Star Trek - Horizon (Enterprise Feature-Length Fan Film)

[wamdue]

some early impressions of Horizon, very well made, obviously its green screen, but it is hidden well. A couple of things I thought were odd, T’mar for the first half they make a suitable size deal about her heritage, and whilst at first I was left wondering why the Vulcans had not objected to her being allowed on the ship, I suddenly realised here was no danger, she doesnt do anything, she is not used like I was expecting her to be, instead that role went to Amelia, who could all of a sudden speak Romulan. Maybe im being to picky and its actually a good thing, things did not go as I thought they would.

Another odd thing I thought was the treatment of Enterprise, sure this is not a fan film about Enterprise, but why is the newer and less sure of himself Captain, in charge of the fleet, when the experience Archer is on hand to do so, I know why they wanted to keep focus on the NX-04, but having the NX-01 and her crew around, but never really being shown or heard from seemed odd.

Its certainly a nice surprised to see a good fan film, set out of the TOS era, and whilst like most fan films it had its moments which went a bit long, it had some really nice shows, the NX-04 has obviously had alot of love put into her, and the purple flowers of the planet, looked amazing. Finally Rico E. Anderson may be the best none actor in the group, I actually wanted to see more of Tim Kaiser.

 

[Noname Given]

After being able to watch the full film (and not wanting to give any spoilers) all I can say is wow - everyone involved did a wonderful job; I thought the story worked overall, and in general all the main and supporting characters (even the "villains") were given enough time and dialogue on screen that you could get a better sense of who they were and their various motivations. Overall I also thought the acting was good (and honestly a lot better then I was expecting, as when you see some scenes in the full context of the film some of the acting comes across better, at least for me.) There was some touchstoning here and there, but it fit with the story and there was nothing that I felt was put in just for the sake of mentioning/trying to tie in to other Star Trek eras.

Star Trek: Horizon is probably the most consistent and overall well done Star Trek 'fan film' to date - and I say that as a primarily TOS era fan who's seen a lot of the various other group's works. The production staff and actors involved in Horizon really pulled it all off well - and (IMO) overall it's better than some actual ENT, TOS, and 24th era Desilu/Paramount/CBS produced episodes that were produced and aired over the decades and I don't say that lightly or in jest. The overall script and story was well done and well executed.

There's one particular group (who I know the person who was behind this project. also did some work for their project(s)); but overall the head of that group could learn a LOT about how to stop 'talking it up'; and just get down to and finish the work needed to get their project finished - and let the actual finished work do the 'talking'...and HAD that group actually done that (IE just done the work to finish the project; instead of wasting time traveling to various conventions and I guess basking in the supposed 'potential' - their project might have been finished and shown too. Instead, if they ever do get to do a form of it; it won't be what they (or anyone else) really wanted - but I digress...

TLDR: Very impressive piece of work by ALL involved. The entire production staff, cast and crew should be really proud of what you've all managed to accomplish here - very good/nice job.

 

[MikeH92467]

I can't say enough about this. I hope this wonderful effort is the beginning of a long and successful career for Tommy. It's an amazing effort. Tommy, I hope you won't be a stranger when you hit the big time and if you're ever in Boise, I hope you'll let an old Trekkie buy you a pint or two of Romulan ale!

 

[Firebird]

I was completely staggered by the level of all-round quality in this movie. The acting is solid, the script is great, the visual effects are beautiful. I actually want to see more of the continuing voyages of the NX-04. Horizon actually made me get interested in the Enterprise-era of the franchise, something that I never had been before.

Here's hoping this isn't the last we get to see of Tommy Kraft - Star Trek: Horizon is one hell of a calling card.

 

[Sverre]

Great film. Happy I donated to this great project. Stunning use of Greenscreen to recreate the sets of the NX, and some great space battles.

 

[cultcross]

Absolutely stunning, easily the best fan made production I've seen. The acting was above par, the visuals excellent, the green screen well hidden and the story, although a bit 'pew pew' as someone here likes to say, was compelling and interesting and utilised Trek backstory in a positive way rather than coming across as fanwank.
It obviously isn't without its flaws and nitpicks, the script isn't quite as tightly edited as a real production and there are a few plot holes but I can hardly say these were a big deal.
Overall, very very impressed. A coming of age for fan films, and, delivered on time and on budget #justsayin

 

[MFB]

A great fan film! I love the Enterprise era and wrote a (quite similar) fan fiction myself about the Romulan War, so "Horizon" was very entertaining for me. The story connected canon events and characters in an interesting way und fited the Enterprise era. The acting was better then in most fan films I saw. I especially liked Paul Lang and Marc Bowers. Camera angles were chosen very well and the virtual sets especially on board Discovery are very impressive. It was a brave and widely successful choice to do so many action sequences instead of one long dialogue after another to coat restraints. You can see that Tommy Kraft had a very precise agenda that he carried out.

Compliments to Tommy and his team!

 

[Amaris]

Firstly, thank you for producing this most definite love letter to Star Trek and the Trek fandom. All of you should be commended for your hard work, and your clear dedication to the franchise, and to the people who were looking forward to this film. While I found out about it late in the game, I was hopeful that it would be worth seeing, and that you would be able to pull it off successfully. While I am not the be all end all of Star Trek, I must say that I enjoyed it immensely.

Secondly...

*slow clap*

Seriously, this was great! I'm not actually a big fan of the Enterprise era of Star Trek, but I really enjoyed this film. The production values were high, the acting was solid, and the story was very good. A great deal of time was spent on studying the characters, giving them ample opportunity to flesh themselves out rather than be used as mere set pieces for space battles, which were kept to a minimum. The dialogue was fairly solid, feeling natural most of the time which I am sure you know is difficult for a fan production to do, and the storyline itself was engaging and kept my attention the entire run of the film.

The movie has an almost dream-like quality to it, which I'm sure part of is to hide the green screen. I think whomever it was that decided to employ such a tactic deserves a pat on the back, because not only does it help fudge reality just a bit, but adds a very nice aesthetic to the story and film overall.

On a more personal note,

Spoiler

you helped me make sense of that damnable Temporal Cold War, which was somewhat confusing for me back when I was watching Enterprise while it was on the air. So kudos to you for that!

This is a top notch fan production, and I hope to see more from your team in the future. This one gets an A from me! Wonderful work!

 

[offcamber]

Got a chance to watch the whole film last night..Overall well done! Maybe a little to much lens flare. The softness kinda bothered me especially with the harsh lighting effect. I realize that was probably an attempt to down play the green screen effect. That aside it was an interesting story line and the pace and acting were good. Considering your budget you should be very proud of it. On par with other films costing much more. Keep up the good work.

 

[Tom]

Great film, tommy is amazing! To my freinds who were involved with this production, great job!

 

[Tesophius]

What sets this fan film apart from others, is that we tend to set much lower standards for fan films in general and are glad that at least something is being filmed. I don't want to name names, but sometimes it takes quite a bit of effort to watch fan productions. Most of it looks like it was filmed in someone's living room with a bunch of friends.

Horizon, on the other hand, feels like an actual movie, perhaps not one that had half a billion dollar budget, but a real movie nonetheless. I've rewatched it now and caught myself forgetting that it was a fan production. It's absolutely unbelievable how this was achieved on such a small budget. I could point out one or two moments where the lines were unnecessary or should have been different, but I can also do that about any movie.

A lot of people seem to have an issue with the blurred effect, while I agree that it may have been overdone in some parts, it's also what created a unique atmosphere that was very theatrical and not "filmed inside someone's living room" - I think, overall, the decision to use these effects was wise.

Two take-aways from this:
- Fan production has no excuse to come out with sub-par quality work, Horizon has set the bar high and other films need to reach it.
- Tommy will go on to make more quality pictures in the future, hopefully some Star Trek and hopefully a series of sorts. Best of luck, Tommy Kraft!
P.S.

I thought Commander Gates was the best actor of the movie, I hope his acting career gets a nice boost with Horizon

 

[E-DUB]

I'm about half an hour in and wanted to give initial impressions. Solid story, superb visuals, adequate acting. (That last wasn't a slap, acting is the weakest link in virtually all fan productions.)

 

[cultcross]

A lot of people seem to have an issue with the blurred effect, while I agree that it may have been overdone in some parts, it's also what created a unique atmosphere that was very theatrical and not "filmed inside someone's living room" - I think, overall, the decision to use these effects was wise.

I completely agree, and my only gripe with it is actually the opposite:

Spoiler: Mildest spoiler of all the mild spoilers

The scene on Earth that literally was in their living room was filmed without it and it made it jar with the rest of the visuals. I'd have kept the style going for that scene to a) keep it in step with the rest and b) hide the very 21st century living room!

Forgot to mention in my earlier post, A+ costuming - I don't know how they sourced their costumes, but they are really, really good. Compared to the ill fitting pyjamas of... certain other productions, top notch. I really liked the Romulan helmet upgrade, too.

 

[David.Blue]

I actually write theatre reviews pretty much professionally, so here is my take (finally got to see it all the way through yesterday).

Folks have already mentioned the really top-notch special effects, including the fact I kept forgetting this was against a green screen! Really, that was excellent!

The basic set-up and story felt very Trek to me, as if this could easily be the untold story of another ship in the Enterprise era. In terms of script, I do feel the story didn't quite hit the right mark. Looking in retrospect, here was essentially a war drama about a battered crew going back into action. Kudos for that, btw! Lends itself in all sorts of lovely ways to blend the epic and the personal! What I felt however was that the personal arcs of most characters didn't feel like all that much. For example I never really saw T'mar gain anyone's trust, actually become a member of Discovery's crew. And the Captain's rediscovery (heh heh--that was nice--good choice for ship's name) of his beloved didn't have much punch. Not that nothing happened, but not enough did.

Some small points--wish we'd seen some female senior officers somewhere. And why did the Romulans have to build that weapon so close to Terra?

Meanwhile I really appreciated how Horizon felt part of a much larger story and far larger universe than we got to see, like Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, etc. Love that! Overall grade: B (for the record that is better than Renegades or most TREK films).

 

[USS Intrepid]

I haven't had a chance to watch this yet, but will hopefully manage to do so before the weekend is over. What I've seen looks great and I've been looking forward to the finished project. I wish I'd donated to the Kickstarter when I had the chance but I missed it. Darn, would have liked it on DVD.

- Fan production has no excuse to come out with sub-par quality work, Horizon has set the bar high and other films need to reach it.

I imagine $20,000 in donations would help most fan productions work to a higher standard (though I admit there are plenty who would fall short with more). Most strive to improve but lack both money and resources. There are plenty of factors that hobble fan productions, (or professional productions for that matter) and it's not nearly as clear cut as you suggest. I wish it was. Sadly, not everyone has the capabilities (or perhaps even the talent) to match this. Suggesting other productions have "no excuse" though, is really a bit unfair. Your mileage may vary of course.

 

[KennyB]

The look and feel of this was simply amazing. They recreated the NX series perfectly and everything from the props to the uniforms were just about perfection. Made me remember the things I did like about Enterprise...and the things they didn't have time to clear up before the show ended. Kudos to Tommy and everyone involved in the production.

 

[mos6507]

I know not everyone will appreciate the visual style

It's kind of the visual equivalent of a MySpace profile with animated GIF glitter from head to toe. The color palette consists only of purple, pink, black, and white blooms and lens-flares. It's so dark in the interiors it looks like they're only bathed with light streaming in from the windows. The motion-tracking of the virtual sets is flawless, but the end result is nothing but artificial and unreal because of these super-extreme over-the-top aesthetic decisions--such heavy color-grading.

And I don't think a single shot employed a tripod, so simple long-shots of the captain at his bridge chair just bob and weave like the cameraman is drunk.

 

[Paper Moon]

Looked up this thread specifically to give a glowing review. This was really fantastic, easily better than a significant fraction of Paramount-produced Trek. Certainly the best feature-length fan film I've seen, and, though I hesitate to compare it to episodic fan films (apples to oranges), it's definitely up there on the top tier among them too.

I'm actually shocked to learn that the NX-04 shots were green-screened. I had been mad impressed that the production had so quietly put together all those practical sets. Of course, I knew that some shots (such as most of those within the facility on Horizon) were certainly green-screened, but I definitely did not notice at the time. I'm totally floored.

For a fan production, the acting was great. Actually, if we honest, for as much good acting there is in Trek, there's bad as well, so I'd say Horizon's acting holds up pretty well against the big boys. I think there were a couple places where the acting may have fallen a little bit, but I think that may have been from dialogue that just needed one more polish. (Which reminds me- I was delighted at how little hamminess the script had.)

Was really pleased with the story. As others have said, it felt very "Trek"; I hope Fuller and Meyer give us stuff in this vein next year. A really nice mix of exploration, action, intercharacter drama and epic narrative. Of the twelve Paramount films, I don't think any struck such a good balance.

All in all- great stuff, Mr. Kraft! I hope we see more from you soon!

 

[Maurice]

First, as ever, I congratulate the people who made it for finishing it. Making movies is hard, and making coherent ones even harder. Kudos for all the hard work.

That said, frankly, I can't watch it. The images are so overprocessed + the overuse of blurry focus + shakycam = it's terribly unpleasant to look at to my eyes. I literally feel the urge to look away after a minute or so. While some of this is a creative decision I suspect a lot of this is to hide the seams of the greenscreen. The result, sadly, is that whatever brilliant content might be in there, the barrier to entry is too high for my eyeballs to pay.

It's kind of the visual equivalent of a MySpace profile with animated GIF glitter from head to toe. The color palette consists only of purple, pink, black, and white blooms and lens-flares. It's so dark in the interiors it looks like they're only bathed with light streaming in from the windows. The motion-tracking of the virtual sets is flawless, but the end result is nothing but artificial and unreal because of these super-extreme over-the-top aesthetic decisions--such heavy color-grading.

And I don't think a single shot employed a tripod, so simple long-shots of the captain at his bridge chair just bob and weave like the cameraman is drunk.

I wonder how much of that is motion tracking and how much of that is artificial camera movement added in post? A lot of the shots I saw feel like the latter (especially when the camera moves in or out, as there seems to be no perspective shift on the characters), but it's hard to tell because of the aforementioned strata of virtual gauze over the screen.

So, again, congrats on finishing, even if I personally find it unwatchable.

 

[USS Intrepid]

Okay, I finally got around to watching this tonight, and I enjoyed it quite a lot. Congratulations to Tommy and crew, and thanks for an entertaining evening's viewing.

I thought Commander Gates was the best actor of the movie, I hope his acting career gets a nice boost with Horizon

Yeah, having watched it I have to agree. He was certainly the stand out.