Escalating expectations and the enjoyment of all the attention focused on their production led to their reach exceeding their grasp.
CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar
- Thread starter Richard Baker
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Because Alec didn't know what he was doing, and the building didn't have enough electricity to power the stage lights, likely this thing wouldn't have ever happened at all.
I wonder if there would be value in creating a consulting firm that - amongst other things - helped fan films navigate the ropes of design, production, set creation, script writing, etc.
So many of these folks have passion and creativity but zero practical knowledge and even less common sense.
So many of these folks have passion and creativity but zero practical knowledge and even less common sense.
Wait, there are TWO Red Omegas with a dog in this fight? Now I'm confused!
No, that comment is just too pat to be real...isn't it?!
Well, if the guy had any creativity we wouldn't be in this mess ...
There was a new episode of New Voyages released just 2 weeks after the lawsuit was filed, and not a word from CBS/Paramount since.
Let's see.
New Voyages released "The Holiest Thing" and will be releasing "Torment of Destiny" eventually.
Farragut released, then retracted, and is about to release "The Crossing."
Horizon released, then retracted, and is about to release "Star Trek: Horizon."
Continues is about to release it's sixth full-length episode, "Come Not Between The Dragons" in a few weeks.
I don't think these fine productions or others have anything to worry about. This suit, no matter how much Peters and his acolytes declare otherwise, is solely and only about the egregious and shameless actions of Alec Peters and the Axanar production.
New Voyages released "The Holiest Thing" and will be releasing "Torment of Destiny" eventually.
Farragut released, then retracted, and is about to release "The Crossing."
Horizon released, then retracted, and is about to release "Star Trek: Horizon."
Continues is about to release it's sixth full-length episode, "Come Not Between The Dragons" in a few weeks.
I don't think these fine productions or others have anything to worry about. This suit, no matter how much Peters and his acolytes declare otherwise, is solely and only about the egregious and shameless actions of Alec Peters and the Axanar production.
Specific decisions to turn a modest windfall of money into an unlicensed franchise multiproduct-line business led to this.
They proposed to build a studio where other fan productions could be filmed. A natural extension of this would be to have ancillary services as you describe. Doing it under a nonprofit umbrella would be an ideal way to handle that part. And perhaps they'd thought of this. But they didn't seem to articulate it or seek permission, and if they were planning it, it was embedded in an overall IP scheme that could not be sustained. And of course, there is the part about who would want the group who did this being the advisor of others...
Right. My thought was creating something outside that box instead of relying on the foundation of someone else's IP.
I think incubators like this exist in the arts and probably for independent filmmaking already. For fan filmmaking, maybe not. If I had to hazard a guess, some folks will probably try to cash in on the need by building a service that helps you provided you insert ads in your production
I said they'd try it, not that its a viable IP path 
I guess the difficulty is that a "fan film" by definition is going to be using a copyright IP to generate funds, so no matter how careful a consultant is, he or she will be advising someone in how to potentially break the law.
Nvm.
Nvm.
its a good idea it just would require some folks who have the strength to do the heavy lifting required to sort it all out for the fans.
Well a fan production could certainly benefit from an independent film incubator, perhaps making something original before digging their toes into the sand of their favorite franchise.
I think that if this idea is taken up by bloggers and commentators on various trek sites as being needed to avoid this sort of mess in the future, it could possibly find people to take it forward.
Why do I have a feeling that Axanar's 'Settlement offer' to Paramount on the day they served Axanar with the papers was something like:
Alec Peters (on his $8000 VoIP phone setup in Ares Studios) Calling CBS/Paramount law offices: "Now listen here, I'll make you guys a deal..you DROP this lawsuit; or I'll have the entire mass of Star Trek Fandom, e-mailing, calling, and snail mailing Axanar coffee grounds to your doorsteps. Paramount's new movie will be 100% boycotted by EVERY Star Trek fan; and CBS' new Star Trek series on CBS All Access will not get a single view. You're messing with the wrong group - THIS IS AXANAR! I am LORD GART...err...Alec Peters."
^^^
(And I'm only half-joking here as I'm sure his offer was something ridiculously favorable to Axanar Productions)
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I was shocked by the utter waste on the part of Axanar's team. For example, when they were putting up large sections of green screen they had rented 4 - 6(!) mobile lifts. There had to be a way to put up the green screen without using that many lifts. Little stuff like that adds up quick.
The thing about the release of "Holiest Thing" was that at that point there were still legitimate questions as to CBS/Paramount's intent, and genuine concern that the lawsuit meant the end of fan films. Its release and the subsequent silence from TPTB was a strong sign that only Axanar was being targeted, and quietly quelled the rampant paranoia.
It's easy to forget that in the immediate aftermath of the filing there was real fear over the "end of fan films" and a lot of the fan backlash was defending Axanar not out of love for Peters or even Axanar, but out of fear that all fan-films would be shut down, and what this said about CBS and Paramount.
Thankfully a lot of that support has fallen away with the release of NV, Horizon and others in the days since, when it has become clear that the only affected series will be Axanar, and that the target on Axanar meant that there was a clear and distinct difference between it and other fan-films, at least in CBS/Paramount's eyes.
Whether you agree with their decision to file suit or not, it's pretty clear that they view Axanar as an exception to the generous (albiet unwritten) rules they've laid out for fan film makers.
It's easy to forget that in the immediate aftermath of the filing there was real fear over the "end of fan films" and a lot of the fan backlash was defending Axanar not out of love for Peters or even Axanar, but out of fear that all fan-films would be shut down, and what this said about CBS and Paramount.
Thankfully a lot of that support has fallen away with the release of NV, Horizon and others in the days since, when it has become clear that the only affected series will be Axanar, and that the target on Axanar meant that there was a clear and distinct difference between it and other fan-films, at least in CBS/Paramount's eyes.
Whether you agree with their decision to file suit or not, it's pretty clear that they view Axanar as an exception to the generous (albiet unwritten) rules they've laid out for fan film makers.
The defense attorneys probably just wanted make sure they were negotiating down from the heights rather than being preempted by a lowball offer from CBS. Its an entertaining thought, but I really doubt they would have allowed AP to mess with this step.
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