OK, obviously they think we're all geeks who squeal like little girls over every bit of Star Trek news:

We've been waiting for over a year now since the next Star Trek movie was originally announced, but there hasn't been any real hard news other than who is writing and directing. Until now! (http://newsletter.startrek.com/cgi-bin4/DM/y/hBBIs0MODI80TL20FPVD0GK) This afternoon (July 26,2007) at Comic-Con in San Diego, J.J. Abrams and his creative team have revealed new artwork for the second teaser poster. The lettering may be familiar -- and once again we get an Original Series look -- but this time the logo is inverted, and is written with starry letters, all on a white background. You can see a larger version by clicking here (http://newsletter.startrek.com/cgi-bin4/DM/y/hBBIs0MODI80TL20FPVD0GK).

But that's not all! Confirming once again that this is a Kirk/Spock story, the casting kicks off with the announcement of Zachary Quinto as "Spock," who was joined at the presentation by the original himself, Leonard Nimoy. For the record, Nimoy will be donning the ears once more as well, confirming a storyline that would include both a young Spock and his older self.

Read the complete story here (http://newsletter.startrek.com/cgi-bin4/DM/y/hBBIs0MODI80TL20FPVD0GK).

That's the latest, but make sure you keep checking back with STARTREK.COM (http://startrek.com/), your official source for all things Star Trek!

OK, JJ Abrams helming the thing? Excellent. Casting news? Cool, even though I (don't think) I've heard of the guy. But to spend an entire paragraph over the teaser poster? Especially a second teaser poster that not only doesn't tell us much but is more boring than the entire Enterprise series?


http://www.startrek.com/imageuploads/200707/stxi-poster-2/240x320.jpg


Geez,,, I'm a fan, but not when it comes to fabricated enthusiasm generated for purposes of moving merchandise.

posted by El Gato:
Geez,,, I'm a fan, but not when it comes to fabricated enthusiasm generated for purposes of moving merchandise.

What merchandise?
The movie itself, perhaps?
They're just trying to generate interest in the movie so people
will go to the theatre.

I'm really interested in the old/young Spock angle. I can really get into seeing 'TOS' (The Original Spock) telling the story of how the legendary two met and began their continuing mission....

Fascinating.

Here's the Associated Press take on it, from this morning's entertainment wire:

Leonard Nimoy to reprise his Spock role in new ’Star Trek’ film
By SANDY COHEN
AP Entertainment Writer
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Leonard Nimoy isn’t through with Spock yet.
The 76-year-old actor will don his famous pointy ears again to play the role in an upcoming “Star Trek” film due out Christmas 2008.
“This is really going to be a great movie. And I don’t say things like that lightly,” Nimoy told a gathering of 6,500 fans Thursday at Comic-Con, the nation’s largest pop-culture convention.
He greeted the crowd with a Vulcan salute.
Nimoy was joined by the newly named young Spock, “Heroes” star Zachary Quinto, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Nimoy.
Both Spocks were introduced by the film’s director and co-producer, J.J. Abrams.
“This is a series I loved as a kid,” Abrams said, acknowledging that he was “more of a ’Star Wars’ kid than a ’Star Trek’ kid.”
“This matters so much to so many people,” he said. “I’m honored to be here and do this.”
While the character of Captain Kirk has yet to be cast, Abrams said that William Shatner, who played the role in the original TV series, would likely also have a part in the film.
“It has to be worthy, of him and of you,” Abrams told fans, adding that production is slated to begin in November.
One fan asked Nimoy what he thought of his “replacement.”
“It was logical,” the actor said dryly. He then closed with Spock’s classic line: “Live long and prosper.”

What merchandise?
The movie itself, perhaps?

No, not the movie. I have no problems with the person they headed to co-write and direct the movie. My first preference would be for them to put ST on the shelf for ten years and give it a rest. But if they have to milk that cow once again, at least they're going first class. And I don't mind "consuming" the movie. I mean they try to move everything: every licensed, officially sanctioned Paramount®©tm "collectible." Sometimes less is more, you know?

They're just trying to generate interest in the movie so people will go to the theatre.

I can understand that. But their fake "enthusiasm" is inversely proportional to the quality of what they're revealing. Seriously, would you be that enthusiastic over a boring poster? They comb over all over their little detail like its the Venus De Milo: Look it's the FONT! And it has STARS in the background! And it's SQUARE!! Ooooh!

If they want to generate interest, do it in style. Do it in a way that it piques people's interest (see Warner Brothers and Dark Knight).

Seriously, would you be that enthusiastic over a boring poster?I don't know; the poster tends to add to the anticipation that the title of the film will be simply Star Trek.
And it's SQUARE!!The poster itself isn't square. The square one you see is a variation on the actual design, which is rectangular, but rotated to landscape instead of portrait. I actually find it refreshingly different from most poster designs in that it isn't dark (not that I dislike dark posters, but I appreciate variety). They don't have much else to put into a poster for a movie that still hasn't begun shooting -- and they're obviously milking anticipation of how certain things (such as a certain starship of which you might be aware) will look.

It isn't much different from some Bond teasers in overall concept or in the amount of information it reveals.

Qapla'

SSB

The poster is symbolic of the design aesthetic of the film - white (no aztek design) - against stars. Original series lettering. Simple, straighforward. Star Trek. No sequel number.
The poster says a whole lot more than the title and opening date.
AT

A picture is worth a thousand blurbs!

I squealed.

Well, obviously my opinion's in the minority. Still, the Paramount marketing department underwhelms me:

http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com/kits/images/Miscellaneous/originalstartrek1.JPG

I would've preferred a Dark Knight-like campaign or somethin akin to the run up to AI. To each their own I guess.

As a teaser poster, it's not very good. It doesn't suggest or hint, it just states. And what it states isn't new. It looks as if it was hastily assembled. "Hey kid, put something together will ya? Here, use this stuff."

If we get excited about any Star Trek movie, sure, it does the job. But if we could only be excited about a good Star trek movie, then it fails. In my opinion.

It should suggest the idea of Kirk and Spock, maybe with two silhouettes (blue shirt & taller, gold shirt and shorter) in classic Trek costume. Maybe not complete silhouettes, but with faces darkened, using split lighting so Spock's ears and Kirk's hairstyle can be seen. And some kind of tagline like "the slash begins" ... I don't know. ;) But then again, maybe there's no script, so there's nothing on which to hang a teaser?

Now as a TMP teaser back in '79, this would have worked, because we wanted to see a classic Trek look back then not the disco look. Or maybe that was just me.

...it just states. And what it states isn't new.

Bingo, exactly the point. What it states is exactly the opposite of new. It's not the new stuff that's alienated so many. it's the original flavor.


I like it. For a simple teaser, it fires exactly the right synapses of recognition.

Ah, but my point is: it's so "not-new", it looks like the teaser for a release of the old shows on DVD.

It's a new movie. So include something new, other than a new date, I say. Like a new story. Same costumes, same ship, same non-bumpy Klingons, same action-adventure format. Sure, keep the old font, but show us what are we going to see that we haven't seen before. If that is "nothing", then why go see the movie? If it's the pre-classic Kirk/Spock (great!), why use the classic font? Show us something that hints at the pre-classic K/S storyline. Not something that only says "classic".

The reason why I thought it would have worked for TMP is because back then, the idea of a Star Trek movie was special. Nowadays, sadly, it isn't. If I didn't know about the young Kirk/Spock discussion, and I saw that poster, I'd say "great, another Star Trek movie, and they have no script yet".

The teaser says nothing interesting about the story. If someone were to say "but the font suggests a return to classic Trek", I'd say, "what, like those cheesy Internet movies?"

Sorry, this poster doesn't pique my interest. Given the low-quality stuff that's come out of the franchise, they'll have to show that they can do better.

With respect, I have to disagree. Everyone here wants a look at what they're going to do, sure. But that's going to eb the task of the more official posters later on. And it is strictly at ods with what this teaser is intended to do.

This one isn't meant for us geeks. It's meant for the general audience who has become leary of all things neo-Trek, anything not the original. That's what this teaser says, in an elegant, no-nonsense way: "Back to 'the real thing'." If the teaser carried any hint that this is going to be anything else - i.e., "The Early Years" - then you muddle the impact, ruin the message, miss the goal of the campaign (make people forget the last TNG movies, Enterprise, and Voyager).

Remember the teaser poster for Burton's Batman, the bat emblem? Got us excited, but didn't tell us anything new. Well, that's what this is. Granted, the bat shield poster was beatifully painted, understated and graceful in a way this Trek teaser isn't...but IMO the font does the job even better than a poster showing the triangle badge would have, seeing how that emblem was carried throughout modern trek.

We'll get a proper poster soon enough. (Alas that Bob Peak is no longer with us...)

This one isn't meant for us geeks.

Actually, that's exactly who it's meant for.

This image was generated by Paramount's in-house publicity department in order to generate buzz amongst the fans. The "real" ad campaign won't kick off until this Christmas when the first teaser trailer hits theaters.

The movie doesn't open for another year and a half. Rest assured there will be plenty more advertising when the time comes. This is just the tiniest tip of the marketing iceberg.

I like mine.

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h91/Freddo6/startrekclassic.jpg

It's red. It's square. It's simple. I'm squealin' my geeky head off! YARHOOOEEEE!

Well, I'll have to agree with El Gato. While going bonkers waiting for any new news about the upcoming film, this poster is not imo, all that exciting.
Nimoys casting has me at the same time excited, and concerned...

j

speaking as a student of advertising, and from a personal p.o.v. the poster sucks. the previous poster, showing the embroidered arrowhead and the 2 uniform colors was much better and said so much more.

its funny a friend of mine spoke about the teaser poster for burtons batman just the other day. it was exactly because it was beautifully painted that it caught him. it said to him "youre going to see batman in a whole new way". unfortunately paramount has cried wolf too many times for us to believe were going to see anything new in trek.

"Inverted?" The change from portrait to landscape in orientation doesn't really fit the definition very well. I was looking for an upside down arrowhead emblem.

speaking as a student of advertising, and from a personal p.o.v. the poster sucks.Speaking as a graphic artist, and from my personal point of view, it's pretty cool. Not the greatest thing I've ever seen, but pretty cool. Which just goes to show that an art degree (or experience creating commercial art) doesn't mean your ("you" in the generic sense) opinion is better or more authoritative than anyone else's. It usually just means you have a better idea of why you do or do not like something.

Qapla'

SSB

The words 'Star Trek' IS their marketing campaign. It worked on TV for 20 years of crapola.
Coming this fall. Star Trek:Crapola. Much Geeky Cooler than just Crapola.

I like mine.

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h91/Freddo6/startrekclassic.jpg
So that design was created to replace The New Trek? :cool:

Well, it was created because I'm a misfit and an un-rehabilitated smart-***!

Speaking as a graphic artist, and from my personal point of view, it's pretty cool. Not the greatest thing I've ever seen, but pretty cool. Which just goes to show that an art degree (or experience creating commercial art) doesn't mean your ("you" in the generic sense) opinion is better or more authoritative than anyone else's. It usually just means you have a better idea of why you do or do not like something.

Qapla'

SSB

very true. you know what they say about opinions....
from a graphic arts/commercial art p.o.v., its fine. it's very interesting and appealing. from an advertising standpoint, it doesnt work for me, either personally or when i try to put myself into the shoes of someone who isnt a trek-geek.