Things Totton Locals Don't Say

Amidst the Gangnam Styles, Harlem Shakes and other high quality memes that the internet provides us, there are small gems that last mere days before vanishing into digital dust.  One of these is 'Things [X] People Don't Say", in which X is replaced by a place or institution. These Facebook pages are filled with quotes about the titular subject matter, with the ironic twist being that nobody would ever legitimately say it. I find it hilarious.

Though I typically despise this sort of thing, I took it upon myself to create a page for my hometown of Totton and see how interested users were in sarcastic quips. Before twenty-four hours had passed, my page was followed by over a hundred people, most from the local area who understood exactly what I meant when I posted "The best time to visit ASDA is Saturday morning" (it isn't, its crowded) or "The Duck Pond looks lovely and clean today. See that duck over there?!" (the dark and cloudy pond has few ducks) or even "There just aren't enough McColls near Totton College" (more than two!).

It really is terribly sad.

Check it out:

http://www.facebook.com/ThingsTottonLocalsDontSay

Matters more urgent caused my absence...

When I started this blog in 2009, I was determined not to let it fade into disuse after mere weeks. Since we're in 2013 and I'm still here typing, I think I've succeeded! Nevertheless, the realities of university work, socializing and writers-block mean that I've had little time for blogging and reviews in several months.

No longer.

I'm home from my 'exile' to Marchwood and in a moment of enthusiasm, it is time for me to entertain, inform and educate all of my faithful readers. Do you get my meaning? I am back.

The Expectations of Others (or 'How I knew a girl who knew me before I knew her')

I know a girl who knew me before I knew her. It sounds like one of my time lord travels, but stay with me. She was waiting with a friend at the same bus stop as I when the bus was late one morning. I don’t like being late and I must have felt rather bold in curtly criticising the bus driver for this crime when I stepped aboard, only to discover they were nervous and new to driving the route. I came across rather poorly to the girl and her friend. I never meant to. I’m not like that… But they were just strangers and strangers forget. Yet she didn’t.

Not long after, we met at the party of a mutual friend and she recognised me – how could she not considering the same green jacket and Battlestar Galactica arm patch? Never mentioning the bus incident, we talked and laughed and went away adding each other on Facebook. Yet the girl only told me this story a few weeks ago, after we’ve grown close and become good friends in many intervening months. Shes very important in my life right now. Its a good story, demonstrating not only that first impressions aren’t fatal, but that the world is too small to presume and place expectations.

I’ve never had a lot of time for socialising and worrying what people think about me. Being a geek at school from day one quickly made me into an outcast, except that I had a label, and more importantly, an expectation placed upon me. I had to be clever. I had to get the best grades, be the best pupil and prove to everyone that… well, what?

Truth be told, I’m clever and savvy but more of an all-rounder in my abilities rather than an A-grade academic student. I’ll easily procrastinate and daydream of far off lands and rather than focus on an essay about convergent media. I learn things better by feeling them through poetic texture and reading the atmosphere of a situation rather than researching technical specifications and dates (unless its Galaxy-class starships). I’ve known this for some years now of course, but it doesn’t stop me feeling like I have something to prove each time I’m handed an assignment. Be it an essay to ace, or the right till buttons to press. And I do want to be good at things. I want people to respect me, think of me as kind and fair and as someone who knows his stuff. The only thing that my parents asked of me was to “try my best”. I still do.

The problem with it is nobody cares. The scruffy lad who wears green jackets is perhaps the label the average pedestrian in my home town places upon me with little thought to my background or disposition. That would worry me in the past when I’d make a youthful faux pas and appear foolish. “I’m not like that…” I’d naively protest. I’m nice really! I’m friendly! I have a moral centre I promise! Personally I couldn’t care less if someone I knew passed or failed their exam: not in the sense that I’d judge them as a person on it, anyway. You’d be surprised how many whispered gossips I’ve heard. Maybe you wouldn’t be surprised. Maybe that’s just Human. Now I’m older I still feel a desire to prove that I’m ‘worthy’, I guess, but the average person matters little to me.

University is ending for me this year, and I approach a crossroads in life. What shall I do next? A career of opportunity and running around with business plans, or a quiet life with a simple job that might not excite, but is safe and happy? Sometimes people evaluate others claiming that “they could have done something more” or “was too clever for just that”. I don’t ever want someone to say that about me, but I won’t let that affect my choices. The people in the street will always have an expectation regardless if I become a famous film director, manage a journalistic career or simply work night shifts wiping a floor in ASDA, but that doesn’t matter. They’ll forget me. I’m the antithesis of ‘keeping up with the Joneses’. I believe the things I need to keep up with are simply my own ambitions and dreams. My own expectations of myself.

What amuses me is that the girl who knew me before I knew her… was almost someone I knew before she knew me. She looked familiar, perhaps the sister of one of my old Sociology classmates, I conjectured. But its not the case. The girl is someone completely different than I anticipated. And so much better.

See? Expectation.

Star Trek: Unity - "The Oath"

It was October when I last released a full episode of Star Trek: Unity, and to me thats a long time. But other fan film series sometimes take years to create a single episode. Granted, the length and quality are often higher, but then I've been working to improve the look and tone of my series during the interim, so five months wait hopefully paid off. Nevertheless, at least I didn't leave my faithful viewers on a cliffhanger and a similar amount of time has passed for the crew of the starship Odyssey as we kick off our final season of storylines (and this time I mean final!). "The Oath" is a smaller story than the "Revolutions" epic, though it is almost a 'part five' of that story, showing how Admiral Lewis is settling (or rather not) into his new role.


The title refers to the theme of the story which is duty and responsibility balanced with friendship and common sense... Lewis is The Doctor, but is becoming more of a secluded, out of touch Admiral rather than his previous rebellious, free-spirited self, whilst newcomer Mitchell Stone is struggling to find a balance between taking orders and doing what he thinks is right, whereas the character of Commander Roberts on the derelict space station died following stupid orders to the letter, all tied together by Chov taking the Hippocratic Oath at the beginning, and echoed throughout.

One of Unity's greater themes has always been growing up, as Starfleet's youngest crew must explore the final frontier and battle aliens whilst at the same time discovering themselves and coping with teenage aches and pains. To me, its an interesting dynamic and one that is explored deeper here. As a youngster, most go through a period of finding themselves, challenging the personal expectations and assumptions of youth - I know thats half of what I use this blog for. Its disconcerting though and people panic, find out who their real friends are and adapt to the world, as Admiral Lewis does when he stubbornly tries to carry on, an exhausted wreck, following his argument with Mitchell and Jimb'a, fearing that his friendships and relationships are breaking down - reflected by the cumulative damage of his starship. Only when he makes that connection does he realize something has to change. He is brave and leaves his ready room, back to the bridge, back in command.

Despite all that pseudo-psychological depth, there is also a spooky action scene set on a 60's-style Star Trek location, and there are several references to licensed Star Trek games in this episode - Drozana Station refers to a location in the PC game Star Trek Online, whilst the Ikolis Expanse is from the PC game Star Trek: Armada and even the 1980s board game Starfleet Battles gets a nod as I adapted it's 'Hold Until Relieved' short story - as well as several subtle and obvious clues in this episode to upcoming storylines. An example being the news report on Federation Presidential elections. Why are the Romulans attacking? And who is that woman with glasses we keep seeing at the lower decks party? None of that is really important though - I'm just pleased that I've created a slower, more atmospheric episode with a structure that (unintentionally) reflects the fluctuating moods and false starts of Admiral Lewis. He is a man who just doesn't know what he feels or how to act. A typical period of feeling lost in young people as they work out who they are, and its time for Lewis to work out who he is, both as a person with choices ahead of him and his actual name. Lewis? Lewis who? Have we ever actually heard his full name...?


The starship Odyssey is a falling apart wreck with a demotivated crew and a directionless commanding officer all under repeated attack by the Romulans. Can Admiral Lewis overcome his doubts and work together with the new operations chief Mitchell Stone? With Admiral Lewis out of his seclusion and back in command, he and Mitchell, with help from Eleanor, board a derelict space station from a lost era. But instead of finding much-needed supplies, the pair must work together to tackle the ghosts of those who held until relieved... "The Oath" might be a slower character-driven episode than a typical Star Trek: Unity adventure, but that doesn't mean the cast and crew didn't have just as much fun making it, with the usual bloopers, mistakes and memorable moments! Enjoy our behind the scenes. Especially Adam Best's seagull impressions...

What Really Grinds YOUR Gears 2013

I've been quiet in the world of blogging and cyberspace for a couple of months for several reasons, and here is one of them: the brand new What Really Grinds YOUR Gears 2013. Once again I take a look at the things viewers at home find annoying, but this time, I have a team of friends helping out!

Grinding Gears didn't get a lot of love during 2012, despite my intention to release this new episode earlier than I have. At the start of this year, though, I made a short special edition to celebrate my friend Matt McConnell's 18th Birthday from November 2012, looking at the good, the bad and the ugly of Birthday message videos.

I'm loathe to waste any decent enough footage that I film. During scripted shoots, there is always leftovers, but I mean whole gags and sketches that are filmed and never see the light of day. Such was the case with a lot of this Gears episode, as I had a large amount of filming a group of us lads had done one summer's day in 2011 for the show, but I got sidetracked with university and other projects. So this 'compliation' episode contains random clips filmed at my old house years ago - with the last appearance of the iconic Grinding Gears 'wall' - and the new house, whilst in some scenes the visual quality shifts drastically between the three different cameras I used to shoot it. Despite that, I'm pretty pleased how well it holds together. Bits of the immature humour haven't dated well, but there are some moments of gold in there: the ironing how-to guide (with a great vintage BBC-style voiceover from my Dad) and the scene of Michael Hamilton dancing is classic.

With all of the footage finally having found a home, I don't know what the future holds for this webseries - I'm certainly going to focus on Star Trek: Unity's sixth season in the near future, as well as a certain university film that I'm getting increasingly excited about being involved in... but though this format is over, I think that we'll see What Really Grinds YOUR Gears again. Somewhen. Somehow.

Unpredictable and immature since 2007, Luke Sutton presents a one-off compilation episode of the satire parody webseries that investigates what minor, pathetic issues viewers have with the world. Includes unseen rants from previous years and new material involving Tumblr, onions, music-that-sounds-like-a-drill and ironing...



Why send a card when you can record a video?! In this brand new special episode of Luke Sutton's What Really Grinds YOUR Gears, the man in the blue/green jackets celebrates (late) the 18th birthday of friend Matt McConnell by investigating the varying quality of birthday videos by his friends... If you don't know us, you probably won't understand any references or in-jokes and this video is a complete waste of time! Enjoy!

Bouncing Bus Boredom

Last week, I saw buses being
towed by recovery trucks twice.
I sense a conspiracy.

I don’t drive cars and have not yet learned to drive simply because I don’t yet need to. I do envy and respect many of my peers who can now navigate the dangerous roads of South England without sustaining any damage, save that of having their bodywork keyed by spiteful yobs. The freedom must be immense, if expensive for the less well off. Such is my argument: I could probably afford to run a car and learn to drive, but little else. Right now, as a poor youth living off the funds of Christmas jobs and student grants, the sheer need for me to take the wheel is not applicable.

Therefore, I spend a lot of my time getting places on the bus. It isn’t as bad as it seems, for travelling on the bus provides a unique insight into Humans and I love people watching. I’ve spoken before of the unwritten rule of silence on the bus, people suddenly becoming introverted and not quite as sociable as a Conservative MP’s smug superiority towards a Police pleb. Too often even I am guilty of starring out the window at the world going by, typically when I’m due into university first thing in the morning and my IQ isn’t yet high enough for anything more than the grateful grunt at the driver for allowing me on board. Half an hour to town and back on the bus is an opportunity to do a lot of things however, like listening to a small child’s amusing questions to their exasperated parents or watching the polite but disdainful expressions of passengers that have found themselves been spoken to by the one old, slightly unshaven or smelly man who seems oddly social. That’ll be me. But rather than waste time, I endeavour to read a novel or write down some story ideas – just little things. Even if the bus prices here in the south remain rather high, the free Wi-Fi must be very useful for smartphone users.

The bus I travelled on this morning to university had a rather unique quirk though, in that throughout the journey, whilst still at traffic lights or stops, the whole bus kept bouncing around, as if the hydraulics that lowers the front for disabled access and the suspension were a big bouncy castle filled with periodically escaping air. From the outside observer, it must have appeared as if there was mass lovemaking occurring inside the long, blue vehicle. As we waited for the train to pass the level crossing, the driver even kept revving the engine, presumably preparing for a drag race. As it was the morning and my IQ was still developing, I wasn’t sure if I was imagining things, but after driving the same route repeatedly each day for several years, I supposed even the drivers get bored.

A Letter from Paramount Pictures

Even when I was an innocent little (but equally as jaded) child, I loved writing stories. My parents tell me that I was always so frustrated that I couldn’t express myself before I could read and write. And when I discovered Star Trek and became the massive fan of it that I am now, I wrote my own stories set in that universe, with my own characters, Commander Lewis, Lt. Commander Puto, following their silly space adventures before they went on to command Unity Starbase many years later as my stories developed into the fan films I produce to this day.

One of my first Star Trek stories “The Borg Encounter” I wrote into a script at the age of nine, after pouring through professional screenplays my parents got hold of for me to read. As bold and naïve as I was, I decided to post it to Paramount Pictures to see what they thought, due to reasons that even now elude me. In any case, after several months, Paramount UK wrote a lovely letter back to me (pictured) in which they thanked me for my story, spoke of how they’d sent it to the US and were gifting me a Star Trek movies VHS box set (worth £100 back then!). Needless to say, as a nine-year-old Trekkie, this was even better than getting a tub of Lego for Christmas.

Whilst sorting through papers recently as my family were packing to move house temporarily, I came across this letter and wanted to share it. I seem to recall that Paramount US did indeed write to me later on (from Star Trek producer Rick Berman’s office, no less), but I’ve yet to dig out that particular document.

Maybe I should count this as Work Experience evidence for my University course… after all, I still own that VHS box set.

The Spirits of Christmas

Dressed up as a Little Helper to
my Dad's "Santa" at the Primary School
 Christmas fete.

I don’t tend to get quite as excited about Christmas and New Year as some people in this world, though I don't mind a festive winter wonderland if one should come along! There is something rather magical about winter, even without snow, the idea of trekking through a lovely forest in the ominous twilight of the season only to come home into a warm living room with log fire burning to watch a grainy old Christmas film whilst opening modest presents is something that greatly appeals to me. A romantic image perhaps, but one I’ve experienced as a child and often wish to again. But I won’t be this year.

DWT Christmas meal at Adam's.

No, this particular year my family and I have moved out. Again. Just for three months from the start of January as some modernizing and building work is done to our home. Thus, the boxes were pilled up again, bedrooms stripped of contents and the best piece of festivity we could muster was a small plastic light-up tree.

But as always, it’s the company that you keep which really matters during Christmas, and the day itself was a standard affair of going over my Aunt’s house for lunch (bread) with parents and grandmother. However, I’ve also been to a few box socials such as The Dudes with Thumbs (still going sort of strong) meal at Adam’s with wine and secret Santa, a board gaming night where everyone wanted to buy Muk in Pokemon Monopoly and a typical “Bobby’s” where I ended up in bed with the Queen and Matt didn’t throw up.

Becky and Emma Goodwin with
Matt not being festive behind them.

The exception was my very own Luke Sutton Christmas Special, on December 21^st – the day the world was alleged to end according to the Mayan calendar. I’m still here. Yes, amongst the boxes, I found the time and space in my all-but-deserted bedroom to cram a load of people inside, give them glowsticks (which ultimately leaked) and watch what happened. Seeing Becky, Beth and my other friends who were back from university was lovely and though a little cramped when turning off the lights and trying to dance, I think everyone had a good time: something a bit more intimate to say the least. Also, when we went out for a walk as a group in the evening, I gave Emma Long a piggyback. Always wanted to do that.

Kelda on Amy. Matt on me.
Only two of these are lesbian whores.

The New Years celebration was at my close friend Amy’s house this year, in which we essentially drank the house dry whilst playing innuendo-based truth games and bruising each other’s thumbs with plastic lightsabers. Its possible that I’d got Amy drunk at Bobby’s with 38.8% alcohol volume vodka, so she repaid me by forcing 40% scotch whiskey down my throat as our first act of 2013. Terribly dignified, I’m sure you’ll agree, alcohol seems to once again be the lowest common denominator for parties. But it was lovely to be around the new friends I’d made in 2012, Matt’s gang, some of whom now mean as much to me as those who’ve stuck by me for the long haul. Twenty-Twelve was an Olympic year of ups and downs, epitomized by the kind of New Years I experienced: I ended up sleeping awkwardly on a floor next to three other men!

New Years. Also, Lauren Stone's 18th.

Following all of that, I’m now sitting at my desk inside a delightful little cottage we’re renting in the middle of a village called Marchwood, where my friends Rebecca and Emma, amongst others, reside. It isn’t too far from Totton and Southampton (especially with a bus stop about ten meters from the front door), but there is no internet signal unless I wrap up in my coat and take my laptop to the grassy park on the other side of the road. It’s actually pleasantly isolating, like being on holiday without rushing around with commitments and noisy controversy. The cottage is lovely, full of character. There are old heavy wooden doors, a quaint little kitchen, two (count ‘em) toilets, a window in my bedroom perfect for people-watching the village and when Amy visited following an afternoon of us shopping for peroxide, she commented on the rather luxurious bathroom.

If you're reading my blogs over the
 coming weeks, chances are I'm posting
 them from this bench...

So it seems when I return from sitting in the park posting blogs to the world outside this bubble, I’ll step back in the warm walls, with my family, and something to watch on TV. Perhaps I’m having one of those winters after all, where life ends up being a little simpler, slower and somehow so satisfying.

Happy New Year, faithful reader.

Guest Blog: Annie Bailey on university life and coming home

Luke called me butch.
I called him a bitch.

Several months ago, I spoke of my friends leaving to pursue new chapters of their lives at university and work, explaining how this might give me a bittersweet feeling of loss. But what of the souls that actually braved a new frontier and who are only now arriving home for Christmas? Today, because she happens to be back from her very own university adventure in Roehampton, I'm giving this blog I value so much over to my good friend Annie Bailey, who explains why she already wants to go back...

Hi there!
UMMM... I was never worried about going to University, I spent the year travelling so I was quite good at the independent thing, the only thing I was concerned about was the people I would be living with. Some people say that the people you go to uni with are the people you spend the rest of your lives with, but some of my friends that went to uni last year said differently.

I was extremely lucky! My friends and I bonded instantly. And honestly, I feel closer to them than I do to the majority of people back home. There are exceptions obviously... a few of my friends I will always be very close to and we never have that awkward "we don't have anything to talk about anymore" scenarios.

Being as close as I am to my uni friends and becoming so accustomed to living the London life, even starting the new relationships, coming back back home was a horrible ordeal... I knew all the independence I had grown so used to would all be gone and I would be stuck in a house that no longer felt like a home.

I have given myself a long list of things to do while I am at home, mainly to see the people I have missed (yeah thats you Luke) and to do typical New Foresty things (for as much as I love London, I miss the New Forest) then I cannot wait to go back to university, my room custom made to suit me perfectly, my best friends and my life.

I have always had difficulty in finding out the person I really am, because as alot of people know, it's very different to the monotonous style, and at uni, I feel completely comfortable doing what I want to do, being what I want to be and living how I want to live. I am Happy at University and although it is a new life I am still eager for people from home to make numerous guest appearances! :) 

Annie!

An interesting point of view there from Miss Bailey. But are the friends you make at university friends for life? Have people found they love the new experience or long for the comfort of the familiar? Perhaps Annie is only on a pitstop here now that 'home' is elsewhere, but I doubt she is as dismissive about her origins here as it may come across. With Christmas only a few days away, I look forward to seeing some of my best friends reunited and telling me equally positive tales of new cities and new people. :)

Luke's Christmas Message 2012

Greetings from beyond! I hope all is well with you and your endeavours, faithful reader. I’m writing my Christmas message to the world as boxes are being packed all around me. After a year at our new house in historic Totton, the builders are due to finish the property’s refurbishment, so my parents and I will be temporarily moving out. To somewhere!

In typical Royal address style, I thought I’d provide a few updates from the Sutton estate: A third year of university at Southampton Solent is keeping me out of trouble: my group’s upcoming Television Production final project is a somewhat surreal drama about a man who wants to ‘leave’ the internet when he ends up in a viral video, whilst my sci-fi fan film series Star Trek: Unity is in its eighth year, making it the longest-running in the world! With better equipment, better effects and (I hope!) even better storylines, my sincere thanks go to everyone who have been involved this season. Meanwhile, I’ve had a great year with new friends and fellow filmmaking video gamers at The Dudes with Thumbs, introducing me to discoveries such as the phenomenal Mass Effect games and Birdemic, quite possibly the best worst film ever made. I strongly recommend you sit yourself down for a screening at some point.

But I’ve also been out and about a lot, hosting a few memorable house parties, travelling to London a number of times to see friends, plus a film festival where a short I wrote was featured, not to mention several fan conventions, in whichI helped break a world record, saw John Barrowman’s behind and spoke with several actors and writers I admire. 

There is also a new member of the family and I became an Uncle (again) as baby Joshua Sutton arrived recently! He is very cute and if I have any say in it, he’ll be growing up wearing green jackets. I think all this has actually expanded my vision of life a bit, and I’ve been looking out with a lot more of a philosophical view: “We all make choices, but in the end, our choices make us.” Then again it might be due to the fact I’m 22 and therefore old.

However, outside of my petty affairs, the world has also been busy in 2012. Despite constant financial gloom and political controversy (how much of an anticlimax was the Leveson report?!), this has really been an Olympic year. I’m rarely patriotic, but I’m sure you’ll agree that hosting the greatest show on Earth here was something special. Mr. Bean on the piano and the Queen (in her Diamond Jubilee year) being a Bond girl is only something that would happen here. For some, it has also been the start of a new adventure at university, moving away and meeting new people, which I’m glad to see is going well, even if its left the Waterside a little quieter. And the memes of this year have been up to their usual standard: who can forget Gangnam Style. Oppa. I reckon Klingon Kolothus will be a hit soon ;)

 
Anyway, I should go. Enjoy the festive season! I hope Santa’s sack is bulging full of gifts for you. I’ll be sitting at home on the 25^th with a loaf of bread and the Doctor Who special. Take care of yourself and I wish you clear horizons for 2013.

With regards, your Admiral, your Doctor and your friend,

Luke Sutton.

Destination Star Trek London

 
Conventions are bizarre things, bringing out the very best and very worst in fans. The United Kingdom hasn't held many large conventions celebrating Star Trek, though there have been a couple of exhibits in past years and I was at the London Hilton Hotel con back in 2007, where I met the Gorn in a lift. In the public consciousness, conventions are events for weird unemployed obsessives who dress up in cheap costumes and have Aspergers. This is largely untrue. In my opinion, these sorts of things are no different to football fans dressing up in team shirts and chatting about their favourite team down the pub, and if the event I just took part in demonstrates anything, its that there is just as big a following for my favourite television show as ever.

My photo with Brent Spiner
 - he was very amusing!

Destination Star Trek London is something of a bizarre thing to have actually happened. With no series on the air since 2005 and the last film over three years old, I thought that Trek fandom was destined to small gatherings in the corner of local town halls, as it was for my stand at the recent "DEF-CON" event in my hometown. When I discovered it earlier this year, I couldn't quite believe that there was enough interest to warrant an event of a scale that it was bringing in all five TV Captains as guests, including Patrick Stewart and William Shatner! It took a couple of days of research and investigation before I decided it wasn't a wind up and I quickly bought tickets with my good friend Ian Pidgley and my parents, all of whom wanted to beam down to the ExCel exhibition center on October 19th.

In the Captain's Chair... we got
 to play on the Enterprise's bridge.

It became clear this was more than about the series leads, with stars from all of the franchise booked to appear. My Mum's long-time favourite Michael Dorn (the Klingon Worf) was gonna be there, as was Mr. Data himself, Brent Spiner. To non-Trek fans, this would be all irrelevant hype over mostly unknown actors, but trust me when I say that DSTL was shaping up to be a very special event for Trekkies and Trekkers.

The Five (six) Captains on stage!

And it was fantastic. Travelling down on the train on Friday morning, we spent a lot of time queuing, first for mediocre goody bags, and then to actually get into the large convention floor, which took up several of the ExCel center's large halls on one side, filled autograph tables, photo areas, a KLINGON ZONE cafe that had statues and Borg Cube wedding cake, plus a prop and costume exhibit and (over-priced) merchandise stands. With over 10,000 people at least on the Saturday alone, the place was very crowded, but full of fans in costume and Starfleet uniform, which was initially a peculiar sight, but by the time we left on Sunday, it was weird not to see anyone wearing a combadge during the train journey home.

One of the talks - this one with some
of Deep Space Nine's cast members.

Our tickets enabled us to attend several of the Q&A talks by the stars, spread across a couple of stages, the center point of which was the Five Captain's Opening Ceremony, which Ian and I went to. For the first time in Europe and only the second time ever, all five Captains were together, chatting to the audience - one lucky fan also had them all sing him a happy birthday! But the ceremony was hosted by John Barrowman, Doctor Who's Captain Jack, making it six Captains. John brought a great deal of fanboy giggling and cheeky comments, especially when Scott Bakula signed his ass after a question about the most awkward autograph. Several fans of Barrowman made clear to me their jealousy at seeing this.

Ever the galactic pimp, I pulled two
Klingons, a pair of Orion Slave Girls
and... Q.

Friday night climaxed with the KLINGON MONSTER PARTY. So epic in it's hype that it requires capital letters. The hall next to the convention floor was turned into a nightclub featuring a bouncy castle, lazer-quest tag, with live music from Klingon actors JG Hertzler and Robert O'Reilly. Tickets were an extra £25, and though it began as a slow evening, once enough people started turning up, a typical deafening-music-with-bright-lights-and-scantly-clan-women-dancing club atmosphere established itself whilst everyone posed for photos with those in impressive costumes.  I was even lucky enough to meet and have pictures taken with Deep Space Nine writer Ira Behr, and the creator of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica, Ronald D. Moore. 

Patrick Stewart was a real gentleman
 and spoke of how he appeared as
 an apparition to Brian Blessed.
Because hes EPIC.

Day two started at our hotel, the TravelLodge next to the ExCel center, but Ian and myself were soon sitting down for the "Stunt Show" that was included in our ticket and involved an impressive performance of parkour freerunning. Despite their uniforms, it wasn't really Star Trek, but an enjoyable diversion before Scott Bakula's (Captain Archer) talk, in which he described how Archer was supposed to found the Federation over the course of the series. A real highlight of the day was the Patrick Stewart talk. Hes a Shakespearean actor I greatly admire and he hasn't aged in decades. A great speaker providing some interesting anecdotes, especially of how proud he is of The Next Generation and slyly noted that his life is "an ongoing contravention of the health and safety laws". Very entertaining and memorable.
 

My Dad with his DS9 hero,
Andrew Robinson.

Later it was time to get autographs and photos - meeting some of the actors. My Dad is a big fan of Andrew Robinson who played the Cardassian character of Garak on Deep Space Nine. I also walked up to his table and said Hello. He was a sweet man who shook my hand and genuinely seemed happy as I thanked him for playing one of my favourite Star Trek roles. I admire the novel he wrote about his character called A Stitch In Time, which my Dad has subsequently read. Michael Dorn, the actor who played the Klingon Worf was my Mum's target and she strode up to him to shake his hand and later had a photo with him. Ian was keen on getting his Deep Space Nine poster signed, so got to meet Avery Brooks (Captain Sisko) on Sunday. Very happy for him. As for me, I got an autograph from legendary actor David Warner, a delightful gentleman who told me his son was called Luke and that it was "a good name". My parents also bought me for my upcoming birthday an autograph from Brent Spiner, the man who plays my favourite character, Lt Commander Data and he was also someone I shared a photo shoot with - he even fistbumped me! A very funny guy - he should have been a comedian instead of an actor.

One-thousand and eighty of us
fit into the Main Hall - and it turned into
 a conference of Starfleet officers through
the ages. Plus a Klingon or two.

There was much talk about the Costume World Record on Saturday evening where many cosplayers and fans came together to set a new highest number of people in Star Trek costume in one place. Though I understand the need not to let any old visitor with a Starfleet sticker badge inside, I felt the strictness was taken ludicrously far, initially denying me because I was wearing black Converse shoes with my otherwise officially licensed uniform. The queue staff inspecting us allowed my Mother and Ian through to the main hall, but my Father (dressed in an Odo Bajoran uniform with the hint of blue jeans underneath) and I were asked to leave the queue. My righteousness wasn't exactly going to let that stop me from taking part, so I bypassed the inspectors and simply walked into the hall - handing in the record attempt form, legitimating my participation. The word was no. I therefore went anyway!

With Ian and my Mum at the
costume record attempt!

It all smacked of double standards when we saw several fans in non-costume t-shirts, not least my friend James in the The Tenth Doctor's long coat with a Voyager gold uniform on underneath, and my Dad with his blue jeans was allowed in when it was clear more people were needed to break the record. Still, aside from that the record attempt was fantastic, and created a terrifically positive atmosphere of camaraderie as it was announced that with 1080 attendees, we'd broken the record!

The beautiful Nana Visitor

Sunday was the final stretch, and it began with the talk by Avery Brooks, who came across as a very deep and thoughtful man - definitely living in the stars - but the epitome of Star Trek's exploration of the Human condition. I got the last of my autographs, including Dominic Keating (Lt. Malcolm Reed) who to my amusement had definitely been drinking the glass of champagne next to him, whilst his co-star Anthony Montgomery (Ens. Travis Mayweather) sitting with at the table was a great laugh, even calling my Mum 'beautiful', which was very sweet. Nana Visitor, who played Major Kira in Deep Space Nine signed a photo I had and she kindly posed for a photo with me. A lovely woman with a real sparkle in her eyes.

He is not a merry man!
Its Michael Dorn.

Our final talk of the convention was by Kate Mulgrew (Captain Janeway). She praised the English for being so graceful and polite - even the worst of us are probably not comparable to some Americans - and proclaimed that a Voyager character she wanted to see admit to being lesbian was Seven of Nine. There was always so much sexual tension between Janeway and Seven... The talk over, I legged it over to the photo booth just in time for a shoot with Michael Dorn, who came across as a reserved but amiable fellow (in contrast to the passionate character of Worf he played!).

I was interviewed by the BBC
about the event and my
favourite Captain (Picard).

Following one final look around, the four of us left the ExCel center, taking away some more goody bags on the way out, and got the train home. We all had a terrific weekend. The event wasn't perfect logistically, but the experience of socializing with fellow fans, meeting some of my favourite actors and writers, plus the activities on offer, were worth the expense and the queuing! Some of you faithful readers might find it difficult to understand the appeal of conventions like this - especially just from a memoir and some videos - but I'm never again going to have the opportunity to enjoy such a special celebration of my favourite television series quite like Destination Star Trek London. It was Fascinating.

Star Trek: Revolutions - Part Four

Cassandra Green, Captain Lewis &
 Eleanor in the Mirror Universe.

I'm back to university and into a routine once more, but the legacy of this summer remains and after a lot of filming and hard work editing, on the eve of October I completed the largest and most complex Unity storyline I've attempted. Star Trek: Revolutions - Part Four brought to an end a quadrilogy that has been released across ten months and in production for over a year. Spoilers follow ;)

Back in August, we released the first half of this episode, revealing the identity of The Nightmare Child, a girl from the Mirror Universe called Cassandra, as played by Zoe Long, Emma's younger sister. The concept of a person whose imagination and dreams influence the world we live in isn't completely original, but its something that fascinates me. When we're children, we run around with keen imaginations, pretending that dolls are real, our voices going WHOOSH and BOOM when we're playing action heroes and that kinda thing. Its all make-believe, but in some sense, we're emotionally invested in our creations. I know I was. So the twist is essentially suggesting that Star Trek: Unity might all just be a dream. A fatal cliche', but from a very different point of view. Have all of Captain Lewis' adventures been figments of an imagination? Are the characters real? Is Star Trek real? These questions are left open ended so that viewers can make their own judgements and challenge their own thoughts on the theme. This final part of the Revolutions saga was almost the hardest bit to write, because there were a lot of plot strands to tie up, whilst establishing the mission and motivation for the next series.

The siege of Unity Starbase.

As I've mentioned before, Emma Long's character of Eleanor goes through a lot of changes and development. Eleanor is happy-go-lucky in Revolutions, Part One. She is exploring the galaxy for a laugh, almost as an intergalactic sightseer, and flirting with Captain Lewis as the passionate stage of their relationship is in full swing. Yet she is soon fending for herself in Part Two when Lewis runs off to Rapture, and six months down the line, trapped on Earth of the past, Eleanor has matured and become jaded living a normal real life. She is rightly bitter when the good Doctor arrives back on the eve of World War Three expecting to pick up with her where he left off, but to her credit, her sense of duty prevails and in the course of Part Three, Eleanor takes command of a starship in battle and utilizes the training and knowledge shes gained since joining the crew. She is ultimately reconciling with Lewis, but now as an equal as shown in Part Four when she takes the mystery of the Nightmare Child in her stride, eloquently convincing Lewis not to lose faith in himself, and during a lakeside walk, rejects the chance to give Starfleet up and remain on her planet. Eleanor herself admits that is a life she can't return to anymore. Emma plays it all deftly and her character development is something I'm very proud to have written.

New episodes will feature the USS Odyssey
touring and protecting the galaxy with it's
own small fleet of ships.

In fact, all the main characters come full circle. At the end of Part Four, they are once again on the starship Odyssey, off to see the stars, but now with more responsibility, perhaps a heavier heart, yet the desire to have fun and adventures remains strong as ever. We've had a great deal of fun ourselves producing these episodes, as can be seen in the latest Behind The Scenes video. As for freezing Unity Starbase in time, the Iconians and Mirror Lewis will return down the line, but the plasmids/Rapture storyline essentially ends in Revolutions, as does the villainous Puto plot arc. I'm really pleased with Ian Pidgley's epic return to the series. From day one, I knew that Captain Puto would eventually become good again, but not before raising some interesting questions about the principled arrogance of the Federation. Ironic when Puto and the Iconians cannot see what corruption of their ideals they have themselves made. Ian is a terrific performer and he doesn't know it. Captain Puto will appear in some of the future episodes as a recurring character.

Indeed, looking to the future, the Further Adventures of Star Trek: Unity will continue boldly - keeping a few of Revolution's unsolved mysteries lingering in mind - and though I'm focused on university, creating other film projects, we have shot a great deal of footage already for future episodes and faithful viewers can expect new releases before Christmas - standalone stories and adventures - as teased in the new trailer!

Left behind on a nuked Earth, Captain Lewis and Eleanor at last discover the Nightmare Child as they travel to the Mirror Universe for answers to the Discontinuities. Meanwhile, the Iconians lay siege to Unity Starbase as one man searches for recognition in his reflection and the crew of the starship Odyssey changes forever...

 
 With the battlestars of the Iconian Time Lords laying siege to Unity Starbase, the Nightmare Child brings Captain Lewis' crew back into existence. But with the mirror universe 'Louis' taking over, can Jimb'a, Becky, Sam and Mitchell evacuate the station before the self destruct? One man's epic return may be the only hope.
 

With their home - Unity - sealed away in a Time Lock until they can come up with a plan, the crew of the starship Odyssey and it's new fleet regroup on planet Kressgon, as they decide how to go forward ...and it all means the end for CAPTAIN Lewis...