<![CDATA[Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II

<![CDATA[Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II - English]]> https://www.stnv.de/en https://www.stnv.de/en/images/newsfeednvp2.jpg <![CDATA[Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II - English]]> https://www.stnv.de/en EN Sat, 31 Dec 2016 00:29:00 +0000 Incomedia WebSite X5 Professional imfeed <![CDATA[Novelette eBook series being released.]]> https://www.stnv.de/en/news-novels.php

Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II is an award-winning fan-film series that released 11 episodes and 5 vignettes continuing the original series into a forth season. Due to the release of the CBS Fan-Film guidelines, production of new episodes has ceased and the studios have been turned into a licensed Original Series Set Tour open to the public. www.startrektour.com

All New Voyages operations in the USA have been closed down and the existing episodes are now being looked after by Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II, International which is an independent site based in Cologne, Germany that runs an extensive YouTube channel and website in English, French, German and Spanish with subtitles for all episodes in many languages.

As it is no longer possible to make fan-films, we are now releasing a series of five novelette eBooks that are directly intertwined with the events depicted in the fan-film episodes. These eBooks were originally written in 2014 and only had a very limited release back then. Although these stories were not made by the official New Voyages team, the author Glenn E. Smith was a member of the production team that helped to make the fan-film episodes.

We have now released the first two episodes, free of charge, with the remaining three to be released in monthly intervals in five different eBook formats : Mobi (Kindle), ePub, PDF, LRF (Sony) and PDB (Palm).

Do not look for them on the Amazon Kindle platform, as they stipulate a minimum charge of $0.99 and we are only permitted to release them for free. They can be downloaded directly from our website: www.stnv.de/novels

If more can be written and released depends on CBS, as we are being very cautious about releasing any new materials that were created after the release of the Fan-Film guidelines, due to the fact that the team used to make fan-films and are now Star Trek licence holders for the tour and we need to ensure nothing is done to endanger that. Although eBooks should not actually be affected by the guidelines, we are erring on the side of caution.

This series is written by Glenn E. Smith and takes part between episodes of the fan-film series, adding new details, story-lines and background to the Star Trek universe as seen in the award-winning “Star Trek New Voyages/Phase-II” fan-film series!

Here is a brief summary of the stories released so far:

Novelette #1: “Friends and Foes” takes place several weeks after the live-action episode “Blood and Fire” and shortly before the live-action episode “Enemy: Starfleet.”

Captain Kirk is forced to work with a personal enemy from his past while confronting a much more dangerous enemy in the present, all while making first contact with a previously unknown and potentially hostile alien race.

Novelette #2: "True To His Oath" is a short story based on a concept developed by Charles Root (who played Scotty in the series) and used with permission. The events take place after the live-action episode “Enemy: Starfleet” and before the live-action episode “The Child.”

Recently promoted, Scotty meets up with an old flame and tells the story of how that promotion came to be.

Both stories can now be downloaded free at http://www.stnv.de/novels in the following popular eBook formats!

Mobi (Kindle)

ePub (Nook, Kobo, Sony reader and tablets)

PDF (Adobe Portable Document Format)

LRF (Older Sony Readers)

PDP (Older Palm Devices)

Part three will be released on January 31.

All filmed episodes and background information, behind the scenes material can be found on that website, too. The website has also just had a face-lift so that it works on anything from a smartphone to a Full-HD screen, www.stnv.de

December 31, 2016

Peter Walker

]]> Sat, 31 Dec 2016 00:29:00 GMT imrssfeed https://www.stnv.de/en/rss/82f49j00 <![CDATA[New Voyages Fan Club]]> https://www.stnv.de/en/news-fanclub.php

To mark the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, New Voyages is opening its New Voyages Fan-Club to celebrate the series and provide much more background materials for our fans.

In the fan-area, we are opening up our archives and presenting tons of downloads with behind the scenes material, Hi-Resolution and DVD downloads for all our episodes, posters, artwork and much more. The attached pictures give you a look at what is available to members.

So please join us in our new Fan Club and see New Voyages as you have never seen it before.

http://www.stnv.de/fanclub

Happy Birthday Star Trek...

]]> Thu, 08 Sep 2016 04:32:00 GMT imrssfeed https://www.stnv.de/en/rss/bv202928 <![CDATA[The Original Series Set Tour]]> https://www.stnv.de/en/news-startrektours.php

If you ever wanted to experience what it would be like to visit the set of Star Trek: The Original Series, now is your chance. Star Trek super-fan James Cawley is honoring the 50th anniversary of the iconic franchise with the opening of his meticulously designed TOS set tour. Located in historic Ticonderoga, New York, and under license by CBS Consumer Products, the set tour brings memories to life by allowing fans to boldly go and tour the sets of the legendary Starship Enterprise.

Stage 9 at Desilu -- now Paramount Pictures -- in Hollywood comes back into focus, as the sets have been re-created exactly as they were laid at Desilu during the original run of TOS. Visitors can step onto the soundstage and be transported directly back to 1966. Additionally, beginning later this month, visitors will enjoy guided tours, photo opportunities and an immersive experience into the world of the classic television series.

Cawley started creating the sets in 1997 after receiving a copy of the original set blueprints from TOS costume designer William Ware Theiss. He then spent 15 years researching, crafting and refining his set replicas alongside other dedicated fans and craftspeople, including Trek alumni and fellow fans prop fabricator Ed Miarecki and concept designer and SFX supervisor Daren R. Dochterman.

Pouring over stills and frame captures from TOS and sourcing vintage materials and antiques, Cawley ensured that even the smallest details were accurately and lovingly reproduced. This spanned from an array of props to set decorations. The result is a stunning achievement offering the most complete and accurate reproduction of the original TOS standing sets.

“To me, there is no other franchise around that is more enjoyable and more socially relevant than Star Trek,” James Cawley said in a statement. “I’m very thankful for all the support I’ve received on this project and can’t wait to begin welcoming my fellow fans this summer.”

For more information about James Cawley’s Star Trek: The Original Series re-created sets and how to tour them, go to www.StarTrekTour.com

]]> Sat, 30 Jul 2016 04:27:00 GMT imrssfeed https://www.stnv.de/en/rss/p89z763c <![CDATA[CBS Announced the release of new Star Trek Fan-Film Guidelines. ]]> https://www.stnv.de/en/news-nvfuture.php

On June 23, 2016 - CBS announced the release of new Fan-Film Guidelines that lay our under what conditions, Star-Trek fan-films can be made. The conditions laid-out in these guidelines preclude the creation of new episodes of New Voyages.

The primary guideline that preclude the continuation of New Voyages include:

The fan production must be less than 15 minutes for a single self-contained story, or no more than 2 segments, episodes or parts, not to exceed 30 minutes total, with no additional seasons, episodes, parts, sequels or remakes.

As most of our episodes are about an hour and are a series of episodes, this alone prevents us making more episodes. While we have made short vignettes in the past, New Voyages was all about creating new episodes of The Original Series in the style they were made back in the 1960s.

The fan production must be a real “fan” production, i.e., creators, actors and all other participants must be amateurs, cannot be compensated for their services, and cannot be currently or previously employed on any Star Trek series, films, production of DVDs or with any of CBS or Paramount Pictures’ licensees.

As a number of our cast and crew have at some point been associated with the Star Trek series and films, etc. (e.g. James Cawley worked in the costume department for series 1 of TNG and later had a cameo role in the first JJ Abrams Star Trek Movie), this means there would be hardly any of our team left that are permitted to make the episodes, this includes our visual effects team.

Announcement from James Cawley:

I stand firmly with CBS and I am so very Thankful to them for being so gracious to me and New Voyages over the last 15 years.

I encourage all my fellow fans to listen to the official Trek podcast found here: https://overcast.fm/+GuW5Epb-k

Please take a step back and realize that they do have a deep appreciation for the TREK fans and fan films. If they did not like the fan films, I would not have been able to make my series for so many years.

We are in the midst of a very special celebration, 50 years of Trek! Can we all please begin to lift each other up and celebrate this amazing pop culture gift given to us by Gene Roddenberry!

I am hoping to do an interview soon where I can talk in depth about my experiences and plans for the future.

At present, I plan on doing what Gene Roddenberry would want me to do, I am looking to the future with an eye of optimism and hope.

May we all continue to Go Boldly together.

Peace and Friendship to all,

James Cawley

What Does This Mean for New Voyages:

The New Voyages Production Team will not be making any new episodes.

"Torment of Destiny," "Bread and Savagery" and "Origins: the Protracted Man" are still in post-production.

Those who donated to New Voyages via Kickstarter, etc. will be permitted to see at least "Torment of Destiny" when it is completed.

If the other two episodes will be released to donors or the public has yet to be determined.

The US-based www.startreknewvoyages.com website is permenently closed and www.stnv.de is now the official website.

The New Voyages film sets and team are now working on The Original Series Set Tour.

The legacy episodes of New Voyages will continue to be available via Star Trek New Voyages, International (this website).

This website has started a New Voyages fan club for donors, where we are making available additional material, special downloads DVD images, etc. Just like the crew are preserving the sets with Star Trek Set Tour, we are dedicated to preserving the New Voyages episodes and keeping the contact with our fans.

We wish to thank all our loyal fans, it has been one hell of a ride.

]]> Thu, 23 Jun 2016 04:25:00 GMT imrssfeed https://www.stnv.de/en/rss/474yalr0 <![CDATA[The Holiest Thing has been released in January 2016.]]> https://www.stnv.de/en/4x10_the_holiest_thing.php

This episode was originally planned for release on February 14, 2014. We had it all ready on release day, only for it to be pulled at the last minute by executive producer James Cawley. He was unhappy with the technical quality of the episode and wanted to have that fixed. What we originally thought would be a minor delay, turned out to be almost two years. The editing had originally been made with a poor video transfer and fixing it would have been harder than starting again. It was then decided to do some more work on the story with new and replacement scenes being filmed which also made for a much improved story. What would have been an average TOS story has now been transformed into one of our best adventures so far - a story we are all very proud of.

Image quality has been vastly improved and the sound is now available in three different versions:

Stereo - for use on loudspeakers. Ideal for watching on your TV or computer over speakers

Spatial Stereo - 8.1 Spatial Surround Sound for use when listening to the episode over normal stereo headphones. This really gives you the feeling of being there - a fascinating audio experience. Does not work well or loudspeakers and noise reducing headphones.

5.1 Surround sound - If you are watching this with a 5.1 Surround sound system, this is the ideal way to hear it.

The episode starts with new scenes showing our elder Scotty (Carl Sheldon) as we know him from the TNG episode "Relics" piloting the shuttle loaned to him by John-Luc Picard. He starts to tell a young cadet what happened when they visited the planet "Lappa III."

This is Captain James T. Kirk’s (Brian Gross) first encounter with the charismatic scientist Doctor Carol Marcus (Jacy King), who is specializes in terraforming. Carol is the woman who one day will mother Kirk`s son David and also break his heart. Doctor Marcus is leading a terraforming project on Planet Lappa III that goes horribly wrong and devastates the planet. Was it her fault? Or is a mysterious black market operation behind the catastrophy? Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise, investigate.

http://www.stnv.de/tht

]]> Sun, 17 Jan 2016 16:01:00 GMT imrssfeed https://www.stnv.de/en/rss/2drzi70a <![CDATA[New Voyages Forum is back online]]> https://www.stnv.de/en/index.php Good news, the Star Trek New Voyages forum is now online!

The previous "New Voyages Forum" was the home for all discussions about Star Trek New Voyages for a long time. Unfortunately, due to technical problems and server outages, the old forum became more and more difficult to use and it was closed down. Discussions then moved to Facebook and Google+ instead.

A lot of fans have reported that they were missing the forum and many dislike using Facebook for a variety of reasons. With the new updated website, it is time to bring the forum back for all and it has been setup with the popular and stable vBulletin system and installed on the startreknewvoyages.de website which has been proven to be stable and reliable.

You will find it here: http://forums.stnv.de/ or just click on the Forum menu above.

If you are on Facebook, it is very easy to join as you just eed to click on Register and then on the “Connect to Facebook” button. After a few minor questions, you are in.

You can post videos, files, etc. to the new forum easily and new functionality will be added as needed.

The old posts have not been restored, so we are starting with a fresh new forum.

See you all online...

]]> Sat, 31 Oct 2015 23:22:00 GMT imrssfeed https://www.stnv.de/en/rss/98336yl1 <![CDATA[New Look Responsive Website for Star Trek New Voyages!]]> https://www.stnv.de/en/news-newwebsite.php New Look Responsive Website for Star Trek New Voyages!

After the recent announcment to change the name of our series back to Star Trek New Voyages, our webmaster (Peter Walker) decided to give the website a facelift as well and here it is. Let us explain what is new:

New shorter url: With the change from startrekphase2.de to startreknewvoyages.de, our domain name was just getting even longer. That is a lot to type into your browser, particually on mobile devices. It was time to make things easier so now all you have to type in is www.stnv.de instead. If you want to see our Mind-Sifter page, www.stnv.de/ms will now get you there (previously www.startreknewvoyages.de/mindsifter). All the old links will continue to work, so just enjoy getting to our website faster.

New paper-white modern responsive website: Our previous design had a starfield background with white text and only recently started to work better on mobile devices. It was time to improve things and we radically changed the colour scheme and made the website "responsive."

Responsive websites automatically adjust themselves to different screen widths. This allows the website to be both readable and useable on a variety of devices from desttop, to tablet and smartphone without having to change the url. As the screen size gets smaller, graphics and pictures are automatically removed to take account of lower bandwidth and screen space.

Updated web standards: By switching from flash to the html5 standard, we can insure our new website will work well on all portable devices.

Pictures, videos, graphics should all now work on any device.

Mobile app available for even faster access to the latest news. This supports Apple and Android standards as well as providing an RSS feed for all other platforms. We keep you infomed when something is new.

We have put a lot of work into this new updated website and we hope you like it.

]]> Sat, 31 Oct 2015 23:19:00 GMT imrssfeed https://www.stnv.de/en/rss/x3ob852q <![CDATA[A Star Trek Dream Spread From Upstate New York ]]> https://www.stnv.de/en/news-nytimes.php

A Star Trek Dream Spread From Upstate New York

October 11, 2015

The New York Times has published a lovely article about Star Trek New Voyages and it’s founder, James Cawley – from it’s origins and illustrious pedigree of Star Trek alumni, to the future of the production and it’s studios in Ticonderoga, NY.

Click here to read the full article online.

]]> Sat, 10 Oct 2015 22:17:00 GMT imrssfeed https://www.stnv.de/en/rss/to23mw1j <![CDATA[Return to New Voyages!]]> https://www.stnv.de/en/news-newvoyages.php

Return to the original "New Voyages" name on June 9, 2015

As a bit of an homage to that old Star Trek: The New Voyages book, we decided to release “Mind-Sifter” under our "Star Trek: New Voyages" moniker, rather than our "Star Trek: Phase II" moniker. Further, for a variety of reasons, this episode plays better as an episode that takes place during the The Original Series (TOS) era–back during the first three years of Captain Kirk’s five-year mission, rather than during the two later years of his mission.

On 9 June 2015, James Cawley announced on Trekbbs that "We are officially NEW VOYAGES and the Phase II moniker has been dropped." As many fans had commented that they actually preferred the name "New Voyages," we have reverted back to that name and all future apisodes will now be released under the "New Voyages" name.

Two new logos are now used to represent our series. The first one is used to just represent New Voyages on new episodes, etc. The second logo combines both the New Voyages and Phase II in order to represent that both names have been used by us.

]]> Mon, 08 Jun 2015 23:04:00 GMT imrssfeed https://www.stnv.de/en/rss/gdaqhaku <![CDATA[Mind-Sifter gets nominated for IAWTV awards!]]> https://www.stnv.de/en/news-iawtv.php

Star Trek New Voyages episode Mind-Sifter has been nominated for awards in several categories in the IAWTV - International Academy Of Web Television. www.iawtv.org

Mind-Sifter was Nominated for:

Best Female Performance in a Drama- Rivkah Raven Wood, Star Trek Phase II / New Voyages

Best Cinematography- Jeff Barklage, Star Trek Phase II / New Voyages

Best Visual Effects- Pony Horton, Tobias Richter, and Daren Dochterman, Star Trek Phase II / New Voyages.

Congratulations, to all our nominees!

]]> Tue, 17 Mar 2015 00:08:00 GMT imrssfeed https://www.stnv.de/en/rss/1gmbbu3s <![CDATA[“The Sky Above, The Mudd Below”]]> https://www.stnv.de/en/news-skyabove.php

Original article written by Gregory L. Schnitzler

Some readers have been asking for more details on why some of our planned episodes were dropped.
Sometimes the reasons are complicated; other times the reasons are simple. In the case of our “Harry Mudd” story, the reasons are fairly simple: unavailability of the planned actor and director.

Read more about this online.

http://www.stnv.de/en/news-skyabove.php

]]> Mon, 20 Oct 2014 22:17:00 GMT imrssfeed https://www.stnv.de/en/rss/sa8x7mb6 <![CDATA[New download links let you download from servers in the USA or Europe]]> https://www.stnv.de/en/4x08_kitumba.php

As www.stnv.de is the official website, all downloads offered are hosted on a high-speed server based in Strassbourg (France) run by Server4you. When Kitumba was released for download on New Year's day, many American visitors complained about long download times of up to four hours.

These long times were mainly due to the fact that hundreds of people were trying to download Kitumba at the same time, but also the long distances played a role.

We have therefore setup new download links that allow visitors to select a download location of either America or Europe. This is currently only available on the English language version of our website.

We hope this allows our American friends to be able to download our episodes even faster.

For later episodes, we have put our episodes on Google Drive, making it easier to download our episodes.

]]> Sun, 26 Jan 2014 23:50:00 GMT imrssfeed https://www.stnv.de/en/rss/bx781t96 <![CDATA[French and Spanish Versions of this Website now available!]]> https://www.stnv.de/en/index.php

We are pleased to announce both French and Spanish language versions of www.startrekphase2.de are now available.

Visitors from France and Spain should now be automatically redirected to the new localised websites. These localised versions can also be reached via the little flags on the top left. Thanks to Niolas Petit for the French and Sergio Garcia for the Spanish translations.

Click here to visit www.stnv.de/fr/ or www.stnv.de/es/

]]> Mon, 20 Jan 2014 22:54:00 GMT imrssfeed https://www.stnv.de/en/rss/s15iqo10 <![CDATA[Beaming to The Enterprise… An interview with Pony Horton]]> https://www.stnv.de/en/news-ponyhorton.php

Hello, fellow Trek fans… I am very proud to say that this new interview with a dear friend is up… Pony Horton, VFX Artist and Extra for Star Trek: Phase 2 and Back to the Wild Wild West. This is from an interview I did with Pony in 2011, with some revisions for 2013

1.What is it that you do for your “day job”, if you can talk about it.

Pony Horton: Not as much as I used to. I am in the process of getting Disability, due to some old, bad neck injuries, as well as dealing with having advanced AIDS. However, I still do my video editing, and some VFX work, and the occasional acting job, and I’m slowly trying to build a resume as an actor.

But, recently, for example, I’ve had the great pleasure of editing and creating VFX for a number of adventure documentaries and smaller videos for adventure companies and groups that do kayak safaris in Tanzania, or the Day Of Adventure in Chiapas, Mexico. I also am re-doing some of my original VFX work on an award-winning documentary film titled RESCUE MEN: THE STORY OF THE PEA ISLAND LIFE-SAVERS. I am thrilled that this film has just been made required viewing in one of our local school districts! The U.S. Coast Guard even christened a new vessel the RICHARD ETHERIDGE, after the main subject of RESCUE MEN. I’m really honored to have done something that people can refer-to and learn from for, hopefully, generations to come!

2. What is your connection to Star Trek? and how has it affected your life?

PH: I started watching STAR TREK during its original run in the late 1960′s. I was eight years old when the show premiered. By 1970 I had all the model kits, by 1973 I had the books by David Gerrold and Stephen Whitfield, and was a full-blown fan. My mom was a science fiction fan, and in our home we also loved LOST IN SPACE, VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, U.F.O., TWILIGHT ZONE, OUTER LIMITS, GENESIS II/QUESTOR, THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN, SPACE 1999, etc.

By 1979 I was an apprentice/janitor at Van der Veer Photo Effects, one of the great old optical houses that created many of STAR TREK’s VFX. So, for me STAR TREK has always been a major factor in my life. My grandma Katherine made me my first Command uniform when I was 16, out of real velour. And I still have the Lincoln Enterprises Command Delta patch I got for that uniform in 1974.

3. How did you first hear of Star Trek: New Voyages/Phase 2?

PH: I had just completed an Indiana Jones-styled short film, and after I posted it on the web, I saw reference links to other “fan films,” as they were called. I had never heard of this before. I started hunting around the web for more, and very quickly came across STAR TREK NEW VOYAGES. They had only just finished TO SERVE ALL MY DAYS, and a few months later it hit the web. Walter Koenig was my college acting teacher, and we had stayed friends, so I was really blown away by the quality of the work, and wanted to get involved. They brought me in to do VFX on BLOOD & FIRE, and I was invited to come out for the shooting of KITUMBA, to play the part of K’Sia, the Klingon professor.

4. “Kitumba” was your first go around at a shoot, what was it like, and what have you done for P2

PH: KITUMBA was a trial by fire. It was kinda fun, but I was very intimidated. It was not my first shoot by a longshot as I had done a LOT of directing over the years, but here I was the new kid in this already-established family, and I felt really out of my element. Everyone was very nice (with only one or two exceptions whom I won’t name, and they’re no longer part of the group anyway) but I have to thank Doc John, James Cawley, Charles Root, and Gil Gerard for noticing that I was in some distress and taking the time to help me work through the feelings of inadequacy I was experiencing.

I also noticed that there were none of the images or paintings I had seen on some of the walls of the original Enterprise, like the starscape image in the Transporter Room, so I offered to paint them, and that seemed to endear me to the group. So far I’ve created most of the non-spaceship VFX on the show since THE CHILD, like set extension matte paintings, graphics on computer screens, phaser beams, and of course my Transporter effects, which was originally my main job on PHASE II.

5. What is your favorite memory of being on set or just hanging around with the crew?

PH: There are a lot of great memories. Making fun BTS videos with my friend Chris LaRoche and his son, Matthew. Chris and I and Matt and Mike Stearn have a habit of wearing fedora hats to the shoots, so we have become The Hat Squad. Freaking people out with my bullwhip skills is always fun. Wandering around Port Henry is always delightful. One time I walked into the Green Room to find a bit of a hubbub going on. Turns out a Little Brown bat (which are very common in most of the U.S.) had managed to fly into the room, and could not find its way out. The rest of the group was rather stunned when I simply grabbed my T-shirt and used it as a glove to grab the bat, who was clinging to a wall. I showed him around a little (he WAS kinda cute with his turned-up little snout and his pointy-sharp teeth) and I let him go outside. Getting to become friends with these people is one of the best general memories. I remember once, I had taken a Coke out of the freezer in the Green Room, and without knowing it had been shaken-up before I grabbed it, I cracked it open and a second later it became a gusher! Well, without any rags or towels around, the first thing I did, as fast as possible, was to shove the bottle into my mouth! Well, the gusher kept gushing, and my cheeks began to fill up with ever-expanding Coca-Cola. James just happened to be walking toward me, and he sees what is, essentially, a live-action cartoon moment happening right in front of him, and starts laughing uncontrollably! By now I’m looking like Louis Armstrong with his cheeks all puffed-out while blowing the trumpet, and the stuff is almost erupting out of my ears! All I could do was keep gulping, while trying to give James my Patented Death Glare (TM). Needless to say, it was very funny.

One thing that I love to remember is how great and strange it felt to FINALLY be standing at the actual Transporter control console. The Transporter effect is one of the things that attracted me to TREK in the first place. The magic of being able to BEAM somewhere! And here I was, finally, LIVING it! I will admit, I would go into that set when nobody else was around, and pretend (complete with mouth-made sound effects) that I was beaming people places. Since I create the Transporter Effect for the show, I jokingly refer to the Transporter Room as My Office. The rest of the group has dubbed it The Pony Express!

6. In your own words, how would you describe both the atmosphere on set and the realization of a dream that many dream but few can say they have experienced

PH: The atmosphere on-set is hectic and professional, but also fun. We have a new director, Mark Burchett, and he keeps the work going and keeps the fun quotient up. To me the realization of the dream is both kinda magical, and a bit of cold water in the face. It’s a set, like most other movie sets, so in that respect it’s all cardboard and MDF and plywood and masonite. You realize, with a bit of a letdown, that none of it’s real. BUT, with that in mind, the first time I stepped onto the Bridge, I sat down at Chekov’s station and casually hit a button on the console, and the whole console suddenly LIT-UP and CAME TO LIFE! A was really startled by that, and quite delighted! Same thing at Spock’s Science station, Uhura’s Communications, Kirk’s chair, etc. So in that respect, there was little need to pretend. The Bridge set really WORKS!

The fact that I’ve been officially stationed there as Navigator during one or two episodes, in full Starfleet uniform, is literally living a 45-year dream!

7. Is it really a “family” as some people have described?

PH: Yes, very much so, with all of the positive and negative aspects implied. We all like, and even love, each other, and tend to get along quite well, but like any family there are occasional conflicts. But we all stay in touch on the phone and on-line, and honestly I think they may have saved my life. I lost most of the people closest to me, all in just the last two years, to death. Two of them were brutally murdered, another was allowed to die in a coma due to a lack of financial resources. I am still having a very hard time with this, and if it had not been for this group that has become a new family to me, I don’t think I’d be here now.

8. What is it about the original Star Trek that carries on even today in your opinion?

PH: That’s hard to say, as today’s youth have not “gotten it’ when it comes to Roddenberry’s idea of a hopeful future. The new TREK movie, for example, is a fun ride with nicely-realized characters. But it was devoid of the hopeful message that Roddenberry was trying to convey. It was all about the coolness, the fights, and the VFX. Of course, Leonard Nimoy was top-notch as always, and I liked his take on Spock in the film. But it doesn’t really make-up for the lack of a proper story. Great VFX and dazzling moments do not a great film make, it has to come down to great STORY. I think PHASE II is much closer to what Roddenberry intended, storywise and moralistically, than the 2009 movie was.

So, that message does carry on with me, but I really fear it has been lost on the younger ones today. They’re too cynical, too inured to the harsh realities of life today to accept such a positive message without a lot of skepticism.

9. Are you amazed at the volume and quality if the Trek episodes that RFS produces? And do you see an end in sight for the 5-year mission?

PH: I am not amazed at either. We don’t put out as many episodes as we would like simply due to the practicalities and difficulties of doing an expensive, all-volunteer production. The quality is top-notch as far as I’m concerned. I hope there’s no end to the mission. There should not be, as long as we get great stories to tell.

10. What part did you play in “No-Win Scenario” coming back from the dead

PH: John Carrigan asked me if I would like to create the VFX on the film, and I said YES! That’s basically it, I created all the VFX you see, as well as the DVD cover art. Tobias Richter, who handles a lot of our VFX, was kind enough to help me on some shots as well.

11. Are there any other projects you are working on? Whether it is Star Trek or Something else

PH: Yes, I’ve just finished a fan film of my own, a vignette based on STAR TREK: PHASE II !! It’s a comedy short (Comedy similar to TROUBLE WITH TRIBBLES or A PIECE OF THE ACTION, only a bit crazier) that will be hitting the web on Christmas Eve, 2011. It has been put up on the PHASE II website. It’s titled “1701 PENNSYLVANIA AV.” So, it’s basically a fan film based on a fan production!

12. Any other thoughts you’d like to share with our readers? If you’d like to promote something you are in or are interested in here.

PH: I’d like to thank you for the chance to discuss PHASE II and my work, and I want to express my great good feelings for everyone involved in PHASE II !

Well, my website is new to the Phase II crowd, so it’s…

www.gravityarchmedia.com

And I’m doing high-end book trailers if any authors or publishers need one.

Here is an aside: Here are two podcasts that Pony was on:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wams/2013/06/18/hollywood-filmaker-pony-horton

http://visionary-entertainment.blogspot.com/2009/03/best-friends-special-effects-and.html

——————————END TRANSMISSION———————————-

All right Ladies and Gents, that will do it for today… I want to Thank Pony for the pleasure of interviewing him. Second, please watch 1701 Pennsylvania Ave, And see Pony guest starring as K’Sia in “Kitumba” and the upcoming episode “Bread and Savagery” as Justinus Casius… not to mention his VFX shots in all the upcoming episodes… Until Next Time Trek fans

]]> Tue, 10 Dec 2013 12:55:00 GMT imrssfeed https://www.stnv.de/en/rss/4va3ph47 <![CDATA[Bridge to Engineering… Mr. Scott? An interview with Charles Root]]> https://www.stnv.de/en/news-charlesroot.php

Today I am honored to say that I have Charles Root here to talk to the blog:

1.What is it that you do for your “day job”, if you can talk about it

I am the Director of Technology for an Intellectual Property company called IPCG, in Williston Vermont. We consult with large corporations on patents, trade secrets, that sort of stuff. I’ve been here for 11+ years.

2. What is your connection to Star Trek? and how has it affected your life?

This will probably come as sacrilege to many a Trekker that look at Trek as almost a religion, but for me my only connection to Star Trek, is that it is enjoyable science fiction. I never bought in to Roddenberry’s humanism or the whole “The future will be a better place” aspect of Trek. I liked Star Trek because of the Enterprise and the power of her weapons ripping Romulan warbirds apart, and Kirk kicking ass, and Spock being so smart.

I would say though that Star Trek has pronouncedly affected my life, in that had I never enjoyed the TV show, I probably wouldn’t have been introduced to other Sci-Fi and fantasy properties, that exposure got me involved with computers in the 80’s and that is how I now make a living. Plus of course I never would be part of Phase 2 if Star Trek wasn’t part of my life.

3. How did you first hear of Star Trek: New Voyages/Phase 2?

Randomly found it on the Internet one day while searching for information on Star Trek: TNG, didn’t even know it was being filmed an hour from my house. Started following it on the web, and then saw a local news story discussing the project and that it was in Ticonderoga. Dropped the production an e-mail, turns out I had actually met James Cawley a decade earlier.

4. “In Harm’s Way” was your first go around as Scotty, how hard is it to be the character and do you think you have gotten better with each performance?

Scotty was always one of my favorite characters, as I said Trek for me was the Enterprise 1701, so I gravitated towards Scotty as he “owns” the Enterprise, regardless of what Kirk or Starfleet thinks!

Acting the part of Scotty which was made particularly iconic with James Doohan’s “Scottish” accent has to say the least been a challenge. You don’t want to come off as mimicking Doohan, but if you stray too far away his original interpretation then you really don’t have the Scotty character any longer, you just have an engineer from Scotland.

Then of course there’s the issue with accent, where everyone on the planet seems to think they’re a master linguist, and can give you pointers on how to sound more “Scottish”, that can get old after a while.

5. What is your favorite memory of being on set or just hanging around with the crew?

There has been many times I’ve been in tears laughing from interaction on the set with my friends, that is always enjoyable and memorable. There’s the times working with Trek alum like George Takei when it’s almost surreal, but there is one specific time that stands out in my mind.

The 360 degree bridge set was being prepped for shooting a scene, it was cleaned up, freshly painted, and all the internal lights were on, but no other lighting equipment had been set up yet. The consoles were powered up and blinking away, the helm glowed softly. Overhead the large light diffuser covered most set. I was the only person there. If there was one single time during all my shooting with Phase 2 that I was transported to the 23rd century it was then. It really felt like I was walking on to the bridge of an operational Starship.

6. In your own words, how would you describe both the atmosphere on set and the realization of a dream that many dream but few can say they have experienced

Honestly, it’s hectic. We shoot with almost no money, in a cramped, somewhat rundown space, it’s hot, or cold, there’s always one more set to work on, or technical issue to deal with, the days are long, and if you’re not shooting it can be very boring just sitting quietly while the camera’s roll, BUT it’s the final product that makes that all worth it. When you watch something like “World Enough and Time” or “Kitumba” you really get the satisfaction of seeing the sacrifice turned in to entertainment.

As far as living the dream, I am truly blessed in many, many ways. It humbles me to know that I experience what others can only imagine.

7. Is it really a “family” as some people have described it? And has anyone pulled a prank on you?

It’s a very interesting dynamic on the set. As we’ve grown, we bring in people that may only be there for one shoot, and there may be 100+ people at the studio, so I can’t honestly say everyone feels like “family”. Are there friends that I would do anything for? Absolutely, that’s your family core.Are there friends that are like drinking buddies? There sure are. Are there people that are more like work colleagues? Certainly. Are there people that I can’t stand? Sadly there are, but that’s just the nature of having some many diverse people around. I challenge anyone to bring as many people together as we do and have them feel the same about every single person.

Yes there has been pranks, one involving the “Scotty” voodoo doll stands out, I think we need to go no further there, LOL!

8. What is it about the original Star Trek that carries on even today in your opinion?

Classic science fiction for some, the positive message for others. There’s also part of becoming a cultural icon that keeps Star Trek in the collective memory of society.

9. Are you amazed at the volume and quality if the Trek episodes that RFS produces? And do you see an end in sight for the 5-year mission?

Given the talent that is involved with our production, no the quality doesn’t amaze me, that should be given. As we approach 10 episodes either done or in some point of production, you do have to be amazed that we have pumped out that many based completely on the generosity of others and our own hard labor.

I only see an end to our efforts if financially we simply cannot go on. It’s sad to think that if we could simply charge 99 cents for a download of the episodes, or sell a DVD box set of the episodes for say $14.99 given our download numbers we would literally make millions for CBS and for RFS. I could then give a core group of actors and crew good paying jobs and make 12 episodes are year no problem, ah but likely only a dream….

10. Are there any other projects you are working on? Whether it is Star Trek or Something else

There is quite a few things that I’ve got going on. In the entertainment industry you really need a lot of “pokers in the fire”. Under the RFS banner, regardless of talk to the contrary, Buck Rogers is not dead, we hope to move on that soon. There is also a completely independent and new Science Fiction franchise that RFS has begun discussing with the author to bring to life. You may also see a peak of me in the Wild Wild West episode that RFS is producing.

I’m also involved with a film company in Atlanta, GA called Digital New Age Entertainment, and a film I worked on 4 or 5 years ago called “Operation Dead 1” has had some discussion on being rewritten with the sequel and made in to a new film called “Vector” , the premise of Zombies and computers is very, very cool.

I’m also working on a graphic novel with Bill Lutz called “Mars Vs Earth – The Solar War Chronicles” It is set in the year 2262 A.D. and a war between an Earth and newly independent and colonized Mars, really heats up when alien technology is found.

Plus, on a totally different entertainment track, I’m designing a very large Casino for construction in Las Vegas, that I hope to pitch to some associates I have in the gaming industry

11. Any other thoughts you’d like to share with our readers? If you’d like to promote something you are in or are interested in here.

Yes, I’ve been working to merge my two worlds of Intellectual Property and the Entertainment Industry, in that effort I have written a piece on how each can benefit from the other, more information and links to the article are here: http://www.ipcg.com/?file=Hollywood_IP

Thank you!

]]> Fri, 15 Nov 2013 12:50:00 GMT imrssfeed https://www.stnv.de/en/rss/y12m6ae3 <![CDATA[An interview with Captain Kirk… Brian Gross]]> https://www.stnv.de/en/news-briangross.php

This article and interview with Brian were written on the last day of filming of his first episode of Star Trek: Phase II, “Bread and Savagery” in June 2012:

While at the shoot we had the re-launch that James Cawley has been hinting at… and no I will not tell you all the itty bitty details. One of the surprises that was revealed and I am now allowed to tell you is… James has cast Brian Gross as the legendary Captain James T. Kirk.

Having worked with James, I was skeptical at first about a new Captain taking the center seat, after-all besides William Shatner, James has been MY Captain Kirk. But after 2 weeks of hanging out and working with Brian, I can tell you not only does he act like Captain Kirk, but he looks like Captain Kirk. And so direct from the set… I give you Brian Gross

1. Brian, thank you for joining me, let’s get into it… Are you a Star Trek fan?

I was not a Star Trek fan, I have seen several episodes and now have an appreciation for it. But I am not a Star Trek fan to the level of fan we have here at the studio.

2. How is it you are coming to Phase 2?

James was working really hard behind the scenes to find someone to replace him as Jim Kirk, Mark Burchett who directed this particular episode had me in mind for the part called Bill Devers who got in contact with me. And the rest as they say is history.

3. How does it feel now that you have stepped into the role that William Shatner, James Cawley and Chris Pine have made famous?

It was pretty nerve racking, knowing the great actors that have gone before in the role and knowing that Star Trek fans are very critical of every aspect of a Production whether it is done by CBS/Paramount or done by fans. But, as the experience started I was welcomed into a family, not knowing what to expect and now I am completely comfortable with the cast and crew that we have because not only are we there to work but we have fun.

4. Have you seen any of the Phase 2 episodes?

I saw the one with George Takei (World Enough and Time), and was impressed by the level of story telling and acting that went on during the episode. I have also seen a bunch of the Original Series episodes to prepare for the role of Captain Kirk.

5. Who did you have fun/ enjoyed working with during the episode?

I enjoyed all the personalities that were on the set but I think my favorite parts would have to be the stuff with Brandon Stacy (Spock) and Doc John (Dr. McCoy). Especially the beam down stuff, because it shows the bond between the characters.

6. What do you think of James and the Production re-creating the Original Star Trek?

It’s great! Everyone is very detail oriented…with lines, sets, costumes. It is refreshing to have a bunch of people who care so much about the product that they are producing and want to make it the best it can be.

7. What can you say about your experience so far?

It was really important to bond with the crew, we were filming both an episode and a vignette during the shoot. The Vignette it was very important that the whole crew be present for the speech I was giving, because it is about change and family. And, this group whether you are new or old is a family. And besides being greeted with applause when I came into the studio and was introduced, this was the moment that I felt I was a part of this family, because even though I was not there for the losses that they had, I felt that I experienced them too.

8. Any Last Thoughts?

I really hope that there is more to come, I hope the fans enjoy my performance and the episodes overall. As we go further and do more episodes I feel I will get better and more comfortable in time, and we will raise the bar each time as James has decreed, and I can’t wait for that!

—————END TRANSMISSION———————–

I want to thank Brian and the whole Star Trek Phase 2 production for everyone’s time. Look for Brian’s episodic debut as Captain Kirk in “The Holiest Thing” written by Rick Chambers, Release Date: TBA, on November 22… Stay Tuned!

Until next time my friends… Live Long and Prosper, Look for the next post from the crew of Star Trek: Phase II

]]> Thu, 07 Nov 2013 12:58:00 GMT imrssfeed https://www.stnv.de/en/rss/sg5w5814 <![CDATA[New Facebook Page for Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II]]> https://www.stnv.de/en/index.php

We have just started our new Facebook page. On this page, we will inform about the latest updates to Star Trek Phase II episode releases.

http://www.facebook.com/startreknewvoyages

(English)

We also run a seperate German language page:

http://www.facebook.com/StarTrekPhaseTwoDeutsch

]]> Sun, 22 Jul 2012 22:55:00 GMT imrssfeed https://www.stnv.de/en/rss/5ifu572i <![CDATA[Enterprise Crossroads Animated Fan-Film Released]]> https://www.stnv.de/en/ent-crossroads.php

Title: "Enterprise - Crossroads"

Original Title: Der Zeitspiegel

Length: 0:30:19 approx

Release Date : 24th December 2009 17:01 hrs EST

Starlog: April 10, 2154

Original German Script: Jürgen Kaiser

English Translation: Stephan Mittelstaß

English Adaptation: Rex Duis

English Adaptation Directed by Peter Goundrill

Animation Directed: Jürgen Kaiser

Plot:

The NX-01 has been equipped with a new experimental warp drive. But when Captain Archer and the crew test the engine something unexpected happens. The crew are flung into unknown peril which could endanger not only the NX-01 but the entire universe as we know it.

Within a void between a myriad of universes lies a derelict Miranda-Class Vessel. Here Commander T`Pol is contacted by a familiar crew who hold the key to saving the NX-01 and the universe from a deadly foe known only as “The Red Empire”

]]> Thu, 24 Dec 2009 22:01:00 GMT imrssfeed https://www.stnv.de/en/rss/zo9b352k <![CDATA[Star Trek Phase II eMagazine Issue 8 now available]]> https://www.stnv.de/en/emagazine_english.php

Issue #8 - 76 Full-color pages. Interviews with VFX artist Tobias Richter, Pony R. Horton, Nick Cook, and Kario Pereira Bailey. "Blood and Fire" Part 2 Fan Reaction, images from the Drex Files, Behind-the-Scene Photos from "Kitumba," storyboards from "Kitumba," and Issue #2 of Star Trek: Phase II The Illustrated Adventures populate this issue. Approx. 21MB download. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader 7 or newer to read the PDF file of the eMagazine.

]]> Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:00:00 GMT imrssfeed https://www.stnv.de/en/rss/z29l952u <![CDATA[2 New Phase II eMagazines now Downloadable]]> https://www.stnv.de/en/emagazine_english.php

Issue #6 - 55 Full-color Pages. James Cawley's Captain's Log, Interviews with BarBara Luna, Paul R. Sieber, Clive Young, Brandon Stacy, Jonathan Zungre, JT Tepnepa, and Brian Q. Kelley, Visual Retrospective on "In Harm's Way," Directing "Blood and Fire" by David Gerrold, Behind-the-Scenes Photos from the set of "The Child," and Fan Reaction to "Blood and Fire." This issue is 10.3MB zipped file. You will need Acrobat Reader 7 or newer to read the eMagazine.

Issue #7 - 52 Full-color pages. Interviews with Jeff Mailhotte and Ron Lennstrom, director of Yorktown II. Evolution of the Bridge, "Come What May" Photo Album, Sneak Peek at the VFX of "Enemy: Starfleet," a "Striking" look at the grip/electric crew, and a search for the lost 20 year-old adventure of the Yorktown II, as well as James Cawley's "Captain's Log," with all the latest on Phase II projects. 17MB zipped file. You will need Acrobat Reader 7 or newer to read the PDF file of the eMagazine.

]]> Tue, 19 May 2009 21:41:00 GMT imrssfeed https://www.stnv.de/en/rss/k7ucd0y1 <![CDATA[Tobias Richter to create Special Effects for Star Trek Phase II]]> https://www.stnv.de/en/4x07_the_child.php

Tobias Richter, who is well known in Germany for his excellent Star Trek CGI work (FedCon, etc), will be providing the special effects for the upcoming Phase II episode: "The Child".

After seeing the excellent FedCon Film made by Tobias Richter, Peter Walker (Phase II Germany) called Tobias after the FedCon and asked if he would be interested in providing CGI effects for Phase II. Tobias was already familiar with our episodes and said he was interested in helping out. Peter put Tobais in touch with James Cawley resulting in an agreement to create the special effects for "The Child".

We are proud to have Tobias join our team and look forward to seeing some fantastic special effects created for "The Child" - the first German-American co-production for Phase II.

Tobias Richter runs the company: "The Light Works" in Cologne, Germany.

]]> Tue, 19 May 2009 21:36:00 GMT imrssfeed https://www.stnv.de/en/rss/4xsd3491 <![CDATA[World Enough and Time and the Hugo Sci-Fi Awards]]> https://www.stnv.de/en/4x03_world_enough_and_time.php

World Enough and Time has been nominated for the Hugo Science Fiction Awards 2008, in the category "Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form)", and achieved 5th place at the actual awards!

Results: Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short From)

The Doctor Who episode "Blink" won the award, our "World Enough and Time" episode came in fifth place.

The finishing order is:

1. Doctor Who "Blink"

2. Doctor Who "Human Nature" / "The Family of Blood"

3. Battlestar Galactica "Razor"

4. Torchwood "Captain Jack Harness"

5. Star Trek New Voyages "World Enough and Time"

Congratulations to the winner. It was an honour to be nominated with such good competition. To have reached 5th place (and into the finals) as a fan film project against major BBC Sci-Fi productions along with BSG is quite an achievement. There were more than 15 productions nominated in this catagory.

]]> Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:06:00 GMT imrssfeed https://www.stnv.de/en/rss/0no2150j