10 Best Uses Of Special Effects In Star Trek

8. The Beginning Of The End For The Klingons

For the opening explosion in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, ILM returned to Trek, having been unavailable for the previous film. With their absence keenly felt, the next film announced their footprint in a big way. The Praxis explosion has since gone on to become a popular effect in science fiction.

Director Nicholas Meyer was inspired by The Poseidon Adventure when crafting the wave. The initial explosion was created with a simulated lens flare (a phrase that has triggered many audience members of Star Trek 09) and two expanding discs. These were then colour-corrected by the graphics supervisor Jay Riddle. 

Creating the wave element that hits the Excelsior required scale as this thing needed to slam the ship like a toy. Footage of the physical model of the Excelsior was added to the wave in post-production, while the wave itself featured textures and elements that changed from frame to frame. 

Though the scene is brief, it has become one of the most memorable moments in Star Trek's history.