Star Ship Polaris

[Psion]

Forgive my digression here, but I'm somewhat reminded of a scanning electron microscope when I see these pictures, and that console with Vektor's perspective lines makes me think of the instrument's specimen port. What if that console was digitally extended to intersect with the engine as if it were some kind of "plasma tap" where analysis devices are clustered along with the control interface? I don't know what kind of footage you've shot with people moving around the set, but if no one steps between the console and the engine, it would be visually distinctive from Trek.

[Vektor]

I don't think it would work to have him standing in a hole in the deck. Perspective-wise, that would require the hole to be at least 3 or 4 feet further away from the camera. It's not going to look right unless he shrinks proportionally or gets shifted downward in the frame, which you might get away with if you could break him out as a separate element, but you told me earlier in email that he turns and hands a clipboard to one of the other characters. I can't think of a way you would be able to pull that off without the depth discrepancy being painfully obvious.

Let me ask you this: Does anyone enter or leave the left side of the frame, even partially, in any of these shots? I'm wondering if we might shift the live action to the right side of the frame and mirror the angle on the rest of the engineering space. Kneeling Man could then be working on something at the side of the alcove rather than right smack in the middle of it. Just a thought.

[Vektor]

Psion wrote:

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What if that console was digitally extended to intersect with the engine as if it were some kind of "plasma tap" where analysis devices are clustered along with the control interface? I don't know what kind of footage you've shot with people moving around the set, but if no one steps between the console and the engine, it would be visually distinctive from Trek.

I actually considered something like this when I was laying out the perspective lines, but Kneeling Man is in the way. It doesn't help that, as mentioned in the previous post, he also has to hand a clipboard to the other character at one point, which I'm guessing would also be obstructed by an extended console.

[Maurice]

Let me send you the shots tonight and all will become obvious.

[Vektor]

Some tweaks to the big console cluster:

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I like that.

We have a few circular animations that will fit those displays, with a little tweaking.

[Vektor]

Nothing says "engine room" like round guages and displays, I always say.

[Maurice]

Two additional things to think about:

• Krell Furnances viewed through hexagonal openings
• HAL brain room

And I think I may also have some circular graphics that would fit on those "scopes".

[Vektor]

The HAL brain room I remember well. The Krell furnaces from that point of view eludes me, though. Got a pic you can post?

[Admiral Buzzkill]

At about the 3:40 mark:

[Admiral Buzzkill]

BTW, take a look at the opening crawl on this 1956 trailer:

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I'm continuing to make progress with the conversion of the Polaris model. The format conversion, breakup into LW surfaces and application of basic textures is probably close to 50 percent complete:



I'm pleased to have been able to more or less recreate the lander bay interior that Vektor had done considerable mapping and texturing on:

[Admiral Buzzkill]

About 70 percent done:

[Santaman]

Looking good.

[sojourner]

Shiny! Can't wait to see this thing in motion!