Dan Curry

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Dan Curry

"Dan Curry is one of Star Trek's heroes. He's an amazingly genius." - Michael Okuda, 4 April 2002 (TNG Season 5 DVD-special feature "Departmental Briefing Year Five: Visual Effects")

Daniel "Dan" Francis Myles Curry (born 1946) was a senior member of the special effects team and the visual effects supervisor of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise. Curry was also the second unit director for all of the Star Trek spinoffs. However, he was also given the opportunity to flex his muscles as first unit director, and has directed one episode of The Next Generation, sixth season's "Birthright, Part II". Curry has won seven Emmy Awards for his work on Star Trek, an additional twelve nominations, supplemented with one International Monitor Award and one VES Award as well as an additional nomination, in the process becoming one of the most honored Star Trek production staffers, only surpassed by Michael Westmore (though Curry has more actual wins).

As a master of Tai chi, Curry choreographed the Klingon fighting technique Mok'bara and designed the famous Klingon weapon, the bat'leth. For Deep Space Nine's sixth season episode "A Time to Stand", he built the kit-bash studio model USS Curry, which was named for him. He also appeared as the image of Dekon Elig in DS9: "Babel" and Ches'sarro Seeto in DS9: "Necessary Evil". Apart from the Klingon weaponry, Curry has, besides his regular duties as visual effects supervisor, on occasion pitched in as a designer and has created for example the D'Arsay archive for The Next Generation, as well as the two Kazon starship classes, the Hanonian land eel and the Borg unicomplex for Voyager. Curry painted the cover for DC Comics TOS Special 2, released in late 1994, portraying the USS Enterprise-A and the USS Defiant. There is a nineteen-minute interview with Dan Curry on the TNG Season 6 DVD disc 7 entitled "Dan Curry Profile". In the interview, he talks about how some of the props were conceived and how his experience with martial arts informed much of the Klingon style of battle. The special also revealed that Curry has retained a considerable amount of Star Trek production items for his personal collection.

Curry as Dekon Elig

...and as Ches'sarro Seeto

In 2007, Curry worked as visual effects consultant for the fan-made internet series Star Trek: New Voyages episode "World Enough and Time", which features fellow Star Trek alumni George Takei, Grace Lee Whitney, Majel Barrett Roddenberry, John Carrigan, James Cawley, Jeffery Quinn, writer and director Marc Scott Zicree, writer Michael Reaves, Doug Drexler, Iain McCaig, James Van Over, Michael Okuda, Daren Dochterman, Pierre Drolet, Sam Mendoza, Ronald B. Moore, Lee Stringer, Gregory Jein, Philip Kim, Leslie Hoffman, and Tom Morga.

Hailing from the East Coast, Curry graduated with a degree in Fine Arts at the Middlebury College in Vermont and subsequently with a degree in Fine Arts in Film and Theatre at the Humboldt State University in California, before joining the US Peace Corps in Thailand, where he learned to speak fluent Thai and Lao, and became a martial arts expert, among others in Tai chi. Upon his return to the United States, Curry first worked as a teacher giving lessons in painting, drawing, graphic design, set design and fabrication, perspective drawing, and rendering until 1979 when he started to work in the motion picture industry, at first as title designer for a number of productions. Credits he accumulated as matte artist before he joined the Star Trek franchise were among others the movies Caveman (1981) and Creepshow (1982) as well as the documentary The Jupiter Menace (1984, working for David Stipes Productions). After his tenure at Star Trek, Curry worked as visual effects coordinator on the fantasy horror series Moonlight (2007-2008) and the comedy series Chuck (2008, co-starring Bonita Friedericy and Tony Todd, and produced and occasionally directed by Voyager cast member Robert Duncan McNeill).

Together with his wife Ubolvan (whom he met in Thailand) and son Devin, Curry operates his own small, Bell Canyon, California based, production company "Evergreen Productions, LLC" [1], producing predominantly short drama features, among others Eviction (2004), Hired Guns (2011), and the recent The Chronicles of Elijah Sincere (2012)

Star Trek credits

(This list is currently incomplete.)

• TNG: - Visual Effects Coordinator / Visual Effects Supervisor / Visual Effects / Visual Effects Producer
  • "Too Short a Season" (Season 1 - Visual Effects Coordinator)
  • "Datalore"
  • "Angel One"
  • "Home Soil"
  • "Coming of Age"
  • "The Arsenal of Freedom"
  • "Symbiosis"
  • "Conspiracy"
  • "Where Silence Has Lease" (Season 2 - Visual Effects Supervisor)
  • "The Outrageous Okona"
  • "Loud As A Whisper"
  • "A Matter Of Honor"
  • "The Dauphin"
  • "Contagion" - Matte Artist (uncredited)
  • "The Royale"
  • "The Icarus Factor"
  • "Q Who"
  • "Up The Long Ladder"
  • "The Emissary"
  • "Shades of Gray"
  • "The Ensigns of Command" (Season 3 - Visual Effects Supervisor)
  • "The Survivors"
  • "The Bonding"
  • "The Enemy"
  • "The Vengeance Factor"
  • "The Hunted"
  • "Deja Q"
  • "Yesterday's Enterprise"
  • "Sins of the Father"
  • "Captain's Holiday"
  • "Sarek"
  • "Transfigurations"
  • "Suddenly Human" (Season 4 - Visual Effects Supervisor)
  • "Family"
  • "Legacy"
  • "Future Imperfect"
  • "The Loss"
  • "The Wounded"
  • "Clues"
  • "Galaxy's Child"
  • "Identity Crisis" (uncredited)
  • "The Nth Degree" (uncredited)
  • "Qpid"
  • "Half a Life"
  • "The Mind's Eye"
  • "Redemption"
  • "Redemption II" (Season 5 - Visual Effects Supervisor)
  • "Ensign Ro"
  • "Disaster"
  • "Unification II"
  • "A Matter of Time"
  • "Hero Worship"
  • "The Masterpiece Society"
  • "Power Play"
  • "The Outcast"
  • "The Perfect Mate"
  • "I Borg"
  • "The Inner Light"
  • "Time's Arrow, Part II" (Season 6 - Visual Effects)
  • "Realm of Fear"
  • "Man of the People"
  • "Relics"
  • "Schisms"
  • "True Q"
  • "Rascals"
  • "A Fistful of Datas"
  • "The Quality of Life"
  • "Chain of Command, Part I"
  • "Chain of Command, Part II"
  • "Ship in a Bottle"
  • "Aquiel"
  • "Face of the Enemy"
  • "Tapestry"
  • "Birthright, Part I"
  • "Birthright, Part II" (also as Director)
  • "Starship Mine"
  • "Lessons"
  • "The Chase"
  • "Frame of Mind"
  • "Suspicions"
  • "Rightful Heir"
  • "Second Chances"
  • "Timescape"
  • "Descent"
  • "Descent, Part II" (Season 7 - Visual Effects Producer)
  • "Liaisons"
  • "Interface"
  • "Gambit, Part I"
  • "Gambit, Part II"
  • "Phantasms"
  • "Dark Page"
  • "Attached"
  • "Force of Nature"
  • "Inheritance"
  • "Parallels"
  • "The Pegasus"
  • "Homeward"
  • "Sub Rosa"
  • "Lower Decks"
  • "Thine Own Self"
  • "Masks"
  • "Eye of the Beholder"
  • "Genesis"
  • "Journey's End"
  • "Firstborn"
  • "Bloodlines"
  • "Emergence"
  • "Preemptive Strike"
  • "All Good Things..."
• DS9: - Visual Effects Producer
  • "The Homecoming" (Season 2)
  • "The Circle"
  • "The Siege"
  • "Invasive Procedures"
  • "Cardassians"
  • "Melora"
  • "Rules of Acquisition"
  • "Necessary Evil"
  • "Second Sight"
  • "Sanctuary"
  • "Rivals"
  • "The Alternate"
  • "Armageddon Game"
  • "Whispers"
  • "Paradise"
  • "Shadowplay"
  • "Playing God"
  • "Profit and Loss"
  • "Blood Oath"
  • "The Wire"
  • "Crossover"
  • "The Collaborator"
  • "Tribunal"
  • "The Jem'Hadar"
  • "The Search, Part I" (Season 3)
  • "The Search, Part II"
  • "The House of Quark"
  • "Equilibrium"
  • "Second Skin"
  • "The Abandoned"
  • "Civil Defense"
  • "Meridian"
  • "Defiant"
  • "Fascination"
  • "Life Support"
  • "Destiny"
  • "Prophet Motive"
  • "Visionary"
  • "Distant Voices"
  • "Improbable Cause"
  • "Through the Looking Glass"
  • "The Die is Cast"
  • "Explorers"
  • "Family Business"
  • "Shakaar"
  • "Facets"
  • "The Adversary"
  • "The Way of the Warrior" (Season 4)
  • "Hippocratic Oath"
  • "The Visitor"
  • "The Sword of Kahless"
  • "Our Man Bashir"
  • "Homefront"
  • "Paradise Lost"
  • "Crossfire"
  • "Return to Grace"
  • "Sons of Mogh"
  • "Bar Association"
  • "Accession"
  • "Rules of Engagement"
  • "Hard Time"
  • "Shattered Mirror"
  • "The Muse"
  • "For the Cause"
  • "The Quickening"
  • "To the Death"
  • "Body Parts"
  • "Broken Link"
  • "Apocalypse Rising" (Season 5)
  • "The Ship"
  • "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places"
  • "Nor the Battle to the Strong"
  • "Trials and Tribble-ations"
  • "The Assignment"
  • "Let He Who Is Without Sin..."
  • "Things Past"
  • "The Ascent"
  • "Rapture"
  • "The Darkness and the Light"
  • "The Begotten"
  • "For the Uniform"
  • "In Purgatory's Shadow"
  • "By Inferno's Light"
  • "Doctor Bashir, I Presume"
  • "A Simple Investigation"
  • "Business as Usual"
  • "Ties of Blood and Water"
  • "Ferengi Love Songs"
  • "Soldiers of the Empire"
  • "Children of Time"
  • "Blaze of Glory"
  • "Empok Nor"
  • "In the Cards"
  • "Call to Arms"
  • "A Time to Stand" (Season 6)
  • "Sons and Daughters"
  • "Rocks and Shoals"
  • "Behind the Lines"
  • "Favor the Bold"
  • "Sacrifice of Angels"
  • "You Are Cordially Invited"
  • "Resurrection"
  • "Statistical Probabilities"
  • "The Magnificent Ferengi"
  • "Waltz"
  • "Who Mourns for Morn?"
  • "One Little Ship"
  • "Far Beyond the Stars"
  • "Honor Among Thieves"
  • "Change of Heart"
  • "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night"
  • "Inquisition"
  • "In the Pale Moonlight"
  • "His Way"
  • "The Reckoning"
  • "Valiant"
  • "Profit and Lace"
  • "Time's Orphan"
  • "The Sound of Her Voice"
  • "Tears of the Prophets"
  • "Image in the Sand" (Season 7)
  • "Shadows and Symbols"
  • "Afterimage"
  • "Take Me Out to the Holosuite"
  • "Chrysalis"
  • "Treachery, Faith and the Great River"
  • "Once More Unto the Breach"
  • "The Siege of AR-558"
  • "Covenant"
  • "It's Only a Paper Moon"
  • "Prodigal Daughter"
  • "The Emperor's New Cloak"
  • "Field of Fire"
  • "Chimera"
  • "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges"
  • "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang"
  • "Penumbra"
  • "'Til Death Do Us Part"
  • "Strange Bedfellows"
  • "The Changing Face of Evil"
  • "When It Rains..."
  • "Tacking Into the Wind"
  • "Extreme Measures"
  • "The Dogs of War"
• VOY: - Visual Effects Producer
  • "Caretaker" (Season 1)
  • "Parallax"
  • "Time and Again"
  • "Phage"
  • "The Cloud"
  • "Eye of the Needle"
  • "Ex Post Facto"
  • "Emanations"
  • "Prime Factors"
  • "State of Flux"
  • "Heroes and Demons"
  • "Cathexis"
  • "Jetrel"
  • "Learning Curve"
  • "Projections"
  • "Elogium"
  • "Twisted"
  • "The 37's"
  • "Initiations" (Season 2)
  • "Non Sequitur"
  • "Parturition"
  • "Persistence of Vision"
  • "Tattoo"
  • "Cold Fire"
  • "Maneuvers"
  • "Resistance"
  • "Prototype"
  • "Death Wish"
  • "Alliances"
  • "Threshold"
  • "Meld"
  • "Dreadnought"
  • "Investigations"
  • "Lifesigns"
  • "Deadlock"
  • "Innocence"
  • "The Thaw"
  • "Tuvix"
  • "Resolutions"
  • "Basics, Part I"
  • "Sacred Ground" (Season 3)
  • "False Profits"
  • "Flashback"
  • "Basics, Part II"
  • "The Chute"
  • "Remember"
  • "The Swarm"
  • "Future's End"
  • "Future's End, Part II"
  • "Warlord"
  • "The Q and the Grey"
  • "Macrocosm"
  • "Alter Ego"
  • "Fair Trade"
  • "Blood Fever"
  • "Coda"
  • "Unity"
  • "Darkling"
  • "Scorpion"
  • "Year of Hell" (Season 4)
  • "Concerning Flight"
  • "Extreme Risk" (Season 5)
  • "In the Flesh"
  • "Once Upon a Time"
  • "Nothing Human"
  • "Timeless"
  • "Thirty Days"
  • "Infinite Regress"
  • "Counterpoint"
  • "Gravity"
  • "Latent Image"
  • "Bride of Chaotica!"
  • "The Fight"
  • "Bliss"
  • "The Disease"
  • "Dark Frontier"
  • "Course: Oblivion"
  • "Think Tank"
  • "Juggernaut"
  • "Someone to Watch Over Me"
  • "11:59"
  • "Relativity"
  • "Warhead"
  • "Equinox"
  • "Equinox, Part II" (Season 6)
  • "Survival Instinct"
  • "Barge of the Dead"
  • "Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy"
  • "Dragon's Teeth"
  • "Alice"
  • "Riddles"
  • "One Small Step"
  • "The Voyager Conspiracy"
  • "Pathfinder"
  • "Fair Haven"
  • "Tsunkatse"
  • "Blink of an Eye"
  • "Virtuoso"
  • "Collective"
  • "Memorial"
  • "Spirit Folk"
  • "Ashes to Ashes"
  • "Child's Play"
  • "Good Shepherd"
  • "Fury"
  • "Live Fast and Prosper"
  • "Life Line"
  • "Muse"
  • "The Haunting of Deck Twelve"
  • "Unimatrix Zero"
  • "Unimatrix Zero, Part II" (Season 7)
  • "Imperfection"
  • "Drive"
  • "Critical Care"
  • "Repression"
  • "Inside Man"
  • "Flesh and Blood"
  • "Body and Soul"
  • "Nightingale"
  • "Shattered"
  • "Lineage"
  • "Repentance"
  • "Prophecy"
  • "The Void"
  • "Workforce"
  • "Workforce, Part II"
  • "Human Error"
  • "Q2"
  • "Author, Author"
  • "Friendship One"
  • "Natural Law"
  • "Homestead"
  • "Renaissance Man"
  • "Endgame"
• ENT: - Visual Effects Producer
  • "Broken Bow" (Season 1)
  • "Shuttlepod One"
  • "The Crossing" (Season 2)
  • "The Expanse"
  • "The Council" (Season 3)
  • "Countdown"

Star Trek interviews

• TNG Season 1 DVD special feature "The Making of a Legend" ("Visual Effects")
• TNG Season 1 DVD special feature "Memorable Missions"
• TNG Season 2 DVD special feature "Departmental Briefing Year Two: Production", interviewed on 5 September 2001
• TNG Season 2 DVD special feature "Departmental Briefing Year Two: Memorable Missions" ("Loud As A Whisper", "The Dauphin"), interviewed on 5 September 2001
• TNG Season 3 DVD special feature "Mission Overview Year Three" ("Special Guests on the Bridge"), interviewed on 5 September 2001
• TNG Season 3 DVD special feature "Departmental Briefing Year Three" ("Art Design and Visual Effects", "Visual Effects "Deja Q"", "Visual Effects "Captain's Holiday""), interviewed on 5 September 2001
• TNG Season 4 DVD special feature "Select Historical Data" ("Galaxy's Child"), interviewed on 5 September 2001
• TNG Season 5 DVD special feature "Departmental Briefing Year Five" ("Visual Effects"), interviewed on 5 September 2001
• TNG Season 5 DVD special feature "Memorable Missions Year Five" ("Hero Worship", "Disaster"), interviewed on 5 September 2001
• TNG Season 6 DVD special feature "Bold New Directions Year Six" ("A First Chance at "Second Chances""), interviewed on 5 September 2001
• TNG Season 6 DVD special feature "Departmental Briefing Year Six" ("Production", "Profile: Dan Curry"), interviewed 7 September 1994 and 17 June 2002
• TNG Season 7 DVD special feature "Starfleet Moments & Memories Year Seven" ("A Unique Family"), interviewed on 7 September 1994
• TNG Season 7 DVD special feature "The Making of "All Good Things..." Year Seven" ("Visual Effects"), interviewed on 28 April 1994 and 7 September 1994
• DS9 Season 2 DVD special feature "New Station, New Ships", interviewed on 15 April 1999
• DS9 Season 7 DVD special feature "Ending An Era", interviewed on 15 April 1999
• VOY Season 1 DVD special feature "Red Alert: Visual Effects Season One", interviewed on 16 November 1993 and on 30 July 2003
• VOY Season 2 DVD special feature "Red Alert: Visual Effects Season Two", interviewed on 30 July 2003 and on 16 October 2003
• VOY Season 3 DVD special features "Flashback to "Flashback"" and "Red Alert: Amazing Visual Effects", interviewed on 14 January 2004 and on 16 October 2003
• VOY Season 4 DVD special features "The Birth of Species 8472", "The Art of Alien Worlds" and "Red Alert: Amazing Visual Effects", interviewed on 28 April 2004 and on 16 October 2003
• VOY Season 6 DVD special features "Braving the Unknown, Season Six" and "Red Alert: Amazing Visual Effects, interviewed on 28 April 2004 and on 15 July 2004
• VOY Season 7 DVD special feature "Coming Home: The Final Episode", interviewed on 15 July 2004
• ENT Season 1 DVD special features "NX-01 File 02"
• ENT Season 4 DVD special features "Inside the "Mirror" Episodes" and "Visual Effects Magic"
• TNG Season 1 Blu-ray special feature "Stardate Revisited: The Origin of Star Trek: TNG"

Further Reading

• "Dan Curry: Into the Digital Realm", Larry Nemecek, Star Trek Monthly issue 31, September 1997, pp. 16-21
• "Dan Curry: STAR TREK's VFX Supreme", Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 1, Issue 3, July 1999, pp. 18-19
• "A Designer's Passion", Wendy Butler, Star Trek Magazine issue 120, April/May 2005, pp. 30-31

External links

• Template:Brokenlink - archived official site
• Dan Curry at Wikipedia
• Template:IMDb-link
• Dan Curry biography
• 2006 Interview with Dan Curry at Seb's Web Archive