What do you want to see in TAS Remastered?

[Relayer1]

Personally, I thought the animation was crap. Sorry, but that's just my opinion. Most TV animation in that era was - don't start me on the Transformers and other such shows.

I'd be delighted with a complete re-do of the visuals. With the amount of space on Bluray discs it wouldn't be hard to include both versions to keep everyone happy.

With the wealth of recordings of the cast 'in character' to sample (I'm including TOS) it wouldn't be too hard to put a few new episodes together, licensing issues notwithstanding...

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

If they remaster TAS, the original doesn't disappear from my shelf. It still exists.

It exists for you--but for the George Lucases of the world, original films are replaced by the endless altered versions, which is the only one available to future generations--and most studios are not interested in providing original and remastered on home video as seen with the TOS Blu Rays.

That's an exception, not the rule.

And I never bought the "disrespects the work" angle. It's a forty year old property, if anything it shows an incredible amount of respect that someone wants to take the time to update it for modern audiences.

Its disrespect when thinking everything old is "bad," or that no younger audience can wrap their minds around the fact that there were other technical skills employed before CG.

By that rationale, the current owners of 2001 should replace all efx shots with CG (maybe have the Discovery performing barrel rolls through an asteroid field--'cause that's exciting!), as everything eventualy demands "improvement."

 

[bbailey861]

I'm in. I'd like to see the animation redone using the same voice-overs, and as previously mentioned, it wouldn't mean my original TAS discs would be leaving my shelves. I'd like to see it, but if the cost is as pegged I don't see it being done.

 

[BillJ]

By that rationale, the current owners of 2001 should replace all efx shots with CG (maybe have the Discovery performing barrel rolls through an asteroid field--'cause that's exciting!), as everything eventualy demands "improvement."

If its enough to get my 19 year old daughter (who already has massive respect for the classics) and my 15 year old son to sit though it and experience the story. Then I say have at it.

Or eventually all us old fucks are going to die and these properties get tossed into the dust bin of history.

Funny story. When The Doomsday Machine Remastered aired, we were sitting and watching it. My daughter leaves the room and comes back with my old VHS and seriously tells me that "this is the Doonsday Machine" pointing to the picture on the back of the package. Gotta love kids.

 

[T'Girl]

Its disrespect when thinking everything old is "bad," or that no younger audience can wrap their minds around the fact that there were other technical skills employed before CG.

The animation in TAS isn't bad because it's old, it's bad because it bad. It's below the standards of even 1950's Bugs Bunny cartoons. it's difficult to think of a modern example of TAS's particular animation style.. Even everyday average animation like Family Guy, and American Dad are far superior in technique and quality to TAS.

At least their faces move.

The only thing that makes TAS desirable is the voices of the original actors and the scripts. Some of the ship designs and landscapes could also find their way into a new TAS. Incidentally, a new TAS would not automatically have to be CGI, although that would be a possibility.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

The animation in TAS isn't bad because it's old, it's bad because it bad. It's below the standards of even 1950's Bugs Bunny cartoons.

Er...do you realize that the Warner animation studio had a large number of artists working on the short subjects produced during its heyday in the 1940s? Do you realize animation houses of the TV era deliberately streamlined the process to be cost effective and efficient, but that does not automatically mean inferior quality (otherwise early H-B, like Jonny Quest or The Flintstones would not be praised for technical as well as story merits).

it's difficult to think of a modern example of TAS's particular animation style.. Even everyday average animation like Family Guy, and American Dad are far superior in technique and quality to TAS.

Most modern animation is quite poor, with several companies employing a form of CG and in other cases, flash animation, which (in my view) is not much better than moving construction paper figures connected by paper clips. Over the years, many of the series aired during Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block used this kind of animation, which is on par with the worst of H-B's 1970s work (when the studio farmed work out to Australia).

 

[Lieut. Arex]

The colors in time trap to be correct

 

[Kamdan]

I don't mind pink tribbles, but the Kzinti should be recolored. There was actually a color change the character of Thelin in Yesteryear. He was caucasian for the VHS and Laserdisc editions, but was more grey for the DVD edition.

 

[Maurice]

The animation in TAS isn't bad because it's old, it's bad because it bad. It's below the standards of even 1950's Bugs Bunny cartoons.

Er...do you realize that the Warner animation studio had a large number of artists working on the short subjects produced during its heyday in the 1940s? Do you realize animation houses of the TV era deliberately streamlined the process to be cost effective and efficient, but that does not automatically mean inferior quality (otherwise early H-B, like Jonny Quest or The Flintstones would not be praised for technical as well as story merits).

Technically, Warner's produced theatrical cartoons into the 1960s and even at it's lowest ebb of the Looney Tunes era the animation was superior to anything done on TV, because they were still primarily doing full animation, not limited animation as is produced for TV.

As to Jonny Quest and The Flintstones, they might be praised for design and/or art direction, but there's nothing technically sophisticated about either.

it's difficult to think of a modern example of TAS's particular animation style.. Even everyday average animation like Family Guy, and American Dad are far superior in technique and quality to TAS.

Most modern animation is quite poor, with several companies employing a form of CG and in other cases, flash animation, which (in my view) is not much better than moving construction paper figures connected by paper clips. Over the years, many of the series aired during Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block used this kind of animation, which is on par with the worst of H-B's 1970s work (when the studio farmed work out to Australia).

Most TV animation is and has been limited animation. A lot of it is just illustrated radio. So much of it are static shots of characters talking and talking and talking and—occasionally—blinking. It's move to position, stand there, talk talk talk, move into next position (or just cut away).

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

If its enough to get my 19 year old daughter (who already has massive respect for the classics) and my 15 year old son to sit though it and experience the story. Then I say have at it.

That was part of the Lucas excuse for all of his Special Edition changes (along with "matching" the visuals to the then-forthcoming "prequels"), and what happened?

Three terrible versions of Jabba the Hutt (the cut scene) appearing less realistic than the full size puppet made in 1982. After a try in the reissue, and twice on home video, they could not create a realistic Jabba, or even try to match it to the design of the puppet.

Slapped in creatures obviously not in the same frame or believable scale as the filmed material (Mos Eisley introduction), not to mention the CG lacks the film grain of the 70mm negatives.

Cityscapes (Cloud City, the shoehorned Couroscant in Return of the Jedi) with all of the realism of a video game.

Was it worth it? Aside from the special editions drawing in original fans (who were going to see the "prequels" in any case), I doubt it was worth the flood of criticism he recieved for the changes.

Funny story. When The Doomsday Machine Remastered aired, we were sitting and watching it. My daughter leaves the room and comes back with my old VHS and seriously tells me that "this is the Doonsday Machine" pointing to the picture on the back of the package. Gotta love kids.

Well, there you go! Your daughter was not turned off to a model constructed in 1967, and I think she's not alone. By the time I was a kid, the RKO King Kong was already several decades old, and its effects process had been refined through years of Harryhausen, et al, but I was able to enjoy the pure fantastic nature and atmosphere of that old movie without eye rolls. I understood what the artists were going for and enjoyed it.

Even after the 1976 release of Dino DeLaurentis' big budget, efx-heavy remake (and a man in a suit), it did not make me suddenly scowl at the RKO original.

 

[BillJ]

Well, there you go! Your daughter was not turned off to a model constructed in 1967, and I think she's not alone.

I know she's not alone. But, unfortunately, I believe she's the exception not the rule.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Technically, Warner's produced theatrical cartoons into the 1960s

I'm aware of that, but I made mention of earlier decades to illustrate how the studio animation houses were bigger "outfits" than the TV era. By the 1960's Warners had been gutted and was a shadow of the kind of operation run during the war years.

and even at it's lowest ebb of the Looney Tunes era the animation was superior to anything done on TV, because they were still primarily doing full animation, not limited animation as is produced for TV

I think that is fairly subjective; take the Chuck Jones period--celebrated by some, but it could just as easily be read as "lazy" work once the mono-colored, abstract backgrounds (or UPA influenced--since he produced work for that group) backgrounds became the norm at Warners, instead of the rich, detailed backrounds regularly used in the early Merrie Melodies/Looney Tunes short subjects.

As to Jonny Quest and The Flintstones, they might be praised for design and/or art direction, but there's nothing technically sophisticated about either.

The point is that the work was and remains praised, despite the venue. Its what you do with your resources, and in the ace of TAS, its not as though ST fans (famously vocal) were calling Filmation, blasting their efforts. We know about the rotoscoping and re-use of certain character sequences, but the overall visual effort was not that of the common Saturday morning junk by any stretch of the imagination.

Most TV animation is and has been limited animation. A lot of it is just illustrated radio. So much of it are static shots of characters talking and talking and talking and—occasionally—blinking. It's move to position, stand there, talk talk talk, move into next position (or just cut away).

I agree--and I think it applies to Family Guy, Johnny Test, Futurama or Aqua Teen Hunger Force as much as any older production.

 

[Kelso]

I'd prefer a new animated series.

And I love TAS.

Carry on.

 

[T'Girl]

Completely redo the animation and then use the new body of work as a animated pilot for more Star Trek, a new animated series.

 

[cbspock]

I would love a Star Trek animated series with the same quality as the Clone Wars series.


-Chris

 

[milo bloom]

I'm of multiple minds. As a fan of retro animation, I love TAS as it is, quirks and all.

But as a realist, I know that (even compared to the modern flash animated shows), it still looks dated and that a CGI re-do using the original audio could possibly be a boon for syndication possibilities. Though the small number of episodes would also work against that.


What would I really want? In my wildest dreams? New episodes, animated exactly the same way, warts and all.

 

[Galileo7]

I'd love if they redid the animation reusing the voice work, sound tracks and music.

Agree. Also, it should be first aired for a season, like Cartoon Network Clone Wars, then released as a complete series to dvd.

 

[Relayer1]

Completely redo the animation and then use the new body of work as a animated pilot for more Star Trek, a new animated series.

Δ And the winner is...

 

[Davros]

Make new ones and leave the originals as they are.

 

[Andymator]

I love a good animation discussion!

I think that is fairly subjective; take the Chuck Jones period--celebrated by some, but it could just as easily be read as "lazy" work once the mono-colored, abstract backgrounds (or UPA influenced--since he produced work for that group) backgrounds became the norm at Warners, instead of the rich, detailed backrounds regularly used in the early Merrie Melodies/Looney Tunes short subjects.

You're thinking of the work of Maurice Noble in the 50s, which is most certainly not influenced by UPA, nor lazy in any sense of the word. It's overwhelmingly celebrated in the animation world (and some would say far too often imitated).

On the subject of replacing the original animation in the Star Trek Animated Series... I can't say I feel strongly one way or the other. Part of the charm of the series is it's junky limited look, which feels right at home with the storytelling style utilized. On the other hand, being open to new interpretations can sometimes bring surprisingly great results.