What have I been up to for the past few months? Quite a bit, actually. In November I went to the UK for the first time, which has been a lifelong ambition. I’ve always wanted to visit New York, Tokyo and London…and now all three can be checked off the list. In fact, I managed to pack New York into my UK trip on the way back…but more of that later.
Star Trek is sick, and the cure for what ails it isn’t another bombastic brofest.
Allow me to explain. Though I’m best known as a Doctor Who nerd, my first introduction to science fiction in a visual medium was Star Trek. As a six-year old in the mid-70s I was intrigued by the colorful costumes and derring-do of the original series, and I never really lost that interest until the series started hitting the dirt around the mid-point of Voyager.
Recently I’ve posted about getting out of making videos and moving more towards writing. Since then I’ve been doing a bunch of writing (you may have seen a couple of whimsical fanfics) but in the warm-up to the Radio Free Skaro live show at Gallifrey One, I put together this little number:
It got such a good response, with people cheering and laughing in the audience and Doctor Who fans saying such nice things about it online, that it’s encouraged me to rethink my previous trepidation towards filmmaking.
But it’s important to note that filmmaking will not be the dominant thing I do. I think the best approach is to tackle creative work in as many mediums as possible; comics, prose, film and audio. Not only will I learn more but it’ll expose my work, for better or for worse, to a wider array of people.
I would like to thank everyone who emailed or commented on how much they liked the video. It really means a lot.
P.S. I can’t take all the credit. The opening “Thames” ident was the work of Mel Siermaczeski.
Thanks to encouragement and support from both fellow fans and other writerly types such as J.M. Frey and Deb Stanish, I’ve kept at it with the fan fiction scribblin’. My newest is Head Cases – Episode 1, a bit of cranial nonsense involving Handles, Davros, the brain of Morbius and a few surprises.
I’m also working on a couple of short screenplays and an original horror-themed short story…and a comic book script and some other ephemera. In other words, I’m keeping busy.
Since I have a day job and occasionally freelance video work on my plate, I have to carve out time for writing, as every writer does. My routine for the foreseeable future is heading home from work, hitting the gym in my building and writing for an hour or two before bed. Glamorous? No. But it does mean I’ll be Getting Things Done.
And speaking of getting things done, in a few days I’ll be heading off to Hawaii for a week to cover a conference for work. I’ll likely be way too tired after a day of blogging, tweeting and shooting video to get any writing done…which is why I intend to spend most of the flight to Maui glued to my new Macbook Air.
After Hawaii, I’m heading to Gallifrey One, the biggest and best Doctor Who convention in North America. I’ll (despite a chronic lack of sleep thanks to a red-eye flight) be one of the three hosts, along withe the mighty Steven Schapansky and Chris Burgess opening the convention with the Radio Free Skaro: Gallifrey Stands live show (technical direction by Chip, the Two Minute Time Lord), followed by a weekend of friends, nerdery and probably a little booze. Then it’s back home to Vancouver and another marathon session of coverage for a big conference in town.
Phew! February is going to be mighty busy. Wish me luck.
This week Video Free Skaro visits Cos and Effect, Vancouver’s big cosplay convention where you’re likely to run into Batman, Link, Ringo Starr and trolls from Homestuck, often all at once. Warren interviews Heather Wilkinson, one of the organizers of Cos and Effect, and she gives him the lowdown on what cosplay is all about and how those interested can join in the fun.
All this and the (somewhat late) news! On Video! Free! Skaro!
This week Video Free Skaro dives back into the world of Standard Action, a web series shot in Vancouver and set in a mythical land not unlike one that involves both Dungeons and/or Dragons. We talked to Standard Action director Rob Hunt and costumer and assistant director Vanessa Driveness, and we’ve got a sneak peek from a scene between a sassy kobold and Eric Fell, whom you may recognize from Blue Meanie and Skaromantic Comedy.
All this and news, Gally updates and so much more!
On this edition of Video Free Skaro, we talk to Tom Pickles, who has not only built a full-size functional Dalek but also a TARDIS, a Weeping Angel, K-9 and more! You may have seen his handiwork in Blue Meanie and Skaromantic Comedy…now meet the man behind the monsters.
Please leave us a comment, subscribe, and if you like the t-shirts Warren wears on the show, head to www.damask.ca for all your Whovian sartorial needs!
In this exciting episode of Video Free Skaro, Warren talks to Joanna Gaskell, creator, writer and star of Standard Action, a web series shot in Vancouver but set in a Dungeons and Dragons world of high adventure and hilarity. We also welcome another special guest to Tom Baker Tonight, and Tom is once again in fine form. All this and the latest Who news!
If you like the shirt Warren is wearing, head to http://www.damask.ca for all your Whovian sartorial needs!
On this episode of Video Free Skaro, we profile “Mind My Brains, Darling!” a webseries made in the style of “Are You Being Served?” and other British comedies of the Seventies, but with zombies. We also debut “Tom Baker Tonight,” an exciting foray into late night variety programming by a tiny, maniacal Tom Baker action figure. All this and the latest news, reviews, and superfluous pictures of Jenna Louise Coleman!