American effects designer whose New York company Associates and Ferren supplied the visual effects for Star Trek V: The Final Frontier in 1989.
Bran Ferren headed Associates and Ferren, the East Coast effects house hired for Star Trek V: The Final Frontier when Industrial Light and Magic, which had handled the previous three films, was unavailable.
His team produced the film's starship shots, the journey through the Great Barrier and the appearance of the false God on Sha Ka Ree, favouring in-camera and practical techniques where possible.
The results, made on a tight schedule and budget, were widely judged a step down from the earlier films, and the production returned to Industrial Light and Magic for Star Trek VI.