A Short Scene from Star Trek Phase II Episode "Enemy: Starfleet"

[GSchnitzer]

We at Star Trek Phase II have been working on putting on the finishing touches on "Blood and Fire, Part 2." But in the meantime, we're also plugging away at editing the next episode: "Enemy: Starfleet."

We thought we'd put up a short little scene from "Enemy: Starfleet"--which guest stars Barbara Luna (although she's not in this short scene). It's still somewhat raw; sound hasn't been cleaned up yet; it's a little dark--mostly a byproduct of low resolution YouTube. Music isn't final--just some cues that were dropped in. But it's a nice little scene--even if the editing does still need a little tightening.

You can see it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdAUh8GdFj4

I welcome comments and questions.

 

[Michael]

Ooh, thanks for the preview, Greg! It's looking good. That is a very nice scene. The acting's getting better and better, in my opinion. James Cawley is a wonderful Kirk.

But, wasn't that a bit spoilerish, considering the second part of Blood and Fire hasn't been released yet? By the way, I absolutely love Blood and Fire, Pt. I and am eagerly awaiting its conclusion. I hope you guys know how much your work means to other Trek fans.

 

[GSchnitzer]

Yes, I suppse it's a bit spoilerish. We now know that Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoy, Lieutenant Chekov, and Ensign Peter Kirk survive the events of "Blood and Fire." I don't know if I would have released the clip; but nevertheless, it's James' call.

I'll say two things: since we see all of the Star Trek characters in subsequent Star Trek movies, we've already been "spoiled" to some extent and we know the outcomes of these characters. "Will Captain Kirk survive our episode?" Well, yes, of course: we see him in all the movies.

On the other hand, if there's a really, really dramatic point that needs to be made, we can and will (apparently) kill a character--like we did with Chekov in "To Serve All My Days." It's a sad, compelling moment at the end of that episode; the episode on the sombre note we all wanted, instead of having some explicitly shown deus ex machina solution. So, since we are prefectly capable of telling (what we think is a) compelling self-contained story without being hamstrung by how it might affect our characters' already known futures, as you watch "Blood and Fire," Part 2, you could very well find that it ends in a way that this short scene from "Enemy: Starfleet" ostensibly belies.

Okay, I'll say a third thing: for better or worse, we announced on our web site ages ago that "Bobby Quinn Rice joins the cast of Star Trek Phase II as a series regular." So, having already let the cat out of the bag ages ago now, this clip is no more of a spoiler than that original annoncement was. (I'll concede that the announcement was a bit of spoiler--but then, back in TOS, I don't think there was ever any doubt that the characters would survive from week to week. "Oh no! Spock just strangled Kirk with that ahn woon! Kirk's dead! This will completely change the dynamics of this series! And I had so loved that character!" )

Okay, my fourth thing, and that'll be it: I think the beauty of any Star Trek episode is the journey and not the destination. If it's a fun, interesting, compelling story, we'll tell it. Basically, Star Trek ends with everyone in the same situation (ostensibly) as they were at the beginning of the episode. (Kirk is not actually going to stay in 1930s Earth, happily married to Edith Keeler. Did anyone ever really think "City..." might actually end that way?) The fact that Captain Kirk has gut-wrenching decisions to make is more compelling to us than the question of whether the problem will be resolved. We know it will get resolved; we just don't know how. So we see that apparently Ensign Peter Kirk survives "Blood and Fire," but at what cost?

So, enjoy the ride--and I wouldn't worry too much about the final destination.

And, of course, thanks for your kind words about our production. I'm glad you enjoy it. That's why we make them.

Ooh, thanks for the preview, Greg! It's looking good. That is a very nice scene. The acting's getting better and better, in my opinion. James Cawley is a wonderful Kirk.

But, wasn't that a bit spoilerish, considering the second part of Blood and Fire hasn't been released yet? By the way, I absolutely love Blood and Fire, Pt. I and am eagerly awaiting its conclusion. I hope you guys know how much your work means to other Trek fans.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Looks good! I really like the banter between Lieutenant Chekov and Captain Kirk. Moreover, Cawley has made Kirk his own and he seems much more comfortable in the role than he did in the first two efforts, "Come What May" and "In Harm's Way."

My only critique is in regards to a bit of stage management. Doctor McCoy seems to move off "stage" during the conversation, probably due to not having any lines and to focus on those that do. But him moving off is overly obvious and too theater like, not television like. If that is the entire scene and Doctor McCoy contributes nothing (now I'm basing this only on the short clip, I may very well be wrong) than he shouldn't have even been in the scene to begin with.

This sort of stage management occurs a few other times throughout NV/PII's episodes-- i.e. characters in BG in a close-up but missing in the master shot or this scene -- and it can be distracting because it creates a "continuity" hole in the viewer's mind. Not a biggie, but something to consider in future episodes.

 

[Rat Boy]

If Chekov's now going to be a redshirt, does that mean he's going to find other ways to die?

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

If Chekov's now going to be a redshirt, does that mean he's going to find other ways to die?

Just new ways to scream.

 

[doctorwho 03]

Ever since I first saw Come What May, I thought "Wow. A group of people just like me recreated classic Star Trek." And with each subsequent episode, I was blown away even more. And now that elements of the original Phase II are being added, it's like I was living in the sixties.

The opening of the clip with the PII Enterprise was nice and I can't wait to see that ship in action in the future, however, I will miss the original. I am, however, starting to miss Andy Bray as Chekov. It may take a couple of episodes to get used to this new guy. Other than that, The clip was good and I can't wait to see this episode and BAF part 2.

One last word; up till now I still counted CWM as part of the NV continuity, however this episode looks like it'll make that nearly impossible. Oh well. You can't win them all, I guess.

 

[Michael]

Thanks for the elaborate reply, Greg. I hadn't read that Peter Kirk becomes a recurring character of PII. But it's good to see him return as I enjoy his performance. I figured that part two of Blood and Fire would probably not kill off Kirk or one of the other major characters. But I thought at least Peter Kirk's life was in danger. But knowing now that he'll survive doesn't bother me; I will enjoy the second part nonetheless.

And yes, I agree, it's all about the journey and not the destination. That's probably why D.C. Fontana's To Serve All My Days is one of my favorite episodes not only of Phase II but of all of Star Trek.

I am, however, starting to miss Andy Bray as Chekov.

Yeah, I miss Andy, too. He was a great Chekov.

 

[GSchnitzer]

You are seeing the clip in isolation from its set-up. McCoy and Kirk had been chatting and drinking when Chekov shows up. McCoy then politely absents himself from Chekov's and Kirk's conversation.

We did talk about whether McCoy should just stay there during the Kirk/Chekov scene, or if he should quiety leave, or if he should be gone already by the time Chekov shows up. In the end, I think it'll play just fine when it's all stitched together.

Candidly, though, having background actors unavailable for some pickup shots or for reverse angles and so then be suddenly missing from a shot is a known continuity problem. If our actors (or anyone for that matter) were getting paid, we'd make them stay. But it's all volunteer and when people have to get back home to lives and jobs, well, we get the shots when we can, and try not to miss anything. But it happens, and sometimes you can sneak in a stand-in, but sometimes we just miss it.

For what it's worth, in addition to being in charge of props and set decorations, I'll be the 2nd Assistant Director at our next shoot--in charge of our Extras (which I guess is sort of like set decorations). So, with me on the job working with our continuity people, I hope we'll do a better job of not having people suddenly become missing.

And yes, we miss Andy Bray as Chekov. Walter Koenig handpicked Andy for "To Serve All My Days" and Andy's been great. But I tell you truthfully, Jonathan brings something wonderful to the role. We've shot two episodes with him now, and Jonathan has made Chekov far more Russian than Walter or Andy ever did--and yet he's still Chekov. Chekov will finally have a true Russian accent instead of, well, that Chekov accent--whatever it was.

Looks good! I really like the banter between Lieutenant Chekov and Captain Kirk. Moreover, Cawley has made Kirk his own and he seems much more comfortable in the role than he did in the first two efforts, "Come What May" and "In Harm's Way."

My only critique is in regards to a bit of stage management. Doctor McCoy seems to move off "stage" during the conversation, probably due to not having any lines and to focus on those that do. But him moving off is overly obvious and too theater like, not television like. If that is the entire scene and Doctor McCoy contributes nothing (now I'm basing this only on the short clip, I may very well be wrong) than he shouldn't have even been in the scene to begin with.

This sort of stage management occurs a few other times throughout NV/PII's episodes-- i.e. characters in BG in a close-up but missing in the master shot or this scene -- and it can be distracting because it creates a "continuity" hole in the viewer's mind. Not a biggie, but something to consider in future episodes.

 

[Alpha_Geek]

If Chekov's now going to be a redshirt, does that mean he's going to find other ways to die?

[Kyle Voice] Oh my god, they killed Kenn...errr...Chekov! YOU BASTARDS! [/Kyle Voice]

 

[NiteTrek]

James Cawley is a wonderful Kirk.

I have to disagree with that. Cawley's attempts at constantly mimicking Shatner's facial expressions makes it more of a spoof of the character and he's difficult to take seriously.

 

[GSchnitzer]

James Cawley is a wonderful Kirk.

I have to disagree with that. Cawley's attempts at constantly mimicking Shatner's facial expressions makes it more of a spoof of the character and he's difficult to take seriously.

There are so many things that Shatner did to portray Captain Kirk that Shatner actually doesn't do in real life. Those things that are Kirk mannerisms that Shatner doesn't natrually do in real life simply by being William Shatner must be Kirk things, rather than Shatner things. It's hard to separate these Kirk behaviors from the "merely Shatner" behaviors, but when you can, those Kirk behaviors are probably fair game for an actor to use in portraying Kirk.

It's also important to avoid reaction formation. You don't want to avoid doing something that would make perfect sense simply because Shatner already did it.

"Look! Cawley walked to the turbo lift using *two* feet JUST LIKE SHATNER, instead of using a pogo stick. That's blatantant imitation! Look, now he's drinking coffee wiht his mouth *JUST LIKE SHATNER* instead of taking it, oh, intraveously, I guess. Will this flagrant copying never end?"

We get just about as many complaints that James isn't enough like Shatner as we get complaints that he's too much like Shatner. Since the dislike seems to be just about proportionate, it's probably just about right. (Usually we get the "he's too much like Elvis" complaint.) Mostly, since there's just no way to make everyone happy and everyone is, of course, an expert on exactly how the character should be portrayed, I think James has had the greatest success when he just tunes out the crititcs, ignores their sage advice, and goes with what feels right to him.

And, of course, the director will sometimes asks James to deliver a line in a particularly Shatnerian way, even though James' acting tendency might not be in that direction. So, if there's some Shatner present in Cawley, it's sometimes at the request of the director.

 

[Trekwatcher]

Looks good! Can't wait to see more.

 

[Michael]

James Cawley is a wonderful Kirk.

I have to disagree with that. Cawley's attempts at constantly mimicking Shatner's facial expressions makes it more of a spoof of the character and he's difficult to take seriously.

There are so many things that Shatner did to portray Captain Kirk that Shatner actually doesn't do in real life. Those things that are Kirk mannerisms that Shatner doesn't natrually do in real life simply by being William Shatner must be Kirk things, rather than Shatner things. It's hard to separate these Kirk behaviors from the "merely Shatner" behaviors, but when you can, those Kirk behaviors are probably fair game for an actor to use in portraying Kirk.

It's also important to avoid reaction formation. You don't want to avoid doing something that would make perfect sense simply because Shatner already did it.

"Look! Cawley walked to the turbo lift using *two* feet JUST LIKE SHATNER, instead of using a pogo stick. That's blatantant imitation! Look, now he's drinking coffee wiht his mouth *JUST LIKE SHATNER* instead of taking it, oh, intraveously, I guess. Will this flagrant copying never end?"

We get just about as many complaints that James isn't enough like Shatner as we get complaints that he's too much like Shatner. Since the dislike seems to be just about proportionate, it's probably just about right. (Usually we get the "he's too much like Elvis" complaint.) Mostly, since there's just no way to make everyone happy and everyone is, of course, an expert on exactly how the character should be portrayed, I think James has had the greatest success when he just tunes out the crititcs, ignores their sage advice, and goes with what feels right to him.

And, of course, the director will sometimes asks James to deliver a line in a particularly Shatnerian way, even though James' acting tendency might not be in that direction. So, if there's some Shatner present in Cawley, it's sometimes at the request of the director.

James shouldn't worry at all. I love his Kirk!

 

[Danlav05]

THe thing about any prequel is you know pretty much where you'll end up, but not how they get there exactly.

With Phase II,we know who's going to be on the Enterprise in TMP, but what I like about what they've done is they have added a few more subplots - specifically for Kirk.

Firstly Kirk seems to have a rivallry with Kargh - in the movies we know that Kirk hates Klingons because they werer esponsible for the death of David, but this may add another layer to that hatred. Also, there's his akward relationship with Peter, and then it's been announced in the latest eMag that Prescott will be joining the security crew from Starship Farragut, we know that he has a quarrel with Kirk over the death of his father.

Hopefully more stories will be built up for McCoy and Spock, specifically maybe we could finally meet the legendary Joanna, but with this I feel Phase II is mroe akin to modern drama with character arcs that drama in the 60s and 70s, and I find that interesting.

 

[Rat Boy]

Hopefully more stories will be built up for McCoy and Spock, specifically maybe we could finally meet the legendary Joanna, but with this I feel Phase II is mroe akin to modern drama with character arcs that drama in the 60s and 70s, and I find that interesting.

I think there's plenty of territory to mine about Spock's relationship with Sarek. They seemed amicable at the end of "Journey to Babel," cordial in TVH, and were at odds once again by the time "Unification" rolled around. That's a lot of time for relations between them to start to sour.

 

[c0rnedfr0g]

It's too dark. I feel like TOS was brighter.

Still, awesome job.

 

[GSchnitzer]

It's too dark. I feel like TOS was brighter.

Still, awesome job.

Yes, when you shoot in HD and then deliver HD footage through low-res YouTube, it comes out too dark. It'll look better and brighter to you when it's done and you see it through the proper Internet delivery system instead of crappy YouTube.

 

[Lightinspire]

Looks pretty good, James still needs a lot of acting lessons on facial expressions while acting. You would think he would have gotten better over the years. Not that I'll ever watch it but for the rest of the fans, let's hope the delivery system gets back to the way it was during the first few episodes where you could download it and have it an pass it around.

 

[GeorgeKirk]

Looks good. I really enjoy James Cawley's performance as Kirk; it's gotten better every episode.