Nuked Earth + Nuked Con + Nuked Food!

The last week or so has been a difficult one for Battlestar Galactica fans.  Hopes had been high for the Galacticon IV convention in Seattle but were disappointed in the days leading up to the event.  While a much smaller convention did go ahead this past weekend, a lot of BSG fans were left with a bad taste in their mouths.

Had we been holding on for this as the last gasp of BSG fandom?

Hell of a way to let it die.

The debacle seems to have reinvigorated the fan base.  As anger fades, there are new ideas for another convention in 2018 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Classic version and others just saying we have to try again.  Will something positive come out of it?

I don’t know.

A bunch of 13th Colonists got together in Vancouver on the day after the convention to talk about it.  We even brought out our Cylons. We chose Centennial Beach, the site the “Nuked Earth” sequences in Season 4 of the newer version of BSG.  And we talked about what we loved about the show, and what we want to see happen in the future.

We’re not ready to see the fandom die just yet.  So in the coming months, there will be new 13th Colony Video files, a fan table at a local convention and perhaps even another location scouting mission.

Hang on fellow BSG fans.  We’re still out here…

She was a good ship

We built her, and then we solemnly watched as she went up in flames.

In the summer of 2010, members of 13th Colony built a 10 foot long Viper Mark IV, mostly out of cardboard, PVC and poster stock.  It came out remarkably close to specs, made a great display model and yet fit in the back of an economy car.  Alas, as every group that builds things has discovered, storage was an issue and one winter in a shed was too much for our creation.  The next summer, we decided to give the old bird a good sendoff.  It wasn’t entirely a solemn occasion.  We had a BBQ, on the beach.  The very same beach where the Nuked Earth scenes were shot in the new BSG, and very close to the exact same firepit they used to build Kara’s funeral pyre on the same planet.  We already blogged about it here but now you can watch for yourself!  Announcing Episode #4 of the 13th Colony Video Files  – A Decommissioning Ceremony.

RIP Viper Mark IV.  She was indeed a good ship.

Colonial Coffee at Caprica City Hall?

Blood & Chrome has got BSG fans talking all over the internet.  Now, at least a few nuggets are going to get together in person to share the enthusiasm for a new slice of our favourite show, Battlestar Galactica.

If you find yourself in and around downtown Vancouver — or as we like to call it, Caprica City –this Saturday afternoon, November 24th, between 1 and 4pm, drop in at the Blenz just inside the Robson doors of the Central Library.  Keep your eye open for a couple of knuckle draggers.  If they’re out of uniform, listen for words like “frak,” “toaster,” “cylon” or my personal favourite, “felgercarb.”  Pull up a chair and join in.

We’re working on a full-on Frak Party to celebrate the complete story of Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome sometime in January, so stay tuned for more details.

Where Did Laura Dream?

Here at the 13th Colony, we’ve got a mission to find locations where the new BSG TV series was shot.  One of the ones we’ve been looking for (and thought more than once that we had already found) is from “Flesh & Bone” from Season One, where Laura dreams of Leoben.  Well, thanks to the lovely ladies behind www.battlestarlocations.com, we’ve got the inside scoop.  The dream sequence was shot in Robert Burnaby Park in Burnaby.

We’re heading out on Saturday, May 12th at 11am to take a look.  Here’s a link to our meetup event.

There were at least two other scenes shot in the park–from the same episode, Six & Doral waited near a swingset for Sharon to report on the status of her seduction of Helo, and later on Kara was shot on Caprica before being captured and taken to “The Farm.”   “Cabin in the Woods” shot there, as did at least one of the Twilight movies.  Currently, there is a large standing set for the sequel to “Percy Jackson.”

We’ve got a good weather forecast for Saturday’s adventure.  We’ve been known to venture off trails to find a matching camera angle, so wear good footwear!  It’s still early enough that we might find some mucky bits.

For more info, check out this link from Battlestar Locations:

http://www.battlestarlocations.com/1/category/burnaby/1.html

Here’s a google map image of where we will meet–the parking lot next to the baseball diamond:

http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Edmonds+Street,+Burnaby,+British+Columbia&hl=en&ll=49.230497,-122.935295&spn=0.002449,0.006539&sll=49.244584,-122.976322&sspn=0.009792,0.026157&vpsrc=6&hnear=Edmonds+St,+Burnaby,+British+Columbia&t=h&z=18

BSG Locations website goes live

Finding shooting locations for the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica TV series in and around Vancouver has been a favourite past time of 13th Colonists for a few years now.  Having inspired a couple of particularly ambitious ladies to take the idea and run with it makes this blogger very proud indeed.  Check out www.battlestarlocations.com  for the most comprehensive centralized source of BSG locations info, with great site pictures and screen shot comparisons.  The designers have done their homework, and put in the hours finding sites.  They’ve had info directly from the source, BSGs Locations Manager Kent Sponagle, but these ladies have put in the hours in the woods trying to find just the right trees!

We tip our hats to them for finally finding one of our most elusive locations – where Laura’s dream sequence from “Flesh & Bone” was shot.  Turns out it’s in Robert Burnaby Park in nearby Burnaby, BC.  We’ve already scheduled a Locations Scouting Mission to head out and confirm their find!

13th Colony will continue to explore new locations and produce new video files (Yes, we know you’re waiting!  We’ve got several more episodes shot and waiting in post-production.) and we’re thrilled to be able to share all that with the new Battlestar Locations website.

Congratulations to Anne & Mo.  Job well done.  So say we all!

Guided Tour of Kobol

When the Colonials visited Kobol in Galactica’s second season, it was pouring rain, the Cylons were close on their heels and the future of humanity was at stake. In our world, summer is finally here and it’s time for some outdoor events. How about a relaxing but geeky day in the park?

We’ll admire the Gates of Hera on Kobol, we’ll find where Caprica’s Jordan Durham took a tumble, and we’ll go into the trees in search of Laura’s dream sequence. Bring your cameras, wear good walking shoes, and bring a snack. Depending on the weather, it can be cool in the trees. We’ll have to walk a couple of kilometres, including some uphill. Believe me, it’s worth it. It’s a beautiful spot to sit and ponder the future of humanity.

On Saturday, July 23rd, we’ll meet at 1pm in the parking lot at the north end of the park, next to the Cleveland Dam. Here’s a map.

If you want some background on the BSG and Caprica locations within the park, check out Episode 3 of the 13th Colony Video Files.

This event is also set up on our Meetup page.

Decommisioning our Viper

We didn’t just retire our viper, we burned it on funeral pyre!

Members of The 13th Colony built a 10 foot long viper last summer and christened it the Mark XIII.  It was originally designed to be part of our Canada Day parade entry, but the weather ruined our plans.  Cardboard and spray paint would not have stood up to what the clouds were dishing out that day.  Instead, our viper made its debut at the annual club barbeque later in the summer and appeared again for our Halloween party.

We tried to put her out of service in January when we headed out to Centennial Beach to shoot one of our 13th Colony Video Files, but again the weather foiled our plans.  In the end, we finally accomplished the deed on June 27, 2011, turning our Mark XIII Viper to ashes.

Centennial Beach in Tsawwassen was the place we choose for the ritual, since that was where Starbuck’s viper crashed, and where she burned her own remains on a spectacular funeral pyre.  Alas, it is also one of the only places in the Greater Vancouver area where you can have an open fire. In the summer, the spot is almost unrecognizable as the same place where “Sometimes a Great Notion” was shot.  Just look at the pictures below of the tree where Kara found her crashed viper.  We had fourteen members of the 13th Colony in attendance, and though we were missing a few key members of the build team, we’re satisfied we gave her a good sendoff on their behalf. We’ve got more pictures up at our Meetup site.

Walking on Kobol

Episode #3 of the 13th Colony Video Files is up on Youtube.

Episode 3

Capilano River Regional Park in North Vancouver was a popular location with the producers of Battlestar Galactica.  They went back several times for Battlestar Galactica, The Plan and Caprica.

We’ve done something different with this episode, trying to give you an impression of how close together some of the various locations (and different planets!) really are.  From the parking lot off Capilano Road, you can get a clear view of The Lions, which were seen in Caprica‘s “The Heavens Will Rise” and in Battlestar Galactica‘s Season Two episode, “Home Pt 2.”  A short walk to the south where there are some picnic tables and a wooden fence is where Jordan Durham was shot later on in “The Heavens Will Rise.”  If you walk over the Cleveland Dam, turn left and walk up the hill, you will see a trailhead on the left that heads off into the trees.

You are on Kobol!  The first 500 metres of the Upper Shinglebolt Trail is where several sequences for Season Two of  Battlestar Galactica were shot.  We know The Plan was in there filming scenes at the camp of the Caprica resistance, and we suspect this is where Sam Adama and the Graystones went into V-World on horseback, looking for Zoe.

We’re going to take a couple of weeks off before we do the next episode.  It is winter in Vancouver, so it’s raining almost constantly.  Wonderful atmosphere for Cylon Earth, but much harder to shoot in.  I’m holding out for some sunshine! So Say We All!

13th Colony Video File – Cylon Earth

The second episode of the 13th Colony Video Files is now up on Youtube.

Episode 2

We visit “Cylon Earth” seen in Season Four of Battlestar Galactica episodes “Revelations” and “Sometimes a Great Notion.”  The joint human and cylon fleet hoped they had found a new home, but instead they found a dead, radioactive shell.

The actual location is Boundary Bay Provincial Park, south of Vancouver in Tsawwassen.  The day we shot was particularly cold and rainy, and perfectly captured the desolate mood we were going for.  Too bad we had to get so cold and wet in the process!

Hope you enjoy Episode 2 of the 13th Colony Video Files.  Here’s a link to Episode 1, if you haven’t already seen it.

Announcing the 13th Colony Video Files

The 13th Colony is venturing into a new frontier…Youtube!  Today marks the launch of our Youtube channel and the premiere of the first episode of the 13th Colony Video Files.

Episode 1

The idea behind the video files is to show Battlestar Galactica and Caprica fans who aren’t lucky enough to live in Vancouver, what some of the really cool filming locations featured on those shows really look like.

Episode 1 is a bit of an introduction, and a glimpse at a downtown Vancouver location used in the Caprica episode “Rebirth”

Future video episodes are planned for locations on Caprica, New Cap City, Little Tauron, Kobol, Cloud Nine and more than one version of Earth.  We hope you will stay tuned.

So say we all!