To celebrate the upcoming November 7, 2023 release of the definitive Star Trek: The Picard Legacy Collection, we caught up with Star Trek alumni, including David Blass, Star Trek: Picard series production designer, known also for his production design work in The Boys, Constantine and Preacher series and was nominated three times for the Primetime Emmy Awards and also the Art Director Guild Awards.
James (CBM): How did you get involved with Star Trek: Picard?
David: “I had just wrapped up doing Marvel’s Ghostrider series for Hulu that had the plug pulled before we started. I had been on that for 5 months and we shared space with Picard S1. I had previously met with the producers for Discovery, so I was in their rolodex of designers to call when they needed a new one for S2-S3.”
James (CBM): Were you involved with the prior two seasons of Picard?
David:”We shot Season 2 and Season 3 back-to-back and I designed both, though I did not work on Season 1.“
James (CBM): Did any of your prior works influence what you did on this project?
David: “Every show influences what you do. The dive bars of “Justified” found their way into the designing Guinan’s 10 Forward Bard, or and the sleek lines of the Vought Tower from “The Boys” helped influence the modern feel of the Titan.”
James (CBM): Were you a fan of the original Star Trek: The Next Generation series?
David: “I was a huge fan of TOS and TNG, Voyager, and DS9. A lifetime Star Trek fan.”
James (CBM): Did you have any mentors from the original series or work with any from the original series?
David: “I didn’t have any mentors from the Original Series, but I made it a point to reach out to as many of the TNG folks as I could and either bring them on or get some guidance from them.”
James (CBM): Star Trek is known for its futuristic tech. How did you balance maintaining that advanced look while also keeping a sense of nostalgia? What aspects of the original did you want to bring into this new series?
David: “Our goal was to make Season 3 look like an evolution of the TNG era. We embraced the LCARS graphic interfaces, and the large gradient backlit walls that were ever-present in TNG-Voyager era. You don’t really need to understand the tech, to know it works. I wanted everything to be grounded in Star Trek history so that everything made sense in a worldbuilding way.”
James (CBM): As a fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation, was there a moment when you had to step back from your fan-self to make a hard design choice for the new series?
David: “Every decision is a hard one. It’s a balance of budget and time and in your heart, you are building the dreams of millions of Star Trek fans, or completely screwing up. So, every day it’s a struggle. Everyone talks about the lack of carpet on the Titan. Would I add it in if I had to do it over? I am not sure”.
James (CBM): In this epic ending, how did you approach the production design to reflect both the weight of Picard's past and the uncertainty of the Federation's future?
David:”You need to look backwards in order to look forward. We needed to embrace the past design styles and history, while elevating the look for a new generation. A tough balance.”
James (CBM): Having the original cast back must have been a special experience. How did it influence your design choices, particularly for places like the Starship or Picard’s vineyard?
David: “Each set was specifically designed to work with the characters. When we first see Geordi again, he is Commodore of the Starfleet Museum, it was important that his space reflect him and his love of history. His office was layered deep with things from his past and the history of Star Trek. Each set had to do that, it had to be as much about the history of Trek as well as the character. When you see Seven of Nine’s quarters, a little Silver Voyager model says she still has fond memories of that world and is a bit sentimental as she doesn’t carry/keep much.”
James (CBM): Were there any other designs you were most passionate about your work on? What set or environment are you most proud of in The Final Season, and why?
David: “I loved the design of the Shrike. The exterior was a challenge to create an iconic predator ship the likes of which we hadn’t seen before, while the interior was an exercise in how to create something visceral and cool, while doing it on a shoestring budget.”
James (CBM): How closely did you work with other departments, like costuming and prosthetics, to create a cohesive world?
David: ”Every set is coordinated across all departments, you have to as it’s all connected. We worked extensively with Michael Crow on all the Borg Elements and the M’Talas Prime sets, making sure he knew what our color palates were and what tone we were going for. Our dueling Cinematographers Jon Joffin and Crescenzo Notarile were involved in every aspect of design. The sets had so much integrated lighting and functionality and they really had to be in perfect sync with what the camera/lighting team wanted. The sets were lit by thousands of feet of LED lighting that was seamlessly integrated into the design.”
James (CBM): If I was the director……: Was there a set piece that didn't make it into the final cut but that you loved? What was it, and why was it special?
David:”I loved the Picard Chateau library. It was a brilliant set from S2 that barely was seen. Decorator Tim Stepeck did an excellent job layering it with items from Picard’s past. The set was giant and 2 stories tall, and we never really saw the 2nd floor and all of the details there.”
James (CBM): Any secret easter eggs embedded in your designs or other attention to details we might want to look for when watching on Blu Ray or DVD?
David:”Hopefully with the Blu-ray folks can see all of the different items locked in vaults at Daystrom Station. We spent weeks trolling the history of Star Trek to come up with fun items that Section 31 would keep in their secret vaults. Lots of it were just fun bits, and I don’t know how many you see, but there were lots of fun ones.”
James (CBM): Any interesting observations of the original cast you personally engaged with, and was it an emotional reunion?
David: “I had a great working relationship with Jonathan Frakes. He worked with us on Season 2 as director as well, so he was really the only cast member I had any extensive time chatting with. The Art Department team are like the little elves. We come in the night, build sets, and then scurry off to let the shooting crew have fun while we go onto the next thing.”
James (CBM): Can you share any standout moments or stories from behind the scenes on this series?
David:”Standing on the bridge of the USS Enterprise D… I mean, How can you top that. Not just a recreated set, but a REAL set for the show. And we had spent months creating it, it was perfect, and then in come the cast to see it for the first time, and they laughed and got emotional and then gave us a huge round of applause for our efforts. A highlight of my career for sure.”
RELEASE NOTES
Star Trek: Picard – The Final Season Qa released this year on DVD, Blu-ray™, and a limited-edition Blu-ray SteelBook from Paramount Home Entertainment. On September 5th, Paramount Entertainment gave us Trekkies a galactic treat as Star Trek: Picard – The Complete Series beamed onto shelves, encompassing all three seasons of the acclaimed show, with an additional 7 hours of special features and behind-the-scenes looks.
The all-star cast of Star Trek: Picard -The Complete Series includes Patrick Stewart (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, X-Men) as Jean-Luc Picard, LeVar Burton (Star Trek: Generations) as Geordi La Forge, Michael Dorn (“Star Trek: The Next Generation,” Star Trek: Insurrection) as Worf, Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection) as Will Riker, Gates McFadden (“Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Insurrection) as Dr. Beverly Crusher, Michelle Hurd (“Blindspot,” “Hawaii Five-0”) as Raffi Musiker, Marina Sirtis (“Star Trek: Lower Decks,” Star Trek: Generations) as Deanna Troi, Brent Spiner (“Star Trek: The Next Generation,” Star Trek: First Contact) as Commander Data, Ed Speleers (“You,” “Downton Abbey”) as Jack Crusher, and Jeri Ryan (“Bosch,” “Body of Proof”) as Seven of Nine.
On November 7, the definitive Star Trek: The Picard Legacy Collection will be released, a truly unparalleled anthology for Next Generation devotees. This individually numbered 54-Disc Blu-ray set is a collector's dream come true, with one-of-a-kind packaging that holds every iconic series and film starring the legendary Jean-Luc Picard.
From the classics of Star Trek: The Next Generation – Seasons 1-7 to the more recent narratives of Star Trek: Picard – Seasons 1-3, so every chapter of Picard's journey is included. Die-hard fans will rejoice in having films like Star Trek: Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Nemesis, and Star Trek: Insurrection as part of this expansive collection.
In addition, a special edition of The Wisdom of Picard beckons, adorned with fresh artwork and poignant quotes that dive deeper into the psyche of the esteemed captain. Add to this mix a unique deck of playing cards, a magnet sheet detailing every badge worn by Captain Picard, and elegant Chateau Picard drink coasters!