Star Trek: Axanar

[MikeH92467]

I can see several ways to interpret the Vulcan political conundrum: first off many local U.S. governments require some bills to be passed twice before they become law. Behind the scenes arm-twisting can result in a bill passing once and failing on second reading. Also the Council might have approved a motion to draw up a resolution calling for secession from the Federation, but then might vote down that resolution. I just don't see it as being that difficult to rationalize.

 

[Barbreader]

I can see several ways to interpret the Vulcan political conundrum: first off many local U.S. governments require some bills to be passed twice before they become law. Behind the scenes arm-twisting can result in a bill passing once and failing on second reading. Also the Council might have approved a motion to draw up a resolution calling for secession from the Federation, but then might vote down that resolution. I just don't see it as being that difficult to rationalize.

 

[fireproof78]

I can see several ways to interpret the Vulcan political conundrum: first off many local U.S. governments require some bills to be passed twice before they become law. Behind the scenes arm-twisting can result in a bill passing once and failing on second reading. Also the Council might have approved a motion to draw up a resolution calling for secession from the Federation, but then might vote down that resolution. I just don't see it as being that difficult to rationalize.

It was more the wording that I struggled with, rather than the rationale behind it. It didn't work well for me at the beginning, but once they started dialoging back and forth and it became a little more personal, it flowed a lot better.

Believe me, I can rationalize a lot of things. Rationalization is not the problem for me here

 

[BigJake]

The only thing missing from that scene was Natalie Portman and mention of the Trade Federation.

(Stipulated, however, that any scene filmed without Natalie Portman in this day and age can fairly be said to be "missing" Natalie Portman. )

 

[TerryMcIntosh]

The only thing missing from that scene was Natalie Portman and mention of the Trade Federation.

(Stipulated, however, that any scene filmed without Natalie Portman in this day and age can fairly be said to be "missing" Natalie Portman. )

If we could sign her to appear then we'd be over the moon! =)

 

[fireproof78]

If we could sign her to appear then we'd be over the moon! =)

Maybe a voice over? I'd settle for a voice over.

 

[Harvey]

I hope the production is able to invest in a more stable tripod before principal photography begins. Most notably, the wobble at the 3:42 mark ruins the upwards tilt that should punctuates the scene. It would definitely be worth going to an alternate take or reshooting to correct that.

The digital backdrop wasn't really convincing to me. Through much of the scene, the actors looked like they were walking in place, not actually moving forward in three dimensional space.

Given the stated fundraising goals, I hope the rest of the movie is able to spend more time showing rather than telling. This is just one scene, of course, but it amounts to one character telling another what is happening. Why not show it instead?

 

[Tosk]

I hope the production is able to invest in a more stable tripod before principal photography begins. Most notably, the wobble at the 3:42 mark ruins the upwards tilt that should punctuates the scene.

I was curious about that one, actually. The background stays locked in with the movement of the live action, so it's not as though they just missed the bump. You could easily smooth that out on the live action before adding the effects, so I wondered if maybe they left it in on purpose?

For the most part, I thought it all looked pretty great. Full background replacement can sometimes look dodgy even on big budget features, so I thought this wasn't bad at all.

...Although there was one obelisk in the background where I couldn't couldn't figure out what was holding it up.

 

[TerryMcIntosh]

I hope the production is able to invest in a more stable tripod before principal photography begins. Most notably, the wobble at the 3:42 mark ruins the upwards tilt that should punctuates the scene. It would definitely be worth going to an alternate take or reshooting to correct that.

The digital backdrop wasn't really convincing to me. Through much of the scene, the actors looked like they were walking in place, not actually moving forward in three dimensional space.

Given the stated fundraising goals, I hope the rest of the movie is able to spend more time showing rather than telling. This is just one scene, of course, but it amounts to one character telling another what is happening. Why not show it instead?

Ummm... tripod? No offense to anyone that is using that kind of rig, but it's not like we went to Best Buy for our equipment. =P

Everything used to film Axanar is professional Hollywood filmmaking in carnate -- tracks, dollies, etc. We may even be going Steadycam in some shots of the feature, too. Red cameras, real teamsters on the crew (they're a surly bunch, let me tell ya!) from the local Local, and the list goes on. If it appears in an Axanar production, barring some extraordinary circumstance that I couldn't even think of at the moment, then it has been done for a specific reason.

Watch the following proper pitch video that we added to the Indiegogo fundraiser early Sunday and you'll get glimpses on the setup for this one day shoot -- we sure weren't stuck using something like our buddy Cooter's camcorder after a quick pit stop at Fry's for extra batteries. Heck, I'm not even on the technical side of filmmaking and have a Red One rig in the closet just in case it might ever come in handy -- second hand, of course. =P

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6TXDDoADIY

 

[Wulff359]

I also watched the clip several times over. Yes, the drop of the actors and the steady background are quite noticable. But I have seen background CGI in major movies that was not as good as this one (to me, "Jupiter Ascending" was looking fake for half of the time). And this was only one scene of many. And most of those (I hope) will be in real sets. For a first glimpse of what is to come, I am quite satisfied.

 

[tobiasrichter]

That whole sequence was done within 3 weeks from start to finish - including building all the vulcan scenery, ships, camera tracking, rendering, compositing. Bascially 3 weeks with no social life and very few sleep for me

I´m glad that most of you like the outcome. Regarding the "bump" - i never would have thought that so many people noticed. I intentionally left that one in to give the whole shot a more realistic feel. If you smooth everything out, you get a very artificial look.

 

[lurok]

No matter what's said here, the vfx work is very impressive. So kudos

 

[137th Gebirg]

I hope the production is able to invest in a more stable tripod before principal photography begins. Most notably, the wobble at the 3:42 mark ruins the upwards tilt that should punctuates the scene. It would definitely be worth going to an alternate take or reshooting to correct that.

The digital backdrop wasn't really convincing to me. Through much of the scene, the actors looked like they were walking in place, not actually moving forward in three dimensional space.

Given the stated fundraising goals, I hope the rest of the movie is able to spend more time showing rather than telling. This is just one scene, of course, but it amounts to one character telling another what is happening. Why not show it instead?

Ummm... tripod? No offense to anyone that is using that kind of rig, but it's not like we went to Best Buy for our equipment. =P

Everything used to film Axanar is professional Hollywood filmmaking in carnate -- tracks, dollies, etc. We may even be going Steadycam in some shots of the feature, too. Red cameras, real teamsters on the crew (they're a surly bunch, let me tell ya!) from the local Local, and the list goes on. If it appears in an Axanar production, barring some extraordinary circumstance that I couldn't even think of at the moment, then it has been done for a specific reason.

Watch the following proper pitch video that we added to the Indiegogo fundraiser early Sunday and you'll get glimpses on the setup for this one day shoot -- we sure weren't stuck using something like our buddy Cooter's camcorder after a quick pit stop at Fry's for extra batteries. Heck, I'm not even on the technical side of filmmaking and have a Red One rig in the closet just in case it might ever come in handy -- second hand, of course. =P

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6TXDDoADIY

Awesome work Terry! Re: shooting equipment, have you thought about using camera-mounted drones for some of your shots? If it's within your budget, of course - more productions seem to be using that for certain aerial shots without putting down big bucks for a helicopter, pilot and fuel. Might be worth looking into if a scene or two could benefit from it.

Also, I'm curious about the rather vociferous statements that have been made in recent months about not going with the FASA notion of how the Four Years' War progressed. I kind of thought that was the whole point of the project, to be honest, using FASA source material as the inspiration of how the Garth battles had occurred, based on what we saw in the trailer - even going so far as mentioning the Marklin-class destroyer, a FASA design. There is little-to-no information available canonically about that war and it seems to me that the production could benefit from the fleshing-out that FASA did in advance. Just curious about the decision and why it seems to be so specifically mentioned regarding the full film being made.

In any case, awesome stuff; can't wait to see more!

 

[gazomg]

The CGI has to get much better if they are competing with the Abrams films like so many of their fans like to claim. It didn't look very good on my 23", 1080p monitor. It definitely will suffer on my 50" TV.

It seemed okay, but why would the Vulcans be abandoning the humans yet again? They don't seem like a very worthy ally after abandoning them during the Xindi crisis and then threatening to abandon them again during a war with the Klingons.

Why was it snowing on Vulcan?

Speaking only for Axanar, the only ones that we're competing with is ourselves. es.

He is still upset that some people are looking forward to Axanar far more than that Abrams movie.
I am not sure who said Axanar was competing with Star Trek Beyond in the graphics department, but why let the truth get in the way of his ranting.

 

[OpenMaw]

Axanar is Axaawesome.

I have no idea what that means, but I like it.

 

[Karzak]

I hope the production is able to invest in a more stable tripod before principal photography begins. Most notably, the wobble at the 3:42 mark ruins the upwards tilt that should punctuates the scene. It would definitely be worth going to an alternate take or reshooting to correct that.

The digital backdrop wasn't really convincing to me. Through much of the scene, the actors looked like they were walking in place, not actually moving forward in three dimensional space.

Given the stated fundraising goals, I hope the rest of the movie is able to spend more time showing rather than telling. This is just one scene, of course, but it amounts to one character telling another what is happening. Why not show it instead?

Ummm... tripod? No offense to anyone that is using that kind of rig, but it's not like we went to Best Buy for our equipment. =P

Everything used to film Axanar is professional Hollywood filmmaking in carnate -- tracks, dollies, etc. We may even be going Steadycam in some shots of the feature, too. Red cameras, real teamsters on the crew (they're a surly bunch, let me tell ya!) from the local Local, and the list goes on. If it appears in an Axanar production, barring some extraordinary circumstance that I couldn't even think of at the moment, then it has been done for a specific reason.

Watch the following proper pitch video that we added to the Indiegogo fundraiser early Sunday and you'll get glimpses on the setup for this one day shoot -- we sure weren't stuck using something like our buddy Cooter's camcorder after a quick pit stop at Fry's for extra batteries. Heck, I'm not even on the technical side of filmmaking and have a Red One rig in the closet just in case it might ever come in handy -- second hand, of course. =P

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6TXDDoADIY

It's wonderful that you guys have access to such expensive equipment that the professionals use. It's also exciting to consider the possibilities and potential of this film and how amazing it will be thanks to all involved. However, it's money down the drain if the people operating these machines don't know how to do use them properly.

Harvey's point though is valid - the bump, particularly at the end, is extremely noticeable and to me and screamed "FAN FILM" all over what was an otherwise beautifully shot scene.

Mr. Peters and Mr. Burnett are trumpeting to the hills that this is to be an "indie" film, made by "professionals" and Mr. Burnett has, of late, reminded us on several occasions of his extensive, 26-year career of experience. This scene doesn't look professional with this bump. It looks amateurish.

Also, while I realize you guys have a wealth of resources at your disposal, I'm also just as confident that someone who knows what they're doing with a $15 tripod from Best Buy could get that shot done properly without spending thousands of dollars renting a pair of professional sticks.

Regarding the "bump" - i never would have thought that so many people noticed. I intentionally left that one in to give the whole shot a more realistic feel. If you smooth everything out, you get a very artificial look.

Respectfully, Tobias, that's bunk.

You are unparalleled when it comes to visual effects work, but this was clearly an amateur mistake. The scene wasn't supposed to be some kind of cinema vérité, it wasn't shot hand-held, and it certainly didn't come off as "realistic." It just looks like someone didn't tilt up properly. If you all want this to be your professional calling card, more power to you.

Me? I'd fix it first.

 

[Tom]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6TXDDoADIY

At 1:19 - "Axanar is the first independent Star Trek film"

That's false. Ironically, Alec was at the STR shoot, and still says this . The first independent Star Trek: Of Gods and Men in 2007, filmed using mostly all professional actors and some professionals on the crew. STR had professionals (mixed with some volunteers) and was shot in a studio (Laurel Canyon Stages) where many industry productions have been filmed.

 

[BillJ]

Is Tobias Richter the only person working on the CGI?

 

[TerryMcIntosh]

Awesome work Terry! Re: shooting equipment, have you thought about using camera-mounted drones for some of your shots? If it's within your budget, of course - more productions seem to be using that for certain aerial shots without putting down big bucks for a helicopter, pilot and fuel. Might be worth looking into if a scene or two could benefit from it.

Also, I'm curious about the rather vociferous statements that have been made in recent months about not going with the FASA notion of how the Four Years' War progressed. I kind of thought that was the whole point of the project, to be honest, using FASA source material as the inspiration of how the Garth battles had occurred, based on what we saw in the trailer - even going so far as mentioning the Marklin-class destroyer, a FASA design. There is little-to-no information available canonically about that war and it seems to me that the production could benefit from the fleshing-out that FASA did in advance. Just curious about the decision and why it seems to be so specifically mentioned regarding the full film being made.

In any case, awesome stuff; can't wait to see more!

Thanks for your questions. We've thought about drones, but there's not going to be that many outdoor scenes in the feature, unless the script changes and then suddenly there might be a few more. It is my understanding -- and this may be incomplete or just flat out wrong -- that there is some kind of regulation on such things, whether it's at the more local or at the FAA levels, so the possible hoops to jump through coupled with the likely event that we wouldn't need such shots make it unlikely. Would be darned cool though to see a red camera buzzing around, but 'look out below!' if there was a glitch in the drone and gravity took over, right!? =D

FASA doesn't play much in to Axanar re: how things in our film(s) unfold other than the fundamental concept of the Four Years War and perhaps the Marklin-class. Alec didn't want to be bound by any third-party material for narrative, and possibly even copyright reasons, if FASA is still protected by copyright which I don't know. Like you said, canon is wide open regarding the premise of Axanar, so we'll be taking advantage of that, of course. But, extreme effort is put in to thinking it through so that we adhere to later canon as much as intellectually possible. Since the AxaVerse (as we call it with tongue firmly planted in cheek) is in the prime timeline of canon Star Trek, it deserves such close attention, because we love the prime universe Trek as much as the next super fan, too!

Thanks again!

 

[TerryMcIntosh]

Is Tobias Richter the only person working on the CGI?

No. His company has many team members in order to deliver work to clients, but only he could speak as to how many are on his company's team. The Light Works will also not be the only VFX house working on Axanar, but Tobias is a VFX Supervisor on the film, along with Adam Howard, and others, so there are many extremely talented professionals making that particular pie.