Saturday 04 February 2012

Interview with David Negron Jr.

David J. Negron Jr., son of the David J. Negron who worked as production illustrator on Star Trek: The Motion Picture, followed in his father’s footsteps in the movie industry. He worked as visual effects supervisor on films as The Postman (1997) and Open Range (2003), as storyboard artist on Patriot Games (1992), The Scorpion King (2002) and National Treasure (2004) and as illustrator on Clear and Present Danger (1994) and Star Trek: Nemesis—and that is but a selection from the many motion pictures Mr Negron worked on!

In early December 2008, Forgotten Trek interviewed Mr Negron about his work and his involvement with the Star Trek franchise. Mr Negron was kind enough not only to provide the answers below but the artworks on this page also!

Interview

Tell us about your background in art. What are/were your influences and how did you get into the industry? Did you always plan to follow in your father’s footsteps as an illustrator/designer?

I started in the film industry right out of high school. My father at that time was a film illustrator and an instructor at Art Center College of Design (before the school moved to Pasadena, CA) and gave me first hand instructions and advice. Once I was working on films I saw the need for more schooling and enrolled in additional night courses at Art Center and UCLA. It wasn’t until I was working as an artist did I really learn the true ins and outs of filmmaking. Movies were my strongest influences that focused me on working in the industry. I didn’t know what direction I was headed when I was younger and didn’t set any goals; I think this played in my favor because I could never be discouraged. I knew I liked what I was doing, but didn’t really understand the enormity of art and movie making until later in life.

According to IMDb, you have also served as a visual effects supervisor. Can you tell us a little about that?

Back in the eighties, I was working in the art department as an apprentice illustrator on a film entitled Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling. During this time, the film was having difficulty doubling or twining the lead actor (Richard Pryor) in some of his key scenes. Early split screen techniques were used but not enough to solve the directors need of wanting the actor to give himself a hug. Problem solving is something that a storyboard artist or illustrator on a film is always faced with. Working with my dad, we came up with a technique that enabled the actor to do just that. We shot a 16mm film test and screened it for Mr. Richard Pryor and he loved it! This was my first introduction into visual effects for films. This film composite technique later became the “GEMINI EFFECT” and was used often in other films. This was all done in the film “optical” world way before computers were used.

How did you become involved with Star Trek: Nemesis? Were you a Star Trek fan before you worked on the film? If so, what are your favorite Treks? What were your specific duties on Star Trek: Nemesis as Illustrator? Did you have any design input with John Eaves and the other designers on the film? Could you describe a typical day working on a film as an illustrator—not just with regard to Trek, but any film you’ve worked on?

On Star Trek: Nemesis, I was contacted by Herman Zimmerman the production designer to come and work on the film. I had worked with Herman before on Star Trek: Generation during the first start up of the series. I had also worked earlier with Stuart Baird the director on a film he directed entitled Executive Decision. Because I was originally hired by Herman as an illustrator, he put me on the design of the Romulan Mine on the planet Romulus. This was a great opportunity because it would be the first time we would see the working planet. Later, Stuart and I storyboarded some of the int. fight scenes.

The Star Trek movies and TV show have always been on throughout my career. I think my brother Joel (who is an editor now; Transformers 2, Mummy 3, House of Wax) was more into the TV series as I was more into the feature films. I have to say the very first film Star Trek: The Motion Picture is my favorite film of the series. I was younger then and watching my dad and other illustrators and visual effects companies exploring visual effects for the first time (without computers), just made me see how the film makers then were also explorer-trekkers.

Were there any scenes or ideas discussed or storyboarded for Star Trek: Nemesis that didn’t make it into the final film that you think would have been interesting had they been completed?

The sequence with the dune buggy was a much bigger sequence, it would have been cool to have seen more action. The off-road vehicles were amazing when built, but then again they were built by the famous design team of Micky Thomson from the Baja 1000 off-road racing. Being an avid off-road motorcycle enthusiast myself, it was very cool to see these machines in action. That just shows how the film industry takes serious how equipment performs when out filming.

What is your critical opinion of Star Trek: Nemesis as released? What are your lasting impressions (if any) of director Stuart Baird and Producer Rick Berman?

I think the Star Trek: Nemesis film held its own in the series of films and the director Stuart Baird was under unusually strict budget constrains from the studio and I believed he pulled off a very difficult task. Rick Berman has always been the “rock of standards” of the series of film and television episodes.

What do you think might have made Nemesis a bigger box office success?

More money. I felt the budget was tight and the studio was being very conservative with its creative financing.

Do you have any special memories of working on Trek that you could share with our readers?

I would say that it is always an honor and a special treat to be working on such a fine legacy as the Star Trek Empire. The amount of talented people that it takes to pull off these films for so many years, make every experience worthwhile.

Finally, what are you up to these days? Projects? Tell us about Goliath Pictures? What advice would you offer someone whose dream is to become an illustrator or designer in the film industry today?

You know, I have been working in the film industry for just about twenty-five years now and I can honestly say, that because it is an entertainment industry, you never get used to the idea that we are all freelance or work for hire. With that said, it is because it is freelance that new and creative ideas thrive! The competition is fierce, the hours are long, but the people are some of the best I have ever met in their professionalism. They do what is asked of them and they do what they say because they have to. That is a character trait that is unmatched by any other profession. Today’s financial situation and a proposed actors strike make it even more difficult for the needs of creative and new ideas to work into smaller budget. So I think there will be fewer blockbuster creative films out and more conventional ones for a time being. I just finished working on [G.I. Joe:] Rise of Cobra this past summer. I was working as an illustrator designing the “new look” for GI Joe’s base. It was a fantastic time with some very cool visuals to illustrate.

My company, Goliath Pictures was started about ten years ago. It was deeply involved in visual effects compositing, working on films (Postman, Message in a Bottle, Where the Heart Is) and is also involved with reality shows and has produced its first feature entitled Killing Ariel. This is the first feature Goliath Pictures has produced and will be released in North America to DVD in 2009! I was also the director of the film.

My profession as an illustrator in the film industry has brought me nothing but enjoyment. I get paid to draw? With the increasing need for new concepts and ideas, an illustrator is even more important. Just within the past five years, I’ve made the crossover from tradition illustration (oils, gauche, watercolor, charcoal and even pencils) to drawing and painting on the computer. Still working in the 2d realm, I now see the need for myself to explore more in the 3D environment software. I believe this will be the new threshold of the position of the illustrator. Although, films being what there are, if you are working on an eighteenth century period film, a computer sketch just will not do.

 

For more of Mr Negron’s work, visit the website of his Goliath Pictures.

2 December 2008