Star Trek Aliens and Artifacts - Softcover

Birnes, William J.; Look, Brad; Sims, Alan; Westmore, Michael

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0671042998 ISBN 13: 9780671042998

Publisher: Star Trek, 2000

Synopsis

"Special bonus: a section that will show you how to re-create your own makeup as well as create your own props, using readily available items." Words on paper. Without the resourceful, innovative, almost magical talents of the untold hundreds of behind-the-scenes people who have worked on "Star Trek," those and countless other futuristic marvels would be just that -- words on paper. For years the major responsibility for making it all real for viewing audiences has fallen to people like Academy Award(R)-winning makeup supervisor Michael Westmore and property master Alan Sims, and their incredible staff of artisans. These modern-day dream shapers have guarded their award-winning secrets with national security-level caution...until today. The veil of secrecy is pulled back in "Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts." Through dozens of rare sketches, photographs, and designs, discover how those remarkable craftspeople made the fantastic vistas, creatures, and technology encountered every week. You'll be amazed at how low-tech some of these hi-tech wonders really are! Who decided to make the Andorian blue? Of what was the belt on the original Klingon costume made? Was the first phaser really a block of wood? All your questions will be answered in "Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts!"

About this title

Review:

Throughout its four incarnations, Star Trek has always been filled with alien characters, many of them regular cast members, as well as gadgets that have become instantly familiar to millions, such as phasers, communicators and tricorders. This book describes how the aliens and props are developed from concept to fully fledged on-screen life. The authors emphasise that, although designs from the original series look primitive to modern eyes, technicians were working at the cutting edge of what could be achieved at the time. The new incarnations of Trek continued to innovate, and the use of latex headpieces and modern make-ups enabled the creation of far more elaborate aliens, such as the Cardassians and updated Klingons. Head of the Makeup Department, Michael Westmore, explains how he comes up with new alien species, often basing them on familiar terrestrial creatures to give viewers a point of reference. Props are usually made out of everyday objects, and prop masters keep stocks of interesting-looking objects that might one day come in handy. If you want to have a go yourself, the final chapter gives tips on how to create your own alien make-up to transform yourself into Data, Seven of Nine, a Klingon or a Ferengi. Illustrated with dozens of colour stills, this is an in-depth and very readable account of the evolution of some of the best make-up and prop designs ever created for TV. --Elizabeth Sourbut

About the Author:

The Oscar®- and nine-time Emmy® Award-winning Michael Westmore is the Makeup Supervisor and Designer at Paramount Studios and was the head of the Makeup Department for Star Trek: The Next Generation® and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine®. Mike currently holds the same title on Star Trek: Voyager®. He also was responsible for the makeup on the features Star Trek® Generations, Star Trek: First Contact® and Star Trek: Insurrection. Mike is a scion of the legendary Westmore family of Hollywood, who have dominated the theatrical and motion picture makeup industry since the silent-film era. His makeup designs have been seen by millions in such features as Rocky, Raging Bull, 2010, Clan of the Cave Bear, The Andromeda Strain, and Mask, for which he won an Academy Award. On television, Mike's makeup for The Next Generation's "Conspiracy," Deep Space Nine's "Distant Voices," and Voyager's "Threshold" all won Emmys. In addition, his work on Eleanor and Franklin, The Three Wishes of Billy Grier, and Why Me? won him the coveted statuettes, along with his work on the anthology series Amazing Stories. The list of Mike's other shows that were accorded Emmy nominations are a catalog of some of television's most interesting fare: The Babe Ruth Story, The Day After, MacGyver, The Amazing Howard Hughes, and Frankenstein. Plus four other Star Trek episodes were nominated: "Who Mourns for Morn" and "The Dogs of War" from Deep Space Nine and "Inner Light" and "Brothers" from The Next Generation. Exhibitions of Mike's work have been seen at the California Museum of Science and Industry, the Museum of the Moving Image in New York, and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. You can still see his creations in an exhibit at the Las Vegas Hilton's Star Trek: The Experience. Mike is the author of The Art of Theatrical Makeup for Stage and Screen. Because of his extraordinary talent, Mike has been asked to contribute cosmetic chapters in the medical texts Symposium of Aesthetic Surgery, The Burn Patient, and Aesthetic Dentistry. Mike Westmore lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Marion, with whom he has three children: Mike Westmore Jr., Michele Westmore-Garcia, and McKenzie Westmore.

About this edition

• Publisher: Star Trek
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0671042998
• ISBN 13: 9780671042998
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224