Since we are venting--- I'll double post something I stuck on the "I Stand with Awesome" FB page.
Oh, and the Mike Bawden referenced is the PR guy for Axanar who has established diplomatic relations with the "I Stand with Amazing" FB people.
Oh, and I changed "illegal" to "unlawful" just for you
@Michael Hinman
I wanted to address something that Mr.
Mike Bawden stated/asked in a past post, that has now been buried under an avalanche of new material.
The crux of his comments was that if another producer/fan film creator was engaged in raising money from his fans to attend a convention, would "we" be as upset or is it simply our animus towards Alec that is motivating our nit-picking?
That theme has been repeatedly played over the past few months, and even though it was couched in PR-speak I wish to address that claim.
I don't know Alec Peters, and have never worked with him. I did not donate to Axanar, so he hasn't "taken" my money. I imagine that if I sat down with him and had some sushi - IF we agreed to talk only Star Trek - we would have a lot in common.
I don't wish to see him personally ruined or financially drained. Personal animus towards Alec does not motivate my comments, and the continued suggestion that there is a personal element to this entire business is something I find distasteful.
Alec's ACTIONS are at the center of this issue.
Now the obvious response from Magic
Mike would be "How do his actions significantly differ from those of any other fan film producer?"
Well that's the $38,000 question, isn't it?
First, that question sidesteps an important point.
Alec's rhetoric and fund raising behavior repeatedly demonstrate that HE planned to be more than just a "fan film" producer, he planned to be the head of an entire entertainment conglomerate - one that used the foundation of CBS IP not as a "tribute" but as a revenue source. He is not comparable to Vic Mignogna or James Cawley, etc. because his stated goals and his activities diverged from theirs so significantly that he became something unique - the head of a rival production company.
Second, that question is easily answered by the reams of available evidence of his callous disregard for fans that disagreed with his vision, or even attempted to clarify that vision as well as his repeated attempts to burnish his reputation at the expense of officially licensed CBS products and even other fan films.
Third, by attempting to link Alec in a simple "apples to apples" comparison with other fan film producers, the question AGAIN attempts to minimize opposition to Alec's actions in the fan community or at the very least attempts to get the individual to question his or her motives, and perhaps reduce the volume of their opposition in the future.
Here's the truth:
Alec Peters attempted to do MORE than create a fan film, he attempted to create an entertainment company, and rather than do so on the foundation of original material, he did so while committing (alleged) unlawful copyright infringement.
Alec Peters used his (alleged) infringing material as the "bait" for continued donations and fundraisers, repeatedly moving completion dates as donations went to the creation of his entertainment company while simultaneously showing small bits of progress so as to maintain excitement for one element of his overall business plan.
Alec Peters repeatedly used donor funds to promote one element of his overall business plan at various sci-fi conventions, while quietly avoiding significant discussion of his overall business plan at those same conventions.
Alec Peters repeatedly refused to disclose potentially negative developments in his overall business plan, and attempted to place a veneer of legitimacy by releasing documents that purported to be a "financial report" yet were not prepared by an accredited financial professional nor were thorough and complete in their scope. By redacting or "not including" significant figures, he revealed that his "financial report" was nothing more than yet another way to encourage donations to his overall business plan.
Once the lawsuit was announced - he engaged in erratic and unwise behavior:
Using threatening language to address people he considered to be too critical.
Repeatedly using psuedolegal arguments to persuade individuals that he was in the right.
Repeatedly using sophmoric arguments like 'well everyone else is doing it - why can't we?" that conveniently ignored all the uniquely improper behavior that Axanar Productions had engaged in prior to the suit
Continuing to accept even more funds in a "retroactive" manner - ostensibly for more "perks" that were based on a short film that was full of alleged IP infringements.
Closing the ranks of his "fans" and encouraging some to engage in improper and unbalanced behavior.
Callously disregarding those who had donated less funds than he considered significant, lying about the reasons of a prominent actor's departure from the production, viciously attacking his own loyal fans with inflammatory statements, and other erratic and disastrous behavior.
Ignoring the improper and inflammatory behavior of his closest colleagues.
Finally, he hasn't produced what he promised, and he hasn't even gotten close. He has turned this "film" into an eternal bait and switch, regularly and repeatedly encouraging more and more donations, raising his budgetary goals, and glossing over the immense financial costs of his business plan.
So in short - he hasn't delivered, he hasn't told the truth, he hasn't treated his fans with any respect, he hasn't treated the fan film community with respect, and he hasn't made any changes to show that he grasps the huge mistake he has made. His actions may significantly impact the fan film community, his rhetoric has served to inflame divisions in the Star Trek fan community, and his intransigence has turned "Axanar" into a cautionary tale/joke.
He isn't like any other producer or fan film creator, and he will never be treated as such.
