I went to "The X-Files" Set!!!!



Feel free to email me. Please put "The Set" in the subject.



THIS IS A QUICK REVIEW. SOME NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED. I'LL ADD MORE TOMORROW!!! MORE PICS TO COME!!! HERE BE SPOILERS! IF YOU WANT TO READ THIS WITHOUT THE SPOILERS, EMAIL ME!

CLICK ON THE PICS ABOVE TO VIEW LARGER VERSIONS





My family and I arrived on the Fox lot on August 18th at 11 a.m. We went into the 1013 production office building where I saw Chris Carter's office. A few different people worked at desks in this room. On the walls were cartoon strips from "MAD" magazine, signed by the artist. Other pictures and posters adorned the walls. On the one wall there was a glass case with some "X-Files" books and a "Millennium" countdown clock inside. I noticed two production sheets on the wall but only got a chance to see the titles: "Hungry," and from spoilers I've seen I now remember that the second was "The Goldberg Variant." (I was really excited and there is some details I do not remember.)

Miss X met with us in the office and showed us a meeting room which had movie posters and the "US" "lick" poster on the walls. She told me that she had thought Chris Carter would be there, but that he was in Vancouver working on "Harsh Realm." He goes to Canada once a week. (I had seen the production building outside for the show - it's written in California, but filmed in Vancouver).

While we were standing there, Frank Spotnitz walked by. He talked to me for a few minutes and said that he would take a picture with me, and give me an autograph later on.

After he left it was time for us to leave for our Fox tour.

Our tour guide (name omitted) showed us around the Fox lot. We saw buildings where various movies had been filmed and where some of the stars had stayed. We also actually went into a set (because most are not real buildings inside) for N.Y.P.D. Blue. I got a picture in the bar. Our guide told us how most of the stuff is fake. Even the walls are made of plastic. We got to go into the "Folley" room where they create all the sound effects for various shows, including "The X-Files." Every sound effect is timed exactly. Our guide told us that only the stars voices are on film, the rest are sound effects. They had everything for effects there, from opening locks on the door, to opening a bag of potato chips. We also went into the soundstage. There was a main area with room to house an orchestra. In the connecting room, there were huge boards completely covered with switches that made different noises and sounds. Our guide confirmed that Mark Snow has used both rooms. We saw wardrobes and props inside other rooms. Every actor and actress, no matter how small the part they have, is dressed for the show. There are clothes and shoes of all kinds and other accessories. We saw clothing from movies like "The Titantic" and "Entrapment," as well as "Fight the Future." I saw the neanderthals' outfits, and Mulder's blue shirt and jeans. Outside we also saw the different writers, directors, etc. offices. We saw cars and the parking lot where they stage car crashes, as well as David and Gillian's trailers. He also told me about "The X-Files" being banned in Budapest and Hungary, and that Chris had shirts made up that said, "Banned in Budapest and Hungary." He said it was banned for violence, and get this, sex.

Finally it was time to go into the X-Files set. Miss X explained to us about the "red light" that means that they are filming. When they are filming you have to be completely quiet. When we went in, they were filming, so we stood in the room outside of the actual set. There were a few people in there already, eating some of the snacks there.

After a few minutes we walked inside. On the way, I saw some of the outsides of the sets, marked simply with the name and size of the room. We were taken over to the chairs where we would wait for a few minutes. I saw Gillian's stand-in, Michelle Chaldu, and at first, I thought it was Gillian, because I was so excited. I also saw Brett Bell, (David's stand-in) and Steve Kiziak (David's photo double). Arlene wasn't there:(

We talked to Miss X for a few minutes. She told me a little about the episode that was being filmed. It is called "Hungry," and will probably be the fourth episode of the season. She said that it is about a brain eater. I asked her if they were filming the premiere the week before. She said that they had been filming the same episode, and that they [the writers] haven't even started to write the premiere! She also said that Nick Lea was in Australia doing his movie. My mom thought to ask (I was already pretty blank from being in shock at this point) if Nick was going to be in "Harsh Realm." She said no. I then asked her if Gillian was going to do a voice over in it, and she said maybe, and something like that she couldn't tell me all of her secrets!

I also saw Rick Milikan around this time, but I didn't get a chance to talk to him.

Miss X took us over near the side door of the set where they were filming (I still couldn't see or hear anything yet, other than a few undesipherable mumbles). After a few minutes, when that part of the scene was over, Gillian walked out, followed by David. (Gillian was wearing a navy blue pantsuit with a pink top underneath, and David was in a "Mulder" suit.) Gillian gave me a big smile. David had seen me yet. By the time I sat back down, I was going crazy.

Next I was given headphones so that I could hear what was going on inside as they filmed the scene.

The characters in the scenes I watched were Mulder, Scully, and the brain eater - Rob Roberts. David and Gillian were sitting on apple crates, (of course this was not filmed) and Chad (Rob) was on the couch in his living room. David had on sandals that did not go with his suit! Of course though, they weren't filmed either.

Mulder tells Rob about the body that they found. (I read a spoiler about a body being in a garbage can, which kind of sounds familiar.) Mulder tells him that in the autopsy Scully found a shark tooth-like object in the victim's head. Scully describes some of the details.

Rob asks why they are telling him that. Mulder tells him, "I think you know."

During the rest of the interview, Rob says something like that there is no such thing is monsters. On the way out, ?Mulder? says something like for him to watch out for monsters. (For some reason I remember Mulder saying this the first time, and Rob the second. I'm not sure.)

After the scene, Kim Manners asked me if I liked the scene. I told him that I loved it. It was really cool!

Gillian walked over to me and introduced herself and shook my hand. I told her that I had met her backstage at the Expo in NY last year, and showed her a picture. She said she remembered:) I told her that I had some gifts for her and Piper, but she had to finish filming, so she said that she would be back to talk to me soon.

In between takes, stand-ins were used (Michelle, Brett, and Steve). Chad even had a stand-in. I also talked to Kim and met some more of the crew. I talked to and got autographs from Kim, Michael Watkins, Bill Roe, and Chad (I didn't catch his last name, and the signature is hard to read).

Gillian walked over to me again! She sat down where I had been sitting earlier. I told her I was in her seat (I was excited). She signed some autographs for me! I gave her the gifts I had for her. I made her a little alien dressed as Scully. She laughed and really seemed to like it! Next I gave her an album I made for her. I put in some various pictures of her, along with all the pictures we took of her at the Expo, and computer graphics I had made. She looked through the *whole* thing! She told me that one of the (originals) was one of her favorite that she had done. She thought it was funny because she didn't remember where all of the pictures came from. She really seemed to like the album and took her time to look through it. She also suggested a place we should visit on vacation (which of course we did:).

I told Gillian that I had a gift for Piper too. She asked me if I wanted to give it to her! She took me back into her trailer. I gave the gift to Piper as Gillian's agent looked at the album. Her agent, Connie, told me that I should work for them. I wish! Piper is so sweet! She really liked the gift. Gillian helped her put it together. It was really great to see her being herself and playing with her daughter. I am very happy to have gotten to see her relaxed and happy.

I stayed in the trailer with them for quite awhile. I had been with Gillian for about an hour! It must have been her break because she had to shoot another scene. Piper wanted Gillian to take her home, but of course she couldn't. Piper wanted me to stay with her then! Gillian told her that I was watching them film and that she could come out, but she ended up staying in the trailer. On the way out I noticed what looked like a script. I saw the title, but I was so excited I can't remember it exactly! Being star-struck can make you lose your memory! I think that it had the word 'day' or 'days' in it twice.

I went back out and watched David, Gillian, and Chad film the same scene again. This time David was in a yellow pollo shirt and jeans (I think this was his clothes since he left with them. They were only filming Chad).

Gillian came over, gave me a hug, and told me good-bye.

In a few minutes it was time. I went back to see David. Wow! What else can I say? <vbg> He signed some things and asked me some questions about where I lived, etc. I was so nervous I could barely look at him! I know he probably kept asking me things because I was so quiet. I had a million things I wanted to ask both him and Gillian, but they all went out the window.

I gave him his gift. He took out the poem and read it to himself in front of me and I about died. All I could say is that it was kind of sappy Of course I wanted him to read it but it's still kind of embarrassing. Next he took out the alien dressed like Mulder. He really seemed to like both and told me that he would keep them in his trailer!

David asked me if I wanted to get a picture. I told him that I did, but that my dad was inside with the camera. He called to someone to go get him.

David signed my hat then and told me that it had the most autographs on one thing he had ever seen, and he asked about some of them.

When my mom and dad came up, she had the presence of mind to say something I had wanted to know. We had gone on the Queen Mary the day before, and I had wanted to know where the "kiss scene" took place. He said it was either on the 2nd or 3rd deck.

I got two pictures with David. I couldn't believe it! And then he did something I didn't expect. He turned and gave me a hug good-bye and kissed me on the cheek! I almost melted into a puddle there!

We went back into the set where a ?security guard? told me that he was proud of me - I hadn't screamed. (Which I had said I would probably do.) But I told him, I still cried after.

I watched as the crew transformed the scene. They moved the walls and set furniture up. That was something cool to see.

I watched a different scene this time with only Chad. He was just practicing at first as Kim gave him directions. I watched the scene (real and practiced) in front of me and on the monitor.

A camera man asked Kim if they were to use a mobile camera. Kim told him yes, because a hand held camera couldn't get the right shot of ?someone? running away. He said something about them needing to use special effects. He also described a black tongue going into victims' heads, and the heads exploding.

Rob is in the living room (I'm not sure about this because, that's where I thought they were before, unless they had changed the scenes before. They used the kitchen for something, but I'm not sure what, because I had just gotten back from meeting David.) There is a close up on a bat as Rob picks it up off of the coffee table. The bottom of the bat doesn't leave the table as he walks around. He walks out the door and then locks the two locks. After a <beat> he unlocks both locks and kicks in the door. He screams and swings the bat around, smashing the stereo.

Chad came over and watched the scene on the television a few times. It looked really good.

It was time for them to break for lunch and then leave for the day. I think it was the end of the episode, because David and Gillian were not working the rest of the week.

I was taken around to see some of "The X-Files" sets. I got to see Scully's bedroom, which was partially apart. The bed only had a bed post.

On the way out of the set, I met Brett Bell, David's stand-in and stunt double. I got some autographs and a picture with him - which I found out later my dad took of us in front of the women's bathroom! He was really nice and talked to me for awhile.

Miss X came in and we started back to the 1013 office. Brett came with us. On the way back I saw Kim again and got a picture with him. Next I went to meet Vince Gilligan, who wrote "Hungry," and John Shiban. I got autographs and pictures with the both of them. I talked to Vince for a little bit about the episode, and asked him if it was 'shippy' (which I had to explain to just about everybody there). He told me that I might not like it that much because Mulder and Scully aren't in it a lot, it's mostly of Chad. It's told from his character's point of view. John said something like that he [Vince] can't start letting people down (with the shippyness). I also told Vince about what I had heard about the black tongue and heads exploding. He said that it was actually a black tooth thing and that most of it would be done on computers. He said something about head's exploding being just like a normal X-File. I also told him that I really liked "Home Fries."

Next we all went back to the 1013 office where I saw Kim and Frank again. I finally gave Kim the little director alien I had made for him (My dad had left it in the car at the beginning). Frank autographed some stuff and took pictures with me. It was cool to talk to him again.

During all of this, I found out that Brett had been talking about when he was on Leno with Steve and David. I told him that I had saw it, and that I remembered reading about him in a magazine. He is a really cool guy.

I told Miss X about everything that had happened and how happy I was.

This was the best day of my life!!!!! Everyone was so great!!!!!!

There is so many more things that I didn't even put down. So much happened! Soon I will be adding some stuff, and of course - - lots of pics:)



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