If you’ve seen the trailers and TV spots for J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek then you will have noticed the film contains quite a few lens flares. Personally, I think it looks quite cool, although in some cases it appears they got a little carried away, to the point where you can’t see the actors faces. Thankfully it’s not just the fans and future trekkies who have noticed the excessive flare use, director J.J. Abrams acknowledges he went a little overboard.

From io9:

I’m curious to hear more about why you decided to use so many lens flares, and exactly when you decided to use them?

[Smiles] I don’t know what you’re talking about. [Laughs] I’m kidding. I know what you’re saying with the lens flares. It was one of those things… I wanted a visual system that felt unique. I know there are certain shots where even I watch and think, “Oh that’s ridiculous, that was too many.” But I love the idea that the future was so bright it couldn’t be contained in the frame.

The flares weren’t just happening from on-camera light sources, they were happening off camera, and that was really the key to it. I want [to create] the sense that, just off camera, something spectacular is happening. There was always a sense of something, and also there is a really cool organic layer thats a quality of it. They were all done live, they weren’t added later. There are something about those flares, especially in a movie that can potentially be very sterile and CG and overly controlled. There is something incredibly unpredictable and gorgeous about them.

To read the rest click here, and to see an example of the lens flares in action watch the clip below!

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