I just saw a post on NV's Facebook with a sneak peak of what's coming up. The three images showed "The Holiest Thing," "Torment of Destiny," and "David Gerrold's Origins: the Protracted Man." So it looks like it's back on the burners again.
I can't be of too much help. I didn't know anything about any work on "Origins" until I saw it on FB like so many others. (I posted my disappointment that his Co-Executive Producer has to find out about the episode via a FB post; he deleted my comment.) James mentioned that it is something he's been working on quietly and privately. I'm pretty familiar with the various production gaps the episode still had and the challenges it faces; I'm not sure how he will fil those gaps quietly and privately. I know that Cadet Kirk (most of the episode takes place 15-ish years ago) was played by Matthew Ewald and Cadet Kirk's father Commander George Kirk was played by Vic Mignoga. If I recall, we still need to get some shots with both these actors. I don't know if the game plan as to re-edit it doc we don't need those shots, fill in the missing shots some other way (a CGI Matt Ewald?), or reshoot what be be a sizable amount of footage we already have with the actors. Edit: Yes, Gina Hernandez who played "Number One" in our episode played "Logan" in Starship Farragut's "The Price of Anything." Perhaps James will weigh in; I'm as curious about our plans as anyone--especially if my name is going on it.
Interesting, I was impressed by the casting of Colin Cunningham - an actor who is surely not short of work, being in almost every episode of "Falling Sky". Would love to see that episode finally on screen. Greg - I think your lack of communication would be better suited dealt internally.
Thanks, Northstar; it's only those private, internal communications that have received no response. This is my least favorite, last resort method. I have weeks' worth of calls, emails, PMs, wall posts, and text messages out to The Man. No response to dozens of contact attempts using a wide variety of methods. This is my least favorite method, but I thought it might work as a last ditch effort. I really do attempt private communications before slightly more public contact attempts. (I actually have thought of that--and I pursue many different contact approaches in parallel--including this slightly more public one. We'll see which one bears fruit first.) More importantly, if I get any updates of any kind, I'll pass the information along here.
Hope you get you comms with James sorted out, you've been a good representative for NV. Have always enjoyed your posts, esp. prop research and fabricating new ones, fascinating stuff. It would be nice to see "Origins" somehow finished off, seems a huge waste to film (most) of an episode and then shelve it, esp for a fan-production with limited resources. If it means having to reshoot stuff with Vic maybe not feasible. Possible to edit around that?
Thank you, HarryM. I'm sure it will all blow over. I've been friends with James for years. My experience is that he goes radio silent when his stress level goes up--and with all our episodes stacking up, our convention next week, and whatever else in his life that's not Trek-related, I'm sure the stressors are mounting up. I'm glad we might be getting episode out the door in some form or another. It's frustrating when our footage is overcome by events and we have to discard already shot stuff, or reshoot it. We reshot "Mind-Sifter" in its entirety after having half the episode done. It looks like we might be doing something similar with "Bread and Savagery." I hope we're not having to reshoot "Origins" stuff now. As I've said, it'll be interesting to see if and how we replace a couple of actors who are, um, unavailable now.
I think you might want to be patient until Trekconderoga is over. From the outside that looks like a huge time-eater.
Understood--with the understanding that I've heard "you should be patient until xxx is over since it seems to be a great time-eater" more than once. Between pre-production, shoots, post-production, Kickstarter planning and fulfillment, conventions, pick-up shots, Halloween Haunted House, and Elvis concerts, there are very few points in his life that aren't time-eaters. It's whitewater all year round.
Starting to sound like the episode of Seinfeld where the girl is trying to break up with George, but he wants to take her to the Yankee Ball that is coming up. So he avoids her. Is there some important dance coming up, Greg? [yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg-TqEFYcfM[/yt]
Nothing special. Just day to day ST NV/P2 that requires frequent decision making. As our Senior Executive Producer and spiritual figurehead, James remains what is called "a single point of failure" in the organization and if he cant do something or is too busy, it often just doesn't get done and things come to a screeching halt.
Sorry, Greg. Of course, you have also just confirmed my own strong prejudice that my website is all the involvement I really want in Star Trek Fan Films... well, except maybe getting coffee for George Kayaian for a shoot once or twice... he is less than an hour away by mass transit. I keep offering, he keeps saying no. The hobby seems too overwhelming to me. I have great sympathy for those who get excited and don't think it through, announce they are going to make a film, then back out. I always urge them to assist somebody else first, if only to see what is involved. It just seems like WAY TOO MUCH WORK. Still, I watch 'em and track 'em. So much work!
Good news! I heard back from James this morning. He's heads down doing a lot of stuff and is frightfully busy. He's been poring over the footage we have from "Origins" doing a gap analysis--seeing what is still needed to get this finished. I think we had written it off, but he seems pretty committed to trying to salvage it. He mentioned that he wants to do the evaluation solo, and he'll bring others in as necessary when his evaluation is done.
Great news Greg. It makes lots of sense for him to do it that way, especially if you can't get two of the main players to fill the gaps.
Understood. My concern is that, organizationally, James is a single point of failure in so many ways. If he gets swamped or if he gets too many plates that he has to keep spinning, it all comes crashing down--not just one plate. But all in all, an exciting time for us.
More of a curiosity question... I thought David Gerrold was coming on board to alleviate a lot of that overload, and take over some of the show-running duties. Did that fall through? I only ask because I haven't heard his name come up very often recently. Yancy