Upcoming Productions for March/April/May

You've just given me the inspiration for a self-run business: Randy's Handy Dandy Candy!

As for missing deadlines, all I can do is pop up a post with as much info on the change as I have and hopefully a guesstimate toward an advised date.

Of course, I'm not the Grand High Exalted Poobah here. If you learn something from a reliable source and want to post it, fire away. I might do a little fact checking just to be sure, but I'm sure we'll all be glad to be kept informed on this fun hobby of ours.

 

Sorry to hear about your computer, Barb. I hope you give it the flusheral it deserves....

 

Again, I am at the library with a few fleeting minutes. I will be adding your reviews to my website when my (still under warrenty) computer is brought back from the dead. I shipped it back to the mother ship on Friday, so they should have beemed it up by now. I sure hope I have it by the 28th, I'd hate to not be able to give Part II of the Osiris pilot the headline it so richly deserves.

 

The Library gave me an extra 15 minutes so I'm reading this thread, and I wanted to say, since 'cat fights' usually means fights among females, I do think I'm the only female on this thread, and I'm a lioness, so, LION FIGHTS!

SO THERE!!

I also want to say this about reviews. There are several different reasons for reviews.

One is to generate traffic for a film.
Another is more on the order of literary criticism... comments useful to the film makers.

These purposes are not always in harmony. Often a review, even a nasty one which is clever, will generate more traffic and a positive 'literary' review.

I am interested in getting my information and reviews 'correct' because my website aims for the long term, and because I have always been the 'brainy' type. My high school nick name was "Spock." But also because I've never been successful at being one of the popular girls who get sarcastic and everyone identifies with me and laughs.

However, if a secondary audio production or less known film maker can get significantly more traffic when covered by a clever reviewer, that's great. Frankly, I support anything that gives fan films the attention I think they deserve.

I realize that Phase II, Farragut, Hidden Fronteir, and Intrepid get covered by the real press, and don't need me, or Logbook, or Fan Film Fridays, or any other fan reviewer. When I told a friend of mine that Phase II has probably had more viewers than Star Trek XI he went to my website for the first time, even though he's not a Trek fan. I know who the big boys are, and I am in appropriate awe.

But there are 40 other groups that have already produced films, (not counting another 20 to 40 that have produced parodies and comedies) and probably 40 more working on them, and I do think we provide some additional attention and audience to those, less-well-known groups. Some of these other films are really good. Some of the 180-odd audio productions are also exciting and would make great listening when you are stuck in traffic.

Awestruckness has never been a strong suit with me. My ex is a well-known right-wing political commentator, (I am a blazing moderate) and I'm been stopped and greeted on the street by a variety of famous people, some of whom I can't remember how they know me (certainly a weird turnaround!). I tend to absent-mindedly chat up people no matter who they are.

At a recent Climate Change lecture, Neil DeGrasse Tyson was not being recognised by the crowd. I waved at him. I used to be a regular at his lectures before he was famous, so he came over and we chatted about climate change, fan films and how I felt they could work with the science establishment to educate people about the frontiers of science the way old Trek used to. Will it ever happen? I've gotten interest from both some scientists and some fan film makers. Obviously, I'd rather the famous scientists get to work with the 'big boys' of the fan films. But I'm not clear about who is interested in what.

So yes, I stick my two cents in where it does not belong. I live in the USA, and we call it The First Amendment. I understand the French call it The Rights of Man.

Lion fight!

 

Writing a good review is much tougher than anyone who hasn't tried it thinks it is. Among the issues to consider is figuring out how much commentary the audience wants or needs (the panning was right to left instead of left to right...does that matter, would anyone but an anal retentive geek notice...or care... or want it pointed out?), how much credibility you bring when you issue opinions ("x gives a terrible/great performance, he/she is wonderful/just awful). One reviewer critiqued my narrating style by saying I was "copying CNN" in the style that they use to pretend they are non-biased..WTF? I mean, I might sound that way but I read news for 20 years...it's pretty safe to say I wasn't copying anybody. Now of course, if that wasn't the right approach, fine...but what kind of value does that kind of comment add?

Bottom line, reviews are important tools for helping to raise interest in fan productions and helping to lay the groundwork for improved quality.

It might also be well to remember that while the fan productions in all media are by nature, mostly amateur with production teams and talent who vary wildly in experience, background and sheer talent, the same might be true of reviewers and anyone making a plea for some amount of slack on one end should be prepared to grant that request in the other direction.

 

You know, this is a point I failed to consider last week, and it's a very important point to remember. I guess my larger concern at the time was that even though the reviewers are just as amateur as the fan-film-makers, they too should be open to constructive criticism.

 

Off-topic, but not entirely:

@Randy and/or Barbreader: You know that nice pinned topic at the top of this forum? The "Definitive List of Star Trek Fan Productions"? It hasn't been updated in nearly a year. The reason for that is, quite simply, as a producer, I don't have time to download/listen/watch all of the fan shows I want to, much less keep my eye on new and upcoming shows, record decent statistics on all of them, and still get Excelsior episodes released every two months. For the last few months, I've been worried that that list is going to die, and with its death would go a very useful tool. The list is a convenient way of listing every Trek fan production in short order (without discriminating between formats, which gets confusing with certain productions) and, by noting how many minutes of each show has been produced, how active each one is. I think it's a valuable thing. I'd hate to see it go into obsolescence.

The two of you now nobly dedicate your online lives to chronicling Star Trek fan productions (or just fan films, in Barbreader's case). Would either or both of you be willing to take over the job of keeping it updated? I can explain to you how it's done. It's pretty straightforward, actually. You can even simplify it to make it easier (for instance, the list doesn't need a Karl Puder Participation Rate anymore). Hopefully, once the list is being kept up-to-date again, it will become a useful tool for you, just as Randy hoped this release calendar would be. (You could even add a non-binding release calendar to the listing, which would make it even more awesome and helpful!) My one condition is that you don't segregate the list by format. As an audio producer, I'm a bit sensitive to that sort of thing. :P If you're interested and/or willing, post here or PM me.

Thanks.

 

I haven't had the chance to talk with Barb, but I know she's a busy person in New York City. How about if I take the lead (that's one of the reasons I put "Captain" in my screen name) and Barbreader be my first officer? We'll probably expand it a few items at a time due to time constraints, but I can take out the ones that have fallen by the wayside, and Barb has some very good and brief descriptions of many independent productions.

Howzat?

 

I'd be happy to work with Randy. Your list was discovered by me only after I started my website (I might never have done so otherwise).

L'Stok of Australia also does this for audio, but only annually.

I am still without computer, and watching minutes tick away at the library.

 

NOW AVAILABLE
Starship Excelsior audio series
“Every Good Captain,” third season debut
http://www.starshipexcelsior.com

NEW RELEASE
March 28 (Sunday)
Star Trek: Osiris
Conclusion of “Eclipse,” its two-part pilot
http://www.stosiris.com/
Source: Barbreader
http://startrekreviewed.blogspot.com/

UPCOMING RELEASE
Late March/early April
Starship Farragut Animated
“The Needs of the Many”
http://www.farragut-animated.com/needs.html
Source: www.farragut-animated.com

DATE CHANGE
From March 30 to unspecified date
Star Trek: Phase II
“Enemy Starfleet”
http://www.startrekphase2.com/
Source: http://www.startrekphase2.com

May 1 (Saturday)
Star Trek: Phoenix
“Cloak and Dagger”
Star Trek: Phoenix is going to be shown locally in Washington state during April before releasing “Cloak and Dagger” for Internet distribution at the start of May. Their site can be found at http://www.stphoenix.com/

COMING SOON BUT NO RELEASE DATE GIVEN
Star Trek: Imperium
http://startrekimperium.net/

RECENT RELEASES
Star Trek: Encarta (1999)
Part 1 of 4; now all 4 available on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-UnmC3s-dk
Source: Barbreader

Star Trek: The Go!Animate Generation: The Siren’s Carnage
RoTV
First part of a four-part online comic
http://goanimate.com/movie/0su3dFX3A9LU/1

Have a great weekend!

 

Thanks for the info, Randy.

And thanks to all three of you for keeping these lists and sites and their info available to all of us.

 

This week, I've added a few series I'd overlooked before.

NOW AVAILABLE
Star Trek: Osiris
Conclusion of “Eclipse,” its two-part pilot
http://www.stosiris.com/eclipse-part-two.html

Starship Excelsior audio series
“Every Good Captain,” third season debut
http://www.starshipexcelsior.com

Frontier Guard (Hidden Frontier)
Episode #110: “Gallant”
http://www.frontier-guard.com/

Star Trek Defiant audio series
Episode #44: “Haunted”
http://www.pendantaudio.com/defiant.php

UPCOMING RELEASES
April 7 (Wednesday)
Star Trek Defiant audio series
Episode #45: “Confessions”
http://www.pendantaudio.com/defiant.php

April
Starship Farragut Animated
“The Needs of the Many”
http://www.farragut-animated.com/needs.html

Star Trek: Phase II
“Enemy Starfleet”
http://www.startrekphase2.com/

Star Trek: Imperium
http://startrekimperium.net/

May 1 (Saturday)
Star Trek: Phoenix
“Cloak and Dagger”
Star Trek: Phoenix is going to be shown locally in Washington state during April before releasing “Cloak and Dagger” for Internet distribution at the start of May. Their site can be found at http://www.stphoenix.com/

RECENT RELEASES
Star Trek: Encarta (1999)
Part 1 of 4; now all 4 available on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-UnmC3s-dk

Star Trek: The Go!Animate Generation: The Siren’s Carnage
RoTV
First part of a four-part online comic
http://goanimate.com/movie/0su3dFX3A9LU/1

 

Here's a quick update regarding the national release of Star Trek: Phoenix. It has apparently been moved back one day, to Sunday, May 2. I'll make the update in next week's listing as well.

 

Sorry to be late posting this week's list. Power problems and all that. It's kind of a slow week, but still a good one.

NOW AVAILABLE
Star Trek Defiant audio series
Episode #45: “Confessions”
http://www.pendantaudio.com/defiant.php

Star Trek: Osiris
Conclusion of “Eclipse,” its two-part pilot
http://www.stosiris.com/

Starship Excelsior audio series
“Every Good Captain Has Admiral Issues,” third season debut
http://www.starshipexcelsior.com

Frontier Guard (Hidden Frontier)
Episode #110: “Gallant”
http://www.frontier-guard.com/

UPCOMING RELEASES
April
Starship Farragut Animated
“The Needs of the Many”
http://www.farragut-animated.com/needs.html

Star Trek: Phase II
“Enemy Starfleet”
http://www.startrekphase2.com/

May 2 (Sunday)
Star Trek: Phoenix
“Cloak and Dagger”
Star Trek: Phoenix is going to be shown locally in Washington state during April before releasing “Cloak and Dagger” for Internet distribution at the start of May. Their site can be found at http://www.stphoenix.com/

Star Trek: Imperium
http://startrekimperium.net/

 

COMING SOON BUT NO RELEASE DATE GIVEN
Star Trek: Imperium
[COLOR=#aabbcc]http://startrekimperium.net/[/COLOR]

Hmmmm...as the creator of the Starfleet International Chapter USS Imperium back in 1991, I wonder if they'll give me a royalty?

I actually have been working on a fan film script concerning the original Imperium since 1998. It would have been nice of the producers of this new venture had done some due diligence before appropriating someone else's intellectual property.

Mike Urvand
President, USS Imperium NCC-2125 Star Trek Fan Club
Former Story Editor,
Star Trek: Hidden Frontier

 

Why not pop them an email and see if you folks can work something out?

 

I could be mistaken, but I believe the Phase II episode "Enemy: Starfleet" is only being released at Star Trek conventions befinning in April, with it's debut in Germany at FedCon. I am aware of no published at-large release date.

--R

 

I hope you're right. They haven't uploaded the final audio of B&F Part II to their servers, and a significant part of their Forums aren't running. Releasing "Enemy: Starfleet" on the web should, IMHO, follow full release of B&F Part II. I'm still waiting to down load it in final form! (Not that I don't have plenty of other new Fan Films to watch, including the first full Episode of Osiris!... )

 

I think the "April 1st" date comes from this comment at TrekMovie.com (at
http://trekmovie.com/2010/02/08/fan...quel-story-exclusive-details-and-cast-photos/):

"James Cawley has also provided us with a new schedule for upcoming Phase II releases. Right now the Phase II team are in various stages of post-production on three different episodes, all of which Cawley plans to release this year. Cawley tells TrekMovie "The days of years between releases is over." Here is the (tentative) breakdown:

"ENEMY: STARFLEET!" — April 1st, 2010

"THE CHILD" — Early Summer 2010

"KITUMBA" — Halloween 2010"

As was mentioned earlier, both "Enemy: Starfleet" and "The Child" are going to be shown to the FedCon audience later this month. They are both very nearly completed, but both need a tiny bit of work--a little bit more editing here, some cleaned up sound there. It'll probably be not too long after FedCon that we release them fully to the masses--unless some reason crops up that would make it advantageous to hold off a bit longer.

The final sound *is* available on "Blood and Fire, Part 2"--on the versions available via YouTube. We should be making the versions with the final sound available via our other delivery methods soon. (We're doing a bit of web server shuffling and IT housekeeping over the past week or two. What's the expression?--"Please pardon our dust?")

 

Thanks for the update, Greg!