Only CGI. I heard from the start that models would be used in some shots.

http://trekmovie.com/2009/06/09/new-details-on-star-trek-vfx-ship-sizes-revealed/

Not a surprise, I guess, these days.

THAT is sooooooo cool! I wish I could do CGI...

Larry

You know there is some parallels here.In real life model building is wasn't it used to be.And now even the filmakers don't want to go thru the effort of building miniatures anymore.All done by computers.I still think some studio miniatures that were built for the Star Trek and Star Wars film look great though.

I think the title of this thread should have been no models were harmed during the making of Star Trek.

:lol:....

No surprise. CG means no green screen stage time, mounting positions, electrical wiring, limited camera angles, etc. I like CG stuff. I also like physical miniatures, but it's a matter of what works best for the filmmakers. Miniatures still have their places in movies especially where there are explosions, fire or water or a structure that would photograph realistically in real sunlight, but in the case of spacecraft in their environment, it typically makes more sense to do it CG.

IMHO, the best I've seen have been when there have been physical ship models and CG background--space, planets, explosions, etc.

There's still a bit of the "Valley of the Uncanny" (well, the model version of it) when it comes to CG for me.

psst: ix-nay on the rek-tay until the 18th une-jay.

I believe it's spelled "Ek-tray."




;)

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If models had been used, would anyone have noticed? I never thought about this. Was BSG CGI or models? huh. Good one. I guess I don't know how to tell the difference anymore. All looks good to me!

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You are probably right about the all CGI ships I just wonder if any proof of concept physical models were made. I remember seeing a "making of" Revenge of the Sith and Lucas was looking at some character models and telling the effects guys which ones he liked and did not. The CG folks went to work and they had the physical models to reference as far as color-lighting and what not. Sad that we have seen the end of an era of model building and have been for years.

I was surprised when I read that minatures were used in part of the Joker/Tumbler underground chase sequence in "The Dark Knight". Nothing tipped me off.

No one appreciates miniature FX work more than I, but the CGI work in Trek XI was fantastic. In fact, in some of those shots I thought I was looking at a miniature, and I was surprised to hear none had been built for the film.

I still have issues with the design, but the Enterprise in Trek XI is perhaps the most believable CG vehicle I've ever seen.

The great thing is that model companies, like Round 2, can use the specs of the CGI model, and make almost perfect models. Art asylum did it with the NX-01 Enterprise and made a 12 in. starship, with lights and sounds!

I just got the latest issue of Cinefex in the mail and it has an article on Trek's effects. They also have an article on the new movie Moon, which does use a mixture of miniatures and CGI. Apparently, the economics of Hollywood is such that soon models will only be used by low budget productions.

Models are still used quite a bit in film FX work. It depends entirely on what's needed for a shot or shots. One of the best examples I can think of is Titanic, where a miniature was used and populated and brought to life with digital passengers.