Never-was web cartoon: [I]Star Trek: Final Frontier[/I]

[Masao]

This week's The Zero Room podcast gave a link to a website describing an abandoned animated series developed for Startrek.com called Star Trek: Final Frontier.

http://zeroroom.squarespace.com/

 

[M'Sharak]

Looks at a quick glance like the same art as the Rossi/Mirabello/Muñoz animated series which has been in development limbo for the last few years.

 

[DougM]

Yeah, it's the same project, though it didn't have a title before. We figured it'd be cool to put it out there and let everyone see what we were up to.

 

[FredH]

It reads as though it would have made an interesting series--and I say that as someone who frankly hated the idea in 2005. (Whatever Star Trek: Nemesis' faults, that film seemed to wrap up Trek's metaplot by leading it into a more peaceful future, and I didn't want to see that ruined by more catastrophe. Then STXI came along...) I certainly like the reaffirmation-of-ideals take of the script so far, and look forward to the remaining parts.

Kinda prefer the Battlestar Galactiprise to the "squarehead" ship design, myself.

 

[DougM]

Thanks, I am curious to know what exactly you hated back in 2005. All that was really released then was our backstory, which is why we decided to get the rest out there.

We'll be posting the second part of the script tonight (I think), so look out for that and please let me know what you think.

 

[SeerSGB]

I always liked the concept, and the art looks a bit Transformers: Animated (which I like). The only thing I didn't like was that, if I understand correctly, that it was going to be web-bases series only. It would have been nice to have (had) Star Wars and Star Trek both running some good animated shows on television.

 

[FredH]

Thanks, I am curious to know what exactly you hated back in 2005. All that was really released then was our backstory, which is why we decided to get the rest out there.

As I said, what I hated at the time was the trouncing of the "happy-ending future" Nemesis seemed to lead into--i.e. the basic premise of there having been a big war that blew everything to shreds. I'm fine with fanfic that uses that premise, but didn't want to see an Actual Official Trek Series go there--not least because there were already other franchises doing the same basic idea, such as Andromeda or BSG, whereas Trek was supposed to be the one franchise that largely stayed with the overall-positive, not-entirely-wartorn future.

This has nothing to do with the actual quality of the work itself. I'm quite liking the script, so far.

 

[Starfury]

That whole project sounds (and looks) great! Do you need any help? Designs, sketches or something like that?

 

[Sector 7]

I can sympathize you on the process. It has been many years since I worked on a series project, but I know it is long and laborious. The work looks very good. I would like to see it supported by the studio.

 

[DougM]

The only thing I didn't like was that, if I understand correctly, that it was going to be web-bases series only. It would have been nice to have (had) Star Wars and Star Trek both running some good animated shows on television.

I totally agree that TV would have been awesome, but at the time Star Trek was still in a state of limbo, with Enterprise gone, the film not yet announced, and CBS unsure of what to do next. A web series was far more likely to sell because it's much cheaper and a lower risk for all involved.

That whole project sounds (and looks) great! Do you need any help? Designs, sketches or something like that?

Thanks! We're not really producing anything new right now, just releasing the stuff we already have. Depending on what happens with the project's future, we may open it up for art submissions again.

 

[SeerSGB]

It'd be nice if they went this route. I honestly thing that animated 'Trek is probably a better way of going than live-action; just for the fact that you can do more visually, we can have than just "forehead-of-week" type aliens. The character designs look good, the story works well from what I can judge given what you've present on the website. The only thing I would probably change is the design of the Enteprise; to blocky IMO.

 

[DougM]

The only thing I would probably change is the design of the Enteprise; to blocky IMO.

Agreed. The blockiness is a result of the program used to create it. We just needed a quick idea of what the general shape would be like, and Sketchup doesn't handle curves very well. The final design would have been that shape but with much rounder edges. Or we would have kept fighting about it and it would have been totally different.

 

[Cobalt Frost]

Can't wait to read more!

 

[DougM]

Part two of the script is up on the site. Part three should be up in a few days.

zeroroom.squarespace.com

 

[B.J.]

The only thing I would probably change is the design of the Enteprise; to blocky IMO.

Agreed. The blockiness is a result of the program used to create it. We just needed a quick idea of what the general shape would be like, and Sketchup doesn't handle curves very well. The final design would have been that shape but with much rounder edges. Or we would have kept fighting about it and it would have been totally different.

You know, if you asked for design ideas around here, you'd get 1001 different answers! The best part of your design process, IMO, is that you *didn't* call it "NCC-1701-***". From what I've read so far, it sounds like the history of the name Enterprise is something the crew would need to rediscover.

I'm not sure how well this would be received if you gone into production, but I'm certainly intrigued by the reveal at the end of part 2.

 

[DougM]

Part three's up! If you're reading, let us know what you think.

 

[SeerSGB]

Part three's up! If you're reading, let us know what you think.

Only been able to give it a quick read through, but from what I can say right now, I like it. A bit fast paced, but given the nature of what you're/were going for that just a necessity of the format of the presentation.

 

[DougM]

It's very fast paced, and there were certainly times when we wanted to slow down and have a conversation, but simply couldn't. Writing in six minute chunks and maintaining a balance of action and dialogue was really difficult. As you'll see when it's done, the script is too long as it is, and we would have had to cut some stuff.

It's a cartoon, so you want action. Clone Wars had action in spades but no one ever talked. However, it's Star Trek. People have to talk about things and they can't solve every problem with a phaser blast to the face. I think we did the best we could, but it would be great to be able to tell stories with these characters in a longer format.

 

[Cobalt Frost]

This story definitely deserves to be more fully fleshed out. The universe and characters are very intriguing; I would buy books set in this corner of the Trek-verse. Can't say I'm crazy about the look of the Enterprise, but the concept is great.. it says a lot about the state of the Federation when the Enterprise legacy is remembered only by a few.

 

[SeerSGB]

It's very fast paced, and there were certainly times when we wanted to slow down and have a conversation, but simply couldn't. Writing in six minute chunks and maintaining a balance of action and dialogue was really difficult. As you'll see when it's done, the script is too long as it is, and we would have had to cut some stuff.

It's a cartoon, so you want action. Clone Wars had action in spades but no one ever talked. However, it's Star Trek. People have to talk about things and they can't solve every problem with a phaser blast to the face. I think we did the best we could, but it would be great to be able to tell stories with these characters in a longer format.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's good. I would watch it for sure if you got this up and going.

This story definitely deserves to be more fully fleshed out. The universe and characters are very intriguing; I would buy books set in this corner of the Trek-verse. Can't say I'm crazy about the look of the Enterprise, but the concept is great.. it says a lot about the state of the Federation when the Enterprise legacy is remembered only by a few.

They're going to direction I've been wanting to see for a while with 'Trek. It's definitely an angle worth exploring more fully.