Star Trek: The Motion Picture: The Art and Visual Effects

"Star Trek: The Motion Picture" is my absolute favorite Trek film in the entire franchise. It is the most grand and cinematic in scope. No other Trek film matches its beauty or innovation in my opinion.Sadly, it is a film that is overlooked because it is so unlike the others. Director Robert Wise and crew really swing for the fences in this movie, but a casual movie-goer often cites the long atmospheric feel and philosophical tone as a negative. This movie isn't just an episode of Trek put to film (like the remainder of the movies) and I think it's considered too high and lofty as a result.This book painstakingly documents this production with great behind-the-scences photos and production artwork. It also has some insightful things to say about each photo and piece of art and how it was made.This book also delivers on some of the early concept artwork for the original concept and title of this film, "Star Trek: Planet of the Titans" as well as the never-realized show "Star Trek: Phase II".I love this little slice of history of such a great film that is truly under appreciated. Now this movie gets it's due and is appreciated and all people working on this film get a proverbial hat tipped to them.The pages are large and are of a smooth matte quality. The cover is hard with a slip cover. It's very well bound and produced.I HIGHLY recommend!!!

ST:TMP is an underrated gem in the Trek series. Many consider it boring or “too cerebral” ...the same thing they called the original TOS pilot. I always considered a spiritual successor to 2001:A Space Odyssey but residing in the Trek franchise....As always, everyone is entitled to their opinion but this book may actually change a few minds. Packed full of amazing art, designs, anecdotes and imagery this book comes highly recommended and is well worth the price. Even if you love the movie like myself and think you know everything there is to know about the film, I can almost guarantee that you’re going to find out something new once you open the book. Lots of unseen photos and art...way too much to cover in a short review. If you like Trek ,do yourself a favor and buy this book and see how Trek returned to the world ,and the big screen, almost a decade after it was cancelled and the artists and designers who made it happen.

Over the years I have read many books/articles about ST:TMP and I wondered if this book would really be worth getting. Based on other reviews, I did. Boy, am I glad! It is a treasure trove of information about the special effects and other artistic decisions behind this movie. I knew about the troubles the movie had during production, but after reading this, it's amazing the movie turned out so well.Despite its flaws (the terrible costumes, the nonsensical bridge displays, the borrowed plot), I have a soft spot for this movie. This book appreciates the Enterprise fly-by sequence (unlike some people), and outright says that the ship is more than a prop, it is a character. Yes - thank you for saying so! All the care and detail that went into this sequence shows on the screen, and the book tells us how much work was involved.Luckily for the movie, two special effects masters were able to rescue the production from its original effects house. The book details some of the problems they were confronted with and how they handled them. As with all making-of documentaries, I have an increased appreciation for the talent it takes to make a movie. One example: painting the model. The USS Enterprise model was deliberately given a plated look to make it look more like a real ship, which consists of pieces joined together. It's not just a seamless white. Another treat is how the Enterprise was made to light itself up externally. (I knew those little lights on the model couldn't do the job. This book explains how they did it).If you like this movie and want a behind-the-scenes look, you will be thrilled with this book. Many thanks to the authors for digging out the massive amount of detail involved.

What a great tome of gorgeous artwork and prop design. Of all the movies in the Star Trek franchise, I think this one is that rare unicorn of originality. At a time when Star Trek hadn't been seen for nearly two decades, the filmmakers were really trying to make something special. The movie is like a long episode that updates the classic Trek design from the outdated sixties. There are full page spreads of V'ger concepts and models, lavishly detailed to stand out. There are also whole chapters devoted to the refit of the Enterprise, Starfleet, and the ubiquitous Klingons and everything in between. Highly recommend this to the "Art of" collector.

This Book is an impressive size and well laid-out and designed.This book simply does NOT contain enough content about this movie that started up the Star Trek franchise after 11 years since the original series cancellation.This book really needed to be double the page count as there is LOTS of great info out on the Internet about the making of this film.Much of the images and info, within the pages of this book, are well known by fans of this particular Star Trek movie.Not a lot of new stuff covered in this book.This book needs a second volume added to it to really complete the story of the making of all the art and visual effect and all of the people involved with the technical, behind the scenes creations needed to make this movie happen in the very narrow time frame that this movie was given.

Das gedruckte Buch beschreibt diese Zeit bestens. Die Designer lieferten ihre Ideen noch als Handskizzen und Tempera Gemälde ab, es gab noch Matte Paintings und keine 3D Computer Programme für Hintergründe. Die Innengestaltung wurde 1:1 gebaut, die Raumschiffe als Modelle, aber schon mit Blue Box. Die Effekte wurden mit einfachen Mitteln grandios in Szene gesetzt. Und darum geht es in diesem Buch, um die Gestaltung.Die Bilder und Geschichten wurden hier sehr anschaulich beschrieben. Das Bildmaterial hinter den Szenen ist manchmal etwas grobkörnig, aber aussagekräftig. Immer wieder Besprechungen und Wechsel der beteiligten Firmen und Personen. Auch ein interessanter Einblick in die Studio Atmosphäre und deren Arbeitswirklichkeit. Hire and Fire, und manchmal wurde eine Vorarbeit komplett verworfen. Und andere führten es irgendwie weiter.Und dann kam V'ger. Und Syd Mead. Keine K.I., kein Zufallsgenerator, kein Computerprogramm, sondern menschliche Fantasie, Wille und Können erzeugten Form und Sinn. Eine fremde und doch bekannte Lebensform, wie die Oberfläche eines unbekannten Planeten. Und die Schöpfung fragte ihren Schöpfer: "Ist da sonst gar nichts mehr?. Diese Frage berührt den Sinn der Existenz und der Möglichkeiten.Das Resultat spricht für sich. Ich mag diesen Film, sein Thema, seine Erzählweise und auch seine Schwächen. Es ist eine gute Interpretation der ursprünglichen Serie. Und die Langsamkeit ist wohltuend im Vergleich zum heutigen Geflacker der Spin Offs.Diese Geschichte als Buch in die Hand zu nehmen bedeutet, den Zeitgeist zu spüren.

Livro muito bom e bastante completo. Apresenta desenhos e fotografias de interesse, além do texto contar em detalhes o desenvolvimento dos fatos e técnicas utilizadas na produção do filme.

Star Trek: the Motion Picture was always the closest to Gene Roddenberry's vision of what Star Trek was SUPPOSED to be. Roddenberry was always an "okay" storyteller, but saddled with themes and ideas that might have been a step ahead of most audiences likings. Star Trek2: The Wrath of Khan was a surrender to the bang-bang type of story that TV producer Harve Bennet preferred, and........apparently so did movie-goers, as nearly every iteration of Star Trek embraced Bennett more than Roddenberry.So ST:TMP stands alone and apart from the other films. Far more cinematic, more gravitas, and light-years more epic in scope, it wasn't so much in danger of NOT getting made, as it was getting made half-assed or released incomplete.The politics in the making of this movie.......the studio mandate of being locked into a premiere date, the effects companies involved in building models and effects shots---and failing to do so, and then others stepping up to save the project, became an almost sordid tale.But in spite of all that, the work put into this film is a testament to a massive amount of love, care and respect for the property and this book reflects that. The write-ups are good, with a "fair" look at the Robert Abel part in the production of the film, but are just a hard sparse in other aspects. There's a bit of depth here, but not truly IN-depth.The photos are a big draw--the set photos, the concept and production art---some of it has been seen before.....a surprising amount has never been shown before, to my knowledge. That alone makes this book worth the time and effort to acquire.

Whether we realise it or not this is the book we have all been waiting for to arrive since 1979. An absolutely essential book for anyone even remotely interested in the Star Trek movies. I am eternally grateful to Titan for releasing this beautiful tome chronicling the journey of this fascinating movie. Owning most of these Art of and Making of books over the years from Star Wars, Alien, Blade Runner etc....this has to be one of my favourites already! I have always been fascinated by this movie and also frustrated over the years with the lack of written information regarding its production, but happy to report this really does make up for that. Hopefully we might see a similar release covering Wrath Of Khan to go alongside the brilliant book by Alan Asherman.

This was bought as a gift for my Trekkie husband.