A Poem...
An Ode to SES...as today was my final day at the Special Effects Stages, after 8 strong years. It was my first gainful, and entertainment-oriented, employment in LA waaaaaay back in 2002 when I was down and out. Way too many stories to tell, so I will just let Kevin's poem do it for me:
In the Virtual Studio, visual effects were the treats
We played to full houses except row one’s last four seats
We flew UFOs and throwing rocks was great fun
We had Drac’s Castle, the Heroes freeze, and remember “It’s Done”?
We had everyone slide even if they had annual passes
But none of them ever found their 3D glasses.
The Creature Factory was a scary place to be
With monsters, body parts, and the suit of telemetry
From the half-o-saurus to the roar of the T-Rex
And each child who stepped upon the ominous death X.
Whether we screamed or flirted or hit the wall
We sliced ‘em and diced ‘em and had a ball.
In the Sound Lab, Foley was the plan
We don’t need a volunteer, we just need a man
Shrek would scream but the King screamed more
We had plungers and water tanks, even a dragon roar
We made lots of noise and every now and then
The room would freeze and we’d do it all again.
Whether the hands of Goldblatt, Whyte or Grey
They would likely be red by the end of the day.
At times the revolve wouldn’t properly spin,
But the dining room chair would, again and again.
With ESATs, cats, rats, even a skunk
Resets and a curtain pole that came down with a thunk
Roof leaks, code sixes, an Imhotep scar
Accidental E-stops, you know who you are
Yet all these hurdles seem so sublime
Compared to the challenge of roster time.
It has been a good long run for the crew and each actor,
Outlasting a red-haired host, spider, creature, and fear was no factor.
Yet, like Cinemagic before us, we pass on our genes,
With our neighbor Backdraft we give birth so it seems,
With our special effects and their firestorms
We give way to our successor as the lower lot transforms.
So no more American Variety Artists guilding
Since, as have we all, Elvis has left the building.
As the journey ends, think fondly through the ages,
That the effect was truly special, through all of these stages.
-Kevin Blake
In the Virtual Studio, visual effects were the treats
We played to full houses except row one’s last four seats
We flew UFOs and throwing rocks was great fun
We had Drac’s Castle, the Heroes freeze, and remember “It’s Done”?
We had everyone slide even if they had annual passes
But none of them ever found their 3D glasses.
The Creature Factory was a scary place to be
With monsters, body parts, and the suit of telemetry
From the half-o-saurus to the roar of the T-Rex
And each child who stepped upon the ominous death X.
Whether we screamed or flirted or hit the wall
We sliced ‘em and diced ‘em and had a ball.
In the Sound Lab, Foley was the plan
We don’t need a volunteer, we just need a man
Shrek would scream but the King screamed more
We had plungers and water tanks, even a dragon roar
We made lots of noise and every now and then
The room would freeze and we’d do it all again.
Whether the hands of Goldblatt, Whyte or Grey
They would likely be red by the end of the day.
At times the revolve wouldn’t properly spin,
But the dining room chair would, again and again.
With ESATs, cats, rats, even a skunk
Resets and a curtain pole that came down with a thunk
Roof leaks, code sixes, an Imhotep scar
Accidental E-stops, you know who you are
Yet all these hurdles seem so sublime
Compared to the challenge of roster time.
It has been a good long run for the crew and each actor,
Outlasting a red-haired host, spider, creature, and fear was no factor.
Yet, like Cinemagic before us, we pass on our genes,
With our neighbor Backdraft we give birth so it seems,
With our special effects and their firestorms
We give way to our successor as the lower lot transforms.
So no more American Variety Artists guilding
Since, as have we all, Elvis has left the building.
As the journey ends, think fondly through the ages,
That the effect was truly special, through all of these stages.
-Kevin Blake