STAR TREK In HD With New CGI, Music, No Goofs: No Thanks!

[AndyDursin]

Isn't part of the charm of the old show the occasional blunder and modest FX?

This sounds even worse than what Lucas did to The Original STAR WARS Trilogy!

http://trekweb.com/articles/2006/08/31/ ... ades.shtml

Exclusive! "New" Star Trek Is Set on Stunning
by Michael Logan
Enterprise courtesy CBS Studios Inc.
Behold Star Trek's "new" Enterprise.

Star Trek purists, take a deep breath! On Sept. 16, the iconic ‘60s series will return to syndication for the first time since 1990, but with a startling difference: All 79 episodes are being digitally remastered with computer-generated effects not possible when Gene Roddenberry created the show 40 years ago. The news could cause Roddenberry loyalists to have a collective cow, but the longtime Trek staffers in charge of the makeover say they're honoring the late maestro's vision, not changing it.

"We're taking great pains to respect the integrity and style of the original," says Michael Okuda, who spent 18 years as a scenic-art supervisor on Star Trek films and spin-offs. "Our goal is to always ask ourselves: What would Roddenberry have done with today's technology?" Okuda's teammates on the two-year project are his wife, Denise Okuda, with whom he's authored several Trek reference books, and 14-year Trek production vet David Rossi.

The upgraded episodes — to be shown out of order and one per week — will kick off with "Balance of Terror," a big fan favorite "that gives us a chance to really show off the ‘new' Enterprise," says Okuda. "The exterior of the ship now has depth and detail, and it will fly more dynamically." (Click here for a larger version of the image at left.) Painted backdrops will also be brought to life: Once-empty star bases will have CGI people milling about, while static alien landscapes have been given slow-moving clouds and shimmering water. Okuda notes that a view of Earth in the 1966 episode "Miri" has been "replaced with a more accurate image, now that we've gone into deep space and looked back at ourselves."

Trek's opening theme is also getting an overhaul: The music has been re-recorded in stereo, and a new singer has been hired to wail those famous but wordless vocals. And goofs will be corrected: In "The Naked Time," there was no beam coming out of Scotty's phaser when he tried to cut through the bulkhead outside Engineering. Now there is.

http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/n ... 23775.html

08.31.2006
Remastering Star Trek: TOS FX, Music Enhanced

Star Trek journeys to the 21st century as the Original Series returns to broadcast syndication for the first time in 16 years with brand-new digitally remastered episodes to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

CBS Paramount Domestic Television has officially announced that they are releasing digitally remastered episodes of Star Trek, with all new special effects and music, to celebrate the groundbreaking series' 40th anniversary, according to John Nogawski, president of CBS Paramount Domestic Television.

The Star Trek episodes will begin airing on the more than 200 stations that own the rights to the weekend broadcast syndication window starting September 16. (As always, please check your local listings for station and dates.) The plan is for all 79 episodes of the Original Series to be remastered, with the first batch of episodes chosen from a list of Star Trek fans' favorite shows.

With the complete running order to be determined, the syndication schedule won't follow the classic air-date order or production order format familiar to fans. The first episode to air will be the Season One classic "Balance of Terror." "That gives us a chance to really show off the 'new' Enterprise," says Mike Okuda, 18-year veteran of the Star Trek art department and one of the supervisors on this project. His comments and more can be found in next week's TV Guide and online here. For a "first look" at the CGI Enterprise, the magazine's website has this image.

"Star Trek redefined science-fiction and constantly pushed the envelope with concepts that were ahead of their time," Nogawski said. "By giving the series a digital upgrade using the best technology available today, it will continue to be a leader in cutting-edge television programming as we introduce the series to a new generation of viewers."

The most noticeable change will be redoing many of the special effects, created with 1960s technology, with 21st century computer-generated imagery (CGI). 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.

The remastered episodes have been converted from the original film into a High-Definition format, which gives viewers a clearer, crisper, more vibrant picture than before, even when viewed in standard definition. Once stations upgrade and start broadcasting HD signals, the episodes will be all ready for viewers to enjoy in HD.

[Carlson2005]

They've done something similar with some of the old Doctor Whos, but they've been for the DVD only and they've used extended branching so you have the option of the original fx or the new ones. Some of the new ones, though not exactly WETA quality, are fairly decent.

[Paul MacLean]

They've done something similar with some of the old Doctor Whos, but they've been for the DVD only and they've used extended branching so you have the option of the original fx or the new ones. Some of the new ones, though not exactly WETA quality, are fairly decent.

Which ones have this? I only have one Dr. Who DVD so far -- "The Stones of Blood" (which is exactly the same as the episode originally transmitted). Which episodes have been "improved"?

As far as Star Trek, I suspect that a lot of the old episodes -- having been made with primitive interlaced video broadcast in mind -- probably look pretty bad in HD, and needed some kind of of CGI cosmetic work to hide flaws not visible in SD.

To be honest I've thought for a long time that it could be neat to revisit the show with better effects. Also Star Trek never realied too heavily on effects I doubt the show will feel too much different.

It depends on how far they take it -- making the spaceships look spiffier is ok by me, but re-tooling the Klingons' forheads to mtach-up with the movies and TNG might be taking it too far!


Paul

[Monterey Jack]

"There's nothing a little 'improved' CGI tweaking won't fix!"

[DavidBanner]

I have no interest in watching old television episodes with CGI effects pasted all over them. The original "Star Trek" episodes were designed to be made on a very LEAN budget. (I've actually seen Bob Justman's episode summary board from his files, which he told me shows exactly how much each episode cost, how far overbudget it went, why that happened, and where they found savings, if they could)

If you watch any random episode of the series, you'll see that they had several stock shots of the ship, which they then re-used as many times as possible, even after they had redesigned the ship a little and changed its look. In some episodes, the ship's engines change shape repeatedly...

But the point was that they wrote and shot the episodes to emphasize the character scenes onboard the ship or planet. Any CGI "fixes" here would really only be window dressing. So the matte painting of this or that planet now has people walking around in it. So what? It's a 3 second establishing shot, after which we will be inside the set from the 1960s.

This really feels like a monumental waste of time. And from what I've read, they're rushing to do this, to add injury to insult...

[Carlson2005]

They've done something similar with some of the old Doctor Whos, but they've been for the DVD only and they've used extended branching so you have the option of the original fx or the new ones. Some of the new ones, though not exactly WETA quality, are fairly decent.

Which ones have this? I only have one Dr. Who DVD so far -- "The Stones of Blood" (which is exactly the same as the episode originally transmitted). Which episodes have been "improved"?

Paul

So far only four episodes that I know of - The Five Doctors, The Ark in Space, Earthshock and Revelation of the Daleks. It's also rumoured that the missing episodes of The Invasion are going to be animated on the forthcoming DVD. In all cases it's barely two minutes of footage, and in some cases less.

[Eric W.]

This is most worrisome.


It would be one thing if they simply wanted to try and clean up the masters, give it a face lift and some tender loving care, but this easily crosses into a realm that I have zero confidence in.

[Paul MacLean]

So far only four episodes that I know of - The Five Doctors, The Ark in Space, Earthshock and Revelation of the Daleks.

Shucks...none of my favorites. But I asume they are planning to do others? 'Cause The Time Monster is at the top of my list (somehow that stuntman in white tights and big bird wings hanging from a wire fails to generate a sense of awe in me!).

It's also rumoured that the missing episodes of The Invasion are going to be animated on the forthcoming DVD. In all cases it's barely two minutes of footage, and in some cases less.

I wonder if there's any chance of Shada finally getting finished with a CGI Tom Baker?


Paul

[AndyDursin]

I have no interest in watching old television episodes with CGI effects pasted all over them. The original "Star Trek" episodes were designed to be made on a very LEAN budget. (I've actually seen Bob Justman's episode summary board from his files, which he told me shows exactly how much each episode cost, how far overbudget it went, why that happened, and where they found savings, if they could)

If you watch any random episode of the series, you'll see that they had several stock shots of the ship, which they then re-used as many times as possible, even after they had redesigned the ship a little and changed its look. In some episodes, the ship's engines change shape repeatedly...

But the point was that they wrote and shot the episodes to emphasize the character scenes onboard the ship or planet. Any CGI "fixes" here would really only be window dressing. So the matte painting of this or that planet now has people walking around in it. So what? It's a 3 second establishing shot, after which we will be inside the set from the 1960s.

This really feels like a monumental waste of time. And from what I've read, they're rushing to do this, to add injury to insult...

Agreed. Sounds like they are indeed rushing through it -- and they're also being syndicated? Doesn't sound like this was any sort of massive undertaking, more like some idea that someone came up with and are trying desperately to get on the air in a few weeks!

[mkaroly]

This is, quite simply, an outrage. And that picture of George Lucas on this thread makes me want to puke.....

Instead of going back and "tweaking" stuff, get new ideas for new TV shows and movies and work on those things.....why do people feel like they have to re-tool the past? Is this an attempt to get Star Trek back out there in preparation for another film??? This is a travesty.

[Carlson2005]

I wonder if there's any chance of Shada finally getting finished with a CGI Tom Baker?

Paul

They already did do an animated version of Shada on the net with Paul McGann (who I'd have like to have seen come back as the Doc since he was the only good thing in the Fox disaster). Like The Invasion, that was limited line animation rather than CGI.

[AndyDursin]

This is, quite simply, an outrage. And that picture of George Lucas on this thread makes me want to puke.....

Instead of going back and "tweaking" stuff, get new ideas for new TV shows and movies and work on those things.....why do people feel like they have to re-tool the past? Is this an attempt to get Star Trek back out there in preparation for another film??? This is a travesty.

Is there ANY good reason why they need to re-record the music? What does that have to do with CGI?

[Eric Paddon]

Garbage idea that will get not one nanosecond of viewing time from me, ever, just as I will never look at those Lucas desecrations again.

[Paul MacLean]

Is there ANY good reason why they need to re-record the music? What does that have to do with CGI?

According to Ford Thaxton anyway, they can't re-record the actual scores for use in the episodes, because the original seperate sound elements are no longer extant.

So I think they are just re-recording the theme music.

Not that this is great new either...


Paul

[Eric W.]

"There's nothing a little 'improved' CGI tweaking won't fix!"

Crap.

A picture really does say a thousand words sometimes.