Since there are several Constitution class vessels, you might have enough bridge variations for all 12
Is the bridge at a funny angle?
- Thread starter Mike Doyle
- Start date
Since there are several Constitution class vessels, you might have enough bridge variations for all 12
Collect them all!
Now I'm visualizing someone having the Exeter NFT . . . .
So, it looks like for the two pilots, they were missing 2 sections of the bridge (we didn't see them at least, though we did see the platform). When the series started and the sets were standing for the series, they built the full set.
For season 2, they made several major set changes, like Engineering. They updated the bridge as well.
In several photos we can see that the railing posts are split. So anytime we see those bolts or wingnuts I think we can assume that railing post splits in 2. Some of the railing sections might not split. More research. Like any of us need an excuse.
For season 2, they made several major set changes, like Engineering. They updated the bridge as well.
In several photos we can see that the railing posts are split. So anytime we see those bolts or wingnuts I think we can assume that railing post splits in 2. Some of the railing sections might not split. More research. Like any of us need an excuse.
Some how, part of your reply ended up my my quotes. It was the part that said:
"I do not have the time to check all the screens for the stations. I assumed that they did NOT change the upper portion of the section, but that one larger single screen is the same as the two port stations. I also think they built the entire bridge, I just didn't have proof."
So in response to that, I have two comments.
Shots like this one we keep showing indicates that Bridge Engineering had dual screens in the second pilot.
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x03hd/wherenomanhasgonebeforehd168.jpg
This shot from the alternate version of "Where no Man has Gone Before" shows that at least the starboard "half station" did exist.
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x03hd-alt/wherenomanhasgonebeforehdalt0099.jpg
So that leaves finding a shot to see how many single screen stations are shown at a time to get a lowest possible amount built for the second pilot.
That shot clearly shows (if you can make it out through the smoke) the middle panels and it looks like there are 8 of them.
This shot from the alternate version of "Where no Man has Gone Before" shows that at least the starboard "half station" did exist.
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x03hd-alt/wherenomanhasgonebeforehdalt0099.jpg
So that leaves finding a shot to see how many single screen stations are shown at a time to get a lowest possible amount built for the second pilot.[/QUOTE]
That shot from WNMHGB shows the half station starboard of the viewscreen. It does not show anything past that. Other than the reverse shot over a partial control panel, I know of nothing in either pilot that shows those two stations and my understanding is that weren't built yet. Only the platform and railing.
I have found the easy way of identifying them. Provided the assumption holds that they never changed the individual screen designs. First, this does not apply to the two pilots as the upper screen layout changed between pilots and the series. Engineering has 1 wide screen on top and 8 square screens, the next station has one wide screen on top and 8 square screens (including one of the Enterprise that was consistent from WNMHGB). Then the half station with the small screen and 4 square screens. The other half station is identical. Then you have the normal section with one small screen on top and 6 square screens with a double rectangle screen where the inner two on the left would be. Then you have a section with one wide screen on top and 4 square screens and 2 double screens (from left to right it is 1 square, 1 rectangle, 3 squares, 1 rectangle). Then Spock's station and then Uhura's station. Now, the way the stations were built, those square vs. rectangles were built into the fiberglass panel, so there is no way they could change that middle row of screens. so from those details it is clear that they did build every station and except for an episode where the moved Spock's station over one, they usually used each station in the correct spot.
It does look like the upper screen could be moved, but the only evidence I see that it ever was was between WNMHGB and the series. The second bridge had a single screen above Spock's station and communications and a double screen over Engineering. For the series both Spock's and the Comm have double screens and Engineering has a single screen.
It is hard to see in The Cage because they never really pull back and show the stations. all the upper screens are different - they have multiple large and small screens.
In that shot, you can bet any money that more of the starboard bridge was in place than we happen to see there. At least one full-station more would have to be connected to the half-station. This is because they were shooting on film, with no "dual lens" film-and-video system for instant review. They had to leave themselves a safety margin around the edges of the frame to avoid nasty surprises in the screening room.
Having said that, it also looks like they were possibly pushing the limit of how much "ceiling" could be faked with the gray backdrop that lies beyond the curved upper panels. But even there, I'm sure they had a little safety margin above the frame.
The Camera very carefully shoots through the door so that there is no need for any station to be attached to the half station. It would never show up on film because it is blocked by the door frame. So safety margin maintained without any need for those two stations. It is difficult to tell from the description of the sets if they actually built all the sections, but they were all designed. Both pilots were filmed in Culver City and the bridge was stored outside between the pilots and the series and was damaged by moisture, requiring a total rebuild. Evidently this is when the panels were rebuilt out of fiberglass. The two sections that were normally left out were built with different screens (as I mentioned above) along the top edge of the control surface. So these sections definitely did not appear in the pilots as we can see the screens on all the sections in both pilots.
The pilot bridge was all wood. They took one section and molded it to cast all the new sections in fiberglass to make them lighter so every section could be removed as needed. They were wired so that each could be removed without impacting the others.
And I found the reference at Memory Alpha (https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Constitution_class_sets). The pilot bridge was 8 pieces. The series bridge had 10. So there are two distinct bridge sets, the pilots, and the series. So while the 2nd pilot and series look the same, they are totally different. Though the design was identical.
When you say 8 versus 10 sections, you mean the sections built, not the sections in the design layout, correct? And this is likely true for both pilots?
A "Star Trek: the Magazine" article called Pike's bridge "smaller," but it always looked to me as though the number of stations would be the same, even if it now seems they might not all be present during the pilots.
I've never noticed the unique dual-width middle-level screen on the Weapons and Assistant Navigator stations before, visible clearly in this shot:
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/3x05hd/isthereintruthnobeautyhd0609.jpg
A very cool find.
Although you can see a rail back there. Given that the rails in the pilot appear to be a single piece with 3 or 4 posts for each section then it would suggest that there was at least another station next to the half station back there.
Perhaps the 8 piece version is 4 pieces for wedges with a rail section, the main viewer wedge, and 3 wedges that have no rails but has steps to go down to the inner pit?
Perhaps the 8 piece version is 4 pieces for wedges with a rail section, the main viewer wedge, and 3 wedges that have no rails but has steps to go down to the inner pit?
I've scrubbed through the various Bridge scenes in WNMHGB and there's no moment where all 10 complete wedges are seen/required. Even if a "safety shot" console were wanted on the forward right, this could have been managed by sliding Spock's console around the perimeter. This would also give them something to perch the handrail assembly on.
Later on there's no handrail at all - what the heck is THIS???
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x03hd-alt/wherenomanhasgonebeforehdalt0290.jpg
Then there's this early sketch, which clearly shows 2 wedges missing:
To me, this is the easiest source of the "8 wedges" statement.
Footage from The Cage is even less revealing - NONE of the forward right hand consoles are shown, with this one slight exception which could have been filmed against anything:
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x00hd/thecagehd0393.jpg
The full length hand rails ARE seen in a few scenes though, along with a several sections of floor when the shot first pushes in at the start of the episode.
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x00hd/thecagehd0282.jpg
However, building a couple of floor sections to prop the handrail up on is a considerably easier task than full on consoles!
I believe that 8 sections were made and 2 additional platforms with railings. The Cage opening shot from above seems to show all the railings on both sides.I've scrubbed through the various Bridge scenes in WNMHGB and there's no moment where all 10 complete wedges are seen/required. Even if a "safety shot" console were wanted on the forward right, this could have been managed by sliding Spock's console around the perimeter. This would also give them something to perch the handrail assembly on.
Later on there's no handrail at all - what the heck is THIS???
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x03hd-alt/wherenomanhasgonebeforehdalt0290.jpg
Then there's this early sketch, which clearly shows 2 wedges missing:
To me, this is the easiest source of the "8 wedges" statement.
Footage from The Cage is even less revealing - NONE of the forward right hand consoles are shown, with this one slight exception which could have been filmed against anything:
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x00hd/thecagehd0393.jpg
The full length hand rails ARE seen in a few scenes though, along with a several sections of floor when the shot first pushes in at the start of the episode.
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x00hd/thecagehd0282.jpg
However, building a couple of floor sections to prop the handrail up on is a considerably easier task than full on consoles!
I think that is supposed to be the top of one of the consoles with the large upper screens removed so the camera can shoot over it. But it might support the idea of a missing wedge.
Notice the console top doesn't span the entire width of the screen...
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x00hd/thecagehd1845.jpg
edit: although that could be the half-station console near the main viewer...
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x00hd/thecagehd1864.jpg
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That resembles a 16x9 flat screen monitor like the one I'm sitting in front of now. Same size and shape, and flat-black when it's off. Nice.
@blssdwlf @Mytran
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x00hd/thecagehd1864.jpg
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x03hd-alt/wherenomanhasgonebeforehdalt0290.jpg
That looks like the half-height console seen in the the middle column of BTS shots here:
(highest res I have.)
Whether that is something unique or just a station with the top removed is anyone's guess.
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x00hd/thecagehd1864.jpg
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x03hd-alt/wherenomanhasgonebeforehdalt0290.jpg
That looks like the half-height console seen in the the middle column of BTS shots here:
(highest res I have.)
Whether that is something unique or just a station with the top removed is anyone's guess.
From the comments of Jefferies and the others over on Memory Alpha, my guess is this was a mock station just for filming from the back. That middle column is fascinating because it shows that there was a full circle of the raised platform and railing, plus this half height section, which is attached next to the half station next to the viewscreen. Basically everything we see in the second pilot. But in that the half height station is next to Spock's station.@blssdwlf @Mytran
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x00hd/thecagehd1864.jpg
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x03hd-alt/wherenomanhasgonebeforehdalt0290.jpg
That looks like the half-height console seen in the the middle column of BTS shots here:
(highest res I have.)
Whether that is something unique or just a station with the top removed is anyone's guess.
Thanks, man! That's a kick-ass discovery linking the two pilot sets.
@blssdwlf @Mytran
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x00hd/thecagehd1864.jpg
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x03hd-alt/wherenomanhasgonebeforehdalt0290.jpg
That looks like the half-height console seen in the the middle column of BTS shots here:
(highest res I have.)
Whether that is something unique or just a station with the top removed is anyone's guess.
Echoing that is a great find! It seems like a custom station since it only has the console but not the indicator screens (bottom middle image) when compared to a full console next to it.
You know, if you base things on the solid dividing lines between the wedges, you have a full bridge with eight sections if you allow that the viewscreen and two half-stations are one unit.
And once that unit is broken into the three sections they had during the series you get ten.
Thanks. I just wish I had a higher res of the image. I don't recall where I found it but it was sometime before 2009.
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