"Yorktown: A Time to Heal" - Official thread for the Sulu fan film!

Congratulations, and well done!

 

As someone who has wanted to see this since reading that article in Starlog, I am absolutely amazed that this project finally got to see the light of day. Congratulations to everyone involved. I have no nits, no picks, and my inner teenager is beyond satisfied.
Awesome!

 

This was a fun little story. Looooooong time coming. I'd be curious how to learn how the original 1985 story differs from the finished product.

The only nit I would pick is the CG. It looks great, but the miniatures that were going to be used in 1985 would have been perfect. It kinda has that TOS-R disconnect between the ships and live action.

 

The film is now also up on YouTube!

 

Really cool to see this project finally get completed, congrats to the team and everyone involved!

 

Honestly, the thing I loved most about watching this was just appreciating "the seams", that is to say I loved the weaving of new and old elements to tell a complete story. The switching (and stitching!) of modern and vintage footage and audio was sometimes obvious, sometimes subtle, always enjoyed.

The front-on shots of Pond in the cold open were great, and a massive leap ahead of the version in the trailer. Seriously good work on that, I assume face-replacement on a body double?

I also assume some of these scenes are a mix of vintage footage, vintage audio, and modern audio? Even some of the (no offense) "cheesier" voice acting actually made me enjoy it all the more somehow. I wondered if some of the looping seemed slightly off due to having to match the enunciation/amateur acting of another person.

I liked that the ships all had a different visual quality to them. I don't know how intentional that was, but thumbs up regardless.

Ayy, Aliens motion tracker. I recognize you.

I like the end credits song too.

I'd love to hear the breakdown of what was old and what wasn't. No pressure to actually do it of course, just that I'd love it.

 

So great to see this after so many years of build up!
And it was a good, complete story

 

I think this thread deserves a name update so that more people know the film is released.

 

Felicitations to john, at the very least for his persistence...but the film's quality is impressive.
I have to admit a couple of times where Stan is surrounded by enemies and he whipped out a grin reminded me how this was truly a fan film made for fun. I'll be watching it at least 2 more times in the next few weeks to really catch as much of the detail as there is...

does this mean after about 34 years, Stan no longer has his Moby Dick? what WILL he do for himself?

 

Once again, congrats!

This was amazing to see finally. I've been fascinated by this project since I read about it in Starlog.

I'm glad you were able to fill out the story by filming the scenes on the ship, especially in the beginning. Seeing Pond's loss was much better than just getting it told to us in voice over.

I also dig the in-between TOS to TMP uniforms in the film.

 

@Captain Atkin was nice enough to show me several cuts of the film over the past years and even heeded a fair amount of my feedback, but went his own way in many places. The only feedback worth mentioning was that I suggested leaning a bit harder into the Super 8 footage because that's what everyone's been itching to see as opposed to the stuff shot in the 21st century, which he did.

 

It's on my watch later list.

 

Just finished it and I want to say its very good and thanks for releasing it!

I was wondering. At first I thought Sulu was mostly CGI and de-aging. It didn't even occur to me that this was filmed back in the 1980s. Why did this go over 2 decades unfinished before you picked it back up again in 2011? ( I saw this thread started 11 years ago)

 

Fan Film Factor did a pretty in-depth series of articles (link) on the history of Yorktown.

 

Kudos to you and your team. It was very enjoyable.

 

Thank You!

I would have to add that the Fan Film Factor has more than one part to it. It's fantastic. The story behind this project was very interesting. I would strongly recommend it to anybody who would love to get the history.

 

Thanks for linking that. What a story behind this film. It is well worth the time spent reading it.

Oh and of course I enjoyed Yorktown.

 

I did enjoy that Yorktown brought in a female Andorian for the bridge crew. I could have lived without the inclusion of never-seen Vulcan Xon as I don't think fanservice like that was necessary, but I'm a grump purist...I'm sure other viewers enjoyed it.
I'd be curious to find out what props fan filmmakers keep for themselves years after different shoots...

 

I've never understood why so many fanfilms call out everyone by name. "Mr. Steerstheship, steer the ship!" It just becomes a mess of names you instantly forget.

I'm always about cutting down the number of speaking parts and tossing out every "aye aye, sir" and the like possible. But that's me.

 

Haha... I tried to only use names once, to introduce characters to the audience. Definitely tried not to overdo it in the film.