Star Trek films on Blu-Ray... what we know so far (1 Viewer)

[Kevin EK]

One other thing with the Fringe budget. It's absolutely correct that they transferred the show and scaled back to reduce the budget. But I'm well familiar with TV shows that regularly shoot up to an hour of material for each episode and then edit down to 42 minutes - and that within a 3 million dollar budget. It's usually a matter of the writers making scripts that are a bit long, and then editing down after the filming is finished. This is more typical of network shows - although an HBO hourlong series will regularly run over 50 minutes at a lower budget. Cable shows like The Closer, on the other hand, operate on far lower budgets and have to be shot in fewer days per episode.

Josh is correct about the lower level of revenue from Netflix.

 

[Douglas Monce]

(The only series that was handled in a manner that would accomodate this kind of work was Enterprise, which was itself shot on HD for its final two seasons, I believe.)

Enterprise was shot on film for the first 3 seasons and HD for the 4th. But post production for all 4 seasons were done at HD resolution. So its ready to go now.
Doug

 

[Douglas Monce]

Don't see a way to delete my post that didn't go through.

Was just out that CBS and Paramount don't even share the same corporate parent anymore. CBS has been an independent company since it was spun off from Viacom on December 31, 2005. "CBS Paramount" is now known as "CBS Television Studios" and has no relationship to Paramount.

Coincidentally, the TOS remaster began airing the year after. Sure sounds to me like CBS found itself in possession of the Aston Martin after the divorce, and decided to take it out for a drive. How valuable the syndication property actually turned out to be will determine what happens with TNG, how big a budget it gets, etc.

Both Viacom and CBS are controlled by a company called National Amusements.
Dout

 

[taoyue]

Originally Posted by Douglas Monce
Both Viacom and CBS are controlled by a company called National Amusements.
Dout

Oh, I hate these multilevel corporate family trees. Thanks for enlightening me.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Originally Posted by Kevin EK
Josh is correct about the lower level of revenue from Netflix.

My experience of Netflix's financial contributions to shows is this: if you tell them you're throwing a keg party, they'll volunteer to bring along an extra six-pack.

 

[Cinescott]

I can see where Netflix would be small potatoes next to syndication. Makes sense. After their operating costs, there can't be a lot left over from subscription income.

I keep feeling there will be a push for catalog Trek stuff in anticipation for the JJ Abrams movie next year. Probably a TMP Blu-ray, all the Trek stuff streaming on Netflix, and probably more individual releases of the existing Blu-ray transfers. Maybe other things as well. It would be the ideal time to promote it. That being said, we may be in for a ~1 year wait before there is any kind of a noticeable push.

 

[Nelson Au]

Maybe even TAS on blu ray!

 

[Douglas Monce]

I can see where Netflix would be small potatoes next to syndication. Makes sense. After their operating costs, there can't be a lot left over from subscription income.

I keep feeling there will be a push for catalog Trek stuff in anticipation for the JJ Abrams movie next year. Probably a TMP Blu-ray, all the Trek stuff streaming on Netflix, and probably more individual releases of the existing Blu-ray transfers. Maybe other things as well. It would be the ideal time to promote it. That being said, we may be in for a ~1 year wait before there is any kind of a noticeable push.

I wouldn't count on a Star Trek film next year. Its been announced, but Abrams has stated that he won't be directing it, and they haven't chosen a director yet. If they don't start shooting by July, its likely you won't see the next movie till 2013.
Doug

 

[Cinescott]

Originally Posted by Douglas Monce
I wouldn't count on a Star Trek film next year. Its been announced, but Abrams has stated that he won't be directing it, and they haven't chosen a director yet. If they don't start shooting by July, its likely you won't see the next movie till 2013.
Doug

Huh? I had heard the script had been delayed, but this is something new. Do you have a source for this? He made statements recently that he's looking forward to finishing "Super 8" and moving on to this.

 

[Douglas Monce]

Huh? I had heard the script had been delayed, but this is something new. Do you have a source for this? He made statements recently that he's looking forward to finishing "Super 8" and moving on to this. 

Well he said before he started Super 8 that he wouldn't be directing either the next Star Trek or Mission Impossible. There has been no director announcement for Star Trek, and no start date announced.I believe when he is talking about working on Star Trek, I think he means as a producer which told Paramount he would do. Of course he may jump in at the last moment and direct it himself, but I don't think it is his desire to do that.Doug

 

[Nelson Au]

Trek movie reported a few weeks ago that they plan to start filming no later then September. And Abrams has not confirmed he'd direct, though I think he does want to.

http://trekmovie.com/2011/05/06/jj-abrams-amazing-ideas-for-star-trek-sequel-will-focus-after-super-8/

 

[Douglas Monce]

Trek movie reported a few weeks ago that they plan to start filming no later then September. And Abrams has not confirmed he'd direct, though I think he does want to.

http://trekmovie.com/2011/05/06/jj-abrams-amazing-ideas-for-star-trek-sequel-will-focus-after-super-8/

If they start shooting in September they will be hard pressed to get it into theaters by Christmas of 2012, and I think Paramount would prefer a summer release.
Doug

 

[benbess]

Normally they need about a year after filming is done for special effects and editing....So yeah, it'd be cutting it close to try to get it out by Dec. 2012.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

The announced date is June 29, 2012 - I still think there's a shot that happens. Remember, the first new Star Trek was ready for Christmas 2008; it was only pushed to 2009 because Paramount wanted a summer release. In other words, if they want to get it done, I think they will.

As for Abrams, I haven't heard him flat out say he wasn't directing it. It was clear he wasn't doing M:I4, and they signed Brad Bird to do so, but I haven't heard him say anything about doing or not doing the new Trek. Since he's on board as producer anyway, I think we're gonna have to wait until Super 8 comes out to really start hearing concrete news about the movie one way or the other.

I'd like them to make a good movie, and if they need extra time to do so, I'm fine with waiting. I'm just a little annoyed at how some of these big franchise movies have decided to take so long between films. It used to be every two years (give or take a couple months) for a new Bond, a new Star Trek, that kind of thing -- now you've got at least 3 years between Star Trek movies, 4 years since the last Batman, at least 4 since the last Bond.... it's just no fun as a fan to have to wait that long. I was not a fan of the three years in between each Star Wars prequel; I think they would have been better movies had they been planned out as three pictures shooting back to back, and coming out a year apart, or two years at most (although that's probably a whole 'nother can of worms). I admire the Harry Potter producers for managing to keep most of the movies 18-24 months apart. For these franchises, every other year would be my ideal wait time as a fan - I understand the commitment that requires, but on the other hand, everyone involved in these kinds of films gets paid more for doing them than for the things they do in between, so it's not like they're being forced to work for nothing.

You just wonder how many Star Trek movies Paramount intends on making with this current production crew and cast, and the longer the wait between films, the fewer there will be. It would be a shame to have done such a great job with the latest one, they got me hooked, and I know a lot of people who either never liked Trek or haven't been into it for a long time were into it -- and then for them only to get two or three movies done before everyone wants to move on.

 

[benbess]

I'm getting a little tired of franchise films...even for my beloved Star Trek. I can wait.

 

[Douglas Monce]

Well again I think Paramount will be looking for a summer movie. I don't think a Christmas release is very likely.
Doug

 

[Kevin EK]

If they start filming the next Trek film by September, it's reasonable to see it out by the end of 2012. I hear the argument about wanting it out during summer, but Star Trek IV was a late year release and did quite well.

I'm fine with JJ Abrams stepping aside and having a solid feature director do the movie. This could even open the door for Nicholas Meyer....

 

[SilverWook]

If that's the start date, the sets have to start going up pretty soon then? I presume the Enterprise sets were saved and stored...

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

Originally Posted by Josh Steinberg
One thing that wasn't done (and that I don't expect to be, but that would be cool to me nonetheless) would be to finish the footage of Shatner leaving the ship - I love the little bit where they're suiting him up, and it seems like it would be easy to finish the shot where you see him descending to hide the scaffolding and whatnot. (If memory serves, that was never visible on the TV version because the shot was cropped to 4x3 anyhow.) There was something about seeing Shatner floating out there, very deliberately, very slowly, that on some level made the whole sequence of events seem that much more imposing. Like, if the captain's leaving the ship in a spacesuit on his own, that's a pretty big deal in and of itself, but it also is a sign of his desperation - that Spock's wild goose chase is at that point the only chance they have, and how powerless Kirk is that all he can do is float out there and wait. That's a scene I wouldn't mind seeing included in a finished form, although I don't expect it ever will be.

That sequence was all part of the aborted "Memory Wall" sequence. You can tell because Kirk is in a completely different thruster suit in those shots.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Originally Posted by Neil S. Bulk
That sequence was all part of the aborted "Memory Wall" sequence. You can tell because Kirk is in a completely different thruster suit in those shots.

I know; nonetheless, I still like the idea of it. I'd love a Close Encounters-type Blu-ray of TMP someday that included the theatrical, the "special longer version" and the DE. Hey, a guy can dream, right?