year 44 issue 6 | fan fusion | Dragonfly | trek exhibit | odo’s new threads 08 07 04 10 06 05

our 44th year . Issue 6 . JULY / AUGUST 2019

CANAPT I Kim Smith EDITOR/DESIGNER David Matteson Special thanks to David Bluestein FIRST OFFICER Annette Sexton-Ruiz CLUB CONTACT Dave Williams and Debra Nickelson for the cover REC OFFICER Walt Bartlow EMAIL [email protected] photo, and to John Wheeler for COMM OFFICER Dianna Hopkins WEBSITE www.u-f-p.org the newsletter history info. the united federation of phoenix in this issue

The United Federation of Phoenix (UFP) is the Southwest’s oldest Star 03 Captain’s Log from Dr. Kimberly Smith Trek and science fiction fan organization, continuously operating since 04 Subspace Chatter Turns 35 1975. The club meets bi-weekly at various locations around the Phoenix 05 Dragonfly Drone by Dave Williams metropolitan area. As a group we have picnics, go hiking, watch movies, 06 Star Trek The Exhibition by Kim Smith play games, take trips, and are active in the volunteer community. You are 07 Phoenix Fan Fusion by Lisa Fischer about to read “Subspace Chatter,” our official bi-monthly publication which 08 Odo’s New Threads by David Stipes highlights science fiction and fandom events, spotlights our members, and 10 Incoming Transmissions provides a resource for all things UFP. If you are in the area and would like 11 Official Club Briefing to attend one of our meetings, please email us at [email protected] 11 Summer/Fall UFP Club Calendar

2 | Subspace Chatter CAPTA IN'S log wet hot summer the ufp’s pool party tradition

Captain’s Log, stardate 201907.9. pool party exactly ten years other’s company while sharing In the stifling heat of Arizona ago. It was at that meeting that snacks and refreshments and summers, one of the best ways I met my future husband Dave our love of Star Trek. I hope to beat the heat is getting in Williams, and now we host our everyone enjoys the remainder of

the pool! The UFP has a long own pool parties at our home. the hot summer here in AZ. Stay tradition of pool parties during On July 6th, 2019, the UFP cool, and live long and prosper! the summer months. I remember hosted our latest pool party at swimming at David Bluestein’s Annette’s. The Independence Dr. Kimberly Smith, UFP Captain home, Deb Nickelson’s home Day-themed gathering offered often with puppy dogs, and my welcome relief from the midday first ever meeting was at David sun as several of us enjoyed Acosta’s father’s home at a Annette’s lap pool and each

Subspace Chatter | 3 uch like my predecessor from M35 years ago I’d like to echo her sentiment that it’s ALL OF US who eginning late that summer the make this work, and I am so proud UFP newsletter washas beenborn, producedand B to have collaborated with so many Subspace ChatterNow, in 2019, The he information on the is true sketchy. stands talented members over the past steadily since. formation of the UFP year to make Subspace Chatter T United Federation of Phoenix It seems that in the latter half of clubs in North what it is. I think Deborah would be as one of theStar oldest Trek continuously- quite pleased with how far it has 1975, a group of four Arizona State operating come. Thank you to all who have University students got together America. Started by a handful of to discuss something they had in helped and to all those who want to . Possibly college students in 1975, the club and contribute in the future – knowing that common: a love for a canceled TV the newsletter have gone through series called Star Trek Star Trek: The you are a part of something many changes, big and small. longstanding and special that has sparked by the run in of 1975 (theThe first until is all about the future and been published for 35 years strong. Animated Series tar Trek - David Matteson, Editor and only new Star debuted Trek several years Swhat we can make of it. I expect Motion Picture that the future for Subspace Chatter later), they thought that there must will be bright, and may change in be others like them around the valley ways no one could have expected. and started to circulate flyers to advertise the formation of a new Star Trek fan club.

ver the next nine years the O club grew exponentially. In theUFP summer of 1984, member Deborah Lorshbough suggested that the produce an official newsletter. The original pitch for this newsletter was lofty, and Deborah envisioned something much more than just a simple bulletin of club events.

“It is vital to the newsletter’s success that the club members get involved. Any and all suggestions, ideas, movie reviews, artwork, cartoons, etc, would be deeply appreciated.” – She writes in a copy of the minutes from a meeting, dated June of 1984.

4 | Subspace Chatter D r agonfly Ex pLORINg a Strange New World With A Drone | By David A. Williams, PhD

On June 27 NASA announced the winning mounted cameras to study Titan’s surface proposal for the fourth of its New Frontiers from multiple perspectives, as well as a class of medium-sized robotic planetary mass spectrometer and gamma-ray/neutron missions, and they chose Dragonfly! Dragonfly spectrometer to measure the composition of is the name of an 8-propeller drone that will surface materials when it lands. It will have fly through the atmosphere meteorology sensors to conduct atmospheric of Saturn’s planet- profiles and a seismic experiment to detect sized moon Titan. internal activity while landed. This $850 Advances in drone million mission will be built by the technology on Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns E a r t h o v e r Hopkins University in Maryland, the last 20 the same group that operated the years enable this mission, which will have a seven-year development phase. The spacecraft is scheduled to launch in 2026, and will arrive at Saturn in 2034. It will be deployed in an aeroshell with a parachute to slow it down in Titan’s nitrogen and methane atmosphere. Once in the atmosphere the drone will separate and the rotors will spin. The drone should be New Horizons Pluto mission. capable of multiple flights, Dr. Elizabeth “Zibi” Turtle is after landings to recharge its the Principal Investigator (chief battery using its radioisotope scientist) leading the mission, thermoelectric generator a colleague of the UFP’s Dr. (RTG) to generate electricity. The Dave Williams from NASA’s Galileo drone will have front- and bottom- mission in the early 2000s.

Subspace Chatter | 5 Ten years ago the UFP and meet them. Robert Picardo TNG sick bay, a simulator ride, volunteered at the traveling Star visited the exhibition on March several costumes and props, ship Trek Exhibition while it was at the 7th and many UFP members were models, alien character head AZ Science Center as docents. there to greet him. He was super pieces, and the saucer section of Over the course of six months in nice and talkative. The UFP gave the Enterprise D from the movie 2009 UFP members were actively Picardo an honorary membership Generations. Of great fun was the involved in the exhibit. plaque and a UFP t-shirt. We green screen photo where your We were invited to the VIP were able to take several fun image was placed on the TNG opening which included special photos with him. The highlights transporter pad. Afterwards Jim guests Michael and Denise of the exhibition were the TNG Strait said that this constituted Okuda, and David Stipes. Club bridge set, a TOS Captain’s chair, one of the most significant events members were allowed to mingle Quarks bar, TNG engine room, that the UFP ever participated in.

6 | Subspace Chatter my first time going to

ischer phoenix fanBY UFP fusion Member Lisa F I have always wanted to go to a comic convention with a couple club members to show our support but hadn’t seized the opportunity to do so. Before for Dr. Dave and Annette’s panels, which both joining the UFP I would watch the TV show were so cool and informative! Walking around and The Big Bang Theory and would see the cast of seeing all the different fandom characters was friends go to so amazing. Some I figured out who they all the different were while others none of us knew, but conventions and that is what made it so fun. I am not sure wished I too had which costume I liked best as there was some buds to go so many good ones, but I do know the to a convention first one that got the “wow effect” was with. The cast of when we were outside and the one and the show made it only Darth Vader walked by me! What a look so fun and fantastic way I am not one to to start my go to big events firstPhoenix alone. Now that I have joined the UFP Fan Fusion the opportunity arose to go to Phoenix convention! The Fan Fusion, and wow, what an awesome experience with adventure! I asked my husband, sister all the different and her husband (whom all also joined panels, the crazy the UFP with me) to go to Phoenix Fan amount of cool Fusion with me, and thankfully stuff to buy and they were cool with going. I have see in the dealers to admit I was plenty anxious and heroes rooms and about going and the anticipation to also snag a peak of was intense as I waited for the two Star Trek actors day to come. The morning came was so much fun and I jumped right out of bed with and awesomeness. I excitement. I wasn’t too sure what I almost wore myself should wear but knew I wasn’t brave out halfway through enough to go in a costume this time. the day. All and all, Once I got that part figured out, then my sister and I agree that we will have to the real dilemma was how much money to bring schedule in more panels next time. And there since I knew there would be a lot of really cool WILL be a next time. We hope to include more stuff to buy. I was lucky enough to be graciously days and we will have figured out what costume given a free pass to get into the convention so, we will wear before we have our next outing to that meant I could buy more cool stuff! We met up Phoenix Fan Fusion - the greatest adventure ever!!!

Subspace Chatter | 7 Odo’s New Threads ufp member david stipes deconstructs a complex visual effects shot

Morphing shots were among my most dreaded We then had Rene step out of the set to give us effects on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. They were a ‘clean’ background scene without him. difficult to do, and came with a high potential of failure, but they looked great on screen and the On the green screen shoot day we used a video fans and producers loved them. assist system which allowed Rene to view his original performance from the lounge set and In the episode “His Way,” the holodeck character recreate his timing and attitude. We had to be able Vic Fontaine tells Odo to get new threads and to line up Rene’s body at the start of every take, Odo morphs his standard brown uniform into a and see how his motions and timing matched tuxedo while his head and hands remain normal from one costume change to the other. throughout the scene. Then, to punctuate his fashion statement, he adjusts his new bow tie Once the footage was captured we met with Davy with a flourish. Nethercutt, our digital effects compositor, and created a series of double exposure tests. With Planning the shot was essential. We would need the best takes locked in we went to Composite several different pieces of film shot at various Image Systems (CIS) to get our live action times to complete the scene. We had to approach negatives ‘pin registered’ (precision transferred) this shot as a composite of layers, with Vic’s to D-1 digital tape. These tapes were then taken lounge the background, Odo’s head, changing to effects artist Cory Strassburger at View Studio body, and arms on their own layers. for final compositing.

While shooting the background lounge set, The uniform and tux bodies were lined up but the we asked Rene Auberjonois to give Odo’s actor’s arms and hands did not exactly match for performance and mime the transformation. every take. Strassburger had to isolate or cut the

8 | Subspace Chatter arms from tux and uniform footage and place them on their own layers to later enable them to morph smoothly. fingers were left on the composite. Some digital erasing took care of the extra fingers to reveal the Strassburger tracked Odo’s movements and “clean” set background. pasted in the brown uniform and tuxedo clothing, in effect creating a little matte painting. Morphing I was pleased with the finished shot, as were software was used to warp both the uniform arms the producers, and gave a big sigh of relief that and the tux arms. The program calculated the in- we had survived it. However, to my surprise (or between frames to create the actual morph. horror) the following year, the script for the final episode of Deep Space Nine, “What You Leave After the morph was finished, there was some Behind,” required Odo to transform from his secondary ghosting where the brown uniform standard uniform into a tuxedo all over again.

David Stipes is a visual effects consultant, artist and compositor. He has worked on Star Trek since 1992 and received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Visual Effects. Recently David has lent his talents to productions filmed in Arizona. As a member of the United Federation of Phoenix, David offers his unique insights to fellow fans through his contributions to this publication. Visit David online at DavidStipes.com.

This is an in informative publication only, and is not for profit, for sale, or for commercial use. All “Star Trek” titles, associated names, and imagery are the sole property of Paramount Pictures. Star Trek is a registered trademark of CBS. Image credits - captures from star trek deep space nine.

Subspace Chatter | 9 STAR TREK BEAMS STAR TREK: PICARD IS DISCOVERY IN to SAN DIEGO SHOWRUNNER HEADING OVERSEAS?

Star Trek is about to beam While it’s been somewhat Back in early 2017, Star Trek: down to San Diego Comic Con assumed up until this point Discovery stars Sonequa Martin- 2019 in a big way. On Saturday, since his name was announced Green and Michelle Yeoh trekked July 20, a 90-minute “Enter the as part of the Star Trek: Picard Star Trek Universe” panel will development team last year, CBS has made it official: writer and executive producer Michael Chabon is serving as the showrunner of the upcoming Star Trek: Picard series now in production. through the deserts of Jordan to film the opening moments hit the biggest SDCC stage of “The Vulcan Hello,” the pilot and bring with it Discovery’s episode of the series — and now Sonequa Martin-Green and Tig it seems that show may once Notaro, Lower Decks Producer more be leaving North America Mike McMahon, and the entire for the series’ third season. announced cast of Star Trek: Picard in an event sure to give us In a formal press release from the studio, Trek franchise boss Alex Kurtzman sang praise for Chabon’s talents, sharing his appreciation for the writer who joined the Trek franchise by Sylvia Tilly actor Mary Wiseman writing last year’s “Calypso” entry shared a pair of images from a in the Star Trek: Discovery Short trip to the island nation of Iceland Treks series. on Instagram, one of which things to talk about for weeks. included series lead Martin- In addition to the on-stage Green alongside Discovery content, CBS will also have a Star executive producer Olatunde Trek booth on the SDCC exhibit Osunsanmi in Reykjavik, the floor, where there will be cast and western capital of the country — crew from the shows on hand for a strong indicator that at least fan meet-and-greets, as well as a some portion of Season 3 may be USS Discovery transporter booth. filmed there.

10 | Subspace Chatter CLUB VI ActI TIES WEFu RIT OR s today!

We recently had a great auction, Thanks for reading our magazine. earning $258 mostly from spaceship jo in our adventures Now you can help make Subspace models and action figures! This Chatter even better. Would you like will help a lot to support bringing a The UFP engages in all sorts of fun to write an article for the next issue? guest to a future convention! And activities in Phoenix and beyond. Articles can be one page or less speaking of conventions, Dr. Dave Thank you to the 30 fans (including when typed in a Word document.

and Annette both held panels at this 11 UFP members) for attending our You can write about most anything year’s Phoenix Fan Fusion. Dr. Dave recent Star Trek Discovery Season that you’re interested in, as long as discussed “Star Trek Discovery: The 2 finale at the Marston Exploration there is some connection back to Journey So Far” and “Take Me to Your Theater at ASU in Tempe. It sure sci-fi, fandom, or the UFP. Nuclear Wessels: Life on a Starship” looked great on the big screen! (Science panel) at the Phoenix Or you can simply share suggestions Convention Center in May. Our next If you are interested in joining the for content you’d like to see in event will be to go bowling at noon fun, please see the calendar below the magazine and offer up any on Saturday, July 20, followed by and consider attending one of our feedback. Please email your ideas video watching and nominations of meetings around Phoenix. Email us to [email protected] today new officers at Walt’s home. at [email protected] to learn more. and let’s talk!

UFP event Calendar SUMMER - FALL 2019

SATurday MAY 11 1:00 pm Sci Fi Pictionary (Fan Fusion prep) in North Phoenix may 23-26 - - - Phoenix Fan Fusion at Phoenix Convention Center SATurday June 8 1:00 pm Pool party and Auction in North Phoenix SATurday June 22 2:00 pm “Men In Black” movie Tempe Marketplace SATurday JuLy 6 3:00 pm Water Volleyball in Central Phoenix SATurday July 20 12:00 pm Bowling and videos in Glendale August 1-4 - - - Creation Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas SATurday Aug 17 1:00 pm Professional Wine Tasting in North Phoenix August 30-Sept 1 - - - CokoCon at Doubletree Inn, MetroCenter SATurday SepT 14 - - - Museum Trip, Lunch, Elections TBD SATurday Sept 28 - - - UFP Ladies in Sedona, UFP Guys in Glendale SATurday Oct 12 10:00 am Petroglyph Hike, Calendar Plan in Central Phoenix Subspace Chatter | 11 the united federation of phoenix

Welcome to the Southwest’s oldest Star Trek and science fiction fan organization, continuously operating since 1975. The UFP is a collective of like-minded men and women from all walks of life who get together to have fun, engage in activities, and celebrate our shared love for Star Trek. Inside these pages is “Subspace Chatter,” our official monthly publication, which highlights science fiction and fandom events, spotlights our members, and provides a resource for all things related to the UFP! If you are into Sci-Fi and are in the Metro Phoenix area, consider attending one of our meetings. We would be glad to meet you. Drop us a line at [email protected] for more info.

inside this issue of subspace chatter

Subspace Chatter turns 35 and we look back on its origins. UFP member Lisa Fischer recalls her first experience atPhoenix Fan Fusion. Dave Williams updates us on the Dragonfly Titan Drone project. Captain Kim Smith discusses UFP pool parties and the club’s involvement in the traveling Star Trek Exhibition. David Stipes shows us a behind-the-scenes look at Odo’s morphing effects from Deep Space Nine. We highlight the latest Star Trek and science fiction news and so much more! On o the c ver: UFP alum Deb Nickelson at our 2009 Halloween Party

T he United Federation of Phoenix P.O. Box 37224 Phoenix, AZ 85069