Mindwalker
Regular
its al lot cleaner and crisper but nothing "knock-you-on-your-butt" great.
-
The new B5TV.COM is here. We've replaced our 16 year old software with flashy new XenForo install. Registration is open again. Password resets will work again. More info here.
Old school Trek gets a make over....
- Thread starter darth_librarian
- Start date
Recoil
Regular
I wasnt expecting "knock you on your butt" great. As some have said, if the effects and CGI were cleaned up THAT good, then it would look out of place. From the 10min I saw, they seemed to have found a nice way to clean up original images of the actors, and the CGI seems to blend well with the rest of the show and add a lot where effects were lacking.
Joseph DeMartino
Moderator
I was wondering about that. To me the command uniforms looked a bit green (which the fabric actually was, but some alchemy in either the photographic process or the broadcasts made they appear gold.) But since I have a bit of red/green color blindness I have a real problem distinguishing certain shades in the brown/tan/green range.
Regards,
Joe
Recoil
Regular
Well Kirk had 2 uniforms. One really did look green, and had the Enterprise emblem near his waist. The other was more of a yellow/gold color with the emblem in the normal place on the chest. It was that uniform that instead of its "dirty goldish" look that seemed a far brighter gold/yellow.
Joseph DeMartino
Moderator
Yes, I know.
I watched these things the first time around.I was referring to the one he wears in the epsode that has actually aired and which we're discussing here.
The wrap-around uniform with the emblem at the waist (it was originally just the Enterprise emblem, each ship in the fleet having its own)* was made from a different material and therefore "read" as green. The green velour shirts worn by Kirk and all the "command" staff officers was the one the looked gold in most photographs. (The color scheme actually matched the color guns used in color TV - red, green and blue. Red for Engineering and Ship's Services, green for Command, blue for Sciences - including medical)
Regards,
Joe
* After Kirk's Enterprise became the first starship to return from its 5 year mission with both vessell and crew relatively intact, the Enterprise badge was adopted across the fleet and became the official emblem of Starfleet. Or so Trek lore has it.
Chilli
High Treason Prevention Officer
* After Kirk's Enterprise became the first starship to return from its 5 year mission with both vessell and crew relatively intact, the Enterprise badge was adopted across the fleet and became the official emblem of Starfleet. Or so Trek lore has it.
That's been my theory .. but IIRC, somewhere, sometime on TOS, we see crewmen on a starbase or something of that source wearing uniforms with the TOS badges?
Not sure which episode .. it's always bugged me as an inconsistency though
Joseph DeMartino
Moderator
William Windom in "The Doomsday Machine" and officers at various starbases and other starships all wear badges that differ from the Enterprise design, just as different naval vessels and air squadrons have unique badges. (Gene served in the Army Air Force during WWII.) The "swish" became so identified with the show that later producers decided to use it for all Starfleet uniforms.
Regards,
Joe
Regards,
Joe
Galahad
Regular
Using Shakespeare as a metaphor doesn't necessarily work Sure, the language is respected... but the settings and contexts of the plays are very rarely restricted to the historical accuracy of Middle Ages Europe. Shakespeare is constantly reinterpretted to make it relevant to new audiences. I agree with the post that said that if change was any more than cosmetic it would be a bad thing... but if it's just used as a way of making things relevant to a new audience (and not in a cynical cash cow way), then I don't think it is entirely harmful.
One of the big flaws in Star Wars is that you feel more sympathy for Artoo when he is stunned by jawas, then you do for an entire planet of innocent people who are wiped out by the Death Star. Instead of messing with the Greedo fire's first thing (which was nonsense because the whole scene is there to underline that Han was good at anticipating his opponents move in bad situations), I would have put some shots of life on Alderaan as the Death Star moves in... blotting out the Sun.
And why didn't Lucas alter the turd squid?
One of the big flaws in Star Wars is that you feel more sympathy for Artoo when he is stunned by jawas, then you do for an entire planet of innocent people who are wiped out by the Death Star. Instead of messing with the Greedo fire's first thing (which was nonsense because the whole scene is there to underline that Han was good at anticipating his opponents move in bad situations), I would have put some shots of life on Alderaan as the Death Star moves in... blotting out the Sun.
And why didn't Lucas alter the turd squid?
hypatia
Regular
Plays are meant to be done over and over again. And yes, some choose to update older material.
If I'd compare a television episode or a movie to anything, it would be more like a painting. It's a done deal.
I also think a good point was made about just whether this will increase sales to kids. If they find they can't stand the show due to the older effects, won't they also be turned off by the whole style of the show?
Or is their target market old trekkers who will actually buy these dvd's just to see the new effects?
If I'd compare a television episode or a movie to anything, it would be more like a painting. It's a done deal.
I also think a good point was made about just whether this will increase sales to kids. If they find they can't stand the show due to the older effects, won't they also be turned off by the whole style of the show?
Or is their target market old trekkers who will actually buy these dvd's just to see the new effects?
Galahad
Regular
I fear this may be the way television and certainly cinema are going. Think about how many remakes and re-imaginings there have been - now in some cases it is a good thing, but all too often it's just a marketing ploy to make money off a brand name while minimising costs. Todays modern entertainment will follow in the footsteps of the plays of old and be recycled and repackaged in new ways that.
How many times are the same films repeated on TV?
If execs had the chance to show it differently they'd be able to get away withs showing the same stuff with a different slant much more often.
How many times are the same films repeated on TV?
If execs had the chance to show it differently they'd be able to get away withs showing the same stuff with a different slant much more often.
Recoil
Regular
I finally did see "Balance of Terror" as I was able to locate it through someone on this site (Thanks!). I think they did a great job with it, and I couldn't have asked for more. The effects were neat, yet it was for the most part unchanged. The only "new" effect was seeing the top of the Romulan ship for a quick glimpse. Everything else was done almost frame by frame from the original episode....it just looked better. I think the CGI was very well done, and I also think it did NOT stand out as looking "odd" or "out of place." They took great care to make it have the same feel as the sets and uniforms. It all went together well, and was a nice addition.
I can't want to see some of the other ones to see how they look touched up.
I can't want to see some of the other ones to see how they look touched up.
Jade Jaguar
Regular
I just saw Devil in the Dark, or most of it anyway. It started 12 minutes late, and I only set the DVR for 2 minutes over. I watched it on the HD channel of the local ABC affiliate, with a scheduled start time of 3am.
I don't dislike the upgrades, but I am not much impressed either. How much of that is due to the broadcaster, I don't know. First, it didn't look like HD, just a good DVD. The audio, while improved in range, was over-mixed, with little real audio imaging, due to not much separation. Except for Kirk's voice boombing out from the surround channels during the intro. The new CGI was subtle, and appropriate, as was the re-recorded music. I would really like to know if it was really broadcast in HD, and if the station messed with the audio.
In trying to program a series recording, I found that ST is flagged as all repeats, so I had to alter the DVR programming to record repeats, and to run 30 minutes over. So, hopefully, I will see all of Naked Time.
I don't dislike the upgrades, but I am not much impressed either. How much of that is due to the broadcaster, I don't know. First, it didn't look like HD, just a good DVD. The audio, while improved in range, was over-mixed, with little real audio imaging, due to not much separation. Except for Kirk's voice boombing out from the surround channels during the intro. The new CGI was subtle, and appropriate, as was the re-recorded music. I would really like to know if it was really broadcast in HD, and if the station messed with the audio.
In trying to program a series recording, I found that ST is flagged as all repeats, so I had to alter the DVR programming to record repeats, and to run 30 minutes over. So, hopefully, I will see all of Naked Time.
Jade Jaguar
Regular
I've watched a few of these tweaked Treks, but I'm not sure how many more I will watch. I edited the commercials out of one ep, I,Mudd, my favorite, and found it was only 44 minutes long. The original version is 51 minutes. I had noticed that there were times when something seemed to be missing. I did notice something missing from a previous ep. Does anyone know if full length versions exist of the make over versions, and if they are being sent out to the stations? I do hope they put them on DVD, in their entirety. Except for the cuts, I think they look and sound quite good. I've noticed that when they show the Enterprise, whenever possible they show it passing in front of a planet, something never done in the original.
Jade Jaguar
Regular
I was going by the time listed for the LD version. Still, that would mean missing six minutes... UGH!
B5_Obsessed
Regular
Well, I keep watching these and continue to be at times either surprised or disappointed. The FX crew is getting a little more daring in their updates, producing a glorious ringed planet shot for "I, Mudd." At the same time, however, the Enterprise still lacks sufficient detail to appear photorealistic. In the episode "Arena", we get our first glimpse of the Gorn ship. However, it is just the slightest glimpse, as the ship is too far away to see any details except perhaps a central hull and two horizontal engines. A fun surprise was that the Gorn can be seen blinking several times, making him just a bit more lifelike. However, (and there's always a however, isn't there?) they seemed to tire of the effect rapidly and although I waited to see it happen again, he basically stopped blinking after the 4th time, about 5 minutes in to his screen time. Oh well.
