Life

One of the best things about the Supernatural fandom is how we celebrate each other's successes...So I want to share the breakthrough of one of our best (IMO) fanfic writers into the ranks of published authors:

https://sandymg.livejournal.com/80958.html

Go give her a virtual high-five...and if you've enjoyed her J2 stories, check out her first novel!

Supernatural Friends--Can we help out the fan who organizes is heavily involved in making WinchestMidwest such fun?

http://www.gofundme.com/jenshome

Corrected per Jen!

When I heard that Supernatural was going to be filming for 3 days in Chicago I stalked the location websites. I found out after the fact that on Tuesday they filmed at Loyola's campus on Sheridan Road; on Wednesday they filmed in Pilsen. Some fans got pix of Jared and Jensen on Wednesday in a 7-11 buying junk food. Someone also tweeted a picture of the Impala in Pilsen.

Today there were reports of 'no parking notices' in a residential area just south of the Loop, and this afternoon there were reports of a very short filming there. When I got home from work I hit the jackpot--someone had tweeted a picture of a sign on a post by Union Station that specified Supernatural was filming there tonight.

I got to Union Station around 7:45 pm. They were filming in the great hall. When I got there they were shooting extras on one of the marble staircases and then the camera, which was on a 15 foot contraption that moved like a fire engine's ladder, swiveled to close in on the hands of the actress on the balcony. I later determined she was Melissa Roxburgh. This scene was repeated about 5 times. A giant floodlight outside the building was shining through the big window to make it 'sunny' and a fog machine was going to make the air visible.

I was able to stand about 6 feet behind the video village and saw Bob Singer, Jim Michaels, and Serge Ladouceur. When they were satisfied with that scene the crew moved the equipment to the area in the hall that is adjacent/in front of the sliding glass doors that lead to the train tracks. There were calls to rehearse the extras, and then stand-ins for Melissa and Nathaniel Buzolic spent time being lit--lots of shifting the reflecting screens and adjusting lights.

At 8 pm there was a call for lunch break and nearly everyone headed to a side room. As Jim Michaels walked by me I asked him if 'the boys' were going to be here tonight. He said they were already back in Vancouver, they had finished yesterday. I then asked (because there was a picture tweeted yesterday of the Impala in the Pilsen neighborhood) how they got the Impala to Chicago. He laughed and said that car actually belonged to a fan in Texas who had meticulously replicated the original and it was easier to get it to Chicago from Texas than to bring an Impala from Vancouver!

As people meandered back from lunch I saw Bob Singer in deep discussion with a trim older woman. When someone came up to them and I heard him introduce her as his wife Eugenie. She has green hair.

They then fussed over lighting and rehearsed a scene between Melissa and Nathaniel. She walked around a corner right into him, he talked at her, and then walked past her. She turned to watch him leave and the camera closed in on her tragic expression. Behind him extras with luggage walked through the hall and a baggage cart with suitcases drove past. Again this scene was repeated about 5 times, then it was relit to be shot from a different angle. They started the new shot and Serge stopped it and spent about 15 minutes fixing the lighting. I stayed for about 3 takes, but by then it was 10 pm and I had to head home. (Walking through deserted downtown to the subway with Supernatural on the brain is a bit unnerving.)

There were fancy directors' chairs with backs that said 'Supernatural Bloodlines' and during the lunch break I walked over and saw they had the casts' names on them. While the filming was going on, I saw Lucien Laviscount and a tall actor with short messy dark hair who I am not able to identify from the PR pictures. When all 4 actors were waiting for work, talking amongst themselves, I felt a touch smug that I was seeing them before they were caught in the Supernatural juggernaut. They seemed friendly toward each other.

The one thing that flabbergasted me, though, was that there was hardly anyone there! I thought for sure there would be a mob of fans, but at any one time there were barely a dozen people watching!!! I said hi and chatted with a few of them, but I can't get over how close I was able to get to the video village because no one cared!!!

So that was my adventure tonight!