VFX supervisor Jason Zimmerman on balancing new and traditional styles in Star Trek: Discovery

The U.S.S. Discovery-A from Star Trek: Discovery

JUNE 2, 2021 - In a recent interview with the website Gold Derby, Star Trek: Discovery visual effects supervisor Jason Zimmerman gave some insight into his team’s journey in creating a visual aesthetic that fit into the established Trek universe, and he also talked about the unique challenges and opportunities presented by Discovery’s drastic season three time jump.

“I was very excited to be able to contribute to such a legacy of Star Trek,” he told Gold Derby. “It was definitely exciting and also daunting because you’re developing something that the fans are going to look to with the same amount of love that they did at the Enterprise or the Borg Cube or any of those things.”

Speaking to the constant learning curve of doing a show like Discovery and the desire to balance a fresh look within established norms, Zimmerman noted, “You definitely are always looking for ways […] to represent things a little bit differently, But at the same time […] not straying away from the Star Trek universe.”

When it came to the daunting task of building a new 32nd century world for Discovery season three, Zimmerman spoke to the importance of the writers’ vision and strong preparation. He also focused on the centrality of connecting to the audience through story, saying, “It’s not just about ‘It has to look photoreal and be cool!’ It’s ‘Are we telling the story, is that the right emotion?’ […] And it’s a lot of fun to do.”

In the midst of the challenges, Zimmerman says it’s the collaborative spirit of Star Trek that makes it work, remarking, “Fortunately for us, Star Trek is a big family and everybody does kind of take care of each other.”

You can watch Zimmerman’s full interview and hear more about his team and the well-deserved recognition they’ve received at goldderby.com.