How Did They Make Gary Mitchell's & Dr. Elizabeth Dehner's Eyes Glow?

[Ro_Laren]

What "special effect" did they use to make the eyes of the actors playing Gary Mitchell's & Dr. Elizabeth Dehner's eyes "glow" in the episode Where No Man Has Gone Before? I'm guess it is some post-production special-effect vs. the actor's wearing the worlds most painful contacts. FYI, it has been a zillion years since I watched this episode.

 

[lurok]

Re: How Did They Make Gary Mitchell's & Dr. Elizabeth Dehner's Eyes Gl

Seconded. I've wondered about that as well

 

[Tosk]

Re: How Did They Make Gary Mitchell's & Dr. Elizabeth Dehner's Eyes Gl

They used contact lenses.

 

[Kirk1980]

Re: How Did They Make Gary Mitchell's & Dr. Elizabeth Dehner's Eyes Gl

Not just any contact lenses.... early 1960s ones. Very hot and uncomfortable. They were scleral lenses which allowed the effects department to get a thin sheet of foil between the layers of the lens. A pinhole was poked in them to allow the actors to see.

This had the knockon effect that Lockwood had to tilt his head up in order to see properly, giving him that sorta arrogant look. He wasn't being dramatic, he just couldn't see otherwise!

They were also HIGHLY uncomfortable. Heat built up behind them, driving Lockwood crazy. Kellerman, though, never showed discomfort. Then again, she didn't wear them as much, so who knows.

 

[sbk1234]

Re: How Did They Make Gary Mitchell's & Dr. Elizabeth Dehner's Eyes Gl

Well, first they took this spaceship and tried to leave the galaxy...

 

[Dalen Quaice]

Re: How Did They Make Gary Mitchell's & Dr. Elizabeth Dehner's Eyes Gl

They also used animation because the contacts didn't work in low light (since they were reflective) -- the scene where Gary is first struck by the barrier on the bridge and his eyes first turn is an example. When the act fades out, his eyes stay illuminated for a little longer before fading out.

 

[jayrath]

Re: How Did They Make Gary Mitchell's & Dr. Elizabeth Dehner's Eyes Gl

More to the point, pairs of contact lenses with aluminum foil sandwiched between. Ow!

 

[Garrovick]

Re: How Did They Make Gary Mitchell's & Dr. Elizabeth Dehner's Eyes Gl

They also used animation because the contacts didn't work in low light (since they were reflective) -- the scene where Gary is first struck by the barrier on the bridge and his eyes first turn is an example. When the act fades out, his eyes stay illuminated for a little longer before fading out.

I always kind of figured the bit during the fade-out where all you can see are two glowing eyes was an artistic decision to really emphasize the glowing eyes... it certainly made a big impression on me when I first saw the episode as a kid and I still think it's a very creepy moment.

 

[Sector 7]

Re: How Did They Make Gary Mitchell's & Dr. Elizabeth Dehner's Eyes Gl

Not just any contact lenses.... early 1960s ones. Very hot and uncomfortable. They were scleral lenses which allowed the effects department to get a thin sheet of foil between the layers of the lens. A pinhole was poked in them to allow the actors to see.

This had the knockon effect that Lockwood had to tilt his head up in order to see properly, giving him that sorta arrogant look. He wasn't being dramatic, he just couldn't see otherwise!

They were also HIGHLY uncomfortable. Heat built up behind them, driving Lockwood crazy. Kellerman, though, never showed discomfort. Then again, she didn't wear them as much, so who knows.

Thanks, Kirk1980. Like the others, I have always wondered how it was done.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Re: How Did They Make Gary Mitchell's & Dr. Elizabeth Dehner's Eyes Gl

Kellerman told a funny story about Lockwood screaming and cursing about the lenses.

 

[mos6507]

Re: How Did They Make Gary Mitchell's & Dr. Elizabeth Dehner's Eyes Gl

BTW, I hope you know the image posted is horizontally flipped

Oh, and note that the division symbols on the insignia don't match what eventually became the norm in TOS.

 

[Bishop76]

Re: How Did They Make Gary Mitchell's & Dr. Elizabeth Dehner's Eyes Gl

They're looking in a mirror in that scene

 

[mos6507]

Re: How Did They Make Gary Mitchell's & Dr. Elizabeth Dehner's Eyes Gl

Hah. Touche'. Good call. There's a famous shot in the TMP teaser where McCoy's flipped horizontally. These things happened now and then, and maybe I jumped the gun.

 

[Maurice]

Re: How Did They Make Gary Mitchell's & Dr. Elizabeth Dehner's Eyes Gl

Usually a flopped shot is an intentional editorial choice to compensate for a problem with actor eyelines.

 

[Bishop76]

Re: How Did They Make Gary Mitchell's & Dr. Elizabeth Dehner's Eyes Gl

No, seriously, they were looking in a mirror in that scene

 

[Kirk1980]

Re: How Did They Make Gary Mitchell's & Dr. Elizabeth Dehner's Eyes Gl

No, seriously, they were looking in a mirror in that scene

You are exactly right. Rewatched it the other day.

 

[Gov Kodos]

Re: How Did They Make Gary Mitchell's & Dr. Elizabeth Dehner's Eyes Gl

No, seriously, they were looking in a mirror in that scene

Heck, you can see the edge of the mirror on the left hand side of the image and how Gary's reflection is cut off on the arm on the way down.

 

[Maurice]

Re: How Did They Make Gary Mitchell's & Dr. Elizabeth Dehner's Eyes Gl

Usually a flopped shot is an intentional editorial choice to compensate for a problem with actor eyelines.

No, seriously, they were looking in a mirror in that scene

I dunno if that was aimed at me. My comment was a general one about why flopped shots make it into shows, not about this specific instance.

 

[lurok]

Re: How Did They Make Gary Mitchell's & Dr. Elizabeth Dehner's Eyes Gl

Some of us got that.

 

[Dalen Quaice]

Re: How Did They Make Gary Mitchell's & Dr. Elizabeth Dehner's Eyes Gl

There was a flopped shot in the opening of The Enemy Within as the camera booms down the rocks. I think some bright tech fixed it on one of the remastered versions thinking he could do better than the original editors... but it was certainly there when it aired. It was intentional.

There is another flipped shot on the Bridge when Kirk confronts the evil Kirk.