REgarding lens flares in space... My fave show, Babylon 5, was the first to use this effect, and use it well, I think. That, along with the Jack Kirby space backdrops (filled with nebulae, gases, etc) really set the show visually apart from what had preceeded, like Star Trek. But like anything, exp. in TV, if Show A (or B5 ;) ) uses it and it works, then every show afterward makes use of it. I noticed DS9 started adding nebulae and such... And of course, the short lived Crusade series departed from the B5 look, with simple star-filled skies. On a related note, my own personal work I'm trying to head for a more iconic style (see Scott McCloud's "Understanding Comics") to break out of the "hyperreal" 3D art we see everywhere. I'm not trying to smack anyone, I just want to do something different.