Braga and Moore wanted to feature the Borg in the plot, while producer Rick Berman wanted a story involving time travel. [21] In this draft Picard has a love interest in the local photographer Ruby, while Riker leads the fight against the Borg on the Enterprise. [61], The opening beauty pass of the new Enterprise was the responsibility of visual-effects cinematographer Marty Rosenberg, who handled all the other miniatures, explosions, and some live-action bluescreen elements. [110] It was launched with five other test titles in the select markets of Richmond and San Francisco. In addition to the returning DVD extras, new special features for the Blu-ray version of First Contact include "Scene Deconstruction" featurettes and a new commentary by Star Trek (2009) co-producer Damon Lindelof and TrekMovie.com contributor Anthony Pascale. [21] Neal McDonough plays Lt. Hawk, the Enterprise helmsman who aids in the defense of the ship until he is assimilated and killed. Witnessing the loss of the battle, Captain Jean-Luc Picard ignores orders and takes command of the fleet engaging the Borg. Following the Borg sphere, Picard and his crew realize that they have taken over the Enterprise in order to carry out their mission. For the Borg intrusion, the lighting originated solely from instrument panels and red-alert displays. This strategy enabled the filmmakers to incorporate as many live-action elements as possible without resorting to further digital effects. Paramount wanted ships that would look different from a distance, so the director devised multiple hull profiles. Even on the large model, it was hard to make the miniature appear realistic in extreme close-up shots. [40] In preparation, he watched Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 2001: A Space Odyssey and the works of James Cameron and Ridley Scott. I thought, great; they made this, and they've scared themselves! [4] Picard, Worf, and the ship's navigator, Lieutenant Hawk, travel outside the ship in space suits to stop the Borg from calling reinforcements by using the deflector dish, but Hawk is assimilated in the process. In the first script with this setting, the Borg attack Cochrane's lab, leaving the scientist comatose; Picard assumes Cochrane's place to continue the warp test and restore history. The film was presented in its original 2.35:1 anamorphic aspect ratio, with a surround sound Dolby Digital 5.1 audio mix. First Contact Day pays tribute to the flight of the Phoenix and the pivotal first interaction between humans and Vulcans. [20] One camera shot begins inside the iris of Picard's eyeball and pulls back to reveal the captain aboard a massive Borg ship. [21] Paramount wanted Braga and Moore, who had written the Generations script and a number of Next Generation episodes,[12] to pen the screenplay. [50] Some existing sets were used to save money; sickbay was a redress of the same location from Voyager, while the USS Defiant scenes used Deep Space Nine's standing set. Acknowledging Data's Past. Engineering was simulated with a large, three-story set, corridors, a lobby, and the largest warp core in the franchise to date. [51], ILM was tasked with imagining what the immediate assimilation of an Enterprise crewmember would look like. This is evident in the film when Picard chooses to rescue Data rather than evacuate the ship with the rest of the crew. Drawing on clues from previous Star Trek episodes, Cochrane was placed in mid-21st-century Montana, where humans recover from a devastating world war. Jay Carr of The Boston Globe said that First Contact successfully updated Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's concept with more elaborate effects and action. The set was lined with window paneling backed by red lights, which would blink intermittently during red-alert status. [12] Picardo's fellow Voyager actor Ethan Phillips, who played Neelix, cameos as a nightclub maître d' in the holodeck scene. To save Earth from an alien probe, Admiral James T. Kirk and his fugitive crew go back in time to San Francisco in 1986 to retrieve the only beings who can communicate with it: humpback whales. Playmates Toys produced six and nine-inch action figures in addition to ship models and a phaser. [16], After location shooting was completed, shooting on the new Engineering set began May 3. "It just didn't make sense [...] that Picard, the one guy who has a history with the Borg, never meets them," Braga recalled. [18] Robert Picardo appears as the Enterprise's Emergency Medical Hologram; Picardo played the holographic Doctor in Voyager. Starting from Stewart's eye, the camera pulled back 25 feet (7.6 m), requiring the key light to increase in intensity up to 1,000 foot-candles so that there was enough depth to keep the eye sharp. The observation lounge was similar to the design in the Enterprise-D; the set itself was re-used from the television show, the only such set not to be struck following the filming of Generations, though it was expanded and underwent a color change. [93] The Borg Queen received special attention for her combination of horror and seduction; Ebert wrote that while the Queen "looks like no notion of sexy I have ever heard of", he was inspired "to keep an open mind". For the ship's dramatic introduction, the effects team combined motion control shots of the Enterprise model with a computer-generated background. Star Trek: First Contact 25th Anniversary Panel: Cast members Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner and Alice Krige discuss behind-the-scenes memories and … Jerry Goldsmith and his son Joel collaborated to produce the film's score, though only Jerry was credited. Picard and his crew follow the Borg back in time to stop them from preventing Earth from initiating first contact with Vulcans. The Borg travel back in time intent on preventing Earth's first contact with an alien species. The entire set for the scene was 100 feet (30 m) wide and 25 feet (7.6 m) high; gaps left by the dolly reveal were filled in later digitally. [20] The set for the ship's outer hull and deflector dish were built on gimbals at Paramount's largest sound stage,[51] surrounded by bluescreen and rigged with wires for the zero gravity sequences. I became aware, one day on the set, that whenever a Borg moved up to the coffee table, whoever was there would sort of slowly retreat. [21] The Borg had not been seen in full force since the fourth-season episode of The Next Generation, "The Best of Both Worlds", and had never been heavily featured in the series due to budget constraints and the fear that they would lose their scare factor. Everyone just uncomfortable in their presence. Earlier this year, EXO-6 opened up pre-orders for their first Star Trek release with the Commander Data 1/6 Scale Figure. Here is real acting! So the Borg were not only in pain, but they were kind of ostracised. [19], The third draft of the script added cameos by two actors from the sister television series Star Trek: Voyager, which was in its third season when the film was released. [30] Another draft included John de Lancie's omnipotent character Q. Admiral Kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned U.S.S. Phoenix and first open contact between humans and Vulcans on April 5, 2063, this tee lets you celebrate First Contact Day throughout the universe. [43] Working from blueprints created by Paramount's Rick Sternbach, the model shop at effects house Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) fabricated a 10.5-foot (3.2 m) miniature over a five-month period. [97] While Renzetti considered the lack of old characters from the previous seven movies a welcome change,[93] Maslin said that without the original stars, "The series now lacks [...] much of its earlier determination. [42], In previous films, Starfleet's range of capital ships had been predominantly represented by the Constitution-class Enterprise and just five other ship classes: the Miranda class from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (represented by the USS Reliant), the Excelsior and the Oberth class Grissom from Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, and the Galaxy and Nebula classes from The Next Generation. Having ensured the correction of the timeline, the Enterprise crew slip away and return to the 24th century.[3]. McDonough was cavalier about his role as a disposable "redshirt", saying that since one of the characters in the deflector dish battle had to die, "that would be me". To balance these elements he added more comedic elements to the Earth scenes, intended to momentarily relieve the audience of tension before building it up again. The first story draft, titled Star Trek: Renaissance, had the crew of the Enterprise track the Borg to their hive in a castle dungeon. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. [44] To make the pullback shot work, the camera had to be within one eighth of an inch from the model. A particle render that ILM had devised for the earlier tornado film Twister was used to create a turbulent look within the nebula. [6] Braga and Moore intended it to be more muscular and militaryesque. The theme uses a four-note motif used in Goldsmith's Star Trek V: The Final Frontier score, which is used in First Contact as a friendship theme and general thematic link. The nebular columns and solid areas were modeled with basic wireframe geometry, with surface shaders applied to make the edges of the nebula glow. [91] Conversely, critic Bob Thompson felt that First Contact was more in the spirit of the 1960s television series than any previous installment. The 135-foot (41 m) dolly track was raised off the stage floor and layered with pieces of double-thick birch plywood, chosen for its smooth finish. [118], "Regeneration", a 2003 episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, depicts the consequences of the discovery of debris from the destroyed Borg sphere. [4] While in the future Cochrane is seen as a hero, the real man built the Phoenix for financial gain and is reluctant to be the heroic person the crew describes. "[24], Michael Horton appears as a bloodied and stoic Starfleet Security Officer; his character would be given the name Lt. Daniels in the next Star Trek film. Sloane confronts the captain and makes him realize he is acting irrationally because of his own past with becoming Locutus of the Borg. After the screening, 1,500 guests crossed the street to the Hollywood Colonnade, where the interiors had been dressed to match settings from the film: the holodeck nightclub, part of the bridge, a "star room", the Borg hive and the "crash 'n' burn lounge". Everton and makeup designers Michael Westmore, Scott Wheeler, and Jake Garber wanted to upgrade the pasty white look the Borg had retained since The Next Generation's second season, born out of a need for budget-conscious television design. Members of the crew who are assimilated into the Collective are subsequently viewed as "polluted by technology" and less than human. While it doesn't reach the heights of many of the original series films, First Contact is probably the most enjoyable outing I've had with the TNG crew. We had our three heroes [Picard, Worf and Hawk] in space suits, which look identical so you couldn't tell who was who until you got in real close. Two "making of" television specials premiered on HBO and the Sci-Fi Channel, as well as being promoted during a 30th-anniversary television special on UPN. It occurred on April 5, 2063. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's five-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers set off in the U.S.S. [47] Krige recalled the first day she had her makeup applied: "I saw everyone cringing. [21] Whoopi Goldberg was not asked to return as Guinan,[22] a wise bartender whose homeworld was destroyed by the Borg. [44] Small lights attached to the Cube's surface helped to create visual interest and convey scale; the model was deliberately shot with a slow, determined pacing to contrast with the Federation ships engaged in battle with the Borg. The captain returns to the ship and leaves Commander William T. Riker on Earth to make sure Phoenix's flight proceeds as planned. Realizing the Borg have used time travel to change the past, Enterprise follows the sphere through the vortex. The warp ship Phoenix was conceived as fitting inside an old nuclear missile, meaning that the ship's nacelles had to fold into a space of less than 10 feet (3 m). "What can I say? The fill light on these scenes was reduced so that the cast would pass through dark spots on the bridge and interiors out of the limited range of these sources. Commemorating both the warp 1 flight of the U.S.S. He reasoned that since the ship was being taken over by a foreign entity, it required more dramatic lighting and framing. [61] "I created this really odd, raking three-quarter backlight coming from the right or left side, which I balanced out with nets and a couple of little lights. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? [69], GNP released the First Contact soundtrack on December 2, 1996. [104] Empire magazine's Adam Smith wrote that some characters, particularly Troi and Crusher, were lost or ignored, and that the rapid pacing of the film left no time for those unfamiliar with the series to know or care about the characters. [31] Looking at the early scripts, the trio knew that serious work was needed. [16] Background Borg were simulated by half-finished mannequins. In the twenty-fourth century, the crew of the U.S.S. The bridge was designed to be comfortable-looking, with warm colors. When the crew of the Enterprise learn of a Federation conspiracy against the inhabitants of a unique planet, Captain Picard begins an open rebellion. With the flagship now supporting them, Picard takes control of the fleet and directs the surviving ships to concentrate their firepower on a seemingly unimportant point on the Borg ship. Sideshow Collectibles and EXO-6 have unveiled the 1:6 scale Captain Jean-Luc Picard figure which is inspired by the appearance of Patrick Stewart in 1996’s Star Trek: First Contact. Let our editors help you find what's trending and what's worth your time. [100] Lloyd Rose of The Washington Post felt that while Woodard and Cromwell managed to "take care of themselves", Frakes' direction of other actors was not inspired;[101] Steve Persall of the St. Petersburg Times opined that only Cromwell received a choice role in the film, "so he steals the show by default". [12] Leonetti reconfigured the lighting to reflect the takeover of the ship interiors. Celebrate First Contact Day in style with this official Star Trek: First Contact Day Adult Short Sleeve T-Shirt. New flatscreen computer monitors were used for displays, using less space and giving the bridge a cleaner look. For other uses, see, CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, First Contact (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Favorite Supporting Actor - Science Fiction, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, Online Film & Television Association Awards, "Trek's Picardo Shares Sly Trick That Won Him A First Contact Cameo", "Star Trek: The Next Generation Movie Collection — BD", "A 'First' for Him : Jonathan Frakes takes directing controls of the latest 'Star Trek' film enterprise", "Alice Krige — First Contact's Borg Queen", "Star Trek: First Contact Limited Edition Complete Motion Picture Score", "The Wrath of Ahab; Or, Herman Melville meets Gene Roddenberry", "Bold as ever As 'Star Trek' approaches its 30th anniversary, the cast and crew prepare for future generations", "A Starship Chief Goes Bravely Into Directing", "Star Trek: First Contact; Find out why we feel this film is on the same level as The Wrath of Khan", "Star Trek: First Contact — Special Collector's Edition", "Details On Star Trek TNG Movie Blu-Ray & DVD + TOS Season Two Sets + more", The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines, The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Star_Trek:_First_Contact&oldid=1022366718, Films based on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Films with screenplays by Ronald D. Moore, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Wikipedia articles with multiple identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 10 May 2021, at 03:35. Captain Kirk and his crew must deal with Mr. Spock's long-lost half-brother who hijacks the Enterprise for an obsessive search for God at the center of the galaxy. [47] The time-travel aspect of the story also required period costumes for the mid 21st century and the 1940s "Dixon Hill" nightclub holodeck recreation. Only two major Vulcan ships had been previously seen in Star Trek, including a courier vessel from The Motion Picture. [107] Thompson's assessment mirrored Carr's; he agreed that the film managed to convey much of the original 1960s television show, and contained enough "special effects wonders and interstellar gunplay" to sate all types of viewers. View production, box office, & company info. [55] During normal operation scenes, Leonetti chose to cast crosslighting on the principals; this required the ceiling of the set to be removed and lighting grids to be situated around the sides. Several novelizations of the film were written for different age groups. Star Trek First Contact has to be one of the best Star Trek films ever made and the novelization is no different. [16] "The Borg were really liked by the fans, and we liked them," Moore said. [17] Whereas Frakes had seven days of preparation followed by seven days of shooting for a given television episode, the director was given a ten-week preparation period before twelve weeks of filming, and had to get used to shooting for a 2.35:1 anamorphic ratio instead of the television standard 1.33:1. Braga and Moore focused the new arc on Cochrane himself, making the ideal future of Star Trek come from a flawed man. But the Borg plan to travel back into the twenty-first century through a vortex with the intention to stop Earth's first contact with an alien race (the Vulcans). Using separate motion control passes on the set, Knoll shot the lower of the upper torso and the secondary sequence with Krige's entire body. You could cut the tension in this film with a knife.I'd also like to mention the great job done by the beautiful Alice Krige as the Borg Queen. The film would have featured sword fights alongside phasers in 15th-century Europe, while Data became Leonardo da Vinci's apprentice. To give the corridor walls more shape, Leonetti lit them from underneath. There are some terrific scenes and there is quite a bit of tension between the crew, particularly Worf and Picard. EXO-6 features talent that previously works on Star Trek 1/6 scale figures for other companies, and their releases will fit in with existing Star Trek 1/6 scale figures from the likes of QMx. [12] Most of the effects sequences were planned using low-resolution computer-generated animatics. Their only chance to do away with the Borg and their seductive Queen is to make sure that Zefram Cochrane makes his famous faster-than-light travel to the stars. [60], The majority of First Contact's effects were handled by Industrial Light & Magic under the supervision of John Knoll. In addition to composing new music, Goldsmith used music from his previous Star Trek scores, including his theme from The Motion Picture. Play trailer with sound 0:31 The Borg travel back in time intent on preventing Earth's first contact with an alien species. That night, the Vulcan survey ship the T’Plana-Hath landed in Bozeman, Montana, after tracking the warp signature of the Phoenix. "I like creating separation with lighting as opposed to using color," he explained. The idea of Borg fighting among period costumes coalesced into a "Dixon Hill" holographic novel sequence on the holodeck. [113] This version contained the feature and two trailers, but no other special features. I wanted it to look scary and mysterious, so it was lit like a point, and we always had the camera dutched to it; we never just had it coming straight at us," he said. Moore used a laptop with digital reproductions of the set to orient the crew and help Frakes understand what the finished shot would look like. Leonetti was unfamiliar with the Star Trek mythos when Frakes approached him; to prepare for the assignment, he studied the previous four films in the franchise, each with a different cinematographer—The Voyage Home (Donald Peterman), The Final Frontier (Andrew Laszlo), The Undiscovered Country (Hiro Narita), and Generations (John Alonzo). [90] Ryan Gilbey of The Independent considered the film wise to dispense with the cast of The Original Series: "For the first time, a Star Trek movie actually looks like something more ambitious than an extended TV show," he wrote. [105], Critics reacted favorably to the Borg, describing them as akin to creatures from Hellraiser. And then, it took three shots of something called tequila just to find out he was the one we're looking for. We were on a circle, which has no geography to it. The Borg and the special effects were lauded, while characterization was less evenly received. [56] Principal photography finished on July 2, 1996,[59] two days over schedule but still under budget. It was still a box office success, earning £8,735,340 to become the highest grossing film in the series in that territory until the release of the Star Trek reboot film in 2009. In the film, the crew of the USS Enterprise-E travel back in time from the 24th century to the mid-21st century in order to stop the cybernetic Borg from conquering Earth by changing their past. Star Trek First Contact is easily one of the best instalments of the franchise to date. "And since we figured a lot of the background action in the space battle would need to be done with computer-generated ships that needed to be built from scratch anyway, I realized there was no reason not to do some new designs."