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Real world article
(written from a Production point of view)
USS Enterprise 2-foot model worked on by Larry Tan and Bill George

Tan and Bill George

USS Reliant ILM team

Larry Tan (left) and the ILM model team

Lawrence "Larry" Tan was an employee at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), who was assigned as a model maker in several Star Trek films. Having earned a degree in Design at the Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, he joined ILM in 1981. Tan worked under Steve Gawley during the construction of the USS Reliant studio model for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Continuing in the employment of ILM, he has worked in their model shop on the various studio models for the subsequent five features ILM was involved in, as well as on both Galaxy-class studio models for the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Encounter at Farpoint". He would also work with John Goodson during the extensive refurbishment of the USS Farragut studio model for Star Trek Generations.

Though Tan employed the traditional craft of (physical) studio model building on that particular model, he had, like many other contemporary artisans of the craft, moved on to the new craft of CGI model building, as he was together with fellow artist Paul Theren responsible for the several new CGI starship-builds that made their appearance in the subsequent movie, Star Trek: First Contact.

In 2007 Tan left ILM, to join "ImageMovers Digital".[1]

Star Trek credits[]

Model maker
Chief model maker
Model Shop Supervisor
Digital modeler

External link[]

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