Allow me to Introduce myself

[SebastianProoth]

Hello TrekSF Forum Members!

I just became a member of the forum today after Rico invited me. If you're a listener of the TrekSF show you will hear an interview with me in show #112. It was great to have a chance to come on the show and talk to Rico and I hope to have an opportunity to return in the future.

Other than introducing myself here I would like to extend the opportunity for anyone to ask any questions they would have liked included in the interview or any Star Trek related stuff period.

I look forward to contributing to the community here!

-Sebastian.

[Rico]

Welcome Sebastian.  Glad you decided to join us.  Great group here.  Since you are a writer, I suggest you check out the RPG section and the Season One thread there.  The forum members have been doing a TREK RPG scenario the last few months.  Some great story telling going on there.  Take a look when you get chance.

[moyer777]

Hey Sebastian!  Welcome!  I can't wait to listen to your interview!

Hope you enjoy the community here!   :andorian

Rick M

[SebastianProoth]

Thanks Rico, I will check it out.

Rick: Thanks! I hope you enjoy it...  -Sebastian.

[Geekyfanboy]

Welcome to the group.. I just downloaded 112 and plan on listening to it today. Hope you enjoy the forums.

[comix]

Welcome! I enjoyed the interview.

[Poodyglitz]

Hey there, Sebastian. I'm pretty new here myself (within the past week). Listened to your interview in its entirety today. You have an interesting perspective. I too have enjoyed learning about SFX production in TV and movies. I used to read Cinefex and actually remember reading the article about "ST IV: The Voyage Home". I started listening to your commentary of "First Contact", but got distracted (I was at work). Will try again soon.

All the best with your book project. Can't wait do read it. You seem like a real go-getter. You've built relationships with "Trek" alum that most of us can only dream of. The closest I've gotten to "Star Trek" was trying to climb up into the window of the shuttlecraft that sat out back of The Foundation For The Junior Blind in Los Angeles (why they stashed it there, I'll never know). Will you be doing an audio version of the book?

Anyway, this seems like a nice community. Enjoy. See you around.

[SebastianProoth]

ST Fanatic, Comix, Poodyglitz,

It was great to talk to you on AIM yesterday STFanatic, I hope you enjoy the interview. Comix, thanks, glad you enjoyed it :)

PG: Glad you enjoyed the interview. I have never read any magazines about production. Most of my knowledge comes from books, "how to" and the making of videos and most of all watching films in detail and disecting the scene. If there is special material on a DVD, if its not BS like seemed to come on the Casino Royale disk, I watch it more times than the film usually.

For example I was watching my newest obession last night, CSI Miami, and in one of the scenes it was quite obvious that no one had checked the gate on the camere. There was a hair on the lower right hand corner of the shot. It was only present for the 1 shot of the two in the conversation. Don't ask me how I saw it, maybe my eyes were on overdrive because I try to notice the stuff as the characters do! (Love criminal investigations which is why the book I am working on is all about them :))

Regarding the Piller book: It is a massive project and we are going to be putting images into the book and cleaning it up quite a bit. It will be released as a PDF document at some point in the future. Non-Profit. For the good of the fans. I had never thought of doing an audio version of the book but I would certainly not rule it out. I don't know if I have a good enough voice for a whole book and we can't pay anyone to record it.

I'd love to hear more about the shuttle at the "junior blind foundation"...sounds like one of those little tidbits to know!

-Sebastian.

[Poodyglitz]

PG: Glad you enjoyed the interview. I have never read any magazines about production. Most of my knowledge comes from books, "how to" and the making of videos and most of all watching films in detail and disecting the scene. If there is special material on a DVD, if its not BS like seemed to come on the Casino Royale disk, I watch it more times than the film usually.

Now, in the DVD era, one can get that information in the bonus materials. With the advent of Borders/Barnes & Noble, there's more access to books of that nature. It's most likely the Star Trek folks who've helped to foster that part of the publishing industry.

The magazines I read actually helped me to get into the special effects mindset. When Photoshop was first released, it was very bare-bones. Because it was created by John Knoll (ILM), I was able to understand alpha channels. Now I'm working in After Effects, which is pretty much Photoshop with a timeline. You're fortunate to be growing up in the Information Age and have easier access to cool information.

For example I was watching my newest obsession last night, CSI Miami, and in one of the scenes it was quite obvious that no one had checked the gate on the camere. There was a hair on the lower right hand corner of the shot. It was only present for the 1 shot of the two in the conversation. Don't ask me how I saw it, maybe my eyes were on overdrive because I try to notice the stuff as the characters do! (Love criminal investigations which is why the book I am working on is all about them :))

It's a blessing and a curse when you've trained your mind/eye. You find yourself critiquing things obsessively and unintentionally. I remember sitting in the theater watching "Midnight Express" and seeing a boom mike hovering at the top of the screen during an emotionally intense scene. The person I was with never noticed it.

Regarding the Piller book: It is a massive project and we are going to be putting images into the book and cleaning it up quite a bit. It will be released as a PDF document at some point in the future. Non-Profit. For the good of the fans. I had never thought of doing an audio version of the book but I would certainly not rule it out. I don't know if I have a good enough voice for a whole book and we can't pay anyone to record it.

At this point, it's probably enough just dealing with that. Who knows, perhaps you'll be able to get someone famous who was a friend of Piller who'll consent to do it for free. If you need any design or Photoshop work done, let me know. As long as there are no crazy aggressive deadlines, I could do it gratis. I've always wanted to have some connection to Star Trek. I used to fantasize about being in an episode of the show. What program will you lay out the book in? Quark? InDesign?

I'd love to hear more about the shuttle at the "junior blind foundation"...sounds like one of those little tidbits to know!

Not much to tell. As a kid, I lived in Windsor Hills (in Los Angeles County). My parents would drive by TFFTJB and I'd see this gray shuttlecraft poking over the back fence. I'd always wondered what it was doing there, as blind people wouldn't have much appreciation for it. There was/is a school down the street from the Foundation that I went to for summer school once, so I'd gotten used to being in that part of the neighborhood. One day, a friend and I climbed the fence (or slid through a hole in the fence; I don't remember which at this point) and tried to get into the shuttlecraft to get an artifact or two. The side doors were jammed shut, so we couldn't get in that way. I didn't want to damage the thing, so we didn't try and break the door down. I remember being hoisted up to the front window and trying to look in. It was very dark. I recall only seeing a chair toppled on its side. My brother and I left L.A. in 1973, which began my trek East. I know that the shuttlecraft was at least there until that time.

My biggest regret was not taking a picture of it. I guess living in L.A. it was easy to take stuff like that and meeting celebrities for granted. I often wonder what Paramount's reason was for placing the shuttlecraft in a Black neighborhood (don't worry, I'm Black; I can say stuff like that). I was surprised and slightly perturbed to find a photo of the Galileo just sitting in a junkyard, rotting. At this point, I'm sure that many enthusiasts have built replicas that are superior in quality.

[comix]

That is such a cool story! Man I would have loved to have found that when I was a kid. My brother and I were big fans of SPACE CADETS and we built our own little cockpit - LOL what a couple of geeks we were. Welcome Poodyglitz.

[Poodyglitz]

That is such a cool story! Man I would have loved to have found that when I was a kid. My brother and I were big fans of SPACE CADETS and we built our own little cockpit - LOL what a couple of geeks we were.

Funny, I don't consider it that big a deal. Probably because I didn't get to be inside or walk away with anything. Most of my thoughts connected with that seem to center around regret. Wish I'd had enough money to buy it, that kind of thing. It's cool hearing another perspective on it. Thanks.

Wow, you guys were really "enterprising". I have much respect for folks who build sci-fi stuff. Yeah, I've slowly come to terms with my inner geek. Watch, I'll probably end up specifying in my will that I be buried in a regulation Federation casket.

Welcome Poodyglitz.

Thanks!

[Fanboy]

Welcome to the fun dude!

[metron07]

Very much enjoyed your interview with Rico. Amazed your so young and into this, though it was a tipoff when you said you where more into TNG than the Org Series.

[SebastianProoth]

Rob,

Thanks! You are right about me being younger, but if there is something I have learned in the few years I have been on this Earth it is that age doesn't matter if the person is determined and has the right encouragment. I did start my interest with TNG, but I liked all of the shows from there. I really enjoyed Enterprise and I know alot of fans didn't. I loved how they were just totally unprepared for anything. :) -Sebastian.

[metron07]

Sebastian,

You saw on my intro how far back I go. It's funny though I saw many of the Enterprise shows, none really knocked me out. Effects wise the show was great and their scripts that describe the beginnings of the ST universe where clever. The last show was done very well though. I have been getting ready for when Rico does the Podcast on the Outer Limits series. Hope you know if this show and it's close connection to the original Star Trek. I sent an audio comment to Rico that it would be a kick if he uses it. As you can see I go way back. Though it is quite dated, check out the 1963-65 seasons of this show. The writing is very good for TV of that time and Roddenberry was on set! There are CD sets you can get for a song these days. A lot of classic TV actors worked on the show much as they did with the Twilight Zone only the Outer Limits was very much Sci Fi with some of the greats writing for it or inspiring the scripts. I could email you a zip file with a lot of information if you wish. Let me know. Rob.