Computer Graphics World

do based on previous Star Trek fi lms," Guyett says. (Star Trek: Nemesis, the most recent fi lm in the franchise until now, generated only $18.5 million on opening weekend in December 2002, and limped to a less-than-stellar fi nal box offi ce total of $43 million.) "But, when I read the script," Guyett continues, "I thought, this is a very diff erent kind of movie than the traditional Star Trek movie. And, as Paramount became convinced that J.J. would make an energetic, exciting fi lm, the budget grew." e studio also optimis- tically moved the release date from Christmas to the leading edge of the summer blockbuster season. ILM, which had created visual eff ects for six of the previous 10 Star Trek features, produced 850 of the approximately 1000 shots in this fi lm, with Digital Domain, Evil Eye Pictures, Lola Visual Eff ects, and Svengali supplying additional digital eff ects. Live Long and Prosper e fi rst Star Trek fi lm for which ILM created visual eff ects was Star Trek: e Wrath of Khan in 1982, and to bring a dead planet to life for that feature, Lucasfi lm's computer division, which would spin off to become Pixar Animation Studios, created the now- famous "Genesis Eff ect." It marked the fi rst use of fractals, particle eff ects, and a 32-bit RGBA paint system in a feature fi lm. For the latest trek into the fi nal frontier, Lucasfi lm's ILM also used particles, but in combination with state-of-the-art simula- tion systems, to destroy two planets for this fi lm. In addition to building and demolishing the planets, ILM created the Starship Enterprise and the other space vehicles, which were always CG, a mining platform and other objects, two creatures, digital matte paintings, and animatics and previs for many of the shots. May 2009 31 Visual Effects ■ ■ ■ ■ For the seventh time, ILM creates innovative CG effects for a Star Trek fi lm, but this time the director causes a break in tradition Images ©2009 Paramount Pictures Corp. Courtesy Industrial Light & Magic.

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