Star Trek Cast & Crew Fan Chat Transcript + Pictures From The Set [UPDATED] January 25, 2008
by Anthony Pascale , Filed under: Star Trek (2009 film) , trackback
EXCLUSIVE: On Friday afternoon [UPDATED and during a 2nd round during the evening] Star Trek director JJ Abrams, along with exec. producer Bryan Burk, exec. producer/co-writer Roberto Orci, VFX supervisor Roger Guyett, exec. producer Jeffrey Chernov and Unit Production Manager David Witz all dropped in to TrekMovie.com to field questions from the fans. Also joining were castmembers: John Cho (Sulu), Karl Urban (McCoy), Zoe Saldana (Uhura), Anton Yelchin (Chekov), Chris Pine (Kirk), and Zachary Quinto (Spock). They posted online in between takes while shooting on the Enterprise sets! See the full transcript (in easy to read Q&A format) and a couple of photos below (including the very first picture from the Bridge).
AFTERNOON CHAT TRANSCRIPT (see evening transcript below)
Bronson : HOW DEEPLY DO YOU FEEL THE WEIGHT OF RESPONSIBILITY THAT COMES WITH CARRYING THE TORCH OF THE STAR TREK FRANCHISE?
JJ Abrams (Director/Producer): It’s funny that you phrased it that way — carrying the torch — because that’s exactly what it feels like. Trek means a great deal to many people, and I fully appreciate that responsibility. But I have never been overwhelmed by that burden. Quite the opposite. The fans have been part of the inspiration. This experience has felt, from the beginning, like a truly unbelievable opportunity. We’re only half-way through principle photography, but the torch is burning bright and we’re running hard!
Marian Ciobanu: When we will see more detailed clips from the new movie..?
Bryan Burk (Executive Producer): Barring any thievery from our production office, we’re working on our first trailer right now, which will hopefully be in theaters early to mid summer.
Josh: What was the greatest challenge you faced when you first decided to take on Star Trek?
JJ Abrams: This may not be a fair answer, but there were two greatest challenges: the first was getting a handle on the vision of the future. The fact that most of the tech that we use in our everyday lives seems modelled after — and actually more advanced than — TOS, made it tricky to find a way to make our movie’s world far more advanced than where we currently are, and yet also consistent with the original show.
The other challenge was, obviously, casting. How in the world were we ever going to find actors who can fill the shoes of that remarkable original cast? It was tough in theory and harder in practice. We couldn’t — and wouldn’t have — gone into production with a cast that simply didn’t WORK.
With the amazing efforts of April Webster and Alyssa Weisberg (our casting directors), we somehow did it. This cast is massively talented and smart as hell and funny and dedicated and completely inhabiting these roles. You will see. Kirk f’n LIVES. Spock is HERE, right now. I can see him. Uhura and Bones and Chekov and Sulu and Scotty are ON THE BRIDGE and they are wonderful.
In short, WHEW.
The Vulcanista: For any cast member — What’s your favorite on-set moment so far? Best on-set prank? (Answers expected to be spoiler free, of course!)
Zachary Quinto (Spock): Definitely the first time Leonard and I were both in costume at the same time for the wardrobe test.
EREHWONNZ: HAS WRITING FOR THIS FILM BROUGHT YOU ANY NEW REALIZATIONS OR INSIGHTS ABOUT TREK, ITS STORIES, OR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED TO BRING IT TO LIFE?
Roberto Orci (Co-Writer/Executive Producer): Writing this film with my high school chum Alex Kurtzman has reminded me how solidly constructed the original paradigm for Star Trek really was. Our job was to just do our homework. We not only went back to our favorite episodes and books and movies, but we also read graduate level dissertations about the meaning of Star Trek. It was like going back to Star Trek school, and it made us appreciate Trek even more, which I didn’t think was possible.
Roberto Orci: Just to set the scene a bit, call time today was 1 PM. So JJ is setting up his first shot right now on the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise — bear with us…
Charles Trotter: Do you have a targeted wrap date for the film?
JJ Abrams: Currently it is scheduled to wrap the beginning of April. Which means we’ll be shooting until September. I’m kidding. I hope. No, I am.
RoobyDoo: Mr. Abrams, how important is humour in your vision of Star Trek? And what kind of humour do you enjoy most?
JJ Abrams: I’m afraid to answer this question, because The Haters will think that I’m looking at Trek as a comedy. I am not. But humor is hugely important. Humor and humanity go hand-in-hand — there is such wit in the screenplay (kudos, Kurtzman/Orci), and the actors bring such intelligence and humor, that my job is just to keep the thing REAL. Dramatic as hell, but also LAUGHS. Without comedy (my fave TOS eps had GREAT wit), the audience finds their own places to laugh. And in a world of humans and aliens, that could be disastrous. So the short answer? It’s very important.
Mawazitus: For Roberto Orci: Seriously, how often do you have to pinch yourself to make sure you’re not dreaming? A dyed-in-the-wool Trekker getting the opportunity to add to the mythos. It must be awesome. How many pages of ideas do you already have for the sequels?
Roberto Orci: No kidding. I think I speak for many of us when I say that we pinch oursleves every day, and it still doesn’t work. I’d ask Quinto or Nimoy to “pinch” me, but I just think that would make it more surreal…
Gibnerd: Random script question… what is the 10th word on the 10th page of the ST script?
Bryan Burk: "…and…"
Questions for Burk and Lindelof: In your Producer roles, how are you having the history-making production of “Star Trek” documented?
Bryan Burk: From the beginning there has been behind the scenes DVD team capturing all phases of pre-production and production. There’s been talks of possibly having book as well, but that’s contingent on an interest for it.
EuroTrashTrekker: The Trek teaser trailer was very American focused, with all the sound bites from American space program (and none from anywhere else). Star Trek often seemed overly American. How will you make sure that Star Trek is a global film that appeals in Europe, Asia, Latin America, etc?
Bryan Burk: There were different versions around the world of the teaser trailer around the world to deal with exactly that.
Michael (the real one in Texas, by way of Afghanistan): I am a big fan of yours, but also of your friend and so called good luck charm, Greg Grunberg. Can you tell us if he will make an appearance, and if so perhaps a hint as to his part ????
JJ Abrams: I am so pissed at Grunberg. The guy was about to be in the movie — had a GREAT PART — but had to bow out because of some LAME OTHER MOVIE HE’S DOING.
All right, so I’m half-kidding and just disappointed: Grunny WAS gonna be in Trek, and he IS doing another movie, so he can’t be in ours — but his movie isn’t lame, it’s funny, and he’s producing and co-writing and long-time collaborator Larry Trilling is writing with him and directing, so I wish them all the best. Even though I hate Greg now. Who knows, maybe he’ll be a tribble.
JJ Abrams & Bryan Burk chatting with the fans
Yammer: Have you taken anything from the novels? My dream Trek movie would be an adaption of Diane Duane, whos Trek novels combine hard SF with vivid elaborations of the classic characters, and are so well written that they are totally unembarassing to read in public.
Roberto Orci: We have absolutely been inspired by the novels. We’ve mentioned before how much we loved Prime Directive and many others as a great example of all things TOS at its best.
Battletrek: How many visual effects shots will there be in the new movie?
Roger Guyett (Visual Effects Supervisor): We’re anticipating about 1000.
Lawrence Boucher: Has there been a particular moment while filming that has caught you off-guard and made you stand back and say “wow” or just made you think “how cool is this”?
Chris Pine (James T. Kirk): For me, I still get the chills every time I sit in “the” chair, and every time I say who I am in the movie.
Mike J. Hafezi: My current English teacher, Mr. Zimmerman, doesn’t like Star Trek and doesn’t want this movie to happen. What do you say to that?
Roberto Orci: Please tell Mr. Zimmerman that there will be plenty of English spoken in the movie.
Daniel Broadway: Roger Guyett — First, I want to say, I’m a fan of your work. I’m an aspiring VFX artist (compositor) myself. I was wondering what types of software you will be using for 3D animation, but also for compositing. I know you have many in house tools as well.
Roger Guyett: We’ll be using lots of different pieces of software, a lot of ILM proprietary tools, but we’ll also be using Maya, Renderman and Shake (the compositing software). Good luck with your career in VFX!
Captain April: ILM is doing the effects for the film. Will it all be CGI or have they built a physical model of the New Enterprise? Also when will we see a photo of the finished Enterprise?
JJ Abrams: I was lucky enough to work with ILM on Mission: Impossible III. Roger Guyette and Sherri Hanson are geniuses who are also a true joy to work with. ILM has always been the best — but in recent years they have — remarkably — gotten even better, making the virtual photo-real.
Having said that, my goal is to make Trek REAL — that is to say, not have it be camp — not have it be phony — not have it look like a scrap of green screen was used anywhere. Of course, this is Star Trek. We’re using every trick in the book. But WHEREVER WE CAN, we are shooting on sets — either built on sound stages or expanding upon found locations. This is important. What this means is that the movie won’t have that “actors performing in a blue or green void then placed in front of a spaceship set” feeling that makes me insane. One of our really talented designers recently commented online how we shot on a green screen set and what a shame that was, since we could have built something incredible. And she was right — for that one scene, which will last for maybe thirty seconds on screen, we built only pieces and were surrounded by green. But that is the exception. We can’t build EVERYTHING, and need to make this film on a budget (partly because that’s the $ we have, and partly because I want the studio to see Trek as viable!). The Enterprise will be a combo of the physical and the virtual. A photo is forthcoming!
Jon1701: A lot of good questions so far, but I don’t think the key issue has been addressed yet. WILL THE DOORS GO SWOOSH WHEN THEY OPEN?
JJ Abrams: Dude. Will they ever!
Raffie: Is there anything I can say to my girlfriend to convince her to go see a movie with me that is titled “Star Trek”? If so, that could be very helpful.
JJ Abrams: First of all, I’m relieved you have a girlfriend. Secondly, this movie is not being made solely for Trekkers — that is not to say we aren’t giving the true believers the fix they want — but we’re also making a movie for people (men AND women) who have never seen Trek once in any incarnation.
What finally pushed me over the edge to direct and not just produce Star Trek was my wife, Katie’s, reaction. She loved the characters. She confirmed my deep suspicions that I should direct this movie. The story is dramatic and funny and emotional and romantic and full of adventure. I know I’m biased — but I think people are going to love this experience. For some, perhaps, DESPITE the fact that it’s called Star Trek. Who knows? Maybe your girlfriend will see the movie and become a fan of the show.
JJ Abrams takes a station on the bridge of the Enterprise to chat with fans
UPDATE: AND THEY’RE BACK
Tonight is the last night shooting on the bridge of the Enteprise, and so the team are busy…plus having some tech issues. But people should be popping in and out to answer questions…The article will be updated as more folks chime in below.
EVENING TRANSCRIPT
Lawrence Boucher: Has there been a particular moment while filming that has caught you off-guard and made you stand back and say “wow” or just made you think “how cool is this”?
John Cho (Sulu): It had to be walking on the bridge of the Enterprise for the first time. It was experiencing something from my past, which was amazing, while seeing it totally revamped and updated. It was a wholly unique experience.
Anton Yelchin (Chekov): for me, it was extraordinary to spend my last shooting day on the enterprise. it really struck me just how epic it all was…AND WILL BE.
Karl Urban (McCoy): For me, the “wow” moment was hearing Nimoy’s voice, and seeing him as Mr. Spock, for the first time in years, and seeing it live.
Zoe Saldana: My “wow” moment was spending time with Nichelle Nichols when she visited the set and knowing that we were shooting in the exact stage where the show was shot back in the 60’s
Darryl: I have a tattoo of the Enterprise, will I have to have it changed now?
JJ Abrams: Which one? Enterprise A, B, C, D, or E?
ensign joe: Question for everyone - If there was one thing you wish the fans would quit complaining about what would it be?
Roberto Orci: complaints mean you still care… so we never want to see you stop complaining.
starbase63: Please settle the arguement that has erupted since the release of the teaser…which shows the Enterprise being built in a ground based drydock (someone seems to have taken a gag photo seriously). Though not official, it has been accepted from “The Making of Star Trek” on, and even listed in the entries both in Michael Okuda’s Star Trek Encyclopedia and the Library at startrek.com that the ship was assembled in orbit…even in the Enterprise series set 85 years before TOS we see ships being built in orbit. Will we actually see the 1701 finished in the San Francisco Orbital Yard, or has this concept been thrown out? After all, duranium will be just as strong in orbit as it would on Earth…
Roberto Orci: Without giving anything away, nothing in the teaser precludes final assembly in space.
Craig: Mr. Abrams. What made you select the TOS time frame? I have read on other Trek forums fans saying the new movie should have been post Nemesis. Do you feel the 24th or 25th Century Era is done? I think choosing TOS is cool even though I do like TNG and DS9. I can’t wait to see the rest of what the new 1701 will look like.
JJ Abrams: Alex, Bob, Bryan, Damon and I always wanted to do the Kirk/Spock/original crew story. That was what attracted us to the project. New timeframes have been done numerous times in the Trek universe. What we wanted to explore required the TOS timeline.
PM: Did you guys ever discuss the project with [former Star Trek producer] Rick Berman? If so what does he feel about the project?
Roberto Orci: We have note but we have nothing but the deepest respect for all the previous incarnations and stewards of this great franchise, and we truly hope we will have his blessing when all is revealed.
Scott: What is your favorite Trek film out of the prior ten?
David Witz (Production Manager): STII The Wrath of Khan
AJ: What MPAA rating are you shooting for? Are merchandising tie-ins planned on a grand scale to bring in a younger audience for the long haul a la Star Wars?
Jeffrey Chernov (exec. producer): We’re shooting for PG-13. We’re working on a massive intergalactic tie in… but I don’t want to spoil anything yet.
Zachary Quinto: (to no question in particular) live at the center of the action. walking past bob all day - he has been standing in front of his computer for hours talking to you all. so i had to jump on and give a shout out and huge thank you to all of the ardent fans who have been so enthusiastic and supportive of what we are putting together out here. the energy on the set is so exciting. really. especially tonight. literally shooting the final scene of the movie as i type (of course we shoot out of order - there are more than two months of shooting still to go). so we are getting close to finishing all of our principal photography on the actual bridge of the enterprise (and scott chambliss has made it come alive like you won’t believe). we just said goodbye to all of the additional cast members who have manned all of the various stations and posts during the heat of this mission. i found myself faced with such a well of emotion at the prospect of this experience coming to an end for anyone… let alone myself. i still have a while until my picture wrap - but after such a long time separating from my emotional response to things - i imagine the end of this run will be quite a flood. but then it enters into a new and in some ways more exciting phase because we get to share it and celebrate it with each other - and with all of you. and i know that is something we are all looking forward to. so. be safe and well and look forward to seeing you next christmas… thanks again. live long. and prosper. of course.
Rod (Dunedin, New Zealand): To Karl Urban: Go, mate! You’re along way from ‘Out Of The Blue’ now, eh? Cheers
Karl Urban: Mate , I could murder a Spieghts right now, miss that Dunedin surf
Cheers,
your mate,
Karl
OR Coast Trekkie: For JJ and/or the crew: There are people here who are getting angry that things look different, and believe that if you get those little minute things “wrong” then you are going to get the big things wrong, and get the message of Star Trek “wrong.” How do you respond to that kind of criticism?
Roberto Orci: We surely understand the concern. I can only say that no decision will have been made out of ignorance of canon or details. — anything you see that you feel deviates from canon will have a canon inspired reason.
And a final message from Cast and Crew of the Enterprise: Thanks for spending the day with us…
Bridge Out.
Related: Put faces to these names…see the Cast & Crew Pictures from the Cloverfield Premiere
Photos: Roberto Orci
Comments»
SWEEEEEEEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;-)
Those look like LCARS-style panels!
Yes first pic of the set
very cool
Darn Roberto for using his Iphone to capture pictures! I wanted to be able to read that call sheet in the bottom of the frame! I am sure there is something spoilery there. Dang!
This portion of trekmovie.com is sponsored by Apple.
That photo of the station on the bridge is so totall washed out on purpose. But i think thats the FIRST picture we have seen of anything other than the corridor.
Oooooooooo…..
Shiny red buttons! Yay!
Holy Shat! We can see a green screen with compositing tracking squares! Either that, or it’s the worst alien design of all time…
So Apple developed the OS for Starfleet?
…BRIDGE….LOOKS….OMG….BRIDGE…LOOKS…COOL…
nice. part new part old, classic lines…
You know, it would make sense - go through any self-checkout in your local Swillmart, and it’s all touch-panel tech now. From the color and the contours of the console in that last shot, it seems to evoke a TMP-like ambience. And dig the color of the fabric on the chair behind J.J……..this ain’t your daddy’s TOS……..;-)
What’s that gold at the bottom of the second pic ? :)
LOL #6
Trek different!
Absolutely amazing coup.
*Chokes*
He was posting… from the BRIDGE?! Holy freaking cannoli, that’s awesome. :D
Burke: “There’s been talks of possibly having book as well, but that’s contingent on an interest for it.”
Interest in a behind-the-scenes book? Are you KIDDING me?? We’d eat that up with a great, big, giant spoon and come back for more!!
Spill, baby, spill…
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
I enhanced the top photo in Photoshop and the right page in the binder is actually a recipe for deep fried Tribbles!
Wicked, love it, thanks Anthony and the Star Trek team from, Dave in St. Albans England.
#8 - I guess middle age is catching up to me. I don’t see any shiny red buttons.
Just put on my reading glasses.
Hmmmmmm.
Nope. Don’t see ‘em. Point out the snake that’s about to bite me.
Bryan Burk: From the beginning there has been behind the scenes DVD team capturing all phases of pre-production and production. There’s been talks of possibly having book as well, but that’s contingent on an interest for it.
I will be buying both the DVD and book whenever they come out. So yes, I think there will be a big interest.
awesome.
thanks to everyone who helped make this happen. we all really appreciate that this direct dialogue between the production team and the fans is happening. ive never known anything quite like this in all my fanboy days.
thanks.
and oh yeah, if ya wanna slip us a picture of the Enterprise we wont tell anyone.
Ok… Now I HAVE to say that the bridge station design looks amazing. What an age we live in that this sort of thing is even possible. I love it!
Thanks to everyone at ST XI for taking time out to do this chat and to Anthony and his crew for hosting this.
Awesome just awesome. It really means a lot to us fans.
From a first generation Trekker.
It’s kind of funny to see the “Countdown to Star Trek” widget next to Abrams and Burk. No pressure, fellas!!!
Oh, yeah, and despite the creaky beginning, thanks so much to Anthony and crew and Abrams and crew for making this once-in-a-lifetime event happen!
Cheers, dears!
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
I’d just like to say thanks. This is the first time I’ve ever heard of any members of a production team chatting with fans while on the set. It really shows the commitment these guys have in producing a quality film. This chat should put to rest any fears of JJ and crew doing anything to upset the fans. How many directors/writers/stars/producers would come and chat with us rabid fanboys while in the process of shooting? This could be the most down to earth group of individuals I’ve ever seen make a major motion picture, and boy is it a breath of fresh air.
*delighted* Apple on the Enterprise bridge. I wonder when the first real ads get out.
Anthony, thanks for your great work!
This whole thing here, online chat from set, was simply wonderful. I want to thank all who put this together. What a great way to connect with fans. What a great way for people all over the world to connect and share. (There was no internet in Trek …).
#27 And fangirls ;)
Anthony, I agree with #27 - is this a first?
Apple laptop with a banana next to it. How healthy!
Freaking awesome! Posting from the Bridge of the big E! Nice one JJ and Mr. Orci!
Kigs:)
#30: Yeah, we appreciate a bit of recognition now and then, too. :D
(BTW, thank you very much for linking to that site in your name, that was too much fun reading.
AP: Today has definitely been a red-letter date for Trekmovie.com, congratulations!
That second photo… Just great stuff. I hope that JJ is sitting at the Comm station.
I saw the bridge and I crapped my pants!!
Effing AWESOME!!!
I love the “relieved you have a girlfriend” joke - only a person who knows Trek (and Trek humor) can deliver that line and not sound like a jerk. :)
great day for trekmovie.com
thank you so much Anthony for making all of this happen!!!!
Thanks to everyone that stopped by to chat with us. And a special thanks to Roberto for the pics:)
All hail the hypnotoad… I mean, Anthony… All hail, anthony…
A real coup in getting this site up and taking the online trek universe by storm!
Futurama reference! Nice one!! :D
Anthony- you deserve a raise and some financial support from Paramount…
Geez. I think I’ll have to see it at least 4 times in theater. Did 3 with Transformers and SW ep3.. this is teeming with MUCH more potential.
thank you!
First off, thanks for the opportunity, and thanks for being so willing to sit for a second and chill with some fans.
My question is simply this… will the film take place in the established canon? I’ve seen that it will ACKNOWLEDGE it, that it will RESPECT it, and that there will be REFERENCES. However, you can do that and have it still take place in another fictional universe. As a final, definitive answer, will this film take place in the same fictional universe as everything that came before it?
Either way, thanks for resuscitating the franchise!
Ok i missed everything earlier but after reading the transcript am I correct in reading that there will be tribbles?(was this a spoiler?)
Mr. Abram’s can you confirm this?
Hey, guys.
The photo with the bridge terminal had some mean oversaturation and lense flare going on, so I attempted to clean it up a little bit. Can’t get much out of the souce picture, but it certainly looks a lot better now. Take a look.
http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/5445/betterqxy8.jpg
To J.J. Abrams and crew: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer some of our questions. You all seem like such a fun and thoughtful group of people. I really feel as though Star Trek is in good hands. :)
Hmmm, perhpas it is just me, but I looking at these 2 pics, I would have no idea where in the set they would be.
#30 Very cool website!
And thanks for stickin’ up for us fangirls!
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
45-thanks thats much sharper!
#45
Holy colorful euphemism! Thanks, Blackout!
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
So someone fixed the second picture, anyone working on enhancing the first yet :P
Blackout- can you clear up the other one with the call sheet?
#34 and #48 - fangirls unite! Don’t know why people seem to think all fans are male ;) (didn’t that sink ENT already?)
And thanks for the website fb :)
I could be wrong, but it looks like one of the outer ring stations, a la Sciences, Engineering, Communications, etc. The screens just behind the laptop look like a modern version of what was the banks of winky-blinkies on the original set.
Hard to be sure with so little overall context, though. :)
Well, I really don’t see the point in clearing the first one up. It doesn’t look like there is anything interesting to see, and the text on the book is unrecoverable (at least by me).
I’ll give it a try, though, since you guys want it. If I get anything useful out of it, I’ll tell you. If not, assume that my attempt was a failure.
Great stuff.
The shot of the bridge control panel threw me off at first and then the more I looked at it the more I got seriously hyped for a whole look at the bridge. this is gonna be wicked!!
#45 - nice work! Now it really DOES look like a backlit, color-negative LCARS interface…….CANON ALERT! CANON ALERT! SENSORS DO NOT DETECT BLACK PLYWOOD PANELS AND COLORED JELLYBEANS! LOL ;-)
the laptop is the prop, he is at Uhura’s station! seriously, the bridge looks very star trek V and VI ish, nice.
Sorry #30! Forgot about those fangirls! :D
WOW this was just great I have to say Anthony you’ve out done yourself this time and great thanks to J.J, Roberto, Bryan, Roger, Zachary, Chris and everyone else thank you all so much for doing this you all made my day. THANKS.
Cool bridge shot. Dang, which one of my computer buttons transports me there? I can never remember.
Thanks JJ, et al. Great answers. I’m so enthusiastic, I’m having a little Trekker in a few days. He may be on the small side to bring to this flick, but the whole family can’t wait until STXIV.
#57 Viking
Canon dictates that the bridge controls are Ju-Jubees, not jellybeans.
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
This is still the coolest website in the interwebs. Unprecedented. Fantastic. Inimitable. Groovy.
And dare i say it…..a first!
Eric Bana,
Will playing a villian in this movie be anything like when you were in Chopper??? You were awesome in that movie!
Can anyone speak about Eric Bana yet??? How is he doing???
#62 The Vulcanista
Meh. One man’s gumdrop is another man’s Jelly Belly. Or woman’s, as the case may be. :-)
I would love to know how much they understand that many Star Trek fans are scared by this endeavour. At least with Rick Berman, Michael Piller, Jeri Taylor etc, they had worked under people close to Gene Roddenberry or directly under.
It’s hard not to see them as invaders of our realm. It’s easy to say that Star Trek should appeal to the broader audience, but when so many fans have lived and breathed the franchise, to see even such a talented group come in, it begs the question; Can they be trusted.
I don’t often say this, but JJ and co. if you have read my comment please understand that some fans are standing on the edge not fully sure of what to make of things. We’d love to see Star Trek renew itself and grow, but really out worst fear is that the entire franchise would be dealt a death blow should the movie fail and fans not like it.
It’s hard to describe that as a fan of pretty much the entire series so far, that until now I had never felt such discontent over the direction and abilities of the franchise that I’ve had to wonder how much Star Trek meant to me.
#6 Mission accomplished, CmdrR! Another native Atlantan!
Congratulations!!
Babies are on my brain tonite. Dinner guests had to exit rather suddenly due to daughter deciding to be born tonight. Fortunately, amnio fluid is easy to clean up.
Now I’m just hangin’ here, waiting for word on the little one’s arrival. :)
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
Thanks #45 — Yep those are definitely TOS style buttons, made over for our age… awesome!
I notice that no questions were answered concerning the uniforms (I didn’t ask any of those questions myself, so I’m not sniveling). Could it be this is something they are being especially cagey about? Perhaps they just didn’t get around to it before the tech problems came up.
Nope, after only a couple minutes of messing with it, there is nothing I can do to recover that text and there is nothing else in the scene to focus on.
You can have the result anyways, though. It looks a little nicer…maybe.
http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/6130/betterq2ve7.jpg
#64 - good question. Has Bana even been on the lot yet?
That was fun, despite the knuckleheads who didn’t bother to read the instructions on how this thing was supposed to work.
BIG thanks to Anthony and most of all JJ, Roberto and the cast for being so accessable and bringing the fun back to being a TOS fan.
Well done gents!
When I first heard about the movie, I was very critical. Now I’ve got a “we’ll always have Paris” attitude about it:
If it’s good, it will be added to my personal canon. If it’s bad (not expecting), I’ll set it to ignore like “Generations” ;) Nobody can take away from me what I already have.
And I’m waiting for 3D animation software to become so powerful that I can produce my own movies here without each character looking like YAPF (yet another Poser figure).
Thanks for hosting the chat Anthony. I appreciate it. It’s just a shame that people refused to listen and continued to clutter the thread when the chat began. It was next to impossible to find the answers…(thanks for the recap)…and it was also disheartening that new questions were being answered over questions that had been posted well in advance. I posted my question late last night, and while it was certainly no more important than many other questions…I did put some thought into it. So I was a little upset when I saw the spammers having completely trivial questions answered. All in all though, a very exciting experience…just a bit disappointed! Oh, and to whoever made the remark about putting my toys back in my pram in the previous thread, I wasn’t throwing a temper tantrum. Sorry if it was interpreted that way, I was simply stating my disappointment in the folks who plowed their way over top of those who had been there first and put some thought into their questions.
Am I missing something here? Two pictures, right? That hardly show anything, and some of you are saying it looks cool? There must be other pictures that aren’t loading on my computer, right? Because I don’t see anything that would lead me to express an opinion about the bridge.
What am I missing? What do the other pictures show…?
@74 completely agree. Kudos to Anthony for setting this up. Shame on the people who were ignoring the rules and messing the whole thing up getting their questions answered.
Hopefully the infrastructure will be fixed up before the next go.
Thanks muchly to JJ and crew. and especially for the snaps.
TO JJ and the entrie Trek team.. despite things you may read, the vast majority of us fans are beyond excited and speaking frankly, my young son is excited to see this too. I was afraid the fandom ended with me, but I have a feeling it will now “live long and prosper”. Thanks for treating us and Trek the right way!!!
@75 Yea you’re missing the whole “experienceing the thing a smattering at a time” thing.
Yea it’s two pictures. Two pictures more than we had before, and obscured enough to let our imaginations work on them. That’s the beauty of it. We can imagine what the set might look like based on what little we’ve been given.
That “what little” btw, is 100% more than we had 6 hours ago.
…loving the TOS style buttons too by the way. Nice big and blue and red and no lcars. All arranged on a TOS style inlay. Very cool, modern yet retro and very diffferent from 24th century designs.
Thanks for the sneak peek guys, cant wait to see more!
Ah well;,……he didn’t get to my question, and even though Gary Seven and Assignment: Earth isn’t directly a Star Trek question, I think JJ and gang are prime ones to tackle it.
Freakin’ Sweet! But oh how I wish they’d show us a glimpse of the center seat.
@80 I’d like to see Assignment: Earth picked up too. Certianly better than Earth: final Conflict (and probably Andromeda). I’m more concerned with makeing sure Trek Proper gets a proper treatment right now though.
Vulcanista - I’m down here in the La Grange/West Point area. Better bring in the brass monkey tonight - it’s gonna get icy our way. ;-)
A behind the scenes book!
Put me down for yes! I’ll buy one!
Call it a hunch, but I think JJ is sitting at the science (Spock) station. The reason I say that is the monitor with the grid pattern on it. It looks like it would be related to the ship’s sensors. As I recall, sensors were primarily (though not always) under Spock’s control.
The only other possibilities in my mind are navigation or a weapons station. But, as I recall in TOS, the helm and navigator controlled the weapons systems. The shape doesn’t look like the helm or navigation console, though. So I think the best bet is the science station.
BTW, did anyone else notice that JJ acknowledged that Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Bones, Sulu and Checkov are indeed doing a scene together on the bridge of the Enterprise. In other words, this movie is probably not 100% pre-5-year-mission. Yipee!
#83, as long as I don’t lose power, I’m down with whatever Mother Nature slams our way!
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
#78 Gojira Al-Kzin
I get it, and I’m not trying to spoil the fun of everybody else. Sorry. When I read there was a photo from the bridge, I was expecting more. Teases like this seem kind of cheap to me.
But I’ve been one of the biggest defenders of this new endeavor, and am very excited about the movie. Maybe that’s why I was so disappointed by the photo on the bridge. Personally, I’d rather wait for a real photo showing the bridge.
I know I’m difficult, but I love Star Trek. I’ve just never been a fan of bread crumbs. I want a whole slice, if not the entire loaf.
I should, however, thank the guys who took part in this chat. I don’t always complain.
Bless you all!
#69 Ya think? I didn’t see any Ju-Jubees. :)
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
Looks like the helmsman’s station in front of the captain’s chair.The gold fabric on the chair is very TOS era futuristic.the vents are cool ,but it kinda looks like a Viking refridgerator vent.
#18 - Stop that before it get’s out. For the state fair here in MN EVERYTHING gets deep fried and tossed on a stick (deep fried mac n’ cheese to twinkies) and a recipe for deep fried Tribbles would somehow find it’s way here. I’d eat it once!!
ADMIRAL DENNY CRANE:
BTW, did anyone else notice that JJ acknowledged that Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Bones, Sulu and Checkov are indeed doing a scene together on the bridge of the Enterprise. In other words, this movie is probably not 100% pre-5-year-mission. Yipee!
Yeah, I’d been thinking about that. They never really did an “origins” episode for TOS, so who says that they can’t show the younger cast as being the crew for the [i]first[/i] two years of the mission?
This is the best I’ve felt about being a Trek fan in 10 years. Thank you to JJ, Roberto, Bryan, Zachary, Chris and Roger for taking the time to talk with us. I can’t remember ever having a Trek experience quite like this before. Their energy and enthusiasm is contagious — I didn’t think my excitement about this film could get any higher, but it was through the roof today. JJ’s answer about the casting and humor had me cheering.
For as fast as this came together, Anthony, you did a great job. Thanks to you also.
And that second photo with JJ on the bridge . . . WOW. Can’t wait for more!
This has been wonderful Anthony,Thank you for making it happen.
Thanks to ALL involved.
I am Honored that JJ answered my question, but bummed that Greg Grunberg won’t be in the movie.
This has been an amazing experience.
Absolutely Historical Anthony!
Looking forward to the next one with the new software.
#91: “BTW, did anyone else notice that JJ acknowledged that Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Bones, Sulu and Checkov are indeed doing a scene together on the bridge of the Enterprise.”
Yeah, and it gave me chills when I realized he was speaking literally! JJ and Co. were “talking” to us while on set, shooting a scene with the bridge crew. Waaaay too cool!
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
‘#69 Ya think? I didn’t see any Ju-Jubees.’
#88 The Vulcanista - I thank you, and my optometrist thanks you, for confirming that I am not, in fact, going stone blind. LOL ;-) It looks like a stylized touch panel to me………
I love the fact that these guys actually care what we think enough to read our comments and even comment back. Mr. Orci in particular. It’s obvious he makes time to come here periodically. Thanks, to all of you.
Wow. Looks like Enterprise has WiFi - and they have made an intelligent choice with regard to avionics (Macbooks).
#94
I couldn’t believe that Zachary Quinto answered my question either. But that was the coolest answer he gave! Fav on-set moment: Him and Nimoy in full costume for the first time for the costume test. Man, it just don’t get any better than that for this fangirl!
{{sigh!}}
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
#67 reptileboy - January 25, 2008
Very well put. That describes my own feelings to a tee.
Mr. Abrams and company…thanks for taking time out from your busy schedule to address fan concerns and issues. I certainly feel more confident about the direction you are taking Trek now and am even more excited than I already was to be in the theater of Christmas Day! I hope that your schedule will allow for some more fan interaction in the near future. I’m glad that you seem to show great passion and care for what has been a blessing to my live for over 40 years now. Thanks for keeping the spirit of Star Trek alive!
Kevin
It’s too bad that JJ and gang didn’t have a more reliable connection. Apparently Starfleet still uses AOL. If you look closely on Spock’s workstation, you can see how he used one of those AOL CDs as coaster for his YooHoo.
I suggest Mind(meld)Spring as an ISP for them for next time. ;)
#96
LOL!
However, I disagree with your assertion in an earlier post that Ju-Jubees = gum drops. For one, gum drops do not rip fillings out of teeth as effectively as Ju-Jubees. Nor will they break teeth as effectively as Ju-Jubees.
Ju-Jubees are gum drops on steroids. They are a superior form of candy and must be respected. :)
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
I am so freaking excited about Trek again ! !!!!!
67/100 - I once had the same kinds of strong feelings. After Berman essentially spit in the fans’ face and Paramount Television followed suit, I gave those feelings up. Like Shatner said, “it’s just a TV show!” I loved what Manny Coto did during Enterprise’s season 4, and hoped he could have gone further along. However, if there is one person out there who I am least worried about, it is J.J. Abrams. He’s no Michael Bay (can everyone tell how much I don’t like that guy yet?). Besides, the best thing about all this is that he’s using different characters (aside from Nimoy). So it’s not like we’re going to get a Nemesis, where you’re left not knowing if you just saw a Star Trek movie. Frankly, I have given up all those thick headed feelings. I’m like Jeffrey Lebowski now, just not high. Dust in the wind. Don’t worry be Happy.
All I have to say is………..
THAT WAS FREAKING AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t usually come on at night (family time) but this was so exciting that the nerd inside completely overwhelmed me! I get more anxious about this all of the time.
#67–I feel your anxiety about it, but it looks and sounds more convincing all the time, especially when I hear Mr. Orci talk about “homework”. I would say that this is most promising.
Thank you Anthony for choosing one of my questions. And thanks very much JJ for your response. ‘Funny’ is tricky business, but when done well it is glorious. TOS often hit the mark. The TOS films worked at times, other times not so much.
I look forward to experiencing your film 11 months from now. Best of luck with filming and post-production!
Cheers.
This is soo cool that they took time out from their schedules to participate.
That was awesome–very interesting.
I am so looking forward to the movie! Can’t wait to see stills of the cast, the ship, etc…. hopefully not too long to wait.
102
Also, he’s actually directing the movie. Slowness mainly came from that. Our apologies. We’re still here, though, and we may get a few more answers between takes. And his is our last day on the bridge of the Enterprise, so we have to make sure we get everything we need. Our apologies.
Nice job Anthony! When an opportunity like this comes along -you gotta just go for it and it worked by and large - nice.
Hopefully you can do more chats with JJ and Co. later on - I think their are websites that allow you to set up live chats and moderate them - to control the tempo - might want to look at that for next time,
THanks!
Steal me something from the bridge set, Roberto. I promise I won’t show anyone.
And I’m ready for my death scene. (I haven’t let it go yet)
#111
Well, how DARE they shoot a movie during *our* chat! Seriously, gentlemen, where *are* your priorities?? ;-)
Seriously, Roberto, thanks for coming back. I didn’t think I’d see any of y’all here tonight. I’ve been busy trying to clean amnio fluid out of an upholstered dining room chair in between reloads at this site.
(Long, really gross story. See synopsis at Post 68.)
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
last day on the bridge? So Bob do they start tearing it down tomorrow. Here is a question (do I get to ask one?) how much are they going to store for future use?
#111 Roberto Orci
No need to apologize. We’re just grateful you guys took time out of your busy schedule to take our fanatical questions. :)
Lawrence Boucher - January 24, 2008
Has there been a particular moment while filming that has caught you off-guard and made you stand back and say “wow” or just made you think “how cool is this”?
It had to be walking on the bridge of the Enterprise for the first time. It was experiencing something from my past, which was amazing, while seeing it totally revamped and updated. It was a wholly unique experience.
T.’.
Great work, people, seriously.
I’m thinking that ST will ultimately reflect a realistic take on the 23rd century per canon, that is, using the high-tech 60’s motif to link our world with Roddenberry’s potential future. Given some of Mr. Orci’s comments on earlier threads, it would be logical to surmise that this not only ‘grounds’ the storyline but makes it relevant socio-politically.
In other words, JJ and his merry band of uber-geeks may be attempting to elevate Star Trek into the realm of high art.
Case in point: the aforementioned global marketing campaign, employing appropriate voice overs to acknowlege various nations’ contributions to space exploration.
Also, curiously, the concept of ‘under construction’, as in the teaser and first viral site, of the USS Enterprise, both as ship and metaphor.
111 - No need to apologize, Roberto! As so many others have said, we so greatly appreciate that you’ve taken time out to talk to us, and give us this peek into the production. Absolutely, take care of first things first. :) Thanks to you and J.J. and all the rest!
That actually leads me to wonder… Are the Enterprise sets being struck completely when you’re done with them, or are they being shifted into fold-and-hold status for (hopefully!) future use?
Roberto Orci
I just want to say thank you and i appreciate that you guys came by to chat with us from your day shooting
#117 John Cho!!! Welcome! Glad you could make it! :)
And congrats on winning the Sulu role!!
I love the bridge style! Exactly what i had in mind! Keep up the good work :)
Because, as we all know the TOS was based in part with the available technology of the time, and the nobs, green things, were in fact standard in most military vehicles of the time, today, we have a mix, and the most advanced mostly in touch screen. And that includes airplane cockpits, which are both!
So, in other words, AMAZING! I can’t wait to watch it, and knowing how much you people care for the trek community makes me all “warm and fuzzy” inside! :)
hint: I hope one day to see a series with the Uss Titan from Capt. Riker, based on the book novels :P
For me, the “wow” moment was hearing Nimoy’s voice, and seeing him as Mr. Spock, for the first time in years, and seeing it live.
117.
John, thanks for stopping by! I can only imagine what that was like (I guess the closest us fans will get to experience is when we see the first footage of the you guys on the bridge in action).
#117
John, did you grow up with Trek?
TIA,
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
for me, it was extraordinary to spend my last shooting day on the enterprise. it really struck me just how epic it all was…AND WILL BE.
123.
Karl, can’t wait to see your interpretation of Bones!
#123 Karl
*Wow!*
Enjoyed “Comanche Moon,” but when are y’all gonna FINISH the story?? ;-)
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
126.
Wow, looks like all you guys on a break from shooting. Loved your performance in “Alpha Dog”, btw.
Karl Urban! Anton Yelchin! Awesome!!! Welcome to both of you, as well. Will Zoe and Simon be chiming in, as well? :)
Anton: Your last day? Nooooo! So it isn’t so… :(
Please, someone tell me those bridge buttons are a red herring…a joke…SOMETHING other than what they’re actually going to use in the movie. Anyone who thinks those buttons look TOS-style needs to have their vision checked…either that or their brain examined. Those control panels look just like the sh*t you’d see on TNG…gimme a break here, people.
On behalf of TrekMovie.com….welcome John, Anton and Karl
go grab Zoe and we will have a full crew! (Simon is out of town now right?)…if not then we need an engineer in here pronto or this whole thing is going to blow up
I’ve gotta say that this is truly amazing we are getting this experience to interact with these people that are saving Star Trek. Thanks to Anthony, Mr. Abrams, Mr. Orci, and the whole new crew of the Enterprise for making it happen!!
And if you guys are reading, thanks again for taking a few minutes to answer our questions! Really appreciated, especially knowing you’re all hard at work.
*SQUEE* Karl Urban! Glad to see you around!
I must say being a HUGE trek fan from the day that I was a wee widdle tot bouncing on my parents’ knee (ok not that young, but might as well be) I have never been so excited than this movie… and the mere fact that I’m ALSO a HUGE LotR’s fan just adds to it…
I loved your interpretation as Eomer… I may love even more as Bones… so’long as you don’t ruin it for me…
For the longest time I considered myself of purist… but after seeing and hearing bits and pieces of what is to come.. I’m very excited to see what the final product would be (though I much prefer seeing the production as it develops… blame my thespian side there).
Darryl - January 25, 2008
I have a tattoo of the Enterprise, will I have to have it changed now?
A: Which one? Enterprise A, B, C, D, or E?
Oh… my.
The family is getting a little weirded out and annoyed by my clinging to the computer, but this is totally worth it. I’m very sorry, but I had an uncontrollable fangirl moment.
…I’m posting on the same board as Dr. McCoy. *_*
Freaking EPIC! I… well, I’m about to get my computer taken away again, but dang, this is beyond amazing. Gotta give ALL you cast members props for not only being gutsy enough to TAKE these roles knowing how critical we fans can be, but then being nice enough to come and interact with us. That’s just such a lovely gesture. I’m looking forward to this movie all the more thanks to this, thank you very much! :D
please don’t thank me…we at the site are merely the humble vessel. Thank Roberto and JJ and his crew and the folks at Paramount for making this happen.
This is such an exciting day =) Thanks to all on the set who take time to chat with the fans, it’s amazing..hope you all are planning to come to some conventions?! (waves hello across the country!!!)
Please stay in touch with us!
So, if this is the last day of filming on the bridge, is anyone planning to take home any, um, souvenirs? :-)
#132 Anthony — I heard Simon Pegg had trouble yodeling…
Futurama reference, for those not in the know :P
I know a lot of people have said it before me, but I’d really like to thank everyone that’s helped with this. It has really given me a sense of how important the fan base is to this project and that this movie is indeed going to be AMAZING (even if you wont let us know a bunch ahead of time :P )
#123 Karl Urban
Congratulations on the role. I’ve been an admirer of your acting since my youth. You’ll always have done the greatest performance of Caesar in my mind.
Did you do any special preparations for the role that might be considered “out of the ordinary?”
I can’t believe I’m going to type this, but…
SQUEEEEEEE! [jeez, I HATE that!]
Would someone get mah smellin’ salts? If the whole crew shows up, I fear I shall just …
{{{{THUNK!}}}}
Ow!
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
136/JJ
Right answer!
although you missed the bonus round points by not using the word ‘bloody’
Is Faran Tahir in the film?
#140 Yeah!
If y’all could swipe anything from the set or wardrobe, what would it be?
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
Hey guys! Tell Jolene there on the bridge that her boyfriend says hi!
‘Seriously, Roberto, thanks for coming back. I didn’t think I’d see any of y’all here tonight. I’ve been busy trying to clean amnio fluid out of an upholstered dining room chair in between reloads at this site.
(Long, really gross story. See synopsis at Post 68.)’
114. The Vulcanista - Ya know, I already have a four month old grandkid popping in due to babysitting accomodations, and he finds new and creative ways to projectile spew formula all over every room - and everything therein - in ways that would make Linda Blair and her special effects crew feel like a bunch of rank amateurs. (I’m still trying to gently scrub the blow out of the grille of an expensive, walnut-cabinet home theater speaker.) So, can we dispense with all the talk of the groinocological water park? As it is, I also have a fat, medicated Dachshund fighting urinary incontinence. The psychological combination of the virtual and existential is enough to make me want to go swinging through the trees and just live in a pine bough over the Hooch. LOL ;-)
That bridge photo is like a rorschach test - people are seeing in it what they want to see in it. He could have been on the Voyager bridge if I didn’t know better.
J.J.! Don’t worry about this silly chat! Please make sure you have enough coverage! I can stop by to help shim the dolly track if you need me! Let us make a run to In&Out for you!
#149
ROTFLMFAO!
Agreed. Subject closed.
Besides, there’s LOTS better things goin’ on right now!
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
Did anyone answer from “The Gang” what they are shooting on? Is there a Genesis camera in the studio? That would be appropriate considering the subject matter, wouldn’t it?
“There are always possibilities…”
#146 Pragmaticus — Good question. I see I’m not the only one who saw that. ;)
To Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, and (whether or not they come in) Zoe Saldana and Simon Pegg, congratulations to you all! i look forward to seeing your interpretations of these iconic characters. Naturally, live long and prosper. :)
JJ,
What’s the big structure behind you, glimpsed through the green screen drapes? There’s a guy standing in front of it? Part of the set?
and to the cast, crew, everybody checking the thread, I hope you make a terrific movie and I wish you every success. You guys have taken a bite out of a very big elephant.
JJ, Bob, et al
Charles Trotter, news editor for TrekMovie.com is a credits junkie
He wants the best boy and/or a gaffer or other stage hand to chime in. I am not kidding we want to hear from everyone…hell we interviewed the teaser welder last week!
ensign joe - January 25, 2008
Question for everyone:
If there was one thing you wish the fans would quit complaining about what would it be?
complaints mean you still care… so we never want to see you stop complaining.
It’s funny how people are dissecting the two Orci snapped images for this chat. I think I see the numbers 4 + 8 + 15 + 16 + 23 + 42 on the call sheet. Are they significant for some reason? And what is slusho? Why does the prop master need to have “slusho” for “Young Spock” on this shooting day? The mystery continues…
# 147–I already got dibs on bridge stuff.
I have been a Trek fan since the early days. If someone had said I would have an opportunity to be involved in the same forum as the cast and crew of a Trek movie while they were shooting it…..well.
I do want to say Thank You for being so generous with your time to a bunch of nattering geeks.
We want this to be great so desperately that I think sometimes our collective energy must be distracting.
Don’t be too hard on that Dave guy from myspace. But I am available if you need a replacement.
Is J.J. using storyboards on the set, or is he winging it? I wonder how much of this film is a steadycam effort….
159: if you rearrange the number correctly and use the specific translation matrix it will reveal the entire script for the new movie :P
#137 Ampris - ‘The family is getting a little weirded out and annoyed by my clinging to the computer, but this is totally worth it.’
My wife wonders why I’m suddenly so ‘obsessed’ with this site, but she hasn’t had a jones for something since she found out how big our last IRS refund was. LOL :-)
Karl, John, (and again) Roberto, welcome, gentlemen. I lift my glass to you, and may your endeavors bear fruit as sweet as that we all anxiously wish to sample.
I just saw ‘Red Shirt’ posting and had to check the IP to be sure….I thought maybe one of the extras was posting…oh well
we want to hear from them too!
#157 Anthony
ROFLMAO!!!
Yes, give me everything! The gaffer, the caterer, the candle-stick makers! I must know them all! lol
Seriously, it’s mainly for Memory Alpha. I’m trying to write up articles on everyone working on the film. A daunting task to say the least. ;)
That interview with welder guy Anthony Vitale was a great interview, though. :)
4 + 8 + 15 + 16 + 23 + 42 is Kirk’s new password for the auto-destruct sequence. It will give the crew 108 seconds to abandon ship. Look for the U.S.S. Dharma to rescue any evacuees.
Roberto & ensign joe:
Great question and answer! Nice to know that even negative input is welcome.
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
This is absolutely incredible, guys! I’ve never seen this before, to have the whole cast and production team of a movie online talking to fans from the set is unreal!
All I want to say is thanks for your work, everything that I’ve seen from this movie so far looks fantastic!!
Don’t really have a question, just a request….
MORE PICS!!!
MORE PICS!!!
MORE PICS!!!
;)
For the cast members — what have you been doing to get “in character”? What do you see as the most important aspect of your particular character’s personality/psychology?
#158 re: Robert Orci
I wish the fans would stop complaining about Berman and how crappy he did. It’s all I hear in the forums is how crappy Rick Bermans work was.
starbase63 - January 25, 2008
To Mr. Orci…
Please settle the arguement that has erupted since the release of the teaser…which shows the Enterprise being built in a ground based drydock (someone seems to have taken a gag photo seriously).
Though not official, it has been accepted from “The Making of Star Trek” on, and even listed in the entries both in Michael Okuda’s Star Trek Encyclopedia and the Library at startrek.com that the ship was assembled in orbit…even in the Enterprise series set 85 years before TOS we see ships being built in orbit.
Will we actually see the 1701 finished in the San Francisco Orbital Yard, or has this concept been thrown out?
After all, duranium will be just as strong in orbit as it would on Earth…
A: Without giving anything away, nothing in the teaser precludes final assembly in space.
Can I see a full exterior of the new Enterprise pictured in the trailer?
Sorry Anthony! I wasn’t trying to pose as a person from the set! I know a thing or two about movie making also! That’s that fancy RTF degree from UT Austin talking! I guess I graduated the year after R. Orci was there, so I doubt our paths crossed…
For Mr. Abrams (and any other applicable person that may have attended film school):
Right now I’m working on a transfer degree to get into a university, and my sights are set on USC’s school of Cinema-Television. What advice would you be willing to give me, and is there anything in particular that I should take (physically or emotionally) to help my endeavor? I really appreciate what you’re all doing, and hopefully I can do it with you some day!
For JJ Abrams Are you going to drop any easter eggs of Lost,Alias,Cloverfield,etc. in the new Star Trek film? Thank you.
“red shirt” I am no body special and can’t tell you about the #’s but i have a clue about the “slusho” part of your question. Read the 3rd line at this address.
http://imdb.com/title/tt1060277/trivia
All I can say is thanks for this interview, it means a lot to me being a die hard fan. It sounds like you guys are having a blast doing this movie and I can’t wait to experience the finished product. Trek has always been a part of my life and it’s nice to know that you guys are continuing to keep the dream alive.
re: 158. Roberto Orci
Very smooth of you, Mr. Orci
Can’t wait to see you all on screen together, always excited for a new “Trek” movie but much more so this time! Was “cautiously optimistic” early on but from all I have seen so far with casting and interviews on this site it seems to be in good hands!
Thanks for taking the time to answer questions and “hang out”!
Sorry JJ, but I tried to photoshop you out of that second pic. Gotta see that console! Of course I there’s a lot I had to make up because it wasn’t there. But that may be what it looks like …
If anyone wants to see …
http://i30.tinypic.com/5r8m1.jpg
#177
I know what those numbers mean. I was being tongue-in-cheek. A little gift for those in this room who might watch a little episodic ABC drama about some folks that fell out of a plane onto an island somewhere. They might be LOST. Or something.
I hope that JJ uses his Lost numbers like Lucas uses 1138…A little gift for the eagle eyed fans.
How big is James Cawley’s part in the film?
#163: “My wife wonders why I’m suddenly so ‘obsessed’ with this site, but she hasn’t had a jones for something since she found out how big our last IRS refund was. LOL”
What’s your wife’s jones?
Mine’s interior design. $130 million Trek budget + Vulcanista shopping in Manhattan for one month = U.S. economic recovery.
And let me add this traditional Southern toast to the Trek crew visiting us here: Here’s to those who wish us well; the ones that don’t can go to hell!
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
What does the transporter effect look like in the new movie? Is it just as awesome as in the original series?
181- very nice work!
its hard to tell what color the consoles are, is that a golden/beigey hue or are they silver?
Mr. Orci –
Did you have a “Plan B” in case Leonard didn’t agree to be in the movie?
J.J.,
Regarding your high school gym locker…Well um, I was wondering if you could settle a bet for me and my friends, okay? Um, like, when you… um, left for the last time? And you opened up your safe? Um… what was the combination?
I just reviewed the answers so far and all I can say is……JJ and crew have a lot of homework for the weekend!
We expect every question to be answered by Monday so…..get crackin’, gents! :)
172. Roberto Orci - ‘A: Without giving anything away, nothing in the teaser precludes final assembly in space.’
Like I’ve been saying. I spent a couple of years in junior Naval reserve. We didn’t spend our time just painting bulkheads and learning to tie knots.
And does anyone else watch The History Channel? Jeez……….
187
I think “Plan B” was more gross deal points.
For Chris Pine….
Okay! Another bet… okay… on your horse farm… alright? How many saddle-bred horses do you have?
181
Nice job with the photoshop! The design almost looks like something from one of those futuristic starships that would pop up on VOY now and then.
I like it though. The light coloring gives it a very high-tech, futuristic feel.
I totally misread Anton’s comment… I thought he was saying this was his last shooting day, period. He just said it was his last day on the Enterprise sets, though.
Just thought I’d clarify that… for myself. :P
Ya know, being a court reporter and all, if I was made to sit in a deposition after 5:00 p.m. on a Friday evening, I’d be internally kvetching up a storm!
Here it is, 9:24 p.m. PST (I think), and these folk are interacting with us. I’m *very* impressed.
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
It’s getting late in LA. I know these guys don’t want to go into golden time with meal penalties. Maybe we should leave them be…
It’s 9:26, these guys stay up till 6 in the morning!
Harry! Good to see you. Where you been?
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
That picture of the console the clear panel above it reminded me of the one time the clear panel (that looks very much like that) was used on the bridge. I can’t recall which episode but it was the piece re-used from the “laser cannon” in “The Cage”.
Here is a reference pic, the clear circle panel at the back. Anyone know the ep?
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/8241/thecage255nt2.jpg
OK - we’ve seen a slice of the bridge, we know the crew has scenes with Nimoy, we know the doors still swooosh, we know Pine is going to sit in the captain’s chair, and guessing the original transporter sound is going to be used. So we learned a lot.
Now we need to find out if the following will make their way into the movie:
- the intercom whistle?
- the turbolift sound?
- the original bridge instrumentation sounds?
- where is Simon Pegg in all of this? does he have any bridge scenes?
- communicator, tricorder, and hand phaser sounds?
- Oh and a biggie, does the science station have the hooded viewer for Spock to look into when he scans?
The adventure continues!!!!!!!!
Great Q & A. Love the bridge console, very cool and futuristic…but I hope the bridge crew doesn’t have to sit on the floor like JJ is! Unless, of course, some of the controls are operated by the user’s knees.
I know this is echoing numerous posts already, but wow, this is really cool!
JJ et al.: How do you deal with being a public person, knowing that everything you do will be scrutinized to the nth degree? That kind of pressure can be debilitating, but you seem to take it all in stride. Perhaps your advice can help me with my dissertation defense in a few years, haha.
And whose banana was that in the first photo?
Craig - January 25, 2008
Hi. Mr. Abrams. What made you select the TOS time frame? I have read on other Trek forums fans saying the new movie should have been post Nemesis. Do you feel the 24th or 25th Century Era is done? I think choosing TOS is cool even though I do like TNG and DS9. I can’t wait to see the rest of what the new 1701 will look like.
A: Alex, Bob, Bryan, Damon and I always wanted to do the Kirk/Spock/original crew story. That was what attracted us to the project. New timeframes have been done numerous times in the Trek universe. What we wanted to explore required the TOS timeline.
Well I’ve been pleased as punch that we finally got the tease trailer last week;And now we got this interaction answering some questions.
I hope J.J. doesn’t torture us too much with this a”picture is forth coming”nonsense. There can be a thing as being too vague.
But a trailer wont be ready till early to mid summer!
That’s just wrong.
(SIGH) Oh well.
‘Ya know, being a court reporter and all, if I was made to sit in a deposition after 5:00 p.m. on a Friday evening, I’d be internally kvetching up a storm! ‘
As a public servant, how do you fight the urge to just choke the snot out of someone on one side or the other, on a case-by-case basis?
(Mea Culpa: my doctor has had me on meds for my temper for years. If I start frothing at the mouth, just give me a sublingual, and back off for a few. I’ll be ready to bake cookies when I get up. ;-) )
me - January 25, 2008
@ Orci
Are u really the guy writing comments on trekmovie in your name?
It really is me, and everyone who has posted really is who they say they are. Anthony can verify from our IP.
majel barrett involved?
RE: 206
It is all them…I think the pics prove it…but all are from the same IP. There were a couple jokers who posted who thought we were stupid….lets just say they will not be coming back
Question for the crew.. How much Star Trek did you study before making this movie?
199 “Here is a reference pic, the clear circle panel at the back. Anyone know the ep?”
I was thinking the same thing, but I remember it from that classic publicity pic with Nimoy that was on the old gold key comic.
http://collectibleshop.tripod.com/star-trek-3-gold-key.jpg
Regardless, it evokes a TOS “vibe” and that’s very cool.
Mr. Abrams…
Has ILM already started working on Visual Effects at all? Or is that going to be done mostly after principal photography wraps?
If any visual effects have been done, besides the teaser, are you pleased with the realism of those effects?
#205
While I’m writing all this crap down on my machine, I simply make up my grocery list in my head instead. I like to call it “flying Vulcan Airlines.”
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
Well, it’s half past midnight here so I’d better get to bed; doggie-sitting duty tomorrow and all. This was such a fun evening, many thanks to everyone who got an kept it going. =)
(And I know he probably already left, but Mr. Urban, if you happen to check this thread again somebody in the first set of chat questions asked if we’d be seeing the pinky ring Deforest Kelley/McCoy always wore and, well, inquiring minds want to know! )
‘Night, all.
Are Roberto and/or Alex appearing as extras in this film?
Question if there are still people checking
Will we get to see 23rd century Earth for more then a quick glimpse?
PM - January 25, 2008
DID YOU GUYS EVER DISCUSS THE PROJECT WITH RICK BERMAN? IF SO WHAT DOES HE FEEL ABOUT THE PROJECT?
A: WE HAVE NOT BUT WE HAVE NOTHING BUT THE DEEPEST RESPECT FOR ALL PREVIOUS INCARNATIONS AND STEWARDS OF THIS GREAT FRANCHISE, AND WE TRULY HOPE WE WILL HAVE HIS BLESSING WHEN ALL IS REVEALED.
9 hours !! its 6 in the morin here
JJ, or anyone else:
One last try. Will gay people exist and somehow be depicted in your version of the 24th century, or will we be completely ignored as we have been, so far in Trek.
Thanks
Another question:
We haven’t seen much of Simon Pegg. Is he wearing as wig or has he dyed his hair black? And will we see Arex?
How big of a part do the Romulans have in the movie? Are they a large presence?
I have an absolutely VITAL question:
Will we see mini-skirts??
Thank you all for taking the time to post. Can’t wait to see your movie. Take care.
To the “Gang”…Your recently listed casting call for little people. Are they gonna be humans, aliens, or MOCAP performers like Andy Serkis in the Rings trilogy?
Ok, I found where that panel similar to the one in the new bridge pic was used. I knew I remembered seeing it on the bridge but it was actually from a deleted scene in “The Cage”…
Here you can see part of it (almost at the bottom of the page):
http://startrekhistory.com/restoration/cagepage.html
For anybody, how big is Pike’s role in the new movie? Please don’t let it be just a line or two.
Those control panels are nothing special. They don’t have ANY TOS vibe…what’s wrong with you guys?? You’re making a big deal about TNG-style garbage, gushing about it and giving it more credit than it’s worth. I’m waiting to see what it will actually look like complete, but from what I’ve seen thus far I’m not impressed.
What fun it would be to be there working on this… I’d sleep on the set if they asked.
Will we see any new alien races in the movie?
#212 The Vulcanista - ‘While I’m writing all this crap down on my machine, I simply make up my grocery list in my head instead. I like to call it “flying Vulcan Airlines.’.
I envy you for that sort of Vulcanesque ability to unplug yourself from your surroundings and find an inner focus. My sawbones has to armor up and erect blast walls before he comes in just to take my BP. And I take three pills a day for it.
OK! SO, I’M AN INTENSE KIND OF GUY!!!!!!
LOL j/k ;-)
[this was from the other thread but i posted way too late - sorry for the late questions]
question for several of you…
JJ: first off, thank you for bringing excitement back to Trek - it was thirsty for it BIG time.
I’ve read in various interviews and chats that you are staying absolutely true to canon. I am one of the rare few who liked STAR TREK ENTERPRISE (yeah, boo me all u haters want, I careth not) so I’m stoked about seeing this interpretation of the beginning of TOS.
The question I have for you is this: how much of ENTERPRISE will we get to see in STAR TREK and does that particular incarnation have any baring on how the story sets up in your vision?
CHRIS PINE: First of all, you’re going to be awesome as Jim Kirk - forget what the haters say - you’re going to be awesome.
For you, my question is: are you finding it difficult to deal with a lot of the weight baring down on you against the juggernaut that Shatner created with the character?
ZACHARY QUINTO: You look awesome as Spock - just like Nimoy, it’s scary.
With Mr. Nimoy’s blessing, and the fact that he is also in the movie I’m sure takes some weight off of you, if this movie becomes a huge hit like I hope it will, and JJ goes for seconds… do you feel that, so far, you are comfortable enough to come back as Mr. Spock in a second STAR TREK movie with the same cast?
Thank you all for a great job and I’m actually looking forward to Christmas this year (the first in many years). Good luck to you all and thank you, once more, for bringing STAR TREK back with a bang.
#198 The Vulcanista
Hello gorgeous…..I had a wacko night so I’m late joining this shindig.
Sounds like you had an interesting dinner party…..carpet back to normal?
Do we get to see Spock’s favorite bridge viewer in the movie?
Scott - January 25, 2008
What is your favorite Trek film out of the prior ten?
STII The Wrath of Khan
We missed you, ya’ big lug.
Question to the crew .. is this the beginning of two more movies? (A Trek trillogy?)
*sigh* Purists… :-P
…Are there gonna be other ships than the NCC-1701 in the film?
…It wouldn’t spoil anything to simply say “yes” and have me puzzle it out later.
Mr. Abrams…
Why did you feel the need to redesign the bridge AGAIN?!? I mean, that’s been done many, many times before. It gets a little old, ESPECIALLY to the non-fans you’re trying to very hard to appeal to. Wouldn’t it have been more in line with your “going back to the fresh roots” theme if you had just kept the bridge the way it was? It would have appealed to the fans AND the non-fans wouldn’t roll their eyes, going “not another version of this.” Using the original design would be more recognizable and would have gotten even non-fans more interested in seeing it.
So basically…why complicate things further and redesign the bridge yet AGAIN?? Hasn’t that been done too many times already?? I thought you were going for a “fresh start” by going back to the original TOS roots, man!!
David Witz? Unit Production Manager for M:i:III? What are you doing here?
Hi, though. :)
David Witz…I am gonna guess you are the UPM on this show?
236. Laserlover2254
Of course there will be more ships. At least one, how do you think the Romulans will be getting around?
JJ,
when will we get to see our first complete pic of the bridge set? also are the control panels made with those big jeweled buttons like the origional or are they the touch screen type like the ones in The next generation and voyager ect
I looked David Witz up to see if he was UPM but couldn’t find him. Don’t underestimate the JJ connection.
237
Um, redesigning the Enterprise bridge NEVER gets old for this fan.
For the record, I completely disagree with everything our friend, TOS Purist, said in #237.
To anyone and everyone:
What’s your favorite TOS episode?
Can you reveal who has the figure license for this project? McFarlane? Hope so!
Sure, redesigns are fun for some geeky fans. But I was also talking about NON-fans…
The Vulcanista - January 25, 2008
#117
John, did you grow up with Trek?
TIA,
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
A: Did anyone NOT grow up with Trek.
#242 — I recognized his name from M:i:III when I was looking for any further possible connections between that movie and this one. This would be the first time I’ve seen concrete evidence to his connection with this film.
#237, you didn’t read the part where the team was trying to bring the technology in line with what would be plausible from our future…not that of the 60s
a redesign was imperative to making this trek movie work…
#247 TOS Purtist — There are no non-fans here. And warning for trolling.
To TOS Purist,
The bridge was redesigned twice in the original series, and it has been established that most starship bridges are “plug-in” modules, so it could conceivably be redesigned quite frequently during a ship’s lifetime in order to keep the “command and control” and up to date as possible.
#245 balance of terror great eppisode
JJ and everyone else:
No real question, but just a comment: After all I’ve been seeing and hearing out of the production so far, I’ve got a reassuring feeling that Trek is finally back in good hands.
Thank you, and godspeed.
John Cho! See, being in those silly Harold and Kumar and American Pie movies did pay off! This is the big time. You now have 35-40 years of conventions to go to. Endless lines of pimple-faced geeks clutching Sharpies, wrinkled publicity stills and Super Big Gulps.
Welcome to hell!
‘#230 - Sounds like you had an interesting dinner party…..carpet back to normal? ‘
Harry - please re-read the thread. We reached an armistice on this. I wanna go to bed and not toss and turn all night. LMAO ;-)
Oh yeah, and Quinto?
You look like the Cage version of Spock when you have the eyebrows.