The highly accredited photographer, Jeffery Newbury, is now offering the the physical and copyright sale of the last photograph of the Star Trek "Next Generation" cast. Film and Copyright Available for 100% Acquisition. This photograph became the iconic lithographic poster of the Next Generation (NG) cast. This image was originally shot for the 1994 gatefold cover in Entertainment Weekly's 1994: "Trek, Inside the Final Days".
Purchase Includes:
1. The original 8x10 Negative
2. Original 16x20 Master Print
3. The original 8x10 polaroid (with fold crease) from the Entertainment Weekly gatefold cover shoot
4. The original 1994 Lithograph poster signed by each actor and the photographer
5. The (7) original signed releases from each actor approving the reproduction of the Next Generation lithograph poster (The original printing from 1994 of 5000 units sold out)
6. A notarized contract of transfer, signed by Jeffery Newbury, for signed releases from all actors
About the Photoshoot
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American television series that debuted in broadcast syndication on September 28, 1987. The series lasted for seven seasons until 1994. NG was the most-watched Star Trek show, with a peak audience of 11.5 million during its fifth season prior to the launch of DS9.
Patrick Stewart, Gates McFadden, Brent Spinner, Levar Burton, Jonathan Frakes, Michael Dorn and Marina Sirtis arrived on the set of photographer Jeffery Newbury at Paramount Studios the afternoon of April 19, 1994 for the cover shoot of Entertainment Weekly "TREK" No. 221 - May 6, 1994. The group portrait was shot at the end of the Next Generation's final production days after seven years together.
The concept for the Entertainment Weekly's photography session was a gatefold out cover format for the "Trek" issue. Black and White film was chosen for its inherent artistic and emotional qualities. Shooting the cast with a 8X10 film view camera on a black background, all wore black clothing allowing the attention to be on each subject's personal character. Three 4 x 6' softbox lighting systems with 6000 watts each were necessary to achieve the required depth-of-field - 18,000 watts total.
The day prior to the shoot was used to prep the studio and set up the shot. 7 stand-ins, pulled from the Paramount lot were used to test the concept. The gatefold design of the magazine's cover would require the actors to stand in a straight line with their bodies overlapping at a slight angle, requiring certain 8x10 view camera adjustments to keep everyone in focus from front to back. This preparation was necessary to ensure the shoot went off without any issues - Newbury would have a mere 15 minutes with the cast together the following day to capture this iconic cover image.
As the shoot time grew near, the photographer and his 3 assistants made final preparations as the EW Photo Editor and the Paramount Publicist looked on. When the TNG cast arrived they were gradually worked into place. Newbury would direct their positioning, evaluating how they looked at the camera and how the image felt, working with each actor individually within the group setting. "I'm not as interested in the characters these actors play in this photograph", Newbury was later quoted. "The actor who is truly talented encompasses that character within their personality already". With that intent, Newbury chose to treat each actor as an individual portrait, even though they were being photographed as a group. While striving for a connection between them all, Newbury directed each actor's positioning, gradually adjusting their poses until the final cover portrait was achieved. Newbury's direction ultimately revealed the individual characteristics of each personality, Brent Spinner's hand in Gates McFadden's pocket. Marina Sirtis' hand over Michael Dorn's heart. Levar Burton's arms crossed.
This image later became a collectable poster lithograph which sold out at Trek conventions around the world. In producing this stunning lithograph, great pains were taken to create the best possible reproduction. First, a flawless 16 x 20" print was made from the 8x10 negative. The print was then scanned to create the printing film. Several variations of film separations were tried before settling on a 3-color process involving two separate blacks and one silver plate. Several types of printing presses were tested before approval of the final print run. The final product, varnished and on acid-free paper, is an example of the highest quality printing available in the United States.
