The opening scene was written in 30 minutes by Executive Producer/writer Michael L. King after he decided that a bolder opening was needed for the films Soonercon sci-fi convention premiere in Del City, Oklahoma.
During the cemetery scene, while director Brady Foster and Michael L. King scouted a memorial to represent Bishop's deceased parents, the headstone that was chosen actually had the same name of King's deceased real life brother. This was all a coincidence, as the headstone was chosen randomly and because it looked good on film.
The opening of the film scripted as "The Dream Sequence," was originally not in the movie at all. When it was decided that the film would premiere at the Soonercon Scifi Convention in Del City, Oklahoma, producer Michael L. King decided that it needed a grander opening so he wrote, in one hour the opening with the idea that it would pull the audience in immediately.
The helmsman during the battle sequence is none other than retired US Navy Captain Gary Foster, who was such a fan of Star Trek that he asked to be a part of the film. Michael L. King was honored to have him aboard.
Originally the cemetery scene was to have futuristic buildings in the background to represent 23rd century earth but time constraints and the complexities of creating these effects called for a much less elaborate scene. The shuttle-craft flying overhead was a subtle hint of when the film took place.