Star Trek: Phase II's "The Holiest Thing" - Delayed

Just a quick heads-up, this was announced today on Phase II's Facebook page:

Unfortunate, but also understandable. This snow back east has just been brutal from what I've been able to discern.

Hopefully everyone at Phase II will stay warm and safe!

 

I wonder if there's been an update on their ETA.

 

I hope not. I hope they have it UPLOADING before they announce another date. And First Contact Day would be lovely.

 

I'd love an update (because I was REALLY looking forward to seeing it after marathon pep band Friday night <sad face> ). However, when it's ready, it's ready, and I'm glad they're not releasing it before it's ready.

Yes, James Cawley, it's true, I sat there through pep band at two ball games and all I was thinking Friday night was, "I can't wait to get home and watch new Star Trek." Except during the Time Warp. All I thought then was, "Holy shit, the student section is actually dancing along!"

 

Well, here's an update.

Having shot this episode back in June, we were really hoping for the shortest turnaround time for any episode we've done so far. (That may still happen.) So many good people have been doing post-production feverishly (quite literally) in so many different capacities. The final edit had been completed for a (short) while, and as early as the day before our planned February 14th release, we were still aiming on getting it out on time.

As we passed the hot-off-the-press episode around internally, I think there was generally some dissatisfaction in the more technical aspects of the episode. Notably, but not exclusively, the color correction was rather uneven throughout the episode. We were willing to do some quick fixes, but the snowy, icy weather was wreaking havoc with the electrical power of important key individuals--including, of course, our colorist. It was decided that we would simply miss our self-imposed release date to do an even better job of crossing our Is and dotting our Ts.

We're reluctant to give a new date--lest the same thing happen again. But we also know that people want firm dates they can rely on. The chatter internally among us was that maybe about a month from now--around the middle of March. But than, you know what they say about the Ides of March.

But if we couldn't hit February 14, maybe March 14 will work out better. That's some holiday or something, isn't it?






(Yes, I know it's dot Is and cross Ts.)

 

Thanks for the update, Greg. Obviously, you guys will put out the episode when it's ready and when you do, we will all be thrilled to see it. Hopefully the weather will be a little nicer to you guys and soon!

 

Disappointed it didn't come out, but glad that when it will it'll look as nice as the Phase 2 team wants it...

Greg, can you also please update us with Phase 2's other unreleased épisodes in your pipeline, notably Bread and Savagery, and Protracted Man (I think it was said the latter will be completely reshot this summer, right?)...Don't know if I missed any other...

Thank you

 

Yes. March 14 is Pi Day. It's also close to St. Patrick's Day.

 

March sounds good if it's not long at all but It'd be better all round if you released the finished product rather than a 'rough cut' with finished episode out soon.

When it's ready it's ready, and I for one will be there downloading and watching on the day (unless it's like 5am here, then I'll just have to wait til first thing in the morning!)!

 

So, the stuff that has been in the Phase II production/postproduction pipeline are (in the order in which they were shot):

1. "Origins" aka "Origins: The Protracted Man" aka "The Protracted Man" written and directed by David Gerrold. The latest thinking by the director is that it will have to be reshot pretty much in its entirety. (All our VFX would seem to be fine; important principal photography shots that we still need to get and then incorporate into existing footage require cast members who are no longer available to us. So we will probably need to reshoot much (all?) of the existing footage with new cast members.)

2. "Mind-Sifter" written by Patty Wright and directed by Mark Burchett. Half the episode takes place in "regular" Star Trek time and half takes place on 1950s Earth. We have most of the regular Star Trek time stuff, but none of the Old Earth stuff. The stuff we do have has a different actor for Dr. McCoy (Mr. David Sherin), who assumed the role when our usual Dr. McCoy (Dr. John Kelley) became unavailable. Now that he is available, we are contemplating re-doing those scenes--which is a considerable amount of stuff. Also, although there was general satisfaction with the script, we are contemplating going in a slightly different direction with it--yet still trying to remain faithful to the original short story on which it is based. If much of the episode needs to be re-shot (like with "Origins," we might seize the opportunity to rework the script a bit.

3. "Bread and Savagery" written by Rick Chambers and directed my Mark Burchett. Fortunately, there are no major problems with the episode. We just need to grab a few more pick-up shots. Summer is our sweet-spot time for doing stuff like that, so while that episode is sure to be our next episode released following "The Holiest Thing," I wouldn't look for it until the fall.

There you go: all the news that's fit to print.

Questions? Concerns? Suggestion? I'm all ears--like always.

 

Greg,

I will admit surprise that Phase 2 is doing Mind Sifter. I'd have thought that's a story that wouldn't do well onscreen, not because it's a bad story, quite the contrary. I vividly remember reading it at the time, and its effect on me. My concern is if you did a faithful retelling I'm not sure I'm not sure how entertaining it could be to see one of your favorite characters treated that way. Call it "The Empath effect", where a decent story can't help but get lost behind the unattractive imagery.

I'm really looking forward to Bread and Savagery based on the brief trailer that was released a while ago. The Procounsel was always a favorite character, and the actor playing him now seems really good at it.

 

Hey Greg, thanks for the update... I really truly appreciate it. (And I'm being serious here, not screwing around like I'm known to do).

That said, my birthday is on March 15th, so if you need a worthy holiday to shoot for... well, damn, I'm flattered!

 

Thanks for the really prompt response Well, if you're asking for suggestions, seeing as how you'll be busy this summer with just re-shoots, if you don't plan a full-blown new episode this summer, how about a vignette to tide us all over? Personally I'd love one where the crew has the snazzy TMP earth-tone tunics

 

Well, I hear you about seeing our hero in less than pleasant conditions. That is indeed one of the concerns we are facing with the script. Patty Wright might choose to weigh in here about those kinds of concerns, having written the script we've used so far. Her thoughts might be moot, however, if someone else ends up writing/co-writing the script.

As I've indicated elsewhere, the main draw to doing "Mind-Sifter" was not just the popularity that the fan-written story seems to have garnered (for better or worse). One of the other reasons was a promise to the (now late) Shirley Maiewski that we would produce her story. (Shirley passed away back in 2004 just as Star Trek Phase II--then still called New Voyages--was getting going.)

Shirley had always been frustrated and disappointed with the changes made by the editors to her original story when it appeared in the old Bantam Books publication Star Trek: The New Voyages. Her request (and our promise to her and her survivors) was that we would adapt her original story rather than the edited version of her story from the old New Voyages book.

But we hear you. The Enterprise scenes were easy for us to get; that's our bread and butter. But the 1950s Earth scenes with a "shell-of-his-former-self" amnesiac Captain Kirk poses challenges to us on so many levels: acting, sets, props, cinematography, etc. But you've hit the nail on the head: do we make it very Star Trek-like, or do we make it more dark and painful like the writer originally intended.

Like always, no matter what we do, of course, large factions of our viewers will be disappointed no matter how well we end up threading this needle.

Thanks for your interest.

 

hmm...well, I don't speak on behalf of the production but I can still add a few tidbits here...

It was written by Dave Galanter and David Gerrold.

And just to comment on the "title confusion". "Origins" was the title of the script I wrote back in Sept 2009 when James wanted an "origin story to correct JJ's". (actually the full title was "Origins: Eleven Sucks". When they made the poster and announced the episode, they elected to drop part of the title ) There was a lot I didn't like about that script, and wrote a new one titled "The Wreck of the Athens Queen" in January. (Which is available on fanfiction.net) I was very happy with it, but when I found out Gerrold was directing I suggested that I take a bow to the TOS alumni and we let him film his long-awaited "The Protracted Man" - which couldn't be filmed back in the 60s because VFX/CGI wasn't sophisticated enough. I was asked to write the first draft, but elected not to because of paid writing work. Dave Galanter wrote it using Gerrold's original story premise. David Gerrold polished it.

So..."Origins" stuck because no one changed the poster and for awhile the fact that we were filming "The Protracted Man" was a production secret. But it was never the name of the episode/script filmed.

While I am the very first person to admire Greg's art of diplomacy and political correctness, and definitely appreciate the effort here, I am a person who tends to call a spade a spade - and since it involves me here I am free to do so.

"Mind-Sifter" was supposed to be finished in June 2014 - including refilming both David Sherin and James Cawley's parts. (as well as Kim Stinger's) While I believe that it is generally a problem to have the writer on a film set, it was very important to me to be involved in finishing this episode for quite a few reasons. (Shirley was my friend, I am a licensed therapist/social worker and have worked for 30 years in the mental health field, John Carrigan's father was afflicted by the mental health system, and another theme I added after a discussion with Shirley was dear to my heart). This became an impasse for reasons I won't detail. Ultimately, James decided to get another script and start from scratch rather than have me on set for the filming to finish mine. Feel free to blame me for the problem...but I am unwavering as to how important this is to me.

In the end, this is probably for the best - as it's probably easier to film all new than to try to replace people in key scenes that have already been filmed. It has been announced that they will be filming the "new" "Mind-Sifter", written by an unannounced person, from June 20-30 this year.

I'm looking forward to seeing the finished episode. It's a good story.

 

ah...someone who wasn't around when it was announced back in 2010.

"Mind-Sifter" is what actually STARTED "New Voyages". James met Shirley at a convention and they had a long chat. Shirley was very enthusiastic at James' idea to "film new TOS episodes" and encouraged him with great gusto to do so. She also handed him a copy of her original "The Mind-Sifter" fan fic....explaining in great depth how upset and angry she was at Bantam Books who "destroyed the story" with their edit, and she asked James to film her story, the way she wrote it, so people got to see it the way she intended. (the short explaination is that she wrote it as a Kirk and Chekov story - intending to show Chekov was basically young Kirk. Bantam removed Chekov entirely from the story)

James promised Shirley that one day he would do so and, in fact, named the series "New Voyages" in her honor. (or so he's said a few times.) As Shirley died long before it was possible to film the story, I was able to contact her family and get permission from them to proceed. (I was a friend and used to hang out in her house every weekend in the "Star Trek room" long before anyone else ever had one) Her grandson was actually planning to be a Starfleet crewman in the episode at one time.

So, it's not really a surprise.

However, it is a daring choice...as you point out. It also isn't a very typical TOS story if done faithfully...with Kirk out of his mind for the entire thing.

 

Greg, thanks so much for your consistent openness, responsiveness, and friendly professionalism. In addition to being the moderator, you also happen to be a great poster. Your insights are appreciated.

Thanks for offering your thoughts, as well, andriech.

 

well I felt poor Greg was rather trapped by the need to be politically secret about what happened, and he's got enough hoops to jump through without having to worry about another one. He's a class act.

 

Fascinating story, andriech... thanks for sharing!