By GustavoLeao / 13:07, 27 May 2009 / Star Trek: Nemesis

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TrekWeb talks to Star Trek movie creature and character designer Neville Page about his work on the new movie, including the ice planet creature called "Big Red".

1- So did you know from the start that you would be designing these two creatures on the Delta Vega Ice Planet? I understand it was originally supposed to be a desert planet, right?

JJ originally brought me on board to do the main "creature" that would chase Kirk. It was a desert planet and consequently, something more of a desert creature. For reasons unknown to me, it was switched to an ice planet. Obviously, any designs I had on this beast before were of no use.  So it was a complete redesign.  In fact, we were able to add an additional creature to this scene, the Polarilla. It was our red herring moment. You think that this is the one to be concerned about when, in fact.......

2- Tell us about Big Red (see image above), please. Did you get some feedback from fans on this creation? 

Big Red was a real struggle because I was just not getting JJ the right feel with the first sketches. Usually, you never have the answer right away, but I was starting to get concerned when the ideas I was proposing just were not hitting the mark. Then, one evening, it just came together. I finally understood how to bring the desires of JJ, what the writers conceived, and my opinions into one frightening creature (at least I hope that happened).  JJ wanted to have this striking contrast of a Red creature on the white background of Delta Vega. I loved that image. He also wanted it to have eyes all over the place. He will tell you that I struggled with that one. I tend to, when possible, adhere to the sensibilities of nature, or at least use them as an inspiration. So, for me, the notion of so many eyes defied plausibility. But this is what I like the most, a challenge that I truly struggle with. How can I reconcile this crazy idea? And, you see, it is also my job....to take the desires of your "boss", and help them realize it in a believable way.  It is hard to tell, but one way to get the eyes to be sprinkled throughout the body was to at least have them grade from sophisticated optics to simple sensory pits. It helped me give them a starting place and a stopping point as there were no true skeletal orbital cavities.

As for feedback....well.... Like anything, some people loved Big Red, some people hated it. A common complaint was the color red. It made no sense to some. Now, although JJ's reason was, I would say, a visceral choice, the color red can be completely justified. I would agree that because it is an alien on an alien planet, that does not give you artistic license to do as you please. I firmly believe that to retain the suspension of disbelief, you still need to adhere to the laws of nature and physics. That being said, nature will surprise you at every turn with something that defies logic (our logic). So, with a little knowledge, you can do something a little different and either have the foresight that it would work "in nature" or have the research to have the cart lead the horse and backwards engineer a reason for a choice. In this case, Red can be easily justified. First off, there is much about this creature that you may not know. It is not really a land animal. It is sort of like a walrus in that, although possessing limbs that are capable of land mobility, the water is where it's grace is showcased.  Same with Penguins. Big Red is adept in water. I actually designed it as a swimming animal more than a land animal with the point being that something this large on land, if it were a land dwelling animal, would have no trouble catching Kirk. So, we discussed making it a little awkward out of water (to give Kirk half a chance). The big spikes don't make any sense for snow either. That is because, it is not meant for snow either. If anything, Big Red is more like a crab meets a Humbolt squid. With that, we have our justification for RED. A predatory animal of the deep that wants to go undetected may actually be red (like the Humbolt squid). Red has the longest wavelength of visible light and is the color that essentially goes black at depth (simplified quite a bit in description). A perfect color for a predator actually.

3- Describe working with J.J. Abrams.

He is such a pleasure. He knows what he wants and he warrants the respect, but all the while he keeps the environment pleasant. Furthermore, he surrounds himself with like minds and the consequence is being in an environment conducive to creativity.  What I also love about JJ is how he lets you contribute to the process. He would ask many of us our opinion about something well outside of our expertise. He is open to ideas outside of his own. There is confidence, but no arrogance.  And lastly, the man makes me laugh!! A lot!!!

4- What else did you work on this Star Trek movie ?

Once the 2 creatures were mostly completed, I then moved on to "Aliens". Random stuff. A few foreground, some background. Barney Burman and his company Proteus, collaborated on these. We collectively did many designs for JJ's perusal and then finally settled on a variety that Barney and crew fabricated. Those guys worked some crazy hours trying to pull off the impossible. As with many productions, this was a collaborative effort. I also worked with Joel Harlowe and team on the Romulans. Joel and I had a great time together developing the Romulan look. I was really pushing for tattoos though. Be careful what you wish for, as I ended up doing a few hundred tattoo designs in the end. The coordination of this race was impressive to witness. And I must make mention of Mindy Hall. She was the master and commander of all things makeup on this film. We each played our part, but she and her team had the eye on the big picture, and, as you can tell, this was a BIG picture!!

5- Finally, besides Tron, what are your future projects ?

Wrapping up little details on Tron. Also wrapping up details on Piranha 3 in 3D.  Currently doing some work on 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, Captain Nemo. Could not be happier than to be associated with this subject matter. And then there are the other secret projects.

I am also hopeful that JJ and team will call on me again for another round of TREK!!!

You can visit Mr Page website for more images and info here.