Star Trek: The Experience behind the scenes book?

[Biggshow]

OK, as many of you know by now, I'm the unofficial STTE pimp on this board. One of the other former alien ambassadors and I were talking about getting as many present and former ambassadors in a room, reminisce about some of the many amazing, moving, funny stories we've all had (those of you who may have attended the "Aliens Unmasked" panel at the Experience this last weekend got a small glimpse into this world)and edit them down in book form. It would probably have to be some kind of "unofficial" thing unless someone at Pocket Books went crazy and thought the writing was up to their standards (always a hope).

Would there be any interest in this, especially given that the Experience is closing soon? Has this ship sailed?

 

[Therin of Andor]

the "Aliens Unmasked" panel at the Experience

I know I'd love to have the character (and performer) names of the Andorians who were introduced to ST:E a few years ago. I'd like to record them on my Andorian Rogues Gallery pages.

 

[foravalon]

Hell yes! I'm very pleased to say I've bought my plane ticket and I'm visiting Vegas this Sunday with the sole purpose of visiting the Experience. I got to see it once before, briefly, ten years ago. It is nothing if not a beloved geek mecca and I'm going on my pilgrimage before it is no more. I've never seen the Borg 4-D experience, so I'm quite stoked.

 

[phrog]

Having gone to the Aliens Unmasked panel with Michael Westmore and the entire character staff on Sunday night... I have to say that these are interesting and very smart folks and a book about their experiences alone would make for a killer tome. Combine that with a technical background and you've got a very interesting book indeed.

Sad to see it go. Those folks really put in an incredible amount of work into making these characters and their performances something wonderful.

 

[Steve Roby]

Would there be any interest in this, especially given that the Experience is closing soon? Has this ship sailed?

There should have been something like this a long time ago, really.

As a potential reader, I'd want something with photos, and something that had some input from people from all areas, including the people who operated the rides, etc. It'd be nice to see some input from the designers but that might be harder to do.

But yeah, get a lot of people's anecdotes, find someone who can whip it into shape as a book (you'll need someone who can write, someone who can edit, and someone who can design), and you could probably do something through Lulu or Booksurge. I really don't think Pocket would publish something like this, unfortunately.

 

[Man of Steel]

Seeing as how the Expirence might be closing anyway.

 

[Dayton Ward]

^ Yes, it's closing. The announcement's about a month old by now.

 

[James Swallow]

Interesting idea. Some years ago, I came out to STTE to cover it for Star Trek Monthly magazine; I think I might have been one of the first to actually do a behind-the-scenes piece. I never did reveal how they did the transporter trick, though...

I'm sure you'd find more than enough to fill a book, but I'd have to wonder if such a project would get any traction with Pocket. You might have more success pitching the idea as a feature for the current Star Trek Magazine. The editor Paul Simpson posts here frequently.

 

[Biggshow]

^^^That's what Dayton told me. Hmmmm...

Now we have to actually write the thing.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Amy Sisson]

^ You might want to pitch it before writing it, because you don't want to end up with 20K words when they only have room for 5K, for instance. Just a thought.

 

[JD]

I'd gladly read this in either form, especially if it went into more than just stories from the alien performers.

 

[Biggshow]

April (T'Pril and Tahryn for those in the know) and Kerstan (K'Stran) were the first two hired for the Experience and were involved heavily in the testing of the shuttles and refining the script for The Klingon Encounter and trained many of the original 130 actors hired for the Experience (including me). They've got tons of stories and I believe keep in contact with several of the original designers. So a technical behind the scenes is a definite part of this proposed idea.

Surfing a shuttle platform. I've said too much.

 

[PaulSimpson]

Interesting idea. Some years ago, I came out to STTE to cover it for Star Trek Monthly magazine; I think I might have been one of the first to actually do a behind-the-scenes piece. I never did reveal how they did the transporter trick, though...

I'm sure you'd find more than enough to fill a book, but I'd have to wonder if such a project would get any traction with Pocket. You might have more success pitching the idea as a feature for the current Star Trek Magazine. The editor Paul Simpson posts here frequently.

Yes, and I've been reading this thread with great interest... Jim, fancy revealing the trick now?

And to those thinking of a book, get in touch with me: paul.simpson@titanemail.com gets there. As Amy wisely says, don't write til we've discussed!!

Paul

 

[James Swallow]

Yes, and I've been reading this thread with great interest... Jim, fancy revealing the trick now?

Well... Okay. If you really want to know...

Spoiler

When you enter the ride at the start, you enter a small room. The room goes dark, you're blasted with air and bombarded with lights and the sound of the transporter. When the lights come back up again, you're standing in the much larger transporter room of the Enterprise, but you haven't physically moved. How is it done?
The walls and ceiling of the smaller room are actually suspended from a rig overhead, inside the larger transporter room. When the lights are down, the rig lifts up and away, revealing the Enterprise interior that you've been standing in all along. Clever, eh?

 

[PaulSimpson]

Yes, and I've been reading this thread with great interest... Jim, fancy revealing the trick now?

Well... Okay. If you really want to know...

Spoiler

When you enter the ride at the start, you enter a small room. The room goes dark, you're blasted with air and bombarded with lights and the sound of the transporter. When the lights come back up again, you're standing in the much larger transporter room of the Enterprise, but you haven't physically moved. How is it done?
The walls and ceiling of the smaller room are actually suspended from a rig overhead, inside the larger transporter room. When the lights are down, the rig lifts up and away, revealing the Enterprise interior that you've been standing in all along. Clever, eh?

Neat!

 

[USS Intrepid]

I'd certainly buy such a book.

 

[JD]

Yes, and I've been reading this thread with great interest... Jim, fancy revealing the trick now?

Well... Okay. If you really want to know...

Spoiler

When you enter the ride at the start, you enter a small room. The room goes dark, you're blasted with air and bombarded with lights and the sound of the transporter. When the lights come back up again, you're standing in the much larger transporter room of the Enterprise, but you haven't physically moved. How is it done?
The walls and ceiling of the smaller room are actually suspended from a rig overhead, inside the larger transporter room. When the lights are down, the rig lifts up and away, revealing the Enterprise interior that you've been standing in all along. Clever, eh?

Cool! I've been wondering about that ever since I went to the Experience in the late '90s.

 

[Steve Roby]

The backstage tour is really worth the extra bars of latinum.

 

[Dale]

I would definitely buy and read such a book whether in hardcopy form or published electronically.

Oh, and SHAME for spoilering the Transporter effect! There're still more than two weeks left for noobs to discover it!

 

[Dayton Ward]

^ It's their own fault of they press the button.

(I second the recommendation for the Backstage Tour. I thought it was a hoot.)