Max Gabl

Maximilian "Max" Gabl (aka Max Gable), educated at the School of Art and Design in Basel, Switzerland, was the lead matte painter at CBS Digital on Star Trek: The Original Series remastered. He created most matte paintings and planet paintings for the show. In 2012 he started working in the same capacity for the remastered The Next Generation project. On that project he worked predominantly on creating new digital planet visuals while staying as close as possible to the original footage, as the original film element were deemed too unsuitable for upgrading to high definition. (TNG Season 1 Blu-ray special feature, "Energized! Taking The Next Generation to the Next Level")

Gabl's credits at CBS Digital also include lead matte painter for such television shows as Ugly Betty (starring Alan Dale, Tony Plana, and Vanessa Williams), Bryan Fuller's Pushing Daisies (which won the team a VES nomination), The Bronx Is Burning, and New Amsterdam, the 2007 film Underdog, the upcoming TV movie SIS, and more.

In addition, Gabl has provided matte paintings for visual effects company Digital Domain on such films as Flags Of Our Fathers (featuring Neal McDonough, Harve Presnell, George Hearn, Len Cariou, Gordon Clapp, David Clennon, and James Horan) and Stealth (starring Josh Lucas). Other matte painting credits include the films Racing Stripes (starring Bruce Greenwood) and The Celestine Prophecy and the TV movies The Curse Of King Tut's Tomb (starring Malcolm McDowell), Mysterious Island (starring Patrick Stewart), and Supernova.

Gabl has also worked as an Illustrator for entertainment and advertising, and as a Scenic Artist, creating realistic painted backdrops for such films as Kill Bill, Vol. 2 (featuring Sid Haig), The Terminal (featuring Jude Ciccolella and Zoe Saldana), The Stepford Wives (featuring Matt Malloy), Mystic River, Hulk (starring Eric Bana), The Scorpion King (starring The Rock and Branscombe Richmond), The Haunted Mansion (starring Eddie Murphy and Wallace Shawn), and Spanglish.

A Swiss national, Gabl emigrated to the United States in 1996. 

Star Trek interview

 * TNG Season 1 Blu-ray special feature "Energized! Taking The Next Generation to the Next Level"