Ares – Right Stuff, Right Graphics.

Denise and Mike at the Cape just last week.

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Greetings from the Okudas!

NASA launched the Ares I-X vehicle from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, October 28, 2009.  The successful Ares I-X Development Flight Test was designed to help NASA engineers gain valuable data to help with the design of the next generation of America’s human launch vehicles.  The Ares launch vehicles, teamed with the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicles, will replace the space shuttle and provide safer, more reliable space transport for our astronauts.  Eventually, the Ares boosters may be a vital link in returning astronauts to the Moon, then on to Mars and beyond.  I worked with the Ares team to develop emblems for Project Ares, as well as the Ares I-X Development Flight Test, and Project Constellation, which is the overall family of exploration systems projects.  Normally, NASA doesn’t put project logos on the sides of their rockets, so I nearly fell out of my chair when I learned that the Ares I-X vehicle would carry three of my designs on its exterior.

The launch was pretty awesome, too!

Afterwards, NASA declared the test a success, calling it a “huge step forward for NASA’s exploration goals.”

- Mike

For more info on Ares I-X:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/ares/flighttests/aresIx/index.html

Visit Mike and Denise at their web site:

http://web.me.com/michaelokuda/michael_okuda/Mike.html

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(Below) Ares roars off the pad bearing Mike’s mission logos. NASA knows cool.

Steve Canyon 30

http://drexfiles.wordpress.com/2009/07/11/the-return-of-steve-canyon/

http://stevecanyondvd.blogspot.com/

Calling Dick Tracy! 90

Reflections From The Mirror Universe.

Lightening captured in a bottle.

When we finished DS9’s  “Trial and Tribble-ations”, we figured that was it. There is no chance that we will ever get to play in that universe again! Well, when you live in a sci-fi world like we do, you eventually know better! When Manny Coto and Mike Sussman got their hands on the NX wheel, Enterprise made an abrupt course change, and we returned home yet again.

Since this was the USS Defiant, and the footage we shot did not need to intercut with an original series episode as was the case with Tribble-ations, our beloved production designer Herman Zimmerman decided it would be fair to sleek the classic designs up a bit, as if Matt Jefferies had some money back in the day. The vertical access tube pictured above is a fine example of that. Updated, but not likely to raise the ire of the most hardened purist.

(Below) I recall that when I first saw Marvin Rush’s lighting design for “Through a Mirror Darkly”, I was a little disappointed. Where were the colors and the wild lighting cookies? But looking back at these images now, I am just wowed by the beautiful lighting design.

Art Moved by the City.

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Dorth! Thanks for this one! Awesome!

BSG Ring Ship

Lord of the Rings.

One of the single most distinctive designs in the rag-tag fleet is the “Ring Ship”. This concept embodies many classic designs from over the years. The Bonnestell\Von Braun 1950’s space station, the big wheel from” 2001: A Space Odyssey”, and Matt Jefferies ring ship from the unrealized TV series “Starship!”. The first two years of BSG saw a lower rez version of the ringship being used in effects shots. Since the design begged to be seen better,  our VFX supervisor Gary Hutzel asked  internationally handsome 3D modeler Pierre Drolet to build a higher rez version, and to not spare the horses. Fraking amazing.

The Borg Cube

(Above) Square but hip.

Since we took a squint at the Borg Tac Cube last weekend, it seems only fair that we round things off with this follow up featuring the original. I can’t look at this design without drawing a line to the Fesarius in the TOS episode “The Corbomite Maneuver”. Simple yet audacious, I’ll never forget the first time (in snowy black and white no less) I saw it dwarf the Enterprise. The Fesarious served the same purpose as the Borg… a reality check for the sometimes overly self assured Federation.

(Below) As you might expect, if you have one side you’ve got all sides of the Borg cube. I remember we once tried to sell Paramount merchandising the idea of gift wrapping paper with this pattern on it. A fleet of Borg Cubes under the tree during the holiday? That would have been rockin’!

Drex Files – Orbit One!

I’m gathering stuff for tomorrow. A few fun things too!

I’ve enjoyed The “When Andy Weighed In” thread. Some wonderful observations, and wow… some are just dripping with sarcasm! Sarcasm is an art form! It makes me realize how much I’ve really enjoyed all of you! It’s almost a full year of the drex files now, and man, there is just a giant well of stuff for us lovers to wade into. It feels great. Orbit one!

Be here tomorrow, ’cause the drex files bathysphere just came up from about 9000 feet, and daddy-o, there is some bonafide rarefied coolness!

(Above) Doug and Dorth fighting dinosaurs in the Palm Desert.

Symphony of Science

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Thanks for sending this Maria! Really wonderful!

Especially love seeing Richard Feynman.

SOTL Flashback

“Shoreleave” – SOTL – 2008

SOTL 2010 – On Sale Now – From Simon & Schuster

When Andy Weighed In

I think it’s safe to run this now. Remember back when we were just catching glimpses of the JJ Enterprise (top)? I ran this revision Andy Probert  sent me. To his eye, the movie ship was off balance, and he illustrated what he would do to correct that (bottom). The image created quite a stir, and I took it down. Fascinating.

Taped

Once in a while the graphics department would host a special guest tape worm. The legendary Greg Jein couldn’t resist, and taped up these props we were prepping for set. Taping for tech is an art form all it’s own. These were executed with Okudian precision.