Animated STAR TREK Short "The Element of Surprise"

While ferrying several ambassadors to a conference on Ivor Prime, the U.S.S. Enterprise crew encounters a Naradan cargo vessel in apparent distress. However, there appears to be more to the ailing ship than meets the eye.

I created this short July 2008 out of several scene frame sets that I had created for the 30-minute Animated STAR TREK episode that I was working on, plus a dozen or so new scenes. Clearly, this short film is presented with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Several people have written to me wondering why Kirk acts so aggressively against the "cargo ship." I figured it was clear that it was not intended to be serious. It is a classic shaggy-dog story with the requisite long build-up to the joke's punch line. Part of the fun was that she talks so long that the bridge crew can only react to what she says. It is also a parody of the much-maligned limited animation technique where most of the story is conveyed with dialogue and little or no action. In reality, Kirk clearly would not destroy the ship after learning the future events, he would beam aboard a security team to commandeer the ship and then escort it back to the nearest Federation base. I just figured I'd have some fun with the short since it was only a proof-of-concept.

[More details can be found here: http://www.danhausertrek.com/AnimatedSeries/ES_Full.html]

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• STAR
• TREK
• animation
• 1970's
• Danhauser
• Filmation
• Saturday
• Morning
• TV
• cartoon
• precog
• precognitive
• seer

[DrejStinger1986]

What species is the gray character?

[CHDanhauser]

@DrejStinger1986 Ambassador Trelling, the purple-skinned woman, is a new species I created. She is a Pentaran precog from the planet Vix Pentari.

[jambec144]

Re-dubbed for some reason?

[CHDanhauser]

@jambec144 Not dubbed or re-dubbed. All new animation using the characters and backgrounds from the animated series speaking new lines telling a new story.

[Elephantintheroom01]

Great, they stopped the course of democracy.

Not that democracy is anything to get wild about, 49/51 votes and first past the post, as well as the funds needed to form a party can only come from rich investors who put their own interests before that of liberty.

[CHDanhauser]

@Elephantintheroom01 Actually, they saved the ambassador's life by not falling into the ambush - so that he can live to usher in the reforms that include democracy.

[Ceaaa22]

Yeah, I'd trust an alien in a yellow turtleneck.

[BrooklynChivalry]

Very Good, in both style and content!

I am impressed, You have successfully adapted the entire Filmation template in these productions, Lou Scheimer would be proud!

[DrejStinger1986]

@supressorgrid LOL! Very humorous tea reference! Coincidentally, Jean-Luc Picard likes Earl Grey tea; hot, of course.

[DrejStinger1986]

@Darkwintre I'm starting a series of written stories based around a new animated series. Would you like to subscribe to my account so I can send them to you?

[supressorgrid]

@DrejStinger1986 That would be an Earlgray from the planet Darjeeling.

[DrejStinger1986]

@CHDanhauser Oh...my mistake; thought she was gray. Pip-pip, carry on.

[cpuwrite]

Old writer's addage: show, don't tell. Too much telling, not enough showing.