Dan Curry is responsible for producing the amazing visual effects on Enterprise.  In this 2002 interview, we found out how he got started on Star Trek and the new challenges that Enterprise presents.

Could you please describe your job?

My job title is Visual Effects Producer and, unlike most people who fall into that category, I'm much more hands-on. I work with Visual Effects Supervisors Ron [B.] Moore and Mitch Suskin. I do some of the matte paintings myself and sometimes I'll design ships or work together with the [producers] supervising things on stage. I also direct second unit and design a lot of the bladed weapons. I'm kind of like a visual effects ombudsman.

When did you start working on Star Trek?

I started prior to the commencement of photography on The Next Generation when Producer Peter Lauritson contacted me and asked me if I would storyboard a series of stock shots for the proposed series. Then I joined the Star Trek family full time about the fourth episode in on Next Generation.

When did you start working on Enterprise and did it conflict with the ending of Star Trek: Voyager?

Yes, they overlapped one another. How we decided to approach it was, the visual effects supervisor and everybody else began the Voyager finale together. Then, as Enterprise was gearing up, Mitch Suskin segued into doing the finish on Voyager while Ron and myself jumped into prepping and getting going on the pilot episode for Enterprise.

What kind of new challenges does a new show like Enterprise present? Were there new types of things expected with regard to special effects?

Yes. First of all, the volume of effects for the pilot was huge. We had the Suliban matrix that would break up, all those scenes that took place inside the layers of a gas giant and the pre-echo effect that Ron Moore really took over. Then we had to do a variation on the transporter that looked more primitive than what we were doing on Voyager and Deep Space Nine, yet took advantage of the increased technology we now have available that was not available when we did TNG. That was the whole trick of balancing — it's supposed to be set prior to the Original Series — but we had to make it look like, or give it the feel that it took place prior to the time of the Original Series, yet use all our tools effectively and make our visual effects more sophisticated than was technically possible when the Original Series was done. That was kind of a trick and we ultimately just decided to do the best we can and not worry about making it look as, what has come to be perceived as, the more na?ve look of the Original Series.

At what point do you become involved with the episode and at what point do you hand off your part of the episode?

We get a beat sheet where we read and estimate what's in it and start thinking about design and some of the problems we're facing. Then, we get a script and have a pre-production meeting where we read over the script and discuss problems — what the director's envisioning, what the producers are envisioning — and we throw in our contributions. Then we create a budget, then we discuss the budget, try to whittle it down, get it more in line with what the producers would like to spend on the episode and then we work with the director on stage, planning things that would be involved, and go from there.

Once the show is cut sometimes we work closely with the editors (sometimes not). The show is in its almost final cut, we then have a pre-screen where we sit down with the producer, Peter Lauritson, the supervisor, myself and the editing team and discuss what the show needs and where we're going to go with it and how it came out compared to what we anticipated. And then we go into the creation of the visual effects very intensely and we deliver final shots, which are then cut back into the show master.

What other departments would you say you work most closely with?

We work with all departments, with varying degrees of intensity. For example, we work with Bob Blackman in costumes because if we know that somebody has to appear in front of a blue screen or a green screen, we have to make sure the colors chosen for the wardrobe works. Or if the wardrobe needs to be a certain color, then we may have to determine that we need a particular color screen in order to be able to pull a matte off that character. We frequently work with Mike Westmore in make-up. We certainly work with the art department a lot, Mike Okuda and his team in graphics, or the design of ships which would be John Eaves or Doug Drexler. And we of course work with Herman Zimmerman and Louise Dorton, the art directors, setting up specialty shots, second unit stuff. We work with Rich Ratliff in special effects all the time. It's really a very satisfying collaborative process.

Have you worked much on the Star Trek movies?

The first movie I did was the title sequence for "Star Trek Generations." Then, for "Insurrection," they were not completely happy with a few sequences like dropping the warp core and there was a scene where the Enterprise had a brush with one of the enemy alien ships, so I redesigned that encounter sequence. I did a lot of recompositing and redesigning of the dropping the warp core sequence, which I did over at CIS [digital facilities].

You directed a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode ("Birthright, Part II"). How was that experience?

Wonderful. It was one of my best experiences working on Star Trek.

Would you like to direct again?

Absolutely.

Are you pleased with the way Enterprise has turned out?

Yes. I think everybody on the crew will attest to the fact that this has been a joy to work on. A lot of that comes from the nature of the stories, the premise and that it's a little bit more rough and ready. A lot of it has to do with the overall mood on the set and the influence of Scott Bakula. His professionalism, attitude and eminent enthusiasm and cooperation and respect for the crew have really made the atmosphere on the set a joy.

Do you have a favorite Star Trek visual element or episode?

Among the things that I was involved with that I'm particularly proud of was the Voyager title sequence. Also the Deep Space Nine title sequence. I'm especially proud of the pilot for Enterprise. "Yesterday's Enterprise" on Next Generation. There are a number of Voyager episodes that I'm very fond of. But the truth is, the next episode that we're working on!

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