MARCH 8, 2022 - The Art Directors Guild (Local 800 of IATSE, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) is, according to its website, “a labor union representing approximately 3,000 members who work throughout the world as Production Designers, Art Directors, Scenic, Title and Graphic Artists; Set Designers and Model Makers; Illustrators, Matte Artists, and Previs Artists.” 

Two of those artists known to Star Trek fans are Michael and Denise Okuda. The Okudas themselves will have an award named for them come the 23rd century, and Christopher Pike will win it, but in the meantime the ADG has recognized them with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Okudas received their awards on March 5, and now, thanks in part to long time Star Trek artist Doug Drexler (who has credited Mike Okuda with having a role in getting Drexler on staff at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), video of the presentation is available. Mike Okuda posted the video the next day on Twitter.

The video begins with Star Trek art director and production designer Herman Zimmerman introducing the Okudas. (Zimmerman also received the Lifetime Achievement Award, in 2012.) Bookended by Zimmerman and the Okudas’ acceptance speech, a video traces the history of the Okudas’ work on Star Trek and other projects, including the recent For All Mankind. 

As Mike Okuda sums it up at one point, “It isn’t about the technology or the tool, it’s about the skill and the vision of the hand that drives the tool.” For more from the skillful and visionary Michael and Denise Okuda, you can head over to Twitter to see the entire presentation.