Samurai

I saw J.J Abrams' efforts at Star Trek- he made Star Trek V look like Citizen Kane, so it truly can't be any worse than those.

My main hope is that this series will knock the "alternate reality" nonsense on the head one way or another- either by being wildly successful and convincing someone to consolidate the rights to Trek, or being an apocalyptic failure causing them to give up and consolidate that way. If it can make me laugh or think along the way then I'll consider it a bonus, as it's been a long while since Trek managed either of those.

Eric, thanks for sharing these. I'm going to re-download Blender and have a go at following along.

I've been playing off and on with Blender for a little while now, and struggle hugely with the interface- it doesn't seem to have any logical purpose (to my eye/mind). I've been out of the loop 3D-wise for some time, and although I'd like to pick it up again, I'm yet to find tutorials that are at the "not quite beginner, not advanced" level I need currently, that also incorporate a familiar subject matter that holds my interest. Hoping yours do the trick!

Will share any feedback with you directly.

I see the Presidio Yacht Club has had quite an upgrade- someone took full advantage of building permits in the headlands. It's now such a hip and happening place they've even got Karl Stromberg paying a visit with Atlantis!

Congrats on the credit and participation Eric. From what I've seen so far I feel they could have made better use of your skills, but I appreciate the Easter eggs all the same.

@scifieric: Regarding those last two renders and their popularity- it might be worth casting your mind back to any changes to render/post settings you had for them? Looks to me like there's a bit more contrast in them (as well as some changes in color temperature). I'm not sure about the color temperature having a big impact outside of personal preferences, but the contrast may be highlighting some of the material details (like the weathering on the dish, for example) and making it more apparent to a wider group of people.

Just a thought, in case you're trying to replicate based on positive reaction!

prisoner881 wrote: »

And Tom Cruise running...running very fast...running everywhere...and still running...

He's short, how else does he keep up with the rest of the cast?!

Good looking model! I remember watching that movie with my dad haha- got the nostalgia going now.

So I decided to go look at these "disastrous viewing numbers", and figure out whether this was actually franchise doom...

Lower Decks first episode AMA (Average Minute Audience) was approx 527,000- which puts it at #25 of the top 30 programs broadcast on CTV. Only 8 shows registered over 1m AMA. For context, CTV Evening News airs five nights a week in the prime slot (18:00-19:00) and accrued just over double the AMA of Lower Decks.

For our international readers... CTV is Canada's most watched network, and CTV News holds a 40% viewership advantage over other outlets. To reiterate: totally new cast and program, a single episode's worth of metrics, in the top 25 programs on Canada's most popular channel.

And yet... articles like this abound:

"Star Treks: Lower Decks continues to struggle to find a fanbase, as a new rumor suggests that Canadian viewership numbers are devastatingly low."

How can a show "continue to struggle" after one episode? That kind of sloppy "journalism" is a sign that the decision to condemn was taken regardless of the data, and should be your first warning that you're being led to a conclusion.

This franchise has a multitude of problems that need to be addressed - it has done for some time - but Lower Decks doesn't actually seem to be one of them.

Looking fantastic Eric- almost like you could pick it off the screen. While the modeling is top notch, the work you're putting in to materials, lighting and rendering really combines to "sell" the project.

I got caught up this past week, and there's a lot to like about it as the characters continue to develop and open up new story possibilities. I especially appreciate it's willingness to not take itself too seriously (Holodeck cleanup, anyone?)

Is it gonna win Emmy's and TV Choice awards? Probably not, let's be honest. Is there room for it among the unrelentingly joyless hellscape that is post-DS9 Star Trek? Absolutely- it's been far too long since Star Trek made me smile.