TCM Issue 2 by Richard Miles

Hello and welcome to the second issue of Trekkie Central Magazine. Firstly may I take this opportunity to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous new year. In this issue we will be taking an in depth look at Star Trek Hidden Frontier, we will be talking to series creator, Rob Caves, on his view of the series after it’s seven year run. Also there are interviews with David Dial who played the illustrious Admiral Knapp; Jennifer Cole who played Admiral Jennifer Cole; Joanne Busch who’s portrayal of Robin Lefler was very true to the original character; then there’s John Whiting who played the very popular Doctor Henglaar; Barbara Clifford who played the ever wonderful Myra Elbrey and last but not least is JT Tepnapa who played Corey Aster and helped bring Star Trek up to date with the first portrayal of a gay character. As well as all that there is a brief about the series - a sort of what’s the series about? Together with stunning pictures from the series and a pictorial review of each of the seven seasons. We all hope you enjoy this tribute to Star Trek Hidden Frontier. Live Long and Prosper. Richard Trekkie Central

Rob on Hidden Frontier

Hidden Frontier What’s it about?

Season One

Admiral in the Making Interview with David Dial

Season Two

Admiral Cole Interview with Jennifer Cole

Season Three

Long Time Coming Interview with JT Tepnapa

Season Four

Robin’s Views Interview with Joanne Busch

Season Five

Is There A Doctor On The Ship? Interview with John Whiting

Season Six

Elbrey’s Thoughts Interview with Barbara Clifford

Season Seven

Captains Log By Jennifer Cole

Following on from last issues chat with Hidden Frontier creator, he here chats to Trekkie Central about the seven years of Hidden Frontier, how it came about, why the storylines went the way they did and , if he could go back and do it again , what would he do differently? TC: In the last issue you mentioned that Hidden Frontier spun off USS Angeles, at what point during Angeles did you think about doing Hidden Frontier and releasing it world wide on the internet? RC: Around the time the Angeles movie came out I saw Troops and noticed it was available for download on the internet. It was such a great little film, but being a fan of Trek, I thought there was a natural avenue to share fan films on the internet so I encouraged an Angeles series that I hoped would eventually be put online. The Angeles didn’t really want to do that , and they had some legitimate concerns about Paramount coming down on them since Viacom had done that recently with Trek websites (this was back in the 1990’s). So some of the club members and I started Hidden Frontier so that it would be it’s own entity that we would take our own risk with to put online without putting the club in harms way. TC: How did you decide the era to set Hidden Frontier? RC: I’ve always been primarily a fan of the TNG+ era of Star Trek following whatever was current up through Voyager.

Insurrection was the last movie to come out so I wanted to continue that timeline, and also explore that region of space a lot more. Insurrection brought up a lot of questions that were never answered. If you have a healing planet, wouldn’t everyone and their grandmother eventually hear about it and want to come on vacation, or live there? So that’s where the idea behind Hidden Frontier came from. You’d need a large space station to protect this planet and police the area. And we also expanded the scope and history of the Briar Patch itself, from an anomaly that housed a planet, into a giant region of space with uncharted solar systems within it’s clouds. This was essentially where the name for the show came from. A vast frontier that had been hidden because you can’t travel at warp speed in the Patch. TC: How long did it take to create the series/ did you already have characters in mind or did they develop over time? RC: I always had a crush on Commander Shelby (TNG) so I wanted to do something with her in it, even though there wasn’t a part for her right away in Hidden Frontier, she was there by the end of season 1. Same for Robin Lefler. Beyond that I wanted to create some new characters and mix things up. That’s where the idea of a “frontier lawman with a chip on his shoulder” came about, and that was Knapp. He was a flawed captain and we really took him down some dark stories, like where he kills a founder, and then gets court martialed. He even had a daughter out of wedlock and kept it a secret. These aren’t typical Starfleet norms that we’ve seen. The later scenes with Knapp and his daughter was a great way to show the character developing, and becoming less of a hard ass. Other characters came and went, or developed over time. Some like Barrett, started out with

a sentence or two description and went through these elaborate arcs that really fleshed them out. (Quite literally in “Darkest Night” in Barrett’s case). Ro was similarly simple when he began and I based a lot of his struggles and motivations on myself that he would go through over the course of the show. He eventually became one of the most interesting and popular characters on the show, and even got his own spin off. TC: During the first season you made a number of changes, the actress of Lefler changed for example, you also changed the first officer to Shelby. Why did these changes happen and do you think that they made the series better or worse? RC: Often stuff on a show changes from the pilot to the next episode as stuff starts to gel. The first Lefler shot the pilot and decided that it wasn’t for her. So we recast. We’re the re-cast kings at Hidden Frontier. We have to be since we cannot pay our actors. But even then, look at the first Janeway that was recast after a few days of filming. Jason Munoz who played the original first officer moved to another state after the pilot, so he also had to be replaced. It was the perfect opportunity to bring Shelby in and play off some of the Lefler/Shelby friendship that had been established in the New Frontier book series. So I think that it was a good thing that we went through the settling process early on. TC: As everybody knows the Grey appeared in the first episode and then kept reappearing throughout the seven year run, was this a deliberate plan or did it work out that they fitted into the plot so you kept them in there? RC: The Grey were always supposed to be the Patch bad guys. So it was natural for them to appear from time to time

without them being overused. We originally had a bit of a different ending where the Grey turned out to be less *bad* but as it worked out, the Grey were single-minded protectors of the Patch and it’s secrets and went bye bye along with the Patch. TC: Siroc and Toilan Naros both appeared in Season Three, when developing those characters did you plan for them to be so influential to the show? RC: Naros came in when Knapp was promoted to Admiral. He was also there to replace the purpose of Rayvan who was to be the guide for the Briar Patch. As far as Siroc, he was created as a replacement for Sha’Kev who was killed off in Season four. Either one were intended to be the on-going antagonists for our characters, and the relationship between Naros and Siroc turned out to be the basis for a lot of our story development. TC: The USS Excelsior was a Galaxy Class starship, how did you decide on the ship and the name for the ship? RC: I wanted to pay homage to Sulu’s ship and show some lineage, but I didn’t think any other ships kept their NCC except Enterprise, so it was given a different number. I’ve always liked the lines of the Galaxy Class and updating it to a MX II or III configuration seemed a natural progression. TC: When you got to the seventh season was there, at any point, when you thought that you did not want this series to end, and how hard was it to kill a main character like Elbrey? RC: Absolutely, a lot of us were ready for a break, but there was also a lot of pressure from the fans to keep it going, and wanting to tell more stories. There are still tons of stories we could have told. That’s why we’ve started two spin-off's because like

any addiction it needs to be fed! Killing of Elbrey was very difficult to do. We knew we wanted some of the cast to pay the ultimate price at the end. Life isn’t all rosy, and in war, people die. So it was with the most care that we plotted out the demise of Cole, Elbrey, and finally Naros himself. There were also some guest characters that died as well and they went out in equally heroic ways. Another surprise death was Vorina. She was never intended to die at the end and have a bit of a turnaround, but in season seven she was written a bit too unredeemable so she too, had to go along with the other villains. TC: The graphics for the show really improved over the course of the series, was that something you learned to improve over the years, or was it a combination of both better computer software and your ability to get better results with your computer?

enjoy the show. Especially if an episode has touched them. I never expected that. TC: If you could rewind the last seven years would you do it all again, or is there anything that you would do differently? RC: There are always things that you would do differently. Knowing what we know now, it could have been a lot better in the beginning. And with the technology that we have now it would have looked better too. But we move forward, not back. On with other shows and other projects. I’m not a filmmaker that re-edits their work to death, or insists on absolute perfection before an episode can air. I’m here to tell stories. Sometimes they have cool battles, hot guys or hot girls, but you don’t need that to tell a good story. If there is a little blemish here or there, that’s fine as long as people can see the story, and the heart of why we’re doing what we are doing.~

RC: It’s a slow process to excel at 3D and I’m still not there. I’ve gotten better, and we’ve had some great contributions from other artists as well. I hope things continue to improve! TC: When Hidden Frontier started out did you ever think that it would reach as many people as it has? RC: I started out wanting to just share it with a few people who came across our website. When some other fan films entered the arena, there was a push to get the fan films seen by as many as possible, so we started doing promotional posters, and trying to get the word out. Sometimes I feel like that is missing the point of why I started a fan film in the first place, but it is very nice to have the feedback and get e-mail from fans that

Star Trek Hidden Frontier, from Areakt Pictures is the only fan film series to be able to boast fifty episodes. Set within the Briar Patch, as established in Star Trek Insurrection, on board the space station Deep Space Twelve and the Starship Excelsior. Hidden Frontier is a series that explores not only the Briar Patch but also the relationships of the crew of both the space station and the ship. Right from the very first episode, Hidden Frontier dared to be different from any other Star Trek series that had come before, this is demonstrated in the fact that the Captain is still struggling to come to terms of the loss of his brother during the Dominion War and shows this in the way he deals with non-Starfleet aliens that he encounters. As the first season progress's all the main characters are slotted in to place, most of which would then last to the end of Hidden Frontiers run seven years later. During the second, third and fourth seasons a variety of characters came and went, but there were also characters that came and then stayed on, characters like Corey Aster and Jorian Zen/Dao, and this meant that the producers could take the series in a direction that studio produced Trek had not been, by featuring gay characters. However the producers fitted these characters so well into the rest of the cast that when watching the show the homosexuality was not an issue, although they did explore it in great detail resulting in a wedding in the final episode ‘The Hour Come Round At Last’. Although Hidden Frontier did rely heavily on established Star Trek aliens (Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians etc), the producers and writers were not scared to come up with new and interesting aliens, these aliens were indigenous to the Patch and were discovered as the crew explored it. The first of these alien races to be discovered were the ‘Grey’. The Grey, were probably as big a threat to the Federation as the Borg, and therefore were treated as such, they appeared in the very first episode and were a thorn in the side of the crew throughout the seven season run, and featured in the last episode, when they were defeated and sucked into a vortex along with almost everything else in the Briar Patch. Another alien that the crew discovered was the mysterious Siroc, he appeared in the third season and quickly became the arch enemy of Tolian Naros, who had, as developed in the series, known Siroc before. Through the last few seasons of the show Siroc’s presence caused many problems for the crew including Interstellar War with the Tholians. Overall Hidden Frontier was at the end, a series that expanded the Star Trek Universe exponentially, however it was still very much a Star Trek show at it’s core, the values that the producers have and the character driven storylines are testament to that. Hidden Frontier has deservedly achieved a cult status among Star Trek fans, and has so far spawned two spin off shows. All that remains to say, is Hidden Frontier fits very nicely into the Star Trek Universe and was not scared to push the envelope and upset the balance from time to time, and therefore to that end it will remain very popular with fans for years to come.

EPISODE CHECKLIST. Enemy Unknown Part One Enemy Unknown Part Two Enemy Unknown Part Three Two Hours Perihelion Echoes

TC: If you could produce your own official Star Trek show what would it be? DD: I haven’t given that any thought at all. TC: Your character started off as a Captain but quickly progressed through the ranks to become an Admiral and at times we did not see your character on screen as much if he had stayed a captain , did you request the promotions or was it something written into the scripts to make way for Shelby and Naros to become more involved with the plots?

Here Trekkie Central Magazine talks ex-

quick to judge aliens harshly. The episodes “Old Wounds” (season two) shows this rather well, I think.

clusively to the first captain of Hidden Frontier, David Dial, about what life was like aboard Space Station Deep Space 12.

TC: We saw your character evolve over the course of the seven years do you think that he evolved for the better?

TC: When did you first discover Star Trek?

DD: As episodes came out, Knapp’s back story was developed and fleshed out, particularly after his daughter came on the scene.

DD: The original Star Trek series came out when I was a sophomore in high school. I was president of the chess club and went straight home after the meetings to watch Star Trek. TC: How did you become involved with Hidden Frontier? DD: I’ve been working with Rob Caves since he was a sophomore in high school. His grandmother was my wife’s best friend. I met him socially through her. I started out by helping him doing titles and credits with my Amiga computer and keygen. Later I did voiceovers on other projects and eventually made the move to onscreen talent in many more productions. I played four roles in his fan film, “The Price of Duty,” and did a couple of small parts in the “Voyages Of The USS Angeles” series that followed on from that film. After some creative differences over the production of the “Angeles” series, Rob struck out on his own to produce “Hidden Frontier” and cast me as “Captain Ian Knapp”. I had top billing in the opening credits throughout the entire run of the series. TC: In the first few episodes of the first season your character still had the burden and grief of losing his brother during the Dominion War, how difficult was that to play and show? DD: I played the twin brother, John Knapp, in “The Price of Duty”. That character didn’t really get enough screen time to be fully fleshed out. The character of Ian Knapp manifested the grief mainly by being a bit

TC: During Hidden Frontier Knapp discovered he had a daughter, do you think that this discovery changed Knapp in anyway and in what way? DD: When Knapp was reunited with his lost daughter, he softened up considerably and was less bitter toward life in general. On the other hand, he went through the trials and tribulations of balancing his responsible position against his family life. TC: During season seven we saw Knapp go off and rescue his daughter from Siroc and co, do you think that this storyline fitted the character? DD: Knapp was an independent thinker as was required by the “wild frontier” nature of the Briar Patch. He followed Starfleet’s rules and regulations as much as possible, but because of the relative isolation of the Briar Patch, he was frequently thrust into situations that required him to assess a situation and act quickly without going through normal Starfleet channels. His dustups with Admiral Nechayev are an indication of that. When Knapp’ s daughter, Traya, was kidnapped, he resigned his commission to free himself to go looking for her since there were no other resources available. In the end, Knapp returned with his daughter and learned that Nechayev had kept his resignation letter in her desk rather than pass it along to Starfleet.

DD: Rob explained to me once that he wanted to do some Deep Space Nine-type stories set on Deep Space Twelve. This direction was not pursued for one reason or another, and Knapp nearly disappeared from the series. I did not request the promotions and viewed them as being “kicked upstairs”. During the last two years of the series after the promotion to Admiral, Knapp got some fairly juicy parts in about half the episodes. So it worked out well enough in the long run. TC: If you could go back seven years and relive the whole thing again is there anything that you would change? DD: I would have preferred to stay on the bridge of the Excelsior much longer than I did. TC: What was it like working on the set of Hidden Frontier? DD: In many ways it was like doing a cold reading workshop. There were seldom any read-throughs or rehearsals. You showed up on the set at the appointed time and spoke your lines. The original set consisted of a four– foot by six-foot space between the foot of Rob’s bed and his bedroom closet, which I dubbed “The Worlds Smallest Soundstage”. Rob had green-screen panels painted on sheets of plywood, which were stored in his parents garage between shoots. Rob’s video equipment was spread out on a couple of desks at the far end of the bedroom, looking like mission control. For the third season, production moved to a converted bedroom in the house of Rob’s grandmother. The series was in many ways a training in the numerous aspects of video production: casting, lighting, wardrobe, makeup, and so forth. I watched John Whiting evolve from working with a rubber pig nose and Halloween make up to acquiring and using the full spectrum of professional makeup, which was stored in a number of toolboxes. I learned to get control over my unconscious tendency to smile almost constantly. I also got more serious about doing a good job acting, although it’s often hard to tell from my antics in the blooper reels.~

EPISODE CHECKLIST Refugees Yesterdays Excelsior Old Wound Great Starship Robbery Encke To The Stars Fire In The Heart Cowardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Death Worst Fears Part One

Here Trekkie Central talks exclusively to Jennifer Cole on what life is like in the world of Hidden Frontier. TC: When did you first discover Star Trek? JC: I started to watch Trek in the late 1970’s when the show was in syndication, and ironically, at first, I didn’t like it, however, I attribute that to just not understanding what was going on. But it wasn’t until the mid-80’s that I really got into the series, so much so that I joined my Trek fan club in 1987, I guess you could say I finally got it! TC: How did you become involved with Hidden Frontier? JC: I’ve been here since day one, and in fact, I’m one of the few remaining cast/crew members from the Angeles fan series. TC: Jennifer Cole was there in the first episode of the series, and kept recurring through the whole seven year run and became a fan favourite, were you surprised by this? JC: Yes. What else is there to say..? (smiles) I am a fan of the real show, and never dreamed that I would one day be in a fan series, much less have people like my character, my portrayal or heck, even recognize me in public. I still get a little embarrassed when folks say things like that… (smiles) TC: When your character died in the seventh season, the fans were very shocked again were you surprised by this? JC: By dying or by the fans reaction..? (laughs) No, I know what you mean. Yes, quite surprised and very flattered. I say that, because, in all honesty I don’t consider myself a ‘real’ actress. By that I mean since I’ve never taken formal acting classes, I don’t feel like I have the ability to ‘act’. So, I just go with how I ‘feel’ a scene should go. Of course, it helps that I have fellow actors who are Real actors, and share their knowledge with me. TC: You have also directed quite a few episodes, which one was your favourite and which one looking back would you like to do again? JC: Gee, I don’t think there is one episode that I favor over the rest. I’ve enjoyed all the episodes I’ve directed, since most of them I got to choose myself. Oh, there are lots of things I wish I could change about my directing, mostly because, again, I’ve had no formal training, so I just go with my ‘gut’ instincts on how I see the scenes play out. Can I pick things I’d change? Probably, but why dwell on what I can’t change ? (smiles) TC: What is it like working on the set of a Star Trek production? (fun, mad etc)

JC: Fun! Of course, it’s fun, we’re playing at what most of us love - Star Trek! You could also say it’s a ‘dream come true’ too. I mean, when I was much younger and watching Trek on TV or in the movie theatre, of course I imagined myself on board the Enterprise. I mean, who hasn’t? nowadays, it seems that more and more fans are doing their own Trek fan movie, series, etc. I think that’s just fantastic! The more, the merrier! (smiles) TC: If you could create your own official Star Trek series what would it be? JC: One of my earliest Trek clubs that I belonged too, was the USS Alliance, an L.A. based club, a movie era club whose primary activity was writing our own fiction about our starship - the USS Alliance, a Federation Class Dreadnaught. In our fictional stories, I was the captain, and an alien too. I guess I would love to see those characters we created for that ship to come to ‘life’, only because I loved that time and our stories were very cool and the characters - totally different then any seen in real Trek or even in print. We had characters that were geniuses, vampires, part ‘ALIEN’, animated characters, heck, even walking talking sheep! It was truly different! (smiles) Ahhh, sometimes I miss those days… (smiles) of course, I don’t really know if we could pull off some of those characters for real, but, it sure would be cool to try! TC: Is there anything that you would have liked your character to have done? JC: Get off that dang bridge! Did you notice I never got to go on any away missions?!? Plus, I started out as the sector commander, and then Knapp comes along and takes my job, my station and well… Um, no, I’m not bitter! (smiles) In reality, I’d have like to have gotten more to do. Yeah, yeah, that’s it… (smiles) TC: When directing an episode, what things do you have to take mind when filming? JC: Our limitations. Our limitations are that we cannot move the camera, except off the tripod maybe, but we have always been limited to static shots and that can be a little frustrating at times. Of course, our writers have a tendency to write stuff that we just cannot do or think we can do. Such as have lots of people in the background or actually have the ‘set’ move, which since it’s all green screen, we all just cannot do. I love that we have made so many improvements and that Rob has been able to upgrade his equipment - that it is making our jobs a little easier. So a quick shout to all our fans who helped with that. You all Rock! (smiles) When I find an episode I want to direct, I sit and look at how I envision it, how the

characters should work and how the story flows. I don’t worry a lick about the CGI, cause that’s Rob’s job! (smiles) What I do is see how things should go, and I do my best to convey that to the actors, how they should move, react, and respond to their counterparts, because more likely that actor may very well be acting to nothing. We have to keep in mind how tall the other actor is, whether or not that person was/will be sitting down, where they are in relation to the room. There’s a LOT to remember! (smiles) Thank heavens for AD’s!!! TC: You are now playing an alien in Star Trek Odyssey, how different is that from a human in Star Trek Hidden Frontier? JC: Oh, very different. I get to wear a LOT of makeup and wig! (smiles) No more worrying about how long my hair is between shoots! LOL! I like that I get to be someone who is so different from me and from Admiral Cole. I just wish there were more scenes, but, who knows, maybe that’ll come in time. It’s also so cool to not really know if my ‘dying’ is natural or something else… What will become of the Grand Majan, will she live, will she get a clue about her precious daughter? Only time will tell, I guess, (Smiles)~ 15

EPISODE CHECKLIST Worst Fears Part Two Worst Fears Part Three Heroes In Memory Of Modus Operandi Santa Q Ashes Voyage Of The Defiant Hellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gate Part One

ere Trekkie Central Magazine talks to JT Tepnapa about life on Hidden Frontier and his non-Star Trek projects. TC: When did you first discover Star Trek? JT: Actually my mom is a huge Star Trek fan. She had the biggest crush on Spock. We would watch the ‘Wrath of Khan’ over and over again, and mom would cry everytime Spock died. I think it was the bagpipes that did it. Personally, I became a hardcore fan when Voyager aired. I really loved Janeway and Seven of Nine. I guess it’s a bit of diva worship.

while you’re having fun. For all of us, Hidden Frontier is something you do every other weekend. It’s a playground for those who love Star Trek and making films. I actually wanted more from Hidden Frontier, so I started directing and co-producing some episodes. That’s where the hard part is. Acting is fun , but behind the scenes is where you learn how to be a filmmaker. Cut to… seven years later and I’m pretty amazed that I’m here still committed to Star Trek. TC: You played an engineer, how hard was it to learn all the technobabble that comes with such a role?

TC: How did you become involved with Hidden Frontier?

JT: It’s not really that difficult for me. I can memorize lines really fast.

JT: Actually I met Rob (Caves) a few years before the birth of Hidden Frontier when he was doing a series for a local Star Trek Fan Club. It was about then that I learned that Rob was doing a Star Trek show. I had no idea what a fan series was at the time. The character of Corey Aster was intended to be a gay character eventually, but I just wanted to wear the Starfleet uniform.

The hard part is understanding what I’m saying. Hidden Frontier had this major plot involving these hyperdimensional artefacts called Tetrahedrons. It wasn’t until season five, I really understood how they worked even though I had talked about them since season two.

TC: You along with Adam Browne and Bobby Rice, were the first gay characters to feature in a Star Trek production, were you surprised at the fan response to your characters? JT: Oh yeah! It has been the single most rewarding experience as an actor. I don’t think I really understood the impact it would have on Star Trek Fans. It really wasn’t until Season Four that I started seeing what these gay characters meant to people. There are fans out there that attribute Hidden Frontier to their coming out process… That’s pretty fracking amazing! TC: Your character went from a semi-regular to a main character, were you surprised by this, and how much of your time did it take up? JT: It doesn’t really feel like a lot of time

TC: If you could create your own official Star Trek show what would it be? JT: I heard a while ago, there was this idea to create a show about the Starfleet Academy. I think that would be a great idea, lots of hotties getting together blowing each other up. It would be like the OC in space. I think that would bring a lot of new fans to scifi. Yeah, I’m thinking of the big bucks! (smiles)

TC: If you could go back and do the last seven years again, what would you change and what would you keep the same? JT: I would have asked more questions. Maybe I would have had better line readings if I knew what Tetrahedrons were. TC: Did you enjoy Star Trek Hidden Frontier and are you looking forward to any future projects that are in the pipeline (like the next episode of Odyssey)? JT: Of course I loved working on Hidden Frontier. That’s why I stayed on as a producer for Odyssey. I’m not quite ready to let go of Star Trek just yet. However, at the same time I’m charting out new territory. After producing five short films, I’m working on my first feature film called, ‘Judas Kiss’ (www.judaskissmovie.com). It’s a gay film with a scifi/fantasy bent in to it. It’s still in the funding stages, but I’m trying something new for me. I’ve created a website where people can join and be a part of the movie making experience. The whole webseries experience of Hidden Frontier has really changed my life. I want to take that knowledge to my own projects. It’s all about sharing the love of filmmaking.~

TC: When filming the last episode, did you have any idea how well it would be received? JT: Hidden Frontier has been around for a long time so I knew people would enjoy the finale. It was nice to have some of the fans there to share the experience with us. The whole wedding thing was a relief for me. I had actually been waiting for this moment ever since season two’s ‘Encke’. I actually dreamed of the moment. All the better if some fans can share in that dream too. 18

EPISODE CHECKLIST Hellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gate Part Two Piracy of The Noble Addictions Grave Matters Crossroads Entanglement Part One

Playing character that has been played by two different actress’ before you, you would think that it would make it difficult to bring your own version to the fore, but not for Joanne Busch who played Commander Lefler on Star Trek Hidden Frontier. Here Joanne Busch talks directly to Trekkie Central Magazine about life on the show.

TC: You were the second actress to play Lefler in Hidden Frontier, but the third actress overall, how hard was it to play the character in the way that you wanted?

TC: When you first started on Hidden Frontier your character was an engineer, how difficult was it to learn all the technobabble?

JB: It wasn’t hard at all. I never even knew how she was played before. I eventually did watch the episode with Ashley Judd, but my version of Lefler just came naturally. She does have a bit of me in her with regard to quirkiness and man troubles.

JB: Well, half the time I had no idea what I was saying or talking about. It was just a matter of memorization, and I do tend to have a photographic memory.

TC: When did you discover Star Trek? JB: I remember watching the old Star Trek with Captain Kirk when I was little and my Dad watched it. Captain Kirk reminded me of my Dad. Some of the episodes were scary to me, especially remembering the one when Captain Kirk was on a planet and this bid Godzilla-like monster was chasing him. (TOS Arena).

TC: Your character evolved over the seven years to become Commander of the Excelsior, is there anything else that you wished you had seen your character do? JB: Maybe find a solid guy and live happily ever after (smiles).

TC: Is there anything that you would change from the last seven years on Hidden Frontier? JB: It was a great experience and I met great people. I’m happy and proud to have done it. There is nothing I really would have changed.. maybe the shooting location could have been closer. (smiles).~

TC: If you could produce your own Official Star Trek series what would it be?

TC: How did you become involved with Hidden Frontier?

JB: I really don’t have an answer for that one.

JB: My friend Risha (Denney) had gotten the part of Shelby and brought me in one day to do the part of Lefler. I did it and stayed on ever since.

TC: You are also going to appear in the upcoming episode ‘The Orphans of War’, are you looking forward to working in this crossover? JB: Yes, I think it will be neat to meet fans from other parts of the world, and be able to see the commonalities in their interpretations of Star Trek. It will be nice to see someone face to face that perhaps have been friends with in cyberspace.

EPISODE CHECKLIST Entanglement Part Two Imminent Danger Darkest Night Security Counsel Epitaph The Battle Is Joined

Here John Whiting talks to Trekkie Central

that had so many fans?

Magazine about Doctor Henglaar, makeup and the show in general.

JW: Eerie. I AM a fan, I’m used to being the one in line waiting for a chance to get an autograph. Having the role reversed on me… I hope I never truly get used to it, because I don’t want to get that famous swollen ego you see in so many actors.

TC: How did you become involved with Hidden Frontier? JW: The short form is that Rob was making a fan movie with the members of the U.S.S. Angeles club, of which a couple of friends of mine were members. They invited me to join. When Rob moved onto Hidden Frontier, I moved with him. TC: And when did you discover you were playing a Tellarite, and what challenges does it present playing a member of that species? JW: I was asked to create a character, and I wanted to create a less heroic, less infallible character than Trek was known for. Dr. Henglaar was originally intended to be the anti-McCoy. I based Henglaar on my own rather surly personality, so I had to create some gloves for the hands, and I very quickly decided to retire that Halloween pig-nose we were using as soon as I could. To that end, I taught myself prosthetics makeup from a book. TC: During the course of the series we saw Henglaar change as a person, do you think that he changed for the better?

TC: During the course of the series yourself, along with Adam Browne, were responsible for most of the makeup, did that process become easier over the course of the series? JW: First, let me say that Adam is a genuine God-send. Originally, I WAS the makeup department, and as I got better, they decided to work more aliens into the show. Adam volunteered to help, and kept me from an early grave. Yes, as Adam and I both learned more and got more practiced, the makeup got easier to do. Which, alas, meant that they wanted ever more spectacular makeups out of us. “Since you can do THAT makeup, how about a ________?” Also, Adam is very innovative. He rarely stays stumped by a makeup problem for long. TC: The makeup also improved did you spend a lot of time developing new and better techniques, or was that something that just developed? JW: It was a combination of practicing our self-taught craft and occasional experimentation. Unfortunately, we rarely had an opportunity to try things out when we weren’t shooting, so our experiments tended to be on the spot.

JW: I do. The writers made him into a more caring person, in his own way, and his crewmates saw through the exterior to the marshmallow center. He eventually became someone that a telepath could love. TC: Henglaar also had a relationship with Elbrey during the last season of Hidden Frontier, do you like what that relationship showed about Henglaar’s personality? (his kinder more gentle side)

I’d say that the makeup got better in spite of the lack of real experimentation, rather than because of it. And we were always consulting with others about their makeup techniques. Jeff Hayes taught us how to do a Bolian makeup; the New Voyages people steered us onto using airbrushed makeup.

JW: I think I would have worked harder on making his hands, and I would have lobbied for him to fall in love with Elbrey more gradually, more believably. TC: When did you first discover Star Trek? JW: The first episode I remember seeing was a first-run of ‘ The Immunity Syndrome’, which I think puts it in 1967. I had already been reading science fiction for about three years at that point. TC: If you had the possibility of creating your own Official show what would it be? JW: I would want to make a science fiction show, probably expanding somewhat on the techniques that Rob already uses. But frankly, I make a much better second or third in command than I do a leader. I could never hold together a production like Rob does; I’d have to work for someone else and let them worry about the leaks in the ship while I painted the mast. (grin) But I would want to make it an original idea, something I could charge a small subscription fee for. It would be hard for a low-budget Internet production to make money, but the closer we came to breaking even, the more we could spend on steady improvements. TC: Would you do the last seven years again? JW: In a heartbeat! There’s a few thing I’d do a little differently, including avoiding our mad stalker entirely, but I’d definitely do it again.~

TC: Is there anything that you would change about Henglaar?

JW: I wish that the relationship had developed more gradually, from the first tiny hints in the beginning, but yes, I liked the directions we took him and the revelations about him. It showed that this disagreeable person might actually have someone worthwhile inside. Given that Henglaar is so heavily based on myself, maybe there’s hope for me, too. (grins) TC: What was it like working on a show 24

EPISODE CHECKLIST Countermeasures Dancing in the Dark Homeport Beachhead Vigil Her Battle Lanterns Lit

arbara Clifford played Counsellor Myra Elbrey for the seven years that Hidden Frontier ran, here she talks to Trekkie Central Magazine about her experiences on the show, from her first day right through to her death in the seventh season.

When facing the challenges of military life, she needed to be able to assume command. The crew needed to be able to know that she had their back when needed.

TC: When did you first discover Star Trek? BC: I started watching Star Trek with the original series. My favourite was Mr. Spock. I moved on to The Next Generation and Data. Guess I just have a thing for guy that won’t or can’t show emotion, being overly dramatic myself there is only room for one ‘Drama Queen’ in my relationships. (smiles) TC: How did you become involved with Hidden Frontier? BC: As an actor, I went to an audition for a ‘student film’. I read a scene that involved Henglaar and Elbrey in Henglaar’s office. The scene felt like these two characters had a history. Rob said that he didn't write it that way but John Whiting and I played it that way and the writers gave us a future. Also, even though nothing on or in the script said ‘Star Trek’, it just seemed to ‘sound’ like Star Trek. So after my reading, I asked Rob ‘is this Star Trek?’ I think my question surprised him, the rest is history. I’m just really, really glad he cast me. Thanks, Rob. TC: When you played Elbrey she came across a lot like Deanna Troi from TNG, was that deliberate, or just a natural way to play her? BC: I did some research and used Deanna and her mother, Lwaxana, as inspiration and tried to blend it with me. I didn’t want to be a Deanna clone, but since my character was Betazoid there were certain facts that had to adhered to. Elbrey is full Betazoid so she had ‘more power’ than Deanna. I think I started out as Deanna and ended up as Lwaxana with a little of Barbara thrown in the mix. TC: During the course of the series, we saw Elbrey become a stronger character do you think that this was a necessary development for the show? BC: Oh, yes, nice is great but kind of boring.

TC: During the last episode we saw Elbrey really come into her own and challenge Milo face to face, was that a difficult scene to film, because it was really against Elbrey’s normal nature (caring)? BC: Even though Elbrey is a peaceful person by nature, doesn’t mean she can’t kill when she has to. She is a Starfleet officer everytime she goes on a mission, she knows she might have to kill or be killed. That’s all part of military life. This episode was technically challenging so in that respect it was hard. Plus, I’m not a physical person, and I was called upon to do more stunts than I’ve ever done. But other than the sheer physicality of the scene it wasn’t any harder or easier than any scene, it’s acting. When the scene is technically complicated, you just get into character, and do it. I was so busy making sure that all the technical stuff was correct (hitting the mark, keeping track of the bleed, not messing up the makeup, not hurting anyone or getting hurt, falling into John’s lap, etc) that I was relieved when I landed correctly. Elbrey’s death was made more realistic by John Whiting’s reaction. If he hadn’t done such a great job of making everyone know how upset he was, I don’t think the fans would have been upset. Dying is easy, reacting believably is hard, kudos to John! TC: Also during the last episode we saw Elbrey get killed, again was that a difficult scene to film, and how did you think the fans would react? BC: When I was first told that the plan was to kill off Elbrey, I cried; I cried when I read the script, and I cry when I think that Elbrey can no longer return to Hidden Frontier. Elbrey was originally scheduled to be killed early in season

seven, so I was pleased that the writers decided to hold off. I’ve played Elbrey since the first the very first episode and I was happy that I could be with the cast for the last episode. When we showed the episode at the Excelsior Ball 2, fans were visibly upset and some moved to tears. I admit I was surprised about that but pleased that we did such a great job. Again, it would not have had the impact it did, without John Whitng’s fantastic performance. Thanks John. TC: If you could create your own official Star Trek series what would it be? BC: This is a really hard question; there have been so many Star Trek series, books, movies that have covered so many adventures that, to come up with something new, I can’t. But I would love to be a part of it, whatever it is. TC: Is there anything that you would like to have seen your character do that didn’t happen? BC: Yes, I wanted Myra to go on vacation and kick up her heels. I would have loved for Henglaar and Myra to head off to Risa and have a comical adventure. Also, it would have been great to ‘go home’ and visit past loves and see how jealous Henglaar really gets (winks). Or visit Starfleet Academy and teach a course or solve a crime. TC: If you could go back seven years would you do the whole lot again? BC: Oh, YES, yes, yes, yes, infinity. It’s been a great ride, I’m sorry that it had to end.~

EPISODE CHECKLIST Heavy Losses Bound Past Sins Hearts and Minds The Widening Gyre Things Fall Apart The Centre Cannot Hold Its Hour Come Round At Last

Star Trek today is, well, in all honesty not doing so well. Lots of fans are not crazy with all the rumors on the upcoming Star Trek XI due out next year. I’m a member of quite a few message boards and I’ve read an awful lot about people complaining about this or that. Heck, the movie hasn’t started to film yet, and already folks have written it off. I mean, come on! (smiles). I for one am willing to wait and see. Call me an optimist, but I’m willing to give the movie a chance. I’m willing to see it on opening day. I’m willing and anxiously waiting to see it. I hope it turns out to be a great big hit! Yeah, maybe I am an optimist, but, at least, I’ll have fun doing it! (Smiles) So what do we, the fans have to do these days, to keep our Trek dreams alive? There are lots of avenues we can turn too. If you love to read, there are tons of published Trek fiction, spanning all the series and eras. There are new comics, err, I mean, manga… There are audio dramas now - some really outstanding ones and more to debut soon. (smiles). And of course, there are the fan films. I for one am very grateful to have so many different fan films out there to choose from. I just wish there were more! We need to keep the franchise going, by writing fiction, creating audio dramas and of course, filming our own versions of the Star Trek universe. Hey, it’s a big Trek universe, and we can come up with a lot of amazing things! I know that many of the Trek fiction writers are naturally, just a lot of big trek fans themselves. It’s possible for all of us to keep the Trek story going - no matter what era you like best - Original Series, TNG, DS9, VOY or ENT. Of course, I also expect folks to keep buying Trek merchandise, when it comes out and it’s of good quality. So, remember - keep the future in mind next time you go searching for something to entertain you - look for a book to read, or a video to watch, or go to your computer and download an audio drama or one of the many Trek fan film shows, one-off movies, or Series or whatever. But just keep supporting us, keep downloading and most of all - keep the faith! Cheers, Jenn. 29

Special Thanks To: Interviewees: Rob Caves, David Dial, Jennifer Cole, John Whiting, Barbara Clifford, JT Tepnapa and Joanne Busch. Art Work: Andrew Foster, Rob Caves, Adam Browne. Still Photography: Andrew Foster, Jennifer Cole, Stephen Roloc and Gary Sandridge. Special Thanks to: Rob Caves who without him this publication would not have been possible. Jennifer Cole for her extra contribution beyond the Interview and John Whiting for his comments and ideas for improvements on the front cover. Many Thanks

The Star Trek name is the property of CBS/Paramount pictures, no infringement is intended. Star Trek Hidden Frontier remains the property of Areakt Productions, no infringement is intended. This magazine has been made for fans for their enjoyment. This magazine has been distributed free of charge and no money has been made from itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s distribution. If the creator of this magazine and the creators of this fan series cannot make any money than neither should you.

If you find a copy of this magazine on sale anywhere it is illegal, please do not buy it and benefit those that are ripping off fans and committing an offence. Copyright Trekkie-Central.piczo.com December 2007