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3DStarlost Reboot

StarriggerStarrigger475 Posts: 698Member
edited June 2022 in Work in Progress #1
Wow so much good stuff on the site! Hopefully this will be a good addition. There was a "great idea" "poor execution" TV show in the 70s called Starlost that had great potential but was fumbled along the way. I loved the ship though, it was awesome!

tumblr_mebt7iY0iv1qj6xplo1_1280.jpg

By the way, here is an idea of how massive this model was, as it was used as a set piece in one of the episodes:

whaxure7fn33.png

Many years later I built a version of the TV show model in Sketchup and put it out on the Sketchup warehouse (it's still there if you would like a copy - needs cleaning up though) it was one of the first things I did in Sketchup and the mesh shows it.

utjvfrrptfeq.jpg
109827.jpg

Well, many years later the stuff I see here, and a guy on Deviant Art that used the old model in some of his work, has moved me to rework the model. I put together this yesterday:

p1ne6l3v6gfa.jpg
83tvefvryrla.jpg

Anyway, more to come...
Post edited by Starrigger on
Come on over to my place CGI Worlds
Brandenberg
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Posts

  • BlueNeumannBlueNeumann615 Posts: 1,275Member
    Interesting design, I might have to play with it as well... were the domes all individual nature habitats, like Silent Running?
  • rojrenrojren2298 Louisville, Kentucky USAPosts: 1,970Member
    Another Harlan Ellison project that was mismanaged and he ended up disowning. I saw one episode when I was a kid. I thought the ship was great. I can't place the tanks. Are they under the domes?
  • komarokomaro348 CanadaPosts: 752Member
    Nice. Never seen Starlost, I was way too young. I got to watch more Cosmos 1999, and Lost in Space actually. The concept was maybe too much for the time. Now, I think that would be a great series to reboot. In terms of special effects at least...more easier to do.
  • StarriggerStarrigger475 Posts: 698Member
    Interesting design, I might have to play with it as well... were the domes all individual nature habitats, like Silent Running?

    Correct, only on a much larger scale. Each dome housed a different community or culture. However during the journey there was an accident, over the centuries that followed these communities lost track of the fact they were on a spaceship. Now the ship is on a collision course with a star and only one man knows of the problem and must find a solution while traveling to all these other domes looking for help. (more or less.. ) some episodes are on YouTube. First Ep

    Interesting that you mention Silent Running, as Douglas Trumbull worked on both projects, and the pitch reel for the series uses Silent running footage.
    Come on over to my place CGI Worlds
  • StarriggerStarrigger475 Posts: 698Member
    rojren wrote: »
    Another Harlan Ellison project that was mismanaged and he ended up disowning. I saw one episode when I was a kid. I thought the ship was great. I can't place the tanks. Are they under the domes?

    I'm actually reworking the structure of the ship, substituting rotating "tanks" for the domes.
    Come on over to my place CGI Worlds
  • BlueNeumannBlueNeumann615 Posts: 1,275Member
    I think an issue on the original is that it feels like there's nothing beneath the domes, and that their connection to the trunk of the ship seems too fragile. So I like your solution of making them drums. And I like the 3x3 grid design, it seems plausible for something we'd see in space. Are you still going to have a connective superstructure? If you are, might I suggest cabling to connect the drums in the crosshatched style of taiko drums?
    Okedo.jpg

    And are you going to give the surfaces little flourishes to distinguish them from one another? So if I were outside, I could tell which dome is the tundra dome, which is the desert dome, which is the ocean dome, etc? Maybe each has their own little design, much like how Japanese cities all have their own customized flag design.
    tokyo_city_flags.gif
  • StarriggerStarrigger475 Posts: 698Member
    Not sure if I understand to Drum connection idea, but I love the idea of the globes being marked I'll incorporate that into the design! Thanks Blue
    Come on over to my place CGI Worlds
  • psCargilepsCargile417 Posts: 620Member
    I think an issue on the original is that it feels like there's nothing beneath the domes, and that their connection to the trunk of the ship seems too fragile.

    You might be surprised by how strong things really are, and how little of it you need.
  • StarriggerStarrigger475 Posts: 698Member
    edited June 2022 #10
    More details

    4qaceakrd3tc.jpg
    Post edited by Starrigger on
    Come on over to my place CGI Worlds
  • BlueNeumannBlueNeumann615 Posts: 1,275Member
    NICE! So it's not just 3x3, but 3x3x2? That's a whole lot more worlds!

    Oh man, I tried watching that first episode. Painful. PAINFUL.
  • JennyJenny2 Posts: 0Member
    Are those chains to keep the spins synchronized?
  • scifiericscifieric1122 Posts: 1,497Member
    I remember seeing this series when I was a kid. I also remember it wasn't very good, but I liked the concept and the ship! Very nice to see this being worked on.
  • JWWrightJWWright171 Posts: 0Member
    I have this series on VHS, as a kid I was fascinated by it, mostly because the Ark resembled the Valley Forge from SR... the concept of the show is very good, a la Harlan... the execution? Well, keep The Suits away from your production.

    I always thought the connectors were too spindly, and why are the domes all facing up, as if there is gravity in space? I would think a series of rotating cylinders, one for each habitat would be more suitable... unless each dome was supposed to land in separate locations when the destination was reached... I still love the show, but then, I'm a fan of terrible cinema... love MST3k!
  • BlueNeumannBlueNeumann615 Posts: 1,275Member
    The domes landing makes perfect sense, I never thought of that! Perhaps that means there should be little thrusters and doo-dads on them for that purpose.
  • StarriggerStarrigger475 Posts: 698Member
    edited June 2022 #16
    JWWright wrote: »
    ... unless each dome was supposed to land in separate locations when the destination was reached... I still love the show, but then, I'm a fan of terrible cinema... love MST3k!
    The domes landing makes perfect sense, I never thought of that! Perhaps that means there should be little thrusters and doo-dads on them for that purpose.

    I like the idea of a dome dropping from the sky on a newly discovered planet, but these things were supposed to be about 50 miles in diameter... ( the island of Manhattan is only about 10 miles long.) pretty scary thought!

    Anyway, here is the latest in detailing:

    xwqlukeqb65h.jpg

    Oh, and here is a animation I did sometime ago with another idea for the ARK. It looked more like RAMA, where 1/4 of each disk section would be a habitat:

    I think the SFX live up to the original shows... =)
    Post edited by Starrigger on
    Brandenberg
    Come on over to my place CGI Worlds
  • BlueNeumannBlueNeumann615 Posts: 1,275Member
    I'm just picturing the poor soul inside the main trunk riding the stationary bike that's turning the chain that's spinning the habitats.
  • StarriggerStarrigger475 Posts: 698Member
    Jenny wrote: »
    Are those chains to keep the spins synchronized?
    I'm just picturing the poor soul inside the main trunk riding the stationary bike that's turning the chain that's spinning the habitats.

    :lol: ... :confused: OK guys, it's not a chain... I guess I'm going to have to change the design...
    Come on over to my place CGI Worlds
  • BlueNeumannBlueNeumann615 Posts: 1,275Member
    I think it's because those frames are where chains would go... our minds presumed their function.
  • StarriggerStarrigger475 Posts: 698Member
    edited June 2022 #20
    New cluster render:

    cyjrh1u6okge.jpg
    Post edited by Starrigger on
    Brandenberg
    Come on over to my place CGI Worlds
  • JennyJenny2 Posts: 0Member
    How many islands will be in the archipelago?
  • rojrenrojren2298 Louisville, Kentucky USAPosts: 1,970Member
    While browsing Roku channels I spotted a channel that shows nothing but the sixteen episodes of The Starlost. Really.
  • StarriggerStarrigger475 Posts: 698Member
    edited June 2022 #23
    rojren wrote: »
    While browsing Roku channels I spotted a channel that shows nothing but the sixteen episodes of The Starlost. Really.

    What was it called? The Masochist channel? :eyeroll:
    Post edited by Starrigger on
    Come on over to my place CGI Worlds
  • bbeltbbelt0 Posts: 0Member
    The domes on the ship remind me of the ships in the movie Silent Running. It was kind of the same idea that each dome contained a different biome.
  • StarriggerStarrigger475 Posts: 698Member
    edited June 2022 #25
    - Deleted
    Post edited by Starrigger on
    ashleytinger
    Come on over to my place CGI Worlds
  • BlueNeumannBlueNeumann615 Posts: 1,275Member
    I had totally forgotten about this! What a wild blast from the past.
  • BrandenbergBrandenberg1655 CaliforniaPosts: 1,937Member
    Never saw this show for some reason. I like what you are doing with the ship.
  • srspicersrspicer390 Posts: 335Member
    Also like what you are creating.

    Found the show on UT,.....its hard to watch, really. The video/blue screen effects are tough to look at. Looks like they used rebar for the main structures of the model Good idea, acually.
  • StarriggerStarrigger475 Posts: 698Member
    edited November 2019 #29
    srspicer wrote: »
    .. Looks like they used rebar for the main structures of the model Good idea, acually.

    I believe you are correct, If you are at all interested in the back story and other stuff, You can check this out: Saved by Archive.org

    Actually, now I'm thinking not, because the rods were actually covered by tank treads to give them that look.

    ark01a.jpg
    Post edited by Starrigger on
    Come on over to my place CGI Worlds
  • srspicersrspicer390 Posts: 335Member
    edited November 2019 #30
    You could be right. I think the tank treads are there to hide the rebar spirals, no?
    I'll check out that link.

    Just checked the website, that's a lot of friggin' tank treads!!! Did you see the 'Easter egg' Space 1999 eagles on the model?
    mstcy5wje1gd.png
    Post edited by srspicer on
  • StarriggerStarrigger475 Posts: 698Member
    edited November 2019 #31
    srspicer wrote: »
    You could be right. I think the tank treads are there to hide the rebar spirals, no?
    I'll check out that link.

    Just checked the website, that's a lot of friggin' tank treads!!! Did you see the 'Easter egg' Space 1999 eagles on the model?
    mstcy5wje1gd.png

    Yep, and what looks like a ton of padlocks... Oh, and the obvious engine half :)

    Rebar - Could be, but the rods running down the length of the model are smooth and the tread wrap is pretty consistent without bumps that I assume would be there if rebar was used... Not sure...
    ark9.jpg


    Post edited by Starrigger on
    Come on over to my place CGI Worlds
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