By Chris Snellgrove
| Printed
Star Trek: Voyager had loads of particular results, however arguably none had been extra spectacular than when the ship landed on a planet within the Season 2 premiere episode “The 37’s.” This was a primary for the franchise, bringing to life considered one of Gene Roddenberry’s concepts that he had beforehand thought of too costly to point out onscreen. Nonetheless, this impact was nearly a disappointment because of behind-the-scenes manufacturing points, together with improperly designed touchdown struts and a CGI mannequin that was simply too small.
This explicit Voyager particular impact was one the group had been dreaming of for a very long time…for instance, franchise graphic designer Michael Okuda beforehand really useful to exec producer Rick Berman that this ship ought to be capable of land as a method to distinguish it from what got here earlier than. Accordingly, Rick Sternbach had developed a number of potential ship designs that may accommodate a touchdown functionality, and he made certain that the completed design featured small hatches on the underside hull meant to accommodate touchdown gear. It was solely after designing these struts, nonetheless, that producers realized that the ship’s “legs” regarded far too skinny to help its physique.
The shot of Voyager touchdown on a planet in “The 37’s” was meant to be this huge, show-stopping particular impact, and producers had been understandably involved that viewers can be upset if it regarded just like the ship all the time skipped leg day. Within the grand custom of tv, they determined to repair this downside in post-production…on this case, by inserting rock outcroppings and different floor options strategically round Voyager because it landed. Return and watch the episode, and also you’ll see how they successfully obscured audiences’ view of these teeny touchdown struts.
Nonetheless, that wasn’t the one downside with Voyager’s fancy particular impact…because it seems, the present’s digital artists had by chance made the CGI mannequin of the ship too tiny. This irritated visible results supervisor Ronald B. Moore (to not be confused with Trek author and Battlestar Galactica reboot showrunner Ronald D. Moore), who was upset by the touchdown impact as a result of “the size of the Voyager on the bottom was incorrect.” Nonetheless, he didn’t really feel that audiences would essentially discover “as a result of there’s nothing actually to narrate it to; the persons are within the foreground, the ship’s within the background, and we kinda saved it that approach.”
For longtime Star Trek followers, this Voyager second was extra than simply one other particular impact…it was additionally the belief of a decades-old dream that started with Gene Roddenberry. The franchise creator had initially dreamed of getting the Enterprise frequently land on planets in The Authentic Collection, however he quickly realized simply how costly it will be to have the ship land someplace new every week. That is how the transporter was born, because it allowed Captain Kirk and his erstwhile crew to rapidly go to someplace new after which head again to the ship through a less expensive “beam me up” particular impact.
Voyager’s producers got here to the identical conclusion that Roddenberry did, which is why the present principally caught to the transporter particular impact quite than consistently having the ship land. Nonetheless, it landed a number of extra instances after “The 37’s,” and producers had a a lot simpler time bringing this bold impact to life on their subsequent makes an attempt. They did so regardless of the CGI mannequin for the ship being too small, which arguably proves that measurement actually doesn’t matter within the twenty fourth century. We wouldn’t suggest telling that to Captain Janeway about her morning espresso cup sizes, although, until you need her to kill you faster than she killed Tuvix!
