AndyO Blog

On Wednesday we had a parade in downtown Seattle to celebrate the Super Bowl 48 Champion Seahawks.

Now, we've had some big events in Seattle, like the parade for the Supersonics in 1979, as well as the usual concerts and presidential rallies. But nothing has ever approached this order of magnitude. This was one of those astronauts-driving-down-Canyon-of-Heroes-in-New-York-City parades! In the end, more than 700,000 fans converged on downtown Seattle to pay tribute to the Hawks.

I wasn't one of those fans, as I needed to go to work (plus I'm not that big on crowds anyway). But my wife Brenda, whose office was only a block or so away from the parade route, braved the freezing temperatures to witness the insanity first-hand -- sending me occasional photos and messages. She said it was so crowded that it was nearly impossible to get close to the parade route. In the photo below, you can see parade route at the traffic light in the distance (circled with an arrow):

She was able to get closer, but the parade still hadn't started.

Eventually she went back to her office, where she could see some of the parade between buildings. In the photo below, you can see one of the amphibious Ducks carrying Seahawks (red circle). You can also see the people standing on rooftops.

Brenda said a lot of parents had brought their kids to the parade -- but many of them seemed unprepared for the frigid weather and mayhem. We had actually wrestled with the decision about whether to pull one or both of our boys out of school for the event, but there were a few reasons why we didn't.

First, according to the school district, kids wouldn't be excused from being absent. Here's part of the email we received on Feb 3 (highlighting added):

Seattle Public Schools will not close or dismiss school early because of the Seahawks parade on Wednesday. Parents who wish to take their students out of school can, but per state regulation, it will be treated as an unexcused absence. While we support the team, academics must come first and it's important not to lose a day in the classroom.

The other reason was my older son told us he couldn't miss a rehearsal for an upcoming concert.

But that didn't stop a lot of other kids. According to the a Seattle Times report, 27 percent of the school district's 51,000 students were reported absent (as well as 565 [19%] of the 3,000 teachers!). Maybe it had something to do with the Mayor and others asking for a little leniency. After all, this was practically a city holiday.

Or maybe it had something to do with Seattle schools clarifying their policies:

UPDATE: Under state regulation, Principals have the discretion to decide if students who miss school tomorrow for the parade will be considered unexcused or excused.

Around 3:00 p.m., I started looking at some of the parade coverage online -- and I couldn't believe what I saw (from the Seattle Seahawks Twitter feed):

It looks like some kind of football fan zombie movie!

Later the Seahawks posted a gallery of 150 photos. Check out this one of Marshawn Lynch (Beast Mode) riding on the front of the Duck, handing out Skittles:

Here's another one that shows the size of the crowd:

Regardless of how you feel about sports and their overall importance, you have to admire the way the Seahawks brought the community together during the 2013 season. And while a Super Bowl championship is an astounding feat, I'm left wondering if bringing those 700,000-plus people out of their homes, workplaces, and schools for the biggest party of the year is another equally-impressive accomplishment. 

I also wanted to give props to the biggest Seahawk Fan I know, my brother-in-law Brian Suiter. Brian is the kind of fan who watches the Hawks every season, whether they're winning or not. He's the kind of fan you buy a Seahawks toaster as gift (that burns the Seahawk logo into the bread!). It was Brian who first told me that the Seahawks had a chance of going all the way. He told me to watch them on an upcoming Monday Night Football game, and I did (the December 2 game against the New Orleans Saints). What I saw in that game -- especially in Russell Wilson's quarterbacking performance -- reminded me of something that bordered on sport and art, skill and creativity. So thanks, Brian, for being there for the team -- and also helping me jump on the bandwagon when it was time. You are the original 12th Man!

Finally, congratulations to the Seahawks team, the fans, and everyone who made this season (and celebration) possible.

As always, Twitter was a great place to get updates. Here are a few of my favorite tweets from Wednesday -- virtual postcards of the parade and celebration:

Labels: Around Puget Sound, Events, Seahawks, Seattle

On August 1, Brenda and I celebrated our 20-year wedding anniversary -- and we've been together for 26 years. That's a long time, in human years (even more in dog years). But it's all flown by so fast. I suppose that's a good thing.

What started out as the two of us has now multiplied to include two boys, Cameron and Drew, and two cats, Rocky and Jasmine. We've stayed in Seattle the entire time, with periodic trips to Europe, Mexico, Hawaii, Canada, and many of the United States. Here's the story of how we met in the classic "boy-meets-girl" style (to protect the innocent).

Looking back now, I'm amazed at how many things had to align for us to come together.

University of Washington, Spring Quarter, 1986

Part I: Boy meets girl in the chemistry building

Boy with shaved head meets beautiful, dark-haired girl with stunning hazel eyes in an English class. The class is held in the Chemistry Library Building. Boy likes girl. Girl doesn't really like boy, as much as he can tell.

Girl finds out the boy is actually on the Crew team. Girl is interested in boy, but at this point the boy thinks she's not interested. He stops his pursuit.

Boy is homesick and depressed. It's his first year at the University of Washington as a freshman. He arrived tied to another girl from his home town, who dumped him after the first quarter. The second quarter, winter, was full of darkness and rain. In the third quarter, spring, he thought things would get better. But they haven't.

On a Friday night, boy goes out with his Crew buddies to try and forget. After a while, the boy goes back to his dorm room in Haggett Hall and sits in the dark. As he usually does when he feels this way, he goes to the pay phone and calls his Mom (collect, of course). He talks about how there's a dance going on downstairs, but he's too depressed to go. His Mom urges him to go, and like all good boys, the boy does what his Mom tells him to do.

At the dance, the boy finds a few friends. The music is loud. It's hard to talk.

Then, as if he's part of some film, the people in the room part. The girl with the dark hair and hazel eyes is standing there as if a spotlight is on her. They're drawn together. She asks him to dance. So they dance.

When the dance ends, a slow dance starts. Madonna's "Crazy for You."

They keep dancing. Then something happens: There's a connection, like electricity between them. After the dance, they talk more. The boy isn't sure if she likes him, but at least she's talking to him now.

Part II: Nothing to lose

By Sunday, the boy is wondering if he should visit the girl in her dorm room. He found out she's next door in McCarty Hall. But the boy is afraid of rejection. All his friends who have listened to him talk endlessly about his loneliness, give him courage. "What do you have to lose?" they ask.

The boy decides he doesn't have anything to lose. For some reason, he grabs a Richard Bach book, The Bridge Across Forever, to accompany him on this quest to find the dark-haired girl.

The boy takes the long, lonely walk to McCarty Hall. He has no idea where the girl lives; there are multiple wings and floors in the dormitory. But he seems to be guided -- like Luke Skywalker with the Force. He finally asks someone if they know the girl, and they point him to the correct room.

He finds the girl in her room. She seems happy to see him. She asks him about The Bridge Across Forever, and they talk about their love of Richard Bach. (Later, she would tell him that she thought he was there to pick up the book from someone else in McCarty.)

After a 15 or 20 minute conversation, the boy says goodbye, and he takes the short, happy walk back to his dorm. After months of walking in rain and darkness, he sees the light.

Part III: Survival of the fittest

Now the boy and girl talk more often -- in class or in the cafeteria. He's pretty sure she's interested in him, but he's been through this before.

One morning, the boy is playing the grand piano in the Haggett lobby just for fun. He's playing the sad piano riff to the Howard Jones song, "No one is to Blame." And though he's never really paid attention to the lyrics, they are appropriate for the moment:

And you want her, and she wants you
We want everyone
And you want her and she wants you
No one, no one, no one ever is to blame

He sees the girl walking up the stairs with a friend. She leaves the friend and comes over to talk to him. They discuss how a few of the Freshmen rowers are getting together that night to watch the Opening Day fireworks. Did she invite herself to come along? Or did he invite her? It doesn't matter.

Later, at the agreed-upon time, the girl shows up at his room. The boy is excited to see her, but he's surprised at how calm he is. They walk down to the Conibear Shellhouse with some other rowers. The plan is to take the Freshman barge out on Lake Washington to watch the fireworks.

But the varsity rowers crash the party. They tell the Freshmen rowers it's not their place to take out the barge. The upper-classman are going to take the barge out instead.

The boy is embarrassed at how his promise of fireworks on the water has fallen apart. They walk back to the dorms with the other rowers. His friends are all talking to the girl, trying to impress her. The boy starts to worry; he can't compete with the other boys, who are faster and stronger than he is in the boats. But one by one, the other boys drop away, until he's standing there with the girl and another rower. 

The boy thinks the other rower isn't going to leave. He thinks he's going to lose the girl to him. But then the girl says something that makes it clear that she wants to be alone with the other boy, and the other suitor leaves.

Like many 18-year-olds, the boy doesn't understand the signals and says to the girl, "I have to go back to my room to wait for my parents. They're coming by tonight."

There's a long silence, and the girl says, "Well, I can come up and wait with you if you want."

He finally knows for sure.

Part IV: "Let's listen to Rush"

Now the boy and girl are sitting on the bed in the boy's dorm room (there's nowhere else to sit). They're talking. He asks if she wants to listen to some music.

She says, "Let's listen to Rush."

At this point in the story, it's important to note that the boy is one of the biggest Rush fans in the world. It is part of his identity. Only one other girl in his life has liked Rush.

Then she says, "I want to read the lyrics."

So they listen to "Tom Sawyer," and he talks about the lyrics.

There's a knock at the door. He expects to find his parents standing there, but instead he finds his ex-girlfriend -- the one who dumped him. When the ex-girlfriend sees the new girl sitting in the dorm room, there's a look of both recognition and disappointment. It turns out the new girl and the ex-girlfriend know each other (they went out dancing with a mutual friend).

The ex-girlfriend never comes by anymore, so clearly something's wrong. The boy is amazed that he actually feels bad for her, as he knows what it feels like when someone's not there when you need them.

She leaves, and he shuts the door.

After a few more Rush songs, there's another knock at the door. This time, it is the boy's parents. They're excited to meet this girl that their son has been talking about. They're relieved that their son seems to have found happiness. It's almost like they know -- the way parents can sometimes tell -- that this girl is the ONE.

After a few minutes, the boy's parents leave, and the girl and boy are alone. They turn out the lights and look out the small window to University Village below. They hold hands. They kiss a little. There's something so effortless about it, the boy thinks.

Somehow we found each other

Happy Anniversary, Brenda!

Labels: Events

Last month, Michael Moore stopped by Microsoft to talk about his book and share some of his thoughts on the current state of America and the world. I've read a lot of Moore's books and columns and seen most of his films. But in person, Moore came across as more patriotic than probably any speaker I've ever seen. He genuinely cares about America and is saddened by the direction things have gone for so many people.

If you've read the moving excerpt from Moore's new book, Here Comes Trouble: Stories from My Life, you know that he travels with a small security force of ex-Navy SEALs because people have tried to hurt him. The presence of this security team was immediately noticeable in the conference room at Microsoft, as three or four men constantly scanned the crowd.

When Moore walked in he was wearing dark glasses, a jacket over a black t-shirt, jeans, and his trademark baseball cap. I was surprised by how physically imposing he was, and was briefly reminded of the late John Candy (with whom he worked in his only fiction film, Canadian Bacon).

Moore apologized for being late but said he had to stop at Men's Warehouse to get a jacket. He said he'd never been invited to speak at a corporation and he imagined we'd all be dressed up.

"But now I look out at you, and you're all dressed like Pearl Jam!" he said.

Moore was clearly uncomfortable at the beginning of his talk. He didn't seem to know what to expect from a Microsoft audience, or what he should do, but he soon found we interested in what he had to say.

Obama - The Invisible President

Moore talked about how it was a miracle that Obama got elected -- especially given that Obama's full name was on the ballot: "Barrack Hussein Obama." Moore told a story of going into the ballot box and getting emotional -- causing a tear to fall on his vote for Obama, which then caused the ink to run. He said he started blowing on the paper to try to dry it. His wife wondered what he was doing in the ballot box.

Moore said he was surprised that Obama won by over 10 million votes, especially given that he was African American -- and had that middle name. But this was no close election. Voters wanted change.

But then Obama started trying to work with the Republicans. At first, Moore thought this was admirable. But it became clear that the Republicans really wanted nothing to do with Obama.

They treated the president like he was invisible.

By the margin of victory for Obama's election, voters had been clear that they wanted change, but Obama continued to try to work with Republicans. And Republicans kept ignoring him.

Moore is disappointed in Obama's lack of leadership (as am I).

Asked if Moore would vote for Obama in the upcoming election, he said, "I'm not sure."

"Just 400 Americans -- 400 -- have more wealth than half of all Americans combined."

Moore talked about how everyone thought this quote from March 5, 2011, in Wisconsin was wrong. But then the media and organizations fact checked it, and it turns out he was right.

Moore said that history is a guide to what will happen if this inequality continues. There's only so much people will take before they revolt. Note that this comment was made just as the recent protests on Wall Street were starting -- before they had grown.

Becoming a character in the public eye

Moore talked about how so much of what is said about him isn't true. He said at first he thought some of this was funny, but then he said it started to become an out-of-body experience.

What I've found when I see a public figure in person is they're much different than the  person who's portrayed in the media. That character -- or persona -- who's created by media is made up of quotes that person didn't necessarily say -- and are many times taken out of context. It makes you realize how hard it is to maintain a public persona that's close to who you really are as a person.

Q&A

Some of the most interesting moments came during the Q&A with Moore. Here's a sample:

How would you fix the political system?

Get the money out of it (make it more like Canada's system), and include a primary and secondary choice for President. This way, you don't have to throw away your vote -- but can still make a statement.

How can Obama win a second term?

Put Wall Street bankers in jail. "America loves a perp-walk!"

Why he said, "We have been the cowards, lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away. That's cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building, say what you want about it, it's not cowardly."

Moore nicely corrected the questioner and said, "I didn't say that. Bill Maher said that. It's the reason he was fired from ABC."

The questioner wanted to spar with Moore, talking about how Al Qaeda was in Iraq and we were justified in our invasion. Moore was frustrated, but I was impressed with his respect for the person. Moore could have pounced on her just for having her facts wrong about the quote, but he said something like, "I'm sorry you feel that way."

Meeting Michael

I stood in line to get my book signed by Moore. Again, the security was much more intense than what you usually see at an event like this. They wouldn't let anyone linger near Moore after they got their book signed.

When I finally walked up to get my book signed, Michael said, "What do you do at Microsoft?" And I told him. I thought it was interesting that he's the only person who's come through Microsoft signing books who's asked me this question, and he seemed interested.

I was also surprised at how tired Moore seemed during that brief conversation. It's as if giving the speech and taking questions had taken almost all his energy, which is understandable.

Final thoughts

Later, as I thought about Moore's speech I realized that democracy needs people like him -- people who are willing to call the B.S. when they see it. For Moore, his true test came when he criticized Bush during his Oscar acceptance speech. Then his life was turned upside down. People wanted to kill him for being unpatriotic. People tried to hurt him. But in the end, he was right about Bush sending us to war for "fictitious reasons."

I was in awe of Moore's courage to speak out against the Iraq War -- and to put everything he had into his next documentary Fahrenheit 9/11. Very few of us are willing to hang everything on the line like this.

If you're a person who thinks Moore is a left-wing wacko, then I would challenge you to:

• Read one of his books
• Watch one of his documentaries

If you still think he's a wacko, that's fine, but at least you'll be making the decision for yourself -- and not through a media filter.

Labels: Events, Famous people, Politics

Update 5/23/11 - 6:45 p.m.

Just saw this on the Huffington Post about Camping's broadcast about what happened on May 21:

Today 6:14 PM Camping says again that Judgment Day Came, "It Was Just Spiritual."

"The timing, the structures, the proofs, none of that has changed at all," says Camping.

He is sticking to the numerology he used to determine the May 21 and Oct. 21 dates.

"All I am is a humble teacher. I search the Bible. I search the Bible," he says.

Update: 5/23/11

Some people don't know when to quit. Looks like my prediction #2 has come true. According to AP:

California preacher Howard Camping says his prophecy that the world would end was off by five months because Judgment Day actually will come on Oct. 21.

Do you think God has a three-strikes policy?

Update: 5/22/11

Harold Camping is "flabbergasted" that the world didn't end, according to a story in the San Francisco Chronicle.

"I'm looking for answers," Camping said to reporters outside his home.

Well, though one of my predictions was that Camping would disappear -- I'm glad he didn't. He needs to answer for his false prophecy. Just look for a revised third date for the Rapture soon.

------------------------------------------

OK, it's 12:02 a.m. The world didn't end, even though Harold Camping said "The Bible guarantees it!"

I'm not sure what's worse: Harold Camping's fear-mongering blasting out over billboards, the Internet, and airwaves -- or the media reporting on it. Why would they give this guy more free advertising when he was wrong once before?

Oh, right -- these are the same guys who gave Donald Trump a platform to talk about President Obama not being born in the United States.

Harold Camping - Civil Engineer for God

I don't know much about Harold Camping, except that he was a civil engineer (as if that makes his calculations for the rapture more precise) and he's president of Family Radio. But if you're wondering what the apocalypse is really about for Camping, check out Family Radio's $121 million in assets (2007). End of the world prophesies sure beat the hell out of civil engineering! Well, wait a minute. I guess he's never taken a penny of that $121 million dollars according to the Family Radio website:

Mr. Camping has been a full-time volunteer since Family Radio's infancy and has never received compensation for his service.

I wonder how he puts bread on the table? Oh, I forgot! He's a civil engineer.

If you're like me, you're probably wondering why Harold Camping is in a unique position to make this bold prediction about the end of the world. Here's what the Family Radio website says:

What Qualifies Mr. Camping to make the pronouncement of May 21, 2011?

Mr. Camping has been a tireless student of the Bible for over five decades. The tens of thousands of hours he has spent analyzing the Bible has given him a unique perspective of the entirety of Scripture. He has dedicated his life to prepare himself to answer questions raised concerning God's Word to man.

I hope Camping realizes now that those "tens of thousands of hours" were a complete waste. Think about what you can do in 10,000 hours.

Media anxiety

I have to wonder, when are we going to stop giving people like Camping a platform? I know for many people, it's obvious that this guy is a nut. But, unfortunately, there are a lot of gullible people out there. (And, yes, I realize I'm giving him more attention here in this small blog.)

I think the greater damage (as far as the media is concerned) is how reporting on this story helps spread or amplify anxiety. Take a look at Orson Wells's "War of the Worlds" 1938 radio broadcast to see how the media can amplify anxiety (even when it's in the name of entertainment). Take a look at the Bush administration's use of Terror Alerts to see another example.

So, what happens now?

According to Family Radio:

What if May 21 ends and nothing occurs?

The Biblical evidence is too overwhelming and specific to be wrong. Christ's people can look with great confidence to this date because God promises His "beloved" He will not come upon them as a thief in the night.

God in His mercy has revealed the vital information needed to know the day. Judgment Day on May 21, 2011 will occur because the bible declares it. Anyone whom God has not saved will arrive at that day with no hope for salvation. God warns simply the "door will be shut."

Here are my predictions:

1. Camping disappears (yes, I'm leaving that intentionally ambiguous)
2. Camping will explain that his calculations were off (again), and now he's sure of the date. (Spread the word! Send in your money!)

I'd love to see some good investigative journalism about Camping to find out what's really going on at Family Radio.

Labels: Events, I'm mad as hell

It's not every day James Cameron comes to Seattle. And it's rarer still when he comes to town to show a special edition of Avatar at the Boeing IMAX theater in Seattle Center. This was a charity event to benefit MUSE Elementary, founded by his wife Suzi Amis Cameron, and Learning and Brain Sciences at the University of Washington (I-LABS).

Being that Avatar is my son's favorite movie, I took him along. He was  excited, but I don't think he really knew what he was in for.

Grand entrance

We were greeted at the entrance to the IMAX theater by kids wearing MUSE t-shirts. Once inside, we exchanged our tickets for our "commemorative" tickets. If you had a cell phone, you had to check it. They gave you a wrist band that indicated what seats you could sit in. Cameron and I got purple wrist bands.

We walked down the descending ramp that circles the IMAX theater, and, once there, mingled with the crowd. There were people dressed in tuxedos, business suits, t-shirts, and shorts. (Cameron and I went for the middle ground: khakis and nice shirts.) They had a delicious buffet line, which Cameron and I grazed (while he was too excited to eat, he was, however, interested in the "free soda").

Finding our seats and the arrival of Mr. Cameron

We finally lined up and went into the theater, where we sat for 30 or so minutes. Of course, Cameron was impatient -- wanting the film to start right away. He kept asking me the time, but I didn't have my cell phone with me. (I taught him how to "steal" time from people around you.) 

Near showtime (7:00 p.m.), I saw Suzi Amis-Cameron walk in and then noticed James Cameron standing there, too. Both of them were dressed up. Suzi started hugging a bunch of people in the audience.

After James Cameron was introduced, he talked about why they were releasing the Special Edition. He said that when they released the original version of Avatar, 20th-Century Fox was nervous about a 3D movie running over two hours. (Mr. Cameron said the studio executive said something like, "After two hours, people's heads might explode!"). Because of this, some scenes had to be cut. But now that the film had become the top grossing film of all time, the studio was much less nervous about releasing a "Director's Cut."

As far as my own opinion of "Director's Cuts," I've become more skeptical of them over time -- as they seem like another way for the studios to "double-dip." Today it seems like every third or fourth movie that releases includes a follow-up "Director's Cut" DVD -- or the even more tantalizing "Unrated" version. But sometimes, these versions of the films end up being superior to the original cuts -- Blade Runner and The Abyss, for example.

Watching Avatar with James Cameron 

The film started, and I sat back and watched the new version of Avatar, clocking in at 2 hours 50 minutes. Several times I looked back to see if Mr. Cameron was watching the film with us -- and, sure enough, there he was -- wearing his bug-eyed 3D glasses.

As the credits rolled and the audience applauded, I thought about how those extra nine minutes had added much more depth to the story, answered questions, and effectively gave more motivation to Jake Sully's character at the end of the film. While I didn't know I was missing these scenes before, which proves they weren't necessarily needed, they now seemed somehow… essential. (This once again reminds me of the saying, "Art is never finished; it's abandoned.)

So, if you're one of the few people who hasn't seen Avatar -- like the gentleman who was sitting next to me -- I highly recommend the Special Edition over the original version.

James Cameron's Q&A

After the film, James Cameron spent about 45 minutes answering questions from the audience. He started off by saying he hadn't seen the film in 7 months and how it was fun to see how the actors changed lines here and there for the better.

Here were some of the questions, along with my impressions:

James Cameron in person

In person, James Cameron is genuine and passionate. He's extremely articulate, but also has a soft-spoken quality. As is true with most people, he's a mass of contradictions: In his case, he seems like an engineer trapped in a filmmaker's body. (To get a sense of this, listen to this interview with Teri Gross of Fresh Air.)

But what I knew of James Cameron before I saw him in person was manufactured by the Hollywood buzz machine and the media. In his case, he's been portrayed as an egomaniacal director who puts his films before all else, rules his sets with an iron fist, and fights with his actors. He fed into this image with his "I'm 'King of the World!'" line after he won Best Director for Titanic.

But what I saw was a man who cares deeply about film and storytelling, about the world, and about people. Some might twist this into arrogance, but I think it's jealousy. The guy has the number 1 and 2 top-grossing films of all time; you don't get there without talent and perseverance -- and, in the case of Avatar, giving up four years of your life. There are also going to be times when you have to fight for what you want.

On the environmental theme

Cameron said that while Avatar has come to be known as an "environmental" film, he didn't set out to make one. In fact, the studio was nervous about this theme having a negative effect on the box office. Cameron said (and I'm paraphrasing), "I just wanted to make my movie about another planet with space ships, guns, and aliens."

Hardest scene to cut (asked by Bob Rivers, Seattle talk radio host)

Cameron said it was the scene where Jake finds the dying Tsu Tey, who asks Jake to kill him to complete the transfer of leadership of the Omaticaya clan to Jake. This sets up the motivation for when Jake's mind and spirit are transferred from his human body to his avatar body. (From a storytelling point of view, it's also the reason Dr. Grace Augustine is mortally wounded and they try to transfer her body. This shows the audience needed how dangerous this process is.)

Listen to Bob Rivers' own impressions of this event.

On the sequel

Cameron said they are indeed working on the sequel, which will take place in the jungle of Pandora and in the ocean. But don't expect this sequel for another four years (or more).

One thing that excites him about doing the next movie is that they don't need to re-invent the wheel, as they've invented the technology to make a film like Avatar. Now they can concentrate on other aspects of the film.

On the New Avatar Special Edition Boxed Set

Cameron said a new boxed set of Avatar is coming this year with even more footage (I think he said 40 extra minutes total). He said the boxed set is designed for people who want to immerse themselves fully in the world of Avatar and don't mind watching a 3-1/2 hour film and tons of extras (now I know why my Blu-ray copy of Avatar didn't have any extras on it).

He said that everything in the original script was shot.

Doing your part

A young girl in the audience asked what it felt like to have so much power to make changes in the world. Cameron turned the question around, challenging everyone in the audience to do their part to make the world better. For him, he said it might mean not making a film and getting more involved.

The freedom of digital filmmaking

One thing that I didn't realize until I heard Cameron's interview with Teri Gross was that the Avatar set was completely virtual. They captured the actors' performances digitally, which they could see on monitors. These images were crude versions of what would eventually end up in the film. This type of filmmaking made things easier for when they wanted to tweak the film later on. Typically, sets are torn down after a film is completed; but with Avatar, Cameron said if they wanted to change something, Sam Worthington (who played Jake) would just stop by when he was in town and reshoot a scene.

Digital vs. real

Someone in the audience asked about the divide between "digital" and "real."

Cameron joked, "It's all real."

The person went on to ask about how they blended real elements, like the water crashing on the shore in the last act of the film.

Cameron replied, "Oh, that was CG (computer graphics)," getting a laugh from the audience.

He did say that when he brought the idea of showing the ocean crashing against a shoreline, his digital effects team told him it was a near-impossible task to accomplish correctly. But they did.

On the Na'vi language

Someone asked how long it took for Cameron to "invent" the Na'vi language. Cameron said that the language was created by Dr. Paul Frommer in about six months.

He said the actor who had the most difficult role with the language was Zoe Saldana (Natyri), who had to speak English with a Na'vi accent. Cameron said they tried all kinds of accents before they found something that worked.

He also said that after Dr. Frommer saw the film, he wrote a memo to Cameron about how all the actors were speaking the Na'vi language incorrectly. Cameron joked that he somehow forgot to respond to that memo.

After the show

My son and I exited the theater and walked up to the main floor. A person from my work introduced me to Yuri Bartoli, one of the artists who worked on Avatar, who attended the screening. I was able to talk to Yuri for a while, which was interesting. While we were standing there, James Cameron and Suzi Amis-Cameron walked up the IMAX theater ramp. As he walked up, he posed for pictures and signed autographs. At this point, I pulled out the Avatar Blu-ray and red Sharpie that my son wanted Mr. Cameron to sign.

One of Mr. Cameron's assistants noticed me and that the autograph was for my son, so just as Mr. Cameron was heading for the door he said, "Jim, one more autograph over here!"

I handed the Blu-ray to Mr. Cameron and pointed to my son. "The autograph is for him."

At this point, I realized that James Cameron was pretty tall -- six-two or six-three. He walked over to Cameron and asked, "What's your name?"

"Cameron," my son said shyly.

"A-ha, it works as a first or last name!"

My son was also wearing a brace on his arm for a sprain, and Suzy asked him what he did to his arm.

"I fell off my bike," Cameron said, grinning.

Suzi then noticed my purple wrist band and asked, "Where did you get that?"

I told her it told us which seats we could sit in.

"I didn't get one," she said, in mock disappointment.

"You can have mine if you want," I said, but I realized she probably didn't want a band off my sweaty wrist.

I thanked Mr. Cameron for the autograph, and he and Suzi headed outside to a black SUV. I saw a few Seattle Police standing out there, too. After a minute or so, I saw camera flashes and noticed that James Cameron was outside taking pictures with fans, signing more autographs.

For some reason, I had this picture in my head of a man who was too busy for things like autographs, who would rush out the door surrounded by security people. But there he was, spending five or more minutes with that crowd.

Final thoughts

When I grew up, I always thought of my heroes as abstractions, demigods, people who existed in the ether of TV and movies. This was one of the reasons I wanted to take my son to this premier -- to show him that James Cameron is a real person, that he can actually stand in front of you and sign an autograph and talk to you.

There's a lot of power in creating a film like Avatar -- but I think there's even more power in realizing it takes real people like Mr. Cameron and the artist we met, Yuri Bartoli, to actually do the creating. And creating is hard work -- harder than what most people are capable of.

I hope meeting James Cameron breaks down that wall a little for my son,  that someday, if he works hard enough, he could work on a movie like Avatar, or whatever else he wants to do.

Links:

Video: James Cameron discusses why he's re-releasing Avatar

Blog: Avatar screenplay alterations and deletions

Labels: Events, Film

No, the family did not get Swine Flu (H1N1) on Saturday. Instead, we set off to Stevens Hospital in the Edmonds area to get the kids vaccinated against it. We got there a little before 9:00, and the line already snaked into the back parking lot.

Cameron asked me, "Why are all these people waiting in line?"

I explained that the Swine Flu vaccine was in short supply, and that this was one of the few places people could get it on Saturday. 

The first estimate we had was that we'd be waiting 2-1/2 hours.

The line moved ahead, and everyone was happy.

Then a volunteer came by and told us we'd be waiting 6 hours. Some people left. We stayed.

I told myself that if I could wait for hours for rides at Disneyland, I could certainly wait for my kids to get vaccinated. Brenda and I talked about one of us taking the kids to a movie, but in the end we didn't exactly how long it was going to take.

The good people at Stevens Hospital (I found out later that most of them were volunteers) did everything they could to make our line experience as smooth and pleasant as possible. They passed out breakfast bars and cereal. Clowns came by and gave the kids stickers. Another clown performed a show for all the kids. (I thought several times that someone could have made a fortune selling good food, drinks, and coffee in line that day.)

After 1:00 p.m., it became clear that we were going to be in the line for a long time. Brenda and I took turns with the kids, using the car as a home base. Drew watched a movie or two. I read a book to Cam (Enders Game). I was surprised how well everyone did around us. There was no complaining. People saved places for other people in line. People shared food. And it didn't rain.

At 2:00 p.m., I was starving so I walked down to McDonald's on 99 to get some food for me and the family. When I got back, Brenda was already in the covered area, which you can see in this picture:

And then we reached the point in the line that was right next to the hospital. As you can see, Brenda's very happy.

Then it was time for the kids to get their "nasal mist" injections of the vaccine. They both took it like men.

Here's Cameron questioning why the delivery device looks like a shot:

Here's Drew -- I mean, The Skeleton -- getting his vaccine.

As we left the hospital, an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment came over me. We had persevered 6 hours to get this vaccine. And now we were going to get ready for Halloween (it was 3:00 p.m.). I thought to myself, this will be a Halloween that these thousands of people never forget.

Thanks again to Stevens Hospital staff, all the volunteers, the Fire Department, the Police Department, and many others for making this day as easy as it could be.

Labels: adventures of a parent, Events

A week ago, on October 13 , Cameron and I attended Star Wars in Concert at Key Arena in Seattle. If you haven't heard about this tour, it's a concert with a full symphony orchestra playing in front of a huge high-definition LED screen. For this event, Lucasfilm produced several montages from all six Star Wars films that play on the screen throughout the concert. Composer John Williams arranged new compositions for each montage. As an added bonus, there's a exhibition of movie props--from the original Darth Vader costume to Chewbacca to view outside the concert area before the show.

My connection to the Star Wars: A New Hope soundtrack goes way back. It was one of the first records I ever bought (in fifth grade), and I played it until I wore it out. But as much as I love the Star Wars films and music, I'd never heard any of the music played live. Star Wars in Concert was the perfect opportunity to finally hear it.

Cameron and I had excellent seats, right above the left side of the stage, seven rows up. As we waited for the show to start, we heard lightsaber sounds buzzing over the PA, and the orchestra tuning up behind a white curtain. Kids waved their lightsabers around like glow sticks at a rock concert. Suddenly, the lights went out, and the symphony started playing the Fox Fanfare, like you hear before every Star Wars film. The white curtain dropped to the ground, and the symphony blasted into the Main Title, with hi-def images playing behind them.

After each track, actor Anthony Daniels, who played C3PO in all six Star Wars film, came out and told the story of Star Wars, setting up each sequence -- like "Droids," "Narrow Escapes," "Princess Leia," etc. After he spoke, he'd either sit on a seat at the side of the stage or he'd go backstage.

The stage itself was designed to look like it belonged in the Star Wars universe. The massive orchestra filled the stage, and a choir stood in the back for the first half of the show. There were times that the hi-def screen just projected images of the orchestra, provided by two jib cameras swinging around on stage right and left and one stationary camera at the sound board.

The new arrangements of the music were good, but I think they could have gotten away with playing the soundtrack to certain sequences in the original movies. For example, they played the track for the TIE Fighter attack on the Millennium Falcon from Episode IV, but it was to a montage of all six movies. I'd even be willing to pay to go see a live orchestra play behind the entire original Star Wars film, like they did for E.T. - The Extraterrestrial.

Tracks that sounded especially good live were Anakin's Theme and Across the Stars (Love Theme from Star Wars: Episode II). These themes usually get overpowered by more exciting ones, like Dual of the Fates or the Main Theme; but in a live setting, sequenced at the right time, these themes take on a life of their own. I always like how Williams alluded to Darth Vader's theme in Anakin's Theme.

All in all, seeing this show was well worth it. I recommend this for anyone who's a fan of these movies or likes symphonic music.

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There are a couple of historical notes about the Star Wars soundtrack that show how important the music was to the film

First, during the 1970s most films didn't include symphonic soundtracks. If you go back and listen to many of those movies, you'll hear bands or minimal compositions. George Lucas knew that Star Wars needed the majesty of a full symphony orchestra to help propel the film.

Second, I read a story that Lucas showed Star Wars to an audience of friends, including Francis Ford Coppola, without the soundtrack (it wasn't done yet). Evidently, everyone who watched the film thought that it was a disaster. But Lucas must have known that the soundtrack that John Williams was writing was his secret weapon. 

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Here are some photos of the exhibit and the characters wandering around the exhibit:

Labels: Concerts, Events, Star Wars