Deep Space Nine doc passes final stretch goal, will remaster select clips in HD.
Thanks to the support of more than 7,500 backers, the Deep Space Nine documentary What We Left Behind has passed its final stretch goal of $500,000. This means fans will be treated to something many never thought possible: DS9 in HD.
Well, not all of DS9. However, to present the documentary in the best possible light, Ira Steven Behr and team announced that for their final stretch goal, they would work with Doug Drexler, one of the lead special effect producers on DS9, to remaster select clips from the show for use in the documentary. While we don’t know which clips this goal entails, the prospect of getting even some material from DS9 in high definition just became a reality.
The previous stretch goals included lengthening the documentary to an hour and a half, creating an original orchestral score for the production, filming more cast interviews, and extending the writer’s room feature, where DS9’s original writing staff pitch a hypothetical season eight.
In the race for the $500,000 goal, more perks were also released for backers, including unique t-shirts, a bundle perk for the Las Vegas 2017 Star Trek convention, and a dinner with singer and DS9 actor James Darren and Behr himself. If you have yet to support the documentary, or just want to check out its amazing progress, visit its Indiegogo page.
The doc’s campaign has four days left, with an incredible $512,629 raised at time of writing. The doc’s original goal was $148,978.
Be sure to check out TrekNews.net’s exclusive interviews with director Adam Nimoy and Ira Steven Behr.
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Shawn Pock
March 7, 2017 at 1:34 pm
Correction: Vic Fontaine is the name of the character, not the actor. The actor is James Darren.
Kyle Alexander Hadyniak
March 7, 2017 at 8:36 pm
Thanks for the catch!
AlienFanatic
March 8, 2017 at 10:14 am
I think it’s time for Paramount/CBS to put up a DS:9 remaster on Kickstarter or Indiegogo. We all know that it’s not going to happen otherwise, since if TNG didn’t sell well in HD DS9 almost certainly won’t. But allowing fans to essentially pre-order the series, or contribute towards its remastering, they could at least guarantee to recoup a portion of the costs.
According to Robert Meyer, TNG cost about $70k per episode. I’d expect DS9 to cost closer to $100K per, due to more complexity and the fact that nearly five years have passed and costs (mostly labor) have likely gone up, though it’s also possible that remastering tools have gotten more automated. (Not being in the industry, I have no idea.) Do I think they could raise the roughly $18M to remaster the series? I doubt it.
But if Veronica Mars and MST3K can raise over $6M each, I’d expect that Star Trek could raise just as much. (Throw in the sweetener of a possible “final” episode that has Sisko returning from his time with The Prophets and include the new DS9 doc from indiegogo I can’t even imagine how high the contributions would go.)
I’d just like to see them try it to see where it goes.
jurassicbond
March 9, 2017 at 6:06 pm
It’s about time! I am so happy that there are those like myself who would love to have the show in HD. I would totally buy it. DS9 is my favorite series. There is currently an Indiegogo Deep Space Nine documentary Ira Steven Behr is pushing. I’m guessing the focus is to get enough money to shoot that documentary and then perhaps after that they can focus on getting the money for the Blu-ray of the show. But, again that’s just my speculation. I’m going to be hopeful and think good thoughts about the possibility of both these great things being a reality.