Commander William Riker, the Next Generation role that Jonathan Frakes has played in Picard and Lower Decks, is known to Star Trek fans as Jonathan Frakes. One of Discovery's most reliable directors has been his most important contribution to Star Trek's new era. Surprising challenges can still come from that recent role.
Frakes has directed episodes of Discovery every season since the first one, and this week's "Stormy Weather" is one of the best of the season so far. The prospect of filming an ensemble cast during the height of the covid-19 pandemic was a challenge unlike anything he had faced before on Star Trek. io9 spoke with Frakes over the phone this week to learn more about his process of bringing this week's episode to life, and the challenges of working on a show as big as Star Trek as safely as possible. Check out our full interview.
What was it like for you to come back this season and film safely, under very different circumstances with covid protocols in place?
Jonathan Frakes said that it takes the joy out of the work. It has changed. The studios in Canada and the US are very strict with the covid protocol. We did it daily. A person is masked up. When we went off the set to talk to the actors, we had to wear a mask and a shield. It is suffocating. It is frustrating. It is a constant reminder of the danger we are in and we continue to do this. People like to have that entertainment. I am looking forward to a time when we can work the way we normally do. I think show business has been a great leader in how we function with these new restrictions. Some people left a show because of Disney's strict requirement for vaccinations. I had to stay in a hotel room for two weeks when I went to Discovery. I was not allowed to leave the room. They check your location daily when you download an app. It has a resemblance to the Cold War Communist Russia.
There is nothing fun about it. I have talked to a number of directors, including Michael Pressman and Robert Duncan McNeill, who are the producing directors on Discovery. We all have shared, and we find that we over-verbalize now. We used to use a lot of our face and bodies. Either a positive note or suggestion that we try something different. We can tell a lot of the story with your facial expressions and movement. They can misinterpret your note if they only see a small portion of your face. There has been a strange side effect of all this. Communication would be quicker, cleaner, and more efficient if the mask and shield weren't there. I bet you are sorry about that question.
It is fascinating to see how these shows are being filmed.
Frakes: It takes a lot of the joy out of the business because they take it so seriously.
It was quite interesting to see that the episode is almost a rarity for Discovery. What was your approach to keeping the scenes interesting this week, since we are mostly focused on the bridge and Discovery lounge area?
On Discovery, we are encouraged to shoot cinematically and I love the bridge. I love the bridge on Discovery. I always have competition when I am roaming around the bridge with my cameras. We are very competitive about how much we can bite off. We keep the camera moving. If you have seen the episode, there is nothing on the viewscreen. Owosekun says that those are the visuals, and that Burnham says to put the visuals up. It is kind of wonderful in its own way. It was my first time in the lounge and I was able to explore it, so I used the Steadicam and kept it moving to investigate the area and because it was a new set for the audience, they will find new pieces. Some shows at Discovery are not filmic, but there is a strong support for that. The Star Treks are that way. Anything you want to try, you can do. They will get you any equipment or toy you need. In a show where they have to find a way to escape a black hole, you need toys at your disposal.
Ian Alexander is getting a lot of solo work this week, he is the voice of Gray, and he is also the voice of Zora. What was it like working with them?
Frakes found him to be professional, prepared, and aware, like the character who now has a corporeal body to impersonate. He is a lead character in this episode. He is a real pro and has embraced it. He has been doing it for a long time and has a great set presence. Very collaborative. He will try anything in terms of staging and movement. And Zora does the same thing. In Star Trek, an artificial intelligence character is part of a scene. It might be odd on other shows, but on Star Trek... I mean, they play with each other.
This is a big episode for the two of them, as we learn more about the artificial intelligence and how she differs from past Star Trek computer voices. I want to talk about the scenes where Sonequa Martin-Green is talking about what the ship needs to do with Zora. How did you plan out those emotional scenes?
Frakes always looks forward to scenes with Sonequa and he looks forward to the bridge. We both speak the same actor language and have a strong shorthand. I am one of her biggest fans. The two of us and the filming crew were on the bridge for at least two or three days. We storyboarded where the fire would be, we had practical and special fire, and we had major decisions about the helmet. It was impractical because it reflected all the lights and cameras. When you are working with people in space suits, it is often the decision that is made. I closed in on her because we thought it was a good idea to shoot in sequence. We talked about the tension, we talked about the beats, we talked about the sound, and I had people on the rafters and off in the wings making additional noises that would give the character something to respond to. It is a beautiful scene and we collaborated on it in a way that was quite testament.
The emotionality of the show is very effective. The double entendre of her relationship with Book is loaded with imagery and metaphor and I think it's quite clever. My thanks go to the writing team of Paradise. I am happy with the results. You got a lipstick camera and diopters, and things getting in on Sonequa's eyes, and it was plotted and planned. In the execution, it was Sonequa and I who decided what the character would see. And she does. She commits. She is the reason the show is in its fourth season.
What has kept you directing on Discovery, and will you return for more?
Frakes: Discovery had become my home show. I had started with them in the first season. I felt like a family. I finally accepted that I am the old guy. I was sort of a big brother figure. Father. Whatever. I'm very excited to be directing the next version of Star Trek and to be a part of the tradition of Lower Decks, because I've come from another Star Trek. I always look forward to coming to Discovery because Sonequa is the number one. You couldn't ask for a better number one. Before covid, we were not afraid to shoot hours out there in Montreal. In the middle of the night, someone could be doing a particularly dramatic scene and a lot of the actors could be there. That doesn't happen a lot on shows.
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