Axanar found 100K to cut from their budget....

[Tom]

Once you giveth the money, you cannot sayeth how they (legally) spend it...

If you give money to a specific campaign or project ou can specify how the funds are to used when you give it it becomes a more formal contract, than jsut giving away a few dollars. You can also request proof of how the funds were spend.

Otherwise funds go into a general operating fund.

Not sure where you get this from?

If you take their indiegogo campaign - if you pledge $15, you get a copy of the script in PDF form. If they don't make the film - what is you haven't received?

there are a couple of things like being an extra that you *might* be about to complain about if the film didn't get made but the vast majority of rewards have nothing to do with a film being made or released.

there is certainly nothing there that would give you the control you mention.

More than a couple... DVD of the film, download of the film, name on the credits in the film, etc.. Most importantly donating your money to a film that did not get complete because of over estimations of what fans would donate.


@Jedi Master

No one handed them a million bucks tough, they got 638K and used it all on a business then made an assumption fans would shell out 1.3 million for the film.

Concentrate on getting the base level from the fans so you can make the film, then you can run further campaigns to enhance the production. Don't collect 638k from fans and tell them you cant make the film unless you get 1.3 mill (or 600k to do half the film) more. Especially since it was not originally worded that way on the first Kickstarter.

 

[Jedi_Master]

@Jedi Master

No one handed them a million bucks tough, they got 638K and used it all on a business then made an assumption fans would shell out 1.3 million for the film.

Concentrate on getting the base level from the fans so you can make the film, then you can run further campaigns to enhance the production. Don't collect 638k from fans and tell them you cant make the film unless you get 1.3 mill (or 600k to do half the film) more. Especially since it was not originally worded that way on the first Kickstarter.

I agree with you - however that is a separate issue. When it comes to them adjusting their budget (no matter how they chose to present that adjustment) there really is nothing to see here.

 

[YJAGG]

Once you giveth the money, you cannot sayeth how they (legally) spend it...

If you give money to a specific campaign or project ou can specify how the funds are to used when you give it it becomes a more formal contract, than jsut giving away a few dollars. You can also request proof of how the funds were spend.

Otherwise funds go into a general operating fund.

Not sure where you get this from?

If you take their indiegogo campaign - if you pledge $15, you get a copy of the script in PDF form. If they don't make the film - what is you haven't received?

there are a couple of things like being an extra that you *might* be about to complain about if the film didn't get made but the vast majority of rewards have nothing to do with a film being made or released.

there is certainly nothing there that would give you the control you mention.

These groups set themselves up as non-profits - there are a lot of rules about how non profits get and use theit money.


So if you want control over it you need to forgo kick starter and simply write a check to Axanar you can restrict the funds for only costumes, or FX.

https://www.venable.com/files/Event...unds_and_Gift_Acceptance_Policies_handout.pdf

 

[Campe]

Slightly off-topic, I started listening to the latest Axanar Podcast. I was curious to see if they'd make any mention of the new series, and also to see if they were showing any signs of what it is we're talking about. On that point, they indicated that preproduction was moving along a little more rapidly now. But then I just had to share this gem from Alec about 10 minutes in:

Listen, for all the shortcomings of Star Trek Into Darkness, why can’t we just embrace that new Star Trek is different than old Star Trek. You don’t have to like it if you don’t want. But— It’s—In my mind, it’s IDIC. It’s just a different take on it for a different generation just like a lot of people who loved Next Generation aren’t crazy about TOS! God bless ‘em! Every generation is different.

Outside of the backhanded STID compliment, he's right. It's a PR move, but he's right.

 

[Karzak]

An interesting about-face given his project borrows elements from the Abrams films, that's for sure.

 

[Campe]

The main gist of that section of the podcast was talking about how Axanar is for all Trek fans! I mean, seeing how much fans are at odds over what universe the new series should be in and the JJ films in general, I have to admit -- it's a really good move on his part to say something like this.

 

[Karzak]

Perhaps. A better move would be to just finish the thing already.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Is this another case of JJ Abrams embezzling funds?

Curses.

 

[Maurice]

Well, one can hope Axanar doesn't end up as wretched as Space Command is looking. Their recent trailer is godawful.

 

[Karzak]

Well, one can hope Axanar doesn't end up as wretched as Space Command is looking. Their recent trailer is godawful.

Indeed. As I said in the other thread, there's less cheese in Wisconsin than we see in that trailer. Yeesh!

 

[SuperSpaceMan]

Ha, this a just a PR move plain and simple. With the announcement of the new official series and a slow moving Indiegogo Indemand drive, it is going to be almost impossible (or take a couple more years at least) to raise 660k more to film the second half of Axanar. They see the writing on the wall, and know they're in trouble. So, what to do? Let's magically cut 100k from the budget to make the film's funding goal goes a little more obtainable. Except another big cut to come soon as well.

I now you guys will say that budgets can get over estimated, and that is true to a degree, but not this much. Also remember that Alec has only 'professionals' working on the film, so how could his 'professionals' make such a unprofessional over estimate? hmm

Well at least Alec got his new studio business up and running from the fans who just want him to make film already.

When they opened the Indigogo, and they started to see a bit of an S storm about the budget, Peters made a big deal about how, he had hired a veteran Star Trek Line producer to go through the script and nail down a budget. It seemed to me, when they did that, they were saying, "This is what it will really take to make this film"...

This goes back to my concerns about the project, they don't really seem to have their stuff together, constantly over promising and under delivering (Prelude Perks just got finished shipping out) .... and we are two months away from production supposedly and the sets aren't done... I dunno.....

 

[SuperSpaceMan]

The same goes for Axanar. There is no obligation for them to make a specific product at a specific quality level. So if they need to/want to change the budget - more power to them.

Except, thats not entirely true... as I donated $15.00 for the kickstarter, with a perk of a PDF script which was supposed to be delivered to me in May of this year....

When will I get it? Who knows.... They haven't even got my name up on the donors wall yet....and I donated almost a year and a half ago....

 

[northstar]

I now you guys will say that budgets can get over estimated, and that is true to a degree, but not this much. Also remember that Alec has only 'professionals' working on the film, so how could his 'professionals' make such a unprofessional over estimate? hmm

Hmm, hasn´t Renegades just announced that they will do one final episode? Since from what I understand, the story to be told was supposed to be for episodes 2 and 3 (final Chekov one) - so are you cramping that into one episode or are you going to to a longer version of episode 2 to fit it all in? It seems to me, you have the exact same problem - not enough money for the plans you have, so you will have to adjust your budget just the same.

Perhaps. A better move would be to just finish the thing already.

Geez man - they are working on it. Sets, FX, casting, script. They just filmed the vignettes. What´s with the constant drive-by-shooting -what is your problem? They are exactly in time where they should be, with filming starting in january. Realistically, I would not expect the first half of the film to be done before april or may.

When will I get it? Who knows.... They haven't even got my name up on the donors wall yet....and I donated almost a year and a half ago....

It should be pretty understandable that you will not get a script until the film is finished - it would be foolish to send the script out before that, wouldn´t it? And about your name - I would contact them about that.

 

[Maurice]

If the scripts were supposed to be distributed in May but that was postponed, were all the donors expecting it emailed as to this delay? If not, the production is at fault for failing to communicate this.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Distributing the scripts is just asking for a public leak and tempting a possible negative backlash, and if they're not getting all the funds they'd hoped for so far...

 

[Tom]

@northstar, Nothing wrong with our estimations. We need 350k to shoot episode 2 and 300k more to do episode 3. If we only get a around 350k then we can't shoot episode 3. We have contingencies and script outlines for both scenarios, be it episodes 2 and 3 (at 44 minutes each), or just a 60 minute Episode 2. We may run a small drive this spring after the production shoot to help with VFX and post costs, it depends on how this current drive does. Either way if we get 350k on this drive we will be shooting in 3 months and aim to get the episode out by fall of 2016.

No matter what the scenario, this will be the last production for STR, unless the new CBS series fails. Our reasons are clear, we don't want to be running funding drives right before (late 2016) or during the new series run. It's not that CBS has said anything to us, we are doing this out of respect of their new series.

Also, crowdfunding for these productions will most likely start drying up, the closer we get to the new series. I think NV and STC will be ok, but any bigger productions will have a really hard time getting funds like they use to be able to get. We also don't know if CBS will put an end to crowd funding when they get close to the new series premiere. Everything is about marketing, and you can't have any non-official Star Trek sharing the limelight.

This is why I worry a little about Axanar, they need to get the first half of their film shot sooner than later, and make it pretty impressive. Then, they need to show some of it to inspire fans to give to a new 500k funding drive that should start no later than May 2016 and film the back half in fall of 2016 and release it all in the winter or spring of 2017.

Time is ticking...

 

[Captain Atkin]

So much "doom and gloom" around here. For my money, Axanar looks like the closest thing I've seen to Star Trek: Enterprise on screen. Prelude to Axanar was great, and the teaser scene on Vulcan was excellent.

Directing - editing - acting - costumes - music - FX... this project looks and feels like Trek. Genuine Star Trek. People have been clamouring for a season 5 of Enterprise, and this is probably the closest we will ever get to that. I have been more than impressed by what I have seen from them. If they found a way to make a few cuts to their budget, that is fantastic.

 

[Tom]

Keep in mind that may of the crew of Prelude are not in the main production. Whether that will effect anything, who knows.

 

[Jedman67]

@Jedi Master

No one handed them a million bucks tough, they got 638K and used it all on a business then made an assumption fans would shell out 1.3 million for the film.

Concentrate on getting the base level from the fans so you can make the film, then you can run further campaigns to enhance the production. Don't collect 638k from fans and tell them you cant make the film unless you get 1.3 mill (or 600k to do half the film) more. Especially since it was not originally worded that way on the first Kickstarter.

I agree with you - however that is a separate issue. When it comes to them adjusting their budget (no matter how they chose to present that adjustment) there really is nothing to see here.

I distinctly recall the first Axanar kickstarter mentioned certain cost projections, including the need to setup studio space and build sets and all that came out to around 500-600k. That's before shooting. So if they found places where they can save 100k from their costs (a recent blog post mentioned renting used camera equipment at a third of the cost of retail, for example) all power to them. (just stop posting about that goddamn cat!!!)

So much "doom and gloom" around here. For my money, Axanar looks like the closest thing I've seen to Star Trek: Enterprise on screen. Prelude to Axanar was great, and the teaser scene on Vulcan was excellent.

Directing - editing - acting - costumes - music - FX... this project looks and feels like Trek. Genuine Star Trek. People have been clamouring for a season 5 of Enterprise, and this is probably the closest we will ever get to that. I have been more than impressed by what I have seen from them. If they found a way to make a few cuts to their budget, that is fantastic.

That's a very good point. I want Axanar to succeed because the product they delivered so far looks awesome. It's got great potential. But yeah, they should really concentrate on getting the movie made at this point and should not delay production if they could avoid it.

Re: Set construction, people should keep in mind that it took the Enterprise crew about two weeks to build the Defiant bridge and other sets for the mirror episode. Two months is plenty of time for half finished sets to be completed if the builders know what they are doing.

 

[Jedi_Master]

If the scripts were supposed to be distributed in May but that was postponed, were all the donors expecting it emailed as to this delay? If not, the production is at fault for failing to communicate this.

Yes. Good communication is important. I have heard other vague complaints about the Axanar team's communication with donor's but nothing concrete as of yet.