DS9 Stories/News: Michael Westmore’s Aliens (4)

DS9 Season 4

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The teplan blight from “The Quickening“. Normally a makeup like this would be done by sculpting the veins in a piece of plaster, placing rubber on top of the plaster, and then placing a sheet of clay on top of that, pressing it down, and baking the whole thing in the oven. However, because so many veins were needed extremely quickly, Westmore decided to dispense with the top piece of clay, instead just scraping the excess rubber off the bottom piece of plaster and putting that straight into the oven without a top, thus baking in half the time. This method proved so successful that it has since been used on all Star Trek shows and films

Soto from “The Sword of Kahless“, whose Lethean makeup design had been introduced in the previous season (in “Distant Voices“), and that for its reappearance here, there was a subtle color change, bringing out the red, and pulling back the brown. Westmore also discusses that race was originally conceived as a kind of “dream-monster,” which had to be scary, so he designed teeth protruding from the jaw and forehead, and also used glaring red contact lenses

The Nausicaans from “Bar Association“, who have a “bony” design, with over-emphasized teeth

The makeup worn by Dennis Madalone as the Marauder in “Shattered Mirror“. Westmore says they were trying to convey that he was a tough guy who had been in a lot of combat, and the idea was that he had lost his eye when someone smashed a bottle into it during a barfight

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Hanok in “Starship Down“. Westmore notes James Cromwell‘s performance as Jaglom Shrek in TNG: “Birthright, Part I“, and how much Cromwell liked performing with makeup in general

Morn, and how his head piece was designed in such a way as would have allowed the actor to speak

DS9 Stories/News: Michael Westmore’s Aliens (2)

DS9 Season 2

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The Skrreea from “Sanctuary“, whose ‘bumpy skin’ design was created by combining little bags of pumice, found in a hobby train shop, with a liquid latex, which was then stippled onto the actors faces and dried. Westmore also discusses how when the makeup was applied to one single individual, it simply looked like someone with a lot of pimples, but when applied to a group, it became an alien race

The Dosi from “Rules of Acquisition“, whose facial art designs are based on colorations found in tribes from Borneo and in the South Seas. Westmore also discusses the continuity problems that arise when using elaborate paint designs

Melora Pazlar from “Melora“, whose makeup was designed under the guideline to keep the actress beautiful

Cardassian women, specifically Natima Lang from “Profit and Loss“. Westmore explains that the blue coloration of the ‘spoon’ design on the forehead of Cardassian females came about due to a concern that people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the males and the females. He also discusses that because the producers wanted some of Mary Crosby‘s chest exposed, a large breast plate had to be designed which Westmore says must have been uncomfortable for Crosby to wear, but he never heard her complain once. He also discusses how the love scene between Lang and Quark is one of his all-time favorite Star Trek scenes, because despite the heavy makeup, it is still just a simple, touching romantic scene, and the makeup is completely unimportant

The Cardassian voles from “Playing God“, which were mounted on radio-controlled cars. Westmore explains that the teeth are made from acrylic, and the eyes are glass, and he notes that it was more complex to build a vole than a facial appliance. He also points out that because the voles are Cardassian, they too have the spoon design on their foreheads

Fenna and Nidell from “Second Sight“, with their unusual ear designs, which was again, based upon the desire to have the actress look alien, but not compromise her beauty

Maihar’du, whose makeup was based upon that of Pruneface from Dick Tracy

Fallit Kot from “Melora“, whose makeup was based upon the fact that Westmore had never had the opportunity to bridge the face of an alien

DS9 Stories/News: Michael Westmore’s Aliens (1)

DS9 Season 1

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Michael is responsible for many makeup development in DS9 which includes:

Cardassian makeup and how Marc Alaimo influenced the design of every Cardassian character that would follow. During the DVD specials, Michael talks about how the “spoon” of the Cardassian forehead was inspired by an abstract painting of a woman he saw in a restaurant in Studio City

The Tosk from “Captive Pursuit“, who was made to resemble an alligator

The Wadi from “Move Along Home“, who were decorated with tattoos instead of spots or stripes

The Miradorn from “Vortex“, with their unusual neck design including a flap of skin coming over their necklaces, as opposed to running underneath

The Kobliad from “The Passenger“, which was again inspired by trying to keep the actress attractive but still indicate that she is an alien

The “tailheads“, as seen on the promenade in numerous episodes, are also mentioned, and how light the tails actually are

The creation and evolution of the Bolian makeup from its beginning with actor Michael Berryman in TNG: “Conspiracy” to the actors on Deep Space Nine

DS9 Stories/News: Deep Space Nine Races – Ferengi

Ferengi Logo

The Ferengi are a technologically sophisticated humanoid race that was long a complete mystery to the United Federation of Planets prior to first contact at the planet Delphi Ardu in 2364. They are extremely sexist, and do not allow their females the honor of clothing – although Ferengi males, often find human females very attractive.

Ships

The Ferengi Business Alliance is ruled by the Grand Nagus, whom is renowned to be the best merchant in the Quadrant. They possess a strict code of honor, called the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition, which is basically ruthless principles of capitalism to the extreme. These rules, of which there are currently 285, are learned by heart by every Ferengi at a young age.

Because of the unusual four-lobed design of Ferengi brains, not entirely dissimilar to the Dopterians, even Betazoids are unable to read their minds.

Ferengi Language

Ferengi Officer

Ferengi Civilian

Shortly after first contact with the Federation, Ferengi entrepreneurs saw new opportunities and quickly assimilated themselves into Federation commerce, as did Quark, a Ferengi whom established a bar at the Bajoran space station Deep Space Nine. Also, relations between the Ferengi and the other nearby powers, have always been strictly businesslike, since the Ferengi are interested in wealth only, and not territory. Therefore they seldom get themselves involved in long wars, since wars are always costly, but if there is profit in winning a war, and they have a chance of winning, they will gladly go ahead.

DS9 Stories/News: Design Appreciation, The Costumes of Deep Space Nine (5)

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Deep Space Nine costumes: Ferengi gallery

Gaye Birch

A companion page to Design Appreciation: the costumes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

We’ve set aside a gallery especially for the Ferengi, who don the most elaborate and varied costumes of all the alien races featured on DS9.