10 Best CGI Effects In Star Trek

After the early CGI effects used in the Original Series films, the teams behind Star Trek: The Next Generation became a lot more comfortable experimenting with the technology.

One of the earliest examples of a CGI model being used in the show was the Crystalline Entity from the episode Datalore (designed and rendered by Chris Alsop from The Post Group). This monstrous being made entirely of crystals and resembling a giant snowflake proved to be a huge hassle to design. CGI technology was still in it's infancy, so the entity was extremely costly and time-consuming to create, but, when completed, proved to be a worthwhile addition to the episode.

Robert Legato, a visual director and coordinator for the series, allegedly disagreed that the CGI was worth the extra work, commenting that the same effect could've been achieved by painting a tumbleweed white. While that may have been passable (especially compared to some of the other practical effects from season one), the CGI model reflects light and gives off a more authentic crystal-like texture that would've been difficult to replicate with a physical prop.