Before Star Trek: The Motion Picture reached theaters, its visual effects production was already becoming legendary… for all the wrong reasons.
This week on The Trek Files, Larry Nemecek welcomes visual effects veteran Stuart Ziff for a firsthand account of the chaotic early days of TMP production under Robert Abel & Associates. Using internal memos and legal correspondence from 1977 and 1978, Larry and Stu trace the rapidly escalating budget, the mounting pressure from Paramount, and the growing realization that the ambitious effects work was spiraling out of control.
But this isn’t just a story about production disaster. Stu shares what it was actually like inside Abel’s experimental effects operation during a revolutionary moment in Hollywood filmmaking, where engineers, artists, and filmmakers were inventing techniques on the fly in the years between Star Wars and the digital era.
Along the way, Stu reveals how some of his work survived the production shakeup and made it into the finished film, including contributions to the unforgettable V’Ger probe sequence aboard the Enterprise bridge.
It’s a candid look at one of the most turbulent creative periods in Star Trek history, and a reminder that sometimes cinematic magic emerges from absolute chaos.
Documents and additional references:
The Trek Files Season 15 on Memory Alpha
All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha
Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.
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In this supplemental episode of Mission Log: Prodigy, Char and Marina welcome writer Jennifer Muro to the show. Muro has worked with several well-known franchises, such as DC, Marvel, and Star Wars, but as a lifelong Star Trek fan, working on Star Trek has been one of her favorite experiences in her career. Char and Marina learn details about working on Prodigy’s second season, the contributions Jen’s most proud of, and tidbits about scenes cut from the four episodes she wrote for the show.
🌟 About Prodigy: Star Trek: Prodigy follows a group of young aliens who stumble upon an abandoned Starfleet ship, igniting an adventure to seek a better future. Packed with thrilling adventures, moral lessons, and the iconic Star Trek values, this series captivates audiences with its compelling storytelling and dynamic characters.
🔍 In This Episode:
Our hosts break down the Messages, Morals, and Meanings woven into this episode.
Explore how the events of this episode fit into the bigger picture of the season’s storyline.
We’ll discuss pivotal moments, major character developments, and what this episode reveals about the characters’ journeys.
Uncover connections to previous Star Trek lore and explore how this episode ties into the larger Star Trek universe.
💬 Join the Conversation: We want to hear your thoughts! What messages stood out to you? How do you think this episode shapes the season’s narrative? Share your theories and reactions with us by leaving a comment!
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Marina Kravchuk: Twitter | Instagram Marina’s Trek Events Database: Trek Calendar
Mission Log: Prodigy is produced by Roddenberry Entertainment. Executive Producer: Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry. For more great content, visit Roddenberry Podcasts.
Produced and edited by Earl Green.
💖 Support the Show: Join our Patreon community for just $1/month and get access to our exclusive Discord, where you can chat about Prodigy and more with fellow fans! Your support helps us continue to bring in-depth analysis to the Star Trek universe. Visit https://www.Patreon.com/MissionLog
Thank you for listening, and let’s keep exploring the stars together!
As we bring this Mission Log: The Orville journey to a close, we’re excited to welcome back André Bormanis—author of The Guide to The Orville, science consultant for Star Trek, and a key creative force behind The Orville since its inception. André shares insights from working on all three seasons, reflects on the evolution of the show, and discusses his approach to blending science with storytelling.
🌟 And we’re thrilled to announce the winners of our Master Replicas giveaway!
🎉 Congratulations to all the winners! If you didn’t win this time, don’t worry—more exciting content and giveaways are coming your way.
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Support the Show: 🎙️ Join our exclusive Patreon community for as little as $1/month: https://www.patreon.com/missionlog
Credits: Technical Director: Earl Green Producer: John Champion Executive Producer: Eugene Roddenberry
Produced by Roddenberry Entertainment | All Rights Reserved
She’s the voice of the computer on Star Trek Prodigy but when Bonnie Gordon isn’t acting or singing she’s hanging with some ghosts. That’s right chanteuse Bonnie Gordon loves ghosts! She tells host Clare Kramer and guest co-host Jake Marin all about how she first got into spirits, her most memorable paranormal encounters, and even how her an her mom have been written about in ghost hunting books. Only on Fanaddicts!
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
From unlikely beginnings – a character created to introduce music videos to UK audiences – sprang a trailblazing, underappreciated #cyberpunk chapter in American genre TV. Sci-Fi 5 reloads Max Headroom into your memory.
Follow Sci-Fi 5 for your daily dose of science-fiction history.
Written by Shane Vaughn
Hosted by Ryan Myers
Music by Devin Curry
The 44th edition of popular science fiction convention Shore Leave is coming up, and there are some changes afoot. Michael Schilling joined me to talk about them, plus the convention’s history and the celebrity guests you can expect to see if you attend. I’m T. Rick Jones and this is your Daily Star Trek News.
Shore Leave website: https://www.shore-leave.com/
Shore Leave on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShoreLeaveCon
Shore Leave on X: https://twitter.com/ShoreLeaveCon
Tim Russ joins Mission Log for a wide-ranging conversation about his life before, during, and after Star Trek: Voyager. From music to directing, from the discipline of Tuvok to the chaos of television production, Tim shares stories from a career that stretches far beyond the Delta Quadrant. Along the way, we dig into how characters are shaped, how stories are told, and why sometimes the most logical approach isn’t enough.
Mission Log welcomes Tim Russ for a conversation that goes well beyond “fascinating.”
Hosted by John Champion and Earl Green
Welcome to Mission Log, a Roddenberry Entertainment podcast, where we explore the Star Trek universe one episode at a time. Each week, Mission Log examines a single episode of Star Trek, diving into its ethical subtext, metaphors, and cultural significance. From the show’s most iconic moments to its hidden gems, we analyze what makes Star Trek one of the greatest science fiction sagas of all time. In every episode of Mission Log we…
Join the Conversation: For as little as $1 a month, you can gain access to our exclusive Discord Community! There, we continue the discussion with dedicated channels and weekly video chats with the hosts. Become a member of our Patreon today! https://www.Patreon.com/MissionLog
SPECIAL THANKS the supporters of this week’s show: Chris Garis, Julie Miller, Stuart, Michael Park, Paul Shadwell, Matt Esposito, Alan Simonis, Mike Richards, David Takechi, Mike Schiable, VADM Erickson, and Lars Seme Thanks to all of our Patreon Supporters https://www.missionlogpodcast.com/sponsors/ Want to share your thoughts on an upcoming episode? Email us at MissionLog@Roddenberry.com for a chance to be featured during the episode. Follow us on Social Media:
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Our shows are part of the Roddenberry Entertainment family. For more great shows and to learn more about how we live the legacy of Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek, follow us here:
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY:Listeners like you – Support Mission Log on Patreon for early access to shows and the Mission Log Discord!
Subscribe and Stay Updated:Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your preferred podcast player, leave a review, and join Mission Log on the journey of weekly deep dives into the Star Trek universe. Technical Director – Earl Green Producer – John Champion Associate Producer – Jessica Lynn Verdi Executive Producer – Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry Roddenberry Entertainment | All Rights Reserved
Welcome to Gene-ology, a podcast by Roddenberry Entertainment that dives deep into the early TV writing works of Gene Roddenberry.
It features Lee Marvin in front of a high-tech viewscreen, but this is no starship – Gene-ology opens its investigation into a very unusual foray into “true crime” with Gene Roddenberry adapting the particulars of a notorious Seattle murder case into dramatic form. It’s also a career milestone for Gene: the last script he would write for a show that he didn’t also create.
Hosted by Earl Green & Ashley Thomas
About Gene-ology
Gene-ology explores Gene Roddenberry’s early television scripts, including his lesser-known works before Star Trek using the Mission Log format popularized by Roddenberry Podcasts. We analyze the themes, writing style, and cultural impact of his scripts, and we even unearth stories from the Roddenberry archives that were never produced. Join us as we trace the roots of Gene’s creative genius.
In This Episode
A breakdown of key moments and themes in “Queen Anne Killer Unidentified: The Michael Olds Story”.
Exploring Gene Roddenberry’s evolving style and storytelling.
How this episode ties into the broader TV landscape of the time and reflects the early seeds of Roddenberry’s visionary work.
Guest stars and unique production elements that bring this episode to life.
Join the Conversation What did you think of this episode? Share your thoughts, theories, and favorite moments in the comments or reach out to us on social media or email us at missionlog@roddenberry.com
Did you know Roddenberry Podcasts is on YouTube? Find the video versions of your favorite shows like Mission Log: Prodigy, Mission Log: The Orville, as well as exclusive content only available on YouTube.
Subscribe now! https://www.youtube.com/@RoddenberryEntertainment?sub_confirmation=1
Follow us on Social Media: INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/roddenberrypodcasts BLUESKY https://bsky.app/profile/roddenberrypod.bsky.social THREADS https://www.threads.net/@roddenberrypodcasts FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/MissionLogPod
Our shows are part of the Roddenberry Entertainment family. For more great shows and to learn how we live the legacy of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, follow us here: RODDENBERRY PODCASTS https://www.instagram.com/RoddenberryPodcasts RODDENBERRY ENTERTAINMENT https://www.instagram.com/RoddenberryOfficial RODDENBERRY FOUNDATION https://www.instagram.com/TheRoddenberryFoundation
Support the Show For as little as $1 a month, you can gain access to our Mission Log Discord Community! There, we continue the discussion with dedicated channels and a weekly video chat with the hosts. Become a member of our Patreon today! https://www.Patreon.com/MissionLog
Subscribe and Stay Tuned Be sure to subscribe to Gene-ology for more deep dives into Gene Roddenberry’s early works. New episodes are released regularly as we uncover more of Gene’s television legacy.
–
Gene-ology is produced by Roddenberry Entertainment. Executive producer Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry. Visit https://Podcasts.Roddenberry.com for more great content. Edited by Earl Green.
The Trek Files 
Mission Log: Prodigy 
Does it Fly? 
Mission Log Live 
Mission Log: Gene-ology 
Fanaddicts 
Quoting Gene Roddenberry 
Sci-Fi 5 
Mission Log 
Mission Log: The Orville