Star Trek: Discovery is a television series produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Robbenberry Ent. It is filmed at Pinewood Studios in Toronto, as well as on location around the world. Designs from the Star Trek franchise were reinvented for the series to take advantage of modern techniques and visual effects. It premiered on September 24, 2017, on CBS and CBS All Access.
My personal contributions to the series began in it’s 4th season. I was hired as a Concept Artist and being new to the Directors Guild of Canada and fresh out of College as a Humber College graduate with an Advanced Diploma in 3D Animation, I naturally had to begin my practise as a Trainee Assistant Art Director. within 5 months I was promoted to 2AAD for the rest of the contract.
Learning the industry was a challenge at first but my peers and mentors were all extremely helpful in guiding me through how it all works in Film & Television. I made sure I was as resourceful as I could be to help with solving problems. I enjoyed designing graphics, using 3D technologies and a bit of my traditional drawing skills, enabling me to put my best foot forward and leave good impressions on my Art Directors.
Being a part of one of the first shows after “Mandalorian” to use the AR wall was also an excitement for me. AR walls are new in-studio production techniques using gaming engine technology combined with wall-sized screens of LEDs to create virtual environments that react to camera movements. Using AR walls can create superior visual effects and allow the actors to actually see the environments instead of green screens. And in many cases, these LED walls can replace the need to go on location. This was their answer to the COVID-19 pandemic.