Why did they ever make the change to the gray topped uniforms in FC?

[C.E. Evans]

Re: Why did they ever make the change to the gray topped uniforms in F

Least flattering Jadzia image ever.

She was injured and in the middle of a dangerous mission.

 

[RoJoHen]

Re: Why did they ever make the change to the gray topped uniforms in F

It was done to give the TNG movies a different look from the TV series, IMO. New uniforms were designed for Generations, but they were rejected at very much the last minute.

Yep, which is why the Generations action figures have totally different uniforms from anything we ever saw on screen.

Speaking of action figures, I got really annoyed that the FC action figures were so much larger than the rest of the Playmates toys. It made them so much harder to play with!

 

[C.E. Evans]

Re: Why did they ever make the change to the gray topped uniforms in F

It was done to give the TNG movies a different look from the TV series, IMO. New uniforms were designed for Generations, but they were rejected at very much the last minute.

Yep, which is why the Generations action figures have totally different uniforms from anything we ever saw on screen.

Speaking of action figures, I got really annoyed that the FC action figures were so much larger than the rest of the Playmates toys. It made them so much harder to play with!

I know! And by the time Playmates finally got around to making them in the scale with the other figures three years later, they could only be found at Target stores in very limited quantities. And to make it even worse, Doctor Crusher was impossible to find except online, and they didn't even make LaForge at all...

 

[RoJoHen]

Re: Why did they ever make the change to the gray topped uniforms in F

I feel like as a kid I could have found a work-around for the size difference. It's not like I had any lack of imagination. I'm the guy who lobotomized "Encounter at Farpoint" Bones by shaving off part of his head on the treadmill and had him try to eat the Benzite because he was convinced he was made of Jell-O.

True story.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Re: Why did they ever make the change to the gray topped uniforms in F

I used some of the Marvel action figures to stand in for some Trek figures I didn't have. I used some Marvel character named Junkpile as my Borg. He was cool because his head, arms, and legs were removeable.

http://www.puzzlezoo.com/assets/photos/MVLU32965f.jpg

 

[Christopher]

Re: Why did they ever make the change to the gray topped uniforms in F

I feel like as a kid I could have found a work-around for the size difference.

"Curse you, Dr. Keniclius!!"

 

[RoJoHen]

Re: Why did they ever make the change to the gray topped uniforms in F

I used some of the Marvel action figures to stand in for some Trek figures I didn't have. I used some Marvel character named Junkpile as my Borg. He was cool because his head, arms, and legs were removeable.

http://www.puzzlezoo.com/assets/photos/MVLU32965f.jpg

I actually used to use Major Kira as the Dark Phoenix.

 

[Aldo]

Re: Why did they ever make the change to the gray topped uniforms in F

I liked the uniforms of FC. They look more professional; much more of a space military look to them.

I always believed that's why they changed them as well. It was their attempt to create uniforms that were similar to the TOS films, making Starfleet out to be even more of a military than TNG ever did.

I would have been perfectly happy if they transitioned to the DS9 design for the remaining TNG films, Playmates would even have their "new" uniforms so they could churn more toys out.

 

[lstyer]

Re: Why did they ever make the change to the gray topped uniforms in F

It was done to give the TNG movies a different look from the TV series, IMO. New uniforms were designed for Generations, but they were rejected at very much the last minute.

I'm probably in the minority, but I like those abandoned Generations uniforms better than any of the other TNG-era uniforms. I think they nicely split the difference between looking credibly military as did the "grays" and visually interesting as did the (later season) TNG uniforms.

 

[Frontier]

Re: Why did they ever make the change to the gray topped uniforms in F

You know, they didn't actually wear all those layers while filming. The color collar areas where dickies basically when they where filming, because actually wearing all those layers would have been far too much and bulky and hot.

We only saw such layers when we where specifically meant to. IE, when it was hot and there was a reason to unzip the black w/gray shoulders top.

Also, it's been explained a few times how SF uniforms are some "magic fabric" lol that is versatile in variable temperatures. Though if that where so, we wouldn't have seen people sweating like pigs in First Contact.

I do wish we'd have seen more of the vest Picard wore in FC (and in a Deleted Scene in INS -- I have pictures proving such, lol) and that Sisko only wore in 2 or 3 episodes like "Rapture" and "In the Pale Moonlight" - I'd have loved to have seen Dax in that just once.

IMHO, the best uniforms are the Trek's II-VI ones and the FC ones.

TNG, VGR, TMP... bleh!

Though the nuTrek ones, I like a smidge more than the original TOS ones. The pattern makes them look less like pajamas. lol.

 

[smalltalk66]

Re: Why did they ever make the change to the gray topped uniforms in F

This is from a lifelong viewer of Trek, as well as a fan.

The original uniforms for TOS wisely used the black collar in order to draw the viewer's eye from the tunics to the actor's faces. I'm glad they did not use the Voyager uniforms--I found myself with every episode staring at the distracting, bright collars rather than at the faces of the actors who wore the uniforms.

 

[Cyke101]

Re: Why did they ever make the change to the gray topped uniforms in F

I always thought the FC uniforms had the same problem as the TOS movie red uniforms, they look so heavy and hot, how cold do they keep it on a starship?

I was thinking the same thing. Even if we think the characters are like the actors in that they're wearing dickies instead of full shirts underneath, the material by itself looks pretty heavy, without a lot to let anything breathe under there.

This also applies to the later movies and DS9, but I was always curious why they decided to change to those dull gray uniforms with the colors only showing up on their collars and their sleeves.

Probably the same reason Generations used dimmer lighting than TNG, and the same reason the TOS movie uniforms used more subdued colors than the TV uniforms. TV shows are made to be watched on relatively small screens in people's living rooms with other sources of light around, whereas movies are made to be shown on huge screens in enclosed chambers that are otherwise extremely dark. The kind of bright colors that work well on TV would be too garish for movie screens, so feature-film cinematographers, costume designers, set designers, and the like tend to favor more subdued color and lighting. Or at least, that was the case back when the movies in question were made, before giant flatscreen TVs were common and before movie theaters began using digital projectors. The difference is probably a lot less now than it was back then.

I agree, this is probably the number 1 reason. But if FC demanded a change, DS9 would have to follow suit, not just because of continuity, but also because a movie will trump a TV show.

Voyager perhaps gets a pass if only to help further establish the visual differences between both shows. If you're trying to spread throughout the market, try to reduce the confusion between the two.

*****

On a side note, while I prefer the FC uniforms over the TNG/DS9/VOY uniforms as a whole, I'm starting to think that they're beginning to look a little dated. This might not be a Trek-centric concern, though -- the Matrix helped bring back heavy dark colors into pop culture and media, but with the trilogy long over, since then TV and film started to become colorful again. In my head, the backlash against constant dark colors could be affecting my opinion of the FC uniforms as a result.

 

[Trek Survivor]

Re: Why did they ever make the change to the gray topped uniforms in F

Like the OP, I'm really not a fan of the FC-onward uniforms.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Re: Why did they ever make the change to the gray topped uniforms in F

It was done to give the TNG movies a different look from the TV series, IMO. New uniforms were designed for Generations, but they were rejected at very much the last minute.

I'm probably in the minority, but I like those abandoned Generations uniforms better than any of the other TNG-era uniforms. I think they nicely split the difference between looking credibly military as did the "grays" and visually interesting as did the (later season) TNG uniforms.

It's interesting how the design would have merged some TOS elements (rank stripes & the move-era wraparound jacket) with TNG ones.
http://i43.tinypic.com/2lnrpi.jpg

 

[lstyer]

Re: Why did they ever make the change to the gray topped uniforms in F

It's interesting how the design would have merged some TOS elements (rank stripes & the move-era wraparound jacket) with TNG ones.
http://i43.tinypic.com/2lnrpi.jpg

The rank stripes are one element I really like in that design. I've always thought the TOS rank braids looked cooler than the TNG pips, though the pips were a little easier to understand (and way easier to understand than the system of pins on the movie-era uniforms). The stripes on this design bridge that gap, looking cool like the TOS braids, but apparently following the TNG pip pattern.

The jackets just plain look cool to me.

 

[The Dominion]

Re: Why did they ever make the change to the gray topped uniforms in F

Something I always thought was neat about the FC uniforms, was that when the jacket was taken off it left a solid color tunic that seemed like a throwback to the TOS style uniforms, with darker colors.

 

[Anji]

Re: Why did they ever make the change to the gray topped uniforms in F

Never cared for the TC uniforms. Too dark.

Too many dark colors mellow and depress the mood of the production.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

Re: Why did they ever make the change to the gray topped uniforms in F

I loved the gray uniforms that were introduced in the Dominion War part of the timeline, myself. But I hated those white dress uniform jackets! I thought it made everyone look like waiters...

 

[Iamnotspock]

Re: Why did they ever make the change to the gray topped uniforms in F

I always assumed that, in-universe, Starfleet redesigned the uniform when the Dominion situation began to worsen and war looked like a possibility. Bright primary-coloured outfits aren't really conducive to field combat or stealth.

 

[Mytran]

Re: Why did they ever make the change to the gray topped uniforms in F

I thought they grey-topped unforms looked good in FC, but pretty soon after they were introduced in DS9, I realized how visually uninteresing they were. And, they looked really uncomfortably hot. Tank top, coloured shirt, waistcoat then uniform jacket?

That's something that TMP really got right, I think - despite the pastel shades, there was a good variation of uniform types, suitable for wear on a climate controlled starship.

Having lots of layers to put on (even if they are made of futuristic anti-weat fabric) just makes no sense!