Iceland??

[DaveyNY]

Has anybody stopped to give a thought as to why Trek XI needs to film in Iceland??

What kind of story/plot would need that kind of background imagery?

I'm kinda reminded of a story/plot outline that was posted here on the TrekBBS by MAGISTER way back in October of last year.

It opened with a scene taking place in an ICE CAVE.


(And ya know what, I just tried to go back and reference his Original post but it's been deleted.

Interesting.......................

I remember saving a copy of his very first post on my computer, but I can't find it at the moment. Did anybody else happen to save it??)


I first commented on his uncanny insight here...
http://www.trekbbs.com/threads/showflat....rue#Post7942422

But this was his second post. (you'll note that my comment here indicates that this was his 2nd post, yet now his listing indicates it's his first...???...and his listing also indicates he's posted 6 times...??...)


His first post was another plot outline eerily similar to the one found here...
http://www.trekbbs.com/threads/showflat....rue#Post7942422

I missed this Thread the first time around but it seems VEKTOR is also intrigued by this mysterious poster.

BTW: I have to disagree with you though VEKTOR, I think you just have to remember that what Magister has given us is just a story/plot OUTLINE, anything this basic is always going to seem "...fairly pedestrian..." when presented in this manner.
I also believe that "WE" as long-time Trek Fans who have been living with Trek for so long, are very jaded.
(And I do include myself on that list.)

There probably doesn't exist a supposed Trek story/plot that given to "US" ahead of time "WE' are not going to find SOMETHING wrong with just because it's not what "WE" would be inclined to do.

Personally, I stopped trying to pre-judge anything Trek a long time ago and have tried to enjoy what is given to "US" as best as I can, since I know that I have pretty much NO say over what is going to be filmed/presented other than to not pay to see it.
And I just love Trek to much to NOT go and see it.
I guess I'm a hopeless Trek-optimist.



Anyway....
I think, there's some kind of connection between Magister and Trek XI and feel very honored that He/She has graced "US" with His/Her presence, as well as what appears to be the ongoing development of the next Star Trek movie.

Of course He/She could be completely bamboozling me too!

 

[Jack Bauer]

It just looks like an alien planet like how New Zealand looked like Middle Earth. I don't think there's much beyond that.

 

[Dale]

Iceland is the green one... Greenland is the one covered in ice. A clever bit of ancient cartographical sophistry meant to ward off Vikings, I believe.

 

[ChristopherPike]

I think the green and pleasant land that is Iceland will be used to depict 23rd Century Earth. Since in TOS, the USA mostly seems to portray barren worlds.

 

[Psion]

BUT ... they are filming in November. Will Iceland really look that warm and cozy at that time?

I like the treatment you've linked to, daveyNY, but there are a couple of facts that might stand in it's way. The casting of Chekov and Scotty seem to indicate a later crew.

 

[Jon1701]

Its not a bad read actually, I just dont think its legit. There are some cute moments (the doctor at the end for example), but its just not big enough. I dont like the 26th Century elements either.

From the bits and pieces of information floating around the internet, this isnt the script that has formed in my head.

Been looking at pictures of Iceland though.

Vulcan Mountains perhaps?

 

[Captaindemotion]

Iceland also provided the backdrop for much of the first half of Batman Begins - the scenes with Bruce Wayne in prison and training.

 

[Franklin]

I don't think I'd read too much into Magister's posts. But that's just me. Yes, Iceland has desert. But not the kind of desert one thinks of when one hears "hot as Vulcan."
But Iceland has a varied geography, even in Winter.

Iceland is hot property for film companies these days. It offers financial breaks to film there. According to one site, the Treasury will reimburse 14 percent of the costs of production. There are also quite a few local production companies there to choose from for location shooting. All in all good incentive to do an "Icelandic Saga" of your own.

"Flags of Our Fathers" used Iceland as Iwo Jima.

So, I'd say there's no real clue to the story in knowing some of it is being shot in Iceland.

 

[Cary L. Brown]

Iceland is a simple choice... just like New Zealand. Both have areas that are sparsely populated, and thus would be able to seem, on-screen, to be "uninhabited, unsettled worlds."

You can't really get away with that in Nebraska or Kansas, and you CERTAINLY can't do it in New York...

If there are power lines, roads, houses, cultivated land, mowed grass... any of that "civilization" stuff... you'd have to go back in and digitally remove all of that evidence of human influence.

Which CAN be done... but it's never as convincing as just shooting in a place where people don't go.

 

[mostlyharmless]

Franklin said:
I don't think I'd read too much into Magister's posts. But that's just me. Yes, Iceland has desert. But not the kind of desert one thinks of when one hears "hot as Vulcan."
But Iceland has a varied geography, even in Winter.

Very true.
Here in the south, it hardly even snows in the winter. And the landscape varies from huge, moss-covered lava fields, to mountains, to green rolling meadows, to high walled fjords, to craggy hills that look like the moon. Then there are the glaciers which DO look like Andoria!

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

My wife and I visited Iceland once for an adventure vacation. When we were there it was October, and the weather relatively pleasant (teperatures in the 30's and one day reached about 50 degrees Farenheit -- 0 to 10 Celcius). We did have one snowy day, but the other six days were sunny.

By the way, Iceland may be "the green one" compared to Greenland, but most of those greens are grassy plains -- we were told that the trees were all cut down by the vikings for use as building materials and fuel. While I was there, the country was in the middle of a major reforestation program for which I contributed some money (maybe a new tree there has my name on it!)

Anyway, one of the places we visited was a vast lava field, with nothing but lava rock from horizon to horizon. I think this could easily double for an alien planet -- possibly Vulcan, if they want to go in that direction. There were black beaches we visited on which Clint Eastwood later filmed much of 'Flags of our Fathers' because the beaches looked very similar to the those of Iwo Jima. These beaches also look barren enough to double as an alien world.

Iceland has lava rock, volcanoes, geysers, waterfalls, black beaches, rocky coasts, grassy plains, hot springs, mountains, and of course glaciers -- and all are within a few hours drive of each other. From my experiences with exploring Iceland, I'd say that it could double as several alien planets -- maybe Abrams could get "more bang for his buck" if his story calls for having several different planets as settings by filming in Iceland.

 

[Dale]

mostlyharmless said:

Franklin said:
I don't think I'd read too much into Magister's posts. But that's just me. Yes, Iceland has desert. But not the kind of desert one thinks of when one hears "hot as Vulcan."
But Iceland has a varied geography, even in Winter.

Very true.
Here in the south, it hardly even snows in the winter. And the landscape varies from huge, moss-covered lava fields, to mountains, to green rolling meadows, to high walled fjords, to craggy hills that look like the moon. Then there are the glaciers which DO look like Andoria!

You had to throw Andoria in there, didn't you? COMMENCE RAMPANT SPECULATION! Are you around, Therin?

 

[mostlyharmless]

Jackson_Roykirk said:
-- we were told that the trees were all cut down by the vikings for use as building materials and fuel. While I was there, the country was in the middle of a major reforestation program for which I contributed some money (maybe a new tree there has my name on it!)

There's a joke here that the tell all the tourists:


-What do you do if you get lost in an Icelandic forest?
-Stand up.

 

[Holytomato]

Does that mean we get to see a Star Trek:Legacy style Fed shuttlecraft?

Kirk: "I always remember where I'm parked."
Spock: :raises eyebrow: "I have found that humans to have the tendency to wander around meaninglessly."
Kirk: :grins: "To boldly go."

 

[PowderedToastMan]

beyond the fact that Iceland has some great locations for alien locales it is also a good place to get tax breaks and get away from prying eyes.

...too bad for them I have an Iceland correspondent!

 

[Supervisor 194]

Another good thing about Iceland, aside from the great locales, is that the cold climate is a good way to 'cheat' the uniforms by using cold weather gear--and neatly sidestepping the issue of how much of the original uniform design is shown through much of the film.

 

[cardinal biggles]

I'm looking forward to them filming in Iceland. From what Jackson_Roykirk and mostlyharmless have said about the geography there, it sounds like they could get a lot of "alien planets" out of a few weeks shooting there, and it would certainly be a change from yet another damned trip into the styrofoam cave set or out to Vasquez Rocks.

 

[mostlyharmless]

PowderedToastMan said:

...too bad for them I have an Iceland correspondent!

Really? maybe I know 'em!

 

[PowderedToastMan]

mostlyharmless said:

PowderedToastMan said:

...too bad for them I have an Iceland correspondent!

Really? maybe I know 'em!

Hallbjörn Guðjónsson

his latest report...
http://trekmovie.com/2007/08/10/jj-abrams-headed-to-iceland/

but I can use all the help I can get...IM me if you want to help out

 

[Temis the Vorta]

If would be nice if Iceland turned out to be the polar regions of Vulcan, an indicator that Abrams is thinking a bit further outside the box than some have (eg, the tradition that alien planets have one race, one language, one climate, and only Earth has more).

Both have areas that are sparsely populated, and thus would be able to seem, on-screen, to be "uninhabited, unsettled worlds."

You can't really get away with that in Nebraska or Kansas

Looking at that pretty photo above, people might be astonished at how close to LA you could find a landscape a lot like that - barren rocky valley, snowcapped mountains, Owen's Valley in late fall thru spring would do. Wyoming definitely would, a huge state with a mere half million people. Northern Arizona and New Mexico would be other places I'd recommend they check out. A whole lot of America is extremely unpopulated, rugged and picturesque. But maybe they don't want to shoot someplace that people will recognize from their vacation photos. Kinda spoils the fun.

I bet they're going to Iceland for the volcanoes. It's Vulcan all right.

it would certainly be a change from yet another damned trip into the styrofoam cave set or out to Vasquez Rocks.

When was the last time they filmed at Vasquez Rocks anyway? They need to go back for old times' sake!