Day 2 - The Set Tour
You know... walking on to the soundstages for SG-1 and SGA for a second time was still breathtakingly amazing. I was struck all over again by how familiar and yet different they were to me.
So, we had John Smith for our guide again this year and we started off in the SG-1 soundstage. Got to see Sam's lab all set up; it has also doubled as Daniel's office and the infirmary. When they need more room, one of walls is on a pulley system and it's just hoisted out of the way. Next we went behind the set walls and into one of the 'corridors' on the other side of Sam's lab. At the end of the hallway and to the right is one of the 'elevators'. In fact, it might be the only elevator, though they can probably switch the doors out on some other 'rooms' to make another 'elevator'.
From there we walked into the Gate Room. That was, again, a very impressive sight. The first thing you see is the ramp and one of the guns and then you look up and to the left to behold the Stargate. It is incredible! The second thing you see is how very very small the room really is. To put it into perspective... the scene in SGA's Rising where everyone is milling about at the gate... what you see in shot, is really all there is. There's only room for about 30 people in there (if that) and still have space for the cameras. And the end of the ramp is only about 10, maybe 15 feet from the wall where the control center is.
After that we went up into the control room and poked around there. Got to sit in 'the chair' and place my hand on the palm print scanner thing that was installed after the Retu incident.... the same one that shocked Sam in Redemption when they tried to close the iris when Rodney's EMP thing didn't work. We then went up another level into the briefing room with 'the table' and the General's office where the infamous flag was. All I could think of when I saw that part of the set was watching Danny walk through the door in nothing but a flag.
From there, we walked through another of the three or four different hallways, out the building and across the parking lot and onto the puddlejumper set. OMG! I absolutly love the PJ! And the amount of cables hanging from the ceiling to power and hoist it is amazing. Again, I got to go inside it and had my pic taken in Rodney's seat, the one directly behind the pilot's (Shep's) seat. Boy those chairs are comfy!! I'd like a PJ of my own now please. The F-302 was in there as well though you couldn't get up into it.
From there we went next door into the cave set which it looks like they've expanded it tremendously. There was also a set that was just bare walls that would become some kind of office (I think, I didn't hear too clearly) within the week. Through another door we came on to the Daedelus set. We got a bit rushed through here, but Mr. Smith wanted us to have a little more time on the Atlantis set.. and as I'm more of an SGA fan, I wasn't a bit upset by that. Though it would have been quite cool to have taken the comm officer's chair for a bit. We also kind of zipped through the Village set. They've done some massive re-work on it and in fact appear to be building it out a little more from what I saw of it last year. There used to be a bridge over the central courtyard... in fact you can see the bridge in some screencaps of it in Avalon, Pt 2. Can't wait to see what the end result is going to be.
Finally we got to Atlantis. I don't know if the lighting was different this year or what, but the Gatrium seemed smaller to me this time around... but there was still the same awe as there was last year. We entered it from a door to the left of the Stargate so you get the same kind of perspective as you do in Rising when you first see the stairs and then the control balcony on the right. We were pretty much allowed free reign to go anywhere except Weir's office (though I understand other tours were allowed in). So yeah, I got pictures of almost everything. Would have taken more but not only was my battery running down but both my film cards were full or nearly there. I did get to see Rodney's lab, but it was just an empty room save for a couple of chairs and a potted plant. No blinky light racks in sight. ::le sigh:: I think John said it was also the infirmary... not sure.
Sadly our tour did come to an end and we were ushered back onto the bus for the trip back to the hotel. I'm sure there are things I'm forgetting... stuff John said, things we got to see... but I've just been so overwhelmed this weekend that I can't remember it all.
So, we had John Smith for our guide again this year and we started off in the SG-1 soundstage. Got to see Sam's lab all set up; it has also doubled as Daniel's office and the infirmary. When they need more room, one of walls is on a pulley system and it's just hoisted out of the way. Next we went behind the set walls and into one of the 'corridors' on the other side of Sam's lab. At the end of the hallway and to the right is one of the 'elevators'. In fact, it might be the only elevator, though they can probably switch the doors out on some other 'rooms' to make another 'elevator'.
From there we walked into the Gate Room. That was, again, a very impressive sight. The first thing you see is the ramp and one of the guns and then you look up and to the left to behold the Stargate. It is incredible! The second thing you see is how very very small the room really is. To put it into perspective... the scene in SGA's Rising where everyone is milling about at the gate... what you see in shot, is really all there is. There's only room for about 30 people in there (if that) and still have space for the cameras. And the end of the ramp is only about 10, maybe 15 feet from the wall where the control center is.
After that we went up into the control room and poked around there. Got to sit in 'the chair' and place my hand on the palm print scanner thing that was installed after the Retu incident.... the same one that shocked Sam in Redemption when they tried to close the iris when Rodney's EMP thing didn't work. We then went up another level into the briefing room with 'the table' and the General's office where the infamous flag was. All I could think of when I saw that part of the set was watching Danny walk through the door in nothing but a flag.
From there, we walked through another of the three or four different hallways, out the building and across the parking lot and onto the puddlejumper set. OMG! I absolutly love the PJ! And the amount of cables hanging from the ceiling to power and hoist it is amazing. Again, I got to go inside it and had my pic taken in Rodney's seat, the one directly behind the pilot's (Shep's) seat. Boy those chairs are comfy!! I'd like a PJ of my own now please. The F-302 was in there as well though you couldn't get up into it.
From there we went next door into the cave set which it looks like they've expanded it tremendously. There was also a set that was just bare walls that would become some kind of office (I think, I didn't hear too clearly) within the week. Through another door we came on to the Daedelus set. We got a bit rushed through here, but Mr. Smith wanted us to have a little more time on the Atlantis set.. and as I'm more of an SGA fan, I wasn't a bit upset by that. Though it would have been quite cool to have taken the comm officer's chair for a bit. We also kind of zipped through the Village set. They've done some massive re-work on it and in fact appear to be building it out a little more from what I saw of it last year. There used to be a bridge over the central courtyard... in fact you can see the bridge in some screencaps of it in Avalon, Pt 2. Can't wait to see what the end result is going to be.
Finally we got to Atlantis. I don't know if the lighting was different this year or what, but the Gatrium seemed smaller to me this time around... but there was still the same awe as there was last year. We entered it from a door to the left of the Stargate so you get the same kind of perspective as you do in Rising when you first see the stairs and then the control balcony on the right. We were pretty much allowed free reign to go anywhere except Weir's office (though I understand other tours were allowed in). So yeah, I got pictures of almost everything. Would have taken more but not only was my battery running down but both my film cards were full or nearly there. I did get to see Rodney's lab, but it was just an empty room save for a couple of chairs and a potted plant. No blinky light racks in sight. ::le sigh:: I think John said it was also the infirmary... not sure.
Sadly our tour did come to an end and we were ushered back onto the bus for the trip back to the hotel. I'm sure there are things I'm forgetting... stuff John said, things we got to see... but I've just been so overwhelmed this weekend that I can't remember it all.