Star Trek: Axanar

[BigJake]

Well, certainly someone has been trolling Axanar with public accusations that basically amount to fraud and embezzlement.

Where?

You've forgotten this already?

I can understand blocking it out, but stuff like that has been popping up periodically -- and always leading to nothing -- ever since I first heard about Axanar on coming here.

EDIT: I'm not seeing a whisper of any of this on the Axanar FB groups. I wonder if that means someone talked him down; Peters can clearly be a bit of a loose cannon.

Or maybe they just sicced him on these guys instead? (Talk about sad...)

 

[Melakon]

You've forgotten this already?

Follows link.

You must log in to continue

Well, that was certainly informative.

 

[BigJake]

Is Facebook link. Robert Meyer Burnett answering the latest trotting-out of a series of accusations against Axanar of embezzling money (around July 7th or twenty or so pages back in this thread, "Alec Peters bought a new car" and other such). Dreary business so I won't re-quote it.

 

[JoeZhang]

Is Facebook link. Robert Meyer Burnett answering the latest trotting-out of a series of accusations against Axanar of embezzling money (around July 7th or twenty or so pages back in this thread, "Alec Peters bought a new car" and other such). Dreary business so I won't re-quote it.

It just makes vague statements - what are the actual allegations made here?


Mind you Peters seems to like us:

Yeah, lots of trolls and general arrogance at TrekBBS. The Admins are the worst.

 

[BigJake]

It just makes vague statements - what are the actual allegations made here?

It was the topic of conversation here and a linked thread by Maurice in early July, as I just said. Feel free to go back and live it again, it's all right there for you.

 

[BillJ]

If anything might tip the legal arm of CBS to bring the C&D hammer down on Star Trek fan productions, this could be it.

I can definitely see CBS sweeping it all away if this gets out of hand.

 

[Melakon]

Is Facebook link.

That was my point, but thanks for the Cliff's Notes version.

 

[OpenMaw]

Is Facebook link.

That was my point, but thanks for the Cliff's Notes version.

Folks...I'd like to address these recent accusations directed against us on Reddit and the TREK BBS. In a nutshell, they are completely baseless.

First of all, Alec Peters drives the same car he's always driven since I've known him...and he was grousing just yesterday he has to pay 800 bucks to fix it AGAIN. My own 15 year old Honda's transmission blew up coming back from a documentary shoot in Arizona, so I now drive a used Hyundai. Diana Kingsbury drove her own car out from the Midwest when she relocated to Los Angeles. We're not exactly TOP GEAR all up in this hizzle.

AXANAR is, bar none, the most transparent crowd-funded film project in history. Alec published the REAL budget for PRELUDE TO AXANAR, so you could see EXACTLY where the money was spent. In my 26 years of working in the film business, I've NEVER seen that done. He's publishing the 2014 AXANAR Annual Report as well, to show exactly where all the money from the last Kickstarter continues to flow.

In terms of our studio facility...well...if we didn't have it...where would we build our sets? Where would we shoot the film? Additionally, any idea how much it costs to build a bridge, including the labor and materials, not to mention tools? If we didn't have our warehouse...where, exactly, would all of this take place? And with our warehouse completely taken up by construction, how, exactly, are we running a for profit business out of there...?

With all the videos, photos, podcasts, social media postings and the direct interactions we have with our Donors, you can be rest assured we have absolutely NOTHING to hide. You can ask us anything at any time. If you want to come see the Bridge set itself, inspect our automobiles or play with my action figures, we welcome and encourage our donors to stop by and see for yourselves.

Something else to consider...you know all those embroidered patches we love to make and you love to get (heck...I love to get)? Well...after the last AXANAR Kickstarter, Alec wrote a check for $22,000.00 to make a huge batch of those patches. Our recently released Soundtrack CDs? Where do you think those come from? Our wonderful Donors themselves make those perks possible.

You might ask where your PRELUDE DVDs and BLUs are. Well, it's certainly not the tireless Diana Kingsbury's fault you don't have them...I squarely take the blame for those delays...because I have a day job. I got paid six figures to create the special features for the STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION blu-rays. I've done the same thing for PRELUDE TO AXANAR...but for FREE. I'm able to do this because I have a day job. Currently, I'm editing a very cool Science Fiction Thriller called PARADOX starring Zoe Bell. I've been on it since March. Everything I do for AXANAR I do in my spare time, including conceiving, planning, directing, editing and post-supervising the first scene from the AXANAR feature film our Donors will see on Wednesday. But now my task on PARADOX is coming to an end, and I'll be working full-time on AXANAR for the foreseeable future.

Also...it was suggested by "Jeremy" in the comments section of yesterday's Io9 AXANAR story they should do some investigative journalism as to the reasons Christian Gossett left the AXANAR project. I say to "Jeremy," why not go on Christian's FB page and read, in his own words, why he left the project? It's certainly not a secret.

I'm putting all of my heart and soul into AXANAR and I intend nothing less than to make the greatest TREK film of all time. A tall order? Absolutely. But if Alec and I and the rest of Team Axanar weren't shooting for Alpha Centauri here...we wouldn't be doing our jobs.

Judge us by our actions and the work we're doing. Watch the first scene from the AXANAR feature I've spent the last two months creating along with the rest of the team and then tell me if you think what we're doing is worth your time and money... And if ANYONE wants to accuse us of any wrongdoing...or any kind of financial misdealings...I invite you on as our guest to the OFFICIAL AXANAR PODCAST where we'll address your accusations directly and broadcast them all for the fans and donors to hear and then judge for themselves.

In the meantime...I can't wait to share the first scene from the AXANAR feature film with all of our loyal Donors, Supporters and Fans. Without you, the AXANAR project wouldn't exist.
Thank you for your time.

There ya go.

 

[Melakon]

Thanks, OM. Om. Ommmm. Ommmm. Very meditative.

 

[Amaris]

My best piece of advice would be to simply ignore accusations from other productions, or even internet commenters. This kind of stuff really puts me off fan productions, and I'm sure CBS doesn't like it either, and they have far more authority than I do.

 

[BigJake]

I remain hopeful that this is just a false alarm. I can understand how the persistent passive-aggressive (or sometimes just aggressive) toxicity can tempt people to lash out -- surely this is part of its purpose -- but certainly don't want to see stuff like this happening either.

 

[BeatleJWOL]

I remain hopeful that this is just a false alarm.

As in Alec talking big in hopes these are just anonymous commenters that might get scared off?

I dunno, seems hard to scare people online these days.

 

[Mark 2000]

I wonder if a suit like this has any grounds. Anyone talked to Vic about it?

 

[Melakon]

If he's suing Vic and Vic has nothing to do with it, he's screwed.

 

[BigJake]

As in Alec talking big in hopes these are just anonymous commenters that might get scared off?

"These" are just anonymous commenters at the moment unless you know something the rest of us don't, although they're plainly too nutty and persistent to be scared off and I doubt Peter thinks so, somehow. I meant more in the line of his mistakenly thinking Mignogna was implicated and then reconsidering.

 

[Crazy Eddie]

Axanar vs Continues... In court!

I do believe I'm familiar with the badmouther in question. Stumbled on his blog once looking for info about Axanar. He seemed arrogant and condescending and I came away with the impression that he was a self-important blowhard with an over-inflated sense of his own importance. And that from reading his OWN blog.

If that's true, then it's not very surprising.

I'm not calling anyone a liar, but I've never seen or heard Vic Mignogna say anything of the kind. Where has this been taking place, I wonder? At conventions?

I'll have to find the site, but if he's the source of the blog posts I've seen, he'll be lucky if Alec Peters doesn't beat him to death with a sack of pennies.

ETA: Found it. Wasn't Vic Mignogna, it was Don Hillenbrand. Peters apparently sued him too for much the same reason.

 

[Karzak]

I find it very troubling that Peters would threaten to mount a lawsuit against his naysayers, accuse Vic Mignogna of slander, and do so publicly on social media but without any kind of proof to support his accusations.

Since there really wasn't anything provided here beyond BigJake's linking to Robert Meyer Burnett's comment, I went searching. I looked on the Axanar page for some info. Nothing. I checked on the STC page. Nada. I checked Alec's, even though I'm not friends wit him there. Nothing. Then I looked over on Vic's Facebook page (also not friends with him) where I found, what appears to be something of note:

Christian Gossett, the fine gentleman who directed "Prelude" seems to be commenting on this latest turn of events. There's a whole conversation there, with people from Prelude commenting on this latest news of Alec's pending lawsuit that started there about five hours ago.

Two main comments from Christian, posted on to Vic's "wall":

I'm so touched that Alec is making sure to include so much footage from PRELUDE to AXANAR in his ongoing trek for more donor money.

It is a shame the vast majority of the crew of Prelude have all left the production.

...preceded a few hours earlier with:

I have an honest question Alec: I assume you'll be using personal funds for this lawsuit and not donor money, right?

^ This comment was posted to Christian's own page and then shared to Vic's, perhaps as a show of support to Vic?

Is it possible Peters and Gossett's parting may not have been as amicable as previously mentioned? Gossett seems to be on fairly good terms with Vic.

Further reading on Gossett's comments section reveal comments from other people (some, it seems on the Prelude to Aaxnar production as well) that add more color to this ugliness:

Christian, as a person with direct knowledge, your words carry a lot of weight.

Using the work of Team A to promote fundraising for something produced by Team B? Hmmm...

Does Alec have a source of income that is not donor funds??

Christian's final comment:

donor happiness is my whole point. I know I wouldn't want my money going to legal funds if I'm trying to get a movie made.

Finally, not for nothing, but Peters and Gossett no longer appear to be "friends" on Facebook, which would seem to make this a little more damning, wouldn't it?

 

[BillJ]

I find it very troubling that Peters would threaten to mount a lawsuit against his naysayers, accuse Vic Mignogna of slander, and do so publicly on social media but without any kind of proof to support his accusations.

Since there really wasn't anything provided here beyond BigJake's linking to Robert Meyer Burnett's comment, I went searching. I looked on the Axanar page for some info. Nothing. I checked on the STC page. Nada. I checked Alec's, even though I'm not friends wit him there. Nothing. Then I looked over on Vic's Facebook page (also not friends with him) where I found, what appears to be something of note:

Christian Gossett, the fine gentleman who directed "Prelude" seems to be commenting on this latest turn of events. There's a whole conversation there, with people from Prelude commenting on this latest news of Alec's pending lawsuit that started there about five hours ago.

Two main comments from Christian, posted on to Vic's "wall":

I'm so touched that Alec is making sure to include so much footage from PRELUDE to AXANAR in his ongoing trek for more donor money.

It is a shame the vast majority of the crew of Prelude have all left the production.

...preceded a few hours earlier with:



^ This comment was posted to Christian's own page and then shared to Vic's, perhaps as a show of support to Vic?

Is it possible Peters and Gossett's parting may not have been as amicable as previously mentioned? Gossett seems to be on fairly good terms with Vic.

Further reading on Gossett's comments section reveal comments from other people (some, it seems on the Prelude to Aaxnar production as well) that add more color to this ugliness:

Does Alec have a source of income that is not donor funds??

Christian's final comment:

donor happiness is my whole point. I know I wouldn't want my money going to legal funds if I'm trying to get a movie made.

Finally, not for nothing, but Peters and Gossett no longer appear to be "friends" on Facebook, which would seem to make this a little more damning, wouldn't it?

This is tedious.

People that hate the Abrams films can't even get along among themselves!

 

[Mudd]

This is tedious.

People that hate the Abrams films can't even get along among themselves!

NuTrek fans are black on the right side and white on the left.

However, oldTrek fans are white on the right side and black on the left.


SULU: Does it matter now which one's right?
SPOCK: Not to them. All that matters to them is their hate.
UHURA: Do you suppose that's all they ever had, sir?
KIRK: No, but that's all they have left.

 

[OpenMaw]

This does not bode well for anyone, I fear.