10 Things You Learn Revisiting Star Trek: First Contact For First Contact Day
1. Directing
Frakes was no novice when it came to directing when offered the chance to helm First Contact. He was a veteran of television directing, though this would be his motion picture directorial debut. It was a roaring success. He understood the cast around him, working closely with them to capture the best performances possible. He understood the mechanics of directing also.
He knew how to use the effects sparingly and to great effect. Moving the huge battle with the Cube up to the front of the film allowed the audiences' hearts to pound in the opening moments, then leaves a sense of dread throughout. By all accounts, the set of First Contact was a fun place to be. Cast and crew alike knew each other well and all worked hard to deliver on the promise of the huge advertising campaign that Paramount Pictures were throwing at the film.
Frakes had the wherewithal to balance the screen time he afforded himself as well, as the audience would want to see Riker, while still having enough down time to get through the work demanded. He would be offered the director's chair for Insurrection as well, which while not as much of a success as First Contact, was still a positive experience for cast and crew. However, this film's financial disappointment meant the studio offered the reigns for Nemesis to Stuart Baird, which became a negative experience for all concerned.
Frakes may only have been beginning his feature directing career here but, as one of the most successful and enduring popular Trek films, what a way to kick start that chapter of his life.