J.J. Abrams Live Chat at Trekmovie.com on 1/25/2008

[Wowbagger]

RE: Flux: the chat was on extremely short notice... and Tony does not have much in the way of a technical team helping with the site. He promises the next will be somehow more orderly.

Janitor, I got chills, too. That rules.

 

[CaptainDonovin]

That's interesting that there are more than one teaser. Wonder when they'll be on youtube.

 

[Tralah]

We have to wait for the summer for the next teaser? ::twitches:: I'm not surprised, but ugh. It's going to be a long year.

 

[CaptainDonovin]

203. JJ - January 25, 2008
150. Michael (the real one in Texas, by way of Afghanistan) - January 24, 2008
I am a big fan of yours, but also of your friend and so called good luck charm, Greg Grunberg.
Can you tell us if he will make an appearance, and if so perhaps a hint as to his part ????
Thanks!

A: I am so pissed at Grunberg. The guy was about to be in the movie — had a GREAT PART — but had to bow out because of some LAME OTHER MOVIE HE’S DOING.

All right, so I’m half-kidding and just disappointed: Grunny WAS gonna be in Trek, and he IS doing another movie, so he can’t be in ours — but his movie isn’t lame, it’s funny, and he’s producing and co-writing and long-time collaborator Larry Trilling is writing with him and directing, so I wish them all the best. Even though I hate Greg now. Who knows, maybe he’ll be a tribble.

Too funny, good to see JJ is a smart ass like some of the rest of us. And I speak for myself there.

 

[InstantKarma]

Flux Capacitor said:
Why is this not being done on an IRC channel? They could just de-voice the "spectators" and let the big guys answer he questions much more quickly.

Because it's not 1995. ROFL

 

[Tiberius Jim]

Right. Because a comment forum-based discussion is so 21st century...

 

[InstantKarma]

Well, this one certainly isn't, since it's on UBB... It's like technology from the Heaven's Gate era!

TBonz, when are we gonna move to PHPBB3?

 

[Tiberius Jim]

If they really wanted to mess with us they could do a video chat, with the camera pointed in the opposite direction of the set. We'd know the filming was going on right "behind us" but wouldn't be able to see a damn thing.

 

[Zeppster]

215. Yammer - January 24, 2008
This is for the screenwriters. Mssrs Orci and Kurtzman:

Have you taken anything from the novels? My dream Trek movie would be an adaption of Diane Duane, whos Trek novels combine hard SF with vivid elaborations of the classic characters, and are so well written that they are totally unembarassing to read in public.

Thanks

Yammer in Vancouver

A: We have absolutely been inspired by the novels. We’ve mentioned before how much we loved Prime Directive and many others as a great example of all things TOS at its best.

 

[Zeppster]

215. roger guyett - January 25, 2008

190. Battletrek - January 24, 2008
How many visual effects shots will there be in the new movie?

We’re anticipating about 1000.

 

[ancient]

Zeppster said:

215. roger guyett - January 25, 2008

190. Battletrek - January 24, 2008
How many visual effects shots will there be in the new movie?

We’re anticipating about 1000.

If the movie is 2 hours long (7200sec) that's one every 7.2 seconds...

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

227. Chris Pine - January 25, 2008
22. Lawrence Boucher - January 24, 2008

Has there been a particular moment while filming that has caught you off-guard and made you stand back and say “wow” or just made you think “how cool is this”?

A: For me, I still get the chills every time I sit in “the” chair, and every time I say who I am in the movie.

So Pine sits in 'The Chair'...interesting

 

[Jon1701]

Pine speaks!

227. Chris Pine - January 25, 2008

22. Lawrence Boucher - January 24, 2008

Has there been a particular moment while filming that has caught you off-guard and made you stand back and say “wow” or just made you think “how cool is this”?

A: For me, I still get the chills every time I sit in “the” chair, and every time I say who I am in the movie.

 

[Woulfe]

ancient said:

Zeppster said:

215. roger guyett - January 25, 2008

190. Battletrek - January 24, 2008
How many visual effects shots will there be in the new movie?

We’re anticipating about 1000.

If the movie is 2 hours long (7200sec) that's one every 7.2 seconds...

Not really if you think about it this way.

Star field, 1 FX
Ship, 1 FX
Lights on Ship, 1 FX

and so on.

- W -
* FX have layers, like onions, and Shrek *

 

[ancient]

Well obviously they're not evenly distributed.

 

[CaptainDonovin]

Unless the entire movie takes place in the Federation Holoship than the whole thing will be a special effect. (ducks and hides)

 

[FlyingTigress]

And, it appears that they're in the studio shooting... which limits their availability for responding.

ARRRRGH... Why can't the readers understand the point about not posting new questions, or making extraneous comments...

Glad to see that AP is immediately banning those who are fanboys posting under pseudonyms/screenames like "JJ" or "William Shatner".

 

[CaptainDonovin]

^ When you figure it out (the constant posting) let me know. i have my own thoughts but am in a nice mood right now and don't feel like being a dick.

 

[Zeppster]

257. JJ - January 25, 2008

58. Captain April - January 24, 2008
ILM is doing the effects for the film. Will it all be CGI or have they built a physical model of the New Enterprise? Also when will we see a photo of the finished Enterprise?


A: I was lucky enough to work with ILM on Mission: Impossible III. Roger Guyette and Sherri Hanson are geniuses who are also a true joy to work with. ILM has always been the best — but in recent years they have — remarkably — gotten even better, making the virtual photo-real.

Having said that, my goal is to make Trek REAL — that is to say, not have it be camp — not have it be phony — not have it look like a scrap of green screen was used anywhere. Of course, this is Star Trek. We’re using every trick in the book. But WHEREVER WE CAN, we are shooting on sets — either built on sound stages or expanding upon found locations. This is important. What this means is that the movie won’t have that “actors performing in a blue or green void then placed in front of a spaceship set” feeling that makes me insane. One of our really talented designers recently commented online how we shot on a green screen set and what a shame that was, since we could have built something incredible. And she was right — for that one scene, which will last for maybe thirty seconds on screen, we built only pieces and were surrounded by green. But that is the exception. We can’t build EVERYTHING, and need to make this film on a budget (partly because that’s the $ we have, and partly because I want the studio to see Trek as viable!).

The Enterprise will be a combo of the physical and the virtual. A photo is forthcoming!

 

[CaptainDonovin]

274. JJ - January 25, 2008
269. jon1701 - January 25, 2008

J.J. Abrams:
A lot of good questions so far, but I don’t think the key issue has been addressed yet.
WILL THE DOORS GO SWOOSH WHEN THEY OPEN?

A: Dude. Will they ever.

Sweet!!