Meeting Trek non-actor celebrities

[alpha_leonis]

Reading the thread posted by EnriqueH about meeting Trek actors made me wonder about another side of the industry.

I've never been to a convention (never met any of the actors), but the TV shows and movies are not made only by them. Has anybody ever met somebody "behind the scenes" of the shows?

I managed to locate contact information for Marc Okrand once (the creator of the Klingon language), and interviewed him for a project in a college linguistics class. He came across very gracious and welcoming to answer questions from a random stranger.

Any other stories?

 

[Smoked Salmon]

I used to trade emails with Ron B Moore while he was working on Voyager.

 

[Albertese]

I've exchanged a handful of e-mails with Rick Sternbach over the years. Well, mostly several years ago. He seems like a real friendly guy, but I try not to bother people I don't know. I'd hate to be a nuisance.

--Alex

 

[Greg Cox]

I briefly met Robert Wise (director of a TMP) at a college convention decades ago. I still have the copy of STARLOG magazine he signed for me.

And I did my very first convention panel alongside Theodore Sturgeon, writer of "Amok Time" and "Shore Leave." He was very gracious and welcoming to a young newbie writer with only a few short story credits to his name . ....

 

[B.J.]

Sternbach and Probert, among several others, actually post here from time to time.

 

[t_smitts]

Reading the thread posted by EnriqueH about meeting Trek actors made me wonder about another side of the industry.

I've never been to a convention (never met any of the actors), but the TV shows and movies are not made only by them. Has anybody ever met somebody "behind the scenes" of the shows?

I managed to locate contact information for Marc Okrand once (the creator of the Klingon language), and interviewed him for a project in a college linguistics class. He came across very gracious and welcoming to answer questions from a random stranger.

Any other stories?

Doug Drexler and the Okudas post pretty regularly on Facebook and respond to people. I think Dan Curry does also. Brannon Braga's on there, but I don't know if he really responds much.

 

[Greg Cox]

And, oh, I should mention that Norman Spinrad ("The Doomsday Machine") was one of my old writing instructors.

Taught me how to write book proposals, actually.

 

[Misfit Toy]

Smaller cons are great for meeting non-actor Trek notables. While at August Trek in Washington DC in 1981, I met writers Jacqueline Lichtenberg (Star Trek Lives) and Howie Weinstein (Pirates of Orion - TAS), and went to a screening of The Empire Strikes Back with Joan Winston (Star Trek Lives) and Jesco Von Puttkamer (Tech advisor for STTMP).

 

[Rick Sternbach]

Sternbach and Probert, among several others, actually post here from time to time.

Yes. Yes we do.

 

[1001001]

Mike Sussman used to post here too.

We exchanged some PM's regarding In a Mirror, Darkly a few years ago.

Very nice guy.

I met Michael and Denise Okuda at a con once.

 

[Melakon]

I did a thread a couple of years ago after seeing In a Mirror, Darkly for the first time, and Mike Sussman popped up in there too.

And Rick above once surprised me when I mentioned his name.

 

[Forbin]

Can't say as I've met any of them, but I'm facebook friends with Drexler and Sternback. They're very nice guys and very happy to talk about their work. Probert is on there too, but he's not as active. He gave me a great compliment on one of my kitbashes, though. I need to get that email bronzed.

 

[Salinga]

I had contact with Dough Drexler, Brannon Braga, Mike & Denise Okuda and Larry Nemecek via facebook and Twitter. The people behind the camera are pretty accessable to the fans (because they know, the fans appreciate their work and talent).

The show was pretty lucky - it had some awesome guys working for it behind the scenes loving their job to death. And it clearly shows on camera. Dwight Schulz once said at a panel, he loved working on Star Trek, because the show was "truly Hollywood" and everyone paid attention to every detail - unlike many other TV shows.

I think its one of the reasons why Star Trek has this long life and makes people coming back to it, because every second on screen shows the show was made by people who loved creating that show - even the bad episodes were done with the best intentions in mind from everybody and it just didnt work out.

One of the reasons why I worry if a new Trek TV show would work is not only because of the stories or actors, its also because of the people behind the camera (sets, production design). Star Trek only works, if also everyone involved behind the camera loves creating the show. If they dont, it doesnt show on camera and it would not impact the viewers so much.