Dave Stewart David " Dave " K . Stewart was a ( VFX ) photographer who worked as director of photography for the photographic effects on from , while employed at , firstly Robert Abel & Associates ( RA & A ) and subsequently , after RA & A ' s release from the production in February 1979 , at Douglas Trumbull ' s Future General Corporation ( FGC ) . Stewart ' s main responsibility as " Photographic Effects Director of Photography " was heading the team of effects photographers that were shooting the effects shots of the various studio model s used in the movie , those of the " Enterprise " model and the Spacedock model in particular . Stewart was brought into the production by his former FGC supervisor Richard Yuricich , when the latter was tasked in July 1978 to look into the brewing problems that started to arise with RA & A , " " Dick Yuricich had apparently been working on the picture a couple of weeks when I got a call in late August from Bob Abel . I guess Dick had suggested to Abel and the studio that if they expected to get 65mm stuff properly photographed , in focus and things like that , I should come in and do it . This seemed to be the story that I got , and indeed I did go in and , as an operator working with Richard Kline , was in charge of any 65mm live action for later use with effects . I wasn ' t in charge creatively , the cameraman was still Kline , but I was responsible for certain shots , usually matte shots , callings for optival effects in post - production . Such shots require a 65mm camera , which , in turn has to be locked down and steady . Bob Wise , Kline and Abel would line up the shots , but I did the camerawork . " " ( " " , pp . 174 - 175 ) The work done on the movie garnered him and his team an Academy Award nomination , as well as , though not personally nominated , helping others of the visual effects team win the movie ' s only award , the 1980 Saturn Award for " Best Special Effects " . No interview with Stewart on his work on " The Motion Picture " was thought to exist upon his passing away in 1997 . As it turned out however , he had , while still working on the movie in 1979 , talked indepth about his work for the production to " Cinefantastique " reporter Preston Neal Jones , but the latter ' s copy was only published 35 years later in the title listed below . Career outside " Star Trek " . Dave Stewart started his professional career in the motion picture industry in 1966 as an assistant cameraman at the Hollywood company Dickson - Vasu Camera Service , operating an Oxberry camera stand . The type , being called a " downshooter " camera stand , was utilized for the production of animated films , main titles , rotoscoping and traveling mattes . In 1971 he switched over to RA & A , working on that company ' s groundbreaking visuals for period commercials , honing his skills as a VFX cinematographer . In 1976 he entirely switched over to theatrical features , when he went on to work for FGC ( ironically the same company that was to replace Robert Abel & Associates on " The Motion Picture " ) . Directly prior to his involvement with " The Motion Picture " he was responsible for the UFO photography on ' s 1977 science fiction film " Close Encounters of the Third Kind " where he worked in the VFX department of the company with a staff , most of which he would work with again on " The Motion Picture " . Upon conclusion of the work on " Close Encounters of the Third Kind " , but before FGC was brought in to work on " The Motion Picture " , the company soon found itself in dire straits as holding company Paramount Pictures withheld funding for a project Douglas Trumbull had lined up , and he subsequently was forced to let a large part of his staff go , Dave Stewart amongst them . One year later however , Paramount was forced to hire FGC , and the company went into full swing again , enabling Stewart to rejoin . In between , during 1978 , Stewart worked on Universal Studios ' 1979 - 1981 science fiction television show " Buck Rogers in the 25th Century " as well as on the original " Battlestar Galactica " television movie , becoming the pilot episode of the likewise titled television series , albeit uncredited for both . Remaining in Trumbull ' s employ after " The Motion Picture " , now at the Entertainment Effects Group , Dave Stewart worked the subsequent years as visual and special effects unit director of photography on ' s science fiction film " Blade Runner " ( 1982 ) , ' s crime drama " The Outsiders " ( 1983 ) , Douglas Trumbull ' s science fiction thriller " Brainstorm " ( 1983 ) , the science fiction film " 2010 " ( 1984 ) , the science fiction film " Solarbabies " ( 1986 ) , and the thriller " The Hunt for Red October " ( 1990 , Trumbull ' s company now having become Boss Film Studios ) . In 1984 , Dave Stewart was inducted into the American Society of Cinematographers ( ASC ) . As free - lancer Dave Stewart worked as miniature photography director on ' s science fiction sequel " Alien³ " ( 1992 ) , as director of photography for Mass Illusion on the science fiction film " Judge Dredd " ( 1995 ) and the action film " Eraser " ( 1996 , starring Vanessa Williams ) and for Boss Film Studios again on the action thriller " Turbulence " ( 1997 ) and the action film " Air Force One " ( 1997 ) . Prior to his death in , caused by a heart attack , he completed his work as miniatures cinematographer on the science fiction thriller " Event Horizon " . Academy Award . Robert Swarthe received the following Academy Award nomination in the category " Best Effects , Visual Effects " :