Omega Glory/Assignment: Earth film prints

[Methuselah Flint]

Is it my imagination, or are these two episodes' prints slightly more faded/grainy/less saturated? I've always thought they weren't quite as pristine as other episodes... Is it my imagination or is it possible?

I notice this on any version I have watched - VHS, DVD, Blu Ray. Some of the shots of Kirk in the command chair in Omega Glory almost look like a copy/generation down...

 

[johnnybear]

I used to think that of Omega in the beginning scenes when it was shown on the BBC in 1980 but I hadn't noticed any colour deprivation on the DVDs!
JB

 

[Methuselah Flint]

I dunno, I just think they are a little more 'washed out'. I've used both in two separate edits that use footage from other episodes alongside these, and you do tend to notice a difference in the picture.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

I think that's true, but the effect is very slight. It could be the particular batch of 35mm film that was used on those shooting days.

Rightly or wrongly, I've always had the impression that "The LIghts of Zetar" was a hair more vivid and color-saturated than average. Other factors beside film stock can come into it, like freshly-made costumes. All of the tunic fabric was purchased white, and dyed to make the uniform colors. The costumes would naturally look brighter before they'd been dry-cleaned too many times.

 

[Methuselah Flint]

Yes, all well-reasoned points, and I definitely agree on Zetar!

 

[plynch]

Third season in general is a little more colorful, yes? A little more late-60s vibe?

 

[Methuselah Flint]

Third season in general is a little more colorful, yes? A little more late-60s vibe?

And that's why I prefer it!

Take Man Trap, or Mudd's Women - both very dark, moody lighting. Probably more accurate ship/naval feel, but less aesthetically pleasing.

 

[Kor]

Third season in general is a little more colorful, yes? A little more late-60s vibe?

I wonder if the switch to the nylon material for the uniforms could have had something to do with it.

Kor

 

[Methuselah Flint]

Just glanced at my blu ray. The poorer quality is most noticeable after the magnified shot of the Exeter on the viewscreen - the shot in which Kirk organises the landing party and leaves the bridge. The shot prior, with Kirk sat in his command chair, is far better, than the shot that cuts back to him.

 

[Tenacity]

The costumes would naturally look brighter before they'd been dry-cleaned too many times.

I understand that Union rules required all costumes to be washed every single day. So the actors wouldn't have to wear clothing that hadn't been washed in months, or ever.

 

[plynch]

Early season one seems redder in its tone/palette.

 

[tomswift2002]

I remember back in 2006 (it might even be in the bonus features) the producers for the Remastered episodes mentioned that there were a few shots where they couldn’t find the original camera negatives (and I’m not talking the VFX) so they had to use the final master positive or a Syndication positive (depending on which was in better shape). In “Court Martial”, when the trial resumes on the Enterprise, on the 2000 DVD and the 2004 DVD set, that scene seemed to have a crease in the negative. In the Remastered, even on the HD-DVD/DVD 480p version, that scene seems to be from a later generation film copy than the original camera negative, but it’s missing the crease.

So with the Remastered, there could be shots that are from 16mm Syndication prints because that was the best quality copy still in existence.

 

[Methuselah Flint]

Thanks for that, that would make sense! I think I also noticed the audio varies a little bit too.

 

[Vger23]

And that's why I prefer it!

Take Man Trap, or Mudd's Women - both very dark, moody lighting. Probably more accurate ship/naval feel, but less aesthetically pleasing.

I definitely like the aesthetics, color palate, and lighting of the early S1 episodes and all the S3 episodes best. They seem the most moody and unique. Late S1 and all of S2 feel more generic. There's also some unique background sounds on the Enterprise in early S1 that I think are pretty cool.

 

[Methuselah Flint]

Series 1 always seems darker lighting to me, whereas as Season 2 went on, the bridge by and large got lighter, until all of season three - with a few exceptions such as Elaan of Troyius - tended to be the brightest.

 

[tomswift2002]

Thanks for that, that would make sense! I think I also noticed the audio varies a little bit too.

You have to remember that for all pre-DVD releases, Paramount was using the original mono audio (except with “The City On The Edge Of Forever” where the rights to a certain song couldn’t be cleared for home video, so the song was replaced) from the 60’s. But then the 1999-2001 NTSC DVD set had the sound remixed into 5.1. The 2004 NTSC DVD boxset featured that 5.1 and a new 2.0 surround mix. Then the Remastered HD-DVD/DVD featured a new 7.1 (5.1 on the DVD side) mix with sounds added to the older 5.1 mix for new CGI effects and to spread out the spatial sound stage. So with the DVD’s, if you are listening from the analog red/white audio, them your DVD player is folding down the 5.1 mixes into 2.0 surround mixes.

The Blu-Ray is the first optical disc to feature the original mono mix and the HD-DVD 7.1 surround mix.

 

[Methuselah Flint]

You have to remember that for all pre-DVD releases, Paramount was using the original mono audio (except with “The City On The Edge Of Forever” where the rights to a certain song couldn’t be cleared for home video, so the song was replaced) from the 60’s. But then the 1999-2001 NTSC DVD set had the sound remixed into 5.1. The 2004 NTSC DVD boxset featured that 5.1 and a new 2.0 surround mix. Then the Remastered HD-DVD/DVD featured a new 7.1 (5.1 on the DVD side) mix with sounds added to the older 5.1 mix for new CGI effects and to spread out the spatial sound stage. So with the DVD’s, if you are listening from the analog red/white audio, them your DVD player is folding down the 5.1 mixes into 2.0 surround mixes.

The Blu-Ray is the first optical disc to feature the original mono mix and the HD-DVD 7.1 surround mix.

Yeap - I notice some of the cues in The Menagerie part 2, were touched up/smoothed out for the DVDs, such as during the transition between Pike's punishment/the prisoners asleep, and the end of when Vina returns to illusionary beauty. Also some flyby cues were replaced with the re-recorded cues. The Deadly Years is also altered when Spock enters the turbolift after the exchange with the Commodore.

 

[Delta Vega]

From memory, I always considered "Court Martial" to be the print that stood out as worn, or poorer quality.
Maybe it was just the BBC print that was shown, but it always seemed to suffer from bad picture quality, poor editing, and sound anomalies.
Or maybe I'm remembering wrong.

 

[tomswift2002]

From memory, I always considered "Court Martial" to be the print that stood out as worn, or poorer quality.
Maybe it was just the BBC print that was shown, but it always seemed to suffer from bad picture quality, poor editing, and sound anomalies.
Or maybe I'm remembering wrong.

The BBC was probably using a 16mm Syndication print. Could be anything from when the dub was made the lab didn’t make sure the original 35mm was clean (a la Metropolis (1927) 16mm reduction print from Buenos Aries) so dust a debris was photographed, to some how the focus on the duplicator was just out of focus.

 

[Methuselah Flint]

Yes, I particularly noticed some of the Areel/Spock court banter/hammer and gravity dialogue is pretty bad.