PICARD: Season 2 Launch

 

 

 

This was a Paramount+ VIP digital, red carpet launch of PICARD season 2 co-produced by Little Cinema. Ticketed guests made up of the biggest Trekkie fans in the galaxy (Cosplayers and all) got to see episode 1 before the rest of the world, followed by entering Ten Forward bar scene LIVE where you see Angelique Roche (a Guinan-esque character) as the hostess & bartender, and myself as Shriv, the Andorian. The scene then breaks the fourth wall inviting the viewer to take a seat.

Cast interviews, interactive bar games and a continued storyline threaded the program. Guest appearances by Patrick Stewart (Picard), John  De Lancie (Q), Orla Brady (Laris), Santiago Cabera (Captain Rios), and executive producers.

 

 

BEHIND THE SCENES:

 

 

 

FUN FACTS:

SETS & PROPS: Yes they were the real deal!

 

WARDROBE: It was the actual cadet uniform. Tech team/creatives were geeking out. The iconic communicator badge (worth $10,000) and the shoulder stitching were detailed with the Starfleet emblem. The uniform must be made for 14-year-old girls, a slim and unforgiving design. All male Trek actors wear a compression shirt as well as a dance belt  (like a Ken doll groin – no genitalia).  So having a middle-aged man-body along with a mic belt-pack as well as an inner earpiece (IFB) belt-pack, AND a girdle, I had to be sewn in good! I think I popped a kidney and may have blacked out by hour two.

 

MAKEUP: Several layers were applied. The powdered and glued prosthetic forehead (while giving me notes, the director thought I was mad … I had to explain it was the brow!),  the initial blue layer hand-painted on, then a powder followed by airbrushing. Finally, contouring bone structure in a darker blue. In rehearsals, the collar was rubbing the blue off so we had to double side tape the uniform collar to my skin. And my hands needed regular touchups. At least an hour and a half in the chair each day. It was amazingly fun. 

 

IMPROV: After the scripted scene work, my primary job was to improv and quick riffs.  This was difficult due to time constraints, ongoing rehearsals-notes-cuts-addons, digital delays from the video call-in, and of course the understandable, Paramount and Star Trek “world” rules and canon parameters. Creative execs aside, the iconic legacy’s uber-serious, all-knowing, super fandom will call you out which would delegitimize the entire production. But I got in some good zingers! 

 

THE ANDORIANS: For a species used in all of the series spin-offs, there is little information on the Andorians which also limited my improv sourcing. SHRIV was created specifically for this program. But because Andorians are a military culture, they are normally slim and tall. I was none of those things so I pitched him as a previously decorated Andorian Imperial Officer. But joining Starfleet, amongst many other problems, he has failed his Academy fitness test 3xs. It worked well.

 

TEAM SHRIV!: When well-known Sci-Fi, ComicCon, Marvel moderator, Angelique Roche was interviewing “Picard” executive producer, she asked who in Starfleet he would most like a drink with. I butted in with obnoxious coughing and “ahems” and to the creative team’s joy, he raised his glass to “Shriv!” It was a stamp of approval for all their hard work and I was happy to deliver the gift.

 

SHRIV IMPROV HIGHLIGHTS:

 

TWEETS & MEMES: