Phase II: "Kitumba"

Discussion in 'Fan Productions' started by GSchnitzer, Jun 6, 2009.

  1. GSchnitzer

    GSchnitzer Co-Executive Producer In Memoriam

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2008
    Location:
    Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, Terra
    Chekov (like Kirk, Spock, and Uhura) wear their dress uniforms when they finally meet the Klingon Kitumba. As part of Lieutenant Chekov's dress uniform as Chief of Security, he wears a ceremonial Bosun's Whistle (short for Boatswain's Whistle).

    Wikipedia says this about the Bosun's Whistle (also called a Bosun's Pipe or Bosun's Call):

    A boatswain's call or boatswain's pipe (or bosun's whistle) is a pipe
    that is made of a tube (called the gun), that directs air over a
    grape-sized metal sphere (called the buoy) with a hole cut in the top.
    The player opens and closes the hand over the hole to change the pitch.

    They were used because their high shrill sound would cut through the noise on deck--and the noise of the weather and the surf. Nowadays, they are used mostly for ceremonial functions:

    [​IMG]

    This high-pitched whistle is what you hear on the overhead paging system onboard starships.

    At any rate, it appears they have mostly ceremonial functions on starships, too: security officer Lieutenant (well, Kirk calls him "Lieutenent" but the gentleman is wearing a Lieutenant Commander's dress uniform--for those of you who know how to read the braid on the dress uniforms) Dickerson wears one as part of his dress uniform (along with his ceremonial white phaser belt)--and he even pipes President Lincoln aboard in "The Savage Curtain." You can see it around Dickerson's neck here, dangling from a woven white lanyard:

    [​IMG]

    And here he is blowing it as Lincoln arrives via the transporter:

    [​IMG]

    Here is my bosun's whistle--identical to Lieutenant Dickerson's.

    [​IMG]

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    It's hard to find the proper style whistle with the proper style lanyard. (I actually had to get two different kinds of whistles and move the right style of whistle over to the right style of lanyard. Grrrr.) I think I still need to wash and bleach the lanyards; they are still new-cotton off-white and a bit stiff and not yet soft, white, and supple. From a strict naval standpoint, the lanyard itself has many specific requriements. You can read a bit about the lanyards here:

    http://home.earthlink.net/~bosun-m8/index.html

    So many details to tend to....

    I also got two. (Better safe than sorry.) Lastly, I had them engraved: U.S.S. Enterprise on one side and NCC-1701 on the other side. (No, I have no idea if the actual Star Trek props were actually engraved in any way. It's hard to tell from the DVD screen grabs, but it doesn't look like they were; why would anyone have bothered before a High Definition era?)

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    Somewhere I think I have a shot of the landing party with their specail white dress uniform weapons belts. I'll see if I can find it.

    As always, let me know if you have any questions or comments.
    Pictures are at:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/10901121@N06/sets/72157604451565282/show/
     
  2. GSchnitzer

    GSchnitzer Co-Executive Producer In Memoriam

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2008
    Location:
    Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, Terra
    [​IMG]





    [​IMG]

    Kim Stinger (Uhura) in her dress uniform (waiting for her rank braid to arrive from the wardrobe department) in the top picture and wearing Klingon civilian garb in the bottom picture (with costumer Patty Wright).
     
  3. Nightfall to-Ennien

    Nightfall to-Ennien Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2003
    Location:
    USS Mercury
    Can we expect an reference to alchemy at any point within the episode?
     
  4. GSchnitzer

    GSchnitzer Co-Executive Producer In Memoriam

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2008
    Location:
    Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, Terra
    Hm. There's probably a clever joke or observation in there, but I'm not getting it.

    No, no references to alchemy in the script that I can recall.
     
  5. Mysterion

    Mysterion Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2001
    Location:
    Suburban Mos Eisley
    Ah. So. I grok. You can only see the cord in the picture. BTW, nice attention to detail on the whistle itself, there. Thanks!
     
  6. The Badger

    The Badger Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Dec 11, 2008
    Location:
    Im in ur Tardis, violating ur canon.
    Yeah, but if she points, laughs, and calls it a d'k targ try not to cry. It's undignified.
     
  7. Rat Boy

    Rat Boy Vice Admiral Admiral

    Kirk: "Can you hear me now, punk?"
     
  8. fleetcaptain

    fleetcaptain Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2005
    Location:
    Virginia Beach, VA, USA
    Love the new pics. Thanks for keeping us updated. Can't wait to see more.
     
  9. S'kai

    S'kai Captain Captain

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2007
    Location:
    New Paltz, NY
    I just returned from four days on the set of Star Trek Phase II. I have to say it is the best Star Trek experience I have ever had, dwarfing all conventions, events, showings, and even the last movie. Yes. That one.

    Complain about the movie all you want. If it is not the Trek to your liking, forget it and move on. It all shrank to
    insignificance when I realized WE ARE MAKING STAR TREK. Here. Now. There is no feeling like being with a whole bunch of people working on a quality project for the love of it.

    Please folks, get involved. If nothing else send a couple a bucks (heck man, how much would a DVD cost you?). If you can, arrange a visit to the set in Port Henry, NY. It is truly awesome to stand on the bridge or the transporter.

    THIS IS YOUR FATHER'S STAR TREK.
     
  10. Rat Boy

    Rat Boy Vice Admiral Admiral

    You're trying to make us all jealous, aren't you?
     
  11. RobertScorpio

    RobertScorpio Pariah

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2008
    Location:
    San Diego
    How do we actually 'donate' money to this cause?

    Rob
     
  12. GeorgeKirk

    GeorgeKirk Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2001
    Location:
    The Internet
    Looks awesome! The Phase II team always does such a great job.
     
  13. Ryan Thomas Riddle

    Ryan Thomas Riddle Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2003
  14. S'kai

    S'kai Captain Captain

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2007
    Location:
    New Paltz, NY
    From the Phase II FAQ:

    Q. How can I help the production?
    A. The best way to help is through gift cards from the retailers we buy supplies from (Home Depot, Lowe's, WalMart). You can send them to Star Trek Phase II PO Box 448 Ticonderoga NY 12883 USA. If you have other ideas to help, CONTACT Public Relations for more info.
     
  15. GSchnitzer

    GSchnitzer Co-Executive Producer In Memoriam

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2008
    Location:
    Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, Terra
    As our FAQ page indicates, we really do try to dissuade people from giving us money. (We've promised Paramount we won't make a dime off their product and wherever that line is that we're not supposed to cross, we try to stay far from it, not dance as close to it as we can get away with.) So gift cards are always a good choice. We buy lumber and paint for sets, fabric for costumes, and, well, just about everything we need from Wal-Mart and Lowe's and Home Depot, so those are great cards to send.

    Periodically, we put out a call for partiuclar items--generally production-specific lighting equipment or electical stuff, or whatnot--stuff they just don't have at Wal-Mart. We usually make an announcement on our Phase II Internet forums and people pick up the stuff and have it shipped to us. So here's where to send stuff if you want to help support our effort:

    US Postal Address: (Gift Cards, Small Packages)
    Star Trek Phase II
    P.O. Box 448
    Ticonderoga, NY USA
    12883

    UPS/Fedex/DHL/other parcel delivery service Packages of Equipment, Supplies
    James Cawley
    Star Trek Phase II
    13 Wiley Street
    Ticonderoga, NY USA
    12883

    or

    Retro Film Studios, Inc.
    P.O. BOX 1461
    Williston, VT 05495
    Attn: Charles Root

    If you really want to send us cash (we won't say no), we have a PayPal account:

    Cost-covering gifts/contributions via PayPal Account
    contact@retrofilmstudios.com

    Always tell us your real name and if you are a Star Trek Phase II forum member, let us know your forum screename, your email address and, if you wish, your Postal Address.

    Please, never over-extend yourself trying to help Phase II. (Believe me: it's easy to do.)

    Also, when a shot rolls around (generally early each summer but periodically on occasional weekends during the year), we could use actual hands, too. But for that, you kind of need to be monitoring our boards to find out when there's a call for help at a shoot.

    And, of course, thanks in advance from the entire Phase II cast and crew for any support you want to give.
     
  16. Rat Boy

    Rat Boy Vice Admiral Admiral

  17. S'kai

    S'kai Captain Captain

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2007
    Location:
    New Paltz, NY
    You haven't lived until you walk on the bridge and seen the console displays running Pong, Space Invaders, PacMan, etc. on different screens. Gives the bridge a whole new vibe.
     
  18. Maurice

    Maurice Snagglepussed Admiral

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2005
    Location:
    Real Gone
    That's PAC-MAN, not PacMan.

    Maurice, personal friend da Man: PAC-MAN. ;)
     
  19. Admiral Buzzkill

    Admiral Buzzkill Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2001
    Sadly, our friend PAC-MAN is beyond taking offense, having passed on to a better place in 2002.

    [​IMG]

    MS PAC-MAN graciously donated his remains to the Chicago School of Medicine.
     
  20. PattyW

    PattyW Commander Red Shirt

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2006
    Location:
    New England
    There are more behind the scenes photos from "Kitumba" posted here now:

    http://www.startreknewvoyages.com/forum/index.php?topic=8402.msg106922#msg106922

    (Forgive me, I have no idea how to post them here...)

    Our episode acknowledges the canon of both ENT and TNG, "explaining" what happened in between to create the TOS Klingons we all know and love.

    ENT revealed the Augment Virus was introduced when they tried to enhance the warriors but never said the entire population was affected by it...so you'll see both TOS style Klingons and ridged Klingons on the home planet.

    The struggle you'll see going on in the Empire is not determined by the Klingons' appearance, but is one of political parties and cultures.

    Lucas' "writer's working draft" had some great stuff in it... and the basic story outline stayed the same...but it was only a brainstorm on his part and needed a lot of polishing. We really felt that it was a story that both Lucas' and the fans deserved to see, finally...I can only hope we did him justice. By the looks of the footage I think he'd be pleased.

    ~Patty