Star Trek: 10 More Secrets Of The USS Enterprise D You Need To Know
5. The Models Were Wildly Different
During preproduction on Star Trek: The Next Generation, the producers were able to secure the services of ILM (usually reserved for major motion pictures, including the TOS features) to construct the filming miniature of the Enterprise-D. ILM also shot numerous pieces of stock footage of the Enterprise flying past camera, entering orbit, jumping to warp, and other generic shots which the producers planned to use throughout the run of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
That plan was quickly proved to be shortsighted and new footage of the Enterprise was deemed necessary for the rest of the season, though it would have to be filmed without ILM. Still using the six-foot model, TNG's VFX producers found the Enterprise-D miniature difficult to shoot due its size and awkward mounting points.
By the third season, the producers commissioned another, smaller model of the Enterprise, which was constructed by Gregory Jein. This new four-foot model featured an expanded saucer rim (so that Ten Forward could finally, realistically fit inside the ship) and exaggerated hull paneling and details. Called a "bulldog" by VFX producer Dan Curry for it's "stockier" build, the four-foot Enterprise debuted in the episode "The Defector" as new footage intercut with older shots of the six-foot model.
Due to footage of the two models being intercut like that, the Enterprise-D would often change appearance between scenes, from the sleeker, smoother six-foot Enterprise to the more detailed and stockier four-footer, within any given episode.
Discrepancies in the Enterprise-D's appearance only worsened with the introduction of CGI models of the ship, starting with 1994's Star Trek Generations. For that film, ILM yet again provided the visual effects, shooting new effects sequences with the original six-foot model (with new details and a new paint scheme) as well as creating a computer-generated model of the ship. While close in appearance to the two physical models, ILM's digital Enterprise-D still featured a more pronounced deflector dish and blockier appearance.