Two more panels at the Alabama Phoenix Festival featured two people whose careers are very interesting! First up is Robin Shelby. Her appearance was sponsored by the Alabama Ghostbusters. Yes there is a group devoted to all things Ghostbusters. In fact before the festival I had no clue this group existed. I first saw them during Do Dah Day and I have to say this is a very devoted group! The group had lots of fun with Robin Shelby over the entire weekend. And during the panel we learned what its like to be inside the Slimer costume.
Robin Shelby had the honor of wearing the costume of the Slimer character in the Ghostbusters II movie. Robin Shelby had auditioned for the role of Slimer and the casting team had her go through several steps. She said it was a very simple process! And later she found out she got the role of wearing the Slimer character. And this costume or puppet had motors inside the costume to control the mouth and eyes. And inside the costume Robin said it was “very loud.” Every time there was a break in taping the crew put on K-Y Jelly to make it look like Slimer was slimy. In fact she almost passed out while wearing the costume because it was too hot. There were no fans or ways to get air inside the costume.
She called the times on the set “memorable days.” She was lucky and loved meeting the cast on set. And at times she also worked in front of a green screen. She loved the experience in playing a role in the Ghostbusters movie franchise. And she loves meeting the fans at all of the events she attends. Robin Shelby found the Alabama Ghostbusters after the state went through the April 27th tornado outbreak in 2011. And they raised around $3,000 for the relief effort. Currently the Alabama Ghostbusters has around 30 members around Alabama and they travel to events and raise money for charities.
Robin Shelby runs the YouTube channel Far From the Tree. And she called the art of the Slimer puppet “dead.” If another Ghostbusters movie is made Slimer will be done from CGI computers. As for the Alabama Ghostbusters; some people asked about the equipment or props that they wear. Yes there are plans online to build such things as a proton pack. And the group is helping to keep the Ghostbusters brand alive. Sony knows these groups exist. But they do not bother any groups unless a group does something bad. The group hopes there is a Ghostbusters 3 movie coming soon. And that is something everyone would look forward too! Find out more about the Alabama Ghostbusters at http://www.alabamagb.com/.
A couple of videos were shown for the crowd during the panel. And I found these videos on YouTube and these are neat to share. This first video features Robin Shelby rehearsing a role for a scene in the Ghostbusters II movie.
And here is a video of Bill Murray hanging out with Robin Shelby for a few moments on the set of Ghostbusters II.
The other panel was with Adam Baldwin. He was on the TV shows Chuck and Firefly. And he was in the movies Serenity and Ordinary People. Adam Baldwin has grown to love southern hospitality. He has finished with the Chuck project and has another project lined up; but he can not talk about it. And he enjoys his family, his pets, and he also enjoys his fans and conventions. Of course some people asked him about his time on Firefly.
Adam Baldwin was heartbroken when Firefly was cancelled. It broke Joss Whedon’s heart and the crew’s heart as well. The cast loved each other on the set. And everyone worked hard in making the show. He called his time on the Firefly set “a family affair.” He called Nathan Fillion the best actor on the series. The cast was also thankful to wrap up plot points in the movie Serenity. Adam had all of the Firefly scripts signed by all of the cast members. He intended to keep them but decided to auction them off on eBay for charity. He has kept the boots, shirts, and the knife from the series.
Adam Baldwin got into acting in 5th grade. He loved the TV show The Three Stooges and loved to play games with his friends and family. He was in a good theater program in his high school on the north side of Chicago. And he stuck with it! While in high school; he did not do well in the classroom. He needed support from his peers as he watched his parents divorce. He called himself “a messed up kid.” He worked on a little known show on The Family Channel before Fox bought it. And he worked on the shows The X-Files, Full Metal Jacket, and Angel among others. Adam was very thankful for the role on Angel. He said the character General John Casey from Chuck was one of his favorite roles ever.
Adam Baldwin has done voice acting as well. He had a voice role on the movie Transformers: Prime. And he said he would love to have a role in the Avengers 2 movie. Adam said he loves voice acting. He called people who did voice acting very talented. And no one cares what you look like when you do voice acting. What do you think Adam Baldwin prefers; movies or TV? He calls movies cool, concentrated, and intense. He called TV steady work and has no real end. Plus it has better character development and better pay. Adam Baldwin prefers TV work.
When Adam Baldwin dies; he would like to have on his tombstone “he is right.” And he would love to see a Firefly animated series as well. For more info. about Adam Baldwin follow him on Twitter @adamsbaldwin.
Categories: Convention Talk Stuff, Event Coverage Stuff, Geeks and Nerds Stuff
