Just wanted to say thank you very much for the link. the video is excellent, and something a bit special. any idea if this guy will be coming back for the new experience?
For fans of Star Trek: The Experience
- Thread starter Biggshow
- Start date
Just wanted to say thank you very much for the link. the video is excellent, and something a bit special. any idea if this guy will be coming back for the new experience?
Bad blood in what regard?
Oh, and since the other thread seems to be less popular than this, I'll repost my long comment on the movie..
There was an official "No cameras" policy in regards to the rides but Vernon shot several fan movies on the unused bridge, corridors, etc. and posted them on his Youtube channel (I believe they may still be up). Paramount/CBS got wind of it, wanted to confiscate the material and have Vernon fired. Cooler heads prevailed, obviously, as Vernon's photo-and videography were an asset to the Experience. However, the feeling, rightly or wrongly, is that P/CBS was not happy. I think P/CBS is shooting themselves in the foot by not enlisting the aid of someone who has an obvious appreciation for ST and STTE and using that appreciation for promotional material. Maybe more rational folks will ultimately prevail. I like Vernon's work so far and continue to support his efforts.
In an interview with Vernon, he said that CBS is aware of his documentary and will turn a blind eye to is, as long as it doesn't make their company look bad.
Hmm... could it be that CBS didn't understand just how much fan baggage comes with purchasing the Star Trek franchise? We're out here, we're pretty obsessive, we have a sense, right or wrong, of ownership after having invested so much of our money and lives in Star Trek, and many of us are extremely creative. Things like Vernon's magnificent documentary are (thankfully) always going to happen. As long as he doesn't try and profit from it, I think CBS needs to leave room for such endeavours, understanding that it all eventually ends up as a bigger fan base and more money in their pockets.
I finally caught up with that over at Trekcast.com. I believe the woman he mentions (though not by name) is Paula Block at CBS Consumer Products. She is the closest thing that ST currently has to being a quality control manager and IMHO has been doing great at that job for several years. Several of the book authors have recently praised her for being able to look outside the box and allow them to try new things with the ST universe.
I believe, based on what Vernon says in that interview, that she's taking a very practical view of internet uses of ST.
Unofficial STTE historian, Vernon Wilmer, has posted these shots of the deconstruction at the Hilton including pictures of Voyager being loaded onto a truck.
http://s99.photobucket.com/albums/l284/vernon_wilmer/2009/
There are also more shots of people's writing in the dust on the wall at the Hilton. Nice.
http://s99.photobucket.com/albums/l284/vernon_wilmer/2009/
There are also more shots of people's writing in the dust on the wall at the Hilton. Nice.
Wow...those pics are really neat, but really sad too
I'm so happy they're re-opening!
A couple of things:
By now you've read in other threads or other sites the STTE-A construction has been delayed due to two possible reasons: CBS/Paramount didn't want anything stealing the movie's thunder and the difficulty in finding new investors for the project. The silver lining on this is that it gives the new owners time to figure out a truly integrated installation into an existing structure (harder than it sounds). The practical fallout is that we probably won't have a new Experience until NEXT summer (if then).
The other thing is that several fans of the Experience are seeing the new movie together in Vegas next weekend; Thurs. at 7 at the Palms Casino and Fri. at 7 at the IMAX at the Aliante in North Vegas. Seems like cocktails and schmoozing at the Spacequest Casino in the Hilton (former home of STTE) afterwards both nights.
I suppose there's an additional final thing; Vernon Wilmer continues to add to the photobucket (see link above) and part 2 of his epic documentary series is due soon.
See y'all in Vegas soon.
By now you've read in other threads or other sites the STTE-A construction has been delayed due to two possible reasons: CBS/Paramount didn't want anything stealing the movie's thunder and the difficulty in finding new investors for the project. The silver lining on this is that it gives the new owners time to figure out a truly integrated installation into an existing structure (harder than it sounds). The practical fallout is that we probably won't have a new Experience until NEXT summer (if then).
The other thing is that several fans of the Experience are seeing the new movie together in Vegas next weekend; Thurs. at 7 at the Palms Casino and Fri. at 7 at the IMAX at the Aliante in North Vegas. Seems like cocktails and schmoozing at the Spacequest Casino in the Hilton (former home of STTE) afterwards both nights.
I suppose there's an additional final thing; Vernon Wilmer continues to add to the photobucket (see link above) and part 2 of his epic documentary series is due soon.
See y'all in Vegas soon.
Vernon has added Part 2, "Genesis". It has file interviews with several members of the team that put together the Experience as well as new interviews with April (T'Pril/Tahryn) and Kerstan (K'Stran). Very in depth. Use this link:
http://vernonwilmervideo.blip.tv/posts?view=archive&nsfw=dc
Enjoy.
http://vernonwilmervideo.blip.tv/posts?view=archive&nsfw=dc
Enjoy.
About a half hour into it, and Part II is just as good as the first part.
Just astonishingly great stuff. It's too bad it's never going to happen, but I'd buy a DVD of these episodes in a heartbeat. It's honestly some of the most interesting Trek related material I've watched in a long time.
Just astonishingly great stuff. It's too bad it's never going to happen, but I'd buy a DVD of these episodes in a heartbeat. It's honestly some of the most interesting Trek related material I've watched in a long time.
I was a part of the cast from pre-opening to june of 2003. By my own weird system of reckoning, I call that Classic ST:TE time, or Pre-Borg. I watch those videos and look at the photos and wonder what the hell I was doing during those years and why I don't have a ton more photos and pieces of memorabilia. I get VERY nostaglic for those days, when everything was simpler, even though I HAD to move on. Thank god for Vernon.
I haven't said this yet... I mean, I haven't gone into detail about it in any forum or podcast... Mainly because it kind of ruins the magic a lot. Make no mistake, ST:TE was magic, for a lot of people, even in the worst of times, but.. from my standpoint, and the point of view of many pthers that worked there during Pre-Borg time, ST:TE was a pit of hell that many tried hard to climb out of and quite a few never did.
Ok, I know I ruffled a few feathers, so I'll explain myself. I love the memory of ST:TE. I do. I wish sometimes I could do it all over again, and I would if I could. However, you can't make a living as a Ferengi, despite how fun you might think it is or what an honor it would be. We were never EVER treated like it was an honor by our management. For a long time it was just a job that paid like crap. they started aliens at 12.50, you know.
And for a long time there wasn't much love on the floor either. The place was dead a lot. Often guests would wonder if we were closing down. We'd struggle to find things to do all night. We'd go back and forth with wardrobe over things. We'd get asked to do the stupidest promotions. Then there was the whole union thing. And a series of godawful managers that had no business working in trek much less with other people. Poorly planned facilities. Countless missed opportunities to make the place shine.
Morale was low. At its lowest point, I decided to move on. I walked in on the first day of my two week vacation and gave my two weeks. No goodbye party, just a quiet exit. I had been trying to get out for over a year. I quit doing drugs so I could pass any test and polished up my computer skills and portfolio, and a year later I got out. Hell, I didn't even like a lot of the people there when I left.
If you look at Vernon's photobucket galleries, you'll notice a huge gap of time Pre-Borg where there just aren't a lot of pictures. that's this time I was talking about. Obviously, there are pictures floating around from those days that i've seen from ST:TE, but I don't recall many. We weren't truly enjoying it back then, more like just getting by.
Yet, there is some silver lining in this otherwise depressing post. I look at Vernon's photos and the videos and I tend to only remember to good parts. I remember people I had almost forgotten. I remember funny lines I used as a ferengi and some of the situations I got into. I remember the women. I remember some of the die hards that came in and bullshitted with me for hours on end about warp theory and trek science. I miss that.
I told my girlfriend recently that if the new ST:TE were opening and were hiring Ferengi, I might go do it, despite being well into another career, if not for shits and giggles. This time, I think, I would try to appreciate it more, because the powers that be, whoever is in command of the new one, could not possibly be so stupid as to ignore the lessons learned from the old ST:TE. And maybe this time the people that worked there with me would be better too. And me as well.
Now i'm rambling and i'll stop for now. I just really hope the new trek movie is good.
I haven't said this yet... I mean, I haven't gone into detail about it in any forum or podcast... Mainly because it kind of ruins the magic a lot. Make no mistake, ST:TE was magic, for a lot of people, even in the worst of times, but.. from my standpoint, and the point of view of many pthers that worked there during Pre-Borg time, ST:TE was a pit of hell that many tried hard to climb out of and quite a few never did.
Ok, I know I ruffled a few feathers, so I'll explain myself. I love the memory of ST:TE. I do. I wish sometimes I could do it all over again, and I would if I could. However, you can't make a living as a Ferengi, despite how fun you might think it is or what an honor it would be. We were never EVER treated like it was an honor by our management. For a long time it was just a job that paid like crap. they started aliens at 12.50, you know.
And for a long time there wasn't much love on the floor either. The place was dead a lot. Often guests would wonder if we were closing down. We'd struggle to find things to do all night. We'd go back and forth with wardrobe over things. We'd get asked to do the stupidest promotions. Then there was the whole union thing. And a series of godawful managers that had no business working in trek much less with other people. Poorly planned facilities. Countless missed opportunities to make the place shine.
Morale was low. At its lowest point, I decided to move on. I walked in on the first day of my two week vacation and gave my two weeks. No goodbye party, just a quiet exit. I had been trying to get out for over a year. I quit doing drugs so I could pass any test and polished up my computer skills and portfolio, and a year later I got out. Hell, I didn't even like a lot of the people there when I left.
If you look at Vernon's photobucket galleries, you'll notice a huge gap of time Pre-Borg where there just aren't a lot of pictures. that's this time I was talking about. Obviously, there are pictures floating around from those days that i've seen from ST:TE, but I don't recall many. We weren't truly enjoying it back then, more like just getting by.
Yet, there is some silver lining in this otherwise depressing post. I look at Vernon's photos and the videos and I tend to only remember to good parts. I remember people I had almost forgotten. I remember funny lines I used as a ferengi and some of the situations I got into. I remember the women. I remember some of the die hards that came in and bullshitted with me for hours on end about warp theory and trek science. I miss that.
I told my girlfriend recently that if the new ST:TE were opening and were hiring Ferengi, I might go do it, despite being well into another career, if not for shits and giggles. This time, I think, I would try to appreciate it more, because the powers that be, whoever is in command of the new one, could not possibly be so stupid as to ignore the lessons learned from the old ST:TE. And maybe this time the people that worked there with me would be better too. And me as well.
Now i'm rambling and i'll stop for now. I just really hope the new trek movie is good.