TMP Transporter Effect

[Wingsley]

I have a couple of questions about the Transporter special effects (visual and sound effects), a little about the TOS versions but mostly focusing on the version first seen (and only) in STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE:

1: How was the TMP visual effect created? I understand the original effect superimposed colorized closeup footage of sparkling metal shavings stirred in water over the images of the persons/objects being transported. But the TMP visual effect seems markedly different from any Transporter effect before or since.

2: How was the TMP Transporter sound effect created? For that matter, how were the various TOS sound effects created?

3: We only ever heard the "materialize" sound effect in TMP. Was there also a "dematerialize" sound effect, or was that never discussed?


(NOTE: When I refer to the TMP effect, I am not talking about the version seen in subsequent STAR TREK movies.)

 

[David cgc]

1: How was the TMP visual effect created? I understand the original effect superimposed colorized closeup footage of sparkling metal shavings stirred in water over the images of the persons/objects being transported. But the TMP visual effect seems markedly different from any Transporter effect before or since.

As I recall, the cylinder around the pad was created with long exposures of laser beams shining on a spinning wire rig. A similar laser trick was used for other effects in the movie, too.

The energy flowing over the person's actual body was made by having multiples of painted artwork superimposed while moving in different directions, creating a moiré pattern.

 

[Maurice]

1: How was the TMP visual effect created? I understand the original effect superimposed colorized closeup footage of sparkling metal shavings stirred in water over the images of the persons/objects being transported. But the TMP visual effect seems markedly different from any Transporter effect before or since.

As I recall, the cylinder around the pad was created with long exposures of laser beams shining on a spinning wire rig. A similar laser trick was used for other effects in the movie, too.

The energy flowing over the person's actual body was made by having multiples of painted artwork superimposed while moving in different directions, creating a moiré pattern.

The laser is correct but according to Cinefex #2 "The swirling reintegration effect was accomplished by photographing glitter with various distortion effects and then masking it to the proper image size with rotoscope mattes."

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

We only ever heard the "materialize" sound effect in TMP. Was there also a "dematerialize" sound effect, or was that never discussed?

We only saw and heard the materialization in the film. We never saw anybody START a transport, only end it. If the demat sequence was ever created, it wasn't actually used.

 

[Maurice]

BTW, isn't this the incorrect forum for this?

 

[RapidNadion]

Awesome question, OP. One of those things I've always wondered, but never thought to ask.

 

[Wingsley]

BTW, isn't this the incorrect forum for this?

My questions touch upon both TOS and TMP, so there really isn't any correct "turf" for it to venture on.

 

[T'Bonz]

I'll leave it for this time, but technically, this is "Tech Trek" so should go there.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I'll leave it for this time, but technically, this is "Tech Trek" so should go there.

Really? I don't think I've ever ventured in there.

 

[Wingsley]

Does anyone know how the various TOS and TMP Transporter sound effects were created?

 

[plynch]

Alexander Courage saying FSSSHH into a mic? Wait, wrong effect . . .

 

[erastus25]

I'll leave it for this time, but technically, this is "Tech Trek" so should go there.

Really? I don't think I've ever ventured in there.

Me neither. Always been afraid of being overwhelmed by technobabble. But if there's convos like this going on, I might check it out.

 

[Maurice]

I don't think it's Trek Tech, as it's about the making of the show, not the fictional technology portrayed. I just thought it belonged in General Trek Discussion or maybe Trek Movies area as it's asking about the TMP transporter.

 

[scotpens]

. . . I understand the original effect superimposed colorized closeup footage of sparkling metal shavings stirred in water over the images of the persons/objects being transported.

I read some time ago that the TOS transporter "glitter" effect was aluminum dust falling through a high-intensity light beam -- nothing about using water. The glitter was then superimposed over the persons being transported by using a rotomatte and optically dissolved in and out.

 

[22 Stars]

The use of water I believe comes from the TNG Reading Rainbow segment where Rob Legato does a demonstration on how the glitter suspended in water for his demo is suspended and stirred. I wasn't under the impression that the entire effect was actually produced this way, especially considering there is a lot of vertical streaking superimposed.

 

[scotpens]

An early version of the TOS transporter effect had a thick glowing outline around each member of the landing party, looking like something from Xanadu.

 

[erastus25]

An early version of the TOS transporter effect had a thick glowing outline around each member of the landing party, looking like something from Xanadu.

Details in The Making of and on this site:
http://www.startrekhistory.com/cagepage.html
^Only one of teh best websites ever.

 

[alchemist]

An early version of the TOS transporter effect had a thick glowing outline around each member of the landing party, looking like something from Xanadu.

Details in The Making of and on this site:
http://www.startrekhistory.com/cagepage.html
^Only one of teh best websites ever.

Thanks! And I can verify that that transporter effect is correct -- it took us months to put those images together from the scans of individual clips!

 

[Trevacious]

Aside from the occasional mangled body it produced, it was quite lovely!

 

[WRStone]

I've not much to contribute here, but I'll point this out about the TOS-era movies:

The sound effects artist responsible for most of them is Alan Howarth. He's produced a number of different sound effects CDs, among them Real Hollywood Sound Effects.

This disk has, among other things, sound effects from ST1-ST3, albeit under different names. One interesting thing to note, however, is that Amazon makes previews of CD tracks available on their Web site. Tracks are limited to 30-second clips. However, since the vast majority of sound effects are less than 30 seconds in length, this means that most are available simply by clicking them.

I'll leave it to the reader's imagination as to how such streaming effects might be captured. Naturally I encourage readers to buy the CD. I did -- a number of them (the bridge ambiance, medical scanner, and others) are much longer than 30 seconds. The transporter sound effect is just over 30 seconds, and I bought the CD pretty explicitly for that effect.

It's not the TMP sound effect, but rather the ST2 version. It's what you hear from the moment the transporter starts on Regula I space station to the end of the materialization sequence on Regula I.

(I also have the ST1 sound effect. In that instance, I captured it from the film soundtrack. It's "in the clear" for McCoy's materialization.)

Dakota Smith