Paramount Stage 18
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(written from a Production point of view)
Paramount Stage 18 is located on the Paramount Pictures lot in Hollywood, California. It's noted for a number of famous productions, including Billy Wilder's 1950 film, Sunset Blvd. (where it was seen as Cecil B. DeMille's soundstage), the classic western Shane (1953), and Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 Rear Window. [1]
Stage 18 was used for temporary swing sets in all seven seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as well as the motion picture Star Trek: Insurrection.
It was used through the four year run of Star Trek: Enterprise and most recently for the 2009 film, Star Trek.
According to James Mees, the space underneath Stage 18 was used as a warehouse for Trek props and set pieces following their move from the warehouse in Burbank. The space was 12.000 square feet. ("Inside Starfleet Archives Year Six - Sets & Props", TNG Season 6 DVD special feature)
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1992-1999
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For the new production, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, more space at Paramount Studios was allotted to the Star Trek franchise.
Stage 18 was first used in the pilot episode of DS9 for the various temporary sets needed for that production, including the main bridge of the USS Saratoga and Cardassian ship, and the Bajoran monastery.
The stage also housed two permanent standing sets, the interior of the runabout and the holosuite set.
The Temple of Masaka from the Star Trek: The Next Generation seventh season episode "Masks" was built on Stage 18. The set was later put to good use as the Albino's fortress in DS9: "Blood Oath". TNG's own Stage 16 was not free, as the village from "Thine Own Self" was built on it. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion)
In later years, DS9's version of "Planet Hell" - an interior planet cave set - was constructed on Stage 18, as well sets representing the USS Defiant bridge and engine room, though the latter were torn down to make room for a Klingon starship interior and generic Cardassian setting. The stage also hosted the sets for Kasidy Yates' freighter Xhosa and a Bajoran temple. [2]
1998Edit
In 1998, Stage 18's cave set was significantly expanded for use in the feature film Star Trek: Insurrection. The caves represented those on the Ba'ku planet and included multiple levels.
The modifications were left mostly intact for the remainder of the set's use in DS9 and were prominently featured in the series finale, "What You Leave Behind", as the Bajoran Fire Caves.
2001-2005Edit
In 2001, Stage 18 became the primary home of the most recent series, Star Trek: Enterprise.
Three large sets were built within the stage and were central to most locations aboard the NX-01: the bridge, engineering, and launch bay interiors.
The sets were constructed side-by-side, with engineering in the center; that set also included a small network of corridors, the transporting device, and decon chamber.
A small area between engineering and the launch bay was reserved for temporary swing sets.
Other sets which were built on Stage 18 include the "sun porch" set during the flashbacks in "Broken Bow", filmed on 1 June 2001
2007-2008Edit
According to a May 2007 news item from The Trek Movie Report website, J.J. Abrams' 2009 film, Star Trek, was - in part - filmed on Paramount's Stage 18.
Set construction reportedly began in July 2007, utilizing other "historic" Star Trek sound stages including Stages 8, 9, 11, 14, and 15. [3] The film wrapped production on 27 March 2008. [4]
ProductionsEdit
| Paramount stages |
|---|
| 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 25 • 29 • 31 • 32 • M |
SourcesEdit
- Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens, The Making of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
- Terry J. Erdmann, The Secrets of Star Trek: Insurrection
- Michael Okuda, A Brief History of Paramount Stages 8 & 9, StarTrek.com
External linksEdit
- Paramount Pictures - official website
- StarTrek.com, the official Star Trek website
