Yeah...I agree. I admit I didn't fully rebuild the chair base like I did with the rest of the chair, and just slightly modified the existing geometry from my previous version. Perhaps I'll give it another go soon. Thanks! I've always strived to make my work look as detailed and professional as possible!
Time for opinions! As many of you know, in WNMHGB, the conn platform was rotated slightly to starboard so that it, the helm, and captain's chair did not line up with the viewscreen as it did in "The Cage" and the remainder of the series: http://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x03hd/wherenomanhasgonebeforehd044.jpg We can only speculate why this was done, but my thinking is that it was done for cinematographic reasons, as the director probably preferred the resulting framing from the opposite view: http://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x03hd/wherenomanhasgonebeforehd061.jpg My question: Do I replicate this skewed alignment of the conn platform in my build, or do I line things up "correctly". It seems really odd that the helm would point to starboard of the viewscreen instead of head-on. Thoughts?
Well, it was done for the filming of the entire episode. In the shots from the other direction you can tell the conn is still rotated by 18 degrees. In the series proper the conn was directly lined up with the communications console's center, whereas it's lined up to the port edge of said console in WNMHGB. Compare: http://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x03hd/wherenomanhasgonebeforehd061.jpg http://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x04hd/thenakedtimehd0331.jpg EDIT: I just noticed that they even shifted the communication's officer's chair to port to fit him into the above WNMHGB shot.
As the man who is going to move that silly little turbolift nub on the outside of the ship 36 degrees the next time I build the Enterprise, I say build it the way they shot it! That'll teach 'em! (And thanks again for pointing out something shocking that I've been watching without question for 40+ years!)
I vote to keep it consistent with the rest of the series. As you point out, this one-off circumstance was probably done just for a shot-framing reason, nothing in-universe. But it's still interesting. I've been watching that episode for 50 years, and never noticed the offset. And especially not the move for the communications officer's chair. Wow! You really do pore over everything closely to note all these details. I watch the show and movies with a new eye now. Thanks!
And here I though this was common knowledge! I've seen it discussed a few other places, including Firebird's "WNMHGB Set Reconstruction" Thread by @blssdwlf (by the way, anyone heard from @blssdwlf lately? He's been noticeably absent for a couple of months). I doubt I noticed it on my own. Most likely read it somewhere and then verified next time I watched the episode. But yes, I've poured over screencaps an embarassing amount. My usual routine before I tackle an area is to go through Trekcore's entire screencap library and grab all the caps I can of said area, organize them, and then go through my blu-rays and pick up any additional shots as needed. I always like to be armed with as much reference as possible, in order to not miss any details
I still don't think I see what you're talking about, but I'd still vote make the placement consistent with the overall series.
I've got a straight on image as well, which will be helpful when I reconstruct the base (I feel like I have to now! ) I'll be going with the correctly aligned conn. Btw, there was one other spot in the series where the conn was rotated, again for framing purposes Check out this cap from "Spock's Brain": http://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/3x01hd/spocksbrainhd0247.jpg
Have one of the buttons on Spock's console rotate the platform - let him have a little fun hahaha djE
I say Conn faces the viewscreen, the viewscreen faces forward, and the turboshaft on the exterior should be shifted to make it all fit.
I, for one, honestly don't mind too much that the viewscreen is at 36 degrees port, and would prefer keeping it that way over shifting the turboshaft exterior.
Having participated in some bruising debates over the years about the correct orientation of the TOS bridge, my eyes tend to glaze over whenever the topic resurfaces.