Where Did This Prop Go?

[Michael]

Does anyone remember these Cardassian screens? (They used them in Past Prologue, for example.)

I thought they were rather nice, because they had a very unusual design. Later they were replaced with more ordinary laptop-style interfaces. Does anyone know why they didn't use them again? Was there a problem with creating the special effects for it? Or did they just not like the design?

Am I the only one who loved them?

 

[Gepard]

I bet the opticals cost too much for it to be worth it. Sort of like how first-season TNG had those nifty tabletop floating holographic displays that vanished never to be seen again.

 

[Michael]

I bet the opticals cost too much for it to be worth it.

Yup, I thought so, too. But then again, is there really such a big technical difference in creating this effect than doing the usual interface screen? Isn't it both basically just a video mapped on the prop; only that this time the image has to be elliptical and translucent?

 

[Sykonee]

I'm pretty sure Garak was using one in Way Of The Warrior. Other than that...

Yeah, it was unfortunate to see them go, but I suppose that Cardassian technology just didn't mingle well with the Federation's -as O'Brien frequently complained about during S1.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

It probably went to the same never-never-land as did Kira's uniform's massive shoulder boards, and the Holographic Communicator on the Defiant. (Still scratching my head about that last one. The holo-communicator actually *saves* money, since they don't have to go through the expense of putting an actor's image up on the viewscreen and compositing it into the scene - they can just have him/her in the room!)

 

[Michael]

I'm pretty sure Garak was using one in Way Of The Warrior. Other than that...

Wow, you are right! I forgot about that. Maybe there are other instances where it got reused? It's nice to see an appearance of the prop so late into the series.

Yeah, it was unfortunate to see them go, but I suppose that Cardassian technology just didn't mingle well with the Federation's -as O'Brien frequently complained about during S1.

So much for an in-universe explanation.

(Still scratching my head about that last one. The holo-communicator actually *saves* money, since they don't have to go through the expense of putting an actor's image up on the viewscreen and compositing it into the scene - they can just have him/her in the room!)

I agree, technically the holo-communicator was an easier and cheaper effect. But I guess they switched back to conventional screens because of dramatic purposes.

 

[Strider]

It probably went to the same never-never-land as did Kira's uniform's massive shoulder boards, and the Holographic Communicator on the Defiant. (Still scratching my head about that last one. The holo-communicator actually *saves* money, since they don't have to go through the expense of putting an actor's image up on the viewscreen and compositing it into the scene - they can just have him/her in the room!)

There's actually a deleted scene where Worf calls up an old girlfriend on holo-communicator while drunk and alone on the Defiant bridge. What ensued really took all the fun out of their new holo toy, to say the very least. Everyone was too embarassed to talk about it, and O'Brien quietly removed the holocommunicator shortly thereafter.

 

[Praetor]

I liked the Cardassian "gas overlay" viewers.

 

[Gepard]

But then again, is there really such a big technical difference in creating this effect than doing the usual interface screen? Isn't it both basically just a video mapped on the prop; only that this time the image has to be elliptical and translucent?

Well, if you're doing a regular monitor, you don't have to comp in the other side of the conversation for the reverse angles because the screen is facing away from the camera. The holoscreen, on the other hand, is double-sided so there's twice (possibly more than twice, depending on how many shots of the regular screen there are in a normal conversation) the number of costly VFX shots.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

They are cool because they look like the windows in people's quarters.

Always nice to see Cardassian design.

 

[nx1701g]

If I recall correctly there was one on Dukat's desk during the Dominion Occupation arc. I do recall seeing one of them during that.

Maybe the Bajorans wanted rid of them because of the Cardassian connection?

 

[Praetor]

I think the DS9 tech manual says something about them being slightly less... well, good, generally.

 

[doubleohfive]

It probably went to the same never-never-land as did Kira's uniform's massive shoulder boards, and the Holographic Communicator on the Defiant. (Still scratching my head about that last one. The holo-communicator actually *saves* money, since they don't have to go through the expense of putting an actor's image up on the viewscreen and compositing it into the scene - they can just have him/her in the room!)

It was also confusing as hell for people who didn't know what the fuck it was.

 

[nx1701g]

It probably went to the same never-never-land as did Kira's uniform's massive shoulder boards, and the Holographic Communicator on the Defiant. (Still scratching my head about that last one. The holo-communicator actually *saves* money, since they don't have to go through the expense of putting an actor's image up on the viewscreen and compositing it into the scene - they can just have him/her in the room!)

It was also confusing as hell for people who didn't know what the fuck it was.

If I recall correctly the mentioned in one of the behind the scenes books that the holocommunicator ended up confusing people in their focus groups. People thought that Eddington beamed onto the Defiant and they didn't know why Sisko didn't just stun him or something along those lines. I think it was in the companion.

 

[Bill Morris]

When Kira, Damar, and Garak were in the basement of Garak's childhood home watching Weyoun's announcement that a Cardassian city had been destroyed as punishment for sabotage, it was on a monitor that looked like that.

 

[Michael]

When Kira, Damar, and Garak were in the basement of Garak's childhood home watching Weyoun's announcement that a Cardassian city had been destroyed as punishment for sabotage, it was on a monitor that looked like that.

Nope, wasn't the same.

 

[Praetor]

When Kira, Damar, and Garak were in the basement of Garak's childhood home watching Weyoun's announcement that a Cardassian city had been destroyed as punishment for sabotage, it was on a monitor that looked like that.

Nope, wasn't the same.

I still kinda like that little one, too.

 

[Michael]

Nope, wasn't the same.

I still kinda like that little one, too.

I dunno. Personally I never really liked that one. I love the Cardassian design aesthetic, but somehow this one looks off. I guess it's because most of the time Cardassian designs seem to be vertically symmetric. It also bugs me that the prop is an altered version of the mirror from Second Skin (you see, this one is vertically symmetric).

 

[Praetor]

Oh, I see where you're coming from. Normally, that lack of symmetry would bother me, but somehow it seems to maintain an overall aesthetic balance nonetheless, with the offset screen and the shape of the middle piece itself. *shrug*

 

[nx1701g]

To be honest I like both versions, but I kinda like the mirror one a bit better.