I began directing the last couple of years in [Star Trek Voyager]. I did two episodes of [Star Trek Voyager] as a director and I've continued directing for [Enterprise] since its inception. It's great to be able to direct without all that make-up on your face. The problem in [Star Trek Voyager] was that I had to act and direct at the same time. Of course it's an hour and a half make-up job, I'm sorry two and a half hours as it's an hour for removal, two and a half hours of make-up, and then directing with all that rubber on your face. It's hard for people to take you seriously so it's nice to separate the two. (When I first saw the script) I think I probably got down on my knees and thanked God, because it was probably the best script I'd read in a long time. I lucked out with a beautiful character story, and it couldn't have been more wonderful. I think at that stage I was only hoping that they wouldn't change it very much, and they didn't. They had a very good script to start off with. It was very much character-driven; that and [#123 Barge of the Dead] were probably a couple of the strongest character-driven stories of the season."

Having observed so many directors and worked with so many different people, I think I was prepared for everything to go wrong. I was so prepared to face those challenges that a lot of them never appeared and it ended up being a very enjoyable experience. I think it was only because I was just so prepared for everything to go wrong that it ended up being a wonderful, exciting experience! This sounds so saccharine, but there was no worst moment. I think I was a little bit on the edge of my seat because I wanted to achieve a certain kind of shot that required some extra equipment. I didn't know if they (the producers) were going to have that for me or not, and it required my proving myself to them in order for them to trust me. That ended up happening with the help of our wonderful director of photography, Marvin Rush, who supported me every step of the way. We were really able to realise my vision for the episode, which was wonderful. But I was also prepared to work without that. As I've learned, on television you've got to make decisions quickly, and you can't always have everything that you want. I would have made it work either way, but I was so grateful that they trusted me enough to allow me to really realise what I wanted to do.

I sat in on the casting session. Our casting director chose the people to bring in, and I was part of that final decision. The music was pretty much out of my hands. I did come in the day they were scoring to listen and see what was happening, and I did get my director's cut, which of course was then handed on. The final cut was out of my hands. That's quite typical in television. As far as any special effects go, those sorts of things are normally discussed beforehand so you can shoot it in a way that allows the special effects to work. That's pretty clearly understood before you begin shooting.

(When I saw the finished episode) it was interesting. There were a couple of things I would have done differently, but I have to say I am really proud of it, and I think I was mostly proud of the performances. I was really pleased with Johnny (Ethan) Phillips (Neelix) and Tim Russ (Tuvok). I felt that they trusted me, and I trusted them - and I think we came up with some wonderful character issues that we dealt with in an original way. That to me was so exciting, and I loved seeing it on screen. I guess my biggest disappointment was that we ran eight minutes over: the script was long from the beginning and we had to cut eight minutes of some wonderful work. It's like throwing out your babies. It was hard. I love what got out there but I also miss what didn't. (Those missing scenes included some) wonderful moments (for Ethan Phillips as Neelix). We had a few moments with him where he was finally taking care of Tuvok. And there was a beautiful little scene that only had to be cut because of the restraints of time. There were a lot of little moments between them that ended up having to go that I thought were just wonderful. That's the norm. You can only hope to have that wealth of material to try to pick your moments from; it's better than trying to create them in post-production! I was very lucky in that respect. But you miss those little things that you get so excited about on the set when you see them happen, and you think they'll look so great in the final product. And then they never make it there...

I was very lucky to get a very well written character script for my first time out ([#126 Riddles]), and great actors - Tim Russ and Ethan Phillips were fantastic. When actors are handed really good material, when they are given a chance to explore other areas that they haven't had a chance to explore, they really stretch and love it. I know that - I'm an actor. When you're given that you just jump for it. I think that they both did, and they trusted me. It was wonderful because that doesn't always happen, but they did and I think that the three of us came up with a really wonderful show. I'm really proud of that show.

Tim Russ (plays Tuvok) and director Roxann Dawson

(As regards directing another episode) I'm not pencilled in yet. I've been told that I will probably be doing one, but I don't know which one it is yet. I'm hoping I'll find out soon. The episode turned out to be Season 7's [#162 and #163 Workforce], and she later directed several episodes of the successor Star Trek series [Enterprise].

List of all Star Trek episodes directed by Roxann Dawson

SOURCES & CREDITS Text sources: adapted by me from ST Monthly's interview by Paul Simpson; with additions from ST DVD interviews, about ST DVD transcription. Picture sources: ST Monthly, ST DVD, TOSTW.

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