hahaha. Now I have to go back and watch that scene. Never noticed it!
Things You Missed The First Few Times
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hahaha. Now I have to go back and watch that scene. Never noticed it!
It may have even been the first time in STAR TREK's history this was used, but of course, it pretty much became standard procedure when TNG came around. Not for the viewscreen as much as out the windows, generally.
im pretty sure that static stars were comped in with bluescreens. Warp stars i assume were an optical effect, at least in TNG and early DS9; later DS9 filmed "live" video stars
Yes, blue-screen was used when the warp-speed effect was used, but more often than not, you'll notice that the stars are either static, or they are moving very slowly left, or slowly right. These were achieved using an old theatre-style drapery technique, using sequins. You can often tell that, because of how some of the stars shining will blur out, whilst others shine very clean and bright, based on how the cloth they're sewn on will fold, or crease. "They" can get away using this technique, because of the foreground lighting on the set that drowns out the detail in the background, save for the light the sequins are reflecting.
A star from outer space by Ian McLean, on Flickr
A baggie full of Star Trek by Ian McLean, on FlickrItems from the set of "Encounter at Farpoint" (TNG). "Star Trek Concordance" author, Bjo Trimble - aka "the woman who saved 'Star Trek'" - packaged up objects she collected for a charity auction into plastic baggies. I have added a few extra items to the display box: a Galoob "Data" action figure, which gives a good sense of scale to the other items, the mylar-sticker plastic badge with early "Star Trek: The Next Generation" logo (from Lincoln Enterprise's TNG Fan Club), the little clay cottage from the "Old Bandi City" tabletop miniature shown in "Encounter at Farpoint" and an official studio visitor's pass, all bought in separate charity auctions.
Bjo certificate by Ian McLean, on Flickr
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Kirk has hot glued a pink frame on what appears to be a golden speaker and mounted it on the wall of his quarters. It's just sittin' there.
Even in the 23rd century, MONO reigns supreme!
- the science station was moved between TMP and TWOK (I remember wondering why the bridge looked different before finally noticing the change)
- the Reliant had only one turbolift on its bridge
- the Grissom's bridge had no railing
- both Dax and Bashir were promoted between seasons 4 and 5 of DS9
As always, Therin of Andor, you're a reliable source of information, sir. I know very little about Bjo Trimble, though. From what I gather, she had a hand in the famous - infamous, rather - letter-writing campaign which (arguably) ensured The Classic Series its third season. I'm pretty sure that she was one of the fans in the deckroom in TMP and, uhm ... after that she seems to have decreased as some other lady named Penny increased. But this collection of genuine odds and ends from STAR TREK is interesting ...
cool!
Yes, blue-screen was used when the warp-speed effect was used, but more often than not, you'll notice that the stars are either static, or they are moving very slowly left, or slowly right. These were achieved using an old theatre-style drapery technique, using sequins. You can often tell that, because of how some of the stars shining will blur out, whilst others shine very clean and bright, based on how the cloth they're sewn on will fold, or crease. "They" can get away using this technique, because of the foreground lighting on the set that drowns out the detail in the background, save for the light the sequins are reflecting.
I recall reading somewhere that stars came from pinholes in a black velvet fabric with a light source behind. Maybe that was for shooting the model against a starfield?
I'm not aware of every aspect of STAR TREK, myself. When people like Therin of Andor, or Timby, for example share their behind-the-scenes knowledge, it's always enlightening and informative. Before computers took over FX, a lot of strange approaches were taken to produce images, especially for STAR TREK television.
For example, there was a huge foam mat that was sort of chewed up on the top and scraped away in all of these interesting swirling shapes which was used (I believe) for the Galaxy effect during TNG's "Space ... the final frontier" intro. in later seasons. So whether holes punched in black velvet could've been useful somehow, who can say? But Ken Ralston of ILM did mention that even for the TOS movies, clear plastic was painted black with clear spots for "stars" to shine past when it was backlit, for planets in space and fly-bys and all that.
It's always interesting to me, the cost-$aving techniques used, in those days. If I were ever going to make an original and (obviously) low-budget movie, many of these would still work, today. I wouldn't hang on it, or anything, but yeah, some stars out the window would shine just fine, with the sequins. Trick mirror effects and forced perspective techniques would be incredibly effective and all in-camera. I don't know, I just really like how "they" pull off these illusions, even from back in the day.
Presumably they put lights under the foam and photographed it in darkness?
I think that was the way starfields were created before CGI. Even for shots that are composited later, you still need that starfield from somewhere.
I never noticed back in the day that during the first season or two of TNG. That part of Sickbay was a redress of the Observation Lounge set. A few years later I read about it.
This past weekend I watched an episode on BBCA and noticed it. How could I have missed the covered windows?
This past weekend I watched an episode on BBCA and noticed it. How could I have missed the covered windows?
BBCA is using the HD remasters for season 1/2 now so you couldn't see it before in the blurry SD unless you were looking for it. Of course, every time I watch TNG in HD now, all I can see is the wooden/plastic sets with paint-chips and pancake make-up on everyone; but I'm okay with that.
my bad, i misremembered. Maybe it was ten forward im thinking of?
Most likely Ten Forward.
Which, in the spirit of the thread, I was surprised to learn that Ten Forward wasn't in Season 1! I only found that out just a couple years ago, and definitely not by figuring it out on my own.
I never noticed until after DS9's run had ended that when episodes are taking place inside a character's mind/on a holodeck they don't use any external shots of the ship/station since the ship/station aren't actually the setting of the scene! As far as I know, that's true for all ST series. Always thought it was a really nice touch.
Didn't TNG get some cool stuff (besides the shuttlecraft) after TFF and TUC?
I just noticed that while the TNG corridors were redressed for TUC, including the addition of pipes in the ceiling, etc; that the corridor doors (sickbay for example) were not redressed to match the bridge doors. (Not that its visible for more than 2 seconds in the movie
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I just noticed that while the TNG corridors were redressed for TUC, including the addition of pipes in the ceiling, etc; that the corridor doors (sickbay for example) were not redressed to match the bridge doors. (Not that its visible for more than 2 seconds in the movie
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