STAR TREK 40TH ANNIVERSARY Tribute Video
- Thread starter ChristopherPike
- Start date
Thanks everyone. It probably took me around a couple of months off and on to complete. I used plain old Windows Movie Maker which ended up more than a bit frustrating. It must have crashed a hundred times or more, so I don't recommend it! This was because of the sheer number of video files I sorted through. Whenever I attempt something like this again, I'll definately try different software. My main aim was to do a sort of timeline to celebrate 40 years of the show's mythology. In the end, it became a sort of compromise between that and highlighting as many of the characters - heroes and villains, as I could. It was a pretty tough job deciding and in the end some didn't make it into the finished version. Ironically I had loads of clips which didn't make it like Kirk's son - David, Saavik, Valeris and others all lined up but felt adding more would out pace the music. It came down to trying to tell a story using as few key images as possible. I understand exactly how difficult this must be for professional editors working on trailers, having to sacrifice one or two shots in order to keep the timing down.
To begin with, I imagined a framing device, using clips of Kirk and Spock watching history unfold through the Guardian of Forever and then returning back from their mission. One of the disappointing things was the limited software I experimented with. Ideally, some of the events would have been seen inside the Guardian portal with the characteristic mist seen in the original episode. But the closest I came up with was a zoom in and out, to give a similar impression. Lack of software forces you to be creative with what you've got!
I deliberately avoided using instantly recognisable tunes like The Motion Picture theme or First Contact, partly because they've been done many times before and seemed a bit too obvious. A few bars from 'Generations' which evok TOS do end the montage though... The main melody used is heard in TNG episodes 'The Inner Light' & 'Lessons', whenever Picard is seen playing the Ressikan flute. The tune always stuck with me because it really made an emotional impact to the story. The music from DS9 'The Visitor' too, now I come to think of it.
This all began a few months back when I was listening to a CD compliation, it struck me how the music might work alongside the timeline. It starts off quietly and builds to a crescendo before going back to the beginning again. The way the music keeps on building inspired me and reminded of how each series has added something to the foundation created by The Original Series. For me, Star Trek in all it's guises are essentially the same show and while TOS is undenably the most important part, for half it's life now, it's grown much larger than that. So for the trailer, we see history unfolding beginning with The Phoenix breaking the warp barrier, then First Contact, followed one of the NX project ships joined by Enterprise NX-01's launch. I snatched a shot from a fan made trailer featuring the Federation logo because it summed up prefectly where Enterprise was heading. Gratitude to the fan who actually made that. From there it blends with a shot of what is actually the Defiant at warp from 'In A Mirror, Darkly Part II'. But here it represents the USS Enterprise NCC-1701, simply because it goes by so quickly and the registry isn't ledgible, so it's a close enough match. DS9 reused the Galaxy class Enterprise model to represent other ships afterall.
Eventually, it seemed fitting to link the series together with crossover shots where the Enterprise would be at DS9, then Voyager leaving DS9. I cheated a bit by leaving the TNG movies until near the end, when of course they actually happen while both these series are happening. Somehow, I felt putting them in the right order would break the flow and make it much more confusing to watch.
Anyhow, I'm glad many found it an enjoyable journey across the Star Trek Universe. It made the effort all worthwhile.
To begin with, I imagined a framing device, using clips of Kirk and Spock watching history unfold through the Guardian of Forever and then returning back from their mission. One of the disappointing things was the limited software I experimented with. Ideally, some of the events would have been seen inside the Guardian portal with the characteristic mist seen in the original episode. But the closest I came up with was a zoom in and out, to give a similar impression. Lack of software forces you to be creative with what you've got!
I deliberately avoided using instantly recognisable tunes like The Motion Picture theme or First Contact, partly because they've been done many times before and seemed a bit too obvious. A few bars from 'Generations' which evok TOS do end the montage though... The main melody used is heard in TNG episodes 'The Inner Light' & 'Lessons', whenever Picard is seen playing the Ressikan flute. The tune always stuck with me because it really made an emotional impact to the story. The music from DS9 'The Visitor' too, now I come to think of it.
This all began a few months back when I was listening to a CD compliation, it struck me how the music might work alongside the timeline. It starts off quietly and builds to a crescendo before going back to the beginning again. The way the music keeps on building inspired me and reminded of how each series has added something to the foundation created by The Original Series. For me, Star Trek in all it's guises are essentially the same show and while TOS is undenably the most important part, for half it's life now, it's grown much larger than that. So for the trailer, we see history unfolding beginning with The Phoenix breaking the warp barrier, then First Contact, followed one of the NX project ships joined by Enterprise NX-01's launch. I snatched a shot from a fan made trailer featuring the Federation logo because it summed up prefectly where Enterprise was heading. Gratitude to the fan who actually made that. From there it blends with a shot of what is actually the Defiant at warp from 'In A Mirror, Darkly Part II'. But here it represents the USS Enterprise NCC-1701, simply because it goes by so quickly and the registry isn't ledgible, so it's a close enough match. DS9 reused the Galaxy class Enterprise model to represent other ships afterall.
Eventually, it seemed fitting to link the series together with crossover shots where the Enterprise would be at DS9, then Voyager leaving DS9. I cheated a bit by leaving the TNG movies until near the end, when of course they actually happen while both these series are happening. Somehow, I felt putting them in the right order would break the flow and make it much more confusing to watch.
Anyhow, I'm glad many found it an enjoyable journey across the Star Trek Universe. It made the effort all worthwhile.
Great work, and a question. How did you capture the video?
I use Nero which can capture from VHS or DVD and export the footage as various file formats. I generally edit using AVI files which are compatible with Windows Movie Maker. Apparently software like Sony Vegas can edit proper DVD MPEG files. Although, you don't get that ability from a downloadable trial, only the full version which is pretty expensive.
There is a clip of Bashier on the Enterprise, where does that come from?
A show from TNG's sixth season, Birthright, Part I. Great episode which also features James Cromwell as Shrek. Not that one though...
R
Russell Croutear
Guest
Bashir had a cameo in TNG's "Birthright Part I" from season 6.
Thanks, I just got the whole of TNG on DVD so I will have to check it out.
I think KUDOS should be given to you,sir!! W/ all this talk of the next movie,...one of those memories that should be saved and cherished!!..
:thumbsup:
That is so, so good! I loved how you pieced everything together chronologically, but also bookending it with the Guardian, the montage of the various ships were beautiful, and that final shot of Kirk looking up into the sky... wow! it gave me such a wonderful feeling and just capture the essence of Trek completely. Well done, and thank you for sharing. 
