Proteus FX was founded in 2004 by Barney Burman and Steve Prouty. Burman is the artistic director and lead make-up artist of Proteus FX. His wife, Shielu Burman, is the studio's managing director. Prior to Star Trek, Proteus FX had done make-up effects work for J.J. Abrams on the television series Alias, the 2006 film Mission: Impossible III (also from Paramount Pictures), and the yet-to-air HBO movie Anatomy of Hope. The team's other film projects have included Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny (2006), Blades of Glory (2007), and Valkyrie (2008, directed by Bryan Singer). They have also worked on such television series as Arrested Development, Invasion, Medium, and Scrubs.