"Polaris"

Discussion in 'Fan Productions' started by Admiral Buzzkill, Jan 7, 2009.

  1. Admiral Buzzkill

    Admiral Buzzkill Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2001
    United Worlds Entertainment has entered preproduction on the short science fiction film "Polaris" starring Paul R. Sieber ("Star Trek: Phase II," "Law And Disorder").

    Set centuries in the future, Polaris tells the story of an interstellar starship lost in uncharted space. To get home again Captain Sam Fredericks, Valerie Young and the crew of the star cruiser Polaris must defeat an implacable enemy and solve the mystery of an impossible planet. Their discoveries will change humanity forever - if they survive.

    United Worlds plans to begin production in Fall 2009. Principal photography will take place at studios in Maryland and on location in the Delaware/Maryland/Virginia region.

    Further information is available at http://www.starshippolaris.com.
     
  2. trekkerguy

    trekkerguy Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Jan 2, 2006
    Location:
    Boise, ID
    Ooooh, coolies.
     
  3. Mallory

    Mallory Moderator In Memoriam

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2002
    Location:
    Oregon, USA
    Sounds good! I'll be looking forward to the updates as things progress.
     
  4. RJDiogenes

    RJDiogenes Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 2003
    Location:
    RJDiogenes of Boston
    Ah, wonderful; it's great to see an original production. :) The "implacable enemy" and "change humanity forever" bits made me kind of smirk, but I'll be happy to see this develop. The spaceship model looks great. :bolian:
     
  5. Hudson_uk

    Hudson_uk Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

    Joined:
    Jun 17, 2007
    Location:
    Nr Cambridge, UK
    Can't get into your forums at the moment so I'll say it here - Very cool, looking forward to it. All the best for a smooth production.
     
  6. Admiral Buzzkill

    Admiral Buzzkill Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2001
    Thanks. I read a lot of back-cover blurbs on 1950s and 1960s science fiction novels in order to compose that. :lol:

    The ship design is a work in progress - the main design is by aridas sofia but he's working with other folk who are known around here on various refinements.

    There is a short test clip of the first version of the model over here at youtube:

    Polaris

    I'm afraid video compression is not kind to this particular shot, though. Miles to go...
     
  7. Admiral Buzzkill

    Admiral Buzzkill Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2001
    Forum problem should be resolved now. Thanks for the heads up.
     
  8. trekkerguy

    trekkerguy Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Jan 2, 2006
    Location:
    Boise, ID
    Wow, that's badass. I want to make cool TV show type stuff...
     
  9. Ryan Thomas Riddle

    Ryan Thomas Riddle Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2003
    This looks like fun, and I'd love to give a helping hand but I'm stuck here on the West Coast for the time being. Now, if I get that teaching gig at Gettysburg University then I'll be a bit closer.

    In any case, I am looking forward to this and you've got a great actor to be your skipper. I've been impressed with all his fan film work -- it's about time he take the center seat in something.
     
  10. Admiral Buzzkill

    Admiral Buzzkill Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2001
    Absolutely.
     
  11. Shatna

    Shatna Grand Lord Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 23, 2003
    Ready when you are, D.B. Gimme a holler.
     
  12. Admiral Buzzkill

    Admiral Buzzkill Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2001
    Will do, Boss.
     
  13. Psion

    Psion Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2001
    Location:
    Lat: 40.1630936 Lon: -75.1183777
    Then I say we should kill them ourselves before they get back.

    But seriously, this looks exciting! Good luck with the project ... you're just close enough to my backyard that I have a chance at bumping into you folks when you go on location.
     
  14. Admiral Buzzkill

    Admiral Buzzkill Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2001
    And that would be a later story... :lol:
     
  15. RJDiogenes

    RJDiogenes Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 2003
    Location:
    RJDiogenes of Boston
    Ah, retro appeal. Even better. One of the things I like about the ship is that it's not the fashionable "battleship gray, rundown tenement" look that it's almost impossible to get away from these days. That's a nice clip, too.
     
  16. FalTorPan

    FalTorPan Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2000
    Location:
    Out there... thataway.
    This is cool stuff. I applaud everyone who contributes so much time, money, energy and creativity to making Trek fan films, but I'd much rather watch something set in its own "universe." :cool:
     
  17. Admiral Buzzkill

    Admiral Buzzkill Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2001
    Thanks.

    There's a topic in Trek Art here that goes into a lot of the design process for the ship - it hasn't been updated in about six months, and we've taken various aspects of the vessel in different directions since then. But the basic layout and particularly the interior deck plans remain pretty much as aridas put them together.
     
  18. Ryan Thomas Riddle

    Ryan Thomas Riddle Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2003
    ^Looking over the cross-section, you can see how genius the layout is from a production standpoint. It would only take a few sets, maybe even just one or two, that can be redressed to be all sections of the ship. Film all your scenes on the bridge, then rearrange some of the consoles and you got the CIC or an engineering section. Same with the quarters, you'd probably even be able to use the bridge set walls and set up bunks or, for senior officers, set up furniture.
     
  19. RJDiogenes

    RJDiogenes Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 2003
    Location:
    RJDiogenes of Boston
    That's a nice, realistic design. Does the ship use artificial gravity or rely on acceleration as a substitute?
     
  20. Admiral Buzzkill

    Admiral Buzzkill Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2001
    And aridas was definitely taking those production requirements into account.

    As the project has evolved and the story requirements have become more specific, some of what's on the cross-section has been superceded - we don't have a separate CIC, for example, and most if not all navigation functions are located on the command deck. But for the most part this drawing is still what I use for reference.

    It just makes sense to orient the deck floors along the axis of acceleration, IMAO, and I like that it echoes the way old-fashioned "rocket ships" always seemed to be designed in 1950s science fiction and speculations about near-future Moon and Mars missions. The ship has artificial gravity for use when not under acceleration, based on what aridas calls a bit of "bolognium" whereby the "gravity generators" are charged with "stored momentum" while the ship is accelerating.
     
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2009