Topic: Screeenwriter dishes on "Star Trek: The Beginning"

[Rat Boy]

From Trek Web

"This would take place just a couple of years after the end of the events in ENTERPRISE but well before the original series, and it would look at the inciting incident that started everything," he states. "The story is big and epic, and it isn't as antiseptic as the television stories had to be."

And considering how this guy used to write for Band of Brothers, he knows a thing or two about "big and epic."

[GDA-S'Cipio]

Jendresen, who says he was originally not interested in the project, signed on only when studio brass assured him it would be entirely different from all previous STAR TREK endeavors.

"By the end of this story, everyone isn't fine," Jendresen said. "I can safely say as a storyteller with certain standards - my intention is literally as a writer, as a storyteller, as a filmmaker, to go boldly where no one has gone before."

Jendresen's comments intrigue me.  I'd like to see what he has written.

You'll recall that producer Rick Berman, who is working with producers Kerry McCluggage and Jordan Kerner on the project

I just hope it doesn't suffer any editing.....

-S'Cipio the Cynic

[E_Look]

They're really going to make a Trek movie?

[Rat Boy]

I frankly don't see this being greenlit.  A lot of people think part of the reason that Enterprise failed was that it was a prequel (I don't; I think it failed when the producers forgot it was a prequel) and I doubt Paramount would try their hand at another one so soon after the series was cancelled.  Chances are we'll be seeing many new projects being offerred up only to be cut off at the knees, like in the years leading up to production of Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

[GDA-S'Cipio]

I like the idea that this isn't the safe, civilized society we've seen before, and that everyone isn't "OK" at the end of the movie.

Another element I really hope that this film captures is the pioneer mentality.  TOS seemed to bump into a lot of pioneer characters that acted as if they wanted to get away from civilization, and felt they had made their move "Out West" to get away from "The Law".

At times, even regular crewmen acted this way.  Especially Kirk.   Many times Kirk seemed to take the attitude that he was operating beyond the reach of "The Law", and that he had to find practical solutions that would work out in the "Wild West".  

Next Gen lacked this pioneer spirit completely.  Some places the crew went had different moral codes than others, but there was always a feeling of civilization.  You were always in an enviroment that was controled by one authority or another.

I was hoping that Enterprise would go back to the pioneer spirit even more than TOS did.  I thought that would make chronological sense.  Alas, the captain and crew felt more like Next Gen diplomats than they did TOS pioneers.  And everyone they met -- aside perhaps from the Nausicans and the Orions -- had a more developed civilzation than they did.

 
-S'Cipio

[Rat Boy]

I agree though, that the concept sounds compelling.  My personal vision of this is a Federation that's sort of floundering around, with sniping and infighting on a constant basis, not unlike the United States under the Articles of Confederation or the modern UN.  The renewed threat of the Romulans will be what solidifies everything for good, turning that meek alliance into the Federation that we all know*.

* = the fact that the alliance we saw in the final episode of ENT wasn't the Federation of TOS and TNG is implied by a line by Counselor Troi.  2161 may have been the year the Federation was born, but it didn't grow up overnight.

[Alidar Jarok]

I'll just say I'm cautiously optomistic right now.  At this point, its probably up to Paramount to see where things go from here.

[Death_Merchant]

I like the idea that this isn't the safe, civilized society we've seen before, and that everyone isn't "OK" at the end of the movie.

Another element I really hope that this film captures is the pioneer mentality.  TOS seemed to bump into a lot of pioneer characters that acted as if they wanted to get away from civilization, and felt they had made their move "Out West" to get away from "The Law".

At times, even regular crewmen acted this way.  Especially Kirk.   Many times Kirk seemed to take the attitude that he was operating beyond the reach of "The Law", and that he had to find practical solutions that would work out in the "Wild West".  

 
-S'Cipio

Not to worry, I hear this next installment will have an uncivilized and dangerous feel.
Latest working title is:

Star Trek: Detroit

[E_Look]

 

+1 to DM.

[Ravok]

I like the idea that this isn't the safe, civilized society we've seen before, and that everyone isn't "OK" at the end of the movie.

Another element I really hope that this film captures is the pioneer mentality.  TOS seemed to bump into a lot of pioneer characters that acted as if they wanted to get away from civilization, and felt they had made their move "Out West" to get away from "The Law".

At times, even regular crewmen acted this way.  Especially Kirk.   Many times Kirk seemed to take the attitude that he was operating beyond the reach of "The Law", and that he had to find practical solutions that would work out in the "Wild West".   

Next Gen lacked this pioneer spirit completely.  Some places the crew went had different moral codes than others, but there was always a feeling of civilization.  You were always in an enviroment that was controled by one authority or another.

I was hoping that Enterprise would go back to the pioneer spirit even more than TOS did.  I thought that would make chronological sense.  Alas, the captain and crew felt more like Next Gen diplomats than they did TOS pioneers.  And everyone they met -- aside perhaps from the Nausicans and the Orions -- had a more developed civilzation than they did.

 
-S'Cipio

 By George!! I believe you have hit it on the head!!  +1 for you.

 I have never been able to put my finger what was bothering me so much about the new shows. You just layed it all out for me.
 Thanks Its been bugging me for som time,that I could not express it.

[FPF-Tobin Dax]

Another element I really hope that this film captures is the pioneer mentality.  TOS seemed to bump into a lot of pioneer characters that acted as if they wanted to get away from civilization, and felt they had made their move "Out West" to get away from "The Law".

At times, even regular crewmen acted this way.  Especially Kirk.   Many times Kirk seemed to take the attitude that he was operating beyond the reach of "The Law", and that he had to find practical solutions that would work out in the "Wild West".  

Next Gen lacked this pioneer spirit completely.  Some places the crew went had different moral codes than others, but there was always a feeling of civilization.  You were always in an enviroment that was controled by one authority or another.

I was hoping that Enterprise would go back to the pioneer spirit even more than TOS did.  I thought that would make chronological sense.  Alas, the captain and crew felt more like Next Gen diplomats than they did TOS pioneers.  And everyone they met -- aside perhaps from the Nausicans and the Orions -- had a more developed civilzation than they did.

 
-S'Cipio

Kirk had to do some of the stuff he did as subspace communications were much slower in TOS days. It was frequently hours, or days before a starfleet response was received. In TNG, subspace communications were usually instaneous.

[Mr_Tricorder]

Another element I really hope that this film captures is the pioneer mentality.  TOS seemed to bump into a lot of pioneer characters that acted as if they wanted to get away from civilization, and felt they had made their move "Out West" to get away from "The Law".

At times, even regular crewmen acted this way.  Especially Kirk.   Many times Kirk seemed to take the attitude that he was operating beyond the reach of "The Law", and that he had to find practical solutions that would work out in the "Wild West".   

Next Gen lacked this pioneer spirit completely.  Some places the crew went had different moral codes than others, but there was always a feeling of civilization.  You were always in an enviroment that was controled by one authority or another.

I was hoping that Enterprise would go back to the pioneer spirit even more than TOS did.  I thought that would make chronological sense.  Alas, the captain and crew felt more like Next Gen diplomats than they did TOS pioneers.  And everyone they met -- aside perhaps from the Nausicans and the Orions -- had a more developed civilzation than they did.

 
-S'Cipio

Kirk had to do some of the stuff he did as subspace communications were much slower in TOS days. It was frequently hours, or days before a starfleet response was received. In TNG, subspace communications were usually instaneous.

kind of like the difference between pony express and email

[GDA-S'Cipio]

Kirk had to do some of the stuff he did as subspace communications were much slower in TOS days. It was frequently hours, or days before a starfleet response was received. In TNG, subspace communications were usually instaneous.

Exactly!

In TOS, the crisis was usually resolved, and the episode over, before Kirk would finally receive the instructions he askef for from Starfleet.  Usually this reply came in the form of Starfleet saying, "we will support any action you decide to take," which was an admission tht starfleet knew any action would be over by the time their reply arrived.

NextGen showed instantaneous communication, which I guess I can buy if you put it down to improved subspace communication quality.

Enterprise, by that logic, should have gone back to it taking days for Archer's messages to get to get to starfleet, and then more days for a reply to be received.  Yet Admiral Forrest could call Captain Archer to tell him about his friend's death, and they could talk to each other face to face in real time.  There was no plot reason to do this, the death would have affected Archer just as much if its news arrived in a recorded message, but the writer's didn't go for a frontierish far-away-from-home feel.  They went for a pick-up-a-cell-phone-and-make-a-call feel.

I think the writers had been doing NewTrek so long that the civilized era had become ingrained into them.  They didn't even stop to think about what they could do with a plot that was set beyond the reach of authority.

-S'Cipio

[FPF-Tobin Dax]

Enterprise died because they dindn't stop to think.....

[Commander La'ra]

I got the general impression that Starfleet had grown more 'centralized' through politics rather than neccesity, and by the TNG period, obedience and adherence to regs had replaced initiative and personal judgement as the qualities the Federation prized.

This sort of goes along with the complacency and stagnation some of the characters on both DS9 and TNG commented on.

[Alidar Jarok]

A few things.  In the next generation, there was delayed communication in more than one episode (The Defector comes to mind).

In Enterprise, there was delayed communication in countless episodes (such as all of season 3).  What they did was try to establish that they dropped "subspace amplifiers", which sped up communications.  But, if they were destroyed, or if you moved too far awy from them, than they wouldn't be effective.

Also, keep in mind that there were times when the NX-01 was closer to Earth than the 1701 (probably most occassions, since Kirk was pretty much consistantly on the frontier).

[E_Look]

+1, AJ.

Solid reasoning and acceptable explanation of Trek issues... if any such thing can ever be claimed about technothings Trek!

[GDA-S'Cipio]

A few things.  In the next generation, there was delayed communication in more than one episode (The Defector comes to mind).

I can't specifically recall the details of communication in The Defector, but I'll take your word for it.  Nevertheless, I have strong memories of NextGen with instant communications more often than not.

In Enterprise, there was delayed communication in countless episodes (such as all of season 3).  What they did was try to establish that they dropped "subspace amplifiers", which sped up communications.  But, if they were destroyed, or if you moved too far awy from them, than they wouldn't be effective.

Season 3 doesn't count.   They were in that weird space that played havoc with all their systems.  I do recall the amplifiers from the episode with the sinister aliens.  However, whatever amplifiers NX-01 Enterprise had, NCC-1701 Enterprise should have had much better. 

(I'm not sure what the amplifiers would buy you anyway.  Relay antennae let you communicate further, but you still have to deal with the time delay of how fast the signal travels.)

Also, keep in mind that there were times when the NX-01 was closer to Earth than the 1701 (probably most occassions, since Kirk was pretty much consistantly on the frontier).

Bah!  Archer *was* the frontier!  Besides, he made several trips all the way to the Klingon homeworld.  In TOS Kirk never made it past the border.   

-S'Cipio

[E_Look]

... Bah!  Archer *was* the frontier!  Besides, he made several trips all the way to the Klingon homeworld.  In TOS Kirk never made it past the border.   

-S'Cipio

Yeah, but they only made faces and pointed a knife at Archer or wanted to imprison him... Kirk would have been shot on sight (they probably would've wanted a piece of Spock, too)!

[Ravok]

... Bah!  Archer *was* the frontier!  Besides, he made several trips all the way to the Klingon homeworld.  In TOS Kirk never made it past the border.   

-S'Cipio

Yeah, but they only made faces and pointed a knife at Archer or wanted to imprison him... Kirk would have been shot on sight (they probably would've wanted a piece of Spock, too)!

  I hate to admit it but Kirk making it past the border, would throw the Empire into a panic.