Veteran Star Trek designer Doug Drexler has released a couple of new "Drex File" videos revealing rare behind the scenes glimpses of the sets from both Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Enterprise. Doug also offers some thoughts on DS9 (and JJ Abrams Trek). Get the details and videos below.

Home movies of DS9 Promenade + Discusses DS9 and new Star Trek



Doug Drexler’s "Drex Files" site is no more, but he is now posting new videos on his Vimeo page, including two new behind-the-scenes videos from his time working on Star Trek. In the first one Drexler explains how DS9 holds a special place as it is where he moved from the make-up department to art department, where Mike Okuda ‘took a chance’ on him, and the rest is history. He describes this as ‘home movies’ from the DS9 Promenade set (note some of the crew names on panels).

DS9 Promenade from Doug Drexler on Vimeo.

In the description of the video, Drexler also ponders how Deep Space Nine was a different kind of Trek and initially caused controversy with fans…

DS9 has come to be respected and admired, by many, as the best of the various shows. The most textured and complex. A real tapestry. But DS9 is a good example of how suspicious hardcore Trek fans are of anything they perceive as taking the place of their beloved series. In the beginning of DS9, it was sneered at by many. Now it’s considered one of the most interesting. I remembered when TNG premiered, and many fans turned their nose up at Captain Picard. I understand, sorta.

The video also contains voiceover from the pilot of show ("Emissary") where Sisko describes exploration as the most "most important thing about humans." Drexler notes that he was (at least in part) making a point about new Trek…

At the end of the bit I voice over a wonderful speech by Avery Brooks as Ben Sisko, and it occurs to me that this is what is missing from JJ’s Star Trek.

Watch Enterprise Engineering come to life

The second new video from Doug shows the workers at the "Marathon Mill" on the Paramount lot building the engineering set for Star Trek: Enterprise.

NX Engineering and The Marathon MIll from Doug Drexler on Vimeo.

Drexler offers the following for context and background…

One of the most thrilling things about working on Star Trek was watching the construction gang in the Marathon Mill take our sketches and blueprints and make them real… and like magic, sets would seemingly coalesce from thin air.

…

A rough and tumble world of pneumatic nail guns, saber saws and testosterone. The “Marathon Mill” was a wild and woolly pirate ship that demanded a thick skin and a sense of humor to successfully navigate. Working with construction was one of the funnest, coolest and most satisfying experiences of my widely varied life in Hollywood. Our Star Trek machine was well oiled, and in it’s veins flowed trust, affection, and admiration. I don’t believe that I have ever worked on another show where cooperation between departments was so powerful.

Drexler describes the Enterprise video as the "first installment" so hopefully more will be coming.