Film Shoot of TV Pilot 'Trauma' 9

They said 'fireball'. And it was!!!

All of a sudden an ENORMOUS, ORANGE AND RED FIREBALL EXPLODED OUT OF THE WAITING TANKER.

Even though we were expecting it over the creek at Mission Bay, the boom and the ferocity of flames that appeared to cover the tanker took everyone by surprise. A flock of seagulls rose over the water squawking raucously, two helicopters circled low in tandem.

This was special effects, true Hollywood style. And there were no disappointments as NBC Universal faked the crucial scene for their TV pilot, Trauma, that involves a tanker crash on the expressway with a multiple car and taxi pile-up - see previous blogs for interviews and action throughout yesterday and today.

'It was good! Fantastic! said Brad, the dad I had interviewed last night with his six-year-old son, Connor. As Brad turned to leave he said, 'That's a lot of smoke! Wow! That was amazing!' the accolades were growing by the second.

'I loved that!' said Connor.

It had been a long wait. The action had been promised for some time between 1 pm and 4 pm, but the clock ticked over the deadline - with nothing!

Then 4.30 pm passed and the gathered crowd from earlier in the afternoon dissipated. Even Jackie and Janaya who had travelled across the Bay especially to see the filming disappeared as late afternoon shadows fell over the creek.

Crew had cut a hole in the roof of the tanker for the explosives to shoot through. In final 'prep', a camera boom was seen focussing on the tanker and an NBC news van arrived on the other side of the creek, parked at a safe distance below the expressway and put up its antennae ready to catch the action for its evening news broadcast.

The first helicopter arrived sometime between 5.15 pm and 5.30 pm and circled over the creek and expressway. It was joined by the second after 5.30 pm.

At 5.50 pm, Brad, standing there with binnoculars, said, 'They're bringing in the actors. It's a lot of waiting,' he added, 'It wouldn't be the industry for me!'

Suddenly, kaboom! We were in the midst of it! Socks nearly blown off!

pics by Chris show the explosion in sequence: the first explosion timed at 5.52 pm