Director Hanelle Culpepper describes Star Trek: Picard as “a character driven series with Picard at the heart”

Sir Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: Picard

Directing Star Trek is no small task. There are high standards to maintain and high expectations, especially if you’re directing the pilot of a long-awaited Star Trek series. Hanelle Culpepper took on that challenge, directing the first three episodes of season one of Star Trek: Picard. Culpepper spoke with Variety recently to discuss her work on the series as well as what it was like directing Sir Patrick Stewart.

Being responsible for the pilot as well as the following two episodes, it was Culpepper’s job to set the tone for the show. “I wanted it to feel inspired by where Picard was on his emotional journey,” Culpepper said of the pilot, which begins with an aging Picard living at the family vineyard. “We have to get those big, cinematic shots with drones and cranes and stuff, but we always wanted to not forget that it’s really a character-driven series with Picard at the heart.” Those cinematic shots are vital to bringing the audience into a scene. When it comes to the sentiment behind it, Culpepper noted that executive producer Alex Kurtzman wanted to “always see both eyes”, allowing the audience to see the full range of emotions from the actors, especially in close shots.

You might think that directing Stewart would be a daunting task, but extensive preparation by Stewart and the writing staff made the job a bit easier for the veteran director. “For me,” Culpepper said, “it was just about creating the safe space where he could do the things he wanted to do. Ultimately, it was nice to be in a situation where the actor and the writers are all on the same page for who this character is.”

While Culpepper broke new ground with Picard as the first woman to direct a Star Trek pilot episode, she’s no “spring chicken” in the television world at large. According to IMDb, Culpepper has directed more than 30 television episodes from shows including Star Trek: Discovery, NOS4A2, Gotham and Criminal Minds, to name just a few. She is also a member of the 2019 inaugural class of ReFrame Rise, a program that strives to assist the careers of female directors.

And of course, you can check out Culpepper’s directing style for yourself, in episodes one, two and three of Star Trek: Picard, streaming now on CBS All Access.