Andrew Probert
From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference
(written from a Production point of view)
Andrew Probert's artistic career spans over twenty years, ten of which were spent working on some of science-fiction fans' favorite Hollywood productions.
His Hollywood career began on the small screen as a designer for Glen Larson's Battlestar: Galactica. He quickly moved to the big screen as a major contributor on Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
When Star Trek: Phase II (the proposed successor of the original Star Trek series) was canceled, in order to produce The Motion Picture, Joe Jennings (the Art Director) had already come up with his version of an upgraded Enterprise, and a model had been loosely put together. Probert went on working with this design, plus he designed several of the Enterprise's interiors.
Andrew Probert went on to work a number of television and feature-film projects, including Airwolf and Back to the Future. Probert's last project in Hollywood proved to be the one for which he is most well known. In 1987 Probert was hired as Senior Illustrator for Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Andrew Probert was, to the first season of The Next Generation, what Walter M. "Matt" Jefferies was to the original Star Trek television series, designing most of the ships, sets, and races.
Paramount obtained several design patents based on Probert's work on both Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek: The Next Generation. He is listed as the "inventor" on those designs and is the sole person officially credited with the design for the USS Enterprise-D.
Probert went on to work as a Walt Disney Imagineer, a video game artist, and is now involved in producing paintings and recently joined the developers of Star Trek Online with their visual look development.
In 2009, Probert was interviewed for the special feature "Next Generation Designer Flashback: Andrew Probert" for the Star Trek: The Next Generation Motion Picture Collection (DVD), especially for the newly released Star Trek Generations. He talks about his memories regarding his work on the first Star Trek film and early concepts for the saucer separation on the USS Enterprise.
[edit] Star Trek Filmography
- Star Trek: The Motion Picture - Production Illustrator (credited as "Andy Probert")
Storyboards, revisions or new designs of all space hardware and various hand props. Interior designs and renderings of the Enterprise cargo bay and Klingon cruiser's bridge, as well as an assortment of additional production art. Art directed and supervised the detailing of various miniatures as well as providing major design contributions to the Enterprise exterior. A com-voice at Epsilon IX also makes reference to a "Commodore Probert, Starfleet."
- Star Trek: The Next Generation - Senior Consulting Illustrator
Concept sketches and designs of all featured starships, for the show's first season, including the Type-7 shuttlecraft, Ferengi Marauder, Romulan Warbird and the Galaxy-class Enterprise-D. Also designed the Enterprise main bridge, battle bridge, and contributed heavily to the remaining sets. Additional responsibilities included designing various props, other-world environments, matte paintings, and the look of several alien races, notably the Ferengi.
He made an uncredited cameo role as a post atomic court spectator in TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint". He described his hat as a large tribble in an interview.
