Lots of questions about what was on the Nemesis set in regard to the gold ships, and here is a quick follow up answer with pics. For Insurrection I was asked to make three more of each ship for the Observation lounge. By this time the Enterprise “B”, “C”, and “E” kits were available, so those were used instead of what was done previously. The kits were all filled with resin again and plated; the script changed after these were built, and they were no longer needed,,,, on top of that, I paid for everything out of pocket, and because the work was written out and I hadn’t submitted an invoice. I got stuck with the bill,,, So in return they let me keep the models,,, A few years later Nemesis came to be and all those ships were used, but this time they wanted to have 12 ships spread across two cases. So in addition to the 3 sets of the original 6 ships, I built a Voyager, Excelsior, Grissom, Reliant, The Space Shuttle STS-1, and the Enterprise carrier CV-65. I had already given the previously plated models to John Dwyer to start setting in the case. I got the other ships done in about a week and took them to the stage and he had already filled the cases twice with doubles of the original 6. It was too much work to take out and replace the dups with the new so they didn’t make it on the big screen, but they did wind up at my house again. Here are some dusty pics of the ones that didn’t make it!
Voyager
Grissom, and Excelsior in the back
Reliant
Reliant from the rear
Nemesis version of the Observation Lounge -- right side
Nemesis version of the Observation Lounge -- left side
Eavesdropping with Johnny 
Ooh, a golden Voyager! I like *that* one!! For my Christmas wish list, I’ll take a Voyager and a big “E”…oh, their not for sale? :sniff: Of course, I like ’em all, really! 😉
Btw, nice sleeping bag display, there!
it made a very nice and soft set piece
What was the reason for the set change? If I remember the movies and the set plans I’ve seen, the FC bridge/obs lounge was all one big set. Why did they change that?
it was changed from the Ob. lounge in Insurrection to be a completely different set as per the script change,,, the set was already going up so some quick drafting changes made it into what you see on film,,, If I am not mistaken the dialog never changed and I think they mention that the reception is in the Observation Lounge instead of fixing the lines to say reception room. For Nemesis it was meant to be an up grade to go along with the subtle changes on the exterior. in FC the doors were on either side of the display case, for the new set the doors have been moved to the outside adjoining walls making for a larger rear wall of set. It was an unnecessary change and I still am more fond of the first take.
John these are great. Shame they never made it into the finished film.
I never notice that the observation lounge was chenged for Nemesis. I am curious too as to why that was changed.
The one thing I loved about the Ent-D & E (FC) was the models on the wall of the observation lounge, as they stood out.
Bummer these didn’t make it into the case, it would have been really nice to tie the real-world history of the Enterprise (ala TMP and ENT) into the display as well as include other starships of the line.
I must say, the whole process sounds hopelessly sloppy. They get you to do this work, then don’t pay you for it, then don’t even use it? I don’t mean to denigrate any of the personalities involved (and certainly not you, John), but professional it ain’t. And what’s going on with the arrangement? Left o right and won it’s Nil, C, D, E, B, A. Huh? Down from right to left isn’t any better – Nil, D, B, C, E, A. Totally nonsensical.
I was just thinking “I hope they paid him the second time!” That’s a pretty shoddy way to treat the people who work for you. I have taken a fair amount of abuse over the years for the sake of making a living, so I try to be as gracious as possible to the people working for me.
It was a sloppy job who ever set them and with obvious lack or knowledge of alphabetical order,,, the little signs under neath didn’t even match what ship they were supposed to be with,,,and beyond our control to change em!!! OH well that’s how the cow farts I guess!
Now, now, cow farts are bad for the ozone layer…none of that!! HAA
lol… cow farts… I’ll have to use that one in future!
Another interesting story, I see… it would have been great to see those other models in place, too bad they didn’t make it. Talk about wasted effort… at least now we got to see them on your photos.
Did you also make the model of the Stargazer in Picard’s ready room?
Greg Jein built that beauty!!!
Wow – It would be great to go to a garage sale at your place!
Didn’t Rick and Andy build the Stargazer in Picard’s ready-room…
http://drexfiles.wordpress.com/2009/01/11/stargazer-kitbash-pictorial/
LLP,
deg
I’ll have to ask Greg what he used to have at the shop!!! he had all of this one in a box!!! I was told he built it but now there is a question to the validity of that claim!!! HMMMMM so many variations!
Maybe he built the actual filming model that came later. I’m just guessin’, but that would make sense, eh.
LLP,
deg
From what I understand, Rick Sternbach and Andy Probert built the Stargazer model for Picard’s ready room in the series, and Greg Jein built the filming miniature of the Stargazer for “The Battle” (and later re-uses).
I was thinking there was a gold-plated Constellation in Picard’s ready room on the movies and wondering if it was a new model or the same from the TV series, but now I realize he had a Sovereign instead. So my question would be if that one was made by you too…
Great ships BTW bud, and you built ’em all in a week???
LLP,
deg
Boy, must’ve cost a pretty penny to have those things plated. But in the end, you made out. Surely they are worth more than what you originally spent.
BTW John, the Space Shuttle Enterprise’s official designation is OV-101 (OV = Orbiter Vehicle). STS is the mission number. 😉
OV-102 Columbia, OV-103 Discovery, OV-104 Atlantis, OV-105 Endeavor, STA/OV-99 Challenger.
No NX-01, eh? Well, I guess nothing’s perfect 😉
not for the display case but I built and chromed one that appeared in a couple of Enterprise Episodes and made three more for the tour that’s going around right now,, currently the show is in Pennsylvania
Really? That’s awesome! Do you remember which eps? (Don’t think I ever noticed it, and I’ve become a massive ENT addict in the last couple years).
Woops, just saw that question’s already been answered in this thread. Ignore me.
Still very very cool.
I have to say, I liked the FC version more too, but some respect for the other members of the franchise is nice. No Defiant, though? 😉
But I’ll take that Golden Grissom off yer hands if you want. 😀
Where’d that kit come from, anyway? I always wanted one of the Grissom for me to (crappily) build.
years ago i got the molds from the ILM shooting miniature and that’s a casting from those molds
I was inspired by this golden Starships years ago and so I painted all my AMT and Revell models golden. (I have never been very good in painting details :-D) So today I have nine golden starships at home.
I have to say, I like the Nemesis conference room more. I like the new big screen. I think, you need such a big screen in a conference room and it is better placed than the two small screens in the conference room of the Enterprise-D.
But I wonder where you got when you went through the two doors on the bridge that formerly lead to the conference room? The doors on the bridge had not been shifted for Nemesis.
John what is up with the blog? I try to post some more photos for you, but it will not let me?
I reaaly don’t know how to answer that!!!! MATT!!!!!! we need your advice here!!!!
Same question here. Is that the old Sci-Fi Minatures vacuum form kit of the Grissom?
not the vacuform kit,,, i have the molds from the filming miniature of the Grissom so that’s a cast from those!
Not to nitpick (yeah, right ;)) but John Dwyer could’ve at least put the ships in order by their registries instead of the odd order they wound up in for Nemesis. They were in correct order in First Contact.
I’m loving the models. With the exception of the Grissom, I built all of those kits back in the day (and between the crappy display stands, crappy non-toxic glue that I thought was good and my cat, most of them wound up in pieces on the floor at one point or another.) Too bad the others you worked so hard on never got to be on screen. I’ve always felt bad for you guys who work so hard on something that winds up in a cut scene or not even being filmed at all. I bet that really sucks. It kind of makes sense to have the 2 cases filled up with all Enterprise models but it would also have been cool to have had other ships in the fleet in there.
^ Almost as bad as those actors or extras who must get excited about being in a movie only to find their scene(s) got cut out when they see the completed film.
Oh well, not all these ships might’ve made it to screen, but one of the traveling Star Trek exhibitions has a wall of metal plated ships including the space shuttle, at least one US navy ship and the NX-01, as well as the rest of the Enterprises. So the idea lives on.
haa that’s cool you saw that show I built those models too but their hollow not solid and love how the chrome turned out,,, you just can never touch the surface with bare skin!!!!!
Yeah those were in the version of the exhibit that came through Pheonix.
Oh, I didn’t see them, those are someone else’s Flickr pics I found in a search (going by the name San Diego Shooter). Hopefully one day the exhibition will travel across the pond to London. 🙂
What happens if you touch the models? You get a chromed finger, or something worse?
Love that plated NX! I’m gonna save that…I have the SOTL ISS Enterprise pic with the Defiant on my wallpaper right now. 🙂 For about another 30 minutes, anyway, and then the next gem will pop up.
John? What are you doing here on Saturday? It’s blogerific to see you here today. 🙂
Hey John, I have some photos from the Sothebys auction.
I hope you like them!
Enterprise TOS
Enterprise A
Wow Thanks Joe!!! I didn’t know any of those made it to the Sotherby’s auction and they do look nice all buffed out. those ships made it into both films FC and Nemesis except the “E which was only in Nemesis, Thanks for posting these and I am glad to see you were able to get them thru.
Enterprise B
Enterprise C
Enterprise D
Enterprise E
John, if you have the real molds or a cast from the real molds of the Grissom, would you consider doing some kind of reference post for the Star Trek modellers out there? Anything in that regard, I know would be appreciated. Measurements, pics, etc. Whatever you might provide would be awesome!
LOL, “That’s how the cow farts.”??? Way to shine John, way to shine. Honestly this film was so darkly lit that I was not aware of the set change till just now. Thanks for the pics or I wouldn’t believe it still.
~Mark~
Oooh – these are shiny! I´m not a big fan of the gold version of model kits, but these surely make a difference. They look spectacular…
Hey John It seems that When I post more then two links, the post never makes it to the blog. I have split up the links to two photo per post, but I am still waiting for the “Your comment is awaiting moderation” to be approved.
I have posted detail photos of all the models.
I hope you get them.
Joe Ralat
There ya go, Joe! I like those pretty golden ships; thanks for the links. 🙂
2+ URLs in a comment triggers the spam system since spam comments usually have lots of URLs in it. One of us just needs to make sure we approve your comments. I usually try and check on the pending approval catagory often.
Here’s a screenshot of the chromed Enterprise model from “Home”:
Oh, now that one looks just the perfect size for my living room! 🙂
Hey John —
Love the photos! Wasn’t the wall with the computer screen on it from the Nemesis version of the conference room the same set piece used on the NX Enterprise command center during the season with the MACOS?
love the display would love to build something similar to it, I’m glad you ended up with some of the models john at least we know they went to a good home.
It’s too bad these models didn’t get to be used on screen! Do you have them on display now? For my wife, starship models are the geek version of the giant deer head on the wall. LOL! Someday I’ll have my own private office where I can display my geek proudly! ;D
Latinum spacetoys! What fun!
Love the golden Voyager. Did you recreate that set at home?
Such beautiful display pieces, I bet those that appeared in TNG would sell for astronomical amounts. The set pics are superb too, so clean and detailed.
Nice to see them all together: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1v_1_hhWp84/SnusYeV0VyI/AAAAAAAABo8/NjkgcYon1WU/s1600-h/ships.jpg
Hello John,
I don’t know if anyone will see this post or not, as it looks like the last post was back in 2009. However, I was wondering if maybe you had access to the dimensions of the display cases for Star Trek Nemesis?
I’m looking to build and recreate the Star Trek Nemesis style – observation lounge.
Thank you for your time.
I’m leaving town for a week so if you remind me a week from now I’ll dig out the blue prints for you
Hello John,
I hope you had a good week. I started working on putting the AMT brand Star Trek models together. I have a thread started at http://www.okudagrams.com to show my progress. I hope I can recreate those displays as good as yours.
I was wondering, when you have a chance, could you tell me the dimensions for the display cases?
Thank you!
http://www.okudagrams.com/forum/showthread.php?2470-Observation-Lounge-Display-Cases&highlight=
How have you been John?
Any luck finding those dimensions by chance?