Day 48: March 26, 2007 8:12pm

Saturday was "Fan Appreciation Day" at Sam the Record Man. I arrived just before noon to help the show's publicist set up. I put up posters and carried several boxes of frisbees and photographs.

One by one the bands arrived. I was a little star struck because I'm a huge fan of The Golden Dogs. I have both their CD's and play them all the time. I took all of their coats and stored them in the back room.

Eventually, the cast members arrived. When they lined up and walked onstage they looked like poised professionals-born to be famous. I heard several fans comment that they look even better in person, and I'd have to agree.

When The Bicycles took the stage I was standing at the very back leaning against a counter. Little did I know, the counter was on wheels and MOVED. The guy who was sitting on the other side almost fell over when I accidentally pushed it back. I turned around and said 'sorry' and to my humiliation, it was Peter Mooney! I'm sure my face turned about ten shades of red!

The fans seemed to have a great time. They were lined up in this area that looked like a coffee diner and took photographs with the cast. It made me really happy to see people getting all emotional when meeting their favourite actors. There were a lot of mothers with their daughters who seemed just as thrilled to be there. It was so cute!

All the bands that played were phenomenal. But I have to say, The Golden Dogs were my favourite. They played with so much raw energy and enthusiasm, and seemed to be having the time of their lives playing music. And that's something that translates to the audience and personally, it gave me goosebumps.

Day 46: March 5, 2007 10:28pm

Today I was knee-deep in a pool of water. I got to help out in the sound effects room again. At first, I felt a bit silly splashing around in boots and an oversized rain suit, but after a while I just kicked back and started to enjoy myself.

I was so excited when we got to watch the video clip with the added sound effects. Those were my splashing sounds in a wakeboarding scene! I can't wait to watch the episode on TV with my friends so I can point out my magnificent splashing skills.

Day 44: February 21, 2007 8:49pm

It was just after 10 a.m. when they asked me to meet Steve Byers at Technicolor's main entrance. He was sitting on a couch in the lobby wearing a puffy winter coat. As always, he looked incredible.

We had a quick chat on our way to the sound studio. Steve remembered me from last summer and asked what I liked most about Toronto. The first thing that came to mind was: "the hotdogs." I immediately regretted my answer! (I had been craving Toronto's famous vendor dogs all day....so I guess that's why I said it.) Aaaah! I could have kicked myself! Thankfully Steve just laughed and said, "yeah, they are pretty tasty."

When we got to the sound studio, Richard (the ADR director) had set up microphones in various positions throughout the room. He spent the first 20 minutes reviewing the scene with Steve and helping him get back into Jason's emotional headspace.

Steve had to stand in front of a video screen with a big pair of black headphones on his ears. He had to listen for a 'beep', and then match his voice to his lip movements onscreen. This looked very difficult because he had to have perfect timing.

Almost all of his lines had to be re-done for an outdoor scene between Jason and Peggy. Apparently on the day of the shoot there were car alarms going off, high winds, and other audio nightmares. Steve didn't seem to mind though; he seemed to be having a lot of fun. At one point he took off his headphones and said "I'm still hearing beeping noises, is that a bad thing?" Everyone in the room cracked up.

By late afternoon, the job was done and it was time to go. On his way out, Steve gave me a quick wave and all I could do was stand there thinking how fast the time had gone.

Day 42: February 12, 2007 11:31pm

Today I truly realized how important music is to the show. I mean, I knew all along that the creative team goes to great lengths selecting cool songs that make the show really fun. But when I sat down with the music mixer I realized how much music affects our emotions.

We were watching a really intense scene between Lane and Tanya without the music-and I was thinking "yeah, this is pretty powerful." But then, when he put the music in-it took the emotional impact up about ten notches! The lyrics and the music fit everything that was happening between Lane and Tanya so well that it sent shivers down my spine!

Day 40: February 6, 2007 10:33pm

Wow, I got to watch the final edit of episode 209 and it's SO cool! The structure is very different from the other episodes. I got a sneak peak when all the producers came in to watch it at the 'Mix Playback'. I can't give away too much, but everything takes place in one night at The Sunset Bar, and it switches perspectives from one character to another.

At the Mix Playback all the producers sit in a big room and take notes on sound levels, (and eat popcorn.) When it's over, they compare notes and ask the sound crew to adjust certain parts. I was typing up their comments on a laptop, so that the sound mixers would have a hard copy of everything that was said.

One of the sound mixers, (Paul) was explaining to me how important sound was to this particular episode. He said that sound is used to "tell the eye where to go." And since there is so much going on in this episode, it was a huge challenge for him. He added things like microphone feedback, and the sound of glass shattering to direct our attention to certain characters and actions onscreen.

The producers were super impressed with the sound effects, and so was I! At one point I closed my eyes and just listened to the surround sound on the loud speakers. I felt like I was right there, in The Sunset Bar! The music, the laughter, the shuffling of feet-it felt so real! I started to imagine Jason walking up to me with a tropical drink in his hand, when the sound of someone munching popcorn drew me back to reality. *Sigh*

Day 38: January 29, 2007 10:01pm

Today I was assigned the ultra cool task of assisting the 'Foley Artist.' His name is Sid and I was very tempted to call him "Sid Vicious" because he looks like a rock star. Spiky hair, piercings, deep voice-you get the idea.

When they film Falcon Beach, their main recording interest is the actors' voices. All of the additional noises like footsteps, plates clattering, and keys being set on a table have to be added in the sound room. The Foley Artist uses props and movement to recreate these sound effects. Because, without them, it just wouldn't sound natural.

I had to fetch all of the 'sound props' that were needed. I spent a lot of time in the back room searching for keys, wineglasses, and beer bottles. I felt like I was at some bizarre garage sale. The room was filled with everything from skateboards-to car doors. I'm just glad I managed to get in and out of there without breaking anything!

Day 36: January 24, 2007 10:42pm

I'm baaaaaaaack! And boy, does it ever feel good. Right now I'm in snowy Toronto, and it's FREEZING! I was lucky enough to be asked if I wanted to be an assistant for the post-production team on Falcon Beach. And of course I said yes! One of my best friends is from T.O. and she needed a roommate, so it worked out perfectly for the both of us. I just hope it doesn't turn out like the Erin/Tanya roommate situation. I've been known to be a bit messy at times, and occasionally play my music too loud. Sounds familiar doesn't it?

I spent all day at a really cool facility called Technicolor. It kind of reminds me of the Wizard of Oz's lair. There are huge video screens in every room, and at the far end, there are usually one or two people mixing sound effects. I've spent a lot of time assisting Jeff Bessner, the Post Production Supervisor of Falcon Beach. He has to oversee all of the editing, sound effects and colour correction that take place on the show. It's amazing how detailed Jeff's crew has to be. Every sound of a car door being opened, every note of music playing in the background, and every list of credits is inserted by Jeff's talented crew. It's my job to make sure Jeff and his team have everything they need. That usually involves making video dubs, photocopies, writing daily reports, and getting a LOT of coffees throughout the day.

During my lunch break I started to wonder what Falcon Beach would be like if the show was still being filmed in the winter time. I bet we'd get to see Jason's wild snowboarding adventures. That would be so cool. Even better would be a hockey match between Jason and Lane! Just picture all that male aggression let loose on the ice! Apparently Steve Byers (Jason) is an amazing hockey player. Just when I thought he couldn't possibly get any cooler...