Posted:
12:05:16 on August 29 2001
By: Steve Krutzler
Dept: Enterprise | www.stenterprise.com
Cinescape has posted the first official promotional photographs of the ENTERPRISE crew from UPN. There are numerous photographs, including the entire cast against a "futuristic" metallic-looking background as well as on the bridge, and individual photos of each cast member.
In addition, ENTERPRISE makeup man Michael Westmore, designer Herman Zimmerman, and costume designer Robert Blackman speak with the Los Angeles Times this morning about the "reinvention" of the 'Star Trek' franchise with ENTERPRISE sets that try to break with previous 'Trek' series.
"Everything is hands-on for the actors in this series," Zimmerman says. "The levers, knobs, switches and gauges, all the things you're used to seeing as touch panels behind black boxes on 'Star Trek,' we are now doing mechanically. It's not spacious or luxurious like the other 'Star Trek' series; instead it's an attempt to fabricate the future more realistically based on the aircraft and spacecraft that [researchers] are working on now."
The article reveals that the transporter room is the size of a closet and one bridge station will even feature a Viewmaster-style eyepiece similar to Mr. Spock's in TOS.
Zimmerman says he's most proud of the two-story engineering set, inspired by the engine room from 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture'.
"Inspired by the cramped, industrial environment he experienced while touring a nuclear submarine last spring, Zimmerman mounted the ovular engine casing from the ceiling and covered it with access panels, rails, ladders, and (of course) more push buttons. The resulting set is so highly detailed that emergency lighting strips line the floor and yellow safety tape warns guests to avoid edges."
"The uniforms ... have that utilitarian look and they're much more identifiable to us," says costume designer Robert Blackman. "What I'm doing is making sure that once you comprehend the original image, you go back to the face. It's not about what they're wearing—that's part of the frame, but really it's about what's coming out of their mouths and what's happening on their faces."
Makeup supervisor Michael Westore says any TOS aliens that show up in ENTERPRISE will probably be redesigned: "If we ever do the [green-skinned] Orion women, we will do them differently," says Westmore. "Anything from the original series will literally be designed and updated with today's look. In 1965 you had water-based, pancake makeup, so the hard part was creasing and everything flaking off. Today we have colors that stay better, and airbrush. We also use a silicone adhesive to glue things down; back then they used spirit gum. All of these products and adhesives allow us to do things that they couldn't do in 1965."
For the complete interview, visit this page.
