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

[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.

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!

I forgot you could hear the dull roar of the impulse engines too. Yeah that was a great touch. Only bad thing it was the last shot we ever saw of the original 1701 entering orbit.

 

[martok2112]

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!

I forgot you could hear the dull roar of the impulse engines too. Yeah that was a great touch. Only bad thing it was the last shot we ever saw of the original 1701 entering orbit.

If it's any consolation, I did a similar shot in one of my CG minimovies which features my 3D build of the refit 1701...and has a pretty cool series of follow ups as she enters low orbit (if I do say so myself)

If you're interested:
https://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=h0CvXTyDY2E

I hope the link works

 

[enterprisecvn65]

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!

I forgot you could hear the dull roar of the impulse engines too. Yeah that was a great touch. Only bad thing it was the last shot we ever saw of the original 1701 entering orbit.

If it's any consolation, I did a similar shot in one of my CG minimovies which features my 3D build of the refit 1701...and has a pretty cool series of follow ups as she enters low orbit (if I do say so myself)

If you're interested:
https://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=h0CvXTyDY2E

I hope the link works

Thanks I'll check it out.

I just did. That's pretty damn slick. The cgi of the shot from TSFS is really well done. Nice work.

 

[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!

I forgot you could hear the dull roar of the impulse engines too. Yeah that was a great touch. Only bad thing it was the last shot we ever saw of the original 1701 entering orbit.

The long-distance shots of the Enterprise rising over Genesis are also very realistic during this sequence.

 

[martok2112]

I forgot you could hear the dull roar of the impulse engines too. Yeah that was a great touch. Only bad thing it was the last shot we ever saw of the original 1701 entering orbit.

If it's any consolation, I did a similar shot in one of my CG minimovies which features my 3D build of the refit 1701...and has a pretty cool series of follow ups as she enters low orbit (if I do say so myself)

If you're interested:
https://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=h0CvXTyDY2E

I hope the link works

Thanks I'll check it out.

I just did. That's pretty damn slick. The cgi of the shot from TSFS is really well done. Nice work.

Thanks. I'm glad you liked it.
When I acquire a better computer, and iClone 6, I plan to do more CL: D movies.....hopefully with crew footage as well. I also plan on doing even better builds of my ships. As with that first episode, I plan to do a few during that era....the second five year mission of the Enterprise, 1701. These take place between TMP and TWOK.

Vger, I agree, I also liked the distance shots of the Enterprise as she orbits above Genesis, closing in to the trap.

 

[Smellmet]

I always liked the introduction of the Enterprise D in Generations, that shot looked stunning with the light from the sun, I wish it was a bit longer though.

 

[Khan 2.0]

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.

yeah that was a good one. Theres a similar one in TWOK the Ents approach to the nebula

 

[2takesfrakes]

"Best" is so subjective and many fall into this category for me ... too many. But a standout is in TMP, after Decker joins with Ilia (and by extension, V'GER), they become this geyser of highly stylised light that's surrounded by the rest of the vessel sort of becoming engulfed in filaments of light and how that's reflected on Kirk and party as they return to the ship. What would something like that look like if it had any hope of happening in real life? I have no idea, but what "they" did looks like it's happening on the set.

 

[Vger23]

"Best" is so subjective and many fall into this category for me ... too many. But a standout is in TMP, after Decker joins with Ilia (and by extension, V'GER), they become this geyser of highly stylised light that's surrounded by the rest of the vessel sort of becoming engulfed in filaments of light and how that's reflected on Kirk and party as they return to the ship. What would something like that look like if it had any hope of happening in real life? I have no idea, but what "they" did looks like it's happening on the set.

The recent making of TMP book, "Return to Tomorrow" goes into that effect in great detail. It was essentially done live in-camera with some massive light sources and a specialized hollywood wind machine. There was some animation done to cover up the dust that was kicked up. They had Persis and Collins on a turntable to get the rotating shot.

Persis actually went temporarily blind as a result.

 

[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.

yeah that was a good one. Theres a similar one in TWOK the Ents approach to the nebula

Yeah I know the one you're talking about. That was a good one too. Must be something about that particular camera angle that makes the shot look very convincing.

 

[starburst]

There are so many greats, as pointed out in this thread, that I could not 100% ever decide on "the best"

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.

The whole "stealing the Enterprise" sequence was terrific.

Agree with both of these (and anyone else who has said similar), stealing the Enterprise was an amzing part of that film be it from the visual to audio effects and the acting too.

One part of the sequence which always sticks out in my mind along with the accompanying musical queue is right at the start when the lights come on.

Some I havent seen mentioned

• Introducing the new Enterprise behind Excelsior (TVH)
• The E-A gracefully leaving spacedock and jumping to warp the first time (TVH)
• The Klingons blowing a hole straight through the Enterprise saucer (TUC)
• Sailing off into the horizon (TUC)

 

[Khan 2.0]

The shuttle approach to spacedock in VI was amazing in the cinema.

Also the Praxis explosion and the way Excelsior came out of it

A lot of great FX in VI.

 

[enterprisecvn65]

There are so many greats, as pointed out in this thread, that I could not 100% ever decide on "the best"

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.

The whole "stealing the Enterprise" sequence was terrific.

Agree with both of these (and anyone else who has said similar), stealing the Enterprise was an amzing part of that film be it from the visual to audio effects and the acting too.

One part of the sequence which always sticks out in my mind along with the accompanying musical queue is right at the start when the lights come on.

Some I havent seen mentioned

• Introducing the new Enterprise behind Excelsior (TVH)
• The E-A gracefully leaving spacedock and jumping to warp the first time (TVH)
• The Klingons blowing a hole straight through the Enterprise saucer (TUC)
• Sailing off into the horizon (TUC)

If you're talking about that quiet version of TOS music intro that happens when the bridge lights come on I agree totally.

In the first two films when the Enterprise was getting ready to depart they had these grand music flourishes as the ship turned on her running lights one part at a time building up the the departure.

But in TSFS there was no big light up of the ship (for obvious reasons), just the bridge lights quietly coming on and the music telling us that this was going to be quite a different departure for the Enterprise and its crew than we were used to.

 

[GNDN18]

One part of the sequence which always sticks out in my mind along with the accompanying musical queue is right at the start when the lights come on.

I got goosebumps when I saw that scene for the first time. Those four notes introduced the world to Star Trek in 1964, but it was used sparingly in TOS ("Warp One" from "The Man Trap," and quoted in "Breaking Planet / Sweaty Palm / Itchy Hand" from "The Naked Time), and not at all in TMP or TWOK.

But there it was, subversively underscoring (perhaps justifiable), mutiny and theft. At that point, watching the film for the first time, I was simply ecstatic that Horner decided to make a fuller use of the original music, and I appreciated the playful irony noted by enterprisecvn65. I couldn't imagine that that cue was poignantly, ironically foreshadowing the final voyage of the Enterprise.

 

[HarryM]

Here is the whole sequence in HD...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkJ3--2K7yo

 

[enterprisecvn65]

One part of the sequence which always sticks out in my mind along with the accompanying musical queue is right at the start when the lights come on.

I got goosebumps when I saw that scene for the first time. Those four notes introduced the world to Star Trek in 1964, but it was used sparingly in TOS ("Warp One" from "The Man Trap," and quoted in "Breaking Planet / Sweaty Palm / Itchy Hand" from "The Naked Time), and not at all in TMP or TWOK.

But there it was, subversively underscoring (perhaps justifiable), mutiny and theft. At that point, watching the film for the first time, I was simply ecstatic that Horner decided to make a fuller use of the original music, and I appreciated the playful irony noted by enterprisecvn65. I couldn't imagine that that cue was poignantly, ironically foreshadowing the final voyage of the Enterprise.

Yeah it really is great how they used that exact same angle in TMP and TWOK when the Enterprise was leaving spacedock how the floodlight would come on and USS ENTERPRISE NCC-1701 would be all brightly lit up and the saucer would look all white and shiny with bold music playing.

Then here it's just some small bridge lights, the saucer is dark, even though you can still make out the markings, and there's even some battle damage visible on the right rear of the saucer.....all accompanied by the 4 note TOS intro played in a very quiet way as if so say "shhhhhhh.......don't do anything that will reveal what we're doing."

It's easy to bitch and pick about things films do wrong, but it really is a beautiful thing when they do something great and make a connection like that between films that many ST fans would understand and kind of smile at.

 

[Warped9]

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.

Yes, that was a very nice shot.


There are two simple shots in TMP that I've always liked. The first is when the newly launched refit is in orbit and we see the Sun rise over the terminator and light the ship from behind. The second is when the Enterprise finally goes to warp and we see the ship flyby at an angle so much like we saw throughout TOS. So simple yet I love it.

And then Kirk winks to Chekov...or is he really winking to us? (-:

 

[BK613]

the decker-ilia merge effect

 

[Orphalesion]

Edit: Misread the thread title and thought this was the positive companion to the "worst scene in the first 10 movies" And got exited

Sorry, nothing to see here.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

OP: The best is the introduction of the refit 1701 from The Motion Picture; after the highly anticipated reintroduction of Kirk and Spock, the world was waiting to see that ship--the chariot which carried Kirk and Co. to their (by then), legendary adventures. Pre-release photos and TV spots gave no hint of how massive and powerful the refit ship appeared in the film.

At the time of its premiere, some critics moaned about the lengthy "beauty shot", but I reject that. They did not get the dual purpose--obviously to excite fans with the new ship, and selling the big screen ST as serious business as every bit detailed and realistic as anything ever constructed for the movies.

My god bones... what have I done

Great choice--the burning 1701 in the sky was a stark, tragic visual. Unforgettable EFX sequence.