STLV17: Original Series Set Tour Announces ‘Star Trek Film Academy’ For Fans To Learn To Make Episode

(Photo: Star Trek The Original Series Set Tour)

This morning at the Star Trek Original Series Set Tour panel owner James Cawley announced they will be launching a new ‘Star Trek Film Academy’ in the Spring of 2018. Like Set Tour, this Star Trek Film Academy is officially licensed by CBS and it will offer week-long immersive courses on the making of a Star Trek episode.

Cawley explained:

You are going to be able to come to our sets and it will be an academy experience. You are going to be able to learn how to make a Star Trek episode. You are going to go from script to stage over a six to seven day period and you are going to work with people who actually made Star Trek episodes.

Also on the panel were Denise Okuda, Michael Okuda, Doug Drexler and Daren Dochterman who will all be part of the Academy. Cawley also noted that they are going to reach out to more Star Trek professionals to be part of it including asking  Jonathan Frakes to direct.

James Cawley announcing Star Trek Film Academy at Star Trek Las Vegas 2017 (Photo: Carlos Pedroza)

Being part of the Academy will be like traveling back in time. As Cawley noted:

You get to feel and experience what it is like to work on Star Trek…We’re going to pretend it’s 1966 and you’re an employee of Desilu Studios.

At the end of your week at the Star Trek Film Academy you will be able to take home your own Star Trek vignette.

No details were given on specific launch date or pricing for the Star Trek Film Academy. TrekMovie will report more when the information is available.

The Star Trek Original Series Set Tour in Ticonderoga, NY was originally built for the popular fan series Star Trek: New Voyages, later renamed Star Trek: Phase II. With Cawley as producer and playing Captain James T. Kirk they made a number of episodes emulating the original Star Trek series. The production ended up building a many of the sets for the show including the U.S.S. Enterprise bridge, corridors, crew quarters,  and engineering.

TOS engineering set (Photo: Star Trek: The Original Series Set Tour)

For more information on the tour visit startrektour.com.

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Stay tuned for additional coverage coming all week long.

 

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Congratulations!

Are those sets supposed to be built to the exact same dimensions, and painted the exact same colors? For some reason they just look a little bit off from TOS, lighting notwithstanding.

Yes, they are crazy accurate! But cameras are different today so that may be the reasons the colors don’t look exact.

Not just accurate but “crazy” accurate.

They’re the exact colors and dimensions.
I helped shoot a couple NV/P2 epsiodes there.

@Dennycranium — cool. Does that mean the command uniforms are also lime green and not gold?

I find it fascinating because it does look different. I’d love to see it in person because of the understood reality that the sets, costumes, and makeup do look different after processing on film. I suppose modern cameras give us a “real” appearance of the look and not the distorted view we’ve all had of TOS for 50 years. I almost wonder if they shouldn’t adapt the colors of the sets and costumes to match the way they appear on camera during TOS, rather than the colors they actually were, so when people see them, they meet their expectations, unless it’s more valuable to show people how it really looked, and explain why.

I thought I recall reading the engineering set is built at 3/4 scale? That set looks the most off to me. Maybe it’s just the camera lens distorting the image?

Re the engineering set? Nope, it’s to scale. I thought the same thing the first time I stood on the set.
The DP on set at the time, showed me how they used lenses, lighting and angles to make the set look bigger.
I encourage everyone to come to Ticonderoga and visit the sets.
It’s a “Field Of Dreams” for Star Trek fans.

Even the Next Generation uniforms were green rather than gold. I didn’t realize that until I saw one of Data’s uniforms on display at Kennedy Space Center.

@Edward — good to know. I always thought they looked an odd color for gold. All the more reason not to talk about uniform colors as they did in TNG.

Anything shot on film undergoes color shifts during processing and broadcast.

Is CBS endorsing this?

The studio is licensed by CBS.

Alec Peters is gonna loose his mind!

Just shows that when you play nice, the studios is more than happy to play with you. Paramount & CBS have proved they are not “anti-fan” like a lot of the Axanar crowd tried to make us all believe.

They can make money out of it – I´m sure Cawley has to spend a significant amount of money to be allowed to do this. It was a great idea when Axanar came up with it, and it still is. I´m just a bit worried about the “pretend to be in 66” thing. Using old cameras, film stock, no computer editing, all real VFX stuff. Hardly doable in 6-7 days. You may just have a good time and get a glimpse of what it takes to do a movie.

Northstar: Go back and read the article again.

The “1966” description is a metaphor. It likely won’t extend to film cameras and model-based effects. One of the faculty is an accomplished CG artist. And they wouldn’t be reaching out to pros for directing stories if this was all just make-believe film production.

Direct quote: “We’re going to pretend it’s 1966 and you’re an employee of Desilu Studios”
While I agree with you that it most likely will be shot using modern cameras, digital editing and digital effects, the only thing that is left of 66 are the sets and costumes.

Neither of which has anything to do with the “pretend” problems you suggested. Please look up the word “metaphor.”

“Pretend” being the operative word. Its not a training program, nor does it seem to make that claim. It’s an experience…simple fun and games no matter how butt-hurt and threatened a person who has done the hard work of training to become an actual film professional may choose to feel.

It will be shot and lit with modern lighting and camera equipment.
There are old cameras and lights on set to create the illusion of 1966.
Look, if you come and act on screen at one of these events? It will feel like all the cameras and lights will disappear.
I got to play the reporter in Mind-Sifter. A few takes in, I forgot they were there.

Besides, the old style lights are incredibly hot to work under!

Northstar: “It was a great idea when Axanar came up with it, and it still is.” LOL no. I’ve known James Cawley since long before Alec Peters was trying to do Trek and before he knew James. James has been literally talking about this for years.

Did you read the article? It’s in the first paragraph.

Why again is this site completely ignoring the new “Star Trek Continues” episode “What Ships Are For”? There seems to be a general “Continues” boycott here, even though Cawley isn’t producing anything anymore.

How are they ignoring it? They posted about it when the episode is live: https://trekmovie.com/2017/07/30/watch-star-trek-continues-latest-episode-what-ships-are-for/

I’m guessing there a tad bit busy with all the news coming out of STLV.

*They’re not there. (Typos happen.)

It’s most likely because Trekmovie doesn’t want to seem to be promoting fan films.
It’s time to move forward. DSC is weeks away from airing. The focus is on that.
Vic and company and STC fans should be grateful that the remainder of the eps are being released.
Just like Trek did in 1969, STC will limp off the air in a few months.

“Why doesn’t this bridge look closer to Discovery’s it’s supposed to be set after that series why does it look like cheap cardboard this is an outrage this show isn’t canon.” -logic

I liked Cawley as Kirk a lot more tban the next guy.

I honestly can’t help but wonder what the Axanar team is thinking

I honestly couldn’t give a crap less what the Axanar fools are thinking.

I’d like to see Cawley and Co. make good on giving copies of Torment of Destiny to the people who pledged cash money to help the thing get made!

The Discovery designers should have visited this place before they started work on their series.

Nah, they’re good. But I do LOVE James’ attention to detail for the 60s set. I want to get up there to see it myself and soak it all in.

Exactly, for what not to do in a modern Trek TV series.