Phase II "Origins" teaser up on YouTube

[Captain Robert April]

The velour uniforms are winter weight, whereas the doubleknit ones are summer weight. This episode takes place in the winter. Or, possibly, the environmental controls are out of whack, making the ship a bit colder than usual, forcing the crew to wear warmer uniforms.

OR, Starfleet changed their minds and switched back to the velour.

I can keep this up as long as necessary...

 

[Rat Boy]

OR, Starfleet changed their minds and switched back to the velour.

A move heartily endorsed by 25-Star General Weebelo Zapp Brannigan.

 

[Maurice]

It looks pretty good. The guy playing Finnegan's the best thing about it. He needs to dial it back to 10 from 11 though.

I could nitpick, but as it's a rough assembly, I won't pillory it for technical stuff that I'm sure will be addressed. I will mention one editorial gaffe: cutting from the Kirk POV shot of the turbolift doors to a dirty OTS of the same thing is bad. You can't switch from subjective to objective like that and maintain a nearly matching angle. It's jarring.

 

[PattyW]

All in all good. I am a little bugged by the nod to Braga and JJ with the "Klingon Warbirds" line. Just doesn't fit for me...

Honestly, that was a script editing blooper... at one point in time it was suggested that the KM be given a "new twist" and use Romulans attacking. It was an interesting twist, but decided against for various reasons. When it was changed back to "Klingons" the "warbirds" slipped through unnoticed.

This is a rough edit, and there is always ADR if they choose to correct it....

However, I feel that Phase II has gotten into a cold-open rut. The majority of the show's teasers end with a space battle as the hook — it's becoming routine and not as exciting.

You're viewing the episode out of order! Have you seen the teaser posted for "Enemy: Starfleet"?

"Blood and Fire"'s teaser ended with a space battle as the "hook".

"Enemy: Starfleet" features a landing party being attacked.

"The Child" is not a space battle "hook" either.

"Kitumba" is not a space battle "hook" either.

So... "Origins" is going BACK to a space battle for the "hook"

Got to have them once in awhile, or it's not Star Trek!

 

[Captain Robert April]

It looks pretty good. The guy playing Finnegan's the best thing about it. He needs to dial it back to 10 from 11 though.

I could nitpick, but as it's a rough assembly, I won't pillory it for technical stuff that I'm sure will be addressed. I will mention one editorial gaffe: cutting from the Kirk POV shot of the turbolift doors to a dirty OTS of the same thing is bad. You can't switch from subjective to objective like that and maintain a nearly matching angle. It's jarring.

Note to self: When I finally get around to doing that script, I need to include storyboards...

 

[scifib5st]

It looks pretty good. The guy playing Finnegan's the best thing about it. He needs to dial it back to 10 from 11 though.

I could nitpick, but as it's a rough assembly, I won't pillory it for technical stuff that I'm sure will be addressed. I will mention one editorial gaffe: cutting from the Kirk POV shot of the turbolift doors to a dirty OTS of the same thing is bad. You can't switch from subjective to objective like that and maintain a nearly matching angle. It's jarring.

Well the Kirk POV shot worked well for me! It pulled me in and made me pay more attention to any other cammer change or detail that might hint at, "Whats next". I can see why this would not work if used once a week, or episode. Here it did pull me in to the story.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

No, that kind of cutting is just bad practice, period. This is, though, a rough cut as has been noted and I'm sure that this sort of thing will be corrected. Overall, this is one of the more effective "sneak previews" that Phase II has done recently.

 

[Mysterion]

Nice stuff, as usual.

Especially liked the way you folks did the transition from present to past.

Looking forward to the full episode.

 

[Maurice]

It looks pretty good. The guy playing Finnegan's the best thing about it. He needs to dial it back to 10 from 11 though.

I could nitpick, but as it's a rough assembly, I won't pillory it for technical stuff that I'm sure will be addressed. I will mention one editorial gaffe: cutting from the Kirk POV shot of the turbolift doors to a dirty OTS of the same thing is bad. You can't switch from subjective to objective like that and maintain a nearly matching angle. It's jarring.

Well the Kirk POV shot worked well for me! It pulled me in and made me pay more attention to any other cammer change or detail that might hint at, "Whats next". I can see why this would not work if used once a week, or episode. Here it did pull me in to the story.

The POV shot is fine. Cutting directly to an OTS (Over The Shoulder) from a matching angle is the problem.

But, as Dennis says, it's a work-in-progress, so I'm confident the problem will be rectified.

 

[Tom]

Hey Greg,

Have you guys ever thought of doing some type of 'Retro" opening sequence vs. the normal one for this episode? Recent shows like Fringe and Eureka did something a bit retro when there episodes took place in the past. I realize that the current sequence is, in itself, retro back to the 60's but maybe something alternate would be cool. Not saing to do a "In a Mirro,r Darkly" type of opening maybe a just a music change.

 

[GSchnitzer]

Hey Greg,

Have you guys ever thought of doing some type of 'Retro" opening sequence vs. the normal one for this episode? Recent shows like Fringe and Eureka did something a bit retro when there episodes took place in the past. I realize that the current sequence is, in itself, retro back to the 60's but maybe something alternate would be cool. Not saing to do a "In a Mirro,r Darkly" type of opening maybe a just a music change.

Yes, we've considered using older style credits. In fact, we actually did for this temporary clip. We used the old yellow font (from the first and second season) instead of the later blue font. I was thinking it might be fun to do the "Act 1" and "Act 2" title card things, but we'll see. We have to weigh the "fun" factor against the "distracting from the actual story" factor.

And, of course, we have three other episodes to get out the door before "Origins." So we have bigger (well, more urgent) fish to fry. But we'll see. And here's the dirty little secret of Phase II (but don't tell anyone): we make up a lot of it as we go along.

 

[ConRefit79]

I'm lost with Phase II. I've seen up to Blood & Fire. Saw part 1 of Enemy Starfleet. I'm guessing they have not released any more parts for Enemy Starfleet. Then I see the Origins teaser, and I'm guessing that Kirk's nephew has died in a previous episode. But which one, I have no idea. I think the production order is Enemy Starfleet, The Child, Kitumba and Origins, but that is just a guess.

 

[GSchnitzer]

I'm lost with Phase II. I've seen up to Blood & Fire. Saw part 1 of Enemy Starfleet. I'm guessing they have not released an more parts for Enemy Starfleet. Then I see the Origins teaser, and I'm guessing that Kirk's nephew has died in a previous episode. But which one, I have no idea. I think the production order is Enemy Starfleet, The Child, Kimtumba and Origins, but that is just a guess.

You have our recent production order correct:

* Enemy: Starfleet!
* The Child
* Kitumba
* Origins (or whatever we end up finally calling it)

And you are also correct that we did a soft release on the teaser and part of the first Act of "Enemy: Starfleet!"

The rest of "Enemy: Starfleet!" and the rest of the other episodes haven't been released yet (except for little snippets that we put out here or there, generally on YouTube). So in the teaser of "Origins," when Captain Kirk is distraught over some loss, it's anybody's guess at this point what that loss is. "Nobody" knows yet.

 

[Barbreader]

So in the teaser of "Origins," when Captain Kirk is distraught over some loss, it's anybody's guess at this point what that loss is. "Nobody" knows yet.

It's Finnegan! He's DEAD, Jim! [yes, I know that there is no reason Kirk's family would care... it just seemed funny!]

 

[Captain Randy Hall]

I'm lost with Phase II. I've seen up to Blood & Fire. Saw part 1 of Enemy Starfleet. I'm guessing they have not released any more parts for Enemy Starfleet. Then I see the Origins teaser, and I'm guessing that Kirk's nephew has died in a previous episode. But which one, I have no idea. I think the production order is Enemy Starfleet, The Child, Kitumba and Origins, but that is just a guess.

I was one of those lucky folks who got a look at a "rough" cut of "Enemy Starfleet" at the Shore Leave convention about a week or so ago, and the most obvious things missing were some SFX, but who needs that when you have Barbara Luna?

My greatest hope is that J.J. Abrams gets a look at it and abandons the concept of Kirk as the never-satisfied gigolo. When you see it, you'll know which scene made me cheer because this is the real Captain Kirk.

Can't wait to see it again with all the SFX added in.

 

[DaiAndy]

Love it!! Keep up the good work!

 

[ST-One]

I was one of those lucky folks who got a look at a "rough" cut of "Enemy Starfleet" at the Shore Leave convention about a week or so ago, and the most obvious things missing were some SFX, but who needs that when you have Barbara Luna?

Well, she wasn't that good in the episode.
The episode itself isn't that good either IMO - except for the big scene between Cawley and Rice, where Cawley shows that he is quite a good actor when he's not trying to impersonate Shatner (and Rice's acting has improved quite a bit too ).

 

[TRP]

I liked Luna in the episode. I just liked the episode, period. It felt comfortable, and yet fresh--it was a new episode of a good old show . . . the acting across the board was the next notch up in my opinion. Paul Sieber's performance was simply outstanding and, even though it started out being very Original Series camp/over-the-top, it got quite layered and rounded and had depth.

Looking forward to the release of the final cut . . .

Cheers!

--R

 

[ST-One]

I liked Luna in the episode. I just liked the episode, period. It felt comfortable, and yet fresh--it was a new episode of a good old show . . . the acting across the board was the next notch up in my opinion. Paul Sieber's performance was simply outstanding and, even though it started out being very Original Series camp/over-the-top, it got quite layered and rounded and had depth.

Looking forward to the release of the final cut . . .

Cheers!

--R

The depth in 'Enemy: Starfleet' comes from the two Kirks and their... 'issues'. It sadly doesn't come from the rest of episode, since that situation is too removed from the viewer. (That one moment in the briefing room just feels forced and hamed-up by the actor).

 

[TRP]

We disagree . . .