Has anyone run across this yet as they explored new frontiers in the internet galaxy? If my sci-fi genre nomenclature is correct, what we’re seeing are the views from four different surveillance cameras that have something to do with The Starship Enterprise. If you play with the buttons and stuff at the bottom of each, individual screen, you can advance the movement of the camera and in some cases view some more detailed imagery that’s been recorded in that specific area. The sound is pretty cool, too. But other than what I’ve described and what you can see in the picture above, that’s all the information you get.

Unless you read my last blog entry, that is. SNAP!

I could be completely wrong about this, but I believe what we are seeing is the start of a new viral campaign for the next Star Trek film. It will be the eleventh in the series, and quel surprise, this one is being directed by none other than J. J. Abrams. By several accounts and about as many reviews, Cloverfield has satisfied its audience. I can’t yet say as my difficult work schedule has prohibited me from seeing it. I sincerely hope the monster flick as seen through the eyes of a video camcorder is more than just a cheap, 9/11 inspired gimmick because the idea is pretty clever and fresh in terms of a blockbuster smash-up.

But back to Star Trek for a second; what could we be seeing on that page? Better yet, what might we see in the future? It appears that the action – a man welding – takes place inside a shipyard somewhere (Captain Obvious, at your service). Are we soon to catch a glimpse of something entering the frame(s)? Will we see something be built over time? The page looked fairly up-to-date in terms of web technology when I first discovered it so I didn’t think I’d stumbled upon (read: found on another blog) anything very five-minutes-ago-dot-com. So what do we do when we come across a strange new cultural phenomenon and we need to know what it’s about that instant? Why, we consult that oracle of interwebatron knowledge…

…Wiki! And lo and behold, down towards the bottom of the entry under “Marketing” we see that, not only has a trailer been featured before showings of Cloverfield, but an “alternate reality game” has been created where we get to see “CCTV footage of the ship under construction”. Apparently, the latest ST installment involves the early days of the famous crew’s classic interstellar voyage, so we’re talking prequel here. Which in turn means that the production needs to find the right actors to play the key roles. With that in mind, Uhuras and Scotties, I give you the new (erm…and old, I guess) James Kirk and Mr. Spock. One of the actors is from that show so desperate to be hip that it’s devastatingly corny called “Heroes”, and the other guy is from some movies with girls and young love and crying and stuff in them. I can’t be arsed to care about either of these guys just yet, but good job landing the roles and you can find out more about the other roles also via that Wikipedia link.

So that’s great, huh? Neato?! Hmm…what else is going on…oh yes, speaking of alternate reality games – no I’m not talking about the presidential debates – my new screenplay currently titled Shh… is underway and going well, I think. I’m having fun and writing quickly, which is surely a good sign. It’s one of those creative projects where, as the writer, you’ve got a really big secret that you’re saving for the end and you get to plug in all kinds of clues and red herrings along the way. But its not a whodunnit? as much as a wherearewe?, if I may coin a literary term that will probably go nowhere. The trick with these things is to not overdo it, I think, but in a first draft it’s often advised to just open a vein and let it flow. So I am, and I’m about to flow some more so off I go.

Oh, and I don’t really rake cockles for a living. It’s just a hobby. For now.