The Alien Ice Picktures FAQ
First, I'll deal with a few questions then on to the reference guide:
1) Who is behind the creation of the webisodes?
That's an easy one. Alien Ice Picktures is the brainchild of me, Barbara. Alien Ice Picktures is just the latest addition to my
X-Files website. With the exception of two early
webisodes where some of my co-workers joined in on the madness, the
pictures and stories are all the product of my twisted mind.
As soon as I heard there would be action figures from the movie, the
rusty gears in my brain began to turn, picturing the possibilities.
The day after the movie premiered in my town, I found the action
figures and two days later Alien Ice Picktures went online. It's been
all downhill since then. I don't own a lot of action figures, though I did have a few including a few Star Trek, The Tick, and Wolverine figures, so I had to raid the toybox of a wonderfully gracious child, Genny, for some of the Disney figures. I don't usually sit around playing with action figures but I'll admit to purchasing and posing them for kicks. And writing the webisodes is right up my alley. If you think they're weird, you obviously haven't visited the rest of my site and checked out the Lost Episodes and Interview with an X-File sections (shameless self-promotion).
2) How did you come up with the name Alien Ice Picktures?
Well, back in the episodes "Colony/Endgame" we were
introduced to the shapeshifting mutants and alien hybrids who could
be killed with that strange alien device carefully aimed at a spot at
the base of the neck. Without a name for the device, the newsgroup
threw around a lot of ideas. I liked to think of it as an alien
pithing device but the ice pick went better with the title of my
page.
3) How do you take the pictures for the webisodes?
I originally tried to take pictures with my regular
camera but figured the cost of all the film I'd waste with out of
focus pictures would break my budget. I also tried a handheld digital
camera but it wasn't exactly top of the line so lacked a zoom
function. Once again, blurry photos for close-up work. A case in
point:
So I moved on to a DCVC-2 camera from Digital Vision. The name
stands for desktop color video camera and I borrowed it from my lab
where it resides on top of the computer for the purpose of
conferencing with our collaborators. I think the use I've found for
it is much more fun.
4) Why are some pictures better than others?
No one has actually found a diplomatic way to ask this
but I know some folks must be wondering. The fact is, when I first
started this venture I had no idea how to use the digital camera. It
was sort of a learn-as-you-go experience and the first webisodes are
proof of this. I could have gone back and redone the original
pictures but it seemed like a cheat. Besides, sometimes you get a
good picture and sometimes you don't. In fact, I've taken the camera
home to use with my computer at home and had lighting problems there,
too. The trouble is usually with yellow light versus a nice white
light and being able to get any clarity with focusing. I've found the
fluorescent lights in my lab work the best so I'm going to stick with
that.
5) How often do you update your site?
When I first started, I updated with more frequency.
It was the summer, afterall. Now, I try to add one or two new
webisodes every other weekend. The updates usually come out on the
weekend since I have a real job during the week that keeps me busy.
Plus, now that I'm shooting in the lab again, I can hardly do that
during working hours. I usually post updates to my website on the
What's New page.
And now for the list of references
contained in the webisodes, continue on to
"Am I Missing Something?"