Change of Routine II: The Movie

Ahhh! No one is flying the plane!!!

No one was piloting the Boeing 757 because it was sitting quietly on the tarmac at SeaTac International at 2 a.m. So what was I doing peering into the empty cockpit of one of Delta's planes at that hour on August 24th? Aha! I thought you'd never ask.

My friend Rick Dupea had hired me to act in a promotional film he was directing for Panasonic Corporation. The film will promote Panasonic's servicing package for their own IFE (In Flight Entertainment) touch screen system.

Actress Carrie using the 9" Panasonic IFE touch-screen.

If you haven't flown recently enough to use an IFE, you're in for a treat sometime soon. Not only can you dial in the movie of your choice, you can elect to play any of a number of interactive games, competing with your fellow passengers. The system lists players' names on the screen, and tells you what row and seat your competitor(s) are sitting in. (I beat UW Business graduate Aaron on our first round of Trivia, but couldn't keep up with his mental pace after 3 a.m. You're the man, Aaron!) The IFE will definitely shorten a cross-country or international flight.

Yes, it was cool to act in a movie on a 757 in the middle of the night (the only time the production company could get access to the plane), but what I found most interesting was learning about the jobs of the other actors (most of whom were performing their real-life roles for the camera), and watching the film crew capture their creative footage.

My fictional travel companion -- but very real person--, blonde Carrie, will soon graduate and become a school teacher. Panasonic employee, Aaron, (sitting behind Carrie) travels to exotic places around the world selling the comapany's services, at the bidding of his boss, Ted (sitting behind him). Young Delta flight attendant, Mary, told us wonderful stories about her job and travels. We learned for example that there are a couple of active-duty flight attendants in their 90's -- yes, over ninety years old. (Wouldn't you want to keep working if it meant week-long layovers in places like Florence, Italy, with paid hotel?) Ground crewman, Bob, (not pictured) told us some of the most interesting stories about what happens at the airport at night and at those places near the airplane where passengers aren't supposed to go. Bob escorted us across the tarmac to the 757 as soon as he was sure the plane's engines were off. He explained that a ground crewman in Texas had recently gotten sucked into a low-slung jet engine. "It's not a pretty sight," Bob said, "you don't come back from that."

I'm sorry you won't get to see the finished movie -- unless you attend the airlines' trade convention in Miami next month -- but if you're interested I can explain the story to you sometime. It has a pretty straightforward plot with an upbeat ending. In the final scene, Carrie and I fly off into the sunset, sipping our tropical drinks and happily playing video games on our touch screens. And no one gets sucked into a jet engine.

Before closing this post, I just want to say it was great working with Rick Dupea. He's a well organized, clear-thinking and gentle director. Thanks for the memory, Rick!