Cari Thomas

Cari L. Thomas is a visual effects (VFX) artist who started out in the Star Trek franchise in 1989, working as (assistant) scenic artist in Michael Okuda's scenic art department on and , seasons three through five. In 1993, she transferred to the VFX department, promoted to VFX associate, when the spin-off series went into production, as VFX Producer Dan Curry specified at the time, "Joining the DEEP SPACE NINE Visual Effects crew this year will be Sue Jones and Judy Elkins, and Cari Thomas as Visual Associate." (Cinefantastique, Vol 23,#5, p. 62) Though hired in this junior VFX position, Thomas was given the opportunity to flex her muscled as a senior VFX coordinator on the alternating even numbered episodes of that series' first season from the eighth episode, , onward, without being permanently elevated, though credited, into that position. Together with her VFX Supervisor Robert Legato, Thomas left the franchise upon the conclusion of the first season, both to join Digital Domain.
, seen on set artwork in The Next Generations episode , was named after her. Years later, in 2012, she received an additional, after-the-fact, acknowledgment when a "Cari Thomas Raymond" was retconned onto a computer display, seen in the remastered Next Generation episode, , ironically an episode originally produced at a time when she was not yet working for the franchise.
== Career outside Star Trek ==
Prior to her work on Star Trek franchise, Thomas' first motion picture involvement was her uncredited work on . Following her tenure on the franchise, Thomas worked for Digital Domain as visual effects coordinator on (1994) and (1994). As visual effects producer for Digital Domain, she worked on projects such as (1995), (1996), (1997), the drama Kundun (1997), and (1998).
Thomas' credits as visual effects producer include (2000), (2001), (2003), (2003), (2003), (2005), (2008), (2010), and (2012).
== Star Trek credits ==
* As (Assistant) Scenic Artist:
** 
*** – Scenic Artist
** 
*** Season 3 – Assistant Scenic Artist (26 episodes, – )
*** Season 4 – Assistant Scenic Artist (14 episodes, – )/Scenic Artist (12 episodes, – )
*** Season 5 – Scenic Artist (26 episodes, – )
* As Visual Effects Associate:
** DS9
== External link ==
* 
Category:Art department
Category:Production associates
Category:Special and Visual effects staff