Chrisisall
Sr Member
Thanks a bunch, man!!!
The Enterprise Restoration Project
- Thread starter AshGL1914
- Start date
I know the model was lit later creating wiring issues, but why oh why did they not do the port side detail originally?
Was it that much more work? Just a few more things.
Was it that much more work? Just a few more things.
Shaw
Well-Known Member
Honestly... the model was late.
The Cage was essentially finish by the time the 11 foot model was delivered... and her primary purpose was to be used for a single shot in the pilot, the zoom in on the bridge (to sell the size of the ship). Not only was she missing port side physical details, she was missing rear details too (she didn't have the rectangular features on the aft nacelle end caps like on the 33 inch model). And while she became the star of the show later on, originally it was thought that she would have shared the screen a bit more with the 33 inch model (which could be shot from any angle).
The second pilot (and later series) modifications really made the 11 foot model the Enterprise on screen, but her size made her difficult to work with. And this is part of the reason why the model wasn't filmed again after the second season. New effects shots were made for the third season, but they were done with the 28 inch Klingon model. And I bet they would have used the 33 inch model in the third season had it not been damaged during the second season (some of that damage is visible in Requiem for Methuselah if you know what to look for).
But yeah, originally, she was running late and they needed to turn in the first pilot... for it to be rejected. :facepalm
Shaw
Well-Known Member
To make the 11 foot model filmable from 360 degrees would have required building a new starboard nacelle, replacing the dorsal and slightly modifying the secondary hull... that type of modification proved too expensive to add to the expense of lighting the model for the second pilot.
Oddly enough, the reverse decals were only used during the stock footage shots taken during the second pilot's filming. The series effects shots made during the first and second seasons were all of the starboard side. But then again, most of the shots of the model were stock footage shots... there are very few episode specific effects shots of the 11 foot model (like those seen in Space Seed).
Oddly enough, the reverse decals were only used during the stock footage shots taken during the second pilot's filming. The series effects shots made during the first and second seasons were all of the starboard side. But then again, most of the shots of the model were stock footage shots... there are very few episode specific effects shots of the 11 foot model (like those seen in Space Seed).
asalaw
Sr Member
Very interesting... most of my parsing of the TOS frames has been prop-related, since the quality of the VFX shots is just too poor, IMO, to get a whole lot of useful information. When I first saw the VFX comps in HD on a big screen, I freaked. The matte lines looked like they were drawn with a paint roller. I hadn't realized till then how badly registered some of those shots were, yet still nothing you'd notice on a 19" RCA tube of the day. So when I watch, 90% of the time it's the remastered versions.
Shaw
Well-Known Member
This is conjecture, but I think there was a shift in attitude towards the effects and how much time/money was going to be invested in them shortly after the series started airing. The thing to keep in mind is that the production staff were watching the show projected on a screen from 35mm film, which shows a ton of stuff. I think they were a bit shocked at how much of their hard work was lost (even on the best TVs of the day) with the broadcast quality. So instead of finding the best effects houses in town, they started going with the least expensive and stopped worrying about (or relying on) effects footage for story telling.
While Roddenberry has said he wanted to do a wagontrain to the stars type of show, what I really think they were attempting was to bring Forbidden Planet quality SF to a weekly TV series. The pilots and early first season efforts seemed to show attempts to bring to the screen that quality within their limited budget and time, but they seemed to move away from that as the series progressed.
While Roddenberry has said he wanted to do a wagontrain to the stars type of show, what I really think they were attempting was to bring Forbidden Planet quality SF to a weekly TV series. The pilots and early first season efforts seemed to show attempts to bring to the screen that quality within their limited budget and time, but they seemed to move away from that as the series progressed.
Tallguy
New Member
Shaw;3548324The second pilot (and later series) modifications really made the 11 foot model [I said:
I always bristle at the Motion Picture commentary when they talk about how they only had a "tiny model" in the series. Was there ever a larger full ship model of any later Enterprise?
asalaw
Sr Member
AFAIK, only the D and E came close.
Tallguy
New Member
Didn't Justman and Solow's book say about as much? Or am I making that up?
Shaw
Well-Known Member
Size wise, you had the TOS 11 foot model, the TMP refit 8 foot model, with the TNG D (and E I believe) at 6 feet. The Phase II Enterprise was about 5.5 feet and about the same scale as the Reliant model (so the argument that the Phase II Enterprise wasn't large enough for movie screens doesn't hold any water).
Here is the thing... The guys that came in on TMP (like Taylor) were Star Wars Wannabes telling the producers that they knew how things were done on Star Wars and they needed to do the same. The thing is, these guys didn't really know anything about Star Wars, what they knew about was 2001. Their idea of what the Enterprise should have been was about the size of the hero model of the Discovery.
Angelus Lupus
Sr Member
What info are we supposed to be getting from that UV fluorescence image? As I see it (feel free to tell me if I'm wrong). The USS (and one of the . ) look like they were repainted where they'd worn, and are the only parts that don't fluoresce and show a border :confused
Genuinely asking - I had no idea there was any contention over this, I assumed the border on the registries was from TMP onwards (with some exceptions)
Genuinely asking - I had no idea there was any contention over this, I assumed the border on the registries was from TMP onwards (with some exceptions)
asalaw
Sr Member
Those are, and always have been, water slide decals on a clear backing, just like the ones on off-the-shelf model kits. I used to think they were vinyl, but Lou Dalmaso set me straight on that at the event.
The UV light reveals that the entire registry flouresces the same except for the USS, meaning the USS is most likely the only part to have been replaced in the life of the model. The fact that the rest of the decals flouresce the same means they were all applied together.
My comment about the border refers to the clear border around the edges of each letter. It's been mistaken for a white or even gold border by people who've never seen the model.
Tiberius Kirk
Sr Member
You are correct Asalaw. I've seen the extra sheet of decals that were with the model originally and you could see the clear border extending out from the colored center.
