Well, you should know, dear readers, that it is literally dripping with Trek sauce in a full marinade. SO much so it slapped me upside the head... in a virtual way. With my own eyes.
The ad (see below), titled "Not All Stars Appear On-Screen," carried the obvious "location shoot" vista of tilted stone at Vasquez Rocks—known to you all as the Kirk-Gorn fight scene... AND Capella IV, Vulcan from ST IV and ST 2009, TNG's Mintaka III, etc, etc...
But more than that, a big chunk is shot at Paramount—and right on legendary "Star Trek Street" of the 80s/90s/Aughts. Recall the big sliding stage door, seen both opening (0:16) and closing? That's the main door to Stage 18—home to the DS9 Defiant, Bajor and "swing" sets, then Enterprise's Bridge, Engine Room/Armory/Shuttle Bay, Decon and Transporter. And, once open, you peek out from the dark stage right at the Stage 8-9 entrance (here obscured by a white trailer) and stairway, home to the TOS movies, TNG and VGR standing sets and ENT Sickbay and "swing" sets—and now home to CBS's NCIS: LA. That upper walkway leads you to the upstairs Dreier Building offices that once housed the TNG-VGR art department and offices from set construction coordinator (and fan club honoree) Al Smutko to prop master Alan Sims to set dresser Jim Mees. Makeup designer Mike Westmore and hair dressers Joysee Norman and later Michale Moore were there, too.
And yes, we said Stage 18. A few seconds at 0:13 are seen to be outside the small door for "Stage 14," but that's another street over — where the huge Stage 14-15 team-up is more in the scale of movies ... used for both First Contact and JJ's Star Trek.
Most film and commercials shot in the "heart of Trekland" Paramount are from over on New York street. So, seeing these cool views from right there along Star Trek Street once again--well, I half expected to see L.Z. or Steve or Russ the security guards, or Mark Alan Shepherd halfway into his Morn makeup, wandering through one of those shots. Very cool!
Here, take a look:
6 comments:
As always Larry You have an incredible eye for the details some of us miss. Thanks for sharing the incredible insight.
I never really got past the blonde, but then again its all makeup and lights, anyways.
Thanks, from us the fan(s)
Well, you're welcome. I walked that for 12+ years 2-3 times a week or more... the two-tone Paramount brown and the upper railing by Alan Sims and Jimmy Mees' offices just kinda leaped out at me! The fact that they used Stage 18... or any of the Trek stages... was just cool. I just wish the Stage 8-9 entrance was visible. It's been fancified bigtime by NCIS-LA--even tree planters!
Otherwise, what makes you think *I* never really got past the blonde?
Diet Coke AND Star Trek! Those are the Trekkie Girls favourite things!
Thanks for sharing :-)
Great stuff, Larry. I spent two days on set filming my couple of scenes after winning a walk-on, and got the full tour of that corner (and the upstairs art department!).
Quite literally the best two days of my life (except for maybe the day my episode aired and I realized I'd made the cut!).
Keep up the great work!
If I have given the Trekkie Girls two of their favorite things, I've done far more than refresh 1/20 of the "Sound of Music" song. Thanks!
"Extra"--
Are you saying I helped with your re-"Awakening"? :-)
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