Comments on: Set Designer Talks About New Enterprise

By: JDHowes

JDHowes — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:53:02 +0000

Being a TOS Fan since a kid… at first I was hesitant. However, this may be what the Trek Franchise needs to kick start the series for a 21st Century crowd. I loved “Enterprise” and all the old technology that forced them to get creative… use their heads… improvise… and be human enough to make mistakes… get thrown around some… take their licks… and then hand it back out… creatively. That’s where ST Next Generation failed miserably… the people, battles and technology were just “too perfect”… too civilized… and too intellectual… translation: Sterile. DS9 went too far the other way at times being a bit too dark, depressing and gritty. To each their own I suppose. TOS, Enterprise & Voyager were a good balance of personalities, trials, hopeful, creative, intellectual, culturally reflective mixed with good story telling… for the most part.

Each generation has a certain level of technology to “Tell a Story…” with.
The 60’s had rough models, animation & blue screen. 70’s had models, blue screen, animation and crude computer graphics. 80’s had somewhat better graphics. The 90’s had blue & green screen technologies emerging with high resolution computer graphics. Now, computer graphics have replaced models, stages, animation… and sometime people or characters.

We wouldn’t expect this Star Trek (TOS Remake) to look like a 1960’s version, would we? Nope, as long as they make the NCC-1701 somewhat more advanced as the NX-01 and less advanced looking than the NCC-1701a & b… as technology progression occurs…cool. As long as they hold true to each Character’s personality…cool. As for the uniforms… nothing wrong with modifying them too… but not too much… just enough to keep up with the other changes made. Why?

The new movie has to tie in the old with the new. If not, it will utterly fail if it destroys all things “familiar” to TOS fans. If it makes strong characters too dark and/or wimpy, immoral, violent, unstable or blurs the line between good & evil, good guys and bad guys too much… or if internal changes like the bridge are “remade” into a “Square” or “Triangular” configuration versus the familiar “Circle”… and the crew wears black uniforms (male & female)… and none of the mini-skirts… or skimps them completely down to a unrealistic, distasteful uniforms… that won’t play well.

Finally, if the new Star Trek fails to instill the comraderie, humor, hope and bright outlook for the future like most other modern sci-fi shows fail to do anymore… it will die quickly. The story is about adventure, drama, fun, exploring, action, friendship and loyalty… all positive traits that made the original quirky version so beloved by fans… and fighting for a come back… after 40 years. Don’t mess with the basics… :o )

By: bloo bloo

bloo bloo — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 02:57:13 +0000

“Do you think that they’re going to throw out all their designs, tear down the completed sets and reshoot because some people complained on an Internet site about some things that they haven’t *seen*?”

They would if this were an episode of “The Simpsons”…

One of my friends came up with an interesting way of looking at it: we don’t see Star Trek as it will be, we see an interpreted version dimly through the eyes of our current technology. As time goes on, our technology improves and our interpreted version becomes more detailed, more focussed, and more accurate.

By: Rob A

Rob A — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:33:23 +0000

It’s totally ridiculous to expect a model from 1967 to be the template for a model in 2008. Nobody will buy it. We’ve all seen Star Trek evolve since its inception to incorporate new and better props, sets and special effects. It’s time to re-imagine Star Trek for a new generation of fans. If it is done right, it can be wildly successful and satisfying. Remember all the furor over Ron Moore’s vision of Battlestar Galactica? Now that show stands as high bar that everyone else must reach. I would be very happy to have the Enterprise reworked so that her basic style is the same (as with the 1701-A, C, D and E), but with elements that make her look real and detailed and exciting. I am hoping that the interiors will mirror those created for Star Trek: Enterprise. While not the best of the Star Trek series, the look and feel was very easy to buy into and quite functional. I expect something along those lines will be used for the new movie. I am very excited to see JJ Abrams do something that will ignite the franchise again and bring in a whole new generation of fans who will embrace the original characters and the stories as we all did. Live long and prosper!

By: Rideop1

Rideop1 — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:50:42 +0000

I would hope that Abrams won’t make the same mistakes that Berman made. The reason Star Trek has lasted so long is the loyalty of it’s fans and staying true (for the most part) to Gene Roddenberry’s concept. Changing the ENTERPRISE for TMP was a an upgrade not a re-imagining, We are talking about the Grand Old Lady Now, Don’t F&*K with the Original Enterprise. Doing so is like Ignoring the Prime Directive. I understand today’s audiences want more realism, and such. well show the Old Girl the way Roddenberry wanted. Show her the way she looks in the Smithsonian. The lighting in the 60’s washed out all her texturing etc. With CGI, they can make her look the way she was supposed to. Accent details, don’t Change her design. as for Interior Sets……….the changing sets on TOS were over time, as well as the Motion Picture Sets. if this is supposed to be Kirk’s 1st or earlier missions fine, subtle accentuation on set design will work, but you can’t make supposed older designs to look better than the ones that came later. Alot of you say, who cares about Canon, or Canon has nothing to do with set design. You are either just plain Nuts, or not the devoted fans you think you are. There is such a thing as consistency. Are you and the movie makers willing to piss off and alienate the loyal fans of decades just to bring in some new viewers? Star Trek is Star Trek, I sincerely doubt that many non-fans will flood into theaters to see it. Unfortunately Non-Fans have a preconceived notion that it is silly and campy. some may come out of curiosity, but that is all. And furthermore, if they are new viewers to the franchise, they won’t know that things were changed anyway. WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!!! Berman needed to go, he ruined ENTERPRISE, with all that Xindi bullshit, when he should have filled all the gaps and answered the questions brought up in the original series, as attempted in the 4th season, but it was too late to save the show from cancellation then.Good Riddens. Let’s hope Abrams doesn’t make the same Mistakes.
I think a fantastic openning scene would be Jonathon Archer witnessing the Launch of 1701. They could even show her in the Pilot version, with the Larger Deflector Dish, and Taller Bridge Dome, and nacelle spikes. Then when Kirk & Spock appear show her as she is in the Smithsonian, accentuating her Texture, and Detail. Archer’s Bio says he lived to see the construction and launch of the ENTERPRISE – 1701, and died of natural causes shortly after. I think that would make a great scene. then fade out and bring it up to the time of Kirk. similar things have been done before, and worked well.
In Closing, Star Trek Canon exists for a reason. DON’T F&*K WITH IT!!!!!!!!!! The Loyal Fans of TOS should be the 1st demographic Abrams should wish to please. 40 years folks, It has worked for 40 years, don’t fix it if it isn’t broken.

By: k egan

k egan — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:57:09 +0000

there is some hope however , if you think for a minute, technology progresses, the best of both worlds would be to design a set that would resemble the original set but ad more detail if well what would be useful.
Do you remember the for example the small photo’s that used to ring around the upper level of the bridge, over the bridge stations?
Originaly Gene wanted them to be small viewscreans with updated imformation every few seconds. but ultimatley they ended up the way they did because that would have required several projectionist behind the sets and beyond the budget of the original series.
Now of course it might be possible to use actual computer generated systems!

By: xamfra

xamfra — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 22:09:58 +0000

I think there’s a charm in the bulky technology of the original show. I hope the art directors were instructed to make the Enterprise equipment look somewhat 60’s retro. I think it would be a fun look.

I thought ‘Enterprise’ totally missed the boat as far as production design was concerned. It made the technology of the future look bleak instead of bold.

‘Next Generation’ made everything beige and ergonomic. It was a good look for that particular show, but I don’t think that it necessarily made kids want to go out and buy a phaser, etc.

By: Harry Ballz

Harry Ballz — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 04:45:55 +0000

Yep, while the Summer of Love was happenin’ for real on the outside, inside Desilu Studios Shatner and crew were laboring over this legacy we all enjoy!! Who’da thunk it??

By: Dennis Bailey

Dennis Bailey — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:19:57 +0000

#644: “Can anyone actually look at the original star trek series and definitly know that it was made in the 60’s? besides the mini-skirts (Drool) and beehives (which I didnt see much of) It was ahead of it’s time.”

Yes. It looks like it was made in the 1960s, and at no other time.

By: TrekMadeMeWonder

TrekMadeMeWonder — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 20:58:15 +0000

[Uhhh… I did stop reading once I realized I knew how everything would turn out due to 40 years of productions. ]

Well, that what were in for. Creativity seems to be a a real hard commoditiy to come by these days.

By: Turgenev

Turgenev — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 20:44:05 +0000

RE: 686
Aren’t writers supposed to be on strike???

Anyway– probably exactly what JJ is doing and much better treatment than my script idea involving Captain Ka-Blarrrg of the Enterprise Z (EnterpriZe) trying unsuccessfully to stop the big bang reversing and thus smooshing him into all other ships ever named Enterprise. Makes no sense, but much of ST has lapses in logic- part of the fun. I posted it on the movie trailer bit.

Uhhh… I did stop reading once I realized I knew how everything would turn out due to 40 years of productions.