So what was the best single special effects shot in the 10

[enterprisecvn65]

So I'm talking about a single effects shot, not a whole scene, so you shouldn't say "the dry dock scene in TMP" but rather "the shot where they show the enterprise head on in the dock for the first time"

So my three are all from TWOK

1. The shot immediately after Chekov says "torpedoes ready sir" when the enterprise fully rises behind reliant and only a little bit of reliant's roll bar and weapons pod are visible. For me it almost seems like jaws about to strike. The music is awesome and you can almost feel the Enterprise getting her ass kicking boots ready and saying "payback's a bitch isn't it khan?"

2. The shot after Spock has entered the radiation compartment and preparing to remove the top. There's a shot of the enterprise heading towards the camera with reliant in the distance trailing debris and some lighting flashes. It a great combination of the Enterprise trying her heroic best to get away but getting the sense it's not going to be enough.

3. Right after khan says it's very cold in space. There's a shot of the distant reliant on the left of the screen with the enterprise closing rapidly from the right really close to the camera. I feel like this shot is like two gunfighters walking towards each other and you are wondering who's going to draw first.

Could put others.....but curious what others think.

 

[BillJ]

The pock mark explosions in the Enterprise primary hull during her destruction in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.

 

[enterprisecvn65]

The pock mark explosions in the Enterprise primary hull during her destruction in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.

Yeah that was a great effect. It's just so damn painful to watch. It's like I'm watching a part of my youth being slowly destroyed before my eyes.

 

[Cyke101]

I'm sure I have better examples, but one that shoots out for me is the Enterprise simply flying from one side of the screen to the other on impulse to Khitomer. She was so fast and clean and smooth, but still with the weight and mass of a proper starship. No fuss, no muss.

I suppose in a way it's like the best realized version of when a kid holds up a toy plane and zooming it through the air.

Along the same token and more generally speaking, one thing I like about the JJPrise movies is that they've returned the ship to flying like a lumbering beast, best suited for flying in a straight line. After the death of the E-D, I've generally thought that hero ships like the E-E, Voyager, and NX-01 were almost a little *too* swift.

 

[Smellmet]

The long overhead shot of the Enterprise on approach to space dock at the beginning of TSFS I've always thought was a stunner and still looks superb today.

The Enterprise-E on approach to Kolarus III I've always been partial to also. I like nearly all the FX shots in Nemesis though.

 

[HarryM]

I loved Reliant's phasers chewing up the Enterprise engineering hull. Maybe not in keeping with the way phasers were portrayed before but just looked frikkin awesome.

 

[GNDN18]

TSFS: When the Enterprise backs out of space dock. It was the effective shot for expressing the sense of scale; the score probably helped, too.

 

[Khan 2.0]

My god bones... what have I done

 

[Vger23]

Here's ten favorites...I don't have the wherewithal to rank them.

V'Ger erupts and the Enterprise emerges over Earth (TMP)
Enterprise's first movie-era warp jump (TMP)
Reliant phasers the Enterprise engineering hull (TWOK)
Enterprise exits Spacedock (TSFS)
Bird of Prey escapes Genesis (TSFS)
Enterprise over Sha Ka Ree, as the God-beam explodes upward (TFF)
Praxis explodes- shockwave hits Excelsior (TUC)
Bird of Prey torpedoed (TUC)
Saucer crash (GEN)
Enterprise-D intro shot (FC)

 

[abeardall]

One of my favorites is (oddly) from Star Trek V. Even though most of the effects were awful, the Enterprise from behind silhouetted against the moon was just stunning.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Today, my favorite is this one: http://movies.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/tmp2/tmphd1621.jpg.

 

[Trekkin]

The death of the Enterprise is TSFS. From the beginning to the 'streaking through the sky' end.

I thought some of the animatronics and puppets like the whales and the Ceti Eels were pretty cool too.

 

[enterprisecvn65]

TSFS: When the Enterprise backs out of space dock. It was the effective shot for expressing the sense of scale; the score probably helped, too.

It was a great shot on its own but, to put it bluntly, the music was fucking amazing. Still get goosebumps sometimes listening to it.

 

[HarryM]

The whole "stealing the Enterprise" sequence was terrific.

 

[martok2112]

The Enterprise E ramming the Scimitar sequence...especially the internal shot of the Scorpion fighter careening toward the camera as the Scimitar's hangar was going all to hell!

 

[BillJ]

Enterprise-D intro shot (FC)

Enterprise-E?

 

[Cyke101]

Today, my favorite is this one: http://movies.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/tmp2/tmphd1621.jpg.

Oh, that is magnificent. It really gave the sense that our heroes were facing something truly alien, beyond comprehension, and and fairly terrifying. But that's what explorers do.

 

[enterprisecvn65]

There's a shot of the enterprise approaching genesis right after the bop cloaks. The shot is looking up at the ship starting at the underside of the saucer as the Enterprise flys over the camera and the camera follows it for a few seconds before the camera stops and the enterprise moves towards the planet. It's also accompanied by the main theme played faster in a minor so it sounds really eerie, foreshadowing what's to come

I always thought that was the most "real" looking shot of the Enterprise. I don't know exactly why but the combination of the angle, the lighting and the movement of the model looked for all the world to me that it was an honest to god shot of a real Enterprise approaching genesis.
There've been many great effects shots over the films but even the best, as great as they are you know are ultimately a model or CGI. This shot had a realism to it I don't think I've seen in another shot in the films.

 

[Vger23]

Enterprise-D intro shot (FC)

Enterprise-E?

Right, that was good too.


Oops!

 

[Vger23]

There's a shot of the enterprise approaching genesis right after the bop cloaks. The shot is looking up at the ship starting at the underside of the saucer as the Enterprise flys over the camera and the camera follows it for a few seconds before the camera stops and the enterprise moves towards the planet. It's also accompanied by the main theme played faster in a minor so it sounds really eerie, foreshadowing what's to come

I always thought that was the most "real" looking shot of the Enterprise. I don't know exactly why but the combination of the angle, the lighting and the movement of the model looked for all the world to me that it was an honest to god shot of a real Enterprise approaching genesis.
There've been many great effects shots over the films but even the best, as great as they are you know are ultimately a model or CGI. This shot had a realism to it I don't think I've seen in another shot in the films.

This one always comes to mind too. Even the sound effect of the ships impulse engines add to the reality of the shot. TSFS had some great visuals.

Nice call!