old BSG vs TNG (FX)

[dragunzng]

Are you kidding? TOS tore through the envelope and created a new one. The FX work in the original series was beyond the state of the art for its day. Four top FX studios worked in rotation on the show because its FX demands were too elaborate for any single studio to handle on a weekly schedule. New techniques were developed or standardized for its production. It was the first TV series to make regular use of bluescreen compositing for spaceship shots rather than flying its models on wires. TOS got Emmy nominations for its FX work three years in a row.

Yup, yup, see my explanation below (CGI vs optical and miniature work) to know why I left out TOS entirely.

You're also ignoring the Genesis simulation from The Wrath of Khan, the first extended CG-animation sequence ever used in a motion picture, still regarded today as a breakthrough moment in the field of computer-animated FX.

For some reason I lumped the Genesis sequence in with TMP in my head, I meant to include it of course.

And I would submit that despite its rocky start, TNG soon managed to be on the cutting edge of visual effects for television. The kind of motion-control miniature work they were pulling off by the end of the second season and thereafter, with those long, swooping camera moves around the ships, was extraordinary for its day.

I agree with this, however I was referring strictly to computer generated effects when I made my earlier statement.

And no, I have no idea why I came into a thread about OldBSG and TNG to talk about the merits of CG work on either, I don't think that was my intention. I might have got side tracked when someone brought up Q's energy net in Encounter at Farpoint and remarked that it was an entirely CGI effect. I had always been of the impression that it was an elaborate optical effect, it certainly looked like it had been rotoscoped.

 

[Arrqh]

If anyone's interested, here's an article comparing the 6ft and 4ft Enterprise-D models, including some comparison pictures: Click me!

 

[RobertScorpio]

If anyone's interested, here's an article comparing the 6ft and 4ft Enterprise-D models, including some comparison pictures: Click me!

This is a fascinating site. thanks for the link!!!

Rob

 

[Christopher]

I might have got side tracked when someone brought up Q's energy net in Encounter at Farpoint and remarked that it was an entirely CGI effect. I had always been of the impression that it was an elaborate optical effect, it certainly looked like it had been rotoscoped.

It has a very '80s 3D CGI look to me:

http://tng.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/s1/1x01/farpoint1_035.jpg
http://tng.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/s1/1x01/farpoint1_039.jpg

And no less an authority than Wil Wheaton describes it as a "giant CGI net" in his reviews of both "Encounter at Farpoint" and "Hide and Q."

 

[DWF]

Didn't Dykstra work on the effects for OldBSG? I'd say that's a fair answer why right there.

Yes, he was the FX supervisor for the original BSG.

It's also worth noting that Star Trek has never really pushed the envelope in the realm off effects (outside of TMP, a handful of sequences in First Contact and one or two in Nemesis).

Are you kidding? TOS tore through the envelope and created a new one. The FX work in the original series was beyond the state of the art for its day. Four top FX studios worked in rotation on the show because its FX demands were too elaborate for any single studio to handle on a weekly schedule. New techniques were developed or standardized for its production. It was the first TV series to make regular use of bluescreen compositing for spaceship shots rather than flying its models on wires. TOS got Emmy nominations for its FX work three years in a row.

You're also ignoring the Genesis simulation from The Wrath of Khan, the first extended CG-animation sequence ever used in a motion picture, still regarded today as a breakthrough moment in the field of computer-animated FX.

And I would submit that despite its rocky start, TNG soon managed to be on the cutting edge of visual effects for television. The kind of motion-control miniature work they were pulling off by the end of the second season and thereafter, with those long, swooping camera moves around the ships, was extraordinary for its day.

John Dykstra left about half way though the season though. And the visual effects on Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea far outstriped what done on Star Trek TOS IMO.

http://www.vttbots.com/special_effects_central.html

 

[dragunzng]

I might have got side tracked when someone brought up Q's energy net in Encounter at Farpoint and remarked that it was an entirely CGI effect. I had always been of the impression that it was an elaborate optical effect, it certainly looked like it had been rotoscoped.

It has a very '80s 3D CGI look to me:

http://tng.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/s1/1x01/farpoint1_035.jpg
http://tng.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/s1/1x01/farpoint1_039.jpg

And no less an authority than Wil Wheaton describes it as a "giant CGI net" in his reviews of both "Encounter at Farpoint" and "Hide and Q."

That does look CG, I stand corrected.