Posted in : Star Trek , TV| Tagged : leonard nimoy , star trek , william shatner
Star Trek 764874 – Unification short managing director Carlos Baena spoke with Bleeding Cool about the stirring behind the OTOY Kirk - Spock short .
Article Summary
The Star Trek universe has reach fans so much in its near-60 - year world since its premiere in 1966 , and as fans , there ’s always so much more to tell , but the unfortunate reality is there is n’t enough time , so we do the best we can with what we ’re allotted . This was the case when it came to a proper adieu forThe Original Seriescharacters James T. Kirk and Spock , played byWilliam ShatnerandLeonard Nimoy . We got Paramount ’s send - off in 1991’sStar Trek VI : The Undiscovered Countryas theTOS’screw ’s last dangerous undertaking , but it never felt like a true goodbye as the studio recruited Shatner and Nimoy for separate motion picture to aid bear the dealership cinematically with Shatner ’s terminal live - legal action field day as Kirk 1994’sGenerationsand Nimoy becoming the torchbearer to pass toJ. J. Abram’sKelvin universe crew of youngerTOScounterparts .
hearsay surfaced about a true last moment written by Abrams that would have hear Shatner ’s Kirk wish Nimoy ’s Spock a Happy Birthday in a cameo conniption , but that would never materialize as he want something far more meaningful . There have been several teases on how a Shatner retort could happen , but nothing concrete ever come up as Nimoy ’s buy the farm in 2015 , combined with their fall out , seemed to be the terminal nail in that coffin . Even as Shatner remained content in his dealership retreat , hisTOSco - starsGeorge Takei(Sulu ) andWalter Koenig(Chekov ) made appearances in some of the fresh Paramount+ canon . DirectorCarlos Baenaspoke to Bleeding Cool about opening that door one last time in the Star Trek short765874 – Unificationto see what could have been as actorsSam WitwerandLawrence Selleckbecame the digital embodiment with Nimoy ’s estate and Shatner ’s blessing to provide that closedown much of the fanbase thanks to OTOY and the Roddenberry Archive .
Star Trek Unification Director Carlos Baena on Short’s Inspiration, Community Response, and Casting
Bleeding Cool : What was the " generation " behind Star Trek : Unification ? How did you get involved with OTOY and the Roddenberry Archive for this ?
I started collaborating with OTOY in early 2022 , ab initio directing actors . Soon after , Jules Urbach , OTOY ’s CEO , wanted to research short - format content . My first project was directing and editing the initial 30 - second ' 765874 ' vexer in 2022 , followed by co - point ' 765874 : Memory Wall ' with Jules later that class . In 2023 and 2024 , I directed ' 765874 : Regeneration ' and ' 765874 : uniting . '
The estimation for Unification start taking figure month after we finish Regeneration in the summertime of 2023 . Jules told me he was inspired by an audience with William Shatner for The Roddenberry Archive , which planted the seminal fluid for a reunion between two Star Trek icons who never received a proper farewell . Since there was no handwriting or treatment I was render , my conversations with Jules became the foundation for the film for me to start with . Story development begin with a bullet - point papers and a mode board I make after a conversation I had with Jules in other February last year in Huntington Gardens .
It was decipherable to me this reunion had to serve as the emotional core of the short . To regulate it , I expand on the previously mentioned bullet point and mood plug-in documents , work closely with storyboard artist Ahmed Nasri and Previs artist Jonathan Roybal , who contributed enceinte idea along the way . Over a brace of month , I edit multiple write up versions , rectify the tone and emotional depth long before production begin .
What have the responses been from within the Star Trek community and beyond ?
Watching masses link up emotionally with the film , using it as a way to think over on their own lives and loved ones , has been an unbelievable experience . As someone who did n’t develop up with Star Trek , discover from longtime fans that the movie bestow back a sense of nostalgia they had longed for was truly meaningful . There were many ways this project could have blend in incorrect , so every decision — from the textile and case to the execution , tone , and visual sense — was approached with the utmost obedience .
We ’ve seen the advances of CG in creating lifelike refreshment , and the similarities are uncanny . What made Sam Witwer and Lawrence Selleck perfect stand - in as Kirk and Spock ?
I believe it was a combining of factors . First , their forcible feature — especially their head and front configuration — make for a persona in making the face replacing blend seamlessly with the characters . But that alone would n’t have been enough . What truly set both player asunder was their thick understanding of Kirk and Spock . They studied their personality , behaviors , torso language , and pose with nifty tending to detail . On top of that , they recognized that significant age gaps lend change , growth , and maturity , and they comprise that into their public presentation . in the end , they carried much of the film ’s weight , and its winner owe a great deal to their work .
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