It's a just a flopped shot, yes. Can't tell if the mirrored decals were used, though. I'd guess not.
TOS Science/tech changes
- Thread starter Ronald Held
- Start date
I'm sure it's a flipped shot with reversed decals. The NCC looks clear enough. Also note the level of detail on the inner side of the engine nacelle on the right. And the nacelle on the left shows some lighting cables we aren't supposed to see, at the upper left of the image.
On the other hand, look at this one:
http://tos.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/1x13/conscienceoftheking289.jpg
The NCC is right, but the 7 in 1701 is upside-down or something.
Strange.
As part of our research for Lost Scenes, we talked to one of the experts who worked on the Smithsonian restoration of the 11-ft model and he told us that he believes that the reverse decal was not used in this shot. Rather, a reverse "wallpaper" was used instead. He showed us some high resolution photos of the model in front of the blue screen which seemed to support the belief. Indeed, even the finished, composited shot (link here) seems to show the edges of the wallpaper if you look at the spaces between, and at the top and bottom, of the alphanumerics.
Wallpaper? You mean they flipped and doctored a still photo of the 11-footer, and moved it across the screen by animation, right? I'm trying to think of another example where I knew they used a still of the ship.
Both those shots are flopped without using the mirrored decals.I'm sure it's a flipped shot with reversed decals. The NCC looks clear enough. Also note the level of detail on the inner side of the engine nacelle on the right. And the nacelle on the left shows some lighting cables we aren't supposed to see, at the upper left of the image.
On the other hand, look at this one:
http://tos.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/1x13/conscienceoftheking289.jpg
The NCC is right, but the 7 in 1701 is upside-down or something.
Never noticed the wires and junk on the unfinished nacelle before.
I now think the "Conscience" image (which was also seen in "Doomsday" but without the planet) is not flipped, but the decals are the reverse ones.
http://tos.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/1x13/conscienceoftheking289.jpg
http://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/2x06hd/thedoomsdaymachinehd0004.jpg
In this one, you can see a hidden cable snaking up the support pylon:
http://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/2x06hd/thedoomsdaymachinehd0440.jpg
In order to get a beautiful angle, they pushed to the limit and little beyond, and it worked very well on standard def television. It's still beautiful.
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No. Wallpaper was the term the expert used, hence the quotes. What he believes is that they painted the registry numbers in reverse on a piece of paper that was painted the same color as the nacelle and then affixed it to the model.
Oh yeah, you’re right about the Conscience one, because the decals are definitely backwards, but you can see the finished inboard engine detail is on the correct side. So I guess that footage was supposed to be flopped, but then they didn’t - I wonder if it was it ever used properly?
I never noticed that cable on the overhead shot in Doomsday either - funny, because usually that stuff stands out to me like a sore thumb.
My market always cut that shot so when I first saw it in the 80's, I was thrilled at a new angle I hadn't seen before.
Interesting. Also, I wonder if this work was done during the WNMHGB period, or especially for "Mirror, Mirror", which would entail swapping out the nacelle domes and dish antenna to make the Enterprise look suddenly different.
Not the landing party, but Mudd does in "Mudd's Women." They contact the miners on Rigel long before the Enterprise enters orbit of the planet.
I like the ENT retcon that the universal translator was integrated into the communicator. That actually makes perfect sense. I also like some of the other retcons fans have suggested such as the communicators can work by voice dialing.
TNG is really the area I would complain about. TOS, for the most part, followed Roddenberry's advice to "show us, don't tell us" when it comes to technology. They really have little technobabble. They simply pick up the device and use it. Scotty goes to fix something and doesn't go into a long complicated explanation on how a component should work and why it doesn't. TNG, on the other hand, felt the need to increase the drama and story telling by creating gobbldy goop technobabble made up words to sound impressive. This ended up becoming a cliche and, in my opinion, pushed some casual fans away.
Occasional technobabble, like seasoning, is fine when used in moderation. Don't dump the whole jar onto us.
I suppose the argument could be made that Mudd was taping into the Enterprise's subspace transceiver array but that somewhat undermines the implied covert nature of his actions - that he's using the 23rd century equivalent of a ham radio set to communicate with the miners.
Maybe the process is an automatic one and Uhura just didn't notice? After all, she didn't notice anything anyway, did she?
if I could go back to the early 60's star trek would be way the hell down on my priority list. Just ask me and Brigitte Bardot's child. Now if you excuse me I need to go put some moon rocks on ebay.
oh star trek. Fuck southern concerns. Let spock and Uhura have long running flirtation. It was fun in Charlie X and then went nowhere.
Maybe the Enterprise was so damaged that it traveled at very low speed. Mudd's communicator would be in range, if barely so?I suppose the argument could be made that Mudd was taping into the Enterprise's subspace transceiver array but that somewhat undermines the implied covert nature of his actions - that he's using the 23rd century equivalent of a ham radio set to communicate with the miners.
Maybe the process is an automatic one and Uhura just didn't notice? After all, she didn't notice anything anyway, did she?
Hmm. I thought it was pretty explicit that the ship was already there? I mean, first there's the bit where they are on "auxiliary impulse", a dozen hours away from their destination. And then Kirk in the immediately preceding scene has to ask Farrell twice for "preorbital course", which really sounds as if the ship is already not just sublight but also well insystem and in fact making the final approaches.
That Uhura doesn't catch the transmission may just be a facet of that: everybody is atypically fatigued, with Farrell making mistakes and Kirk and McCoy stammering through an incoherent dialogue on what exactly is going on with the women. Or then it's generally not that easy to catch transmissions, especially if Mudd knows a trick or two.
That adventure was rather atypically heavy on technobabble for a TOS adventure in general. The premise of (di)lithium shortage needed the exposition, sure, but on top of that we had the stuff about orbits and batteries and auxiliary impulse engines, and then some medical and sensor stuff about the women. Only, it was as close to plainspeak as they could make it, with just "lithium" and "impulse" thrown in.
Timo Saloniemi
That Uhura doesn't catch the transmission may just be a facet of that: everybody is atypically fatigued, with Farrell making mistakes and Kirk and McCoy stammering through an incoherent dialogue on what exactly is going on with the women. Or then it's generally not that easy to catch transmissions, especially if Mudd knows a trick or two.
That adventure was rather atypically heavy on technobabble for a TOS adventure in general. The premise of (di)lithium shortage needed the exposition, sure, but on top of that we had the stuff about orbits and batteries and auxiliary impulse engines, and then some medical and sensor stuff about the women. Only, it was as close to plainspeak as they could make it, with just "lithium" and "impulse" thrown in.
Timo Saloniemi
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I stand corrected! For some reason I thought the scene with Harry occurred earlier in their journey (Kirk mentions 14 hours in his log) but the mention of the pre-orbital course pretty much nails it!
However, I am happy to believe that at least some of the bulkiness of the communicator could be taken up with a generic pre-programmed UT unit, while the more flexible "learning" unit (from Metamorphosis) is retained for those languages still as yet not encountered.
It's a noticeable 1 light second delay between Earth and Moon communications. To be further out and have instantaneous communication is an accomplishment for a little hand-held device. The mean distances from the Earth to the Moon is 385,000 km (239,000 mi). That's quite a distance in itself.
I'm willing to entertain the suggestion that the communicator simply tied into the ship's systems like some Bluetooth device or how one's cellphone will automatically tie into a known wifi hotspot.
No. According to the sequence of events, Harry contacted the miners prior to the Enterprise achieving orbit.
[Mudd's quarters]
MAGDA: Top space frequency of three nine. (hands over communicator)
MUDD: Rigel 12. Rigel 12.
CHILDRESS [OC]: This is Rigel 12. Come in, Enterprise.
MUDD: Well, this isn't exactly the Enterprise. My name is Harry Mudd. To whom have I the pleasure of speaking, sir?
[Bridge]
SULU: Power curve still dropping, Captain.
FARRELL: We'll make orbit, sir. A temporary one.
KIRK: Lay in. Computer?
SPOCK: We can sustain this orbit for three days, seven hours.
KIRK: More than enough time. Communications, have a representative of the Rigel 12 miners meet us here to discuss our needs. Beam him up first pass over their camp.
UHURA: Yes, sir.
The miners knew the Enterprise was coming, but the Enterprise hadn't achieved orbit yet.
That's just it, though: immediately after Mudd makes the call, the ship enters orbit - and immediately before Mudd makes the call, the ship is about to make orbit. Nothing there contradicts the idea that the ship is extremely close to the planet, closer than any other planet in the system has right to be, say.
Timo Saloniemi
Timo Saloniemi
We never quite learn where Magda stole that thing from, now do we? Perhaps it was a top-level authorized unit from one of our heroes, so it was exempt from raising any flags when used shipboard...
Having the UT hidden in the communicator is not quite an ENT thing: those heroes had a special box for it. But in general, having the UT in any device of any sort is problematic, because most aliens take away any and all the devices of our heroes right after hello.
UTs hidden in clothing and jewelry are better in that respect - but then one would assume any parity opponent such as Klingons would strip the heroes naked right before hello.
The UT as an implant is the smoothest way to go. But then what would the Klingons do...? Of course, they don't want our heroes to stop understanding Klingon, as a first approximation.
Timo Saloniemi
Having the UT hidden in the communicator is not quite an ENT thing: those heroes had a special box for it. But in general, having the UT in any device of any sort is problematic, because most aliens take away any and all the devices of our heroes right after hello.
UTs hidden in clothing and jewelry are better in that respect - but then one would assume any parity opponent such as Klingons would strip the heroes naked right before hello.
The UT as an implant is the smoothest way to go. But then what would the Klingons do...? Of course, they don't want our heroes to stop understanding Klingon, as a first approximation.
Timo Saloniemi
