Above is an original shot from Star Trek: The Original Series episode “Mirror, Mirror.” Star Trek was broadcast in the 4:3 television standard, and there’s nothing wrong with this shot — it’s remastered in high-definition and still looks about as good as possible for a 46-year-old TV episode. Or, at least, it does until you look at the version below.
‘Star Trek: The Original Series’ scenes look fantastic as cinematic panoramas
is a senior tech and policy editor focused on online platforms and free expression. Adi has covered virtual and augmented reality, the history of computing, and more for The Verge since 2011.
“As a kid the show always felt bigger and more epic than it appears to me as an adult,” writes illustrator and concept artist Nick Acosta, introducing his series of reworked shots from Star Trek: The Original Series. Acosta turns the TV-ready images into dramatic panoramas, stitching together screenshots from Trekcore.com’s extensive archives. He compares the results to grand, stylish ‘50s and ‘60s science fiction movies, and whether or not you’re a purist about changing aspect ratios, the more expansive framing gives you a new appreciation for the show’s physical space.
“The most common response I get is, ‘Can you do this for Next Generation?’” Acosta tells us. While he says it’s possible, he’d rather work on a widescreen treatment of classic noir films, which were also shot for 4:3 theater screens. “Can you imagine Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon or The Third Man in beautiful widescreen?” The only thing he really balks at is recutting shots from Citizen Kane. “Far be it from me to change Orson Wells’ blocking,” he says.
Some of the best panoramas are below, and you can check out the rest at Acosta’s own site.
All images courtesy Nick Acosta.
1/6“Mirror, Mirror,” 1967
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