‘Star Trek’s’ alien look of the future, inspired by past and present

Makeup

“Star Trek”

Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow

The Spock ears might’ve been the easiest part. For the winning three-person makeup team for J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek,” it took seven different designs before they settled on the right blunt-foreheaded look for the menacing Romulan race. It wasn’t a minor endeavor in execution, either: Makeup department head Mindy Hall and alien designers Barney Burman and Joel Harlow were assisted by a team of more than 40.

Though they drew inspiration from the classic TV show, the crew wanted to modernize the look. “I think we have a whole new generation of fans,” Hall said backstage. “We wanted our ‘Star Trek’ to appeal to the current fans as well as the newer, younger generation. A younger, hipper ‘Star Trek’ . . . it’s fantastic for the whole franchise.”