Star Trek -- with new, improved effects
In principle, I have nothing against new versions of old films, so long as the original versions are still available; and in principle, I have nothing against adding CGI effects to an old film, so long as they "fit in" with the look and feel of the rest of the movie.
So, while we all know how intrusive the new CGI effects have been in the "special editions" of the Star Wars trilogy (1977-1983), I have always admired the new CGI effects that were produced for the "director's edition" of Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) that came out on DVD five years ago; the new effects shots look like they could have been produced a quarter-century ago, if a little more time or money or thought had been put into them.
One of the people who worked on ST:TMP's new effects was Daren R. Dochterman, who, just for fun, also revamped a few scenes from the original Star Trek (1966-1969) and posted them at this website; I can't find the clips there any more, but a sampling of his work on 'The Doomsday Machine' is available at YouTube.
Now comes word -- via E! Online, Entertainment Weekly, and others -- that the original series itself will feature newly enhanced CGI shots when it goes into syndication again on September 16.
Some fans are worried, but I figure if the effects crew -- which will apparently not include Dochterman this time -- goes about it as tastefully as they did with ST:TMP, then it shouldn't be too bad. And as long as the original version of the original series remains available, I wouldn't complain even if the new effects did stink.
Just so long as they don't tweak the Klingons to make them look more like the Klingons of the movies and later series.
So, while we all know how intrusive the new CGI effects have been in the "special editions" of the Star Wars trilogy (1977-1983), I have always admired the new CGI effects that were produced for the "director's edition" of Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) that came out on DVD five years ago; the new effects shots look like they could have been produced a quarter-century ago, if a little more time or money or thought had been put into them.
One of the people who worked on ST:TMP's new effects was Daren R. Dochterman, who, just for fun, also revamped a few scenes from the original Star Trek (1966-1969) and posted them at this website; I can't find the clips there any more, but a sampling of his work on 'The Doomsday Machine' is available at YouTube.
Now comes word -- via E! Online, Entertainment Weekly, and others -- that the original series itself will feature newly enhanced CGI shots when it goes into syndication again on September 16.
Some fans are worried, but I figure if the effects crew -- which will apparently not include Dochterman this time -- goes about it as tastefully as they did with ST:TMP, then it shouldn't be too bad. And as long as the original version of the original series remains available, I wouldn't complain even if the new effects did stink.
Just so long as they don't tweak the Klingons to make them look more like the Klingons of the movies and later series.
posted by Peter T Chattaway at 1:27 AM
5 Comments:
Don't tweak the Klingons? Why? That's the *one* thing I was thinking of while watching the video.
Watching the video, at many points - especially in the opening credits montage - I thought to myself, "THIS is what I always saw in my mind's eye, watching the series as a kid."
It's that good, that respectful, and that restrained.
I trust that Okuda and company will do as good a job.
I say don't tweak the Klingons, because it would ruin that really good moment in that episode Deep Space Nine where Sisko, Worf, Bashir etc. go back in time to the 'Trouble with Tribbles' episode, and someone notices that the Klingons look different, and Worf says, "We don't like to talk about it."
Incidentally, there's a thought -- I can't remember how they melded the 1960s special effects with the 1990s special effects in that episode, but I wonder if any "enhancements" to the 1960s episode would merit "enhancements" to the 1990s episode.
I'd have to mostly agree with Crimsonline. My main quibble is with the giant space turd; it looked very CGI; the texture mapping was very obvious.
The more subtle enhancements, however, were very inobtrusive yet effective.
I saw a few stills of the new CGI and I thought it looked really good. Being Trek, not everyone will be happy, but it's a whole lot closer to what I imagined in my head as a kid. My husband, a Trek nut, is giddy with how they look. As long as Okuda is involved, I'm not too worried...
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