When the decision was made to take the hugely successful television series Star Trek: The Next Generation into the realm of motion pictures, the crew, special-effects artists, and costume and makeup designers knew that they had a wondrous opportunity and several unique challenges ahead. Could they translate this new crew to the big screen, while retaining the magic that made the series one of the most successful syndicated shows ever? Could they create even more "strange new worlds" and vistas for them to explore, on a scale that would inspire awe in its legion of fans? And, most crucially, in its maiden voyage could they meld the two "generations" of Star Trek? Could they find a way, visually, to pass the baton from The Original Series to the crew of The Next Generation?

"Star Trek: The Next Generation Sketchbook-- The Movies" explores the hectic, frantic and creative works of the movie artists... first, as they valiantly endeavor to meet and overcome the challenges presented by Star Trek Generations, and then as they embark on the massive undertaking of The Next Generation crew's first solo flight, Star Trek, First Contact. The inception of the nexus, the destruction of a starship, the horrific face of the Borg, and the design of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-E all began with a single creative spark.

John Eaves, just one of the hundreds of craftspeople who worked their movie magic on Generations and First Contact, joins writer J.M. Dillard to take us on an odyssey into the mind's eye of some of the most visionary artists in the world of motion pictures. Through hundreds of never-before-seen sketches, model photographs and fashion designs, you'll see where it all began, and learn firsthand what it takes to transform the unenvisioned word into glorious reality.