...and the sky glowed green.

I saw what were the best auroras thus far this winter during my daily walk back from the Atmospheric Research Observatory yesterday. The auroras took up a pretty big swath of sky right overhead when I came back outside. Earlier, on my walk out to ARO, you could see them just as toxic green clouds lurking off to the grid northwest. NOAA Nick was outside photographing them, so I'm sure he'll post some shots on his blog eventually.

I got to assist filming what will eventually become a floating sword for a chop-socky short film to be filmed and shown in the next couple of days as we watch the two volumes of KILL BILL on the big screen in the gym. My buddy and I set up a simple blue screen, and he'll do the special effects to have this floating sword levitate above the upraised palms of the master in the film. I dangled our katana prop from a bamboo pole tied on with fishing line in front of the blue screen while filming was taken place. We've used the blue screen a couple times before, including a pretty funny/cool homage to Ray Harryhausen's CLASH OF THE TITANS several weeks ago. Tomorrow morning we have to film all the live action bits. Anyhow, it should be fun (as always) to see the finished product.

"Then suddenly the borealis, the snow-clad hills and the blazing heavens reeled drunkenly to Conan's sight; thousands of fire-balls burst with showers of sparks, and the sky itself became a titanic wheel which rained stars as it spun. Under his feet the snowy hills heaved up like a wave, and the Cimmerian crumpled into the snows to lie motionless."
~Robert E. Howard (The Frost Giant's Daughter)