The new versions made since the 60s are better quality or designed differently
USS Enterprise (eventually) on Discovery?
- Thread starter EJD1984
- Start date
But but the big blocks of color won't work at all! The TMP feeted pajamas are much more cinematic! (And modern!)
The arguments that TOS designs won't work on the big screen are hogwash.
Then why did they change them for TMP?
I think we've already talked about the impact of licensing on these decisions. Even in the TMP-era, there were already licenses for every piece of TOS. You create new uniforms, that is a new license that runs concurrent with the license for the TOS uniforms. You create a new bridge, that is a new playset you can license. New/updated ships equal new licenses for models and miniatures.
I don't think it is the only reason for changes, but it would be silly to ignore it. Star Wars showed how important of a revenue stream that merchandising could be.
Roddenberry likely had ten times the money that was spent on the entirety of TOS. Which would be another reason.
Because TMP was the end result of a process that began with Phase II....and there was never a firm plan from the beginning as to what they really wanted to do. That's why some of the artwork shows the Enterprise in spacedock looking virtually unchanged from TOS. There was a lot of indecision:
Was that an actual opinion at the time? It's not one I heard back then. The TMP uniforms are very 70's. SciFi.But but the big blocks of color won't work at all! The TMP feeted pajamas are much more cinematic! (And modern!)
I’ve never seen that pic before! Didn’t realise they were thinking of the original TOS design at all during the Phase II development.Because TMP was the end result of a process that began with Phase II....and there was never a firm plan from the beginning as to what they really wanted to do. That's why some of the artwork shows the Enterprise in spacedock looking virtually unchanged from TOS. There was a lot of indecision:
That throws new light on the “dated” angle doesn’t it?
I always liked the TMP uniforms. They seemed less Victorian than the WoK ones.
Starfleet obviously disagreed with me, mind you, since they used the monster maroons for about 80 years after that.
Let's hope not. If anything needs a "visual reboot", it's those costumes.
Fletcher considered the TOS uniforms too garish for the big screen, and the production team thought the bright colors would distract from the drama. (An odd concern, considering how little drama there is in TMP.)
Fans parroted this for years as justification for why the TOS uniforms could never, ever appear on the big screen. Too bright, too dated, etc. Just wouldn't work.
Then Abrams made them work, and made them work with very little tweaking. Squint and they're basically the same.
You don't hear that argument much any more.
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From what I gather, the newer nacelles and pylons were a back-and-forth right from the time that Matt Jefferies first sketched them. Some liked them, some didn't. And there were so many voices in the whole Phase II to TMP process.
ILM bitched and moaned about the TMP Enterprise design. Would they have preferred to work with the original?
The test footage for Phase II certainly had the TOS uniforms and ship interior, though they had built a new engineering set that resembled later ones in layout.
And even further back, he designed them back in the 60s as an alternative to the TOS Connie's nacelles if Gene didn't like them.
I think they're the best uniforms in Trek history, with perhaps the exception of season 3+ TNG.
Did he, though? They looked ok, I think, but they weren't the same as the originals, either.
Personally, I like the originals better. But no one laughed at them and they didn’t stop the movie from making a bazillion dollars, which seem to be two main metrics for Star Trek success.
At least not until I perfect my brain scanning techUh....yeah....visually, you can't go further back than when he first sketched them.
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