ST Phase 2: MIND-SIFTER

[GSchnitzer]

Nothing new to report. We are still looking good for our Monday, December 1st release of "Mind-Sifter." More details to follow in the next couple of days.

http://www.startreknewvoyages.com/?p=5044

 

[BoredShipCapt'n]

One of these would look good on Kirk's head.

 

[BoredShipCapt'n]

Nothing new to report. We are still looking good for our Monday, December 1st release of "Mind-Sifter." More details to follow in the next couple of days.

http://www.startreknewvoyages.com/?p=5044

Oo, just saw your still of Spock in the gold shirt!

 

[Maurice]

One of these would look good on Kirk's head.

<SNIP>

Can you scale the images down as per the board guidelines? Thanks.

 

[BoredShipCapt'n]

 

[GSchnitzer]

Maurice is saying that your picture of the sifter in your earlier post is too damn big. (It's 1000 x 1000.) Make it smaller, please.

Thanks.

From the FAQ file:

"When posting images, please make sure you do not post more than 50-70kb worth of photos, as a courtesy to those with slower connections. Images are to be no larger than 640x480."

 

[Bixby]

Well this is interesting:

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
We will be releasing TWO different versions of "MIND-SIFTER!"
A First in fan film history, fans of our series will be able to view the episode with their choice of either 1960's style VFX by Daren R. Dochterman or Re-mastered/Contemporary VFX by Tobias Richter!!!

I'm definitely a Tobias Richter groupie so I'll be checking out HIS version of the episode first, but I'll probably catch the Dochterman version for my repeat viewing.

 

[Ronald Held]

Well this is interesting:

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
We will be releasing TWO different versions of "MIND-SIFTER!"
A First in fan film history, fans of our series will be able to view the episode with their choice of either 1960's style VFX by Daren R. Dochterman or Re-mastered/Contemporary VFX by Tobias Richter!!!

I'm definitely a Tobias Richter groupie so I'll be checking out HIS version of the episode first, but I'll probably catch the Dochterman version for my repeat viewing.

I appreciate the skills of Tobias and Daren. Will this VFX choice be standard for the upcoming episodes or is this a one time occurance, Greg?

 

[NewHorizon]

Well this is interesting:

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
We will be releasing TWO different versions of "MIND-SIFTER!"
A First in fan film history, fans of our series will be able to view the episode with their choice of either 1960's style VFX by Daren R. Dochterman or Re-mastered/Contemporary VFX by Tobias Richter!!!

I'm definitely a Tobias Richter groupie so I'll be checking out HIS version of the episode first, but I'll probably catch the Dochterman version for my repeat viewing.

Bizarre. Is this because the effects for the version where James was Kirk had already been finished?

 

[GSchnitzer]

Well, just like the Blu-Rays have "branching" technology--that allows you to watch either the original TOS visual effects (such as they are) or with the new 21st century VFX that were done for the "remastered" versions. We wanted to do kind of a similar thing.

So you'll be able to watch our "Mind-Sifter" on YouTube with our VFX done by Daren Docterman. They resemble the old TOS effects, and Daren used a CGI Enterprise that looks more like an 11-foot model. Or you can watch on YouTube the exact same "Mind-Sifter" episode but with Tobias Richter's VFX. *His* Enterprise is a bit more 2014-ish. His Enterprise is designed to look 947 feet long, and not just 11.

Other than the ship fly-bys and such, the two versions of the episodes are otherwise identical.

Both Daren and Tobias have enormous popularity and respect in this industry. We love them both and it's not meant to be a competition between the two of them. But it will be interesting to see what kind of comments we get on their respective VFX, or if people really don't care all that much about them as long as it's a compelling narrative.

Is that the information you're after? Need more?

Well this is interesting:

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
We will be releasing TWO different versions of "MIND-SIFTER!"
A First in fan film history, fans of our series will be able to view the episode with their choice of either 1960's style VFX by Daren R. Dochterman or Re-mastered/Contemporary VFX by Tobias Richter!!!

I'm definitely a Tobias Richter groupie so I'll be checking out HIS version of the episode first, but I'll probably catch the Dochterman version for my repeat viewing.

I appreciate the skills of Tobias and Daren. Will this VFX choice be standard for the upcoming episodes or is this a one time occurance, Greg?

 

[NewHorizon]

Is that the information you're after? Need more?

I think they were mainly wondering if Phase 2 intends to release all future episodes like this, with two sets of effects? Seems like a lot of extra work.

My main inquiry was whether this was planned from the start or if the classic effects had been completed for a previous version of the episode?

 

[GSchnitzer]

Is that the information you're after? Need more?

I think they were mainly wondering if Phase 2 intends to release all future episodes like this, with two sets of effects? Seems like a lot of extra work.

My main inquiry was whether this was planned from the start or if the classic effects had been completed for a previous version of the episode?

I genuinely don't know how and when James decided to do this. If it was to take advantage of already-created effects from our aborted "Mind-Sifter" (and that's possible; James can weigh in), it would have been Tobias' "21st century" effects that were originally planned. I think Daren's more TOS "old" style are actually the more recent VFX. Our original "Mind-Sifter" from three years ago probably would have been Tobias' new style.

If it was just to take advantage of already-existing effects, I'm not sure why we would have Daren do them too.

What will we do for future episodes? Hell, I don't know what I'm doing for lunch.

 

[GSchnitzer]

We just heard from our editor.

It turns out that Daren's VFX version is about 60 seconds longer than Tobias' version. That might mean that the Daren version might not be available on Day One. It might have to follow Tobias' version by a couple of days.

Is that the information you're after? Need more?

I think they were mainly wondering if Phase 2 intends to release all future episodes like this, with two sets of effects? Seems like a lot of extra work.

My main inquiry was whether this was planned from the start or if the classic effects had been completed for a previous version of the episode?

I genuinely don't know how and when James decided to do this. If it was to take advantage of already-created effects from our aborted "Mind-Sifter" (and that's possible; James can weigh in), it would have been Tobias' "21st century" effects that were originally planned. I think Daren's more TOS "old" style are actually the more recent VFX. Our original "Mind-Sifter" from three years ago probably would have been Tobias' new style.

If it was just to take advantage of already-existing effects, I'm not sure why we would have Daren do them too.

What will we do for future episodes? Hell, I don't know what I'm doing for lunch.

 

[PattyW]

I'll be the first to say it and get blasted for it... with so many episodes in post production it really seems counterproductive to have two very talented people working on the exact same shots for the exact same episode. And with the longer length the audio guy has to do the episode twice too - even if it is only for one more minute of audio.

Cool? Yeah. Groundbreaking? Well, it sure hasn't been done before. But would we rather see, say, "Holiest Thing" ready sooner by splitting up the work? Probably.

 

[GSchnitzer]

I'll be the first to say it and get blasted for it... with so many episodes in post production it really seems counterproductive to have two very talented people working on the exact same shots for the exact same episode. And with the longer length the audio guy has to do the episode twice too - even if it is only for one more minute of audio.

Cool? Yeah. Groundbreaking? Well, it sure hasn't been done before. But would we rather see, say, "Holiest Thing" ready sooner by splitting up the work? Probably.

Yes, we may find that it's more trouble than the novelty is worth. We'll see.

Our VFX for "The Holiest Thing" are long since completed. Neither of our VFX guys are being pulled away from "THT" to do these duplicative shots. (I suppose they are being pulled away from *something* in their lives to do this duplicative work--but it's not "THT.")

(If we decide to go with only one style of VFX for future episodes, I hope I don't have to be the guy to deliver the news to the artist whom we decide to stop using.)

 

[tobiasrichter]

The Enterprise models used by Daren and by me are essentially the same - I just converted the model to my software and put new interiors in it.

The new "refit" version that is going to be seen in "Holiest Thing" and "Bread&Savagery" is a complete new build.

As far as I know this will be a one-off regarding double VFX, celebrating the 10th anniversary of NV.

The space VFX for "Holiest Thing" were finished back in 2013, but there needs to be some work redone on the VFX in other areas that´s one of the reasons the episode takes so long to come out.

I´ve been asked to do the FX only about 3 weeks ago and have managed to churn out 21 shots during that time working weekends and nights (who needs sleep anyways...). I think Daren had a bit more time, so I hope both versions get released the same date.

It´ll be interesting which version the fans will like - each has their pros and cons.

 

[jamesmc]

All exterior space VFX shots needed for the two episodes currently in Post are completed and have been for quite some time, NO ONE was pulled off anything to work on these fx. So Patty you are completely off base and if you get blasted it's because you have made an uninformed statement.
As has been stated MANY times in other forums, "The Holiest Thing" was brought back into post, because we discovered too late that the edit was being created not from the original RED camera footage, but an inferior transcode, that prevented the image/color correction to be done properly. This necessitated a new edit and thus some visual compositing must be re done. We are also doing a new 5.1 audio mix. As a matter of fact the editor who has been doing "Mind-Sifter" has also been working simultaneously on "Holiest Thing"! no time is being wasted. As to "Bread and Savagery" that is another matter, Mark Burchett (The Director) was not well, when he was here working on the pproject and he ABSOLUTELY did not get the coverage needed to release the episode. We have been painstakingly reviewing the footage to determine what needs to be done and what we in fact can do to get the elements needed. Anything else anyone says or posts is mere rumor, and nonsense.

 

[Ronald Held]

Greg Tobias, James thanks for the clarification regarding the dual VFX. I will have to download both and see the differences.

 

[NewHorizon]

Greg Tobias, James thanks for the clarification regarding the dual VFX. I will have to download both and see the differences.

Me too. Can't wait to see both versions.

 

[PattyW]

So Patty you are completely off base and if you get blasted it's because you have made an uninformed statement.

Yup, I'm absolutely uninformed and I made an observation that any fan would have made. And I did expect to get blasted by someone or someones in the production because, having been in it, I realize there are plenty of reasons and explanations as to why doing both may not be affecting the other productions - it just LOOKS like it would to those of us waiting expectantly for all the good Trek we can get.

All exterior space VFX shots needed for the two episodes currently in Post are completed and have been for quite some time.

hmmm.....

I´ve been asked to do the FX only about 3 weeks ago and have managed to churn out 21 shots during that time working weekends and nights (who needs sleep anyways...)