I so touched your ass.

Gina - you gave voice and a human heart to a silly tale of rayguns and rocket ships. Save for you, my words are sand.

Nick Cook - I think it was a half apple. What’re you all looking at?

Susan C - She walks in beauty…

Case - it’s been a privilege, sir.

Garrett - it is very cold, in space…

Lucie - you sure Nick’s console isn’t booby-trapped?

Susan H - that was one of the bravest things I’ve seen with my own eyes.

John B - Dying is fun, ain’t it?

Alex - Okay, now I know the difference between God and a Director of Photography. I’m still not clear on the 85 and 50 mm, though. Dolly moves.

Chris - A-Team, all the way.

Cynthia - Lord of Chaos. Bring the rage.

Paula - the clapboard art goes on the DVD, for sure.

Doug - you, me and Brad Naylor. This is fun!

Romel - Krypton wants their rocket back. Dude, can you jump back in time five minutes and take care of that?

Carol - You gave Beauty her face. Hanging with you was lovely. And I swear I thought it was a toy.

Mike B - master of 26th century bling.

Nick G - looking forward to three-hour coffee breaks on Ellsworth, again.

Thank you. As I said to several of you over the week:

You never gave me what I wanted.

You gave me what I never imagined, what I wouldn’t dare to ask for, and all I could ever need.

I love you all.

Heartfelt thanks to Richard, Rick, Carl, Nick, Fred and all the other folks who came, saw, worked with us and contributed so much.

Alex has to keep correcting my quote, as he does so many other things, so I’ll reset and go again: We done the impossible, and that makes us mighty!

Cut. Moving on.

FGG!

- Dennis