In an age when so many TV shows rely on green-screen backdrops, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy stands out for its elaborate, massive sets which fit the Academy vibes and boosts the show’s appeal. Speaking to TrekMovie.com, executive producer Olatunde Osunsanmi discussed the advantages of working on such a lavish set by saying:
"I can only think of advantages right now. Matthew Davies, who was our production designer, was out of his mind. He makes every director that goes in and puts a camera somewhere look like a genius. And we have this atrium that’s the biggest set that we’ve that we’ve ever built. And we’ve got a bridge that’s the most circular version of a bridge set that we’ve ever built."
Osunsanmi continued by saying:
"We’ve got multiple AR walls, which was new for us. We have the main one that you can put whole worlds in. And then we have, like a mini wall outside of the atrium set, so we don’t have to have bluescreen outside the window. But, yeah, the wonderful thing and the difference between SFA and let’s say Discovery or [Section] 31 is the sets are massive, but they’re also very bright. If you were to say Discovery was a darker show, SFA is the light."
This fits the show quite well. Having such a huge set only makes sense as the Academy is a 32nd-century campus, and it needs to be a sprawling affair. There are numerous classrooms, the gorgeous atriums, the chambers, the bridge of the USS Athena, and more to take in as a viewer.
It’s obvious the show put its budget into these sets, and they also undoubtedly help the actors feel more comfortable than green screens. While they utilize the AR walls for special backgrounds, it’s the physical sets that make the series feel authentic, which always aids storytelling. Thus, as Starfleet Academy continues, fans can marvel at how these fantastic sets are only going to get better.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is now streaming on Paramount+. And for more Star Trek content, visit the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.