Nerd Dating: the fine art of making out part 1
So you’ve successfully kissed her without her screaming, punching you in the balls, or macing you. Congratulations. Now what.
You have just crossed the border into the make out zone. This is a good zone and one that women actually like, as it is fun and doesn’t have all the baggage associated with actually having sex has (as a matter of fact, in my dating history I have successfully answered the question “What do you want to do now?” with “I don’t know. I thought we could go back to your place and make out” and had it work. I don’t recommend you do this yourself as it is both situational and potentially explosive, but there it is).
Before we get into how to proceed, let’s set our definitions. In an effort to cater to every American cliche possible I will be using the classic baseball base system. For those of you unfamiliar here are the base definitions:
First base: Kissing with tongue, for the most part. You should already be here in this part of the progression.
Second base: Feeling under shirt, but over bra and undergarments. This is usually as far as you can reasonably expect to get on the first make out session.
Third base: Everything but. More or less nudity without actual, full on intercourse. Getting stopped here makes for a bad drive home.
Home run: Congratulations. You have now joined the procreating portion of the human race. Share this URL with your less apt friends and try to not disappoint her.
In truth, there are about 20 other bases between second and the home plate, but we don’t have any sports with 24 bases so the metaphor kind of falls apart. Furthermore, that is as graphic as I intend to get, so if you really need more instructions when you hit a home run I am sure you can find it elsewhere.
Short post for now. Next post I will discuss how far to push the bases as you make out with your girl.
Yesterday’s question, Jar Jar Binks versus Chaka (yes, I know I spelled it wrong yesterday. Stop spamming me about it please), kind of annoys me. I can only hope that Jar Jar gets beat up by everything surrounding him on a regular basis including plants and fungus, but the truth is he seems quicker and has the reach on Chaka. Also, while Chaka looks fairly primitive he seems to lack the feral teeth and claws that would make him a true combat beast. I have to regretfully bet on Jar Jar.
Today’s question is more serious: Jayne Cobb with Vera versus the Punisher (Jayne image courtesy of the Firefly t shirt category).
Interview with Firefly veteran Danny Nero part 1
So a few weeks ago at the worst convention I ever did I had the pleasure of meeting a super nice guy, Danny Nero. He notice the Jayne Cobb Damage My Calm t-shirt and said “Oh, I’ve never seen that Adam shirt.”
(shirt image below courtesy of the television t shirt category)
While I know many fans who 
refer to characters by the actors name, there was something a little more familiar in the way Danny said it that caught my attention. I started talking to him and it turns out he had worked as a stand in for both Adam Baldwin and Nathan Fillion on Firefly and Serenity. Furthermore, he has worked in Hollywood for years on any number of sci fi or horror films, and has had the pleasure of working for Joss Whedan several times.
For me this was like finding a winning lottery ticket in my wallet. I asked if he would be willing to do an interview with me for this blog and he was kind enough to agree. We then began corresponding via email with me sending him questions and he responding. I have done this before and have gotten good results, but nothing prepared me for the wealth of material Danny provided me. Great stories and awesome insights into the nuts and bolts of working with Joss and in Hollywood in general.
I will now present the interview over several blog posts. I think you will all agree what a great guy Danny is (also, he gave me some great behind-the-scenes photos).
Dave: Danny, you were a stand in on Firefly for its entire run, yes? Could you describe for those readers not familiar with film production what it means to work as a stand in? What are your duties, and what function is served by your role?
Danny: Yes I was both Nathan’s and Adam’s stand-in for the entire run which I believe went from July to December. It went by so quickly! If Nathan and Adam were in the same shot together, then we had an additional guy. Being the same height of the actor is important so the camera crew can line up on you as you proceed through the setup of the scene. We watch carefully everything the actor does and then become the “2nd team” as the “1st team” goes off to makeup, wardrobe, hair, or the comfort of their chair. It saves wear and tear on them and if any changes need to be made, we give the actor the notes concerning the change. It might be just something regarding where they should look or a slight change in their position.
D: Is it a good job? Would you recommend it for any viewers wanting to work in Hollywood? If so how could one get into it?
Danny: I really enjoy the job but it’s not for everyone! It requires a concentration and focus that not everyone is able to do. It also usually only places you in front of the camera when it’s not rolling, which is fine with me! I hate seeing myself on screen! There are times on my current show “Grey’s Anatomy” that we stand-ins double as doctors but it’s almost always deep in the background. I really just got into it on a fluke when the guy who was standing-in for Craig T. Nelson on “Poltergeist 2” quit because he hated the bluescreen work in a harness on cables. It was 1985 and I had been doing Extra work off and on for about 4 years so I jumped at the steady work with extra pay for the wire work. Yes it was uncomfortable as Hell but it led to me doing the rest of the feature and every job since! If you want to be a stand-in, you really have to work your way into it from being an extra most of the time. It also requires you to be a member of the Screen Actors Guild or AFTRA. You might get lucky if you can work on a show that’s non-union somewhere. Along with height, your skin tone should be close as well as your hair color. I never could get close to George Hamilton’s skin color when I stood in for him on “Jenny” several years ago!
D: Did you work directly with Joss Whedon? If so, what is he like to work with?
Danny: I met him some time that first week of episode 1 season 1 of “Angel”. I’d heard of “Buffy” but had never seen it so I didn’t know much of the back story of the character I was going to stand-in for. I think Joss was directing and several crew members thought we were brothers! I watched him as he effortlessly set each scene both with an artistic eye and practical eye for what would be possible to do with the least amount of camera setups. That’s the luxury you have on a feature film when you can take 3 months to shoot a 2 hour film but must shoot an hour TV show (42 minutes actually) in 8 or 9 days. It didn’t take me long to realize how Joss could juggle 2 shows and who knows what else he had in development at the same time. He has one of those remarkable minds that is going non-stop and has more memory and knowledge than is humanly possible!
