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The truth behind Andy Probert's departure from STTNG

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I cannot understand how Okuda became the #1 guy, creating all the LCARS and renaming them "Okudagrams" or "Okudagraphs", which to my way of thinking is extreme narcissism and most egocentric!

As I recall, Okuda didn't name them himself, but it was a term coined by other members of the production (John Dwyer IIRC) in reference to the various panels and labels Okuda put around the set. IMO, it's no more "narcissistic" or "egocentric" than Matt Jefferies and the Jeffries Tubes.
 
Nope, Mike himself named them, and referred to them constantly in that form, and they were even put into the script-writing like that as well.
 
Nope, Mike himself named them, and referred to them constantly in that form, and they were even put into the script-writing like that as well.

It seems you're more interested in starting shit or trying to make people look bad than getting the truth. All three (Mike Okuda, Rick Sternbach and Probert) are members here and could answer these questions via Private Message.
 
Okay, bottom line, Berman and Braga were "Company men", and therefore, only had sight on what was best for the STUDIO, not the Trek fans, however, they both did things for Trek as well, and we should thank them for that. That being said, however, if you have an artist, like Andy, who was responsible for the look of Trek since STTMP, the guy who designed the ships, the bridges, the corridors, the pre-LCARS instrumentation panels (Along with Robert Walker) and many more serious scifi aspects to bring Trek to life, you should LISTEN to this man, and pay attention to what he has to say!
As I understand it, Andy was the #1 guy in the pecking order, Sternbach was #2 guy, and Okuda was a distant #3. But after Andy left, I cannot understand how Okuda became the #1 guy, creating all the LCARS and renaming them "Okudagrams" or "Okudagraphs", which to my way of thinking is extreme narcissism and most egocentric! I had also heard, and I would like to get Andy's take on this "rumor" that several people complained about Andy Probert, that he was "Too difficult to work with" and that two of these complainers were, actually, both Sternbach and Okuda! Any truth to that, Andy?

I seriously doubt that he will answer that.

I'd say in most lines o work, the younger guns coming through will always have a different outlook than those more senior guys at the end of their careers.
 
Every artist has his own take on things--that is just to be expected.

I'd love to see cranked nacelles. Some might think that is just for looks, but an argument can be made for a spin in plasma say, for vortex shedding up a conduit to help the coils, etc.
 
Okay, bottom line, Berman and Braga were "Company men", and therefore, only had sight on what was best for the STUDIO, not the Trek fans, however, they both did things for Trek as well, and we should thank them for that. That being said, however, if you have an artist, like Andy, who was responsible for the look of Trek since STTMP, the guy who designed the ships, the bridges, the corridors, the pre-LCARS instrumentation panels (Along with Robert Walker) and many more serious scifi aspects to bring Trek to life, you should LISTEN to this man, and pay attention to what he has to say!
As I understand it, Andy was the #1 guy in the pecking order, Sternbach was #2 guy, and Okuda was a distant #3. But after Andy left, I cannot understand how Okuda became the #1 guy, creating all the LCARS and renaming them "Okudagrams" or "Okudagraphs", which to my way of thinking is extreme narcissism and most egocentric! I had also heard, and I would like to get Andy's take on this "rumor" that several people complained about Andy Probert, that he was "Too difficult to work with" and that two of these complainers were, actually, both Sternbach and Okuda! Any truth to that, Andy?

Nope, Mike himself named them, and referred to them constantly in that form, and they were even put into the script-writing like that as well.


With all due respect to Mr. Probert, both Rich Sternbach and Mike Okuda are members here as well, and this board has rules about referring to other members like this.

Too, Treknician, your record and the controversy around it hardly leaves you in any position to be leveling such claims against anyone.

More importantly, I fail to see how you could know jack shit about Braga, as you were long gone before he was anybody important on the series, if we are to believe your tall tales.
 
You know, the circumstances of someone else's employment and the reasons for a separation are really none of our business. I've no doubt there were disagreements and personality clashes, but, hey, that's life in a creative team.
 
Likewise with the improvement in TNG after season 2, can we really credit that to Berman, rather than the likes of Piller?

Having rewatched the TNG documentaries recently these gave me the impression that one of the best things Berman ever did was to put Michael Piller (RIP) in charge.

I really think that TNG's improvement after Season Two is largely owed to Michael Piller.

I noticed a remark here that made Rick Berman and Brannon Braga look like a conjoined twin and I think that is not the case. Once a VOY actor told me an anecdote he had gotten from Braga, i.e. Berman supposedly telling Braga at a big production staff meeting "Look at all these people. And they are all working for me."

Assuming this anecdote is true, it would tell me that Braga himself didn't feel that this was the right kind of attitude towards your employees or the show.

Bob

@ treknician1701

I'd agree that in general most accounts we get in documentaries and the like is way too much "we're one big family" Hollywood crap. Having been there your yourself, you are probably very well aware of that. Part of "professional courtesy" on the other hand is to refrain from statements at the expense of your former colleagues. As for myself I simply look at how Andrew Probert's legacy had been handled after his departure to form my own opinion.
 
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Nope, Mike himself named them, and referred to them constantly in that form, and they were even put into the script-writing like that as well.

From an article written in 1994:

The term "Okudagram" was coined by "Trek"-classic and first-season ''Next Gen" set designer John Dwyer in honor of "Next Gen"/"DS9"/" Voyager" scenic art designer Michael Okuda.
 
Robert, you are SO correct in that position, and I agree, most of the people, publically will be all sweet and nice, but since all people concerned are no longer "in the biz", I was hoping for a little more truthful accounting.

Trekker, anyone can write an "article", doesn't make it true!
 
Until the folks themselves feel it's necessary to reveal these rumored conflicts as genuine, I suggest we just treat them as they are now: mere rumors. There's no sense in spreading rumors because some fan has an odd grudge against Okuda just because someone dubbed the graphics as "Okudagrams". It's like how Robert Comsol earlier suggested that Sternbach might have redesigned the Enterprise-C for "Yesterday's Enterprise" to spite Probert or something.

I guess some folks just love drama.
 
It's like how Robert Comsol earlier suggested that Sternbach might have redesigned the Enterprise-C for "Yesterday's Enterprise" to spite Probert or something.

:confused: :confused: :confused: Where and when did I suggest that? This is what I actually wrote in the closed Enterprise-C thread:

"According to the official explanation, those materials were no longer available during the pre-production of “Yesterday’s Enterprise” and because of time and budget restraints a different version had to be built by Greg Jein as a VFX model which then made it into this episode.

The designer of the “new” Enterprise-C, Rick Sternbach, never expressed or hinted any desire to excise Andrew Probert’s design from Star Trek canon with malice aforethought, so couldn’t or shouldn’t this have been an invitation to explore possibilities of co-existence of two different designs for the Enterprise-C and come up with an imaginative rationalization?"


Bob
 
Mike and Denise Okuda are two of the classiest, most thoughtful and straightforward people I met in Los Angeles. If there's a disagreement about the facts of a given controversy, I've no doubt who I'd listen to.
 
Mike and Denise Okuda are two of the classiest, most thoughtful and straightforward people I met in Los Angeles. If there's a disagreement about the facts of a given controversy, I've no doubt who I'd listen to.

The Okudas are some of the greatest minds that worked behind the scenes on Trek. I don't doubt a single thing they've ever said.
 
I had never claimed this to be FACT! Rumors are ALWAYS flying in Hollywood, and on the internet. I just wanted some authority to come in and say what is the truth. I'm NOT stirring up "shit" as was stated, I only want to get beyond all the "Feel good" comments, and get to real facts!

That is all!
 
I had never claimed this to be FACT! Rumors are ALWAYS flying in Hollywood, and on the internet. I just wanted some authority to come in and say what is the truth. I'm NOT stirring up "shit" as was stated, I only want to get beyond all the "Feel good" comments, and get to real facts!

That is all!

What makes you think the real facts would be here? Outside of the three gentlemen I listed above, no other member of the board worked in a behind-the-scenes capacity as far as I know.

So what exactly were you hoping to accomplish here?
 
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