About
"I get my inspiration for costume design from the text, from the words the writers write."
In his two-and-a-half-hour interview, Robert Blackman talks about his early interest in costume design. He details his long and successful stint as costume designer for Star Trek: The Next Generation, where his first order of business was to redesign the Starfleet uniforms. He speaks of the many costume design challenges for that show, including budget constraints, fabrics used, designing for various kinds of life-forms and aliens, and dealing with fans of the original series. Blackman outlines his work on other Star Trek projects including Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise, as well as working on the Star Trek feature films. He concludes by recounting the ways he thinks the industry has changed since he started, sharing future plans, and offering advice to aspiring costume designers. Stephen J. Abramson conducted the interview on December 7, 2009 in North Hollywood, CA.
Highlights
Robert Blackman on the "Picard maneuver" on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on the costume for "Q" on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on his favorite Star Trek: The Next Generation costumes
Robert Blackman on Jeri Ryan's Star Trek: Voyager costume
Robert Blackman on designing costumes for Star Trek: Enterprise
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on television he watched as a child; on being in the drama department in high school
On getting into television; on coming to work on Star Trek: The Next Generation; on redesigning the Starfleet uniforms on Star Trek: The Next Generation
On the "Picard maneuver" on Star Trek: The Next Generation; on the challenges of doing a weekly series that takes place in the 24th Century; on his costume design staff on Star Trek: The Next Generation
On doing costume design for the aliens on Star Trek: The Next Generation; on the fabrics they used for Star Trek: The Next Generation; on the budget constraints for costumes for the show
Chapter 2
On designing costumes for the Andorians, Klingons and Vulcans for Star Trek: The Next Generation; on the color palette used on the show; on designing costumes for specific episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation
On the costumes for "Q" and "Guinan" on Star Trek: The Next Generation; on the costume designs for specific episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation; on his favorite costumes for the show
On the process of costume designing for Star Trek: The Next Generation; on Jeri Ryan's costume for Star Trek: Voyager; on costume designs that didn't work for the show
On winning an Emmy for Star Trek: The Next Generation; on the cast and crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation
On costume design for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Chapter 3
On the comedic aspects of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; on costume design for Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise
On costume design for the "Star Trek" feature films and for American Gladiators
On where he gets inspiration for costumes; on the kinds of projects he wishes to do in the then-future; on advice to aspiring costume designers and how he'd like to be remembered
Shows
American Gladiators
Robert Blackman on designing costumes for American Gladiators
Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)
Robert Blackman on winning Emmys for Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek
Robert Blackman on designing costumes for Star Trek: Enterprise
Robert Blackman on designing costumes for the "Star Trek" feature films
Robert Blackman on the legacy of Star Trek
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Robert Blackman on costume design for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Robert Blackman on the comedic aspects of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and the evolution of the Klingons
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on getting the job as costume designer on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on making the transition to costuming designing for Star Trek: The Next Generation and dealing with the costume design from the original series
Robert Blackman on redesigning the Star Trek: The Next Generation uniforms in season three
Robert Blackman on working with Gene Roddenberry on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on the challenges of redesigning the Starfleet uniforms on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on the "Picard maneuver" on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on the challenges of doing a weekly series that takes place in the 24th Century
Robert Blackman on his costume design staff on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on designing costumes for alien characters on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on his process of designing a costume for a character on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on the fabrics they used for the costumes on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on the budget constraints of costume designing for Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on designing the costumes for the Andorians on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on designing the costumes for the Vulcans and the Klingons on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on designing the costumes for the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Hollow Pursuits"
Robert Blackman on the color palette of the costumes on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on designing costumes for specific episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on the costume for "Q" on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on the costume of the character "Guinan" on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on the costume design for the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Unification"
Robert Blackman on costume design for the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Perfect Mate"
Robert Blackman on the reactions to his Star Trek: The Next Generation costumes
Robert Blackman on costume design for the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "A Fistful of Datas"
Robert Blackman on costume design for the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Times Era"
Robert Blackman on his favorite Star Trek: The Next Generation costumes
Robert Blackman on the process of designing costumes for Star Trek: The Next Generation and working with producer Rick Berman
Robert Blackman on costuming ideas that didn't work for Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on winning Emmys for Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on the cast and crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: Voyager
Robert Blackman on Jeri Ryan's Star Trek: Voyager costume
Robert Blackman on designing costumes for Star Trek: Voyager
Topics
Advice
Robert Blackman on advice to an aspiring costume designer
Characters & Catchphrases
Robert Blackman on the "Picard maneuver" on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Emmy Awards
Robert Blackman on winning Emmys for Star Trek: The Next Generation
Pop Culture
Robert Blackman on the "Picard maneuver" on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Television Industry
Robert Blackman on advice to an aspiring costume designer
Robert Blackman on how the television business has changed since he started
Professions
Costume Designer
Robert Blackman on the fabrics they used for the costumes on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on the budget constraints of costume designing for Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on the process of designing costumes for Star Trek: The Next Generation and working with producer Rick Berman
Robert Blackman on where he gets the inspiration for his costumes
Robert Blackman on advice to an aspiring costume designer
Designers
Robert Blackman on the fabrics they used for the costumes on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on the budget constraints of costume designing for Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on the process of designing costumes for Star Trek: The Next Generation and working with producer Rick Berman
Robert Blackman on where he gets the inspiration for his costumes
Robert Blackman on advice to an aspiring costume designer
Genres
Sci-Fi/Supernatural Series
Robert Blackman on costume designing for Star Trek: The Next Generation (Part 1)
Robert Blackman on costume designing for Star Trek: The Next Generation (Part 2)
Robert Blackman on costume designing for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Robert Blackman on costume designing for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise
People
Rick Berman
Robert Blackman on the process of designing costumes for Star Trek: The Next Generation and working with producer Rick Berman
Robert Blackman on the cast and crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation: Rick Berman
LeVar Burton
Robert Blackman on the cast and crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation: LeVar Burton
Denise Crosby
Robert Blackman on the cast and crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation: Denise Crosby
Michael Dorn
Robert Blackman on the cast and crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation: Michael Dorn
Jonathan Frakes
Robert Blackman on the cast and crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation: Jonathan Frakes
Whoopi Goldberg
Robert Blackman on the costume of the character "Guinan" on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on the cast and crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation: Whoopi Goldberg
John de Lancie
Robert Blackman on the costume for "Q" on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Gates McFadden
Robert Blackman on the cast and crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation: Gates McFadden
Michael Piller
Robert Blackman on the cast and crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation: Michael Piller
Gene Roddenberry
Robert Blackman on working with Gene Roddenberry on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Jeri Ryan
Robert Blackman on Jeri Ryan's Star Trek: Voyager costume
Brent Spiner
Robert Blackman on the cast and crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation: Brent Spiner
Patrick Stewart
Robert Blackman on the "Picard maneuver" on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Robert Blackman on the cast and crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation: Patrick Stewart
Wil Wheaton
Robert Blackman on the cast and crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation: Wil Wheaton