[ChristopherPike]

STAR TREK: 40TH ANNIVERSARY

Many happy returns to Star Trek, which celebrates it's ruby anniversary on September 8th.

Some say life begins at 40 and I certainly hope that proves true for my favourite TV/Film series. In honour of this event, I put together this tribute video which spans the whole history of Trekuniverse set to my favourite piece of music.

You can watch it here:

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=TotsK5Q_GfM

http://media.putfile...-ANNIVERSARY-19

or download (file size 57.8 MB) from:

http://rapidshare.de...AR_TREK__40.wmv

Hope you enjoy. Raise a glass to forty years of Star Trek!

[lwallace2]

Wow! What a project! Well done. My only criticism is that the scenes flash by so quickly, but then it's hard to fit the whole Star Trek saga into a song without doing that I'm sure!!

[mlaz]

ChristopherPike that was a real nice thing to watch. Thanks for sharing.

[Shlomi of Vulcan]

What a beautiful tribute to Star Trek. It literally brought tears to my eyes, and the music is my all-time favorite from TNG (Inner Light). It really made me realize that 40 years really has gone by since the first time I sat down and watched the very first episode of Star Trek.

[LLAP-TERRELL]

WOW!!! Truely amazing work, Christopher Pike - spectacular!!!!



You are stupendous!!!



LLAP, TERRELL

[Discodirect]

Very, very nice!

A lot of work went into that.

Much Appreciated.

[Bill]

Incredible Chris! Thank you for this great tribute.

I also find it hard to believe it has been 40 years since I first watched Trek. My first convention was for the tenth anniversary, seems like only yesterday, and now I prepare to go to Seattle to celebrate the 40th.

[ticktrek]

THAT WAS A THING OF BEAUTY.



What a beautiful tribute to a cultural icon. I'd like some details on how long that took, what program you used, etc.



Thank you so much.

[Shlomi of Vulcan]

Got it burned to a DVD and it is now forever a part of my Star Trek viewing library. I watched it 7 times last night, I just couldn't see it enough times.

[Paolo]

Hmmm, maybe I'll just say:
WOW!

[ChristopherPike]

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

ticktrek, on Sep 1 2006, 05:36 PM, said:

I'd like some details on how long that took, what program you used, etc.

It probably took me around a couple of months off and on to complete. I used plain old Windows Movie Maker which ended up more than a bit frustrating. It must have crashed a hundred times or more, so I don't recommend it! This was because of the sheer number of video files I sorted through. Whenever I attempt something like this again, I'll definately try different software. My main aim was to do a sort of timeline to celebrate 40 years of the show's mythology. In the end, it became a sort of compromise between that and highlighting as many of the characters - heroes and villains, as I could. It was a pretty tough job deciding and in the end some didn't make it into the finished version. Ironically I had loads of clips which didn't make it like Kirk's son - David, Saavik, Valeris and others all lined up but felt adding more would out pace the music. It came down to trying to tell a story using as few key images as possible. I understand exactly how difficult this must be for professional editors working on trailers, having to sacrifice one or two shots in order to keep the timing down.

To begin with, I imagined a framing device, using clips of Kirk and Spock watching history unfold through the Guardian of Forever and then returning back from their mission. One of the disappointing things was the limited software I experimented with. Ideally, some of the events would have been seen inside the Guardian portal with the characteristic mist seen in the original episode. But the closest I came up with was a zoom in and out, to give a similar impression. Lack of software forces you to be creative with what you've got!

I deliberately avoided using instantly recognisable tunes like The Motion Picture theme or First Contact, partly because they've been done many times before and seemed a bit too obvious. A few bars from 'Generations' which evok TOS do end the montage though... The main melody used is heard in TNG episodes 'The Inner Light' & 'Lessons', whenever Picard is seen playing the Ressikan flute. The tune always stuck with me because it really made an emotional impact to the story. The music from DS9 'The Visitor' too, now I come to think of it.

This all began a few months back when I was listening to a CD compliation, it struck me how the music might work alongside the timeline. It starts off quietly and builds to a crescendo before going back to the beginning again. The way the music keeps on building inspired me and reminded of how each series has added something to the foundation created by The Original Series. For me, Star Trek in all it's guises are essentially the same show and while TOS is undenably the most important part, for half it's life now, it's grown much larger than that.

So for the trailer, we see history unfolding beginning with The Phoenix breaking the warp barrier, then First Contact, followed one of the NX project ships joined by Enterprise NX-01's launch. This then goes through as many ENT characters possible, through the Xindi crisis, a Romulan clip or two (foreshadowing the unfortunately unseen war) and building to the Federation. Here I snatched a shot from the fan made Direct-to-DVD trailer featuring the Federation logo because it summed up prefectly where the series was heading. Gratitude to the fan who actually made that. From there it blends with a shot of what is actually the Defiant at warp from 'In A Mirror, Darkly Part II'. But here it represents the USS Enterprise NCC-1701, simply because it goes by so quickly and the registry isn't ledgible, so it's a close enough match. DS9 reused the Galaxy class Enterprise model to represent other ships afterall.
Eventually, it seemed fitting to link the series together with crossover shots where the Enterprise would be at DS9, then Voyager leaving DS9. I cheated a bit by leaving the TNG movies until near the end, when of course they actually happen while both these series are happening. Somehow, I felt putting them in the right order would break the flow and make it much more confusing to watch.

Anyhow, I'm glad you all found it an enjoyable journey across the Star Trek Universe. It made the effort all worthwhile.

[ticktrek]

Wow Now I'm even more impressed.

[Shlomi of Vulcan]

Chris, all I can do is be extremely impressed. Thanks so much for the effort. and go to you.

[LLAP-TERRELL]

Chris - This shows a lot of work AND shows even MORE "talent" by you than is easily recognizable!!!



From my own limited experience with Video production and editing; I'd recommend using Adobe Premere © in the future, okay?



This was truely "moving" work - I cried myself; remembering as if it were happening at that very moment, ALL the experiences and feelings I had while watching these things unfold for the first time - on my "magic box" T.V. screen - starting back when I was an awkward boy of 10 years old, dreaming of what I saw being played out before my eyes, back in 1966!



Those dreams NEVER went away; and never will - I dream for the future!!!



Star Trek will ALWAYS be a part of American (and even the whole Earth's) culture and a directional sign-post towards our collective futures, agreed?!!!



BTW: Did you ever read those scripts (or did I ever send them to you) I wrote for Enterprise? I remember sending you the pictures/info about the actor whom played "wheelchair-ridden" Christopher Pike (I met him at LAST year's Las Vegas Convention, remember?) per your request, right? Did I send the scripts? Did you have any interests in seeing them?



LLAP, TERRELL



P.S. You must work in "the Industry" to have such a savey about the way you've compiled and edited this video, Chris - is this the case?

[Deltaflyer]

Outstanding job ChristopherPike! The best compulation of Trek highlights that sums up how we all feel about the Star Trek universe. Thanks for the tribute! ...My hats off to you.... keep up the great work.

Sincerely,
Deltaflyer

[ChristopherPike]

LLAP-TERRELL, on Sep 2 2006, 01:48 AM, said:

From my own limited experience with Video production and editing; I'd recommend using Adobe Premere © in the future, okay?

I'm definately ditching Windows Movie Maker from now on and will look around for a more reliable alternative. I'll check out Adobe but I'm low on funds at the moment, so I just try out trial versions and see how they compare.

I wish I'd gotten my trailer off the ground earlier as I could have sent it for screening at a few conventions. If you know of any con organizers who'd be interested, you have my blessing to pass the video along.

Quote

Did you ever read those scripts (or did I ever send them to you) I wrote for Enterprise?

I'd hold off from sending those to me. I sometimes dabble with writing and don't want to accidentally crib any of your hard work. It can happen unintentionally because inspiration and plagiarism are two sides of the same coin.

Quote

You must work in "the Industry" to have such a savey about the way you've compiled and edited this video, Chris - is this the case?

I wish! I'd probably bite some studio executive's hand off for honest old fashioned gainful employment!

[LLAP-TERRELL]

ChristopherPike, on Sep 2 2006, 04:34 AM, said:

I'm definately ditching Windows Movie Maker from now on and will look around for a more reliable alternative. I'll check out Adobe but I'm low on funds at the moment, so I just try out trial versions and see how they compare.

I wish I'd gotten my trailer off the ground earlier as I could have sent it for screening at a few conventions. If you know of any con organizers who'd be interested, you have my blessing to pass the video along.

I'd hold off from sending those to me. I sometimes dabble with writing and don't want to accidentally crib any of your hard work. It can happen unintentionally because inspiration and plagiarism are two sides of the same coin.

I wish! I'd probably bite some studio executive's hand off for honest old fashioned gainful employment!

I understand completely... and it might be better NOT to "bite off the studio executive's hand" but rather "shake it" vigorously while profusely smiling and repetitively kissing his... er; you get the idea, right?



That's the Hollyweird way!!!



My scripts are all registered with the W.G.A. and specifically for Star Trek: Enterprise... so unless our time-machine is working properly, and we can jump back in time to 2001 and the beginning of the show again - I don't think myou'll have much occasion to plagerize (accidentally or on purpose) my ideas, here?



I think you WILL enjoy the stories and such!



Think about it, and PM me, okay?



LLAP, TERRELL

[Lioness]

Beautiful. Ansolutely breathtaking.

Thank you so much for the wonderful tribute, Chris.

[DOSMAN]

Chris: I'm almost speechless! That was a truly magnificent and very emotional tribute. It evokes so many wonderful memories and integrates them all. Like you I consider the various incarnations to be elements of a larger whole. Thank you for bringing them together like this!

[smiler]

Impressive sequence!

You'll be chief video editor for TFU at this rate.