Original Star Trek to be remastered with new CGI effect

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sao123

sao123

Lifer
May 27, 2002
12,653
205
106
Article

Video
9/7 Update:
The remastering of the original "Star Trek" series, ever since it was announced last week, has drawn a lot of speculation and opinion among fans and online circles. Concerns over messing with the originals have gotten people worried - will it be a respectful update like the "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" Director's Cut DVD, or something more crass and stupid like the "Star Wars" Special Editions.

To answer the most common questions, the official site has compiled a list and presented them to the people actually overseeing the all-new and improved digital effects. The group confirmed they're working on the full length episodes (which will be cut for syndication purposes), though any DVDs with these episodes will be full-length.

All episodes are being remastered in high definition and all 79 episodes will have visual effects work done. The extent of that work will vary though between 15-70 shots per episode, which will mean ultimately a change of up to 90 seconds per episode at most.

Whilst space ship and landscape effects will be done, aliens and sets will have little to no retouching. Where it doesn't affect storytelling, they will be generating new model ships for episodes which reused old props.

Most telling are two points though - firstly the episodes are not being edited from their original full & syndicated cuts. This means there'll be no new FX shots randomly thrown in - each of the updated FX shots can only be as long as the original effects shot they're replacing.

Secondly they're very deliberately trying to fit the mold of the original series so the new effects won't leap out at you. Talking with IESB, the designers say "Right down to the placement of stars is being re-simulated to exactly what was there in the first place" and "The approach is that Star Trek is a period piece...so all the decisions are being made to honor the production styles and style of cinematography and style of editing. And that as our guidance, using the original decisions made by the directors and the editors".


Finally a glimpse of what we can expect is up in a small video on the site. Whilst there's only one FX shot and it's small, the clip does give a good demonstration of the new high definition versions of certain scenes as compared to the old prints. Click the new CG model Enterprise pic above for the video.
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Original Message

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news06/060831a.php

Upgrades include:

Space ship exteriors - The Enterprise, as well as other starships, will be replaced with state of the art CGI-created ships. The new computer-generated Enterprise is based on the exact measurements of the original model, which now rests in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Show opening - The Enterprise and planets seen in the main title sequence will be redone, giving them depth and dimension for the first time.

Galaxy shots - All the graphics of the galaxy, so frequently seen through the viewscreen on the Enterprise's bridge, will be redone.

Exteriors - The battle scenes, planets and ships from other cultures (notably the Romulan Bird of Prey and Klingon Battle Cruisers) will be updated.

Background scenes - Some of the iconic, yet flat, matte paintings used as backdrops for the strange, new worlds explored by the Enterprise crew will get a CGI face-lift, adding atmosphere and lighting.


The refurbished episodes also feature higher quality sound for the famous opening theme. The original score by Emmy Award-winning composer Alexander Courage, has been re-recorded in state-of-the-art digital stereo audio with an orchestra and a female singer belting out the famous vocals. A digitally remastered version of William Shatner's classic original recording of the 38-word "Space, the final frontier..." monologue continues to open each episode.
Click to expand...


Everything is getting remastered these days.
Hope they do a good job.
 
So

So

Lifer
Jul 2, 2001
25,923
17
81
There's a clip on youtube...linked in the thread from yesterday. IMO, it looks good.
 
dainthomas

dainthomas

Lifer
Dec 7, 2004
14,925
3,903
136
NO FRIGGIN CGI!!111!!! :|

Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. All you have to do is look at the new Star Wars movies or the remastered originals.
 
JulesMaximus

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,574
972
126
Looks pretty good. I'll have to check out some of these episodes when completed though.
 
jimbob200521

jimbob200521

Diamond Member
Apr 15, 2005
4,108
29
91
As long as all they do is mess with the visual's, I think it could be a good thing, if they do everything right. BUT, there will never be another series that approaches the origional, ORIGIONAL series' impact/effect, at least imho.
 
mugs

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: dainthomas
NO FRIGGIN CGI!!111!!! :|

Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. All you have to do is look at the new Star Wars movies or the remastered originals.
Click to expand...

I don't think people would complain about them as much if George Lucas didn't try to change the movie at the same time.
 
So

So

Lifer
Jul 2, 2001
25,923
17
81
Originally posted by: sao123
Originally posted by: techs
Yeoman Rand in High-Def?
Should be hot.
Click to expand...

Id like to see what WOK looks like with CGI re-done.
Click to expand...

Wrath? Have you even watched it lately? It looks just fine today. The effects were top notch then, and still look solid. Not like the crummy slide projectors of TOS.
 
jimbob200521

jimbob200521

Diamond Member
Apr 15, 2005
4,108
29
91
Originally posted by: So
Originally posted by: sao123
Originally posted by: techs
Yeoman Rand in High-Def?
Should be hot.
Click to expand...

Id like to see what WOK looks like with CGI re-done.
Click to expand...

Wrath? Have you even watched it lately? It looks just fine today. The effects were top notch then, and still look solid. Not like the crummy slide projectors of TOS.
Click to expand...

I agree with you about the effects of WoK looking very good for 99.9% of the movie. The only part of the movie that looks cheap, and I laugh every time I see it, is when Khan is putting those slugs or whatever into the ears. You can really tell on that.

Also, I don't think they should change any effects on any of the Origional Series movies. I prefer the look of model's to CGI effects. If they re-did any of the movies, I think they would actually look worse.
 
Bateluer

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
0
When these come to DVD, will they be sold at a fair price, or higher than the 100 dollar original original DVDs?
 
H

Horus

Platinum Member
Dec 27, 2003
2,838
1
0
I like it. I actually like it a lot. It's not so campy anymore. I wanna see the weapons effects though.
 
datalink7

datalink7

Lifer
Jan 23, 2001
16,765
6
81
Originally posted by: jimbob200521
As long as all they do is mess with the visual's, I think it could be a good thing, if they do everything right. BUT, there will never be another series that approaches the origional, ORIGIONAL series' impact/effect, at least imho.
Click to expand...

I still think TNG is better. TOS is still good though :)
 
D

DurocShark

Lifer
Apr 18, 2001
15,708
5
56
Originally posted by: Bateluer
When these come to DVD, will they be sold at a fair price, or higher than the 100 dollar original original DVDs?
Click to expand...

The cost is why I don't own these. It's rediculous how much they charge for something that was made decades ago.
 
B

BatmanNate

Lifer
Jul 12, 2000
12,444
2
81
Revisionist film strikes again. What's next, edit the crew's wardrobe and Shatner's pickup lines to be more modern? The show clearly didn't need fancier graphics than it had to become what it is today, and redoing them takes away much of its charm, IMHO.
 
daniel1113

daniel1113

Diamond Member
Jun 6, 2003
6,448
0
0
Granted, I haven't seen the original footage, but that clip looked like sh!t. I'd like to see a splitscreen of the original.
 
drinkmorejava

drinkmorejava

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2004
3,567
7
81
As cool as it is, I don't think it really works for the CG to look better than the actual actor footage
 
S

SupaDupaCheez

Platinum Member
Nov 21, 2000
2,034
0
0
Now....if only they could CGI all new actors (especially Shatner). Shatner is IMHO one of the absolute worst actors to ever 'make it big'. The dude that played Pee-Wee Herman was a better actor :)
 
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