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Features

ENTERPRISE Begins Production on "Storm Front", Shoots in Digital Video

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By BWilliams / 09:43, 16 July 2004 / Enterprise

Production on the fourth season of STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE began on Thursday, July 15, but with a twist: the series will now be shot in high-definition digital video, as opposed to standard film.

Director of photography Marvin Rush filmed the first scenes for the fourth season premiere, entitled "Storm Front", with a new Sony 900 digital camera after conducting a series of tests on the standing ship sets and outdoor locations. The test shots proved more cost-effective than standard celluloid film.

"If anything," Rush said in an exclusive interview with StarTrek.com, "it's neck-and-neck with film. And I'm just talking about aesthetics, image to image. I'm not talking about other aspects of how easy (it) is to work with or how flexible it is."

Rush's test footage, which was more than expected and under budget, so impressed series creators and executive producers Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, that they said, "Wow, why weren't we doing this before?"

Rush had high praise for the switch to digital video. "I think that the problems get solved a little quicker with the HD camera. Ask me in a week and I'll give you an answer, because we'll have done it, we will have shot a show."

Rush added that the look of the show will remain consistent, though viewers may not notice much difference between digital video and standard film. "My question is, do you really want it to look the same? I think that there are some aspects to the HD look that are superior - you see a little more detail in the shadows. My personal taste is, why not keep them - it's just more fidelity, you know."

Production on "Storm Front" began Thursday, June 15, with scenes filmed in Sickbay, the Bridge, and the Situation Room with the entire cast minus Scott Bakula, who reports to the set on Friday to begin filming. "Storm Front", the first chapter of a multiple-episode arc that will resolve the conclusion of the third season finale, is expected to continue production until next week and will air some time in late September for the season's premiere.

Click here to read the full report. Stay tuned to StarTrek.com and TrekWeb for the latest news on ENTERPRISE's fourth season.



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Good budget cutter | Report this post to moderator
By: who1 (Odo's file, contact) @ 21:17:58 on Jul 16, 2004

This is an excellent way to save money on the show and keep it financially viable. Film is expensive.


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HDTV and ENT | Report this post to moderator
By: Red Shirt (Odo's file, contact) @ 14:39:00 on Jul 16, 2004

Just upgraded my system for 65" of HDTV glory and luckely my local UPN has a gerat signal. All I can say is WOW the special effects are awsome. One problem though, if the new digital live shots pick up more shadows I think make-up flaws will really jump out. I was amazed at the detail on Phlox in HD but could start to pick out the seams in the rubber. It will be interesting to see if the art department is up to the task.

Before I get hammered, yes I do know that film is higher resolution but it is still softer and looses some in the conversion process to digital then first generation digital will straight to your home. I'll be willing to bet they have to soften it a little in final.


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RE: HDTV and ENT by TheShadowKnows @ 16:19:45 on Jul 16

Digital video | Report this post to moderator
By: Kiwi6009 (Odo's file, contact) @ 14:26:53 on Jul 16, 2004 | Edit History (1)

Next season entire episodes will be shot on a Nokia 9600 PDA Phone with video in .

Gives new meaning to 'phoning your performances in'

Not that I could possibly suggest such a thing :)

At least Enterprise would then be able to be viewed in its full 640x480 glory ;)

'Captain Archer, we are the PIXELONS, prepare to be boarded' - :D



--------

"ooh, shiny!"


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RE: Digital video by falcon @ 12:45:00 on Jul 19

Life's good in HDTV | Report this post to moderator
By: Great Sayia Man (Odo's file, contact) @ 14:09:59 on Jul 16, 2004

I live in europe and would like to know if HDTV is progressively replacing NTSC as a standard or is it something else?

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"We may be little but we make a lot of noise."
Angus Young.


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RE: Life's good in HDTV by Jadzia-Dax @ 14:39:45 on Jul 16
    RE: Life's good in HDTV by falcon @ 12:48:37 on Jul 19
    RE: Life's good in HDTV by TheShadowKnows @ 16:26:28 on Jul 16

Well... | Report this post to moderator
By: Meglo (Odo's file, contact) @ 12:19:03 on Jul 16, 2004

*imitates sinister Orc from ROTK*

The age of film is over... the time of digital has come!

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Shiny!


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RE: Well... by StarFleet Captain @ 17:14:08 on Jul 16

I might also add... | Report this post to moderator
By: TheShadowKnows (Odo's file, contact) @ 11:52:06 on Jul 16, 2004

Would anyone expect B&B to say that it looked like crap or, at the very least, didn't look quite as sharp as film? If it's going to save cash they're just going to suck it up and put the best spin on it as possible to make the suits happy.

Mr. Rush praises the format but also seems to be holding back a bit on endorsing it wholeheartedly. You're not going to bite the hand that feeds you. This is all about money, not about being cutting edge. I get the impression that he'd prefer to work with film and leave the HD stuff for sitcoms and sporting events until HD is up to snuff, which is only a few years off.


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Wasn't the pilot shopt on high def? | Report this post to moderator
By: TheShadowKnows (Odo's file, contact) @ 11:44:04 on Jul 16, 2004

I seem to recall that the pilot was shot using high def (digital) cameras and I seem to remember reading that here when the pilot was in production. I could be wrong.

That said, switching from film to high def has more to do with economics than anything else. It was decided in 2002 not to shoot Enterprise in high def because pyrotechnics just didn't shoot very will with high def cameras and for a number of other reasons. With the production budget slashed they have to save money somehwere and shooting on video will defintiely help save on production costs.

Viewers may notice a slight difference in the overall look of the show, especially anything shot on location.


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RE: Wasn't the pilot shopt on high def? by Ben @ 12:59:08 on Jul 16
RE: Wasn't the pilot shopt on high def? by Ben @ 12:58:49 on Jul 16
    RE: Wasn't the pilot shopt on high def? by TheShadowKnows @ 16:33:50 on Jul 16

Interesting... Digital Video | Report this post to moderator
By: Jadzia-Dax (Odo's file, contact) @ 10:11:41 on Jul 16, 2004

Looks like they're about to obsolete those old film editors with the splicers... LOL

And Bill - your "Production on "Storm Front" began Thursday, June 15," - I think you need to fix the date to "July 15". LOL

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"I think the show talked to people through the characters. They're stories that speak to the heart. They talk about love, they talk about friendship, they talk about loyalty, they talk about patriotism, exploration, curiosity, reaching out... And I think all those things still touch people. Even when you look at a 30-year old show, it still has something to say." - D.C. Fontana, Sci Fi Channel Special Edition TOS 1998


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Outer Space. The last frontier.


These are the trips of the Star Trek Enterprise.


Its 5-year plan...


Calls for us to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations.


To boldly fly where no man has gone in space.




Patrick Stewart on SNL 2/5/94


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RE: Interesting... Digital Video by falcon @ 12:51:39 on Jul 19

HD | Report this post to moderator
By: daicha (Odo's file, contact) @ 09:54:02 on Jul 16, 2004

Now we got digital, we can see T'pol's buns in the highest quality yet! Queing up my zoom button for when the dvds come out.:)

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The higher, the fewer


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RE: HD by TheShadowKnows @ 10:49:12 on Jul 16
Promenade



ST:DS9 Season Seven DVD




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