Ready or not, here it comes… a full day of blogging here on the Drex Files! I’ve actually had a few days to relax, and I’ve rounded up a cargo bay full of stuff that I want to share, and hope that you’ll tag along!
Did you see Rod Roddenberry’s Trek Nation on the Science Channel? Bar none, one of the best docs on Star Trek ever. What I miss most about Star Trek, is Gene Roddenberry, and that is what TN is about. Gene died when Rod was only 17 years old. Trek Nation is the journey of a son discovering his father. It’s extraordinarily touching, and you and I are a part of it. Trek Nation is not to be missed.
Now… on with the blog!
Been a while since you’ve been able to spend a day here, so I’m excited!
I think it’s great news that the conversion of TNG is going to be so faithful to the originals, although my only concern is having to see the 4ft Ent-D in HD.
Beside the 4ft Ent-D being a little stubby I actually like the Detail it has OVER the 6 foot model.
That’s why I feel there needs to be a 6 foot model with the added detail from the 4 foot on it xD
That would be the best of both worlds. xD
I agree entirely. The 4ft model definitely had some nice changes over the 6ft, it was just a bit too stocky. I just hope it doesn’t look inconsistent on screen switching between the two. Even with the blurry DVD transfers, it was easy to spot which was which. Hopefully when rescanned and recomped they can get everything looking more consistent.
Oh wow. That must be amazing, getting to work on what you did 20 years ago… Even though I have nothing to do with this reunion, just reading that has pumped me up for TNG-R like 1000%.
I can’t wait to see what you guys do, and I can’t wait to see what you have in store for today
- Dave
The Next Generation Remastered is the best news a Trek fan could ever hope to receive. I am a huge fan of all Trek television series, but TNG is by far my favorite. I only hope that the same treatment will be given to DS9 and Voyager so we can enjoy Trek in all the splendor of High Definition!
I envy your work!!!
I can’t tell you how happy I am about your involvement. Getting the old “gang” together to work on TNG again, this will be incredible and nobody needs to have any fear that things will be “changed” (negative connotation here). What a great way to start another blogging-Sunday!
I’ve been on the edge of my seat waiting for more since the brief trailers that were released recently. What we’ve seen so far looks eye poppingly good!
Really glad to hear you guys are all onboard as well, as I’d been under the impression that a) it’d be worked on by completely new people and b) that effects elements like phaser fire or transporter beams were all done on video tape and would have to be reconstructed from scratch. I worried about how Dan Curry might feel having all his work replaced, but if he’s involved then that sets my mind at rest that it’ll all be very faithful to the original material and nobody’s talented toes will be stepped on. Great!
“Visual effects shots will not be reinvented”
So, wait what about that Picture of Qo’Nos from orbit? That planet texture looked brand new compared to the original
Or is the planet not considered a VFX shot?
TNG in hi-def sounds awesome! Do you know when it’ll be out? I’m guessing 6 or so months.
It´s great to hear that you, Dan and Mike and Denise will be joining the TNGR team! I hope I´ll be able to continue to contribute somehow.
A-Ha! That gives me the answer to the mysterious conversation we had on Facebook not long ago, Tobias!
I kind of figured this was what you were hinting at, but it’s nice to know for sure. They couldn’t have rounded up a better team for this project and I wish you all the greatest success!
Just watched Trek Nation and really enjoyed it. It had some flaws–inconsistent use of old footage for instance (sometimes the original series was shown in hi-def, other times very grainy and even black and white, lots of use of new CG footage that they didn’t need to use).
That said, Rod gets a lot of kudos for honesty. It was clear that he wasn’t close to his father, although he says that there was nothing nefarious about it. Maybe because of that, he could be more objective and honest. He didn’t cover up his father’s flaws, such as his womanizing and his tendency to take himself too seriously. Ron Moore provided a lot of great perspective, including the observation that he thought that so many people had told Roddenberry that he was a visionary that he thought he needed to become a prophet. And there was a fair amount of honesty about how Roddenberry’s positive vision of no conflict made it really hard to write for TNG. George Lucas also provided some great perspective.
There were a few details that I wished had been included, such as how The Motion Picture originally started out as a TV show. I wish that Will Wheaton had told his “William F#$%ing Shatner” story (Google it–it’s hilarious). And I wish that the show had gotten a few other people to do interviews (particularly David Gerrold, Harlan Ellison, Shatner, and especially Nimoy, who undoubtedly would have been thoughtful). But the show was a balance between telling who Roddenberry was and exploring Rod’s relationship with him, and so I understand that it couldn’t be everything.
If you watch closely, the clap card that they show at the beginning (not sure what that’s called–they clap it when they start filming) had a date of ’02 on it. Clearly Rod has been working on this a long time, and I get the sense that it started out as a documentary about him and Trekkies, and then evolved into a documentary about him and his father.
It’s nice to hear more about TNG-R and I think having you and Dan Curry join the team is a fantastic move by Paramount, but I think this part is a bit worrying “Unlike the remastering of TOS, this job will be 100% true to the original. Visual effects shots will not be reinvented, pulling you out of the show.”
I say that’s worrying because there are plenty of the visual effects shots that just jerk you out of the story in the original. Yesterday’s Enterprise is full of them, starting with the Battleship Enterprise-D looking exactly like the Enterprise-D, the discontinuity between the dialogue calling for the Enterprise to maneuver and VFX shots where the Enterprise just sits there and gets pounded by disruptor fire, and of course, the often seen and always ridiculous Jumbo Birds of Prey. There’s also the little hiccup of the whole “mix and match stock footage of the 4 foot and 6 foot Ent-D models in the same episode,” which was noticeable before, but is now going to be rather in your face. And let’s not even get started on the magical Type 7 shuttle, which transforms from a box into a nice looking shuttle the moment it gets out of the shuttlebay.
Also, having recently rewatched the VFX Featurette on STIII, I think sticking to the original shots for the entirety of the TNG-R project would remove an opportunity to flesh out the Trek-verse a bit more by incorporating some of those designs that were sadly only seen once (in the background) in Best of Both Worlds.
One thing I meant to mention about TN, is that now we finally know for sure that Gene had the 3 foot TOS Enterprise model. It is clearly seen being used to cradle newborn Rod between it’s nacelles. I almost fell outta my chair!
I saw that, but I wondered if that was the original, or if it was something that he acquired later. I was looking closely at the nacelle caps and the bridge area, but didn’t see anything definitive.
Looking forward to the re-mastering of TNG, but I’m wondering if CBS Paramount is planning to air them on TV somewhere, like they did with TOS. Anyone know if this might be in the works?
I saw “Trek Nation” and was extremely impressed, especially with the fact that Gene Roddenberry wasn’t placed on a pedestal. He was portrayed as a true human being, warts and all, and I appreciated that. It is easily one of the best documentaries on “Trek” and Mr. Roddenberry I’ve ever seen.
I heard they are going to be put up on NetFlix
Thank you for the info!
There is also talk of it being syndicated for TV like TOS-R was, however it is not clear if that might be in other markets (overseas), and not in the US. It is also strongly hinted at in the initial press release that CBS’s current streaming partners (Netflix and Amazon Prime) will get TNG-R. Anthony who runs TrekMovie is hoping to get an interview with someone at CBS to get clarification to coincide with the release of the sampler Blu-ray.
AH yes, let the fun begin! This day harkens back to my feelings had the day I first found the Files!
Thanks for all the Trek thrills an’ chills bought to us in Living Color by, well you, Doug!
Play sound and Peacock…
peace & bananas | deg
And yeah, TN was really touching, a very unique way to re-look at the whole phenomena, coming from a really home-spun source, Gene’s son, ironically as the ultimate Trek outsider, so to speak.
But who was that fella with the NYPD shirt on applyin’ make-up? His face looked so familiar… still tryin’ to place it…
Yay for blog day!! I’ve been so excited for this day, I had trouble sleeping last night!
TN was definitely a treat! I watched it again last night when it replayed and enjoyed it just as much as the first time. Rod did a great job and there was a nice emotional current to it.
Thanks for spendin’ the day with us here on the blog! Looking foward to the feast!
I’m glad to hear you’ll be working on the Next Gen remastering. It’s also nice to know that Dan Curry is coming back for that, since the original effects are his babies.
That is the only thing thus far that has me actually wanting a Blu-ray player, just so that I can get those.
AWESOME! Welcome back – wow, a whole lot of cool things to see!
I enjoyed alot of the Trek Remastered VFX shots for their creativity, but as a VFX worker, sort of found the exercise like walking over graves. I am very glad to hear that you are recompositing existing elements and that such original talent is back aboard.
Looking forward to it!
“Star Trek:The Next Generation is Gene Roddenberry’s legacy, it is culturally significant, and we will rejuvenate the show with curatorial eyes only. Paramount Picture deserves a round of applause, and I can’t wait to dig in with my friends.”
There’s nothing I wanted to hear about this project more than this, and it must be something of a dream come true for you as well. What can you say? Thumbs up, high five, and have as much fun working on it as we all will have watching the results.
Great news!
I wonder, how many episodes have been cut together in their raw form at this point? Will you be starting on “The Naked Now” on Monday? In other words, is this the kick-off to season one?
That´s great news!
Now, if DS9 is coming next, I am gonna cry.
Please please PLEASE, when you guys get around to doing “Unificaton,” sneak an NX-class into the Surplus Depot!
You know you wanna!
While one can appreciate the attention to the original, it also means we’re still stuck with multiple stock shots of the Enterprise-D, and many Miranda (Reliant), Excelsior, and Oberth (Grissom) ships for the guest ship of the week, not to mention the freighter Batris and other models they constantly recycled because of budget issues.
There were several dodgy model shots to begin with, the Enterprise-C exiting the time distortion and approaching the D in “Yesterday’s Enterprise” looked pretty much like the miniature it was. “Descent: Part II” has some of the worst motion control work of the series: when I watched it in 1993 I was stunned how bad it was.
And how about the numerous times the Enterprise was hit and the model was undamaged. In “The Best of Both Worlds” you have the engineering section being drilled into and not even a scratch for the rest of the episode.
It sounds like for most of this it will be a lost opportunity.
I would unfortunately have to agree. The over-use of the numerous stock shots of the Enterprise (including the one through the neck shot where the stars warp past at a different angle from the ship), along with the only ships in the entire Starfleet being Excelsior, Miranda, and Oberth are a perfect opportunity with the remastering to give some variety and introduce some varied ships – Nebula, Steamrunner, Constitution, Centaur, New Orleans, etc. That is something I applauded the TOS-Remastered for – NEW angles and shots of the ship warping past, doing standard orbit, establishing shots, new ships when the original had some blob of light on screen. I do emphatically want to see new ships and new shots of the Enterprise, so that the show feels fresh and not just the same story with a brighter image.
At the very least, I’m hoping some obvious errors will be fixed: The phaser from the torpedo tube in Darmok, and the scale issues with the Birds of Prey and the Enterprise D in numerous episodes. When Picard orders evasive, the ship just sits there and gets hit with disruptors. Or will those be recomposited and preserved as they were? That’s what it sounds like you will be doing.
Please don’t let this opportunity go to waste. Please do fix and improve the FX to make TNG last another 20 years.
Well, heck, if it’s all the guys that did the stuff in the first place, then why not tweak an effect to make it better? I have no problem with addressing some of the things mentioned above. I know there’s a line somewhere, but I can’t imagine if some slight improvement can be made within budget, then why not? No one’s say’n, “Hey Doug, how about making those little short nacelles longer and higher like the original Enterprise…or anything…
Very cool news.
Congrats on the TNG remaster gig! That should be a hoot. I’m sure you’ll keep an eye out for interesting details as you go through the film… Plus, I’m glad to see the spirit of the project. All the very best!
Doug, I realize what you guys on doing on TNG: Remastered and it will look great in high def but I have to agree with some of the comments. It would be nice to see a little bit more movement in the effects scenes like the battle shots. You guys did some wonderful work back then but with todays technology, wouldn’t you say it’s tempting to get a little creative like in Yesterdays Enterprise. It would also be cool to see a different ship then the Excelsior. A great looking ship but a bit overused. Just my thoughts. Good luck guys..
I saw some footage of the remastered Enterprise-D and it was really fantastic! Can’t wait to see what’s done with some ships like the Wolf 359 ships.
I’m just wondering. Think we might see some tweeks like D-7s being D-7s and not reused K’T'inga models. Or maybe a new look for the K’Vort?
I don’t think they’ve ever used D7s in TNG. There was a K’Tinga or two, but nothing major.
And I totally agree on getting a new look for the K’vort. There doesn’t need to be a giant Bird of Prey floating around. That would be ridiculous.
Ah welcome back Doug! Thanks for putting in the time to share with us all this amazing material once again.
As for TNG-R, I’m really excited at the prospect of seeing this jewel of television history in Hi-Def; the teasers that have been released thus far have totally blown me away! It’s awesome to read that you’ll be working on the project with “the old gang” to ensure that Next Gen. is granted all the attention it deserves!
Interesting enough I think it mentioned in the book: “Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Continuing Mission” that the powers that be agreed that they wouldn’t skimp on the quality of media for the original recordings of TNG, futureproofing it for just this sort of occasion; their foresight is incredible and now offers the fans of Next Gen. with an amazing gift!
Firstly, Doug, this makes me really happy to hear that you’re going to be a part of this project. Very happy.
Very, very happy. However, that said, I just have to say this.
I just want some new matte paintings. They reused the Angel One matte painting like a bugillion times through out TNG / DS9 and VOY and I seriously kinda hate that painting now after seeing it as many times as I have throughout those shows. I mean seriously, if Doug Drexler himself cannot see the need for something like this, then what hope is there?
Further, some new planet vistas as well as some new random alien of the week ships like others have said would be a welcome sight as well. The amount of recycled alien ship models in TNG makes it look like the entire Alpha Quadrant has been buying and operating used 22nd century Talarian freighters that they all seemingly bought from Ferengi junk merchants. In the same light, all the recycled ship models made it into VOY, so it also makes it look like half the races in the DQ are using century old pre-owned AQ vessels.
My point? TNG is being remastered, what better time to drop in a few new ship classes to make everything look that much better? The only reason things were as they were was because they didn’t have a budget for TNG, and now essentially, they doing it to us again.
Give us some new CG ships / planets / matte paintings that we were denied so long ago, please!
I mean, really, is that so much to ask for?
Then, from what I know of TNG, the phaser / photon effects, beams from the deflector, shields, force fields and or explosions and all other such effects that happen out in space or over a matte painting or something were all created and edited in in video, so since theyre going back to the film and original composite elements, one would think that all of that would have to recreated from scratch, using modern day CGI effects. So with luck, all of those such effects will see some improvements.
All that aside, whatever does come out of this project, I feel safe in knowing it’ll be as good as it can be with you, Doug at the helm.
Well, I’m happy that there won’t be completely new VFX shots, new starships, etc. as most of TNGs effects still look very good today. (except for Q’s forcefield in “Encounter at Farpoint” and the planet debris in “The naked now”).
But please, please: Fix some of the most obvious errors/mistakes !!!
For example:
- The Enterprise firing a phaser out of the torpedo launcher (“Darmok”),
- oversized Klingon Birds of Prey, which are large than a Romulan Warbird (“The defector”),
- damaged Enterpise not showing any damage (“Best of Both worlds” and some other episodes)
- exterior shots show different shuttle type than interior shots (“Ship in a bottle” and some other episodes)
Just a gentle reminder, Doug: Mike and Denise worked on TOS-R, so be kind.
So glad CBS has the smarts to get the VFX gang back together for TNG:R, I’m even more excited now than I was before
“aside from looking like you had your windshield cleaned, you won’t know the difference”
Precisely the way to go.
I’m honestly a little disappointed that we can’t expect anything better in the Fx dept. I would have liked some non-stock shots of the various ships, rather than the same old Enterprise enters orbit around a planet-of-the-week-with-a-different-color. Best of Both Worlds would have been fantastic with 30 seconds of footage added showing the battle of Wolf 359.
Who said you can’t go home again? Congrats on the TNG-R assignment. At least you won’t have to powder John DeLancie’s butt this time.
I don’t have the channel Trek Nation aired on and I can’t find it anywhere else. Nothing on-line like on-demand or a DVD to order. I’ve heard late 2012 for DVD (a whole year?!?).
Anyone know how I can see this? Sounds unique and fresh but it’s out of my grasp.
A VHS tape I can borrow?
Another great set of posts. You really spoil us. Great news to hear you are working on the TNG-R project. That’s a dream job if ever there was one. I always thought the cost of recompositing all the old effects footage would be the ideal way to go about this but always thought it would be prohibitively expensive.
Can’t wait to see what the finished article will look like. The old tapes shown on TV are looking pretty tired. What we’ve seen so far of the restored footage is amazing.
By the way, a random question but I’ve been watching re-runs of TNG on TV with talk of the remastering in my mind and was wondering how on earth the galaxy in the opening credits for season 3 onwards was achieved. I don’t think it’s CGI or hand animation. Spotlights in smoke perhaps? I’ve taken it for granted for so long but just noticed how impressive it is – like many of the effects in TNG I don’t think the effect could be bettered today.
The TNG opening reminds me a lot of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos series, and Rick Sternbach worked on both, so he might have an answer.
The background plane of the Milky Way was an airbrush painting by your truly, about 16″x20″, maybe a tad larger. The fact that some might be reminded of COSMOS probably comes from the fact that VFX supervisor Rob Legato pointed us toward some images from the first episode of COSMOS (bits from the “Cosmic Zoom”) as inspiration for the new opening. The large swirly with the bright light in the center was a rendition of an early solar system; we laid up string and glue on a black board with a hole in the center for a lamp, painted up the string as dust clouds and accreting planets, and had it filmed slightly out of focus. Other parts of the opening were done with other models and some video animations.
I’ve been meaning to watch Cosmos. I’ve heard great things about it and now I hear that the TNG fx guys were involved it’s a must see.
I’m amazed the effect was achieved with string and glue – that makes me love it more. And now we can watch in HD http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnDtvZXYHgE&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
Looks gorgeous, especially Mr Sternbach’s milky way painting. Can’t wait to see the whole series.
It’s TNG in HD, not TNG-R.
Design elements from Star Trek are consistent with features within our real space craft. In Star Trek III in Captain Kirk’s cabin when the Captian is talking with Spock’s father there is a white lamp, and the patterned element of that lamp is consistent with the circular white table at the center of our craft. How is it possible that elements such as that are included in Star Trek when those elements represent real objects within our extraterrestrial space craft?
It’s a TV show.