Star Trek’s Metamorphosis Came Together With The Help Of A Star Wars Legend
By BILL BRIA
While working for The Westheimer Company during the second season of “Star Trek,” visual effects artist Richard Edlund played a crucial role in the episode “Metamorphosis.”
Edlund was attending the USC School of Cinematic Arts, further developing his own experimental techniques that would come in handy for a character in “Metamorphosis.”
In the episode, the crew discovers a mysterious alien known as the Companion that takes human form by the end of the show. However, its original alien visage was a challenge.
Fortunately, Edlund was able to solve the problem, and ultimately he designed the Companion itself. He then went on to work on the original “Star Wars” trilogy.