Star Trek: Axanar

[GSchnitzer]

Once again, the Axanar thread devolves into people taking foulmouthed umbrage at other people taking umbrage.

Please be far more polite and respectful and far less cleverly incendiary, folks.

Want to discuss J.J. Abrams? Do it in another thread, not here.

Getting close to simply shutting down this thread and starting over.

 

[Tosk]

So the new fundraiser offers up a five disc Blu-ray set which has Prelude, Axanar, two soundtracks, and a disc of extras...does anyone "in the know" have any insight as to whether or not the set has more than if you get the two releases separately? I donated to Axanar, retro-donated to Prelude, and am getting both Blu-ray sets from those. I'd hate to think that I was getting screwed over at this late stage. :-)

 

[TerryMcIntosh]

So the new fundraiser offers up a five disc Blu-ray set which has Prelude, Axanar, two soundtracks, and a disc of extras...does anyone "in the know" have any insight as to whether or not the set has more than if you get the two releases separately? I donated to Axanar, retro-donated to Prelude, and am getting both Blu-ray sets from those. I'd hate to think that I was getting screwed over at this late stage. :-)

While "screwed over" hardly applies, because surely folks actually read the description of what they're "buying" and understand before the buy it, I can confirm that the set contains the following:

--The disc of Prelude to Axanar just as donors to that fundraiser will receive with the film and extras.
--The disc of the Axanar feature just as the donors to the first (and lower level current) fundraiser will receive with the film and extras.
--Both film soundtracks (one per disc).
--A fifth disc which contains all new bonus materials covering the journey from light bulb moment of the concept to premiere of the feature, and this disc is unique to the set and available no where else or in any other fashion.

The whole set will also have premium packaging and insert materials, where the wonderful SE discs are in standard and familiar disc packaging.

I hope this helps!

 

[Tosk]

--A fifth disc which contains all new bonus materials covering the journey from light bulb moment of the concept to premiere of the feature, and this disc is unique to the set and available no where else or in any other fashion.

Yeah, that's what I figured. I should have known that helping out early on would be the wrong move.

While "screwed over" hardly applies, because surely folks actually read the description of what they're "buying" and understand before the buy it

You're right, I didn't read it properly and must have missed the bit where it explained that there will be a much better option to select later on...after my money is accepted. Yeah, it never promised that there wouldn't be, but surely you can see how this must feel to me?

I appreciate you providing the info, thank you.

 

[MikeH92467]

JJ Abrams is a smart, talented filmmaker. His first Trek movie certainly wasn't bad and I enjoyed it on its own terms as a one time indulgence. The fact that I enjoyed some fan films more than I enjoyed his version of Trek is really neither here nor there when it comes to discussing whether he is a good film maker or not.

 

[TerryMcIntosh]

--A fifth disc which contains all new bonus materials covering the journey from light bulb moment of the concept to premiere of the feature, and this disc is unique to the set and available no where else or in any other fashion.

Yeah, that's what I figured. I should have known that helping out early on would be the wrong move.

While "screwed over" hardly applies, because surely folks actually read the description of what they're "buying" and understand before the buy it

You're right, I didn't read it properly and must have missed the bit where it explained that there will be a much better option to select later on...after my money is accepted. Yeah, it never promised that there wouldn't be, but surely you can see how this must feel to me?

I appreciate you providing the info, thank you.

re: "a much better option later on"

As the project progresses, and more and more pros join the team, which boosts quality of the entire project due to the talent that's brought to bear, new and/or additional capabilities are available to us. When we did the first feature fundraiser back in late July and early August of last year, our available team -- while awesome -- had x amount of skills and y amount of time to bring perk ideas to the table to be included. In that year since, as I mentioned, the team and pool of skills and time has also increased. That's allowed for the possibility of this multi-disc super set, as I call it.

Please don't think that we were doing something like saving the best for last, because that's certainly not the case. We just had the ability to offer it now.

So, your post has given us at Axanar HQ something to think about for those in the situation that you've described, and please know that we will be giving it serious thought. Perhaps, after some roundtable discussion, we can come up with something wonderful that could add additional value. We're absolutely willing to explore that and will. Rob Burnett and I are in a Facebook PM chat about this very thing right now, so how's that for responsive? =)

Thanks again!

 

[Tosk]

So, your post has given us at Axanar HQ something to think about for those in the situation that you've described, and please know that we will be giving it serious thought. Perhaps, after some roundtable discussion, we can come up with something wonderful that could add additional value. We're absolutely willing to explore that and will. Rob Burnett and I are in a Facebook PM chat about this very thing right now, so how's that for responsive? =)

Thanks again!

Don't get me wrong, I was and am happy to have donated, it's just that I have effectively donated more money for fewer perks than someone who may not have bothered to help out until this final stretch.

I definitely do appreciate that you are considering my position. If it were possible, I'd be more than happy to "trade-in" all of my existing perks for the new one, even though I've donated a little over that amount already. Heck, I'd even donate a little bit more to make that happen.

 

[TerryMcIntosh]

So, your post has given us at Axanar HQ something to think about for those in the situation that you've described, and please know that we will be giving it serious thought. Perhaps, after some roundtable discussion, we can come up with something wonderful that could add additional value. We're absolutely willing to explore that and will. Rob Burnett and I are in a Facebook PM chat about this very thing right now, so how's that for responsive? =)

Thanks again!

Don't get me wrong, I was and am happy to have donated, it's just that I have effectively donated more money for fewer perks than someone who may not have bothered to help out until this final stretch.

I definitely do appreciate that you are considering my position. If it were possible, I'd be more than happy to "trade-in" all of my existing perks for the new one, even though I've donated a little over that amount already. Heck, I'd even donate a little bit more to make that happen.

My pleasure, and thank you for not going nuclear. You've been very pleasant, made a perfectly valid point that Axanar has the ability to seriously consider, and, most importantly, it makes fundamental sense. Since I last wrote, I've also been in touch with Bill Hunt of The Digital Bits who is also on our team and we'll absolutely be roundtabling this is the coming days -- again, when Alec gets back from SDCC and has had at least one day to normalize after that tsunami of shiny objects.

Here is what we just spitballed in a matter of 10 minutes as ideas to add value. It's also important to note that for us logistically it's just simpler (since we're talking possibly thousands of orders here) to add value to it with additional consideration instead of swapping out items of one for another. So, we'll be talking about the set being what it is now and possibly some additional bits to go along with it. What those might be, if anything, are unknown. It could be something like a special and unique digital perk of some kind, and we can add a redemption code in to the affected disc sets that people can then use to go to our new Ares Digital fulfillment system to redeem. Or, maybe something physical that goes along with it -- maybe a unique patch or who knows. But, like I said, this has only had about 10 minutes of thought here, so nothing is off the table at this point re: what the solution might be.

But, do know that you've been heard and we already have several of the top level team members discussing it... on a Friday night no less. =)

As soon as we've worked this out with a plan of action then you can be sure that we'll share it far and wide though our usual channels -- website, Facebook groups, other social media, the trek.fm blog, our video logs on the YouTube channel, or maybe even an email blast. We're on it and thanks again!

 

[Tosk]

It's also important to note that for us logistically it's just simpler (since we're talking possibly thousands of orders here) to add value to it with additional consideration instead of swapping out items of one for another.

I can certainly appreciate that. (Although if it's ever even remotely possible, please keep me in mind. )

And thank you again for taking my concern seriously.

I'll keep my eyes peeled for what comes next.

 

[gazomg]

From what I've seen of Axanar so far, even with some quibbles, it looks like something I would actually pay to go see at the theatre.

I have not been to the cinema/threatre since the movie superman 2 in around 1980.
After that was the start of my teenage years, the discovery of girls, alcohol etc I jad and still do have a good life


My wife is always asking me to go to the cinema, but zero interest, however Axanar would be the only film that could make me change my mind.

And before the jj abrams fan club get their knickers in a twist,as usual at any perceived criticism, no other star trek movie including the TNG ones had me looking forward so much more.Even most of the original trek movies did not illicit much anticipation.

Since ds9 all the recent trek movies have been nothing to write home about.
I do noty care what others think but the prelude to Axanar really struck a chord with me.

 

[Warped9]

I go to the cinema a lot less than I used to. These days it has to be something with visual spectacle (along with story) that will get me to go. Otherwise I can happily wait to see it on television via dvd or bluray.

Interstellar and Guardians Of The Galaxy is something I want to see on the big screen. Lincoln, The Help and Twelve Years A Slave is perfectly fine on our 55 in. television.

 

[Phantom]

From what I've seen of Axanar so far, even with some quibbles, it looks like something I would actually pay to go see at the theatre.

This x 1 googleplex. Which is nothing short of a miracle, considering it's being made on a shoestring budget outside of Big Hollywood.

Imagine what a team with this level of skill, creativity and passion could do with a Big Hollywood budget.

That, I suspect, is why Axanar is getting so many backhand complements. ("It's good...for a fanfilm..." "It's good, but it's not...", etc). It makes BH supporters nervous.

I go to the cinema a lot less than I used to. These days it has to be something with visual spectacle (along with story) that will get me to go. Otherwise I can happily wait to see it on television via dvd or bluray.

Interstellar and Guardians Of The Galaxy is something I want to see on the big screen. Lincoln, The Help and Twelve Years A Slave is perfectly fine on our 55 in. television.

This has been an exceptionally big year for me in terms of in-the-theater movie watching. Due to the cost, I try to reserve that for films I simply HAVE to see. So far, I've seen Avengers, Jurassic World, and Terminator. I still have Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Star Wars left to see.

 

[Warped9]

What it comes down to is largely target audience. A mainstream popcorn flick is going to be aimed at the broadest mainstream audience. To that end they're going to boil it down to the barest elements to make it as accessible as possible. Going beyond those parameters is going into riskier territory. That isn't to say that a film aimed at as broad an audience as possible can't be entertaining (from which we get into debates about what different people find entertaining), but you're certainly not going to please everyone.

A fan production is more in line with going for a focused audience. The producers know who their audience is and the project is tailored that way. And because they're not concerned about box office sales and killer opening weekends they can focus on making something they know the target audience wants to see.

Something like Axanar could work as a studio backed feature film, but as an original non Trek project. It would never be green lighted as a Trek project because there are too many unknowns in it--it's not familiar enough for a mainstream audience. But as an original idea about space war--that's something that could conceivably work with a mainstream audience given we're talking about something thats a variation of Star Wars, but more smartly done.

A fan production (like an Indie film) has the freedom to indulge in ideas that a major studio wouldn't have the nerve to do. But something like Axanar could give someone the idea to mount a similar project, but as something outside of Trek. Indeed there are decades worth of SF novels that deal with essentially this very idea: space war between major interstellar powers.

In fact I'm pretty sure I heard not long ago that Joe Haldeman's The Forever War was supposedly in development as a feature film. Ender's Game was about space war.

 

[gazomg]

A fan production is more in line with going for a focused audience. The producers know who their audience is and the project is tailored that way. And because they're not concerned about box office sales and killer opening weekends they can focus on making something they know the target audience wants to see.

Exactly, by the fans for the fans.

None of this mainstream stuff that tries to add gimmicks, extra stupid effects and such like to attract the ordinary bloke of the street.

Their is more substance to a film like axanar than the hollywood crash bang wallop that like true depth in trek.

 

[fireproof78]

The proof is in the final product.

I'm cautiously optimistic, but fan productions are a mixed bag, in my opinion.

This is nothing against the Axanar team. It's an interesting concept, incorporating many facets of Trek lore. It has a lot of potential to engage me.

 

[Warped9]

A fan production is more in line with going for a focused audience. The producers know who their audience is and the project is tailored that way. And because they're not concerned about box office sales and killer opening weekends they can focus on making something they know the target audience wants to see.

Exactly, by the fans for the fans.

None of this mainstream stuff that tries to add gimmicks, extra stupid effects and such like to attract the ordinary bloke of the street.

Their is more substance to a film like axanar than the hollywood crash bang wallop that like true depth in trek.

I would add that certain "gimmicks" will appeal to certain audiences and not others. So much of it is execution and overall approach.

I am not immune to enjoying films intended to be big box office successes. I've enjoyed a number of big superhero films that went on to be big successes. I'm a Batman fan and I really like Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. I'm a Spider-Man fan and enjoyed the Sam Raimi films, but the more recent reboot not so much. I never read much Iron Man or Captain America or any Avengers and yet I've enjoyed those. I had never head of Guardians Of The Galaxy and yet I really liked it. The Hulk, X-Men or the Thor films haven't grabbed me.

I like science fiction and thoroughly enjoyed the recent Planet Of The Apes films and Interstellar, but the recent Treks and Star Wars left me stone cold.

As I said so much of it is execution and overall approach.

 

[Kruezerman]

I like Star Trek. That should be enough for this thread.

 

[BillJ]

I like Star Trek. That should be enough for this thread.

+1

 

[stampersand]

I liked the 5-disc set, but it was lower than what I wanted to donate, and the stuff in the higher tiers that I was willing to donate at wasn't that interesting to me (and did not seem to include the 5-disc set which I really wanted). I ended up selecting the 5-disc set and adding additional money to that. Maybe they should include higher level perks/rewards that include the 5-disc set so they don't end up getting a lot of lower than possible donations from people who really want the discs, but don't really care about shirts and patches. I would have been willing to go as far as 500, but I ended up going with the 150 level plus 150 added on (which you don't know is an option until you actually select a level). (Not sure why I didn't add-on more to make it a total of 500, but somehow, even when I was consciously thinking about it, I didn't feel like adding-on as much when picking the lower tier — some kind of weird psychological phenomenon, I'm sure.)

Another critique (intended as being constructive, not meant to be read as negative) is that while the scene that was shot is great to have, it might not play as great to someone who has not seen Prelude, or know what you're going for. I believe that creating a short 3-min trailer (which can be drawn from clips from the newly-shot scene as well as the non-interview scenes from Prelude), or even a teaser-trailer, that gives an idea of what ST:A is about, shows off the level of production that is being striven for (as well as very-briefly letting the audience know the actors' pedigrees to know you're all taken this seriously), and gives an emotional response leaving the viewer excitedly wanting more, that will help people, who are just now finding-out about Star Trek: Axanar, become excited about contributing to its effort.

A more traditional trailer will also help people who are wanting to word-of-mouth share it to their friends who have not been following the Axanar production story (for lack of a better term). For me, it feels like I have to first tell my friends to watch Prelude, then after they have watched that, tell them about ST: Axanar and clarify that despite Prelude being like a 23rd century Ken Burns documentary, ST: Axanar will be like a regular movie. Without a traditional trailer for the Axanar newbies, it makes word-of-mouth a little more tricky.

Again, I'm not trying to be negative, I'm just saying that there are areas which could be added/improved to help make the Axanar effort move forward much easier.

 

[Warped9]

I think a trailer should intrigue and give you a sense of flavour of the film (or series) without giving too much away.

Prelude came across almost like a documentary or like something I might see on the History channel. It had just enough to give me a taste of what the larger production could be like. The second trailer felt more like a film or episode except and also felt a bit more spoilerish (but not much).

I'm still intrigued and look forward to this.