Federation Transporter Special FX

[xenexian 2]

It seems that each incarnation of Star Trek, from the TV series to the movies, all have their own signature Federation transporter visual special FX. I'm sure this was intentional to give each series or movies a frame of reference in the timeline to indicate advances in the technology or the special FX team just did it because they could. Either one is plausible but after watching a few episodes of each of the series and all of the movies, I've come to the conclusion that the Voyager transporter FX were the best. TOS transporter FX were pretty cheesy but it was pretty darn good considering the time that it was made. The first Start Trek movie FX were good but I really didn't care for that strange kalaidascope effect. Enterprise's was interesting with all the molecules condensing into a single point and emerging from the same and DS9's were supposed to be Cardassian in origin so I couldn't really count that one but Voyager's seemed the most advanced of them all. I always like the way the person or object materialized from a single point with the energy of the beam stretching into the vertical in both directions to re-integrate or dissolve what was being transported. I'm sure there are other opinions on this. What say you?

[Voyager recruit 0]

Well, how can I be anything but praising of STV transporters? Wink, wink. I agree about the films of TOS, certainly, after TMP, which I guess by comparison to me is better. The Enterprise effects are good to me as well. The new film's version is pretty cool, I guess. The engagement of the beam is reflective in the first seconds of the tv sound, no doubt a little homage there. TNG's is fine, too, I believe.

[oldfan1 0]

I have to go with the original series effect as the best. In the later series and most of the movies the effect was computer generated, in the original series it was aluminum dust, lighting, a few camera tricks and really great editing. What they created for a few dollars (relatively speaking) was a great effect.