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Paramount logo

Paramount logo found at the intro of many Star Trek films

Quark's Treasure departs Hangar 18

Paramount Stage 18 is located on the Paramount Pictures lot in Hollywood, California. It's noted for a number of famous productions, including Billy Wilder's 1950 film, Sunset Blvd. (where it was seen as Cecil B. DeMille's soundstage), the classic western Shane (1953), and Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 Rear Window. [1]

Stage 18 was used for temporary swing sets in all seven seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as well as the motion picture Star Trek: Insurrection.

It was used through the four year run of Star Trek: Enterprise and most recently for the 2009 film, Star Trek.

According to James Mees, the space underneath Stage 18 was used as a warehouse for Trek props and set pieces following their move from the warehouse in Burbank. The space was 12.000 square feet. ("Inside Starfleet Archives Year Six – Sets & Props", TNG Season 6 DVD special feature)

1992-1999[]

Danube 73918 cockpit

Runabout interior from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

For the new production, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, more space at Paramount Studios was allotted to the Star Trek franchise.

Stage 18 was first used in the pilot episode of DS9 for the various temporary sets needed for that production, including the main bridge of the USS Saratoga and Cardassian ship, and the Bajoran monastery.

The stage also housed a permanent standing set, the interior of the runabout.

The Temple of Masaka from the Star Trek: The Next Generation seventh season episode "Masks" was built on Stage 18. The set was later put to good use as the Albino's fortress in DS9: "Blood Oath". TNG's own Stage 16 was not free, as the village from "Thine Own Self" was built on it. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (2nd ed., p. 285)) Parts of the set from "Masks" were re-built and used as village commons for the episode "Meridian", also filmed on Stage 18.

In later years, DS9's version of "Planet Hell" – an interior planet cave set – was constructed on Stage 18, as well sets representing the USS Defiant bridge, quarters, sickbay, mess hall, and engine room, though the latter were torn down to make room for a Klingon starship interior and generic Cardassian setting. The stage also hosted the sets for Kasidy Yates' freighter SS Xhosa (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (p. 341)) and a Bajoran temple. [2] The stage was also used for the set of the New York offices for Incredible Tales of Scientific Wonder in DS9: "Far Beyond the Stars". (Star Trek: Communicator issue 116, p. 26)

Paramount Stages 4, 7, and 17 housed other primary sets used in DS9.

1998[]

In 1998, Stage 18's cave set was significantly expanded for use in the feature film Star Trek: Insurrection. The caves represented those on the Ba'ku planet and included multiple levels.

The modifications were left mostly intact for the remainder of the set's use in DS9 and were prominently featured in the series finale, "What You Leave Behind", as the Bajoran Fire Caves.

Paramount Stages 5 and 15 contained the primary interior sets for Insurrection.

2001-2005[]

With set construction starting in March 2001, Stage 18 became the primary home of Star Trek: Enterprise. (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 2, p. 6)

NX main engineering

Engineering from Star Trek: Enterprise

Three large sets were built within the stage and were central to most locations aboard Enterprise NX-01: the bridge including the captain's ready room and the situation room, engineering, and launch bay interiors. Paramount Stage 8 housed the remaining NX-01 interiors used in Enterprise.

The sets were constructed side-by-side, with engineering in the center; that set also included a small network of corridors, the transporter alcove, and decon chamber. The corridors that lined engineering were referred to in blueprints as the "Engineering Corridor".

A small area between engineering and the launch bay was reserved for temporary swing sets such as:

2007-2008[]

According to a May 2007 news item from The Trek Movie Report website, J.J. Abrams' 2009 film, Star Trek, was – in part – filmed on Paramount's Stage 18.

Set construction reportedly began in July 2007, utilizing other "historic" Star Trek sound stages including Stages 8, 9, 11, 14, and 15. [3] The film wrapped production on 27 March 2008. [4]

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