Andrew Probert
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Andrew Probert (born 1946 in Independence, Missouri) is an artist who is best known for designing the USS Enterprise for Star Trek: The Motion Picture and the Enterprise-D for Star Trek: The Next Generation.
After spending some time in the US Navy, Probert studied at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California[1].
His first film/TV work was on Glen A. Larson's 1978 ABC miniseries Battlestar Galactica, for which he was recommended by artist Ralph McQuarrie[1]. For Galactica, Andy contributed the design for the Cylon Centurions[1] as well as building one of the physical spaceship models for the "rag tag fleet", seen in the opening title sequence of each episode of the series[citation needed].
In 1978 he went to work for Robert Abel and Associates working on Star Trek: The Motion Picture, where he worked as a concept designer/illustrator[2]. When Abel's group was fired, Andrew survived the transition to the group of new effects supervisor Douglas Trumbull. Andrew was primarily responsible for designing the human and Vulcan space technology seen in the film, including the refitted starship Enterprise, space drydock, orbital office complex, travel pod, Work Bee support vehicles, and a two-part Vulcan long range shuttlecraft[3]. His concept for the bridge set of the Klingon battlecruiser set the style for all future Klingon ship interiors.
In 1984 he worked on Back to the Future, initially drawing storyboards but then continuing the design of the Delorean time machine that had been started by Ron Cobb[4].
In 1986 he joined the staff of the then new show Star Trek: The Next Generation where he was initially hired to design the bridge of the new starship, the Enterprise-D [2] However, after the show's producers saw a speculative Enterprise sketch that Probert had produced he was tasked with designing the starship's exterior as well. [2]. During his one season stint on the The Next Generation, he also designed the exteriors of virtually every other space vehicle seen in the first year of the show, including the Romulan Warbird[2]
His film and television work also includes stints on Airwolf, Streethawk, *batteries not included, Space Camp, Mask, Tron, and The Philadelphia Experiment. He worked for a period at Walt Disney Imagineering.
On February 6, 2006, Perpetual Entertainment and CBS Media announced that Probert had been employed as a design consultant for the upcoming MMOG Star Trek Online[5].
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Greg Tyler (August 1999). Exclusive 1999 interview with Andrew Probert. trekplace.com. Retrieved on 2006-10-22.
- ^ a b c d Salvador Nogueira (July 22, 2001). Andrew Probert: two Enterprises and a DeLorean in the resume. trekbrasilis.com. Retrieved on 2006-10-22.
- ^ Greg Tyler (June 2005). Exclusive 2005 interview with Andrew Probert. trekplace.com. Retrieved on 2006-10-22.
- ^ Tom Silknitter (2003). An Interview with Production Designer Andrew Probert. bttf.com. Retrieved on 2006-10-22.
- ^ Perpetual Announces Addition of Visionary Star Trek Artist Andrew Probert. Perpeptual Entertainment (February 6, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-22.
