Favourite Warp Effect...

[Smellmet]

What's everyone's favourite warp effect? It's always one of my favourite moments in Trek be it film or series, I just love seeing the Enterprise power up and storm off...

1 1st one in TWOK, this one for me perfectly captures what going to warp should be like, fast, and slightly trippy.
2: Either in TMP - see above
3: 2nd one in TWOK, similar to first 2 but from different angle
4: STO9 - love the noise it makes
5: NEM: Like that they ditched the 'stretch' effect
6: STID - they brought back the stretch effect! Noo and what's all the blue dust about?
7: All the TNG movies/series - As you've probably gathered I don't like the stretch effect. Think it's always looked cheap and cheesy.
8: TSFS, the effects in this movie (especially the spece dock scenes) are excellent. The warp effect isn't - just a cheap optical effect overlaid on the enterprise, and I think it looks dreadful.
9: TFF. Lets be fair, it looks crap. It's not even in the correct perspective, it looks like they just moved the enterprise to the left. Appalling.

Anyway - here they are..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP9PLYJxjaM

 

[T'Girl]

Traveling at warp it has to be the the original TOS "non-effect" just through the stars, no streaks, no cloudy-ness.

Entering warp the ST: Eleven boom and you gone effect. Although I dislike the bridge elongating effect like in the nu-BSG pilot.

 

[JarodRussell]

The first warp effect in TWOK. I like that rubber band like behavior of the stars.
The warp in front of the Spacedock in TSFS. I like how the ship turns into a streak of light.

 

[R. Star]

Yeah I liked the warp effects used in the TOS movies the best.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I have never noticed any of this stuff.

People really are wired differently.

 

[TheSubCommander]

At first, I didn't like the TNG era elongation of the ship, but it grew on me. Now it's my favorite.

TWOK ending and TSFS space dock warp scenes are my second favorite.

Trek 2009 era is great too.

TMP warp looks dated. I wish the Okudas would remaster the earlier films to match TSFS

I have never noticed any of this stuff.

People really are wired differently.

No, it's just you who's wired differently.

 

[Smellmet]

Same here it grew on me a little, I absolutely HATED it at first, but I still prefer the first 2 movies effect especially TWOK

 

[C.E. Evans]

The TNG era (TNG-Star Trek X) ones

 

[jpv2000]

The effect in front of the spacedock in Star Trek III TSFS is my absolute favorite.

Number 2 is Nemesis, I never liked the stretch effect either.

 

[Rowdy Roddy McDowall]

I'd have to go for the end of TMP.

AbramsWarp is different from previous versions, but I'm not big on smears.

 

[dub]

I think all of the effects are good and sort of fit with the overall production of each film. The only one I don't like is TMP, which is a very 70s-esque effect. I feel like I'm getting ready to watch the old ABC Sunday night movie.

 

[BillJ]

The Abramsverse warp effect.

It really shows warp as being a powerful, dangerous ride.

 

[F. King Daniel]

The 2009 movie. BOOM gone. And a really nice blue swirly warp field/tunnel thingie. Into Darkness has the same swirly warp tunnels, but I'm not too crazy about the ship leaving trails of ice behind when it makes the jump (yes, Star Trek is cool again, but that's going a little far). The way ships arrive in ST and ID is fantastic, a flash and they appear. Vengeance's arrival in ID is one of Trek's coolest moments.

TNG/DS9/VOY/ENT's warp effects always annoyed me. The stars streak past way too quickly to be in any way realistic. And the elastic band/Q poof jump just doesn't work for me. What is that flash of light supposed to be and where does it come from?

The classic movie effects are a mixed bag - TMP's is ruined by red white and blue AMERICA stars, TWoK has three distinct effects(!), the rejigged TMP one is excellent, the other two, not so much. Why does the BLUE nacelle leave a RED streak at the end of TWoK, and in STIII, IV and (in the worst looking of all, IMO)VI?

Plus, the whole thing is a blatant Star Wars rip off anyway.

 

[CoveTom]

I think I'm in the minority, but my favorite is the TMP effect. It's visually impressive and it conveys a sense of power and something important happening. But it also avoids the constant streak trail of TWOK-TUC which I think looked kinda hokey. The TNG era warp effect might be more realistic, but I think it's less visually stunning.

 

[Kemaiku]

The 2009 movie effect.

Not crazy about the new dixie dust trails they leave in Into Darkness (well who knows, maybe that's why she's so much faster now).

 

[C.E. Evans]

TNG/DS9/VOY/ENT's warp effects always annoyed me. The stars streak past way too quickly to be in any way realistic.

Think of it as an optical illusion created by multiple layers of subspace distortion. Many of those stars aren't really there, IMO.

And the elastic band/Q poof jump just doesn't work for me. What is that flash of light supposed to be and where does it come from?

A brief, but very powerful, rip into subspace.

 

[Cyke101]

I've grown to like the DS9/VOY warp. There's a slight enough difference from the TNG warp that, to me, can be pointed out -- the TNG warp is more stretchy for sure, but there are some shots where Defiant/Voyager is more streaky than stretchy, so it's like an improved version of the TNG warp, and with a touch of TOS movie warp thrown in for good mix.

Ultimately, though, i still wish that XI & XII had the warp flash at the end. Yes, I agree that it sounds powerful, and the tunnel reminds me of slipstream/transwarp conduits, but to me the warp flash could add to the boom of their warp bursts.

 

[Richard Baker]

I did not care for the artificial tube of lights in TMP, but the look of the ship as it went to warp with the lighting being left behind for a few moments- perfect for superluminal acceleration.
The rubber-band stretch effect did not do much for me- a warp field should distort space-time, not he ship that is generating it. My favorite TNG warp jump was when Wesley was watching it from Ten Forward.
STID with the pixie-dust trails just looks stupid IMO

 

[BillJ]

STID with the pixie-dust trails just looks stupid IMO

I think the "pixie-dust" is irradiated particles left in the wake of the ship going to warp.

 

[JarodRussell]

The rubber-band stretch effect did not do much for me- a warp field should distort space-time, not he ship that is generating it.

For an outside observer, the ship gets warped.