The blue-skinned Andorians are considered one of the oldest non-human species in each Star Trek historical past and the historical past of the Federation. The Andorians had been launched in theStar Trek: The Original Series second season episode “Journey to Babel.” The script for the episode was written byStar Trek veteran D.C. Fontana.
In that script, Fontana described the Andorians for the first time.
“They are humanoids, tall and fairly slim. If in any respect attainable, the ears might be performed down (taped again?), however there are two delicately tapered antennae curling from the head. Despite their virtually fragile our bodies, Andorians are a fierce warrior breed. Their gown signifies this to some extent, and can embrace a vicious trying bladed weap, which is carried to be used and never ceremony. Andorians are pale blue. Because.”
Though this basic description of the Andorians holds true via all of theStar Trek collection, vital adjustments had been made to the Andorians after they reappeared inStar Trek: Enterprise.
Andorians in TOS
Even in TOS, the Andorians had a number of completely different appears to be like. In “Journey to Babel,” their look was comparatively easy. All seen pores and skin was lined in pale blue make-up. Two antennae protruded from the head, towards the again of the crown. A white hairpiece with very distinctive V-shaped bangs lined the head. The quick bob of the hairpiece was much like the coiffure of the Romulans.
In the TOS films, the Andorians modified with every look. InStar Trek IV: The Voyage Home, the Andorians had very lengthy antennae that protruded from the middle of the crown as a substitute of the again. Their pores and skin tone was a darker shade of blue. The distinctive coiffure was gone, although the hair was nonetheless white. The brow was totally seen with small however distinct brow ridges that weren’t current in “Journey to Babel.”
InStar Trek V: The Final Frontier, the Andorians changed but once more. The antennae had been quick once more they usually’d moved farther again on the crown of the head. The brow ridges had been extra distinguished and ridges on the bridge of the nostril had been added. The pores and skin tone was lightened however was nonetheless darker than the Andorians in TOS. The hair was nonetheless white, however lengthy as a substitute of the attribute lower of TOS. Though these Andorians made it to the make-up exams, they weren’t included in the film.
Why had been the Andorians consistently altering? Essentially it got here right down to logistics.
For “Journey to Babel” the Andorians had been a totally new species, which meant that make-up designer Fred Phillips needed to make one thing up on his personal. Unfortunately, he wasn’t given very lengthy to try this. As he instructedCinefantastique Magazine in 1970, the quick timeline pressured him to “pull it outta [his] hat.”
According to the guideStar Trek Aliens and Artifacts, Phillips hand-sculpted the Andorian antennae from modeling clay, which was wrapped round extra inflexible materials. He used thread spools lined in clay for the finish of every antenna. The antennae had been connected on to the distinctive wig. It was undoubtedly a really DIY character design.
By the timeStar Trek: The Motion Picturewas in manufacturing, Phillips had far more time to design the look of the Andorians and check out completely different make-up functions. As revealed in the guide The Making of Star Trek The Motion Picture, Phillips spent fairly a little bit of time testing new Andorian appears to be like on his daughter, who was additionally his apprentice. These new make-up designs seemingly helped inform the make-up exams for the Andorian God in Star Trek V.
The Andorians had been largely absent fromStar Trek: The Next Generation they usually had been utterly absent from eachStar Trek: Deep Space Nine andStar Trek: Voyager.
Andorians in ‘Enterprise’
The species did not reappear in theStar Trek universe till the prequel show,Star Trek: Enterprise. According to the guideThe Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, Enterpriseauthor Fred Dekker was the driving power behind bringing again the Andorians. He needed to lean into the prequel ingredient of the show by calling again to the first interactions between Starfleet and acquainted TOS species.
However, showrunners Rick Berman and Brannon Braga did not like the concept. They did not wish to herald too many components from TOS. Additionally, each Berman and Braga hated the method the Andorians seemed.
Braga was the first to have a change of coronary heart. He started to view bringing them again as a enjoyable problem. As he put it in Star Trek: Communicator, he needed to “take the goofiest aliens from The Original Series and make them an actual tradition that is cool and plausible.”
Updating the Andorians with a model new look grew to become was essential to theEnterprise showrunners and make-up artists. Everyone was very conscious of the incontrovertible fact that the Andorians had a number of appears to be like, all of them a bit foolish as a result of the make-up and prosthetics weren’t as superior in the earlier exhibits and films.
VeteranStar Trek make-up designer and artist Michael Westmore took on the process of redesigning the Andorians. He instructedStar Trek: The Magazine in 2002 that his aim was to “modernize” the Andorians to make them extra “plausible” than the Andorians of TOS. The entry to higher high quality make-up and prosthetics and up to date make-up strategies was a key consider reaching his targets.
Westmore’s Andorians had far more distinguished brow ridges which got here right down to their eyebrows. The eyebrows themselves had been barely turned up, virtually Vulcan or Romulan-esque. Westmore hinted at the TOS Andorians by giving his Andorians barely V-cut bangs, although the lower wasn’t as distinguished. The antennae on Westmore’s Andorians protruded from the sides of the brow fairly than the crown of the head.
One of the sensible selections Westmore made was the movable antennae. In the particular options on theEnterpriseseason one Blu-Ray, the writers and producers credited Westmore with the concept and praised the selection. They additionally expressed how delighted they had been with Westmore’s Adorian redesign.
In an interview withTrek Webin 2003, Jeffrey Combs, the actor who performed General Shran of the Andorian Imperial Guard, defined how the antennae labored. They had been truly mechanical units that might be remote-controlled by a puppeteer. Combs mentioned that the puppeteer consulted with him about every scene and collectively they determined how the antennae ought to transfer. They got here up with distinctive actions for every emotion and motion. This added unbelievable nuance to the Andorians and gave the actors a brand new method to specific their characters.
Westmore succeeded in taking a silly-looking species from the 60s and updating it for the new Trek of the 2000s, which is strictly what Berman and Braga needed.
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