The Art of Star Trek: Reanimated - The Sequel

[Ptrope]

Re: Star Trek: Reanimated - The Sequel

Wow, so many questions!

Ptrope I was going to say your lighting needs some work
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v413/Redfern/Engineering-3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v413/Redfern/Pike-Cabin-3.jpg
Even TOS didn't look that boring of lighting IMHO.

I wouldn't call them boring; I quite like them for what they are, which are still explorations of the spaces. Those images were created by Redfern, not myself, so I a) can't take credit for them and b) am free to say how much I like them

and then saw this:
http://www.ptrope.com/Star_Trek_Reanimated/Images/Engineroom_noir007.jpg
wow. we've not seen the original TOS enterprise with the lights down low and one source. Cool, it still could use a little texturing though.

Now that one I can take credit for - that's just a WIP shot of my "Season 4" upgrade of Engineering, based on alt1701's original mesh (which was used by Redfern in his renders, too). I'm still working on modifying the set and haven't even begun to think about the textures - that entire shot was done with everything in a neutral light gray, except for the 'plasma manifolds,' and three light sources, which provided the color in the rest of the shot. alt1701 created some excellent textures for the controls, however; they just aren't in this shot.

Are you planning on any simulated film grain or are you keeping it clean CG like Star Trek: Aurora ?

Are you planning on using any atmospheric effects? haze, mist, smoke on the sets?

Are you planning on controlling depth-of-field on your medium and closeup shots?

Are you planning on using spherical highlights and/or any diffusion on female closeups as a nod to TOS? I know this is animated but I you may do it as a styleized look...

Are you planning on making your character lighting similar to TOS or closer to Voyager/Enterprise modern soft key lighting?

At the moment, I have solid answers to none of those questions. I'm hoping to see lighting similar to that used in TOS; as I'm still hoping to interest others who have experience in animation to join the project, a lot of it will depend not only upon my vision but also the skills and abilities of those who may be shouldering the burden of the actual animation. I'm more in a 'producer/director' role - for the moment - though it may ultimately come down to me being responsible for the animation, as well, as Tim Vining is doing with his Aurora project (and doing a fine job at it, too! ).

Are you planning on doing Star Trek: Reanimated as 16:9 framing and rendering in 1080p or at least standard definition widescreen? Star Trek: Aurora works nicely as 16:9 as did Enterprise. It gave Enterprise a more cinematic look than just a TV series (the first 3 seasons shot on film and the 4th season shot on HD video). It is the standard for television framing. If so are you going to use the full 16:9 frame or are you protecting for 4:3 center cut?
Will you be doing 24p or 30fps?

I intend to use 16:9 full framing for the shots; as for the resolution, at this point, it's probably more likely to be 800x450.

Is there a fan productions forum thread you already have ongoing? (I haven't checked)

Not yet; I'm holding off on that until I actually have some animation to show, and not just stills of the sets and occasional characters I've been working on.

P.S. Nice work with the Gorn models & texturing.

Thanks! Again, I have to credit Redfern for the majority of the Gorn images and approaches; I only created one (the one with the massive codpiece ), inspired by his 'Frankensteining' of a couple of available 3D model figures. Redfern has been a constant motivation, kicking me in the virtual pants occasionally when my work slows down, and posting his own work to inspire me further.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

Re: Star Trek: Reanimated - The Sequel

Redfern and Ptrope I would like to say thank you both for using your amazing skills of creating this CG model and working on the lighting to get it as close to emulating TOS look.
Excellent work.
Sorry if I am being too critical. I'm just excited that this level of work can be accomplished.

just stills of the sets and occasional characters I've been working on.

And please continue posting the stills of the 'sets' as you progress.

I intend to use 16:9 full framing for the shots

Very glad to hear it.

Hopefully you will consider using camera tracking shots during some of the dialogue. It is a live-action technique but it really adds production value and with your CG model hey, no dolly track to lay!
Check out this cinematic made by a 17 year old kid with tracking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVC3_41I9Kc


The idea of exploring a Trek ship interiors in 3D space really interests me. I may purchase 'Star Trek Elite Force' PC game used just to get the mods to do it on the NX-01 and TOS Enterprise.

 

[darkwing_duck1]

This is just a WIP, not the finished piece, but it's an idea of how this room might've looked if Matt Jefferies had been tasked with making it look a little more 'industrial.' (the lighting, btw, is only for mood, not for actual use )

The bulk of the set is still alt1701's, but I've replaced the bulkhead, ceiling and the central island (which now has some additional detail, as well, as evidenced by this short AVI), as well as adding the various pipes and conduits above and below, breaking through the floor so that the island is now clearly part of a system that continues below-deck, and adding the 'tower' that continues up through the ceiling. I still need to build the framework for the catwalk, add a monitoring station at the end of it (there's got to be some reason for it to be there, right ?), and open up the upper decks where the catwalk stairs connect; there's also the entire forward section to detail. But it's a start!

DA-ROOL!

THIS is what JJ should have had...

 

[jefferiestubes8]

if Matt Jefferies had been tasked with making it look a little more 'industrial.' (the lighting, btw, is only for mood, not for actual use )

THIS is what JJ should have had...

Yes "lighting is everything" and unfortunately the film stocks in 1960s required a lot of light and thus 'the look of TOS'.
The above posted image from darkwing_duck1 with the lighting reminded me of these two NX-01 'mood lighting' images from the mod of Elite Force:
engineering
http://screenshots.filesnetwork.com/4/files2/25350_1.jpg
torpedo area
http://screenshots.filesnetwork.com/4/files2/25350_8.jpg

 

[le_dartagnan]

What's happening with this project ? Are you still working on it ?

 

[Kail]

I'd like to know too. I was really looking forward to it.

 

[Ptrope]

Wow, I can't believe this thread is still around!

All I can really say is, yes, this will eventually get made. Many, many things going on in real life, including a computer death and a job schedule that tends to interfere greatly with the time I get to spend on the things I like to do, including this. I've also got to get the website rebuilt into something that can function not just as a showplace, but also a collaborative workspace - and, of course, I'm still looking for collaborators/consultants/mesh grunts . I've got a rec room in progress for the banquet scene, though, based on the one in the scene cut from "Elaan of Troyius"; I've still got to recover several files from the old PC, as well as get familiar with the new modeling software on the 64-bit Win7 box that took its place.

Rec room WIP shots:

 

[Avon]

thats a very buff spock in pic 5

 

[Redfern]

thats a very buff spock in pic 5

A peristant issue with Poser rigging. Because it employs "fall-off zones" instead of "weight mapping" like LightWave and other "higher end" suites, the shoulders tend to bulge when lowered from their default "T" pose.

Plus the geometry of that specific "tunic mesh" is a tad "form fitting", hugging the contours of the figure underneath.

Sincerely,

Bill

 

[Ptrope]

"Physical fitness is logical."

Doesn't explain a world of Moe haircuts, Spock!

At some point, I may try converting XCalPro's tunic to a dynamic cloth item and see how it lies; of course, I'll need to 'de-buff' the figures a bit. I also want to see if the improved rigging and falloff zones in PP2010 can make better joints in the existing figures.

 

[BolianAuthor]

Sweet CG sets you have there.

 

[Ziz]

Hell with Spock. I wanna see the babe hiding behind the mesh archway.

 

[Ptrope]

That's not mesh (it's a space station!); I was pretty happy with how those panels of translucent material turned out, so I decided to try to kill the PC by adding reflections to the refractions already going on. I wasn't actually sure whether those panels were translucent, even, until I watched "Journey to Babel" a couple nights ago (the remastered version) and saw that when Sarek's shuttle lands in the bay and the honor guard files out, you can see their movement through the panels. Until then, I was just going to keep the translucency because I thought of it as 'one of those things they'd have done if they'd had the budget' .

BTW, Ensign O'Malley, there, is pretty buff, herself .

 

[Kaiser]

cool stuff

 

[Admiral_Young]

This is outstanding...now I'm going to have to go back to the start of the thread and check it out.

 

[Roberta Lincoln]

Amazing work!

 

[publiusr]

I like the Enterprise from TAS. The secondary hull shuttlebay seems to longer than on the Datin model--more like Jeffer4ies sketch of the ent on his manual--a longer sec hull. Be nice to see the TAS ship as orthos.

 

[RAMA]

two words: Slaver Weapon!

 

[deg3D]

This is way-cool stuff, dude! I way-love TAS and it's nice to see you bringing it to life again!

deg

 

[Ptrope]

Thanks, deg! I hope to one day be in your league (all I need to do is quit my job and devote myself 100% to something I've made maybe $400 at over the past 6 years ... ).

BTW, I'd love to see your Enterprise in any eventual video - it's a perfect conceptual fit with my approach of this being a 4th season of TOS (albeit a completely CGI one), with a bigger budget that allowed them to improve the sets, props & VFX.