God Bless America

I started this post right after the inauguration. I thought it might be nice to post about how all over the world we were united in one voice supporting women and equal rights for all. My family was visiting me here in Vancouver and we decided to check out Jack Poole Plaza because we heard there was supposed to be a small march there in solidarity with the women's march in DC. We figured it might be pretty small, but some of the cast was going and it might be nice to meet them there. 

We walked to the plaza with Toby. As we arrived we saw thousands of people there. So many people gathered and they just kept coming. We met with Taylor after some time, and began to march towards Trump Towers. It took a while to start marching because there were so many people. It stretched many city blocks and as we looked ahead it  seemed as though we were tiny minnows in a giant school of fish.

Everyone was standing together. It felt like even though I was far away from home and in another country, I was really at home. We were all tied together.

I was proud to take part in our democracy even from far way. I felt proud to stand against a man who is a reality tv star who says he wants to bring jobs back to america, but he doesn't even make his own products in america. He is a hypocrite. 

As the week went on, I was really caught up in work. It was the first week of filming, and it was overwhelming enough. When I would come home each night, my mom and I would watch the news and we felt helpless as we watched the new president do all the horrible things he said he would in the campaign. I was glad to be in Canada I have to admit. 

The final straw was on Friday when he signed the executive order banning the entry of muslims who were legally supposed to be in America. Vancouver is a very diverse city. Everywhere we go, we see people of different cultures and ethnicities working, living, and playing together. How come we can't exist like this in the US? Why is there such a divide? Why is there so much fear? I don't really understand it, and the more I travel, the less I understand America. It makes me feel very sad to feel this way. I don't know what happens next to our country. It is scary to think about. I hope one day soon, we can really have an America that is undivided, and value all of our diverse people. Until then, I be glad to be here in Canada. #Resist #WeareOne

Family Time in Front of the Camera.

I have been in Vancouver for a little more than a week now. We have not started to film the series yet, but we are working everyday... and I am very tired. I'm not even sure why I am so tired. When I look back on the days, it doesn't even seem like we have done a lot. But everything we are doing is important. We can't even begin to shoot the series until certain things happen. 

One of those things is a camera test! Camera tests are the best! Camera tests give the director and the DP(or Director of Photography) a chance to see what you look like in your hair, make-up, and wardrobe in front of the camera. It's the first time everyone gets to see the characters come to life! It is a very low pressure day for the actors, but not so much for the costumes, hair, and make-up departments. The camera test for Lost in Space was not like any other I have done. The main reason is because for Lost in Space, we camera tested in our SPACE SUITS!!! It was the first time the entire Robinson family was together. I looked around the room as we waited to go in front of the camera, and saw my "family" decked out in the coolest space gear you can imagine. It seemed unreal. I loved hanging out with Taylor and Mina. They play my sisters and it is incredible how quick we all became very good friends. It's like we've known each other for a long time. I think it's because we are all really excited, and we are all really nervous too. We are all on a strange journey that is unlike any we have ever taken before and somehow  we already know that we need to stick together! I also got to meet the actress that will play my mom. Her name is Molly Parker, and she is really awesome. She has a very calm energy around her. She talked to me about the fact that she has a 10 year old son named Will in real life, and how hard it is to be away from your family while you are working. I think Molly and I are going to have a great time working together because I can already tell she is a really kind person. 

Another cool thing about the camera test day is that it is the first time we all get our cast chairs. This company is so nice that they even made a chair for my mom and that has never happened before! It's exciting to walk into the sound stage and see your name on a chair! It makes it all seem so official! It's really happening! It doesn't matter that I have other chairs with my name on it, it still feels exciting to look at a chair with the name of the show and your name on it! As I looked at my name, I couldn't help but think about the fact that one day the 1st Assistant Director would yell, "Cut!" and present me with the back of this chair as we finish the filming. How many times this has happened, and I sob each time because it means that the experience is over... Remembering this fact and looking around the room at my new family made me feel a bit sad for a moment. It also reminded me that I need to enjoy every moment of this experience!!! 

The camera test lasted the entire day. We had to change costumes four times. There are other characters in the series that were also camera testing that I had not met before. Parker Posey plays Dr. Smith. Dr. Smith is a character that I will have a lot of important scenes with. Parker is maybe one of the coolest people I have ever met. She's funny, and super smart. I think I am really going to enjoy working with her. She has a dog named Gracie that goes everywhere with her.

Sometimes this all seems like a wierd dream. A week ago, I didn't know any of these people, and now it seems that our lives will be linked for ever in this strange way because we are sharing this unique experience. I feel very lucky. My mom always teaches me that the job isn't what matters. Jobs always end. It's the people you meet and the relationships that you make that really matter. I think I am already on my way.

There are many more things to be done before we even start making this series and I can not wait for each and every moment!

Mina, me, and Taylor

Danger, Will Robinson...There's a Robot in your future!

Each day on the set of a show is really different and busy. Yesterday was no exception. I arrived at set and went straight to school. School is a blast. I really like my teacher Luke, and the person who plays my sister is also in school with me each day and she is really cool. I was in school for 5 hours. Then at 2:00 I went to the,”green room” to meet Toby. The funny thing about a green room is that it is rarely ever green. 

Toby is the person who plays my dad. He is really welcoming and kind. He is taller and has browner hair. He is very direct and looks you in the eye. When he talks he says intelligent things about what is happening in our world. He looks a lot like his mom. You may know her. His mom is Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall!!!!!!). He is an amazing actor. We only did two scenes but I could tell how great he was. 

After rehearsal and school, I went home. When I was at home my mom went to the gym and I watched a tv show called Legends of Kora. Even though I did not do a lot in the day, I was really tired. I think it's because I am in a new place and I am exerting a lot of energy just trying to find my way here. Even though we were tired from the day, my mom decided we should go out to dinner to this Italian place called Zeffirelli's. It had really good pasta and our waiter went to wizard con in Chicago so we talked a lot about the Windy City.

Today I started the day in school. I like starting there because it's the most normal part of my day and it makes me feel calm.Then at about 11:00am we decided to take a break. We were in the hallway having a snack when the prop guys pulled me aside and asked me to try something on. They wanted me to try on a com link! It looked like it was from Star Wars. It was really cool😎 Then they invited me into their office where I got to see some cool gadgets. I was in shock, they were so high tech and futuristic. It was hard to believe I will use this stuff, and I could not believe the prop guys came up with some of these ideas.

After school I heard that there would be a "show and tell" of the robot at 6:00 pm. I could not wait. I felt a fire in my stomach just wanting to burst into flames of excitement. I wanted to run over there right away. But I had to go have a photo double line up so they could pick a photo double for me. A photo double is used when lining up shots and when I run out of hours in the day that I can possibly work. When those things happen, and the photo double will take my place in a shot to look like me. They lined us up against the wall like we were getting arrested. They picked 3 kids  that looked like me. The doubles seem nice and cool. The weird thing was they all had blue eyes and I have brown eyes. One looked like me but had no bangs, another was dressed like me but didn't look like me, and one had the same build but the face had freckles. 

It was almost time to meet my robot. I was getting really excited! The fire began to grow every second I got closer to 6:00. At last it was 6! We went over to another building at the studio. The fire was getting bigger. Then Neil the director told me to say "action". "Action", I shouted, and then the robot came out. Whoa! A man named Brian played the robot. He puts on a suit with 500 or so pieces. He works hard and he is really nice. The robot had a light up face, it was 7 feet tall! I could not believe it. We got a lot of photos, but I can't post them because they are top secret!!. When it was over I thought it was a dream. It was a awesome day.

          

My very own parking space.
Now I just need to learn how to
Drive!

Special Effects in the making!

Recess! Juggling!
(Those are my "sisters" watching!)

Teaching my teacher to juggle.

Lost in Vancouver...I mean Space!

January 10, 2017

The call came in September. I remember it very well because I was having dinner with my family at Drake's restaurant in Toronto. It was my agent and manager and they said, 
"Danger, Will Robinson, Danger! Congratulations, Max! You are the new Will Robinson in Netflix's Lost in Space!" 

I was shocked and excited and a little over whelmed. That was in September... four months ago...

Today I sit in my apartment in downtown Vancouver, after coming here just yesterday. It felt bitter sweet to leave Chicago. I knew I would miss my family, but I knew I had crazy adventures ahead and one of those adventures meant getting my very own spacesuit! 

After I arrived in Vancouver,  I had to go through immigration to get my work permit. I was tired from the 5 hour flight already. The lines were very long. I wondered if my stay in Vancouver would be over by the time I got through the line! When we left the customs area, there was a really nice guy holding up a sign with my name. His name was Dave and he was there to take us directly to the studio so I could do paperwork, meet my stunt double and meet with the director, Neil Marshall and the writer Zach Estrin. It was really awesome to meet them all and they seemed so excited that I was there. It felt nice to be welcomed, but I was beginning to feel dizzy and overwhelmed. I started to realize just how long I was going to be in Vancouver...

After a few hours, Dave picked us up again to bring us to our apartment. We arrived at the apartment and I just wanted to curl up in bed and call home. I was so tired, and I missed my sister, Sam. I missed my dogs and I missed my dad. I missed my room, and my ps4 and my friends. I felt a big lump in my chest and I thought I was going to cry. My mom saw this and tried to speed up the check in process, but the woman at the front desk seemed to be talking so slowly. She just kept repeating the name of the street  we were on, "Alberni?...Alberni?... you know, Alberni?" It seemed that each time she said Alberni, she asked a question and all I knew was that I was about to cry I felt so homesick.

At last we got to our apartment. It was a relief. My mom unpacked and cooked dinner and I began to get comfortable in my new apartment.

Today I woke up and felt a million times better. I got to meet my "sisters" and they are really awesome, I got to meet my teacher, Luke and he is really great, I got a haircut, which is really short and I'm not sure how much I like it yet, and last but not least... I GOT TO TRY ON MY SPACE SUIT!!! It is blue and orange and it lights up. There are coils sewn into the under clothes that can either run cold water or warm water to keep me cool or warm whichever I need!! The space suit was made by the same company that made Matt Damon's space suit in The Martian. I think this is the coolest project I have ever worked on.

I'm still homesick, and I know that Lost in Space will take a long time to film, but I am excited for what the future will bring. I am excited for my adventures in space!! I plan to keep this blog so I can stay connected to my real home and friends so I don't truly get Lost in Space!

Until next time...
Space Explorer, Will Robinson (AKA Max Jenkins)

        

          My TV sisters

figuring out POM

Haircut!

                    

  

Editor's Note: Where We Left Off

"Canada, Eh?" is the second blog between Max, a student at Coonley Elementary school in Chicago and his classmates.  Max is a multi-talented individual.  He's had the opportunity to film movies which has taken him away from school to be on location for long stretches of time.  In order to keep Max connected to his peers we have set up a blog that allows him, as well as his classmates, to post about what is happening in their worlds.

If you are interested in following Max's first adventure from the fall of 2015, please visit the original blog at https://parsons211.blogspot.com/.

Please note, this blog is moderated, so if you post a comment it will not show up until approved. Please reply using your first name only (posts containing full student names will not be published).

We look forward to following Max's new journey!

-Nicole Zumpano, Coonley Technology Coach