The teaser video for my re-imagining of the visual effects from the 1967 Star Trek episode “The Doomsday Machine” is now online!
(I’m terribly sorry, but I have (temporarily, I hope) removed all “Doomsday Machine” videos from my website… here’s why.)
Screencaps after the jump…
The Enterprise
Nothing left but rubble... and asteroids
The Enterprise enters System L-374
Every solar system in this sector blasted to rubble... and still no sign of the Constellation
Um Captain? I think we found the Constellation, sir
Look at that!
Red alert... red alert... man your battlestations!
These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise...
It's five year mission: To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations...
To boldly go where no man has gone before!
#1 by beanslayer at June 12th, 2009
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Love it! I eagerly await the next video! Very Enjoyable and dynamic – Thank you, Scott!
#2 by Ken Binkley at June 12th, 2009
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This episode was always my favorite from TOS, and the justice you have done to it is simply amazing! I enjoyed the orginal, and liked the re-mastered version, but this, this is simply fabulous! Please tell me you will make the entire episode with your beautiful improvements available!
I have to disagree with Mr. Scott on this one. You CAN fall in love the same way again!
- Ken
#3 by Scott Gammans at June 13th, 2009
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Ken and beanslayer (love the nick!), thank you. :) I’m taking a much-needed weekend off in Vegas, but no worries Ken–I’ll be back to work on Act I first thing Monday evening.
#4 by Dave Kleve at June 13th, 2009
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Amazing! This is always the way I imagined it should look like.
#5 by Jason at June 14th, 2009
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Times like these it sucks to have an iPhone. Can’t wait to get home and see it!
#6 by Fargin Bastiges at June 14th, 2009
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Magnificent! Your use of a light source and reflections are STUNNING! Well done on the “rotoscoping” of the viewscreen around Kirk.
The only downside is that when I downloaded the zip file it had an error. I couldn’t open it with WinZip or WinRar. Is anyone else having this problem? Suggestions?
#7 by Scott Gammans at June 14th, 2009
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Gosh Fargin, I’m sorry… I don’t know why you’d be having a problem with the zip file… it seems to work fine for me, although I didn’t try opening the zip file on a Macintosh yet.
In any event… was it worth the wait? :)
BTW, thanks for noticing the rotoscoping. That sequence that wasn’t even three seconds long was one of the more difficult shots of the entire project (thus far). Not only did the original footage need to be motion-tracked so that the viewscreen content would look right (thanks to my friend Gordon Robb for that, btw!), but rotoscoping William Shatner through sixty-odd frames was NOT any fun. My right hand was cramped into a ball by the end of that little chore… and I still have one more rotoscoping task at the end of Act IV when Nimoy and Shatner both stroll in front of the viewscreen. Blech.
#8 by DarenDoc at June 14th, 2009
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Good work Scott, congrats on getting this out there. It definitely is a lot of work.
#9 by Scott Gammans at June 15th, 2009
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You would know better than just about anyone Daren. :) Thanks.
#10 by Frederick at June 22nd, 2009
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Scott,
Awesome work, a true labor of love! We have Daren’s version, the “official” Remastered version, and now yours, and each one brings something new to the table. Yours, however, adds the system’s sun in the background which adds a whole other level of detail at it washes over the ship. Also the cloud of nebula-like debris adds a lot of visual interest.
Look forward to seeing more! You really should publish it in acts like the original, and let us enjoy it one segment at a time as you get more done, rather than waiting until you finish the whole thing.
#11 by Scott Gammans at June 22nd, 2009
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Thanks Frederick. :) By the way everyone, if you haven’t checked out Frederick’s Star Trek Scrapbook site, by all means do so… there are hours and hours of reading entertainment that await you there!
No worries about a release strategy, Frederick… I am releasing each act as it is completed. Act I should be released in the next 2-3 weeks, but I learned my lesson from the teaser and won’t be providing a hard date until I’m absolutely certain that I’ll hit it!!
Thanks for stopping by!
#12 by Patrick Lynch at July 3rd, 2009
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Love it! Love it!
I have a suggestion for the scene where the Constellation begins moving on her own power again. In the CBS remastered version, the ship simply starts moving which makes all the flailing around of the damage control team seem out of place. Instead of doing that, have the bow of the Constellation dip down with the rear of the warp engines pointing upward as the ship begins moving. Kind of like the way helicopters sometimes take off with their noses down before settling into normal flight. As the Constellation moves, the hull dips up and down until it settles into a normal sailing movement. To my mind at least, it would seem to make the exterior movement of the ship match what the actors are doing on the inside.
Of course, you may have already done something better. Also love Spockboy’s gathering of your Enterprise clips with the Moonraker music. Also very beautiful work!
#13 by Scott Gammans at July 3rd, 2009
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Hmmm, interesting idea! Haven’t gotten anywhere near that point yet (you’re talking about the third act which I have NEVER made it to on any of my previous attempts at this project), but I will definitely keep it in mind when the time comes.
Oh and btw, happy Fourth of July to my United States friends!
#14 by telestrike at July 7th, 2009
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This is great, Scott. Nice to see you are back and you put this out. What a spectacular take on this episode. I remember you working on this back at yur other website. i am very happy you are doing this again! I guess the next question is, when is the rest coming out?
All the best, great to see this again!
Bill
#15 by Scott Gammans at July 7th, 2009
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Thanks! Probably the last Friday in July.
#16 by RobertMfromLI at July 8th, 2009
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Scott,
Phenomenal work! Truly amazing! Can’t wait to see the finished product!!!
Rob
Star Trek Phase 2 Team
#17 by Scott Gammans at July 9th, 2009
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Thanks Robert! Let me just say in return that I have thoroughly enjoyed the work that the New Voyages/Phase II team has been doing. You guys are truly living the dream for millions of us Trekkies (yeah that’s right, TREKKIES, dammit!) and I eagerly look forward to the conclusion of “Blood and Fire”!
#18 by RobertMfromLI at July 9th, 2009
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Scott: (re: BaF2) So do we! LoL! Don’t worry, we are really close now to Part 2 release.
Thanks so much for the compliments for our team!
So… the big question is, when are you going to come and visit? Or join the team? If you are interested, email me!
Best,
Rob
#19 by Scott Gammans at July 10th, 2009
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Oooooh, tempting! Let me try and see if I can stick to the schedule I’ve set for myself on my own project first before committing to helping you guys, but I’ll surely drop you a line later this year when things quieten down around here. :)
#20 by Steve at July 13th, 2009
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Awesome work. Really nice. I especially liked the bit when Kirk passed the main viewscreen. Thanks for this.
#21 by Scott Gammans at July 13th, 2009
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Thank you Steve. At one point during this project I foolishly experimented with also replacing the bridge overhead displays with animated imagery… I thought it would have been especially cool at the end of the teaser for the monitors to suddenly “spring to life” with critical systems displays as soon as Kirk punches the Red Alert button. But after the pain of rotoscoping Shatner (literally, the PAIN… my right hand was cramped into a ball), I wisely decided against it. :)
#22 by Don at July 23rd, 2009
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Beautiful work, this is what the remastered version should have been.
#23 by Scott Gammans at July 23rd, 2009
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Thanks Don.
FWIW, I think that oftentimes the team behind the official “Remastered” effort gets a lot of the knocks* without a commensurate amount of the credit for the project’s triumphs. I would LOVE to have digital matte wizard Max Gabl’s artistic talent… “superb” isn’t a strong enough adjective for the backgrounds we saw in episodes such as “Requiem for Methuselah” and “A Taste of Armageddon”.
Yeah, some of the episodes look rushed, and no, I wasn’t ever quite happy with the way the Enterprise looked (but it definitely got a lot better as the project progressed). But all in all, I’m glad that Paramount and CBS Digital saw fit to spend any money on this project in the first place. This is a show that’s over four decades old! Be sure to get back to me when you see another show from the 60’s that has so much love and attention spent on it!
* – And no, I’m not saying you’re one of the knockers… this is just an observation in general. Thanks :)