Original Enterprise Inserted Into Movie Shots
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Fans of the USS Enterprise seen in the original series can now see eight shots of the classic ship inserted into scenes from the various Star Trek movies.
The photos were created by Nick Acosta, a professional illustrator and concept artist.
“I grew up with this model and it always seemed like its own heroic character in the show,” said Acosta. “So I took actual photos of the model as it is today and re-composited the photos into the Star Trek feature film shots. I think the model still holds up beautifully, especially when it is properly lit and the ship’s lights are illuminated. I did my best to replicate the proper lighting and look of the ship when I composited it into these famous Star Trek movie scenes.”
More photos can be found here, and a link to an animated Tumblr page where Acosta “show[s] the step-by-step assembly of the shots,” is also available.
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I honestly do not understand the reason for these mash.ups. What good is a TV Enterprise in a TMP scene. Okay, it looks flawless, but what good is it?
I have to agree with Nick Acosta; the original series Enterprise was as much a character as Kick, Spock and McCoy. The movie Enterprises were fine in their own right, but they were re-imagined versions of the Roddenberry original that I also dreamed of as a kid. I loved the re-imagining of the TOS Enterprise if it would have been brought right to the big screen. Nicely done!
While later onscreen Enterprises–including NX-01 and the reimagined NCC-1701–have been cool in their own way, the original TOS version is truly a classic. Yes, she’s a product of her time, but it’s a fun time…
Actually, it works as a refit, rather than as a complete overhaul. In fact, it would have worked if the Enterprise in TMP was 1701-A, then, TSFS, old crew had stolen the TV Enterprise from the local space museum to find Spock. That way, when the TOS Enterprise was destroyed, especially since it would not have the same firepower as the Bird of Prey, it would have provided a more significant impact. From death comes a second chance at life. IMO.
Well…
1) It looks cool.
2) It’s an interesting creative exercise, particularly for the artist.
3) It’s a look at the potential the model could have had beyond the television show.
4) For JJtrek haters it’s a proof of concept that they could have improved on the Rebootprise.
5) It looks cool.
I see no logical reason, of course.
The images aren’t loading for me in IE 11 or Firefox 31
Try: http://cargocollective.com/nickacosta/Old-Glory
First image on page (and my favorite – the Tholian Web spacesuit is a great touch):
Modified version (a bit crude – wish I had the tools/skill/time to do a better job):
I’m not sure what happened. They vanished. I’ve reloaded them back onto the article. Very strange.
The weathering was on the original model, it was restored by the Smithsonian.
No, the model has undergone multiple restorations – the most recent was in the 1990’s under Ed Miarecki who added the grid-line “weathering” effect (which were inspired by line drawings found in Franz Joseph’s Technical Manual and were not part of the original model). The model is now undergoing another restoration whose goal is to match its TOS second season appearance. Trekcore.com is documenting this effort and has produced the following video (link begins at the point where the Smithsonian director discusses the model’s finish): https://youtu.be/CA8D5lK8guE?t=3m37s
I stand corrected, my intel is one revision out of date. The panel lines were very subtle in the photos I saw at the time, much, much prettier.
No worries, I’m looking forward to this project as they’ve got pros such as the Okudas, Doug Drexler, Andrew Probert, and Rick Sternbach serving as consultants.
Oh, looking forward to it then!