And there has already been confirmation that the TOS Enterprise was originally designed at 540 feet, then scaled up to 947 feet.
But that does not mean that (1) visual details of the TOS model were done for a smaller scale ship nor that (2) any visuals in TOS support the smaller scale.
Actually, had that earlier Enterprise looked like the final version of the ship it would have been approximately 540 feet at the earlier scale. The earlier design had quite a few differences in the way it was put together, so it wasn't as if the same drawings were given a new scale, new drawings were made. But we know that the final size (and design) was arrived at in late October of 1964.
The primary evidence of the early scale came from hull markings on the models. Those markings came from the earlier plans because the final plans for construction of the models didn't include any references for hull markings at all.
Originally the audience was to get an idea of scale from the bridge structure on the model (and the planned zoom in shot). Roddenberry wanted more details, so windows were added. But the bridge and models were originally design to work together in that way. The 33 inch model was finished at about the same time as construction of the original bridge set was started, and the live action zoom in footage of the bridge seen in
The Cage was shot about a week before construction of the 11 foot model was started.
Except for the facts that (1) the shuttlebay as shown in TOS won't fit inside the TOS Enterprise and (2) the rec deck as shown in TMP won't fit inside the TMP refit. Let's not even mention the much larger TOS shuttle interior than its exterior.
The hangar deck was a forced perspective model, the plans for that forced perspective model were never intended to be used as the actual size.
Jefferies illustrated what the actual size was, it was others who decided to follow the plans of the forced perspective miniature as if they were accurate.
The point is that Holcomb never says exactly when the ship was scaled up, nor does he say that the details were never changed, nor does he say that some of the visuals in the film are still the small size. In fact, the windows does support that the details were changed when you compare their relative sizes on the images I posted.
Actually we know that the model was finished and use for renderings of the ship under construction at the original scale (even though it was later composited with elements to make it seem larger). When additional effects shots started coming in the size of the ship became an issue and some shots were redone and others were completely redesigned long after the previsualization team had left the project.
It has been said by people working on this that a lot of these changes happen late in the game, and some elements were deemed
good enough at their original scale to not warrant redoing them.
Frankly, I'm not sure why those who are
happy with the larger size seem embarrassed by the timeline of events... it doesn't change the final outcome, the ship is larger in the end.
All this sounds like people claiming that their team was winning throughout the whole of a game when in fact their team took the lead in the third quarter. So what if the other side was ahead in the first half, it doesn't effect the final outcome. The movie is out, any sequels will build on what we were given (unless Shatner directs, in which case all bets are off
).
Even the O.D. of the escape pod in relation to the docking port in that specific sequence supports the smaller 1300ft scale.
