Deep Space 9 Superior

[./freelancer]

Yes, it was too bad that the most of the costs for production went up in the sets. costumes and make-up. That left very little for CGI effects, even in the series finale most of the explosion shots are recycled, and most ship shots and transport ships arriving are also recycled footage.

One that I remember most vividly was the episode where Kira, Bashir and Keiko returned in a damaged runabout, with one of the engines burning. A few episodes later, Sisko and I believe Odo return from Earth after Odo had discovered that Gowron was a changeling. The shot showing a shot up runabout was exactly the same.

Yeah, I remember that too. It really annoyed me, because they only waited a few episodes to reuse the shot. I'm generally ok with using the same shot in different seasons, but just a few episodes apart? No way.

[Starbase]

Yes, it was too bad that the most of the costs for production went up in the sets. costumes and make-up. That left very little for CGI effects, even in the series finale most of the explosion shots are recycled, and most ship shots and transport ships arriving are also recycled footage.

It's actually the exact opposite Freek. -- I remember reading many articles that talked about how the writers fought for a much bigger budget specifically for CGI and special effects after season 4, which was reluctantly granted by Paramount (they increased the CGI budget for seasons 5, 6 & 7 by 50%). What ended up happening was that FX guys created a huge stockpile of Starship space battle scenes which nearly 75% of was never used. As a matter of fact Ronald D Moore, at one of the many Trek conventions I have been to over the years, talked about how they literally could have made created a 20 hour finale with almost 18 hours of Dominion War space battles alone. He then played for us about 20 minutes of never before seen footage of various space battles (which was very cool!). I believe he said there was over 600 hours of Space Battle scenes that were never used or seen until he showed us a small snipet at the convention (he said he hoped that Paramount might one day release a DVD Box Set with alot of that footage).

It wasn't lack of budget at all, they were hand-cuffed by the rather primiative CGI of that time (you got to remember CGI was in its infancy back then). That being said IMO the FX were fantastic on DS9, sure there was the occasional explosion that exposed a clunky looking model or the CGI looked grainy and unseamless on film, but over-all it was very well done and presented in a fashion that made those space battles come to life (very emotional). Most of it still holds up today.

One that I remember most vividly was the episode where Kira, Bashir and Keiko returned in a damaged runabout, with one of the engines burning. A few episodes later, Sisko and I believe Odo return from Earth after Odo had discovered that Gowron was a changeling. The shot showing a shot up runabout was exactly the same.

Video Stock Footage is used in every Scifi show ever made, and if you look closely at any scifi show that uses alot of CGI you will know this to be true. As a matter of fact DS9 didn't do this nearly as much as TNG or VOY did.

[Freek]

I agree most of the battles looked pretty good. But the zooming-out sequence at the very end of the finale for example, looks very cheap, since the station seems to have no real texture (just flat grey)

[nx01a]

Hours of unused footage and they repeated space battles in the finale?! *groan*
VOY's 'Caretaker' was great, but the very next episode and the rest of the season had such horrid cgi. Then again, the first ep was done by Industrial Light and Magic... the others by someone far lesser.

I still maintain that the Oort Cloud/Kuiper Belt scenes between Odo's runabout and the Jem'Hadar fighters ranks as one of the best sequences I've seen in Trek. Sigh. That and Weyoun professing his love for Odo. 'Treachery, Faith and the Great River', brilliant!

[./freelancer]

Hours of unused footage and they repeated space battles in the finale?! *groan*
VOY's 'Caretaker' was great, but the very next episode and the rest of the season had such horrid cgi. Then again, the first ep was done by Industrial Light and Magic... the others by someone far lesser.

I still maintain that the Oort Cloud/Kuiper Belt scenes between Odo's runabout and the Jem'Hadar fighters ranks as one of the best sequences I've seen in Trek. Sigh. That and Weyoun professing his love for Odo. 'Treachery, Faith and the Great River', brilliant!

Love that episode!

Odo: Aren't you being a little paranoid?
Weyoun: Of course I'm being paranoid, everyone's trying to kill me!

[marielabbott]

I think I may have found an Olympic/DS9 link--what do you guys think?

Is this commercial narrated by Salome Jens, the female shapeshifter? I was watching the Games last night and the voice seemed so familiar, and I checked IMDB and she does do voicework.

[Jumper_One]

I think I may have found an Olympic/DS9 link--what do you guys think?

Is this commercial narrated by Salome Jens, the female shapeshifter? I was watching the Games last night and the voice seemed so familiar, and I checked IMDB and she does do voicework.

hm it's possible, I'm not sure. btw check out the DS9 Season 4 Tournament thread

[Starbase]

DS9 Season III Episode Discussion
Episode #62 Visionary

While DS9 is steps ahead in its dark storytelling and political intrigue over all other Trek shows, it didn't adopt typical Trek concepts (much to its credit). Luckily we got a winner, this is one of the best high concept DS9 episodes ever. Its also a 'Torture O'Brien' episode. Combining the two really works as the plot and Meaney's performance are amazing. I also liked the B-Plot involving the Romulans which kept in tune with the ongoing Dominion threat. Overall a suprising but welcome high concept DS9 episode that really pulls it off well.

I give Visionary a solid 8.0 rating, a great episode to re-watch!.

[Starbase]

I think I may have found an Olympic/DS9 link--what do you guys think?

Is this commercial narrated by Salome Jens, the female shapeshifter? I was watching the Games last night and the voice seemed so familiar, and I checked IMDB and she does do voicework.

It is indeed Salome Jens. She has a very distinctive and sultry voice, and has also narrated a number of documentaries including The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century, which I have on DVD.

Brother Fifth and I actually met her at a Trek convention years ago. She was so gracious an friendly with everyone, you could tell she enjoyed herself among the fans.

Thank's for posting it Mariel, very cool!.

[jelgate]

I know brother Fifth was planning to do a quiz a week from tomorrow, but if he doesn't mind can we wait until after Labor Day. I don't know about other people but I'm busy getting my college stuff prepared. If I'm in the minority go ahead and do it without me. I'll to particpate but its not looking promosing

[the Fifth Race]

I think I may have found an Olympic/DS9 link--what do you guys think?

Is this commercial narrated by Salome Jens, the female shapeshifter? I was watching the Games last night and the voice seemed so familiar, and I checked IMDB and she does do voicework.

I had seen that advertisement a couple times and thought there is something rather familiar about it. At the very end of that clip is when you can really hear the female shape-shifters voice come through.

Like brother Starbase suggested - The great Salome Jens who played the female shape-shifter has done quite a bit of voice work on alot of different projects including public service messages and advertisements as well as documentaries and such. Great post Lady Mariel.

I know brother Fifth was planning to do a quiz a week from tomorrow, but if he doesn't mind can we wait until after Labor Day. I don't know about other people but I'm busy getting my college stuff prepared. If I'm in the minority go ahead and do it without me. I'll to particpate but its not looking promosing

Sounds fine by me brother jelgate. I am swamped at work right now and after labor day my business goes back to normal so I will have a lot more time.

[the Fifth Race]

I know brothers Fifth Race, Starbase and USS Defiant have all talked and raved about the short lived Showtime Scifi series Jeremiah which was written by Michael J Straczynski and based loosely on the European Comic of the same name. They started showing episodes on the Scifi Channel and on local affiliates. I rented the first season DVD Box Set and loved it!, what a great show, I can see why Showtime matched it up with Stragate when it used ot be on Showtime.

I noticed the second season isn't available on DVD which are the episodes that the Scifi Channel have been showing recently, so I have been recording them on my Tivo. I am about 3 episodes in to the second season and it's only getting better. Sean Astin is introduced and plays the rather creepy Mr. Smith in season 2 and Markus played by the great Peter Stebbings (Malek the Tok'ra from SG) along with regulars Luke Perry and Malcolm-Jamal Warner.

Great stuff and thank's for the recommendation, Jeremiah delivers and you can definetly see the Michael J Straczynski influence in the writing.

My pleasure brother Weyoun. Jeremiah has always had a soft spot in my heart. I used to love the original Scifi Fridays with Stargate and Jeremiah together that Showtime started years before the Scifi Channel ever existed. I love the storyline and the great buddy/partner dynamic that Luke Perry and Malcolm Jamal Warner had. Plus you can't go wrong with anything Michael J Straczynski writes.

I am so glad that the Scifi channel and local affiliates decided to buy the show for syndication. I think the people that give the show a shot are going to be pleasantly surprised.

I notice the Scifi Channel is showing the lost season II episodes of Jeremiah that haven't been seen anywhere since 1994 when they originally aired on Showtime. Now the real question is if Showtime finally decided to realease and sell the 8 episodes they made for season III that never aired anywhere or at anytime (Showtime never released the storylines or scripts to these season III episodes, so they are a total mystery). I got my fingers crossed.

[the Fifth Race]

Hours of unused footage and they repeated space battles in the finale?! *groan*
VOY's 'Caretaker' was great, but the very next episode and the rest of the season had such horrid cgi. Then again, the first ep was done by Industrial Light and Magic... the others by someone far lesser.

That's right brother nx, literally hundreds of hours of un-used space battles and other various CGI shots. The writers requested a much bigger budget for CGI and other special effects which Paramount gave them. The way Ronald D Moore explained it at that convention was that they really wanted to use a lot more of the special effects (especially Starship battle scenes and such) but they just didn't have enough time to use most of it, plus the fact they didn't want to sacrifice storyline continuity for the sake of adding extra CGI. (I'm glad they didn't)

I still maintain that the Oort Cloud/Kuiper Belt scenes between Odo's runabout and the Jem'Hadar fighters ranks as one of the best sequences I've seen in Trek. Sigh. That and Weyoun professing his love for Odo. 'Treachery, Faith and the Great River', brilliant!

Great call brother nx. Treachery Faith and the Great River is one the best DS9/Trek episodes ever. That was the episode that really sealed it for me with Jeffrey Combs. His brilliance is on display and so easy to see when portrays these very diverse alien characters. I love how when the new Weyoun clone make his appearance in the next episode, Odo has this look of like wow, I just saw a ghost when he see's him for the first time.

[Rac80]

I had seen that advertisement a couple times and thought there is something rather familiar about it. At the very end of that clip is when you can really hear the female shape-shifters voice come through.

Like brother Starbase suggested - The great Salome Jens who played the female shape-shifter has done quite a bit of voice work on alot of different projects including public service messages and advertisements as well as documentaries and such. Great post Lady Mariel.

Sounds fine by me brother jelgate. I am swamped at work right now and after labor day my business goes back to normal so I will have a lot more time.

yaaay! I am busy as heck until then too! see you all later!

[nx01a]

The Nog subplot was entertaining, but it didn't fit for me.