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Klingon aesthetics played into the designing of the Bird-of-Prey, such as Leonard Nimoy giving Art Director [[Nilo Rodis]] an idea of what a Bird-of-Prey even meant by showing him an image of a Klingon. "''I looked at that and I thought, 'OK, I think I understand,{{'}}''" Rodis remembered. Particular aspects that he took inspiration from, in designing the Bird-of-Prey, were the Klingons' color scheme and that they apparently like decoration. "''If you look at the Klingons, there is something fairly gothic and art deco about them,''" Rodis pointed out. "''If you notice, they never wear simple, undecorated costumes; it's all kind of metallic and leather, with piping and stuff [....] Also, even though the Klingons aren't green, they are definitely not blue. They lean more toward gray/green.''" ({{STTM|3|8}}, p. 58)
Klingon aesthetics played into the designing of the Bird-of-Prey, such as Leonard Nimoy giving Art Director [[Nilo Rodis]] an idea of what a Bird-of-Prey even meant by showing him an image of a Klingon. "''I looked at that and I thought, 'OK, I think I understand,{{'}}''" Rodis remembered. Particular aspects that he took inspiration from, in designing the Bird-of-Prey, were the Klingons' color scheme and that they apparently like decoration. "''If you look at the Klingons, there is something fairly gothic and art deco about them,''" Rodis pointed out. "''If you notice, they never wear simple, undecorated costumes; it's all kind of metallic and leather, with piping and stuff [....] Also, even though the Klingons aren't green, they are definitely not blue. They lean more toward gray/green.''" ({{STTM|3|8}}, p. 58)
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The Klingons were storyboarded to appear, in ''Star Trek III'', much as they had been seen in ''The Motion Picture''. ("The Klingons Attack" and other storyboard sequences, {{DVD|Star Trek III: The Search for Spock|Special Edition|(Special Edition)}} [[DVD]] special features) Specifically at the request of Leonard Nimoy, though, Robert Fletcher was made responsible for duties encompassing ''Star Trek III''{{'}}s redesign of Fred Phillips' redesign of the Klingons. Fletcher collaborated with [[Tom Burman]] of the [[Burman Studio]], who fabricated Fletcher's designs; they thus created the third-generation version of Klingons, whose bony foreheads were less pronounced than those shown in ''The Motion Picture''. (''[[The Art of Star Trek]]'', p. 226) "''We tried to make them somewhat less brutal, less prominent,''" stated Fletcher, "''so that you get a better sense of the Klingons' individual faces.''" Burman shared Fletcher's conclusion that the Klingon forehead had to be revised. "''It was just too cartoonish, and I didn't want a ''Star Wars'' look in this movie,''" Burman related. "''There had never been a good marriage between the forehead appliance and the actors' faces. We tried to keep them in character rather than have these obtrusive things on their heads.''" Burman believed that doing each of the Klingons right took two hours. (''[[The Making of the Trek Films]]'', p. 52) The makeup process began with the application of a bald cap and forehead appliance. Still included as part of the makeup was faux facial hair. (''[[Cinefantastique]]'', Vol. 17, No. 3/4, p. 83)
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The Klingons were storyboarded to appear, in ''Star Trek III'', much as they had been seen in ''The Motion Picture''. ("The Klingons Attack" and other storyboard sequences, {{DVD|Star Trek III: The Search for Spock|Special Edition|(Special Edition)}} [[DVD]] special features) Specifically at the request of Leonard Nimoy, though, Robert Fletcher was made responsible for duties encompassing ''Star Trek III''{{'}}s redesign of Fred Phillips' redesign of the Klingons. Fletcher collaborated with [[Tom Burman]] of the [[Burman Studio]], who fabricated Fletcher's designs; they thus created the third-generation version of Klingons, whose bony foreheads were less pronounced than those shown in ''The Motion Picture''. (''[[The Art of Star Trek]]'', p. 226) "''We tried to make them somewhat less brutal, less prominent,''" stated Fletcher, "''so that you get a better sense of the Klingons' individual faces.''" Burman shared Fletcher's conclusion that the Klingon forehead had to be revised. "''It was just too cartoonish, and I didn't want a ''Star Wars'' look in this movie,''" Burman related. "''There had never been a good marriage between the forehead appliance and the actors' faces. We tried to keep them in character rather than have these obtrusive things on their heads.''" Burman believed that doing each of the Klingons right took two hours. (''[[The Making of the Trek Films]]'', UK 3rd ed., p. 52) The makeup process began with the application of a bald cap and forehead appliance. Still included as part of the makeup was faux facial hair. (''[[Cinefantastique]]'', Vol. 17, No. 3/4, p. 83)
Director of Photography [[Charles Correll]] was tasked with using lighting to ensure the Klingon makeup in ''Star Trek III'' looked believable throughout the movie, so that any naturally occurring anomalies in the makeup were not highlighted. Given that the bridge set for the film's Klingon Bird-of-Prey was top-lit and deliberately kept dark, Correll said about the Klingons being shown on their own ship, "''We were lucky [...] and I think we accomplished what we had to do.''" The dim lighting not only helped make the Klingon prosthetics less pronounced but also added to how dramatic the Klingons appeared, which the framing of the shots also aided. "''Shooting these guys on the Klingon bridge was all about getting in tight, getting mysterious, getting intense,''" commented Leonard Nimoy. "''Very tight, very up-close, intense stuff, to emphasize the power of them, the presence of them, the danger of them, and their conspiratorial attitude, their whispering and the tension that grew out of that.''" (''Star Trek III: The Search for Spock'' [[audio commentary]], {{DVD|Star Trek III: The Search for Spock|Special Edition|(Special Edition DVD}}/[[Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Blu-ray)|Blu-ray)]])
Director of Photography [[Charles Correll]] was tasked with using lighting to ensure the Klingon makeup in ''Star Trek III'' looked believable throughout the movie, so that any naturally occurring anomalies in the makeup were not highlighted. Given that the bridge set for the film's Klingon Bird-of-Prey was top-lit and deliberately kept dark, Correll said about the Klingons being shown on their own ship, "''We were lucky [...] and I think we accomplished what we had to do.''" The dim lighting not only helped make the Klingon prosthetics less pronounced but also added to how dramatic the Klingons appeared, which the framing of the shots also aided. "''Shooting these guys on the Klingon bridge was all about getting in tight, getting mysterious, getting intense,''" commented Leonard Nimoy. "''Very tight, very up-close, intense stuff, to emphasize the power of them, the presence of them, the danger of them, and their conspiratorial attitude, their whispering and the tension that grew out of that.''" (''Star Trek III: The Search for Spock'' [[audio commentary]], {{DVD|Star Trek III: The Search for Spock|Special Edition|(Special Edition DVD}}/[[Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Blu-ray)|Blu-ray)]])
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The ''Star Trek III'' portrayal of Klingons took inspiration from Japanese history. "''Harve [Bennett] had the notion that the Klingons were like Samurai warriors,''" explained linguist [[Marc Okrand]]. ({{STC|114}}, p. 27) Robert Fletcher agreed with Bennett, later saying of the Klingons, "''I always liked to think of them as authoritarian, almost feudal, like Japan had been.''" (''[[The Making of the Trek Films]]'', p. 52) As such, both the Klingon costumes and Klingonese language in ''Star Trek III'' were influenced by the feudal Japanese culture. (''[[The Art of Star Trek]]'', p. 226; {{STC|114}}, p. 27; ''[[The Making of the Trek Films]]'', p. 52)
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The ''Star Trek III'' portrayal of Klingons took inspiration from Japanese history. "''Harve [Bennett] had the notion that the Klingons were like Samurai warriors,''" explained linguist [[Marc Okrand]]. ({{STC|114}}, p. 27) Robert Fletcher agreed with Bennett, later saying of the Klingons, "''I always liked to think of them as authoritarian, almost feudal, like Japan had been.''" (''[[The Making of the Trek Films]]'', UK 3rd ed., p. 52) As such, both the Klingon costumes and Klingonese language in ''Star Trek III'' were influenced by the feudal Japanese culture. (''[[The Art of Star Trek]]'', p. 226; {{STC|114}}, p. 27; ''[[The Making of the Trek Films]]'', UK 3rd ed., p. 52)
At one point, Leonard Nimoy remarked that, on ''Star Trek III'', he was "happier than ever to be working with Klingons!" and that this was due to Kruge actor [[Christopher Lloyd]]'s portrayal in the film. (''[[I Am Spock]]'', hardcover ed., p. 226) For his part, Lloyd once expressed that he thought the Klingon makeup was helpful to performances, commenting, "''That kind of makeup, when it’s put on well, it enhances what you’re doing and gives you more confidence that you’re going to be able to portray the character and make it believable.''" {{st.com|christopher-lloyd-interview||article}}
At one point, Leonard Nimoy remarked that, on ''Star Trek III'', he was "happier than ever to be working with Klingons!" and that this was due to Kruge actor [[Christopher Lloyd]]'s portrayal in the film. (''[[I Am Spock]]'', hardcover ed., p. 226) For his part, Lloyd once expressed that he thought the Klingon makeup was helpful to performances, commenting, "''That kind of makeup, when it’s put on well, it enhances what you’re doing and gives you more confidence that you’re going to be able to portray the character and make it believable.''" {{st.com|christopher-lloyd-interview||article}}
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William Shatner was pleased with the casting of [[Todd Bryant]] and [[Spice Williams]] in the Klingon roles of Klaa and Vixis respectively, commenting, "''They were physically right for the Klingons and were obviously talented enough to do the roles justice.''" These two actors spent a great deal of time preparing to play their roles. For instance, both performers had to endure a three-hour makeup session each morning to look sufficiently Klingon. (''[[Captain's Log: William Shatner's Personal Account of the Making of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier]]'', pp. 78 & 147-148)
William Shatner was pleased with the casting of [[Todd Bryant]] and [[Spice Williams]] in the Klingon roles of Klaa and Vixis respectively, commenting, "''They were physically right for the Klingons and were obviously talented enough to do the roles justice.''" These two actors spent a great deal of time preparing to play their roles. For instance, both performers had to endure a three-hour makeup session each morning to look sufficiently Klingon. (''[[Captain's Log: William Shatner's Personal Account of the Making of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier]]'', pp. 78 & 147-148)
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For each of the performers cast to portray a Klingon in ''Star Trek V'', the application process began with a bald cap being positioned over the performer's hair, after which one of the Klingon forehead appliances was added. (''[[Captain's Log: William Shatner's Personal Account of the Making of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier]]'', p. 148) William Shatner permitted Richard Snell to produce each of the film's Klingon foreheads as a distinctive design. "''That opened the door and now the sky's the limit,''" noted Snell. (''[[The Art of Star Trek]]'', p. 254) The forehead prosthetic was attached to the actor's skin using a strong adhesive glue. Both the newly added appliance and the skin were then painted with makeup, which was a mixture of acrylic and adhesive. Each performer then donned a hairpiece, helping complete the illusion. (''[[Captain's Log: William Shatner's Personal Account of the Making of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier]]'', p. 148)
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For each of the performers cast to portray a Klingon in ''Star Trek V'', the application process began with a bald cap being positioned over the performer's hair, after which one of the Klingon forehead appliances was added. (''[[Captain's Log: William Shatner's Personal Account of the Making of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier]]'', p. 148) William Shatner permitted Richard Snell to produce each of the film's Klingon foreheads as a distinctive design. "''That opened the door and now the sky's the limit,''" noted Snell. (''[[The Art of Star Trek]]'', p. 254) The forehead prosthetic was attached to the actor's skin using a strong adhesive glue. Both the newly added appliance and the skin were then painted with makeup, which was a mixture of acrylic and adhesive. Each performer then donned a hairpiece, helping complete the illusion. (''[[Captain's Log: William Shatner's Personal Account of the Making of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier]]'', p. 148) The only Klingon which Makeup Effects Artist [[Kenny Myers]] created for ''Star Trek V'' was the Klingon god. (''[[The Making of the Trek Films]]'', UK 3rd ed., p. 90)
Given the extreme degree of preparation involved, William Shatner was very excited to film the Klingons. He was not disappointed, thrilled with the performances of Spice Williams and Todd Bryant. (''[[Captain's Log: William Shatner's Personal Account of the Making of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier]]'', pp. 147 & 148)
Given the extreme degree of preparation involved, William Shatner was very excited to film the Klingons. He was not disappointed, thrilled with the performances of Spice Williams and Todd Bryant. (''[[Captain's Log: William Shatner's Personal Account of the Making of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier]]'', pp. 147 & 148)
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Leonard Nimoy wanted to use {{film|6}} to explore Klingons and their culture. "''It seemed to me that this movie presented us with a perfect opportunity''" to do so, he said in retrospect. At the time, Nimoy gave much consideration to how the Klingons were similar to the Soviet Union. Influenced by the fall of the Berlin War and the Soviet government clearly beginning to crumble, Nimoy intentionally represented the Klingons as encountering an analogous predicament. The presentment of the Klingons in an alternative draft of the script, however, frustrated Nimoy. "''The story never explored the Klingon culture the way I'd hoped it would [....] I was hoping for greater insight into the Klingons.''" (''[[I Am Spock]]'')
Leonard Nimoy wanted to use {{film|6}} to explore Klingons and their culture. "''It seemed to me that this movie presented us with a perfect opportunity''" to do so, he said in retrospect. At the time, Nimoy gave much consideration to how the Klingons were similar to the Soviet Union. Influenced by the fall of the Berlin War and the Soviet government clearly beginning to crumble, Nimoy intentionally represented the Klingons as encountering an analogous predicament. The presentment of the Klingons in an alternative draft of the script, however, frustrated Nimoy. "''The story never explored the Klingon culture the way I'd hoped it would [....] I was hoping for greater insight into the Klingons.''" (''[[I Am Spock]]'')
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During early development of ''Star Trek VI'', the Klingons were intended to be established as having evolved from a reptilian state. The film, as initially conceived, would also have introduced Klingon tribes, even more primitive and violent than the usual Klingons. These aspects of the plot were discarded because they were thought to be overly expensive. As for the possible ancestry of the Klingons, [[Gregory Jein]] – who served as props master on ''Star Trek V'' as well as on ''Star Trek VI'' – theorized that they developed from an underwater species. "''My philosophy is that the Klingons came out of the sea originally,''" he mused, "''and the sea was their basic cultural heritage.''" Jein took inspiration from this belief when crafting many of the Klingon props from the two films he worked on. (''[[The Making of the Trek Films]]'', 3rd ed., pp. 104 & 129)
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During early development of ''Star Trek VI'', the Klingons were intended to be established as having evolved from a reptilian state. The film, as initially conceived, would also have introduced Klingon tribes, even more primitive and violent than the usual Klingons. These aspects of the plot were discarded because they were thought to be overly expensive. As for the possible ancestry of the Klingons, [[Gregory Jein]] – who served as props master on ''Star Trek V'' as well as on ''Star Trek VI'' – theorized that they developed from an underwater species. "''My philosophy is that the Klingons came out of the sea originally,''" he mused, "''and the sea was their basic cultural heritage.''" Jein took inspiration from this belief when crafting many of the Klingon props from the two films he worked on. (''[[The Making of the Trek Films]]'', UK 3rd ed., pp. 104 & 129)
For ''Star Trek VI'', Richard Snell was made responsible for designing and fabricating the Klingon makeups, enormous numbers of which were needed. Klingon appliances were produced by a staff employed by [[Richard Snell Designs, Inc.|Snell's makeup lab]]. "''Since the Klingons were to play such a major part in the proceedings,''" explained Makeup Supervisor [[Michael J. Mills]], "''the director wanted them to be as believable as possible. He wanted the audience to watch the actors' faces and not be distracted by the makeups. So every one had to be a custom job – which translated out to be about three-and-a-half hours. Richard Snell did a great job of coming up with all sorts of different designs for the Klingons, and we used the newest techniques and glues and paints for the applications – which was important since these characters were being seen face to face with the principal actors playing humans. The appliances had to be very thin in order to allow the expressions on our actors to come through and read clearly. [[Ron Pipes]], working with Richard Snell, did a lot of work designing the wigs, which played a substantial role in making the characters look more believable. Our hairstylist, [[Jan Alexander]], was instrumental in coming up with various braids and jewelry which suggested a tribal people with a whole heritage and history behind them.''" (''[[Cinefex]]'', No. 49, pp. 42, 44 & 45)
For ''Star Trek VI'', Richard Snell was made responsible for designing and fabricating the Klingon makeups, enormous numbers of which were needed. Klingon appliances were produced by a staff employed by [[Richard Snell Designs, Inc.|Snell's makeup lab]]. "''Since the Klingons were to play such a major part in the proceedings,''" explained Makeup Supervisor [[Michael J. Mills]], "''the director wanted them to be as believable as possible. He wanted the audience to watch the actors' faces and not be distracted by the makeups. So every one had to be a custom job – which translated out to be about three-and-a-half hours. Richard Snell did a great job of coming up with all sorts of different designs for the Klingons, and we used the newest techniques and glues and paints for the applications – which was important since these characters were being seen face to face with the principal actors playing humans. The appliances had to be very thin in order to allow the expressions on our actors to come through and read clearly. [[Ron Pipes]], working with Richard Snell, did a lot of work designing the wigs, which played a substantial role in making the characters look more believable. Our hairstylist, [[Jan Alexander]], was instrumental in coming up with various braids and jewelry which suggested a tribal people with a whole heritage and history behind them.''" (''[[Cinefex]]'', No. 49, pp. 42, 44 & 45)