Project: Potemkin, a Star Trek Fan Film

[Potemkin_Prod]

Re: New Star Trek Fan Film

With my job, I work until 6pm daily, and then get started on the set around 745pm. It's usually only 90 when I start, but the humidity's always around 67%, so it feels horrible. Last night, I worked until 10pm, then I restarted around midnight and worked until 2am. It's a lot cooler then. Fortunately, I set my own hours at Fast Copy, so I don't have to be in until I want to.

On your nav stand, have you thought of just a simple tube for a base? We used that on the Klingon console that Lt. Korg uses (although no one could probably see it).

 

[Melonpool]

Re: New Star Trek Fan Film

The biggest thing about the puppet is making sure it's not incredibly top heavy (since the puppeteer can easily knock it over from below. My main concern with the stand isn't the way the base on camera looks as much as having a base that has enough bottom to keep it from toppling over. The drawback is that it also has to be portable since it stands directly on a concrete floor -- making it impossible to secure it in place.

I think I have a design in mind now -- but until I build it, I have no idea if it'll work. Oh well. Hasn't stopped me, so far!

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

Re: New Star Trek Fan Film

With our console design, we were faced with the same concern: they looked to be top heavy. Fortunately, I had opted to use 2x12's for the base. It made it extremely stable, and they don't even rock at all.

Tonight, I was hoping to do two things: hang those silly "dummy" turbolift doors, and then work on the captain's chair. Hanging those doors turned out to be one of the most trying experiences we've undertaken. Fortunately, the "working" turbolift doors will be easier now that we've figured out the process.

Now I need some plywood... *sigh* It's always the most expensive thing to purchase...

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

Re: New Star Trek Fan Film

We will add diamond-cut acrylic light screens to defuse the rope lights, edge those screens with some L-shaped molding, put another cross piece over the foyer, and stick one of those click-on click-off round lamps in the ceiling of the foyer. Then we'll turn it over to the set decorator for cool doodads and stuff.

 

[Data Holmes]

Re: New Star Trek Fan Film

Nice...

 

[Melonpool]

Re: New Star Trek Fan Film

It looks great! I would think that you could "cheat" the dummy turbo lift for the real one if necessary by having the actors walk toward the dummy doors in a long shot, then switching angles to a close up of the working one for them to leave the Bridge. Might work if you need it for a storyline.

You know what I was thinking about doing with those click-on click-off lights to not have to deal with the batteries? I'm planning to take off the backs, and just take the lens and the front facing and glue it over a hole in the wall board that's the same size as the lens. That way, I can just put a shop light behind the panel and light both the elevator (well, in my case, the corridor) and the lamp up top with the same bulb.

Of course, I'm planning on using the super cheap "touch lights," and this might not work for you guys, but I'm so leery of batteries, it's worth pursuing.

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

Re: New Star Trek Fan Film

Nice...

Thanks. We're getting there!

It looks great! I would think that you could "cheat" the dummy turbo lift for the real one if necessary by having the actors walk toward the dummy doors in a long shot, then switching angles to a close up of the working one for them to leave the Bridge. Might work if you need it for a storyline.

On the same page, man. On the same page. The doors actually do slide. It's just that there's no room out the back for a platform (just a triangular clearance of about a foot and a half. We can actually pan by the doors, open the doors off camera, have the actor step out and close them off camera, and he'll appear as though he's stepped out of the turbolift.

You know what I was thinking about doing with those click-on click-off lights to not have to deal with the batteries? I'm planning to take off the backs, and just take the lens and the front facing and glue it over a hole in the wall board that's the same size as the lens. That way, I can just put a shop light behind the panel and light both the elevator (well, in my case, the corridor) and the lamp up top with the same bulb. Of course, I'm planning on using the super cheap "touch lights," and this might not work for you guys, but I'm so leery of batteries, it's worth pursuing.

I'm going to put my trust into some batteries, just because the devices are powered that way.

 

[Data Holmes]

Re: New Star Trek Fan Film

Nice...

Thanks. We're getting there!

Indeed.

It looks great! I would think that you could "cheat" the dummy turbo lift for the real one if necessary by having the actors walk toward the dummy doors in a long shot, then switching angles to a close up of the working one for them to leave the Bridge. Might work if you need it for a storyline.

On the same page, man. On the same page. The doors actually do slide. It's just that there's no room out the back for a platform (just a triangular clearance of about a foot and a half. We can actually pan by the doors, open the doors off camera, have the actor step out and close them off camera, and he'll appear as though he's stepped out of the turbolift.

If your effects/editing set up can handle it, you could always green screen it.

Place a green screen behind the doors, that way you can "insert" a full sized turbo lift behind the doors as they open as the crew walks up, or to have a partial open door showing "battle damaged turbo" or even a liftless tube, depending on what the story would require. Then, just before the cast walks into the screen, you cut to a inside out shot. Then you film the crew entering your turbolift set with a green screen behind them hiding the bridge. Then shoot a "insert" with the camera from the other side to insert behind the actors showing proper bridge placement/action.

It adds more work to do in post production and takes a little more time to film said shots because of on set requirements, but it also adds a level of versatility for story telling


As an aside, have you given any thought to placing a "tix clock" anywhere on/in your sets?

They are great and are an example of what those things in the R-Refit corridors just might be:

Tix Clock - http://www.thinkgeek.com/interests/moms/7437/

During TSFS destruct sequence: http://movies.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/tsfshd/tsfshd1244.jpg

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

Re: New Star Trek Fan Film

Definitely will do the green screen thing as needed.

The Tix Clock is cool. Don't have any corridors in this episode, but will keep that box in mind for other things as well!

The main thing we're going to avoid is the red digital clocks all over the bridge.

 

[Maurice]

Re: New Star Trek Fan Film

As an aside, have you given any thought to placing a "tix clock" anywhere on/in your sets?

They are great and are an example of what those things in the R-Refit corridors just might be:

Tix Clock - http://www.thinkgeek.com/interests/moms/7437/

During TSFS destruct sequence: http://movies.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/tsfshd/tsfshd1244.jpg

We used a TIX clock (modified) on the Starship Polaris set. They look cool, but they're an expensive solution for just a few blinky lights.

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

Re: New Star Trek Fan Film

Been thinking of installing one on the helm nav station adjacent to the astrogator, in fact.

 

[Maurice]

Re: New Star Trek Fan Film

Been thinking of installing one on the helm nav station adjacent to the astrogator, in fact.

What I did for mine was to disassemble the clock and print a set of icons that appeared over the lights, so they didn't appear just as lights if we ever shot a closeup (which we did).

 

[lennier1]

Re: New Star Trek Fan Film

Not sure if it's already been asked before but will you add some cheap alarm clocks for the red mission time displays? With a bit of luck stuff like that can be bought for less than five bucks per piece.

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

Re: New Star Trek Fan Film

What I did for mine was to disassemble the clock and print a set of icons that appeared over the lights, so they didn't appear just as lights if we ever shot a closeup (which we did).

May do that. Just need to think about it a bit. I was thinking of different functions for each.

Not sure if it's already been asked before but will you add some cheap alarm clocks for the red mission time displays? With a bit of luck stuff like that can be bought for less than five bucks per piece.

Believe me, this was a point of discussion we had with our electrical guy. We even looked at red digital displays that could be synchronized and set to run during filming. However, my associates and I came to the decision not to use the red chronometers at all.

Our set decorator/graphics guy may have more input on this...

 

[Maurice]

Re: New Star Trek Fan Film

Not sure if it's already been asked before but will you add some cheap alarm clocks for the red mission time displays? With a bit of luck stuff like that can be bought for less than five bucks per piece.

Don't do it!

Seriously, having clocks on a set is a continuity nightmare. You have to remember to keep resetting them depending on the scene and take, and you always end up with continuity problems. If you have a chronometer on set, put it someplace you can only see it when you want to.

 

[DestinyCaptain]

Re: New Star Trek Fan Film

Red clocks from TUC..... I hate those things. Any set is better without them.

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

Re: New Star Trek Fan Film

Suggestions received and understood. Like I said, we weren't too keen on them ourselves.

Tonight spent the evening working on the captain's chair. Sort of a throwback to the original series center seat, but I like it.

 

[lennier1]

Re: New Star Trek Fan Film

Not sure if it's already been asked before but will you add some cheap alarm clocks for the red mission time displays? With a bit of luck stuff like that can be bought for less than five bucks per piece.

Don't do it!

Seriously, having clocks on a set is a continuity nightmare. You have to remember to keep resetting them depending on the scene and take, and you always end up with continuity problems. If you have a chronometer on set, put it someplace you can only see it when you want to.

The ones in ST6 weren't in sync either. They're just a background gimmick. Nothing to get your panties in a twist.

 

[Maurice]

Re: New Star Trek Fan Film

The ones in ST6 weren't in sync either. They're just a background gimmick. Nothing to get your panties in a twist.

And plenty of people noticed them and that they were out of sync. Anything that pulls the audience out of the story is a bad thing. That's not getting panties in a twist, that's just sensible filmmaking.

 

[DestinyCaptain]

Re: New Star Trek Fan Film

The ones in ST6 weren't in sync either. They're just a background gimmick. Nothing to get your panties in a twist.

And plenty of people noticed them and that they were out of sync. Anything that pulls the audience out of the story is a bad thing. That's not getting panties in a twist, that's just sensible filmmaking.

Not only that, but it speaks to Nick Meyer's fascination with old tech, our tech, in a 23rd century movie. Didn't he order tons of tactile buttons and levers to be added to the science and communications stations just cause he thought they were better?