The new shots look beautiful throughout. something didn't seem right, sort of like the film grain didn't match or something. But having watched it a third time (for the Okuda commentary) I finally figured out what's been bugging me about the digital ENT-- The lights don't seem to blink. It's most noticable in the "Wing Walk" sequence, but it seems to be true throughout the new scenes. What's the deal here?
Of course, it's also clear, particularly from one of the final shots, that the blinking lights were inconsistent in the original '79 shots anyway. Maybe Sulu turned them off inside V'Ger since there was no one to see them...
-Devin
Posted by Mojo (Member # 536) on :
The lights of the digital model definately DO blink. In fact, if you look at the new shot where the plasma weapon disipates just before it hits the Enterprise, you'll see the running lights blinking!
The on/off cycle of the lights is built into the model, so if you don't see it in some shots it's because either that part of the ship isn't visible or the shot isn't long enough for the cycle of that particular light.
Mojo
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Even though I haven't seen the new version yet, that is an interesting point, Mojo. Do you/did you try to match film grains when doing digital work... I guess not make the finished work look like it's foreign to the overall work? How do you do this!?!
Andrew
Posted by devin.clancy (Member # 589) on :
Well, I stand corrected. I realize now that the blinking lights seem to only be visible from the rear or the bottom and that a couple of shots that I assumed were new are in the original. And in the original Wing Walk scene, you can see one of the nacelle strobes briefly, but that's from a diffrent angle on an Enterprise that seems to be missing a few decks.
One scene I was thinking of is about 1:31 into the film and is actually an original shot but it seems a lot more static on DVD. Looking at my VHS, the image at that point is sort of flickering, which explains why I noticed the difference.
Anyway, good job all around. A much better film in every way-- sliding up the scale of the odd-numbered films, maybe passing III of VII in some ways.
-Devin
Posted by mrneutron (Member # 524) on :
quote:Originally posted by Mojo: The lights of the digital model definately DO blink. In fact, if you look at the new shot where the plasma weapon disipates just before it hits the Enterprise, you'll see the running lights blinking!"
Mojo
Mojo, I don't know if this has been asked elsewhere, but I noticed that the navigational deflector alternates between copperish and bluish. In the original film I recall it being copperish during the drydock scenes and then blue onmce the ship goes to warp, then copper again once they go inside V'ger, and blue again in the final two shots of the ship (after V'ger). In the DE it's copperish in the new CG "bridge" shot at the V'ger island. I was wondering how you decided which color to make it...or did you just flip a coin? Or did anyone ask Trumbull why the color inverts?
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
My guess would be that the deflector was meant to be on only while the ship was moving at speeds fast enough to require it. At least, that seems like it might have been the original intention.
Posted by The359 (Member # 37) on :
Yes, the copperish deflector is most likely when it is off, since we only see it when the ship isn't moving, mainly drydock, inside of V'Ger, and when she's coming up on the bridge.
Now, the ship is indeed moving when approaching the bridge, but you wouldn't want the deflector on because the ship wouldn't be able to get up against the bridge if the deflector was on.
Posted by Mojo (Member # 536) on :
If I remember correctly, the dish is blue while at warp, copper at all other times.
And to answer a previous question, yes, we had to match the film grain from 1978 so our new shots would seamlessly integrate.
The goal was to make the new shots look like they could have been done back in '78. We stayed as true to the original as possible.
