AU or Not AU?

[Alelou]

Enterprise had basically the same production staff as Voyager and TNG, maybe smaller because they were down to one show (or did they have a movie going?). Same Paramount lot, same offices, and actually the sets and costumes and so forth were probably cheaper because they recycled so much from the older series. They didn't let the actors direct because the suits up above sent the dictum down that they didn't want any inexperienced directors. It was their way of trying to make sure they didn't have any cost overruns. It was too bad. For a lot of the Voyager and TNG actors, that chance to direct really kept their careers going and must have made the Star Trek curse much easier to deal with.

Maybe seven years is when the actors and producers renegotiate? Costs would inevitably go up.

[Silverbullet]

Alelou, How can you say the Suits didn't want any inexperienced Actors directing when the "b level" Actors Who got to direct Episodes were inexperieced. Most of them had only directed one or none before Directing an Enterprise Episode. I have read that the genrallly floped their first try..So Connor who at least had a Masters degree in directing and probably had some experience in it from school ceertainly could hae done no worse that the "B" types. Doesn't make any sense to deny Cooonor and allow actors from other Star Trek series to direct.

[pdsldl]

SB which directors are you talking about. Levar Burton, Roxanne Dawson and others I can't remember at the moment had directed other Star Trek series and other shows as well. Connor may not have wanted to direct. I haven't seen many of his interviews, so did anyone ever ask if he wanted to and was turned down?

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

Having a show made in LA is pretty expensive too, mainly due to union regulations and stuff like that. That's why some shows are now made across the border in Canada. That's why the generic Vasquez Rocks planet from LA had been replaced by the generic Pine Forest planet from Vancouver on shows like Stargate Atlantis and the new Battelstar Galactica.

[WarpGirl]

OK I'm confused what does the production of ST have to do with whether we like (or don't like) AU's?

[Silverbullet]

Warpgirl, wandered off Topic a Tad

[Alelou]

And continuing to wander off topic, yes, I believe I saw CT address the directing question either in an interview online or perhaps at the con we attended. I thought he said he would have liked to try directing ST. But having studied directing and successfully directing an episode for television are not the same thing -- colleges generally focus on theater and directing a play is very, very different. In TV, going over production by just one day is a financial catastrophe. An inexperienced director can also take a good script and make it come out blah. So the suits had some reason for their decision even though personally I think it's regrettable.

[Alelou]

An anonymous lurker with excellent research skills pulled together this trove of information for us:

I saw your new post in TRIS thread "AU or Not AU?" and am sending link to Connor's proper interview:
http://connortrinneer.net/2006_Dec_06.php

It was at December 2006 in "The SciFi World"
"Linda Craddock:
Do you have any plans for writing/directing/producing television or movies?
Connor Trinneer:
Well I had hoped to have an opportunity to direct some of the Enterprise episodes but the climate in which we were under the studio, they didn't want to have any first time directors so yeah it's still in the back of my mind that I'd like to do some directing. Writing is always a possibility but you know I've got a one year old, so you got to pick what your projects are going to be. You know at this point in time I'm sticking with acting and focusing in on that."

And from November 2003 " Star Trek Monthly Issue N 110"
http://connortrinneer.net/2003_Nov.php

"STM:
Do you want to direct?
CONNOR TRINNEER:
I'd like to have that tool in my toolbox when I get out of here. I'm actually in a directing tutorial program. I'd love to have the opportunity to direct an episode or two before we get out of here. I'd be a good director - I could talk to actors, at least [laughs]."

And

http://www.gateworld.net/interviews/checkmate.shtml

Having experienced a series cancellation with Enterprise, Connor could sense that Atlantis might be in for a similar fate.
"I actually had dinner with Joe and Jason while I was up there doing this last episode and I asked them about that. I didn't want to be the dealer of bad news but I was like, "Have you thought about the possibility that you guys are going to be at a hundred? How are the ratings?" And blah blah blah. Ultimately it turned out to be true. I think it was a couple weeks out there that ...

GateWorld: Yeah, exactly. What did you think about that when you heard the show was cancelled? Were you surprised?

CT: I hate to say this, but no. I've gone through this before. We got 99 episodes out of Enterprise. Once you hit that century mark, or get close to it, and that means you're getting syndicated ..."

[Silverbullet]

Why does eveyone ignore the "B" level actors who directed Episodes? I doubt if any of them had Directing training other than watching an Episode being Directed. Conner also watched Episodes being directed. I believe I read somewhere that the "B" actors fouled up thier first one or two Directing attempts. If these B actors were allowed to direct Episodes I believe it is insulting to conner that he was denied an opportunity. He had a degree in Directing (which should have included Directing Movies and TV in addition to directing Plays.) Wonder what he could have done directig JB as they semed to get along well professionaly.

[Alelou]

It's probably exactly because some of the other actors fouled up their first attempts that the word came down not to let them do it on this show.

And I don't think it had anything to do with whether they were 'B' actors or not. ST was just kind of cool about letting their actors try stuff like that, much as they were cool about considering outside people's scripts. It probably helped them recruit actors when the fear of getting typecast as a ST actor was a real phenomenon. I'm sure they would have been game for it on Enterprise too if they hadn't been told to cut it out by upper management. And I don't mean BnB, I mean studio management or UPN.

[WarpGirl]

OK if we're not ever going to go on topic again, I have to say that I LOVE LOVE ST actors directing. They did amazing things, and most of them have made second careers out of it. Robbie McNeill has been getting prestigous awards, so has Jonathan Frakes (who helmed the best ST TNG Movie EVER!) LeVar Burton, and Roxann Dawson have been doing amazing work. Also ST doesn't really have a whole lot of "B actors" There are a few, but the majority are exceptional preformers. Unfortunately, show business gives very few chances to actors who do sci-fi to become famous for anything the being pop culture trivia answers. Also a lot of "A" actors either got started on ST or adore it. So come on, there is no "B" list on ST actors who also direct. The writing on the other hand they have no control over. So if you don't like an episode don't balme the director.

[Aquarius]

Thank you, Lurker!

[WarpGirl]

Huh? I'm not a lurker. See my name is right up there, WarpGirl that's me. Are we ever going OT again?

[JadziaKathryn]

According to IMDB, Roxann Dawson directed 10 ENT episodes. I personally liked "Riddles," the VOY episode she directed. Trek has had some people who've done well acting and directing. However, I can see where if you're a studio exec, you're going to be nervous about the potential for things to go wrong. Of course, the experienced people can also really foul things up...

[Aquarius]

Huh? I'm not a lurker. See my name is right up there, WarpGirl that's me. Are we ever going OT again?

I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to the aforementioned anonymous lurker who provided the information that Alelou reposted on his/her behalf.

Sorry.