The Amazing Kimberly Ryusaki!

[FormerLurker]

^My favorite is the police officer who stares at Chekov while he's asking about the location of the naval base.

--Sran

The best part about him is that he was a real San Francisco cop who got too close to production.

Really? I always thought that was an urban legend, i.e. that the cop (and everybody else in that scene) was pre-planned to be a part of it...

Besides, film crews would have noticed if the cop wasn't supposed to be there, wouldn't they? The one film I ever saw actually being made (one of the Spider Man ones), they raised these huge screens up all over the place when filming commenced so that passersby couldn't accidentally stumble across the shoot.

The version I've heard is it was more or less a spontaneous moment, but not exactly by accident, either. Nimoy was going for a "Candid Camera" effect in the scene, with him and the camera crew shooting form a van. Extras told to react were mingled in with the unaware public (one of whom ended up in the film when she now famously uttered the "Alameda" line when she did stop to answer Koenig). Because it was so open and public, the policeman was hired to provide security for Nichols and Koenig. Nimoy liked his reaction to what was going on, and used it in the film.

This is what I meant.

 

[Neumann]

Anyone who's seen TWOK or TSFS has seen this young woman standing on the Enterprise bridge

Nice butt.

Still she is one of the nicest crewmember on the bridge and seems to have survived TWOK, far longer than the other cadets!

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

^It is interesting that she remained on the Enterprise after the rest of the cadets and junior officers (except Ensign Foster, who was played by Phil Morris) were transferred to other ships, and that she managed to get assigned to the Enterprise-A. One way or another, it has to have something to do with Kirk.

--Sran

 

[Maurice]

Really? I always thought that was an urban legend, i.e. that the cop (and everybody else in that scene) was pre-planned to be a part of it...

Besides, film crews would have noticed if the cop wasn't supposed to be there, wouldn't they? The one film I ever saw actually being made (one of the Spider Man ones), they raised these huge screens up all over the place when filming commenced so that passersby couldn't accidentally stumble across the shoot.

The version I've heard is it was more or less a spontaneous moment, but not exactly by accident, either. Nimoy was going for a "Candid Camera" effect in the scene, with him and the camera crew shooting form a van. Extras told to react were mingled in with the unaware public (one of whom ended up in the film when she now famously uttered the "Alameda" line when she did stop to answer Koenig). Because it was so open and public, the policeman was hired to provide security for Nichols and Koenig. Nimoy liked his reaction to what was going on, and used it in the film.

This is what I meant.

They wouldn't have done a candid camera thing because that means wasting film (expensive) and then having to chase down passers-by and try to get them to sign releases. Also, all those SF locations were within a few blocks of each other, so the film crew being around would have been painfully obvious.

 

[FormerLurker]

As Franklin said in the quote you so graciously provided, the cop was already there, doing crowd control. He wasn't there to be part of the scene. But Nimoy told Nichols and Koenig to go ask the cop already on set about the 'nuclear wessels' as part of a long standing tradition of Star Trek humor. His just standing there and staring at them was what Nimoy was going for, especially as the cop didn't expect the actors to do that.

Simply put, if it has been long documented that such a thing took place, and has been told over and over again by those involved, it's unlikely that "They wouldn't have done it that way", just because you think it's unprofessional. And releases get signed after the fact on a daily basis. That's the nature of "Candid Camera" in the first place.

 

[Jedi_Master]

It would be a lot of fun to just be a background character on a Star Trek production. Just push some fake buttons and move around a bit. Super cool.

 

[Indysolo]

It would be a lot of fun to just be a background character on a Star Trek production. Just push some fake buttons and move around a bit. Super cool.

No buttons to push when I did it, but I got to hold Kirk's medal of commendation between takes in 2007, and see Nimoy as Spock on set.

Neil

 

[Borjis]

If you look in the backgrounds of some of the San Francisco scenes in TVH, you can see non-extras staring at the filming going on from across the street.

 

[Maurice]

As Franklin said in the quote you so graciously provided, the cop was already there, doing crowd control. He wasn't there to be part of the scene. But Nimoy told Nichols and Koenig to go ask the cop already on set about the 'nuclear wessels' as part of a long standing tradition of Star Trek humor. His just standing there and staring at them was what Nimoy was going for, especially as the cop didn't expect the actors to do that.

Simply put, if it has been long documented that such a thing took place, and has been told over and over again by those involved, it's unlikely that "They wouldn't have done it that way", just because you think it's unprofessional. And releases get signed after the fact on a daily basis. That's the nature of "Candid Camera" in the first place.

From an article that used to live on startrek.com

Visions of Layla: Taking the Voyage Home

Star Trek is full of many weird and wonderful stories from actors and production crew about how they ended up working on the show or for the feature films. One of these stories is certainly unique ...

In 1986, a woman by the name of Layla Sarakalo was living in San Francisco above the historic Jack Kerouac-era Savoy Tivoli café on Grant Avenue. One day, early in the morning, she woke up to find her car had been towed courtesy of a film production. In cities where location work is done, it is common to see temporary No Parking signs put up to help facilitate the parking of production trucks required for the shoot. However, Layla never saw the signs or received a warning and was determined to take action. Something was happening here and she knew what it was; that something had to do with recovering the towing fee with a day's work as an extra on the film that towed her car!

"Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," as everyone in the known universe is aware, focused on our intrepid crew returning in time to the 1980s Bay Area in hopes of recovering two whales required by a mysterious probe back in the future. The San Francisco street scenes provided some of the film's most memorable and humorous moments. It also provided an avenue for Layla ...

After deciding what she would do, Layla changed into a suitable outfit, grabbed her whippet Anubis (her dog) and headed down the street to where the action was taking place. After speaking with the assistant director on whether she could get a day's work, she was told she could and was instructed to stand with the group of extras already hired for the day.

Layla said to the others that she had never engaged in this acting thing before and asked what she should do. They told her to act naturally. With the cameras rolling, Layla walked down the street into shot and soon came to the spot where Uhura and Chekov were unsuccessfully trying to find out from passing pedestrians where the nuclear wessels [sic] were. Most of the extras who were asked this question looked at the two like they were from another planet and carried on. Layla, however, answered them. Naturally.

The problem was, she wasn't supposed to say anything. But, because she did, the filmmakers decided that this was good, spontaneous stuff and that they should use it! A bit of rancor by fellow extras aside, Layla's star was now lit and hanging in the firmament.

After some retakes, they finally broke for lunch. When production personnel approached her, they asked if she was in the union (Screen Actors Guild). "No," she replied with a smile, "I'm in the neighborhood."

Am I Still Dreamin' Yet?

Fast forward eight months, and Layla is at the Bay Meadows racetrack south of San Francisco. When the man selling the Daily Racing Form sees her, he says he saw her in "Star Trek IV" last night and that she was great. A bit dumbfounded, Layla walked away. Later that day, someone else told her she was in "The Voyage Home." She had better go see the film, she thought, and find out what all the hullabaloo was about. Layla went to the movie theater and, lo and behold, there she was on a 50-foot screen, talking with Uhura and Chekov!

So some stories say "candid camera" others say "extras". It sounds more like good publicity to say the former.

 

[FormerLurker]

In the interest of not arguing, I'll say the following, and not reply further;

Not all stories are the same.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

It would be a lot of fun to just be a background character on a Star Trek production. Just push some fake buttons and move around a bit. Super cool.

No buttons to push when I did it, but I got to hold Kirk's medal of commendation between takes in 2007, and see Nimoy as Spock on set.

I swear for minute I thought, "What the heck is he talking about? They weren't shooting any Trek in 2007." And then I realized that you were of course talking about the first JJ film. It threw me because whenever I hear or read "Kirk", I still instinctively think "Shatner."

That must've been fun to be on set, though.

 

[Maurice]

In the interest of not arguing, I'll say the following, and not reply further;

Not all stories are the same.

I'm not interested in arguing. I'm just pointing out that it's not certain what actually happened precisely because there are differing accounts.

 

[Jedi_Master]

It would be a lot of fun to just be a background character on a Star Trek production. Just push some fake buttons and move around a bit. Super cool.

No buttons to push when I did it, but I got to hold Kirk's medal of commendation between takes in 2007, and see Nimoy as Spock on set.

Neil

That's cool. I think most fans would be happy with a tiny background role, especially if they ended up in the finished film.

 

[bolak]

Guys, discuss the actress a bit more rather than her physical attributes. This is not acceptable.

I see where you're coming from, but unfortunately the truth is that their physical attributes are exactly why ( many | most ) actresses are hired.

Terry Farrel, Persis Khambatta, Jeri Ryan; just some top-bill Star Trek examples but the principle extends to all parts including extras.

An example that irked me recently was when I watched Lexx for the first time; such a ground-breaking film but they still didn't have the courage to retainLisa Hines as Xev. Heroines, apparently, have to be stunning and nubile.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ Lexx? Are you kidding? That show was all ABOUT treating people as objects. It's the whole point of the series!

 

[Peach Wookiee]

Guys, discuss the actress a bit more rather than her physical attributes. This is not acceptable.

I see where you're coming from, but unfortunately the truth is that their physical attributes are exactly why ( many | most ) actresses are hired.

Terry Farrel, Persis Khambatta, Jeri Ryan; just some top-bill Star Trek examples but the principle extends to all parts including extras.

An example that irked me recently was when I watched Lexx for the first time; such a ground-breaking film but they still didn't have the courage to retainLisa Hines as Xev. Heroines, apparently, have to be stunning and nubile.

Just keep it very clean.