by Dan Curry and Ben Robinson

Titan Books, out now

A lavishly illustrated overview of Dan Curry’s Star Trek work, from title sequences to directing, and everything in between.

Just how well do you know Dan Curry? I’ll wager that you know about some of the Emmy winner’s work, but as this book, co-authored by Ben Robinson (head honcho of Eaglemoss’ Star Trek collections) reveals, this Renaissance  man really is a jack of all Treks.

Starting as a matte painter on Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Curry eventually moved on to Star Trek, where he was VFX producer or supervisor on all of its shows, from The Next Generation to Enterprise, as well as designer of title sequences, second unit director and then lead director of TNG’s Birthright, Part II.

Each aspect of his Star Trek career is covered in detail, using behind the scenes shots and FX breakdowns showing constituent layers. I guarantee you’ll come away with a greater understanding of video compositing, motion controls, the challenges of using large scale models and how CG began to be used in TV.

It’s unbelievable to think that originally a library of 40 stock shots of the Enterprise were to be created for The Next Generation, and you’ll enjoy stories about kit bashes, the high-tech use of cheerleader pom-poms, and how to apply Vulcan tears.

Anecdote follows anecdote, supported by testimony from colleagues and cast members, including captains Mulgrew and Bakula.

Verdict: Unsung no more, this Star Trek hero played a major role in the franchise for 18 years, and his tenure is beautifully summarised and illustrated here in a worthy overview of this creative period of his life. 9/10

 

Click here to order from Amazon.co.uk