Ron B. Moore is the Visual Effects Supervisor on "Star Trek: Voyager." He also served in that capacity on "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

Question: Ok, if you could just tell to all us ignorant ones: What does exactly a "Visual Effects Supervisor" do?
Elina

Ron B. Moore: As a visual effects supervisor I'm responsible for all the visual effects in an episode that is mine. That means every other show. I talk to the producers in preproduction meetings... with them I decide how much money they want to spend, techniques to shoot and produce the effects, supervise the shooting and all post production.

Q: I read that the visual effects-some at least, are done on Macintosh? What visual effects do you do on them? What kind of Mac if you do? Is it a G3?
Kundun

RM: We use a number of Macs. I personally have a G3 powerbook. In the post production edit bay, we use a 9600. They're used for matte paintings and other graphic image production.

Q: I'm sure this is one of the questions you're tired of, but is Voyager going to make use of the "First Contact" uniforms? After all, the Doctor has seen them. The change could be a "we're not completely out of touch w/ the Alpha Quadrant" type of thing.
Vincent

RM: I don't have a clue.

Q: Hi Ron, I trust you and Barbra are well. In Alaska we talked about High Definition so I was wondering if anything exciting is happening or being looked at in this area yet in your work?
Gordon

RM: High definition is going to change almost everything that we do. We are trying to move in that direction now, but I believe a real shift to high def won't occur until we do a new series. The plan now is to prepare Voyager in such a way that it can be converted to High Def. The problem that we have is that we don't know exactly what High Def is yet. We know that it's already being broadcast but there's no specifics. Now the facilities are putting in new equipment and we are playing with it to try and get used to it. The only sure thing is that it's going to cost more. And look better.

Q: How has the your work changed over the years from "Ghostbusters" to "Star Trek: Generations"?
Suren

RM: When I started all of the work was done on an optical printer. "Ghostbusters" and "2010" were real high end optical printers. The opticals were all shot on 70mm. I love the images, it was real exciting to work on this type of equipment. Star Trek introduced me to video. And over the years the equipment has drastically changed. It grows week to week almost. Things that were impossible last year are matter of fact today. And tomorrow will be even more amazing. This affects the cost. Meaning, we can do things for less money, thereby the show's looking better.

Q: That's digital video?

RM: Everything we're doing now is on digital tape.

Q: why mac?
Trek-y

RM: I personally like to use a MAC. But also have a PC... In the edit bays we use both. A lot of the 3D animation is done on a PC. They think Macs are abominable. Your computer is a personal thing.

Q: I Really enjoyed the Star Trek Movies with the TNG crew. When is the next one scheduled? I thought it was to be released November this year. What's the latest?
Mdelarocha

RM: December 11th.

Q: why did Dax leave DS9?
man

RM: I wondered the same thing myself.

(Wrong Ron, perhaps? Our chat guest is Ron B. Moore, Visual Effects Supervisor for "Star Trek: Voyager". Ronald D. Moore is the co-executive producer of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.")

Q: How do you come up with the designs for the ships in (all) the sereies?
Foster

RM: It varies, depending on how important the ship is to the script. If it's very important - the Starfleet ship in "Hope and Fear" is a good example. It was important to the producers to have a convincing, futurist Starfleet ship. So we started with designs from Rick Sternbach. Then worked with the 3D animators to see the ship in 3D. Sometimes the ship looks good in a drawing and doesn't make it when it's produced in 3D. We make adjustments and get producer approval and then build the computer model. On less important ships I will either modify a previous model or let the animator come up with designs and work with them to get a ship I like. Hopefully the producers will like it too.

Q: If I were wanting an apprenticeship doing 3D special effects on a show like Star Trek: The Next Generation or Star Trek: Voyager, how would I go about that?
Matt

RM: Any art background, photography background is helpful but primarily it's "get a job." The job most likely would be a driver at a facility that does the work you're interested in and you learn. I started as a driver and was able to work my way up in an optical house. I think it's even easier today because there's so many facilities in existence. Of course, we're in Hollywood and I don't know that many other parts of the country would have as many but they do have them.

Q: How much of the optical effects (space scenes, starships cruising along, battling, etc.) is done w/ computer animation now? For instance, is the model for Voyager scanned into a computer and then digitally manipulated w/ various backgrounds?
Brian

RM: On ST:TNG, all the models were physical and shot motion-control. We had three physical models of the Enterprise which oddly enough looked nothing alike. We started Voyager continuing motion-control. The first CGI was expensive and cumbersome. Now it's commonplace. We digitize Voyager, which gave us a 3D model that could be used on different CGI systems. I use LightWave almost exclusively now. Computers have allowed us to do a lot more, though most of us feel the images aren't quite as good as what we got with models. However, I think the shots that we do are more interesting.

("LightWave" is a software package)

RM: In the last two years I shot motion-control on one show. That was in the episode "Fair Trade".

Q: Do you know how long a stardate is in Earth years?
Amy

RM: No.

Q: Will we ever see the phase cloak from the TNG episode Pegasus again?
Matthew

RM: Not that I'm aware of. But the writers are full of surprises. In any event, I'm sure that it won't be the same. Better.

Q: What new things can we expect to see on Voyager? Will there be new aliens, a new enemy perhaps?
Juliette

RM: I am extremely excited right now about a show I just finished entitled "30 Days". I think it's some of the best work we've ever done. The producers have just seen it and I had nothing but good response. Very complex show for us... very unusual. Should air December 9th.

Q: Do you find yourself creating visual effects that are only artistically pleasing, or do you also focus on the scientific side?
JLPNcc1701E

RM: I remember the Q episode where I had to create the Big Bang. Don't think there was any science in that. I don't know what it looks like. In that case, we tried to make it look good. I like to think that if it's science that we know, that we address it properly. We don't always. Once we were called on to have the Enterprise orbiting a star, warp away two light years, turn around and watch the nova that occurred just as we left. Luckily, we were able to talk them out of it. Sometimes distance, size and perspective gets a little ridiculous. I mean, can you orbit something that's five light years in diameter?

Q: Mr Moore, I really respect your work on the Star Trek shows that you have done, how long does it take to create the CGI shots for Star Trek: Voyager?
Navin

RM: We need more time. With the complexity of some of the shots, it's limited. We have probably four or five weeks between script and when I need delivery. But some of the plates won't be shot 'till half that schedule is gone. Television has really tight schedules. It keeps us real busy. Ya gotta love doing it. Or look for something else to do.

Q: Do you feel that your creativity is hindered by factors such as deadlines!! and the cost of producing a certain effect?
Kevin

RM: I think the time and money issue does affect us. I try to find out what the producers want to spend and give them as much for that money as I can. In some ways any effect is like saying, "How much is a car?" You can't answer it because there's so many different kind of cars. How much is a wormhole? Lot of different kinds of wormholes. Cheap ones and expensive ones. It affects us but it's exciting because we have so many shots to do that it forces our creativity and I think it challenges us. Sometimes you can work a long time on a shot, fixing something that most people won't notice. I like TV because the creative end of it in almost all cases is up to me, the other supervisors. The most fun I have is when I've planned out a shot in detail and I've got all of the elements I need. I get into the edit bay - and nothing works. At that point, we really have to do a little dance to make it look like we did know what we were doing. There's a lot of pressure, but it's the most fun I can have.

Q: Let me just say that the amazing FX of TNG and Voyager are truly amazing. I'm always impressed. Starting with much of season 3, Voyager has used CGI effects almost exclusively now. Do you have any misgivings about this switch?
Ian

RM: It's a trade-off. We can do so much more with CGI: the number of ships, complicated motion... what we could do with motion control was much more limited. Partly because of the time that we were allowed to spend with it. The other side is the CGI models, though they're getting better all the time, still fall short of photographed, physical models. I think CGI is here to stay.

Q: How do you make the explosions on the bridge during battle?
Zach

RM: Most explosions are done by Dick Brownfield. They're practical and done on the set. If any actor or person would be in jeoprody - say being too close to the explosion - then we would add an explosion. We would shoot various explosions against black and add them to the scene later. Most of the time we add any reflections, shadows, interactive light to try to blend it into the screen. In some ways it's better because we have more control.

Q: Which is your favorite version of the Enterprise?
Tom

RM: My favorite would be the Enterprise D. And of the models, the 4 foot model was the one we used most. The six foot model was the prettiest. One problem with models, is that every time you use it the condition of the model; paint job, decals, windows are not as good as they were the time before... normal wear and tear. Computer models are adjusted constantly. So the models are always better. Because the computer artists have made improvements between one show and the next. Notice now how many of the windows of Voyager have scenes inside. That was really rare for TNG. I know of one in the main title and we did a number of other shots, but now we've got scenes in most of the windows. This sort of thing is added which would make the ship a little more believable the next time and the next time I use it it will be a little more improved.

Q: I live in Cincinnati Ohio and I can't find Star Trek: Voyager that was on Wed. night at 9:00pm. Where can I find UPN to do this.
Don

RM: I'm glad you asked that question. It's WLWT. Sunday at 3:00 AM.

Q: How many models for Voyager did you have to use?
Melissa

RM: Two. One physical model, five feet long, and a CGI model.

Q: Ron, with the current war in the Alpha Quadrant featured on DS9, there have been a plethora of special effects. Do you (as a crew) find it difficult to match (or possibly even beat) the special FX displayed on DS9?
Joe

RM: There are two supervisors on DS9 and two on Voyager. One of the supervisors, Gary Hutzel, shoots a lot of motion-control. The other supervisor, David Stipes, uses mostly CGI. We all work closely together and do find it challenging.

Q: So, are you challenged by the level of complex effects on DS9?

RM: In some ways, I like to think they were challenged by us. We were doing things with CGI, which allowed more complex shots. It became difficult for them to do the same sort of effect, using motion control. Many of the battle shots on DS9 were put together using CGI. I like to think we got them started that way. Actually, the first person in our ranks that pushed to use CGI was David Stipes, one of the supervisors on DS9 who worked with me on Voyager.

Q: I wasn't sure which of you to write to, so I'm writing to you just in case. My question is, Is there going to be any more animals seen on Star Trek? One animal I'd like to see are squirrels. There's an animal I've never seen.
Andrew

RM: I think most of the squirrels work at Paramount. We did have Chakotay out to spear Bambi in one episode and that was a hoot.

Q: How can I get a small part in VOY??
Zach

RM: I don't really know.

Q: Do these chat things ever become anoying to you?
Matt

RM: No.

Q: What is the chance of Voyager coming home this season?
Adam

RM: Rumors. I don't know. I think it's a good idea, but I really don't know. I personally think they are going to come home, but I really don't know. I expect a cliff-hanger.

Q: First, I'd like to tell you what a believable job you are doing! What I would like to know is, what is something you have been dying to do but haven't yet been presented the opportunity to develop?
Katinka

RM: That's a good question. There's many things we would like to try but with a show like Star Trek, there's so much we get to do that it doesn't leave a lot of time. You get a script you read a description and suddenly you have to create some type of an image you've never even thought about before. And that's kind of exciting - and scary. I've always wanted to do a show under water. And we finally got to do it. I can say no more.

Q: Mr Moore, Have you ever felt that you've done something so well that it looks out of place in a science fiction series? I'm referring to the probe from Voyager. It just looked too clean and perfect. The shuttle was great though.
Ensign Tim

RM: That's the trouble with CGI... it's harder to age things, although we're doing it much better now. But actually, the opposite is more true. When you know you've created a shot that is so bad it doesn't belong in a Sci Fi show. Hopefully not too many. I think it's better to try something and fail than not to try it.

Q: The aliens from Scorpion were really cool. I think so far in the Delta quadrant we should see more such strange looking races. Will you bring more Computer effects in the future?
jaTV

RM: The producers had been skeptical of CGI and went into it very slowly. After we did "Macrocosms," Jeri Taylor said that she liked the way the CGI was headed and tended to add more CGI creatures. Species 8472 became a real character. And seemed to work real well. The prices now are dropping to do that kind of work but it's still very expensive. But I think we'll be doing lots more.

Q: Which is more expensive to produce (per episode), Star Trek:The Next Generation or Star: Trek Voyager
Edski

RM: Probably about the same. Voyager slightly more. It's interesting to note, too, that when ST 5 was being produced, I worked on a scene of it just before the season started of TNG. I went to a screening of the movie just before we had finished the last episode of the season. That means we did 26 hours of television in the time they did an hour and a half. And the cost was about the same.

Q: Have the Visual effects on Voyager, in your opinion, been an integral part of its recent growth in popularity?
Tyler

RM: I think Seven of Nine is. She added a lot to the show because she turned out to be a terrific actress. I think it made the shows much more interesting. Of course the effects don't hurt. I like to think we're getting better.

Q: Did you attend the 100th episode celebration? If so, how did you enjoy it?
Tyler

RM: I was working. And missed it. I did see some clips on TV.

Q: yes, what is now going to happen to Star Trek Next Generation. Are you just going to make more movies. How about running the reruns on television?
Victor

RM: I'm hoping that TNG will be one of the first ST series to go to high definition. I can't wait to see it.

Q: Given no restraints on budget, would you consider a huge Paradigm Shift for Trek: ie a complete retooling of the Trek universe where the only Humanoids are Humans and Vulcans, Klingons, Borg et al would be CGI with completly "alien" physiologies?
Braves Fan

RM: No, I think we owe a little to Gene Roddenberry and what his image of Star Trek was. I would like to do more really weird aliens. And a show I'm doing right now is going to allow me to touch on it. Look for, "The Fight".

Q: What is "CGI"?
defnly4u

RM: CGI is Computer Generated Images. I should point out that the images that come in CGI occasionally get cut directly into the show, but most of the time, we modify in the edit bay to make the images work better. I spend at least half of my time in the edit bay adjusting shots to fit the image that we want. I work in a facility in Santa Monica for that, and work closely with my editor, Paul Hill, to create images that feel right. We will adjust the shots and cut them into the show and watch the show to make sure that it's right.

Q: Do you know when the first Star Trek Deep Space Nine Episode aired?
Matt

RM: January 3rd, 1993. Stardate: 46379.1 But I was working on TNG at the time.

Q: What does Your parents think about Your job?
Norwegian Bajoran

RM: They thought enough of my job to actually learn who Captain Kirk was.

Q: Hi Ron, I would like to know how I can have a personal Star Trek episode with me starring in it. I understand that this is possible through Paramount at a cost. Could you send me some information about this to my E-mail address: pel@ultra.net.au Thank You.
Philippe

RM: Sounds like a cool idea, but I've never heard of it.

Q: If you could estimate, how many frames of visual effects (CGI especially) does a typical show require? - How many seconds of tape? And how much time does it take to produce a single frame?
Wen

RM: Average shot; 140 frames. Sometimes 500. It does vary. A show can have 60 to 120 separate visual shots. Not all of which are CGI. We probably use 45 minutes of digital tape for any given episode just to store the final composites. Hundreds of tapes to store images we may use again.

Q: I would like to know why Voyager is shot on film, if the target output is NTSC ???
Ray

RM: I feel that still film is the best way to capture an image. It also allows for better translation to high definition. If it were up to me, the show would be shot at 30 frames per second. It's not up to me, so it's shot at 24 frames per second. I feel that hurts the images. They seem to jitter. In TNG, all the effects that I did were done at 30 frames per second, making for smoother animation and motion. Now since we're planning to convert Voyager to High Def, all the effects are at 24 frames per second, meaning they're not as smooth as they could be. I think the motion on TNG was much better. TNG was mixed as the various supervisors had different ideas of what looked good on TV. Some felt that the look should match, say Star Wars, when Star Wars was seen on television. I felt we should give the images the best look we possibly could, for NTSC television.

Q: How does it feel to work with the legend of Star Trek?
Peep

RM: I was a big fan of the Original Series and feel it a great honor to have met with Gene. I feel that I'm very lucky to have this job, it's been very good. And that Star Trek is potentially the greatest franchise. I think I'll stay around.

Q: Which Star Trek stories do you like most, and what makes them special for you?
Ralf

RM: The best stories are not dependant on special effects. It's when the visual effects enhance a good story that you have an excellent show. Good example would be "Yesterday's Enterprise." A very exciting show to work on. And you try to push yourself. The effects help the show but the characters moved it along.

Q: Can you tell me the about the future of Star Trek ? Are there already plans for a new series ?
Captain Ulf

RM: I don't know of any specific plans yet for another series. I have little doubt that there will be another one after Voyager and that Voyager will go another two years. I would love to start a new series now, moving into the high definition realm. Brannon Braga seems to be quite interested in the visuals and is working very closely with us to allow us to push the envelope. I think that's a good thing. Star Trek's here to stay. It'll be here a long, long time. It will vary in popularity but the concept is just too strong. I'm sure that we'll be watching Star Trek for many, many years. It's hard to do anything today.. Watch anything, read anything... that doesn't have some reference to Star Trek. Scary ain't it?

Ron, thank you very much for joining us here tonight. And thank you all very much for participating in tonight's Special Event.

RM: Thank you everybody for joining us. It was a pleasure for me. I hope it was interesting.