Richard James is the Production Designer for Star Trek: Voyager and he's ready to answer your questions. Once again, we at STARTREK.COM appreciate everyone's participation.

Question: How do you like being the Production Designer for Voyager and what are you responsible for?
Ryan W.

Richard James: Well, a production designer of any show, not justVoyager, is basically responsible for anything you see on the screen, except the actors of course. On a science fiction show like Voyager, it's pretty extensive because you've got a lot of visuals. Science fiction is unique in the sense that it isn't based on history or architecture — it's trying to get away from the familiar. So, for a production designer that makes it much more interesting because you're limited by your time and budget for the concepts, but it makes it interesting for design purposes.

Q: How hard is it to create something new and exciting in terms of production design, while being constrained by the Starfleet designs we've seen so often in the past?
Dennis D.

RJ: The difficulty that we have in design is not so much the constraints of what we've done with Starfleet, but the materials that are readily available. The time is crucial and there's always the budget. We do a new episode every seven days, so it doesn't give us much time. At the time we get the script we design and come up with the concepts, designs, and budget for painting, construction and dressing. It all has to come together pretty fast. The constraints mostly are availability of material and the time element.

Q: As an aspiring production designer, I would like to know are there certain colors that just don't work on TV? What colors film the best, what don't? Are color choices affected by the switch from video to film?
Gary G.

RJ: I think there are colors that would not work; it's the subject and action that dictates what the colors should be. If you're going to do a comedy, you could probably get by with a lot of bold, primary colors. You try not to call attention to colors or the sets. It's supposed to be an integrated part of a whole. I try to work with not too bold colors because, even though we [the different departments] do contact each other, wardrobe has first choice because fabric is harder to come by than paint. We can come up with different colors of paint pretty easily. I try to stay pretty neutral. [Costume designer] Bob Blackman and I do touch base quite often on what the other one is doing as far as color. It's hard to do color combinations and come up with a different look. After awhile, you've gone through all of them!

The colors for film or video are not so much an issue as it used to be in live TV. There were colors that just couldn't use, bright whites and things like that. Since we use film [on Voyager], it's so much more sophisticated than it used to be. We don't have to be so concerned now as we once were. It was a real issue on early television.

Q: I'm in high school right now, and though it may sound corny, Star Trek production designers like you have inspired me to become a production designer myself as a major in college. Did you go to college to become a production designer? What inspired you to become a production designer?
KH

RJ: I did not go to college to be a production designer. For the first two years of my curriculum I studied architecture. I had a five-year curriculum and after the first two years of architecture I switched over to advertising art design which was actually a curriculum for advertising. So, I probably would have gone into advertising. I always had a secret desire to be a set designer or an art director. But I never consciously thought, at that time, of making my living at it. I didn't really realize it would be practical, even though I really wanted to do it. But I trained to be in an ad agency. I always wanted to do art directing, and I started working by volunteering my time with musical theatre, live theatre and stage productions. I was encouraged to stay in scenic design, to be an art director. Then I started pursuing it when I graduated from college.

Q: Do the producers or writers give you strict guidelines to follow when designing a new bridge, or do you have complete artistic license?
Robbie J., London

RJ: I actually do enjoy a lot of freedom in my approach to concepts and designs. There is a history with the people I am working with, [Executive Producers Rick] Berman, Brannon [Braga] and Ken [Biller]. The producers know me, I know them. We've worked together for a period of time, and I funnel all the drawings and all the ideas that I have through the production office as soon as we get some designs off the table and they immediately go for feedback. They look over my shoulder, but I really do enjoy a lot of freedom.

Q: Will there be any more changes to Voyager in season seven, such as the way the Borg alcoves were added to Cargo Bay 2 in the past?
Julian

RJ: I would say no, I don't anticipate any. There were some minor changes to the Delta Flyer because it's really a new one as the other one was destroyed. Visually we tried to make some slight differences.

Q: How long does it take from start to finish, to complete the sets for one episode?
Cindy S.

RJ: An episode is completed in seven days for the most part. There are some that we do that are an eight-day shoot and the camera never shuts down! I call it the runaway freight train, because it's going...

They shoot Monday through Friday and we generally have, from the time we get a new script and have a production meeting, ten days on the average to complete construction of a new set, from start to finish.

Q: What do you think is going to happen to Voyager?
Robin A., UK

RJ: I definitely think they'll get home. I haven't really given a lot of thought because I've always expected they'll get home. I think they'll get home within the season, but far enough along that the story lines will segue into whatever.

Q: Where do you get the inspiration for the intricate set design?
AM

RJ: I'm not conscious of it, but I can see when something is completed that I am influenced by certain things; art deco, Mayan, Frank Lloyd Wright. I see those influences, even though I'm not consciously trying to do that. I try to not look at a lot of things because I want it to be fresh.

Q: Which rooms do you miss/want to see on the U.S.S. Voyager?
Michael, Germany

RJ: I guess you have to say the Bridge is really the star set of the ship. I feel pretty proud of the design of the Bridge. The Bridge was the driving force of all the other sets. My intent, in the beginning of working on Voyager, once I got the Bridge design and the exterior of the ship, those were the two things that started it off and once those concepts were done, it kind of drove the look of everything else. So I would have to say the Bridge.

Question: Why is the design on Star Trek always so functional, so cold?
Daniel K.

RJ: I did, purposely, make it look cool. I went for a very cool palette because I wanted it to be a contrast to what the Deep Space Nine palette was. I didn't want it to look like Deep Space Nine, nor did I want it to look like the Next Generation.

Q: Having worked on both TV and film, what are the differences in the way designs get approved and how much input do the model builders have in the final design?
R.Q.

RJ: The difference between film and television is that the director is the driving force on a film. In most respects, it will be the director you work for. The model builders can make suggestions, but the concepts are developed by the production designer. The model makers are very helpful because sometimes you have to have certain hardware that you need and you have to accommodate that into the design. That can be a factor.

Q: Did your science fair projects or science courses in school make a difference in your becoming the production designer for a science fiction series like Voyager?
M.E. Wood

RJ: I did have science in school, but that was before I really knew what I would be doing. I actually did work on the Apollo moon project for NASA. I guess any of that background may be helpful, although it really isn't necessary for science fiction. Basically, you need a certain knowledge of space—solid geometry is helpful because you need to know shapes and spaces.

Q: What was the most complex set you designed for Voyager?
James S.B.

RJ: Well, we started off the season with a very complex set because they wanted reflective walls ["Unimatrix Zero, Part II?]. In designing that I kept the reflective walls only on one side, the outside walls of the set so that the camera couldn't see itself. That would be one of the more complex sets.

Q: Are you going to miss your job when the series wraps?
Kathryn U., Sydney

RJ: Yes, I will be out of work! I feel very fortunate in having the career I've enjoyed because I get to do what I like to do. I will miss this, and I don't know what the future is. In showbiz, it can be almost anything!

Q: Do you ever utilize Voyager props from ST: DS9 or ST:TNG? If so, is there anything we might catch a glimpse of?
Nelsonsack

RJ: I think if you look closely you will see and recognize props and some scenery as well that has been remade, revamped. Yes, we do pull stuff from stock. We haven't kept a lot of it, but we did keep some.

Q: What is the funniest thing that has happened in designing/building the sets?
Diane B.

RJ: I don't know why it came to mind, but we had a great time with the Captain Proton sets and doing those episodes. There was just a lot of humor involved in that, with the humor of that particular show. We had a lot of fun.

Q: Is there anything you would change about the Voyager layout? If so, how would you make Voyager different?
MCG

RJ: Wow, I think I did it so wonderful the first time I don't think it needs to be changed! Actually, I think any designer looks at the possibilities of another approach.

Q: What is your favorite episode and why?
Jalinfla

RJ: I like the visuals on the one where we did the Vikings ["Heroes and Demons?]. Visually I thought that episode was good.

Q: How close do you think your sets will appear to what the future will really look like, or do you think people will look at them the way we look at the Original Series right now?
David S.

RJ: The way I approach the designs is that I don't want it to look dated when you go back and look at something like "Flash Gordon.? And that goes to set decorating as well. Just make it look good. Don't try to do a stretch, don't get caught up in what isn't practical. I don't want to go to areas where it looks cheesy. I think good design is always going to hold up. That's what I hope to accomplish, something that will hold up over a period of time and not look corny in a few years from now.

STARTREK.COM: That'll about wrap things up. Thanks Richard.

RJ: Thank you.