Question about a publicity shot

[Maab]

I'm sure everybody here has seen these publicity shots of Uhura and McCoy (and I believe there are more).

In the background I can clearly see a scene from "The Cage". My question is: in a time before Photoshop, how did they do that? Did they print a very large picture? Was it retro-projected?

 

[Maurice]

Haven't you ever had a portrait done where they put you in front of a blank screen but when the image comes back there's a background? Basically it's a front-projected slide.

 

[Maab]

Well, no, I don't think I've ever had such a portrait
However in my case this would be done digitally.

I'm not sure I understand how it works. The actors were photographted in front of blank screens. And then how did they add the background? Double exposure with masks?

Maab

 

[Forbin]

One of several ways:

• Person is photographed in front of projected image.
• Person is photographed in front of a blank screen, then physically cut out from the photo with an X-Acto knife, placed on a background and rephotographed (yes, it was the stone age).
• Person is photographed in front of a blank screen, then superimposed photographically on a background by sandwiching negatives in an enlarger - this is similar to the way models are superimposed on backgrounds in movies.

 

[Maab]

OK. Any idea which one did they use for these shots?
Is it possible to understand it looking at the pictures? Just curious to see how far they went for a publicity shot.
I mean, I believe this would be the only case (in Star Trek) of some trick photography used for publicity shots. All the others are simply pictures in front of some backgorund or with the model.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

I've always thought it was a simple rear-screen projector setup. They're just using it to project a slide instead of moving footage.

 

[J.T.B.]

Some of the weirdness around the edges of the foreground figures makes me think it was a composite of two photos. I would not be surprised if, as Forbin said, they were physically cut out of a print, pasted on another print and re-photographed.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I'd never seen the ones with Uhura and the communicator and the second one with the tricorder (the one that's signed) until now. The first one, of Uhura with a tricorder, I know I've seen one at least very similar to it, if not identical.

The McCoy one, I know I've also seen one at least very similar to it, if not identical.

Given that Uhura is in red, I presume that these were taken sometime after the few episodes showing Uhura in gold were filmed? I even question whether they were during first season production at all. Someone more familiar with the subtle variations in her uniform and hairstyles over the run of TOS might be able to say when they were likely taken, or maybe someone knows for sure.

 

[Maab]

Hmm, I dont' think so. Look at the second picture. You can see some sky between Uhura hair. It would have been a tremendous cutting job! But you are right: the edges, especially in McCoy picture, are weird.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

I have a publicity photo question: we know about the season 3 bridge and transporter platofrm full cast photos, but are they any for seasons 1 or 2?

Everyone knows about the season 2 Kirk/Spock/McCoy shots (in front of the shuttlecraft, or the top 2 posed against a rock), or shots with the aforementioned 3, along with Uhura, but I do not think i've seen a full S1/2 cast photo.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Hmm, I dont' think so. Look at the second picture. You can see some sky between Uhura hair. It would have been a tremendous cutting job! But you are right: the edges, especially in McCoy picture, are weird.

I don't see any weird artifacts along the edges. And I'm telling you, by far the easiest and cheapest way to get these pictures done would be to use the studio's rear screen stage, and throw a 35mm still slide in there.

 

[Maab]

Yes, probably this is what they did.
Strange choice for the slide to use, as you can see the different uniforms, but I suppose at the time nobody noticed.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Yes, probably this is what they did.
Strange choice for the slide to use, as you can see the different uniforms, but I suppose at the time nobody noticed.

Nah, I'm sure pretty much everybody "noticed." The question was whether it was worth spending money to "fix." I'm certain that the consensus was, "No, it isn't worth spending money to fix." Probably, these were the only slides that were available at the particular time. Perhaps someone got a box marked something like "Star Trek slides" from whatever shelf those things would have been stored on at the time for use in publicity shots, and this is just what was in there. Or, maybe the first pilot was the first film right there and ready to have slides made from it when the call came to have some Star Trek slides done.

 

[Forbin]

Hmm, I dont' think so. Look at the second picture. You can see some sky between Uhura hair. It would have been a tremendous cutting job! But you are right: the edges, especially in McCoy picture, are weird.

I don't see any weird artifacts along the edges. And I'm telling you, by far the easiest and cheapest way to get these pictures done would be to use the studio's rear screen stage, and throw a 35mm still slide in there.

Agreed. But don't count out some poor schlub in the art dept being handed an 8x10 glossy and told to cut the person out. I went to art school in the pre-computer days and had to do that more than once in my advertising class. Paint around the outline with white paint, then cut a white paper mask to cover the rest. Sometimes the instructor required us to cut a frisket and airbrush out the background! Quite a pain, it was. God, I love the magic wand mask tool now!

 

[Maurice]

You guys are all too young.

They're not cutouts. The fine hairs at the edges of her hairstyle cinch that.

Yes, it could be rear projection, but portrait photographers have used front projection techniques for decades, and it's just as likely, if not moreso, to be that.

In short, front projection has the subject (in this case, actor) pose in front of a screen of retroreflective material, like scotchlite. The camera points straight at the screen. Between the camera and the subject is a half-silvered mirror called a beam-splitter set at a 45 degree angle. A slide projector points into the same mirror from 90 degrees to the camera. The projected image (background) hits the mirror, is deflected to the screen, and the retroreflective material bounces it straight back and through the half-silvered mirror right into the camera lens. Since the subject/person is nowhere near as reflective as the screen, you don't see the projected image on them. It's old school optical trickery. The bulk of the opening Dawn of Man sequence in 2001: A Space Odyssey is shot using this trick, as all the backgrounds there are large photographic plates shot in Africa.

 

[GSchnitzer]

I'd never seen the ones with Uhura and the communicator and the second one with the tricorder (the one that's signed) until now. The first one, of Uhura with a tricorder, I know I've seen one at least very similar to it, if not identical.

The McCoy one, I know I've also seen one at least very similar to it, if not identical.

Given that Uhura is in red, I presume that these were taken sometime after the few episodes showing Uhura in gold were filmed? I even question whether they were during first season production at all. Someone more familiar with the subtle variations in her uniform and hairstyles over the run of TOS might be able to say when they were likely taken, or maybe someone knows for sure.

Nichelle is wearing the wig that she only wore for the last four episodes of the second season. So these shots would seem to date from around then.

 

[plynch]

Dang, you're good.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I'd never seen the ones with Uhura and the communicator and the second one with the tricorder (the one that's signed) until now. The first one, of Uhura with a tricorder, I know I've seen one at least very similar to it, if not identical.

The McCoy one, I know I've also seen one at least very similar to it, if not identical.

Given that Uhura is in red, I presume that these were taken sometime after the few episodes showing Uhura in gold were filmed? I even question whether they were during first season production at all. Someone more familiar with the subtle variations in her uniform and hairstyles over the run of TOS might be able to say when they were likely taken, or maybe someone knows for sure.

Nichelle is wearing the wig that she only wore for the last four episodes of the second season. So these shots would seem to date from around then.

Thanks!

 

[Maab]

Thanks Maurice.

 

[Maurice]

Thanks Maurice.

You're very welcome!!!