The panel representing Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Remastering Project were interviewed after their Comic-Con appearance earlier this week by Daniel Koelsch who posted the full 26 minute interview at Vimeo:

• On discussing how the show holds up in HD, the panel mentioned how the sets and makeup have – so far – held up very well, but they joked about how some of the show’s infamous stunt doubles are are now more visible.
• When asked about the different filming techniques used in future seasons of TNG, Mike Okuda noted “The use of film stock changed a little bit, so it was finer grain. But also, the visual effects got substantially more complex.” He mentioned that the team are planning ahead and trying, wherever possible, to get more and more efficient in their techniques.
• As already mentioned, DS9 and Voyager would – like TNG – have to be reassembled from the original elements.
• The team referenced a piece of footage of Q’s head floating in cigar smoke which they had apparently been searching for [This would apparently indicate that the remastering process has apparently hit the middle of the third season, with the scene in question occurring in the episode ‘Déjà Q‘.] Apparently Sarah Paul found some notes which they hope will lead them to the correct box where this footage is stored. Sometimes effects shots have been pulled from one episode to another or even one season to another, making it even harder to assemble the correct required footage.
• The team mentioned how it’s a learning curve interpreting the original editorial team’s notes from the 1980s-1990s – it’s like a language they have to learn, but the original team were so thorough, so well organised, making the process much easier.
• Regarding DS9 on Blu-Ray: Director of Multimedia at CBS Television Distribution Ryan Adams said that CBS are putting this decision in the fans’ hands. However, Adams assures fans DS9 HD “is officially on our radar now.” He made it clear that CBS want to engage with the fans who are part of the process. “If this is what you want, make it vocal – especially now with social media, Facebook, Twitter, Blogging – you guys let us know what you want next. We want to please the fans and give them what they want.”

The last comments from Ryan Adams are particularly exciting. This is the clearest news yet that CBS is actively thinking about the viability of a similar HD remastering project for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. So if you’d love to see DS9 make the jump to Blu-Ray (as I’m sure everybody would!) then be sure to make your desire vocal – because CBS is listening!

In other news, our friends at Ex Astris Scientia have confirmed that the Season 1 episode ‘The Neutral Zone‘ has some updated graphics in the scene where we are presented with Clare Raymond’s family tree. In partnership with Ex Astris Scientia we will of course be presenting full coverage of all the changes from TNG SD to HD complete with new Blu-Ray screencaps.

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