The fixed 'broken shots' of TOS-R

[Grant]

This is just a brief intro to the fairly huge list of fixes they made in TOS-R of shots that were slightly altered/upgraded in the live action area.

The Cage: A moving starfield has been added outside Pike's cabin window.
The disappearance of the 'survivors' has been cleaned up a bit.
The morphing of the creature/Keeper has been cleaned up.
The graphics of the computor download have been changed with some new visuals.
Vina's morph to her true deformed self has been 'stabilized' to keep the background from shifting as the layers of makeup are appiled.


WNMHGB: A phaser beam has been added to the shot just before the big rock falls. (The phaser sound had been in that shot all along, but they had forgot to add the actual beam hitting the rock in the second shot of that sequnce.)

There was no string removal from the cup or from the phaser rifle though---time or budget I guess.
I wish they had removed the very distracting shadow of the 'boom mike' on the wall behind Mitchell & Dehner as they talked.

Corbomite...: The chronometer has been changed to something more 'modern' looking, but the real reason they altered this was because the old readout malfunctioned and didn't go through the time in proper sequence.

Naked Time: The beam from the phaser Scott is using to cut the wall has been added in two shots. This must have been a time/budget issue back in 1966, because in the other shots of Scott firing the phaser ---they shot it directly from behind him so the bean could not be seen at all--clever staging to save money--like offscreen beamouts etc.

Charlie X: The hand of the guard in the gym who aims his phaser at Charlie has been stabilized so it doesn't move as the phaser disappears---big improvement.
One I'd have liked seeing----Remove via CGI the big crack in Rand's cabin wall made when Spock's knee hits it !! It's only in one shot, but it's silly his knee would 'rip' the wall that way.

What Are...: A real obscure one. After Dr. Korby's hand is torn by the door they added tiny pistons that would be used to move his robot fingers!! I had to watch this a couple of times before i realized why the 'angle' icon was triggered!!
I wish they had done a quick upgrade of Brown's stomach 'wound' to a more realistic robot interior. And a slight trimming of Ardrea's outfit to something more revealing.



That's just a quick sample from early season 1 (and I'm not even sure that it's complete as i don't have my notes with me.)

I'll finish season one (hopefully) next time.

 

[Christopher]

The Cage: A moving starfield has been added outside Pike's cabin window.

And I hate the way they did it, because it makes it look like the hull of the ship is only a centimeter thick. In the original shot, the dark area we saw in the window wasn't supposed to be space; it was supposed to be the inner edge of a fairly thick hull, with the camera angle keeping us from seeing outside the window. This was one "fix" that broke something not in need of fixing.

I wish they had removed the very distracting shadow of the 'boom mike' on the wall behind Mitchell & Dehner as they talked.

Similarly, in "The Cage," they didn't remove Susan Oliver's shadow on the wall in the scene where she shimmers out of Pike's cell. But that's okay, because I've always interpreted that shadow as evidence that she didn't really disappear, Pike was just made to think that she did. After all, the Talosians showed no indication of possessing transporter tech.

 

[T'Girl]

Naked Time: The beam from the phaser Scott is using to cut the wall has been added in two shots. This must have been a time/budget issue back in 1966, because in the other shots of Scott firing the phaser ---they shot it directly from behind him so the bean could not be seen at all--clever staging to save money--like offscreen beamouts etc.

I always thought that there was no visible beam because the phaser was set to a very low power level. Scotty didn't want to damage anything vital inside the wall.

 

[Wingsley]

One goof in "The Menagerie, Part 1" that was never fixed in TOS-R:

When Ms. Piper (Mendez' apparent aide) exclaims upon discovering Captain Pike is missing, Mendez rushes over to activate his intercom: "Menedez here. What is it?" Nobody ever thought to add in the familiar intercom whistle that would prompt Mendez to answer the bloody intercom in the first place.

Additionally: I like the "new" TOS-R ships flown by Mudd in "Mudd's Women", the Denevan in "Operation -- Annihilate!", and Dr. Severn's space hippie group in "The Way to Eden", as well as adding in the Klingon cruiser in "Friday's Child". Those were worthwhile.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ Anyone notice that the ship that Sevrin's group were using, looked like a flying VW Microbus? How appropriate...

 

[Timo]

I love that design, too...

...adding in the Klingon cruiser in "Friday's Child".

Yet the plot called for a "scout ship", not a bloody battle cruiser. And while Klingons have always been shy to challenge the Enterprise one on one unless they have secret aces in their sleeves, there's no good rationale for this battle cruiser to flee with her tail between her nacelles at first sight of Kirk's ship. The Klingons there were supposedly protected by the Organian treaty, and did not really attempt to conceal their presence at the surface of the planet. Why fly away?

This would have been an excellent opportunity to introduce an alternate Klingon design. Perhaps not one of the ENT or TOS movie types, since they are of a slightly different aesthetic leaning. But it shouldn't have been too difficult to pay homage to one of Jeffries' early sketches for Klingon ships and turn that into a passable "scout".

(Of course, the pressing-iron shape we saw in the original episode already nicely matched one specific ENT design for a Klingon vessel: the strange thing from "Bounty" that clearly wasn't a battle cruiser. That'd have been my favorite for inserting in the TOS-R "Friday's Child"...)

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Grant]

Darn, I forgot my list so I will just proceed from memory for a while.

I think it would be helpful to comment on season 1 for now rather than start bashing 'mistakes' from season 2 & 3.

Also, this thread is about the live action changes---NOT things like space-ships and space shots. Please !!

Also, also, they have stated they were FORBIDDEN to alter any sound 'mistakes' in TOS-R. For example, they couldn't add missing comm chirps, door whooshes etc. Don't know why, but they said they were.

Miri: They have stabilized McCoy's head as the blotches fade. In the original his head moves quite a bit even though Spock's hands are holding his head still.

Conscience....: They have added a moving starfield to the window shot in room overlooking the shuttle bay.

Menagarie part II: when Mendez disappears they changed it to the same shimmer effect as the other Talosian illusions.

Arena: They added the Gorn eyelid blinks, enhanced the Metron shimmer effect, added craters to the Cestus III battle-field and altered the grenade explosion flash to come from behind the 'target' hill only rather than covering the entire area in front of it as well.

Alternative..: They added a refection of the phaser beam as it hits Lazarus' ship and when the ship disaapears---the ground where it had sat was charred.

More later.

And please, i emplore you all to focus on these live action shots from season one as oppssed to the other effects and things from the other seasons. Thanks.

 

[Christopher]

The funny thing about that "Metron shimmer effect" was that it wasn't an intentional effect at all, just the result of sunlight reflecting off that shiny costume into the camera lens.

 

[Grant]

If that was the case, it was a case of serendipity. I always loved that the Metrons were so advanced they sparkle.

The Organians glow too. Trelayne's parents and the Thasians...

Yep, you advance enough and you glow--it's a fact.

 

[Christopher]

Except that aside from that accidental lens artifact, there was absolutely nothing in the episode to suggest that the Metrons were any kind of energy being.

 

[Grant]

Onward..........

Tomorrow is....: They have redone the Enterprise in the atmosphere shots---including from Christopher's POV.
more shots of the new chronometer
new shots of the fighter in flight

Space Seed: They fixed the rear-projection sickbay monitor so that when Khan turns it off----the screen goes black, rather than the annoying 'light goes off, but print is still seen' version. Wish they had done more of this.

Devil in....: The 'burn-thru' of the horta has been changed to a more realistic 'chemical burning' effect rather than a phaser-like glow when the Horta burns out of the tunnell.

Errand of...: The reveal of the Organians true self has been enhanced and an anomalous shadow was removed from the scene where the Organians transform.

City on....: When Kirk looks up ala' Twilight Zone---the stars have been stabilized so it transitions smoothly.
The shots where Spock watches the tri-corder viewer have been changed a bit
When the bum immolates himself---the effect begins in his mid-section and spreads--rather than an immediate glow over his whole body. I really like this change and wish they had used it more than the few times they did.
After the crew beams up----the mist coming off the guardian is continuous---rather than stopping every time the credit changes.


That's it for season one that i can remember off hand---I'll update it when i rmember any others.

By the way, Wikipedia and other sites list many changes that were NOT made---like Trelayne's parents effect being altered---it was not.
I think the better picture in hi-def made some folks think certain things had been changed when they were simply more clear in hi-def.

 

[Ssosmcin]

The funny thing about that "Metron shimmer effect" was that it wasn't an intentional effect at all, just the result of sunlight reflecting off that shiny costume into the camera lens.

The first real use of "lens flare" in Star Trek.

 

[Rush Limborg]

One of my big dissapointments for the Remastered TOS was that only rarely did they upgrade the phaser beams.

It was always very irritating to me that the phasers always looked "drawn in". I was REALLY hoping the Remastering team would replace all those with REAL-looking beams.

Alas, there was only "The Naked Time", "Friday's Child", and "Wink of an Eye". All the other times, it's the same old "cartoon color" phaser effect and shrapnel....

*sigh*

 

[Timo]

At least "Doomsday Machine" featured something of an improvement over the original, which was substandard even for TOS.

But it wasn't that much of an improvement. It just doesn't look convincing that a starship would fire phaser beams that stubbornly point in one direction and thus "walk" along the surface of the monster... Far likelier that the beams would track the target and dwell on a single spot even when the ship and the monster maneuver.

Also, we lost the chance to speculate on what the different phaser colors might mean. Is red more powerful than blue? What color is stun? Do damaged phasers look different from pristine ones? Etc.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[cwnorma]

For me, of all the TOS remastered episodes, "Doomsday" is the worst. I like the shots of Decker's ship, but the doomsday machine just didn't work for me

 

[buckeyenation]

The funny thing about that "Metron shimmer effect" was that it wasn't an intentional effect at all, just the result of sunlight reflecting off that shiny costume into the camera lens.

Anybody else but me think that Metron was more like Metrosexual? I'm just sayin'

 

[Rush Limborg]

^Well...he did look like he had eye shadow and lipstick....

 

[Hober Mallow]

One of my big dissapointments for the Remastered TOS was that only rarely did they upgrade the phaser beams.

It was always very irritating to me that the phasers always looked "drawn in". I was REALLY hoping the Remastering team would replace all those with REAL-looking beams.
*sigh*

Actually, I still like the drawn-in phaser beam. What I hate are the season three green "caploweee!!!" bursts.

 

[Christopher]

It was always very irritating to me that the phasers always looked "drawn in". I was REALLY hoping the Remastering team would replace all those with REAL-looking beams.

You mean... invisible beams?

 

[SRFX]

For me, of all the TOS remastered episodes, "Doomsday" is the worst. I like the shots of Decker's ship, but the doomsday machine just didn't work for me

I have to agree. Whilst for the most part I really love the remastered TOS, the Doomsday machine just didn't work for me.

I liked the physical model they used in the 60's, it's colouring and texturing gave it a real depth and toughness - it felt old, but horribly destructive. I also liked the simplistic and robotic way it moved, like it treated space as a three dimensional grid.

Probably my favourite scene is the when Kirk is momentarily cheery when he gets the Constellation's phasers to fire and allow the Enterprise to break loose...only to find the DM rotate slowly towards the him. The slow way it rotates was so delightfully eerie - and I love Kirk's expression.

Like a kid stirring a bee hive.

Sorry, to rattle on - The Doomsday Machine is my favourite episode so I am a little overprotective of it.