It's Star Trek Jim, but not as we know it

[shipfisher]

I'm looking forward to Trek XI, but it occurs to me that the Trek I grew up with, and that many of us take great pleasure in picking over the minutae of, will be well and truly laid to rest on 25/12/08. The fact that "dozens" of takes were required to get the Nimoy-Quinto vulcan salute "hand-off" just right, indicates JJ and co. are probably aware of this.

I suppose it's time. May Gene, DeForest, Jimmy D. and Matt J. rest in peace...this too shall pass...

 

[Samuel T. Cogley]

Star Trek is only Star Trek when they get it right on the first take, which is how it always went down on the original series.

 

[chardman]

I'd think the fact that they did dozens of takes to get it "right", rather than settling for a "new interpretation" of the salute, is proof of just how dedicated they are in shooting for a authentic continuation of the Trek we grew up with.

 

[Outpost4]

I'd need a thirteen year old's hormones to make Star Trek like I knew it.

I've grown up. Star Trek has grown up. What's the problem?

 

[PKTrekGirl]

chardman said:
I'd think the fact that they did dozens of takes to get it "right", rather than settling for a "new interpretation" of the salute, is proof of just how dedicated they are in shooting for a authentic continuation of the Trek we grew up with.

I hope to God you are right.

Fingers crossed.

 

[StarMan]

shipfisher said:
I'm looking forward to Trek XI, but it occurs to me that the Trek I grew up with, and that many of us take great pleasure in picking over the minutae of, will be well and truly laid to rest on 25/12/08.

My God I hope so.

And it's going to be... a glorious battl... er, day.

 

[Kegek]

PKTrekGirl said:

chardman said:
I'd think the fact that they did dozens of takes to get it "right", rather than settling for a "new interpretation" of the salute, is proof of just how dedicated they are in shooting for a authentic continuation of the Trek we grew up with.

I hope to God you are right.

Fingers crossed.

The Vulcan salute doesn't strike me as particularly hard. True, it might take a while to learn it (some actors on TOS didn't bother, they just had their fingers adjusted off-frame) but that's probably something you'd do before you got in front of camera.

Assuming therefore you can do it right... what are the twenty takes for? Is it an obsessive perfectionism like what we see in a Kubrick film? And if not that, what could have been less than stellar about the salute, specifically, in around a dozen of those takes?

It baffles me, but I'll give them some credit for dedication.

 

[Franklin]

Kegek said:

PKTrekGirl said:

chardman said:
I'd think the fact that they did dozens of takes to get it "right", rather than settling for a "new interpretation" of the salute, is proof of just how dedicated they are in shooting for a authentic continuation of the Trek we grew up with.

I hope to God you are right.

Fingers crossed.

The Vulcan salute doesn't strike me as particularly hard. True, it might take a while to learn it (some actors on TOS didn't bother, they just had their fingers adjusted off-frame) but that's probably something you'd do before you got in front of camera.

Assuming therefore you can do it right... what are the twenty takes for? Is it an obsessive perfectionism like what we see in a Kubrick film? And if not that, what could have been less than stellar about the salute, specifically, in around a dozen of those takes?

It baffles me, but I'll give them some credit for dedication.

The obession baffles me, too. Nimoy's hand in salute is replaced by Quinto's. Why would the Vulcan salute of an aged 160ish Vulcan have to be identical to his salute when he was 30-something? Weird. And, how hard could that REALLY be to shoot?
This story was part of the AICN report that so many folks are calling BS. In other words, it may not even be true.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

To be fair, there are three parts to that report contributed by three different "spies." The part that is most at issue is the so-called "script review" which doesn't contain any new or specific information about the contents of the script. The descriptions of art design and of the shooting of that "hand off" scene, while of uncertain provenance, at least include new material.

 

[ancient]

shipfisher said:
I'm looking forward to Trek XI, but it occurs to me that the Trek I grew up with, and that many of us take great pleasure in picking over the minutae of, will be well and truly laid to rest on 25/12/08. The fact that "dozens" of takes were required to get the Nimoy-Quinto vulcan salute "hand-off" just right, indicates JJ and co. are probably aware of this.

I don't follow.

I see a vague opinion, and something about reshooting a scene, but not any real tie-in. Are you saying that retakes of a scene are evidence of...changes? Or what?

 

[shipfisher]

ancient said:
I don't follow.

I see a vague opinion, and something about reshooting a scene, but not any real tie-in. Are you saying that retakes of a scene are evidence of...changes? Or what?

Simple mate - I don't think Quinto had trouble getting his fingers apart or anything, just that they knew they were shooting a truly significant moment in the franchise and that it had to "play" just right - passing the torch with finesse as opposed to a careless toss.

I aim for subtle and hit vague quite often though...

 

[Kegek]

^
I can understand if they were doing multiple reshoots for the right performance, facial expression, emotional resonance, that kind of thing... I just got the (probably erroneous) impression that the salute was their specific concern.

 

[ancient]

shipfisher said:
I don't think Quinto had trouble getting his fingers apart or anything, just that they knew they were shooting a truly significant moment in the franchise and that it had to "play" just right - passing the torch with finesse as opposed to a careless toss.

That would be true regardless of whether they are altering stuff or not.

 

[johnconner]

ancient said:

shipfisher said:
I don't think Quinto had trouble getting his fingers apart or anything, just that they knew they were shooting a truly significant moment in the franchise and that it had to "play" just right - passing the torch with finesse as opposed to a careless toss.

That would be true regardless of whether they are altering stuff or not.

Then that makes it doubly true!

 

[Sharr Khan]

It's Star Trek Jim, but not as we know it

That to me is the most exciting prospect of this whole endeavor. I'm interested in seeing the results.

Sharr

 

[Samuel T. Cogley]

SPOILERS?

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My assumption (based on my insanely high intellect, my empathic intuitiveness, and my propensity for arrogance and bullshit) is that the scene consists of Nimoy doing the Vulcan salute facing us (the audience) and that the hand then morphs into Quinto's hand (with Quinto now facing the audience and replacing Nimoy).

Sounds like a cool shot. And I'm guessing that any multiple takes are due more to trying to get both actors (and hands) lined up just right, and not due to incompetence (or this new film not being Star Trekky enough).

 

[Kegek]

^
My assumption (based solely on my boundless charisma) was that the scene is of Old Spock and Young Spock saluting each other.

However, yours would certainl explain the need for many takes to make the transition as seamless as possible. It might well be a very cool shot, if it that.

 

[Franklin]

So, old Spock says, "Live long and prosper."
And young Spock says, "Looks like I will."

I suppose there has to be some sentimental parting of the two. Still, something about this doesn't sound right. It just doesn't seem like such a scene would be that hard to do.

Edited to add:
Regardless of how touchingly they part, or how they were brought together, even if the timeline is altered (even just a bit) I hope young Spock carries no memory of his association with older Spock. That would cause more problems than it's worth.

 

[Samuel T. Cogley]

Kegek said:
^
My assumption (based solely on my boundless charisma) was that the scene is of Old Spock and Young Spock saluting each other.

I'm guessing that it starts with your version (with Nimoy and Quinto facing each other) and ends with my version.

That's how I'd shoot it.

 

[S'kai]

Franklin said:


I suppose there has to be some sentimental parting of the two. Still, something about this doesn't sound right. It just doesn't seem like such a scene would be that hard to do.

Edited to add:
Regardless of how touchingly they part, or how they were brought together, even if the timeline is altered (even just a bit) I hope young Spock carries no memory of his association with older Spock. That would cause more problems than it's worth.

Should be no problem. Older Spock on way out does a mind-meld thingie "Forget."