Trek XI Teaser Poster

[Cary L. Brown]

Turbo said:

MetroKid said:
I think this is a fan job. The title and date lines are crooked and the gradient on "Star Trek" is a bit sloppy. If this were real it would have gone through revisions to catch these little flaws.

That said, I think it is a great poster, but being a graphic designer by profession I tend to see the mistake pretty easily.

Wow, arrogant much?

did it occur to you that Vektor and many other people in here are graphic designers too?

Well, it's pitfall that EVERYONE here on TrekBBS seems to suffer from, in varying degrees... we're all "experts."

In my case, I typically rip into bad technological arguments... and I comment on perceptions on art and style, but don't claim to be an expert on those.

The problem here is that so many folks here are so used to being "the expert" that they fail to realize that there are other people who are even MORE "expert" than they are who post here.

I had a similar exchange a few weeks back with an engineering student who tried to lecture a thread filled with practicing engineers and experienced technical designers about "how things really are." I'm sure that among his set of family and friends, he WAS "the expert." But it was a matter of style... of reserving judgement 'til you know who your audience REALLY IS.

MetroKid is a great example of that. He would have been VERY well-served by keeping his thoughts a bit more... guarded... at least until he read the entire thread.

Metro... Vektor is among the most talented artists, both 2D and 3D, I've ever had the opportunity to know (albeit we've never met in person). I don't see a single "mistake" in that poster. Your reference to a gradient "looking sloppy" is just nonsensical, considering that it's posted as a compressed JPG rather than a full-resolution 24-bit-per-channel TIF (which original art would almost certainly be stored as, if it's not in native Illustrator/Photoshop format or something similar).

As for the name "not being straight," that's impossible to say given the low resolution of the image as posted.

So, unless you somehow got a high-res version of this, I'm at a loss to tell how you could "tell" what you say you have.

Still, having read down just a few lines further (ie, thinking before you speak, as my grandmother used to remind me to do!), you'd have noticed that Vektor had already, LONG BEFORE, "come clean" as to it being "A FAAAAAAKE!" So your post was sort of silly anyway.

Don't take this as an attack... just as a "learning point." You need to read a bit further, and learn a bit more, before making a comment which may, after you put it out there, make you look bad.

Vektor is a DEMONSTRATEDLY OUTSTANDING ARTIST. I'd be fascinated to see examples of your own work, for comparitive purposes.

(Just FYI, Vektor is also a talented forger...
http://trekmovie.com/2007/04/01/trek-xi-design-sketch-debunked/
the "April Fool's Day" picture found through the above link convinced nearly the whole Trek community online that it was a John Eaves original was actually created by Vektor as well.)

 

[ThunderAeroI]

That image is god old.

 

[Squiggy]

"God old"?

 

[Cary L. Brown]

ThunderAeroI said:That image is god old.

Huh?

First off.. what a strange thing to say. And second... Vektor, is he right, is this "God old?" Being that you CREATED IT... I'm having a hard time believing that. Care to comment?

 

[ancient]

I think he was talking about the April Fools ship, which you linked to just before his post.

 

[MetroKid]

Cary L. Brown said:


Snip...

I am sorry if I came out sounding rude, it wasn't my intent.
I admit I should have been more constructive citiques.



I do not claim to be "the expert" of my Real Life social circle nor do I hold an illusions that I am. At My work I am surrounded with designers of various sorts with a wide range of experience. We rely on each other to double check our work.

When I said the gradient is sloppy I was refering to how the two colors blended together, where the gold color meets the indigo-ish color, they mix to make a muddy shade that isn't the most evocative of Star Trek.

And by the Title and Date lines are crooked I was referring to the date line that is shifted a few pixels to the left. Alignment is a tricky thing because if you want something to be off center it must be enough that it looks deliberate, if it is just a few pixels or points off then 9 times out of 10 it looks like a mistake. There are exceptions of course, especially dealing with slanted typefaces.

I am not denying that Vektor is a talented artist, but even the best let a mistake slip through once in while.

I would be glad to share some of my work for point of comparison. Be aware that I mainly work in print and fashion graphics and that the online presence of my work is rather slim as most of what I do is copyright of my firm. http://metrokid.deviantart.com/

 

[Tallguy]

I have to say that this truly puts paid to the notion that you'd have to make major modifications to make the classic E look good on the big screen. Can't wait to see more.

 

[Cary L. Brown]

MetroKid said:

Cary L. Brown said:


Snip...

I am sorry if I came out sounding rude, it wasn't my intent.
I admit I should have been more constructive citiques.



I do not claim to be "the expert" of my Real Life social circle nor do I hold an illusions that I am. At My work I am surrounded with designers of various sorts with a wide range of experience. We rely on each other to double check our work.

When I said the gradient is sloppy I was refering to how the two colors blended together, where the gold color meets the indigo-ish color, they mix to make a muddy shade that isn't the most evocative of Star Trek.

And by the Title and Date lines are crooked I was referring to the date line that is shifted a few pixels to the left. Alignment is a tricky thing because if you want something to be off center it must be enough that it looks deliberate, if it is just a few pixels or points off then 9 times out of 10 it looks like a mistake. There are exceptions of course, especially dealing with slanted typefaces.

I am not denying that Vektor is a talented artist, but even the best let a mistake slip through once in while.

I would be glad to share some of my work for point of comparison. Be aware that I mainly work in print and fashion graphics and that the online presence of my work is rather slim as most of what I do is copyright of my firm. http://metrokid.deviantart.com/

Fair nuff... like I said, no offense to me, personally. Just trying to provide some outside perspective.

And yes, I did check out your page. You seem to do the same type of work that Sean ... can't spell the guy's last name... TITAN DESIGNER... does (though he dabbles as much in comic art as in professional graphic arts work). You might want to check out his threads here in the Art forum.

 

[bryce]

I like that detail on the top of the nacelles, near the caps...that recessed bit that looks like it's the outline of a removable engineering access panel that comes out so that you can access machinery of the Bussard collectors to work on it.

Just enough added detail to make the model look more realistic, but not to crap all over the original design.

:thumbsup:

Damn, I *hope* that's real!

 

[Professor Moriarty]

bryce said:

I like that detail on the top of the nacelles, near the caps...that recessed bit that looks like it's the outline of a removable engineering access panel that comes out so that you can access machinery of the Bussard collectors to work on it.

I noticed that too. It's a mirror outline of the same feature that exists on the bottom of each nacelle, only on the bottom the feature is a solid medium gray color. Nice touch.

Come on Vektor, quit stallin'! Your public awaits you!

 

[Vektor]

Guys, I would dearly love to reveal more of this design but that's not entirely under my control. No, it's not an official design and I am not being held back by anyone connected with the production of Trek XI. I simply made an agreement to release it in a certain way and at a certain time. Technically, we are now long past the time that was supposed to happen and I have permission to release it anyway on my own, but I am holding back just a little longer in the hope that the original deal will still happen.

Unfortunately, we are really down to the wire. The real thing is going to be seen to some extent in less than five days when the Trek XI teaser comes out with Cloverfield, rendering my speculative design pretty much irrelevant. If nothing happens by early tomorrow, I will go ahead and unveil it myself by tomorrow night.

 

[Icy_Penguigo]

Can't wait, man!

 

[Vektor]

And by the way, I find it absolutely cool that some people are examining this one image closely enough to pick out and speculate on even the subtlest details. I'm half surprised there haven't been any blow-ups or Photoshop enhancements like they do for celebrity photos and UFO sightings.

 

[Icy_Penguigo]

Vektor said:
And by the way, I find it absolutely cool that some people are examining this one image closely enough to pick out and speculate on even the subtlest details.

That surprises you? You don't give yourself enough credit....

 

[Professor Moriarty]

Vektor said:
And by the way, I find it absolutely cool that some people are examining this one image closely enough to pick out and speculate on even the subtlest details. I'm half surprised there haven't been any blow-ups or Photoshop enhancements like they do for celebrity photos and UFO sightings.

Well let's see. If you go by the assumption that this is the "Cage" era Enterprise, here are the added touches I noticed:

• Aft reaction control thruster quads on the saucer section
• The lowered bridge dome from the regular series Enterprise (good call--I always thought that giant bridge dome from "The Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before" looked ridiculous)
• An elegantly streamlined impulse engine section with what looks like a concave inward scoop where the rectangular "exhausts" are located (love the yellow "exhaust" color btw)
• The white glow from the inboard vicinity of the warp nacelles
• The aforementioned dorsal warp nacelle "hatches"
• Longitudinal "bumps" or "tubes" on the dorsal surface of both warp nacelles
• Square objects on the each warp nacelle at the dorsal and inboard positions... Phasers? Thrusters?

I'm sure there will be more to spot when your Enterprise makes her official/unofficial debut tomorrow night. Can't wait!

 

[Cary L. Brown]

Professor Moriarty said:

Vektor said:
And by the way, I find it absolutely cool that some people are examining this one image closely enough to pick out and speculate on even the subtlest details. I'm half surprised there haven't been any blow-ups or Photoshop enhancements like they do for celebrity photos and UFO sightings.

Well let's see. If you go by the assumption that this is the "Cage" era Enterprise, here are the added touches I noticed:

• Aft reaction control thruster quads on the saucer section
• The lowered bridge dome from the regular series Enterprise (good call--I always thought that giant bridge dome from "The Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before" looked ridiculous)
• An elegantly streamlined impulse engine section with what looks like a concave inward scoop where the rectangular "exhausts" are located (love the yellow "exhaust" color btw)
• The white glow from the inboard vicinity of the warp nacelles
• The aforementioned dorsal warp nacelle "hatches"
• Longitudinal "bumps" or "tubes" on the dorsal surface of both warp nacelles
• Square objects on the each warp nacelle at the dorsal and inboard positions... Phasers? Thrusters?

I'm sure there will be more to spot when your Enterprise makes her official/unofficial debut tomorrow night. Can't wait!

You left out the single most obvious bit.. and likely the only one that anyone would ever bitch about, IMHO. The enlarged nacelle pylons with the deep-inset grillwork (which I actually don't care for, since I consider those grills to be radiators and as such should be slightly ABOVE the surface, not inset. But that's just ME. )

 

[TheSeeker]

^I kinda like the recessed grillwork, but then again I'm not looking at it from a "technical" perspective.

I can't wait to see more hi-res renders of this baby!

 

[Vektor]

I just posted a thread containing hi-res renderings of my speculative Trek XI Enterprise design in the Trek XI forum. Enjoy.

 

[Icy_Penguigo]

Wow. Really, really great work. Thanks for sharing this with us.

 

[Vektor]

I suppose it wouldn't hurt to post it here as well:

Almost four years ago, I had the idea to create an "updated" version of the original USS Enterprise as it might appear if anyone were ever to revisit the TOS era of Trek with a modern television or film production. I sketched out some ideas for it and even did some preliminary 3D modeling of a few parts and pieces, but mostly the idea just languished while I focused on other projects.

Then, around the middle of last year, I had a conversation with someone who was interested in compiling some concept designs of what the new Enterprise in Trek XI might look like, nothing official or in any way connected with the actual fim, just some creative speculation. I was one of several people approached for this idea, most of whom were industry professionals that put my meager credentials to shame, so there was no way I could pass up the opportunity, especially since I already had a good start on something very similar.

It took me about three months to finish modeling and texturing my submission and I sent in the final renderings around the middle of November. Unfortunately, the original plan for exhibiting these designs never quite came together and is still in limbo as of this writing. Given that the official unveiling of the real design is now less than three days away, I have opted to go ahead and unveil my design on my own here on TrekBBS and a couple of other venues. Hopefully the original exhibition will go forward eventually and I will still be a part of it.

My design approach to this project was pretty simple: Make the ship more detailed and more visually realistic while preserving the essence of the original design. I didn't want the differences to be immediately obvious; I wanted people to have to study it a little to really figure out what I changed. Most of the changes are fairly cosmetic, things like added hull texture, visible maneuvering thrusters and weapons ports, or the glow of the inboard nacelle grills. Other changes are more significant, like softening some of the harder edges and angles, and adding subtle, elliptical curves to various cross-sections, the deflector dish broken up into concentric rings, the revamped impulse engines, the thicker, gently backswept nacelle pylons, and numerous alterations to the nacelles themselves. In almost every case, the key elements of the original design are still there and still recognizable, just slightly transformed and embellished. I wouldn't presume to be able to improve on Matt Jeffries' brilliant creation, but I'd like to think I did succeed in updating it a little.

So, without further ado, here is my take on what the new Enterprise in Trek XI might look like. Click the thumbnails to enlarge.





Obviously, there's been a lot of speculation about what the new Enterprise might look like and assertions made about what it should look like. I think these renderings adequately convey my own opinions on the matter and might help others to clarify what changes they are and are not willing to accept.

Have at it.