<\/p>\n The TOS Enterprise model was huge at about eleven feet long. <\/p>\n This larger model allowed better depth of focus as the live action camera was farther away. Because the camera was moved by hand and not repeatable, all the interior lighting, strobes, running lights, and engine effects were part of that one exposure of the model.<\/p>\n Linwood G. Dunn, A.S.C.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n Some 20 years later on Star Trek: the Next Generation,<\/em><\/strong> technology had evolved so that the camera could be controlled by a computer. \u00a0This technology, called \u00a0\u2018Motion Control,\u2019 utilized a repeating motorized camera and models on precision tracks.<\/p>\n Mike Leben<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n The moving camera rig was repeatable to 1\/1000th<\/sup> of an inch over 35 feet or more. The repeatability allowed multiple matching passes to be photographed at different speeds and exposures providing much better lighting control and more realistic results.\u00a0 With Motion Control we were able to move the camera slowly so we could use deeper f \/stops for greater depth of field on smaller models.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Our models were half or less the size of the original Enterprise ship; the Enterprise \u201cD\u201d was 4 feet and the Voyager was five feet long and the “mile wide” DS9 station was 6 feet across.<\/p>\n Stephen Lebed<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n In this typical shot from\u00a0 Star Trek: Voyager<\/strong><\/em>, we began with a storyboard or design of the shot needed.\u00a0 To make the spaceship appear to move, the camera was programmed to move down the tracks and past or around the model.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The first filmed piece was what we call a \u201cbeauty lighting pass\u201d that sets the lighting \/mood for the final shot. It was discovered that the models look much better if they were backlit or sometimes side lit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In contrast, the ST: Original Series ships were shot over blue screen in a single pass, so lighting was rather flat to minimize \u2018blue spill\u2019 and improve matte compositing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Our interior light pass did not have to be nearly as bright as live action model photography as we could again slow the camera down to adjust the exposure instead of opening the lens aperture.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Some of the ships had running lights or strobe lights and so they were a separate pass …<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n …as was the red nacelle.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The blue engine lights were photographed with a fog filter for glow effect.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n After all of the light passes were finished we would film a matte (silhouette) pass. \u00a0No illumination was on the model which was shot over fluorescent orange screen lit with ultraviolet lights.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When the footage was transferred to digital D-1 medium, the orange pass would be interpreted as black and white as shown here.\u00a0 This silhouette was used to mask out or block the stars in the background.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In this particular scene the planet and the stars were computer generated in program called LightWave 3D. This software could use the computer generated data from the model photography and repeat the move and create stars and planets.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The transferred D1 digital separate passes were brought into an editing\/compositing bay and assembled giving a resulting final composite. This shot was created for \u201cThe Caretaker\u201d pilot episode of\u00a0 \u201cStar Trek:Voyager.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For a brief video explanation of motion control:<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/davidstipes.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/72765_1322697287496_1832769948_637284_1058479_n.jpg\")
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