Today is Arena Remastered Day

Kirk goes mano-a-clawo when he faces a Gorn Captain

Video preview / Local Station & Showtimes / More at Memory Alpha

This classic episode gives the CGI crew at CBS a bit more to work with. There is a lot of action both in space and on the ground. Possible areas for improvement:

  • some new Enterprise shots, including at high warp
  • new planet(s)
  • new Cestus III landscape
  • phaser effects…and the first photon torpedoes
  • a very hard to see Gorn ship
  • …and a Gorn that blinks

 

StarTrek.com has posted some preview pics…

 

 

UPDATE: TrekMovie.com Screenies and Vid from Arena Remastered 

 

 

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I tell you what. This is my all time favorite of the TOS series and I won’t see it till next week due to the Baseball playoffs.
Oh well, I look forward to what people have to say about this particular show.
This show has it all. Action, leadership, strenght to protect and resourcefulness.

HA! He does blink! That makes it complete. It will give him more life, don’t you think? :)

Other than the nacelle caps, that preview pic of the Enterprise looks pretty darn good. Realizing this isn’t the new model yet, one of my pet peeves with the CG lighting has been addressed: the window lights have been way too dim until now. This new shot looks very good.

The odd crumpled bit of metal blocking out the landscape is gone, which is good. They appear to have added a crater and, if you look carefully, there are more walls and such outside the ones we normally see. Certainly gives the impression of the Cestus colony being bigger than just a single walled enclosure.

I’m sure how I feel about a Gorn ship that is “very hard to see.” What’s the point of putting it in if you can’t even see what it looks like? TOS had lots of ships that were just blobs of light.

I think (and hope) we’ll get to see a Gorn ship that is more than a simple ‘blob of light’. As for the blinking Gorn all I can say is ‘Yaaaay’ :)
The nacele caps still look bad, but it’s just a matter of time until we get the new Enterprise model.

I don’t understand what the big deal here. Why is Paramount doing this? They have always held an iron fist when it came to Trek budgets. They always complained about the “cost “. Now they are going back and doing all of this? Is this nothing more than Paramount trying to ease the blow of a prequel movie?

Did we suddenly cross over into the bizzaro world?

Did you miss all of the information about trying to make TOS sellable to stations broadcasting HD? They’re not interested in the original series as it’s been shown up to now, you know.

We have not crossed — we remain in a capitalist society. Paramount is first and foremost a business and the generation of money is their ultimate goal. In this environment however, some artists and visionaries may take advantage of the opportunity to create something “meaningful”. Something greater than the bottom line be it Star Trek or some other medium.
This project offers Dave Rossi and the Okudas a chance to both draw a paycheck and live a dream — to help shape the Original Series and be a part of it. In addition to energizing the fan base (we’re here aren’t we), it is hoped that fertile ground will be created leading up to the next feature film. Thus yielding yet more money for Paramount (no matter who is in control of her) — but the opportunity for those artists and craftsman to give us something more than just another movie ticket stub in our pocket exists.
The Future outcome, be it success or failure, to be determined . . .

That gorn looks scary.I hope he doesn’t get me.

I just saw the episode. Overall, it was quite good. The appearance of the Enterprise continues to improve. However, I was astonished to see very obvious film scratches on the Kirk/Gorn battle scenes that were optically composited on the bridge view screen. The film transfers were flawless up to this point. Couldn’t the scratches and dirt be removed from these scenes as they have been all along? Curious.

After watching the Remastered “Arena” only once, there do seem to be a lot of little things going on – –
1. No Going to Warp Exteriors — the Viewscreen does feature a fast moving Starfield just like the original.
2. New Orbital shot of Cestus III.
3. Phasers as shown on startrek.com — however, the original sound effect remains.
4. Photon torp firing is a close shot seen from the starboard side (as are the Phasers). The torp is colored “red”.
5. Gorn Ship? Yes, it is there. But don’t get your hopes up if you are looking for a flyby because it isn’t happening. It remains a mystery.
6. The Gorn Captain blinks. Yes, it’s true — I counted a total of 4 (Four) times.

This addresses the items mentioned above at the Column’s Head. Now the panning aft shot of the Enterprise firing a torp in the Arena promo is not seen in the episode. Nor are the Impulse Engines (we really didn’t think they would be).
Check out the “Glimmer” on the Metron. No, not just the reflected lights found in the original episode — they seem to be augmented or is it just the transfer clean-up?
A departing ship shot as the credits roll and there you have it. There are a couple of other smaller things but I want to see what others think.
The Transfers are of course excellent — the editing painful (a necessary evil) but these two points really go without saying for each and every episode.

As much as I enjoy the remastered episodes, it’s really kind of a letdown to see improvements in the previews that aren’t there in the episodes.

For example, the lit impulse engines in the preview which aren’t there in the episode (I always wonder if it was the original intent of the original FX people to light the impulse engines). And, another example, in the Naked Time preview, the yellow glow around some interior and exterior shots indicating a time warp type of effect.

It feels kind of like a bait and switch. I’m wondering if we will ever see any of these shots someplace.

Is the editting a necessary evil? TV made money in the 60s with less ads. Tv made money in the 80’s with less ads. We the consumer are getting screwed out of more and more actual product.

To think syndication cuts to these episodes 20 and even 10 years ago were FAR few than these. We only have 42 minutes of show in an hour block! In ten years will we only have 30 minutes?

“Necessary evil” only in terms of today’s commercial standards in relation to all other television series. Personally I agree with you Mark2000 — I wish we had a 90 minute slot to ensure the complete episode.

OK, the Gorn blinked; a few more would’ve been better, but the plaster of paris head remains, so in the end, what could they do? EdenFX digital Gorn in Enterprise to me looked even more unconvincing.

Regarding The U.S.S. Enterprise , I think in some respects the work has improved, but I still hope the new “model” is better. As Daren Doc wrote on October 2:

http://betafive.com/wordpress/?p=18#more-18

The Engine Nacelles. They just look wrong. Still. The “blades” of the fan in front they’ve made too wide. They are missing the fact that this widening of the blades is in fact made from the motion blur of the shutter on the camera. The real blades were much thinner, as you can see from the close up shots of the nacelle dome effects in Doomsday Machine. (the shot “over the shoulder” of the Enterprise where it is towing the Constellation)… The domes should not be orange. They should be frosted white… and LIT from inside by the orange lights. The domes they have now are very uniformly luminant… this is just plain wrong. Real world objects do not behave like this… and it’s an immediate clue to “CG-ocity”… there are a few ways to do this effect correctly… apparently they have just given up and are satisfied with this cartoon look… or perhaps they are just content with this because it reminds them of the much more boring TNG nacelle cap effects. Whatever it is, I cringe when I see it… cause I know it can be done better…

Lighting. Lighting. Lighting. The lighting on the original show’s effects was NOT flat. It can sometimes be mistaken for that since in most shots the Key light (or brightest light in the shot) came from the same general direction as the camera. This is different than TNG and later lighting where the brightest lights were placed TOWARD the camera, behind the objects. Frankly, I can’t tell what the lighting scheme is for the new shots, cause it is wildly inconsistent and almost always “wrong” looking to me. There seems to be no thinking about duplicating the lighting from the original shots… and the lighting they’re using certainly doesn’t make their model look good. (and it doesn’t seem to be emulating the lighting on the planets either) It just seems haphazard… and it doesn’t make the Enterprise look like a model… or real… (I’d be satisfied if it looked like an 11 foot model…) It just looks flat, flat, flat.

Lenses. Again, I have to stress the importance of using wide angle lenses on the enterprise… I’m not getting the proper “distortion” to convince me this is a real world object… and while we’re at it… I’m not convinced that all aspects of the model are correct… looking at comparison shots of the Old shot and New shot together of the Enterprise flying away from us orbiting the planet, it is obvious that the rear engine “balls” are too small in the new one. Nitpicking, yes… but when they said my mouth would water seeing the new shots, I want it to be true.

I still think in matching the moves of the “grips” pushing that heavy camera by hand, Rossi & Co. are way too conservative ! And not creating a Gorn ship — will, if they would’ve messed it up, maybe it’s better it was just a blob of light.

So, as usual, some good touches, and room for improvement for the DVD release, especially the 1080p version. And Gregster, you’re right about the films scrathes on the view screen; I wonder why they cleaned everything except that — unless the Metrons used analog film technology ! Given the choice in apparel, maybe…;)

I never liked the “pompous” attituded of the Metrons.

Mark 2000 – the commercials make a fifty-three minute show forty minutes at best; and so Paramount will, if they fix the bugs, probably have customers for the High Def. DVDs.

(Is anyone a “smilin’ Bob” fan? I wonder if it’s just the local station or “Bob” is CBS Paramount national sponsor? “Star Trek– brought to you by” as they said on TV 40 years ago…

Good heavens, is that what the product is for!! Truly illogical!) :(

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/drugs/2002-04-18-enzyte.htm

Ah, the indignities onesuffers to watch a decent television show! What a demographic screw up — I think…

Yep, Smilin Bob is all over the early morning showings of Trek here. But it does kinda explain why they choose to call it STAR TREK REMASTERED instead of STAR TREK ENHANCED. That and the Bob Spots together – – I shudder to think. (lol)

Wow… I am always amazed that I read the comments… and how universal they are.
The “score”… the way I see it.
Am I glad they are remastering the show?… Yes!
Is CBSParamount a money making business?……. Yes.
Why are they doing this?…….. See previous answer.. should be obivous
Is the work perfect…. No, but neither was the original and this IS getting better every show. Maybe the Enterprise was burning premium when the nacelle caps looked oranger (that a word?) than normal.
Why do they edit the show down for more commercials?… see the second question above and, no, it’s not unique to this show.
Is it a bad thing?…. of course it is.

And blinks?… I didn’t count them, I wanted the man in the rubber suit to go away.

Ok, this is one of my favorite episodes and it still is. Frankly, I had no problems with anything I saw on it tonight. All of the remastering looked good to me except for the one that has been bugging me more and more…the nacelles. YIPEE that it is still the same Gorn. Not that he’s perfect, but a heck of a lot better than that “Enterprise” dinosaur (PS-I am a BIG Enterprise fan, just not a big Enterprise Gorn fan)!!!!

Sybok…
I do appreciate your enthusiasm and drive… but I know I get kinda bored reading my words over and over again in different posts, so I’m sure many others do too… :) I think a simple link is sufficient, don’t you? That way if they wanna go read me, they can… or they don’t have to. lol It’s not that I have changed my mind about what I wrote… just that I don’t wanna seem like more of an “overbearing tin-plated dictator with delusions of god-hood.” than I already am.

I bet in a fight between ships the CBS digital Enterprise could whup the CGI defiant from “In a Mirror Darkly” and Daren’s CGI Enterprise.

As a matter of fact, it could easily defeat everyone bitching about it by setting phasers to stun and shooting people in their homes from high orbit , kinda like the street dwellers on the “gangsta” episode ” A peice of the action”.

And for those bitching about the nacelle caps too, you get a photon torpedo as an added bonus.

Damn, it’s been a long week. ;)

They also enhanced the look of the Metron at the end – he’s a lot more sparkly and shimmering.

wasn’t that David Bowie? (the metron)

“Did we suddenly cross over into the bizzaro world? ”
No. It was gradual. Started about ten years ago.

I thought the colors were spectacular. That bridge just looks fantastic! The ship looked good too. Loved the phasers and photons.

I saw this episode for the first time 37 years ago in Subic Bay, Phillipines and I was hooked on Star Trek forever.

“I don’t understand what the big deal here. Why is Paramount doing this?”

This is CBS.

“This is CBS.”

So does this mean Trek found a new home that loves it?

it’s being shown (not at the best time period).
It’s being freshened up…
I want it perfect to, and dislike the editing…
But I don’t understand all the negative comments… Look at the good stuff.

Someone clue me in.

Can’t wait to see this tomorrow night!
And yeah, if they can’t do a decent Gorn ship, better to leave it closer to the original episode. I can live with the Gorn being just touched up, it’s mad to think that they would even consider CGI since it’d be an expensive pain anyway.
~cheers

Ian Watson? Forgive my off-topic post, but I *love* his work! “VSTM & Other Stories” has HUGE sentimental value.

[“Won’t get to see the new ep ’til tomorrow”, he says to CHA…]

#25 CBS and Paramount are both owned by Viacom

#26 So as I stated to #25, both are sister companies. Paramount recently decided to allow CBS to handle all Star Trek TV shows.

first, the obvious. compound eyes do not blink. and a blink should be accompanied by a brow motion. it’s just wrong wrong wrong.
in the distant future there will be a trivia question: “how many times did the gorn blink in the first digital enhancement of arena?”
in the final scene, kirk is transported back to the enterprise and his uniform is dry cleaned and his limp is gone. the metrones fixed him on the fly i guess.
then sulu says “we’re clear across the galaxy”. in star trek voyager, this entailed an 80 year voyage at maximum warp to return home. but in “arena” kirk says “take us back to cestus 3 at warp factor 1”

#21 Post- I compliment the show but throw in one little negative and your response is that you want to phaser me and add in a photon torpedo? You are out of control. Get a grip. Posting things like my dad (my CGI Enterprise) can beat up your dad (your CGI or non CGI Enterprise) is just plain pathetic.

I have been watching Star Trek since I was 3 years old (I’m 40 now) and have always loved the original the best. I have wholeheartedly supported this project and love everything they are doing so far, except two things: the change of course shot in I, Mudd and the nacelles. Frankly, I didn’t even montion them until the last few episodes, because I like the rest so much.

Nobody is perfect and it’s good to see that Okuda and crew are striving to continue to improve. There were a lot of improvements this week and I can’t wait until November (especially for Mirror, Mirror).

Try some decaf, Josh, and frankly…I think a moderator ought to take you to task for “phasering and torpedoing” people who are “discussing.”

People keep asking why CBS/Paramount is doing this. Yes, it is to make money. But the actual stated reason on the startrek.com website is that the SFX were starting to look dated and that was making the show a tough sell into syndication. So in order to make the show more accessible to a new and younger audience they decided to update the SFX and fix some of the errors that slipped by in the original editing process.

One they missed in this week episode, Arena…

Helm button sound effects. When Sulu is hitting the buttons on his console its obvious from the sound that his is hitting buttons that do not move thanks to the hard wooden sound that is made whenever he punches the console.

For some reason I can’t access the fields where I identify myself to you. I’m not Anonymous, I’m Scott Brooks! Nice to meet you all.

I only caught the last half-hour of Arena because our station decided this week to show it thirty minutes earlier than they have been showing it. At 2:00 a.m. instead of 2:35..or 2:45….

First, Arena is my third fave Trek episode. I even wrote a 90,000 word novel sequel to it many years ago, so I must like it. (Editor Kevin Ryan at Pocket Books didn’t like it…then wrote his own Gorn story a year or so later :-)

Anyway, I like the bright colors. Good job. I think the Enterprise travelling at warp 8 ought to look a LOT faster than it does in both the original and the new shot. I liked the close-up of the E after the Metrons had stopped them cold. The original full-body shot was always a bad-looking effect. I liked that they DIDN’T show the Gorn ship in a close-up. I was afraid we’d be treated to a design I wouldn’t like. Still, from the teeny little image on the bridge screen, it had the typical Star Trek “main body with two nacelles” design.

I liked the blinky Gorn! I know compound eyes don’t blink, but this is science fiction. Who’s to say that a creature couldn’t develop such an eye? I’m GLAD they didn’t replace him with CGI or makes his lips move like some dumb talking animal movie. The obviously inadvertant reflections to the left of the Metron always bugged me, so I’m glad they decided to add to them rather than get rid of them. Nice touch.

One thing that surprised me is that they didn’t replace the colorful swirly lights on the bridge screen with the Metrons talk to the Enterprise. I’m REALLY glad they didn’t. I always liked that effect. However, I’m even more surprised that they didn’t fix the crummy matte line between that effect and the edge of the bridge screen. Sloppy. Also, the images of Kirk and the Gorn that the bridge crew see were as dull as ever, with that annoying pulsating blue holding line where they matted it into the bridge viewscreen. Again, they should have fixed this.

I wish I’d caught the first half-hour. Did they do anything to enhance the mortar explosion on Cestus III?

I’ve been enjoying the enhancements, good, bad or iffy. It’s fun to revisit these shows again with a new eye.

Scott out.

Welcome aboard Scott. The More the Merrier.

The Gorn ship sure looks like a Cylon Raider…. :)

#34 — those reflections are lens flares.

Thanks alot people Keep your job

What in the world happened to. Hamlet Tori.

cuz we both thought,that love last foreve. Jumana Fanni.