Glen here...
...with some thoughts on a recently proposed "enhancement" of the original Star Trek series.
Since Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's astonishing "Trials and Tribbleations" episode, there has been much discussion about whether or not the original series' effects should be revamped, as "Trials and Tribbleations" showed that just about anything was possible - as long as the right talent and sensibilities were brought to the table. While there have been numerous fan discussions and musings about whether or not the original Trek should receive the "Special Edition" treatment, it has been unclear as to whether or not The Powers That Be have indulged in any serious contemplation of the issue. It now seems they have, at least to some extent.
Many Trek fans may be aware of an organization called Digital Stream. Digital Stream recently posted images and footage from said company's FX makeover of an entire episode from the original Trek series. The episode in question is called "The Doomsday Machine", and features the Enterprise fighting it out with a gigantic space traveling, planet gobbling, ass-kicking ice cream cone which turns out to be an ultimate weapon left behind from a long forgotten planetary war. Stills and footage from Digital Stream's efforts can be accessed by CLICKING HERE.
Word has recently come to me that Digital Stream is in the process of approaching Paramount about re-doing the effects for the whole of the original series. They are said to be using "The Doomsday Machine" as a template for this proposal. In fact, there is some indication such a presentation / proposal is immediate, if it hasn't gone down already. While you will not find the entire episode on the site linked above, I have seen a good presentation of the entire episode - uninterrupted, properly edited and mixed. Even if Digital Stream's proposal goes nowhere, it does raise a boatload of significant issues which merit serious consideration before it's too late (and regardless of who ends up working on such an endeavor). Some of those questions are posed towards the conclusion of this article.
Digital Stream's efforts on "The Doomsday Machine" closely parallel George Lucas' recent efforts on the Star Wars Special Editions, but in this case, every primary visual effect has been completely replaced with contemporary CGI, and smaller effects (like the show's "transporter" effects ) appear to have been subtly enhanced (that the transporter effects were altered I'm not quite sure about - I noted a blueish tint to the effect I do not recall seeing previously, but this could be a memory trick).
Also much like Lucas' "Special Editions", the attention to detail isn't always consistent. Examples: a rather clumsy looking scanner-like prop has been left untouched, and now sticks out like a sore thumb given the detail evident in the re-conceived space footage. Also, a backlit Enterprise viewscreen has been left unaltered in this restoration, even though it looks rather unconvincing.
Granted, "fixing" both of these effects would likely require some high-end motion tracking and rotoscope whizbangery -- which Digital Stream may not have had the capability (or equipment) to pull off. None the less, it is unclear whether or not Digital Stream even noticed these omissions to begin with -- and if they couldn't fix these errors (for whatever reasons), what else might go by either undetected or unaddressed in future DS installments? Does this make them the right person for this very large - and serious - job?
Which brings us to the space footage.
I'm not going to go into many specifics here -- as much of Digital Stream's you can see much of Digital Stream's work on their web site for yourself. The Enterprise is rendered with more surface detail and nuance than before, giving the ship a more utilitarian (if less elegant) feel than previously. There was something about the sweep and simplicity of the ship (as it originally appeared in the series) which was dramatic and sublime, elements which appear to have been diminished by making the vessel look more functional. Also, artist embellishments -- like having the bank of "impulse engines" along the back Enterprise's saucer section burn with brightly with red / orange thruster fire and exhaust -- seem awkward and discontinuous within the Star Trek universe. Changes like these may look better to some eyes, but such augmentations have little or no grounding in either Trek lore, or the films & series which follow the original show.
Perhaps the most troubling element of Digital Stream's "Doomsday Machine" efforts is the fact that the CGI replacing the original FX footage does not look organic within the episode. This isn't merely a matter of getting used to something new. The new footage, literally, does not possess the same physical qualities as the live action sequences into which it is cut. The color saturation, film stock (grain on the film, creaminess of photography, etc.) of the new Digital Stream effects seem to be from a totally different (and detached) time and reality than the footage of the actors on-set.
This often makes the newly inserted effects seem jarring, which in turn diminishes the flow and continuity of the episode's storytelling. Visual effects must appear to be part of the same universe which the people around them inhabit, and in Digital Stream's "Doomsday Machine" enhancements, this is not always the case. Many FX are a little too CGI...a little too modern...and are told with a visual dynamic which does not complement the directoral style of the episode.
These factors are critical if a "Special Edition" of Star Trek is to be mounted. Otherwise, the entire effort comes across as a gimmick; and suggest there is no love for the effort being undertaken - only a desire to "play" with technical toys & do something because it is, simply, "cool" to do. Doing a project like this "just because it can be done" isn't enough of a reason to mount such an undertaking, and would only serve to undermine the memory and credibility of an already troubled franchise in the eyes of concerned fans.
Which brings us to the two most significant issues of all: should a revamping of the original series be undertaken? And who should be responsible for lording over such and endeavor?
These are complex questions, whose answers are too mindbending to resolve fully herein. Digital Stream's "Doomsday Machine" restoration is very imperfect, and...frankly...sometimes sub-standard by my book. It is, however, solid enough to convince me that upgrading the effects in the original series is a very viable notion, and might work stunningly if handled correctly. This notion is accentuated by some personal experiences here at AICN - where I have received many e-mails from readers damning the original series because of one factor alone: the visual effects. More than Shatner bashing, more than the cheesy sets, the FX in Trek Classic seem to rub many viewers the wrong direction. So yes, I think there are many reasons the effects in the original Trek series ought to be re-conceived. But the process of doing so should not be arbitrary or thoughtless.
As such, who should do it?
Clearly, painstaking effort must be made to make sure no harm would be done to the original series by revamping its effects (by adding in more effects, changing some settings, etc.). I guess the phrase I would invent for this is "Integrity Control". Digital Stream's "Doomsday Machines" pointedly accentuates this one essential notion. Several brief examples: there were many shots in DS' "Doomsday Machine" which were simply awkwardly blocked and staged. Digital Stream's Doomsday Machine's redesign is surprisingly simple-minded given the complexity with which it could have been approached (see below). There is awkward discontinuity in their work: on the Enterprise viewscreen, background starfileds "spin" in a subtle pinwheel as The Doomsday Machine flies off into the distance. Why are the stars spinning? The Enterprise isn't spinning. Visual dynamics are fine enough - but they have to make sense!
As such, it seems that...ideally...a restoration project like this would need a slew of overseers, each watching out for a specific area of technical concern. Perhaps a someone skilled as a Director of Photography should be drafted, to make sure all new shots all look right (in a photographic sense ). Said individual could assist in the selection of lensing, match new & old lighting, etc. Basically, a "Photographic Continuity" manager, if you will.
Secondly, a Visual Effects Supervisor should be brought in to bridge the gap between suits and whichever effects house(s) got this gig. He would know effects and what is (and is not) possible given a specific episode's restoration budget (which could easily run away if not managed properly).
Finally, someone needs to be in-charge of evaluating the original series from an editorial perspective. Such a person might be able to work in conjunction with those designing and executing the effects to determine what kind of shots would work best, how and where they should be inserted, etc. (ex.- "I'd love to cut in a shot which pushes on on this viewscreen a bit - it would really raise the tension level in the scene...") A Trek historian would be needed, to make sure any potential redesigns and augmentations make sense. The same person or people might also be able to shed light on the original aspirations of the technical folks working on the original series (many ideas must have been conceived, but never executed due to technical or budgetary limitations).
This group of people would also be responsible for fundamental conceptual choices. For example: should a new Doomsday Machine be a design pulled out of thin air? Or, would it make sense ot return to episode author Norman Spinrad's original concept of an immense, detailed, busy, battered and frightening amalgam of antennae and parts? Should a re-worked original series be built around the notion of cleaning and enhancing already existing FX? Or, should the for the series FX be re-built from the ground up? Should CGI be used...can modelwork (more closely resembling the original material) be afforded...should it be a combination of both? How deeply should fan feedback & opinion influence affect a Trek SE? How detailed would an SE be? Should only the obvious effects issues be addressed? Or, should subtle background details in scenes be altered or incorporated? These are critical questions which would profoundly impact our understanding of, acceptance of, and memory of the original Star Trek series -- and the operating expenses of the gang assembling the "Special Edition".
But who would do it?
When all was said and done, George Lucas had the last word on the Star Wars Special Editions because the projects were his to do with as he pleased. The Star Trek scenario is different, as its parentage is currently not as clearly defined. Should The Powers That Be attempt to recall (whenever possible) the folks who conceived, blocked, and executed the original series' FX and pair them with modern techno-wonderkind to make an SE happen? Should the folks who have written various Trek histories (factual / historical accounts of the making of the show, as well as the reference & histories of the Trek universe itself) be assembled in an effort to determine which "Special Edition" approach would most closely match the original desires and intents of the show's creators? Would the people in suits be smart enough (or responsible enough) to let the right people make the right choices? Or would they want it done quick & dirty, just so that extra buck or two comes a little faster?
And, one of the trickiest questions of all: should any Trek Special Edition be seen as the definitive version of the series (in the same way Lucas subsequently buried the original versions of the Star Wars trilogy in favor of their Special Edition successors)? There are many people (myself included) who would love to see a Special Edition of the original STar Trek series, but would not want to see the original form of the show dismissed eternally. Such a notions seems dishonest to history, and to the people who massive amounts of work on the show - some of which was astounding for its time.
Difficult potentialities. But, in light of the uneven Digital Stream enhancements evident in their proposal reel, and Paramount's frequent mishandling of the Trek franchise, these are questions which need to be seriously considered. No matter what one thinks about the original Star Trek series, it is a piece of history - and a show which means a great deal to a great many people. Yes, the series deserves to be the best it can be - and messing around with the effects (and so forth) might well be a means to this end. But in the same was the original series deserves to be the best it can be, it deserves to have such a makeover executed properly -- with love, attention, and genuine effort expended towards making a Trek "Special Edition" something future generations will look upon favorably, and something which will not besmirch the memory of the work which is being revised...
