# Color of the E-Refit Bridge dome



## Indy5000 (Sep 23, 2017)

Recently got my R2 re-pop of the ER. Is there an agreed-upon color for the refit bridge dome in TMP? All those shadows make it hard to get a good view.


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

Starship Modeler - Your Complete Information Source for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Real Space Scale Modeling then click on hardware reference and scroll down until you see a image of the refit and click on it and the first batch are of the refit. No screen grabs just the studio filming model with markings for the E-A.


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## Indy5000 (Sep 23, 2017)

Thanks for the link. :smile2:

I know they redid the TMP-E coloring a bit when making it the A - so they left the bridge (and maybe the B/C deck) color alone?


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

IIRC, The Bridge was recolored Gold in the E-A. But was hull colored on the Refit.


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## Indy5000 (Sep 23, 2017)

charonjr said:


> IIRC, The Bridge was recolored Gold in the E-A. But was hull colored on the Refit.


Thanks. I seem to remember it "blended" - but so hard to tell because it's very dark....and cold....in space...... :grin2:


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

charonjr said:


> IIRC, The Bridge was recolored Gold in the E-A. But was hull colored on the Refit.


I was aware the strong back colors had been changed but was not aware of the dome being repainted.


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

Here you go!


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## Indy5000 (Sep 23, 2017)

Yup - that's the "A" alright....

You'd think they would have taken nice clear color pics like that when it was still in it's "TMP" phase. Maybe somebody did - but ain't sharin'...


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## RICHjm (Jun 14, 2010)

There were pics taken,...but in B/W!


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## Indy5000 (Sep 23, 2017)

RICHjm said:


> There were pics taken,...but in B/W!


Yeah - hard to believe it was the late 70's and nobody had a roll of Kodachrome.


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

God! I MISSSSS Kodachrome! Although, there is a fellow who has figured out how to process it at home. But you have to buy the right chemicals to properly dye each emulsion layer, I believe C-41 process and develop for each individual color layer, with proper re-exposure to the right wavelength of light to make a reversal of the emulsion and develop again!

More or less....something something something....


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

I am guessing the best color footage of the Refit is what is in TMP during the saucer flyover by Kirk and Scott in spacedock.


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

Here are some screencaps from Trek Core (cropped for size). First, the "fly by" from TMP while the ship is being prepared to launch:










To me the dome appears to be the same color as the hull, as Charonjr mentioned above. Next is a shot from TMP of the bridge as the crew is turning on the lights, firing up the warp engines, and settling into their positions for the launch:










To me the dome now appears to be slightly translucent, the bridge lights affecting the color slightly.


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## Indy5000 (Sep 23, 2017)

Zombie_61 said:


> Here are some screencaps from Trek Core (cropped for size). First, the "fly by" from TMP while the ship is being prepared to launch:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for the pics - so hard to tell depending on light/shadowing. Plus, if the dome was done in pearlescent too, it might have some colour variance from the angle viewed. Maybe I will end up compromising with a light champagne gold if i decide that I can't decide... :grin2:


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## JeffBond (Dec 9, 2013)

The screen caps don't rule out the possibility of the bridge being a very light gold to my eye...


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

Too bad the model builders reference vault site went belly up, it had some real good photos of the refit.


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

Actually, I think JeffBond is correct. If you look closely at the first image, where the bridge dome blends into the docking housing, you can just make out a color shift from hull to gold, then above the bridge, the sensor dome support is hull color again, and the sensor dome is gold!


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

charonjr said:


> Actually, I think JeffBond is correct. If you look closely at the first image, where the bridge dome blends into the docking housing, you can just make out a color shift from hull to gold, then above the bridge, the sensor dome support is hull color again, and the sensor dome is gold!


That's definitely one of the problems associated with using screencaps to determine the true colors of things. In that first image I see slight color variations all over that section of the hull, bridge, and dome, that probably didn't exist on the model. But on the dome itself, on my monitor it appears to have the same color variations as the hull. In the second "lit" image the hull appears to be a more uniform "light gray" color ("Aztec" pattern aside), but the dome has a hint of the "champagne gold" that has been mentioned.

Ain't this fun? :freak:


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## SteveR (Aug 7, 2005)

If we _didn't_ know about the Enterprise-A, what would we think the top of the dome would be, based only on what we saw in TMP?

Personally, I see hull colour all the way, with the only accent being the pale grey accent seen in the first TMP shot.


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## Indy5000 (Sep 23, 2017)

SteveR said:


> If we _didn't_ know about the Enterprise-A, what would we think the top of the dome would be, based only on what we saw in TMP?
> 
> Personally, I see hull colour all the way, with the only accent being the pale grey accent seen in the first TMP shot.


I think it is almost impossible to be sure, leaving it up to the individual. Of course, if the individual is anal-retentive about such things, that doesn't help....:grin2:

For instance, there is the design that sits right under the bridge (R2 has it as a raised detail, but it is actually only painted-on in the miniature). In the EA, it is light blue. In the screen shot closeup of TMP here, it looks light gray. IF it was known that it was also light blue in the original TMP, maybe somebody with the tech smarts could colour-adjust it to the right blue to make the other colours adjacent to it pop out more clearly. But that would be assuming the original TMP colour for that detail was blue like it was on the EA....


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

I have to re-install Photoshop (which I don't know how to use hardly), but I will try upping the color saturation to see if the differences are distinct enough to clue us in....


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## robn1 (Nov 17, 2012)

It had a gold tint.


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

That's the 1701 Refit? I'll see if I can color correct that a bit....


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## Indy5000 (Sep 23, 2017)

robn1 said:


> It had a gold tint.


It looks like an auction. If so, wouldn't it already be the EA by then?

I just realized my thread title is a bit wrong - because there is the bridge itself (which is dome-shaped) and then there is the "dome- dome" - the part that was lit in the original E.

So my question is - both. :grin2: What was the bridge colour (dome#1) in TMP, and then, if different, what was the colour of the dome-dome (dome#2 part that was lit in TOS).

Ah...the world may never know....


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

robn1 said:


> It had a gold tint.


Actually that's the E-A and not the refit. If you take a good look at the NCC-1701 placement the refit's - is pretty much dead center while the - for the A is off center and to the right a bit.


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## swhite228 (Dec 31, 2003)

Enterprise A. photo by Karl Tate from Christies auction.


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## Indy5000 (Sep 23, 2017)

But TMP dome - dome - what colour is dome??!

My guess is champagne gold - subtle enough to be mistaken for hull colour in some angles.

And I still don't believe no one had some Kodachrome back then..

Because - it gives us the nice bright colours. Gives us the greens of summers. Makes you think all the world's just a sunny day...


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## robn1 (Nov 17, 2012)

irishtrek said:


> Actually that's the E-A and not the refit. If you take a good look at the NCC-1701 placement the refit's - is pretty much dead center while the - for the A is off center and to the right a bit.


Sorry guys. That shot came from Paul Olsen's website, I assumed it was one of his pics but he has a few shots of the A mixed in.


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## The_Engineer (Dec 8, 2012)

I checked the photo sets that I got a few years ago. The first set is of the Enterprise refit studio model after TMP and those are all in B&W unfortunately. There are 5 other sets that I have that are in colour, however those are the Enterprise-A so I don't have anything in colour before the E-A repaint.


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

Doesn't Bill George have images of TMP refit posted on IMGUR???


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## The_Engineer (Dec 8, 2012)

Looking at this from another angle - for TWOK the refit model was repainted to tone down the pearlescent (sp?) paint. ILM built the Reliant model, so wouldn't that get the same paint job as the repaint TMP refit model? I have seen colour photos of the Reliant studio model when it was built and the bridge dome looks hull colour.


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## Indy5000 (Sep 23, 2017)

The_Engineer said:


> Looking at this from another angle - for TWOK the refit model was repainted to tone down the pearlescent (sp?) paint. ILM built the Reliant model, so wouldn't that get the same paint job as the repaint TMP refit model? I have seen colour photos of the Reliant studio model when it was built and the bridge dome looks hull colour.


Now that's some inductive reasoning. :grin2:

However, ILM had a pretty free hand with a new creation, even with the requirement to make it fit starfleet visuals. Is there the painted-on detail under the bridge (a raised detail in R2, model) and is it light blue?

Too bad there is no 2ndary hull with a strongback color to key off of.


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## holt35 (Aug 15, 2013)

The_Engineer said:


> Looking at this from another angle - for TWOK the refit model was repainted to tone down the pearlescent (sp?) paint. ILM built the Reliant model, so wouldn't that get the same paint job as the repaint TMP refit model? I have seen colour photos of the Reliant studio model when it was built and the bridge dome looks hull colour.


ILM didn't repaint the refit for Star Trek 2 all they did was spray the model with dull coat to take the pearl effect away as it was punching holes in the blue screen when filming the model. I can tell you for sure that ILM didn't paint any of the ships they made with pearlescent so the Reliant wasn't painted the same. 

The Reliants bridge dome is silver in color with a red stripe going around it.


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## SteveR (Aug 7, 2005)

I think we might have a gold cap on the dome. 

Given that the original looked slightly neutral, while the rest of the ship looked pale blue, I attempted to neutralize the ship and up the saturation to bring out the gold, if it's there.

So subtle, though.
But it looks as if we also have a thin duck egg's blue stripe above the B-C decks, at the same level as the lights.


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## The_Engineer (Dec 8, 2012)

With the photos of the Enterprise refit, the bridge looks mostly hull colour, but you can see a small goldish splotch in some of them. I agree with SteveR that if it's there then it's subtle. With the Reliant pictures, there's 2 that I have (I think they are auction pictures) where the model is renamed 'USS Saratoga NCC-31911 and under the bridge dome (the top forward edge of deck 2/3) has 9 dark spots. I can't tell if they are flat painted on or raised bumps though.


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## NTRPRZ (Feb 23, 1999)

Somewhere I've got Kodachrome photos of the Enterprise when it was at the Smithsonian in 1992. They were published in CultTVMan's 2002 Ultimate Modeling Guide to Classic Sci-Fi Movies; although the larger photos were published in black and white, the center section of the book has a smaller color photo. To my eye, the dome is a champagne gold color.

Perhaps Steve can find those photos?


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## Indy5000 (Sep 23, 2017)

NTRPRZ said:


> Somewhere I've got Kodachrome photos of the Enterprise when it was at the Smithsonian in 1992. They were published in CultTVMan's 2002 Ultimate Modeling Guide to Classic Sci-Fi Movies; although the larger photos were published in black and white, the center section of the book has a smaller color photo. To my eye, the dome is a champagne gold color.
> 
> Perhaps Steve can find those photos?


This is what I found - https://culttvman.com/main/culttvmans-enterprise-smithsonian-photos-1992/

Too far to see anything. Maybe there are unpublished ones - though it looks like they are hanging from the ceiling, so no way to get a top-down shot.


Oooops - that is the "A" already in 1992 - so confounded again.....


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## SteveR (Aug 7, 2005)

Darn thing's a unicorn. Bigfoot. Loch Ness monster.


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## Indy5000 (Sep 23, 2017)

SteveR said:


> I think we might have a gold cap on the dome.
> 
> Given that the original looked slightly neutral, while the rest of the ship looked pale blue, I attempted to neutralize the ship and up the saturation to bring out the gold, if it's there.
> 
> ...



Hate to add one more thing into the mix :frown2: - but, since in that picture the parallel rows of lights from the space dock appear to be warm-white in colour, that might cast a tinge of "gold-ish" onto the dome (maybe?). I was looking at the image and thought - "well, now the top of the nacelles have a gold-ish tinge to them too..."


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## alensatemybuick (Sep 27, 2015)

The front of the bridge module is gold. The dome is silver except for a hull-colored band / "tabs" at the very base (as is the lower dome). See publicity photos from TMP:


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## Indy5000 (Sep 23, 2017)

alensatemybuick said:


> The front of the bridge module is gold. The dome is silver except for a hull-colored band / "tabs" at the very base (as is the lower dome). See publicity photos from TMP:


WE MAY HAVE A WINNAH!!! :grin2:

...and why the heck do those reaction thrusters look like they don't line up....?

- Just looked on the R2 model - looking at it from that angle, the thrusters do have an illusion of being off-kilter. Probably because the lower part of the saucer has a slightly smaller diameter...


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## alensatemybuick (Sep 27, 2015)

Some so-so resolution versions of the Cibachrome prints that are in the opinion of some (myself included), the most beautiful images ever captures of the TMP E (the 4th is the same as those posted above). I have missed out on a couple chances to own some originals, but hope to someday.










































Also a couple "Ektacolor" shots of the big E being filmed in drydock I found using the Google machine:


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## Indy5000 (Sep 23, 2017)

alensatemybuick said:


> Some so-so resolution versions of the Cibachrome prints that are in the opinion of some (myself included), the most beautiful images ever captures of the TMP E (the 4th is the same as those posted above). I have missed out on a couple chances to own some originals, but hope to someday.


Thanks for posting those pics - it's been a while since I saw them and forgot.

That's the E-Refit I liked most. Story-wise, it was still supposed to have some of the TOS E in it (yeah, yeah, I know - but that's the official story) - so was at least in the Trek world, linked to the past. Then it went bye-bye in STIII. 

I don't think the refit ever looked better than in that 1st movie...


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## alensatemybuick (Sep 27, 2015)

Those shots also show a surprising amount of blue (surprising to me at least until I first saw them), on the leading edge of the nacelles and pylons, and elsewhere. I think the film tended to wash that color out - as with the bridge module gold.


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## bigjimslade (Oct 9, 2005)

Just to make things complex, I point out that in the DVD version of STTMP, there are at least three sources of the dome: (1) 120" model; (2) the model in the Spock Shuttle Scenes; and (3) the foundation imaging model.

In the latter (where the color can be most clearly seen), the color of the dome is a very pale gold.


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## alensatemybuick (Sep 27, 2015)

Complex apparently means comparing CGI work to the original miniature.


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

alensatemybuick said:


> Those shots also show a surprising amount of blue (surprising to me at least until I first saw them), on the leading edge of the nacelles and pylons, and elsewhere. I think the film tended to wash that color out - as with the bridge module gold.


The refit was painted with those leading edges a blue/grey.


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## 67657 (Mar 4, 2010)

...


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## SteveR (Aug 7, 2005)

Corrected link (the right bracket was outside the tag):



wraithverge said:


> Constitution-class model (refit) | Memory Alpha | FANDOM powered by Wikia


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