Two weeks ago TrekMovie.com revealed that the CBS Trek Remastered team were working on a new model for the Starship Enterprise..and it arrives this weekend. CBS Digital was kind enough to let TrekMovie.com visit their offices and we can say that the new model is a big improvement, here is a little peek.
CBS are going all out for this episode, creating a series of new shots to replace the repeated establishing shots. So make sure you do not miss Trouble With Tribbles Remastered.
Here is the promo (but just a glimpse of the new ship)
(wmv)
On FridayThis weekend TrekMovie.com will have a full article on our behind the scenes tour of CBS Digital
From what I can see in that picture it looks very nice! Really looking forward to seeing this episode, even more now. Awesome job, and work on getting the shot of it!
excellent…
MUCH better. It may still not be perfect, but it’s still a massive improvement over the current CGI model.
I for hope they closely studied the model shots they did for DS9’s Trials and Tribble-ations. Which can be seen as a practice run for what the CBS Digital team are doing now.
-cs™
Is that a Klingon cruiser in the upper right of the frame? The E looks nice, but I didn’t have a problem with the last version.
I like it!!!
it looks good. just like the enterprise in DS9’s trials and tribble-ations. k7 looks a lot bigger. hope they show the klingon battle cruiser.
Anthony Pascale —
Great Work, Thank You Very Much!! Looking forward to the episode and Friday’s article.
That is absolutely a Klingon cruiser in the shot. Kudos to the CBS team for including it! In keeping with their subtle improvements, there is no need for them to show it in all it’s glory – yet. Just a nice distance shot to let us know its there, and to add tension to the drama inside the station.
The fact that this is Trouble with Tribbles is suspect. With so many new shots done for Trials and Tribblations it would be easy just to reuse that footage. But closer study shows that it is not. Over the past few weeks the nacelle caps have gotten better. Now that the ship has gotten a load of new detail, the caps look wrong again. I like the newly detailed ship as it was what I was hoping for all along, but I hope they go back and put the new CGI model into the episodes already done. I’m looking forward to hear what Dochterman has to say about this new model.
Hm, let’s search for Sisko and Dax aboard the Enterprise! :-)
happy days I think it looks good and there is the klingon battlcruiser in the lower right hand corner!
There’s a still shot of K-7 and the Enterprise in background over at startrek.com:
http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/TOS/episode/68744.html
It’s a photo that says “Station K-7 (remastered)”.
Blech. The nacelle caps still look like painted orange domes. Let’s hope that it’s just that one shot, or the fact that this is a *picture* of a monitor and not an actual screenshot, but it still screams FAAAAAAKE to my eyes.
The nacelle caps in that still look very much like these:
http://tos.trekcore.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=60&pos=101
Although the CG ones are a little less subtle particularly with regard to the blades. We’ll see what it looks like animated.
Looks awesome! I can’t wait.
There was nothing wrong with the original MODEL. It was the lighting and texturing that made it look naff.
CBS digital have acutally stated that this is a FAR LESS detailed model so that they can speed up their render times.
I think it’s unfair to blame the original 3D mesh when there was nothing wrong with it, other than it was TOO detailed to make too many renders to test lighting, texturing, etc… before they had to add the clip to the episode.
I hope they put at least one member of the DS9 crew somewhere in the background.
What is the big deal with these these new Nacelle caps!?? They look great!! Further, the Enterprise looks a BILLION times better than it did in the 60’s! Why would you want them to look like they did with the old model? You could hardly see them anyway!! They were blurry, dull and poorly lit in the old show. I just don’t understand what the big deal is and why people keep complaining about it.
The only shot that wasn’t any good IMO, was the left turn shot in I Mudd. Other than that the CBS folks have done a good job and this new model looks even better. Great to see the Klingon Battlecruiser put in there!!
I’m usually a “share no expense” kind of guy. But in the interest of stretching the budget (so episodes like The Doomsday Machine and The Ultimate Computer give us all fan-gasms), why don’t they use some of the stock footage of the great opticals from Trials and Tribblations?
“What is the big deal with these these new Nacelle caps!?? They look great!! Further, the Enterprise looks a BILLION times better than it did in the 60’s! Why would you want them to look like they did with the old model? You could hardly see them anyway!! They were blurry, dull and poorly lit in the old show. I just don’t understand what the big deal is and why people keep complaining about it.”
Because the Nacelle caps on the model were accurate, mechanical devices. The Nacelle caps on the digital Enterprise up until now, have not even been close approximations. They jump off the screen, looking totally washed out, rushed and fake. If the Enterprise were given the attention to detail it deserves, there would not be the same level of dissatisfaction. Some would still nitpick, but not on the same level we have seen. Just because ‘you’ can’t see what’s wrong with it, doesn’t mean more discerning eyes can’t. We’re not all born with the ability to spot artistic flaws.
they CAN’T reuse footage from Trials and Tribbulations BECAUSE those shots were not produced in High Def. The point of this is to create a high def version of TOS.
“THERE SHE IS! There she is!”
Now that is the Enterprise, people. It took 40 years, but we’re on the verge of finally seeing the original in all her glory. I’m friggin’ stoked.
sorry – obviously – I meant “Trials and Tribble-ations”
That’s the Enterprise i’d hoped to see from the beginning of this remastered TOS.
Hmm, is all I can say, and I’m a huge fan of this remastering process. they’ve done some outstanding work. But seriously even this new version of the old girl looks off.
I have seen far superior nacelle caps on at least three different fan renderings floating around on the internet. One guy who reviews here, and one guy who is re-doing the doomsday machine.
What’s the big deal, just call these fans up and ask them how they did it. Or hire one of them. Sheesh, it’s not like they don’t know what they’re doin.
One thing with the nacelle caps is that they had many different “looks” in TOS. The density of the lighting and color changed, and the amount of white sheen on the caps varied widely. Sometimes they really *did* look totally “washed out.” I’m pretty sure the speed of rotation and the pattern of the blinking lights changed, too. Even the sharpness of the fan blades varied.
I like the nacelle caps in the new digital Enterprise, probably because it looks like the episodes that I remember from the Old Days. It’s obvious to me that some of the so-called “purists” are remembering the look of the ship in other episodes. But they’re all “canonical.”
For myself, I can’t wait to see the “new” Enterprise this weekend!
I’m with you Horn! I can’t believe some of the comments in here lol. People complain and complain about how they don’t like the ship an dthen when they announce a new one no one is happy LOL!! It’s a still photo taken with a digital camera off some guy’s computer screen and already the bashing begins! Some people just WANT to hate these guys! “The nacelle caps” and “what will Dochterman think?” and “It may not still be perfect” – Not perfect? Have you guys actually SEEN the effects from the 60’s LOL?! This is like a badillion times better. COME ON!
I can see all that detail on the engineering section and the color looks wicked cool!! I want to hear what the folks at CBS-D have to say. Thanks Anthony for getting the interview!
REALLY looking forward to seeing Trouble with Tribbles!
I’m cautiously optimistic… at best.
On THIS particular project- because of it’s status and history- They really need an FX supervisor that is a true nitpicker to do justice to the E.
When supposed in-depth viewing and replication of details of the original model (now I’m speaking of the proper size of the domes on the rear of the nacelles, for example) totally eludes these guys, it’s time for drastic action- like firing someone. When LOTS of $$ rides on a project, that can at times be the best option.
Who knows, perhaps they have!
Let’s just hope they replaced them with the right (Daren?) person.
Ditto what Ron Jon and Spockariffic just said. There wasn’t a single standard look for the caps, and if you look at screen caps from something like “The Tholian Web” (try trekcore.com), which features some of the best ship work in the series, you’ll see a variety of looks there too. For my money, the caps as seen here look pretty darn good. If the motion works as well, I think they’ve gotten very very close to a great look.
It just goes to go show you what I have been illustrating all along, you CAN’T please fanboys, and shouldn’t even try. It’s pointless, and a wasted, useless gesture because with some people unless they did it personally, they won’t be satisfied, with others, unless it meets with their pre-concieved imaginative notions they won’t be satisfied., and still with another group if it doesn’t look like the craptacular DS9,Voyager, or Enterprise CGI effects it won’t please them so, why even bother.
Okuda, there wasn’t a damn thing wrong with the CGI Enterprise you have been using, it was accurate to the 11 foot studio model in dimensions, it was mean, clean, and pristine, and it was camouflage/concrete grey, the true color of the Enterprise.
Why you had to listen and take petty, dimestore criticism to heart is beyond me. There wasn’t a letter writing campaign criticizing the model, only 7 or 8 people on this website.
Now that you have catered to fanboy sensibilities, you can expect even MORE division and displeased fans.
Some want the ship grey, some blue, some white, some clean, some dirty, some want dull nacelle caps, some want bright and cheery, some want the phasers redone, some want barrel rolls, some want strick adherence to the original effects. Some want fleet shots, some even want DS9 crewmembers inserted into the original.
Dont even acknowledge it Okuda, do what YOU want to do and **** all these opinions because that’s all they are- armchair, couch potato opinions. You have been given creative control over this project and have done a masterful job despite what these naysayers cry about.
Don’t please anyone but your own artistic sensibilities Okuda.
By all accounts, there were problems with the original CGI model and, I suspect, these were obvious to the team behind the remastered series. While it’s possible they were aware of the views on this site and others, they were bound to have noticed these problems themselves!
By “all accounts?”
That’s my point, “problems” according to WHOM?
Does anyone honestly think with the tight schedule they are doing these shows they would have gone back and redone the ship if Okuda hadn’t probably visited this website and read some of the “opinions?”
No what it is, is the very vocal MINORITY screamed loud enough to be heard, and those satisfied weren’t loud enough, otherwise we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
I can assure you all that changes made at CBS were done because that is what they wanted to do. Although I do know they read this site and others, they are fully capable of forming opinions on their own. The work on the new model began even before the first episode aired. They made it simply because the one they started with was always going to be a stopgap measure due to the time constraints on the project.
There’s no way any for-profit corporate entity is ever going to spend more time and money on effects because of “7 or 8” disgruntled “fanboys.” No way in heaven or heck. They saw where improvements could be made and to their credit, they’re making them.
Try it, you might like it even better than before!
Is that spin coming from them Anthony?
You have to admit if they used this website as a gauge they weren’t feeling much “love” emanating from the forums. Far from it actually.
If they were in R and D and this was legitimately planned for, that’s another matter entirely.
What I have issue with is the notion of creativity by commitee and “fan” influence in creative decision making processes.
Again, I ask: before the remastered series goes to DVD, are they going to re-do the re-done eps with the newly remastered 1701?
And will THE CAGE (the original pilot) get the treatment as well?
You guys are really obsessed with nacelle caps.Keep it clean OK.Nacelle Nichols might get offended.
I hope they color them Indigo and perriwinkle.
What was Daren’s contribution to this?
Texturing? Shading? Lighting?
Somewhere I read daren had a discussion with Okuda, but nothing further was elaborated on?
Why did the model have to be replaced in the first place? The replacement seems problematical,and before anyone jumps on this, there are many who prefer the model, and who have a right to that position, just as the CGI proponents have their right to respectfully disagree. Is there a technical reason. Also, I hope Abrams commissions a model for the movie, there are times when 3d is better. I was surprised–after reading Star Wars 365 days– at the vast amount of model work in the prequels. My dream scenario would be to see them pull the model from the NASM, redo it, then shoot all the shots on a stage; the only way to match the style of TOS but absolutely prohibitive in time and cost. They’ll never do it, but that would have gotten so much publicity it would have paid for itself. Maybe all that CGI on TV has jaded me somewhat.
#32 – Josh – While it may better suit your argument that ungrateful fans are to blame for the replacement model, surely youmust by now concede that is not the case. Anthony visited the studio and spoke directly to the poeple involved, which is much greater access than most others here can claim to have.
Even if you LOVED the original model in all her glory, that would never compensate for the fact that it was a render-intensive resource hog that would always prove to be a bottleneck. THAT is why they replaced it… because if they didn’t, that bottleneck would eat up all of their production time, and prevent them from achieving the level of quality that they, as artists, were striving for.
I don’t think it can be stated any simpler than that, and I don’t think that you can argue the validity of the source, since it has now been reported twice, once through the original article two weeks ago, and now again through Anthony’s in-studio visit.
Uh-oh …this is going to get interesting…
Is that Michael Dorn doing the commercial VO? I know he has done voice work on the video games in years past.
#44 – Dr. Image – I’m not trying to be controversial… and I did try to be polite… :)
Listen, I will grant that some people on here are WAY to hard on the work being done. But I don’t honestly for a second believe that they are attacking the artists directly, or out of spite. And I think that some VERY good and artistic ideas come out of this group.
I just wish that we as a group could take a more moderate approach to one another. If someone has a valid point, let them have it. If you disagree, then let’s be rational about the reasons why. If you’re proven wrong, then there is no shame in admitting it.
#42 – Kevin – see my earlier post (#43). In there I’m summarizing an article that appeared on this site a few weeks ago.
The bottom line is that the original model was perfectly fine when considered SOLELY AS A MODEL. However, it was so detailed that rendering it (i.e. creating each frame to piece together into a moving image) took so long that they didn’t have time to refine their work before having to deliver the shots.
I’ll try an admittedly crude analogy for those not familar with CGI work…
Imagin you had a week to prepare a banquet, and your main course was this amazing stew, but the recipe called for 5 days of simmering to prepare. What would you do if you realized at the end of 5 days that you had missed a key ingredient? Your banquet is in two days, and your recipe takes 5 days, so starting over is out of the question. You basically have to go with the stew as is, even though you know it’s not your best work.
Now imagine after a few banquets, you start thinking to yourself… what if I could find a similar recipe that only takes 1 day of simmering to prepare? And what if the taste change was so subtle that the guests would never know the difference? That way, if you screwed up the recipe, you still have 6 days to try again… heck you could try the recipe out 4 or 5 times that week to get it just right. Would that free you up as a chef to REALLY give your best work?
Well, if you can make the leap, that’s what they’ve done here. They’ve replaced an excellent model (recipe) that just took up too much of their time to give them the flexibility to be great artists (chefs).
Alternative analogies are invited… :)
The nacells and shading still looks like shit. can’t they get it right
well – I think the pic above shows a great deal of improvement and if that’s what it looks from now on – I’m very happy.
So now we are to believe they launched this particular endeavor with a CGI Enterprise that was intended to be replaced all along, knowing full well it wasn’t their “best effort”, and perhaps hoping no one would notice?
But now we get a “less” detailed model, that just happens according to some, to fit more accurately with their preconcieved envisioning of how the ship should have looked all along?
COME ON! I’ve heard of spin before but that is ludicrous.
But then again, this IS the season for spin is it not?
The bottom line is,
If Okuda and the producers IRRESPECTIVE and regardless of fan consensus, are pleased with their work, that’s ultimately all that matters.
I was fine with the CGI Enterprise they were using, I slept good at night.
Evidently initially they were fine with it too.
If the new model silences some of the tripe criticisms more power to them. Maybe they will be able to get some work done in PEACE now without people looking over their shoulder.