The transporter effects

[johnnybear]

I just wanted to know what are people's opinions about the TOS transporter? It's style and the FX effects when people materialise down to a planet or return to the ship.
For myself I've always much preferred the original effects against that of the swirling light storm of the movies and the later tv series'! I think the Enterprise beaming people down to a primitive planet or even to a military complex in the far flung past on earth did not draw attention to the survey teams or like Kirk and Sulu at the air base. (unless someone was actually watching at then time they came into being)
In the films you couldn't do a secret mission into the past or say on an alien ship and culture that was without transporter technology or on a world protected by the Prime Directive due to the civilization being a century or so behind learning space flight as it would draw too much attention. I noticed that in Picard today they are still using the light show extravaganza when beaming people here or there and that Riker, Worf and Raffi beaming into the Daystrom Institute would have drawn a great deal of attention from the security devices, a lot more say than Kirk's stand still and fizzy dust fading in and out.
What are other people's thoughts on this?
JB

 

[Warped9]

I have always loved the TOS transporter fx and still prefer them over anything thats been done since.

 

[Metryq]

I prefer the TOS style, too. It looks like energy, while so many of the follow-ups look like back-lit film animation. Digital techniques can produce "organic" shots, but it depends on the skill of the artist and the taste of the movie director.

Steven Gould's "Jumper" books (Jumper, Reflex, Impulse and Exo) follow a character who can teleport at will. Jumping is described as looking like a cheap in-camera trick, where the character simply pops into or out of view with no audible swish or pop, no flash of light or other theatrics. This is just as well, for the character does a lot of discreet things with his talent. (The series invents lots of different things that can be done with such a skill. They are "juvenile" novels, but recommended.)

Meanwhile, the movie allegedly "based" on the first Jumper book bears less likeness to the original than the James Bond movies to the books. The moviemakers decided each jump had to arrive like an earthquake, and the following rumble accompanied by a "jump scar" hanging in air. (This allowed the "Watchers," yes just like those in the Highlander TV series, and which did not exist in the books, to ride the jumper's coat-tails through the "wormhole.")

TOS had class.

 

[Henoch]

Love the TOS beaming effect best. Transporter beaming should have some technical progression in speed and "accuracy" over Star Trek's history. At least, time for beaming should have started off slower when first invented, and by the 24th century, very brief, but the sparkle effect should be the same since it's all based off the same technobabble principle.

 

[Phaser Two]

TOS was by far the best, from the viz effects to the absolutely wonderful sound effects - not just the "energizing" sounds, but the really cool wailing high notes that would accompany the later stages of beamout or the first stages of beamin.

For what it's worth, I noticed with delight and glee that Picard S3 has incorporated some of those very sounds into its transporter process.

 

[Ronald Held]

Have to agree TOS had the best visual and sound effects.

 

[Qonundrum]

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TOS for the win.

There's no talking or other movement while in the beam and while it forms. There's no overly done camerawork and whirly sparkly blendy things to ratchet up the fantastical aspect and element - though at the same time, the f/x teams did some AMAZING work to achieve the effects in the 21st century shows. These are definitely two very separate issues. Anyway, the TOS multi-layered effect is robust enough, and is ironically the easiest to engage in suspension of disbelief for.

Sorta wish they included the Klingon beam from "Day of the Dove" as well... so here it is:

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(1:25 in)

 

[Phaser Two]

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TOS for the win.

There's no talking or other movement while in the beam and while it forms. There's no overly done camerawork and whirly sparkly blendy things to ratchet up the fantastical aspect and element - though at the same time, the f/x teams did some AMAZING work to achieve the effects in the 21st century shows. These are definitely two very separate issues. Anyway, the TOS multi-layered effect is robust enough, and is ironically the easiest to engage in suspension of disbelief for.

Sorta wish they included the Klingon beam from "Day of the Dove" as well... so here it is:

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(1:25 in)

OMG, what an outstanding teaser!! Thanks for posting it.

 

[STEPhon IT]

I just wanted to know what are people's opinions about the TOS transporter? It's style and the FX effects when people materialise down to a planet or return to the ship.
For myself I've always much preferred the original effects against that of the swirling light storm of the movies and the later tv series'! I think the Enterprise beaming people down to a primitive planet or even to a military complex in the far flung past on earth did not draw attention to the survey teams or like Kirk and Sulu at the air base. (unless someone was actually watching at then time they came into being)
In the films you couldn't do a secret mission into the past or say on an alien ship and culture that was without transporter technology or on a world protected by the Prime Directive due to the civilization being a century or so behind learning space flight as it would draw too much attention. I noticed that in Picard today they are still using the light show extravaganza when beaming people here or there and that Riker, Worf and Raffi beaming into the Daystrom Institute would have drawn a great deal of attention from the security devices, a lot more say than Kirk's stand still and fizzy dust fading in and out.
What are other people's thoughts on this?
JB

I loved the Transporter effect from TOS, still think it was well thought out; the energy pattern would emanate from the torso and then spread out so the machine would start the process from a solid part of the body and then disburse through the remains. The movies allowed ILM to do whatever appeared flashy and never had the same impact IMO; it trickled down to TNG, but I did noticed DS9's Cardassian Transporter effect felt more reminiscent to TOS. VOY and ENT was pretty weak, but I thought JJTrek's Transporter effect was as close to the concept.

I have to add a special nod to the fan film Starship Exeter "The Tressaurian Intersection" I really enjoyed the spirit of what was done, and it still holds up, far more than the other lavish fanfilm productions with higher budgets. That one holds a special place in my heart.

 

[Warped9]

I didn’t like the TMP transporter fx. And while TWOK version wasn’t bad there seemed to be no consistency throughout the films. TNG wasn’t bad.

 

[Ssosmcin]

The films always did that: they’d introduce a new version of a traditional effect in the first film we see it in and then subsequent films make them faster and more streamlined. But, to be fair, the transporter sequence in The Cage is a lot more complex and gradual than mater episodes.

In TMP, the new Warp effect was full of streaking lights, a big flash and the entire background moved. TWOK dialed it back and then it became just a rainbow streak.

After they changed the transporter to the slow falling energy balls and the “split” it got faster and less complex in subsequent films.

The transporter effect in Generations was awful, taking the shape of the transporter pads. It was as weird as TMP. The effect from FC through NEM looked good though.

The TOS effects are, like a lot of you, still my favorite but there were times when it looked less impressive. The Ultimate Computer, for example.

 

[Ronald Held]

I wonder if this thread should be cross posted to TrekTech, since non TOS effects are mentioned?

 

[STEPhon IT]

The TOS effects are, like a lot of you, still my favorite but there were times when it looked less impressive. The Ultimate Computer, for example.

I wonder when the effect didn't work was because it was a last minute afterthought and was rushed to be implemented?

 

[Commishsleer]

The sound effects of the TOS transporter are mysterious and futuristic. They help make it. I suppose it set up the sense of wonder that something like TNG didn't need is an already established universe.

 

[drt]

Love the TOS beaming effect best. Transporter beaming should have some technical progression in speed and "accuracy" over Star Trek's history. At least, time for beaming should have started off slower when first invented, and by the 24th century, very brief, but the sparkle effect should be the same since it's all based off the same technobabble principle.

Yeah, all the alien transporters probably should not have been so varied for similar reasons.

For what it's worth, I noticed with delight and glee that Picard S3 has incorporated some of those very sounds into its transporter process.

The Picard S3 transporters have a strangely energetic, almost violent, quality to them.

 

[STEPhon IT]

Wow. I'm watching PICARD and I don't even remember what the transporter energy looked like. I will pay attention in the next episode.

 

[Qonundrum]

I didn’t like the TMP transporter fx. And while TWOK version wasn’t bad there seemed to be no consistency throughout the films. TNG wasn’t bad.

Thanks for the memory.

I bet the real reason Sonak and co. got mangled is because they saw the groovy studio 54 flower effect and promptly screamed "OMG THAT'S UGLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYY *GAAAAAAAAH!!*" then tried running away from it... you can see them squirming right enough...

TNG's effects were solid, save for everyone moving around while forming and I always thought that was an odd bit of laziness in the editing department, but since then decided it's just a technological development where someone's innards are still in "half-completed jigsaw puzzle mode" yet they can breathe and talk normally and with no agony or anything. TWOK's is a great looking effect, but they have Saavik babbling during the beaming, with the other beamers able to listen to it all without noisy or other distractions (much less if their eardrums hadn't been fully reconstituted yet...)

 

[Warped9]

Yep, I always thought Saavik talking during the beaming process was totally dumb as shit.

 

[1001001]

Yep, I always thought Saavik talking during the beaming process was totally dumb as shit.

I've always hated this too. Kirk talking during beam out in TUC?

Of course, since it's made up there's no "real" about the process, but it seems to me you should not be able to move or talk once the cycle has begun.

 

[STEPhon IT]

I agree with both of you after TWOK it became a trend, I recall Gillian screamed while being transported to the Bounty in TVH.