Tommy Kraft announces Horizon sequel!!

[Noname Given]

Tommy announced on Facebook that he has been contacted by CBS and there will be no sequel.

That's a REAL shame to be sure - but it may be that CBS will start asking Star Trek fan film groups to 'wrap it up' once they have what they are currently working on 'right now' done. Time will tell. There's also the fact that overall 'Horizon' was probably one of the best overall fan films done recently in terms of scope and overall execution. (And yes, I am more a TOS era fan and have seem the efforts of ST NV/PII and STC; but again overall 'Horizon' really did a hell of a job across the board.) Still, he's showing more poise then a certain ego-maniac who thinks he's God's gift to Star Trek and is entitled to do as he pleases.

I do have to wonder though if it's because Mr. Kraft did some composite work for "Prelude to Axanar" that made the C/P lawyers give him a friendly C&D so that Axanar's lawyer's can't claim (assuming the case gets to the Trial phase) that not only was Mr. Kraft not named as one of the 'Doe's' in the Axanar suit (a supposition on my part as he still could be - but I'm assuming he won't be); CBS is allowing him to produce a second Star Trek related fan film...

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TLDR: I'll bet the C/P lawyers didn't think it would help their Copyright Infringement case against Axanar (and Alec Peters) if someone who did composite work for 'Prelude to Axanar' was allowed to crowdfund and produce another Star Trek related fan film - so Mr. Kraft gets a 'friendly' C&D via Facebook; and wisely complies.

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

It also could be that crowd-source funding is over for fan films.

 

[MikeH92467]

I wouldn't be surprised if you're right, Randy. It's simply too ripe for abuse and I think Kickstarter, et.al. may decide that helping products that infringe on existing IPs is a bad idea.
I too have to compliment Tommy on the way he's handling. Personally, I think it's for the best anyway. He has plenty of talent and the sooner he gets on to projects that will help him get established a full-ime, for profit filmmaker the better.

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

I too think Tommy is proving himself to be a class act in this matter.

 

[USS Intrepid]

Very disappointed and I feel bad for Tommy. But as others have said, he's handling it with class and common sense. I will certainly support whatever original production he produces in the future.

 

[cultcross]

I too have to compliment Tommy on the way he's handling

Absolutely. This is how you handle the owner of your playground saying 'that's enough'.

 

[trynda1701]

Plus, he'd originally not planned to do a sequel, so, although he's disappointed, no loss to him in terms of wasted effort as he's been asked before proceeding further.

 

[Danlav05]

It's a pity and shows that others should definitely be careful in future. Another major new project starting up is 'Farragut Forward', like Federation Rising it already has existing material out there.

The established ones like Continues and Phase II have used crowd funding for years but maybe they will have to stop? Renegades is also big, they will have to be careful

I loved Horizon and it's been a fun week anticipating a sequel, but I am satisfied with Horizon as a finale to Enterprise, tying up major loose sends without featuring the regulars

I'm not screaming 'the sky is falling' like I did at the begining of the year but it sounds like a CBS crackdown is happening

 

[Phoenix219]

So is it a C&D on the kickstarter, or on the film in general? If he pays for it out of pocket, is there really anything that can be done? I'd make it quietly, drop it on line quietly and just go about my business, personally.

I'm definitely thinking that a post Enterprise / pre TOS era setting might be the current playground for new official projects, hence the crackdown on Axanar and on this one. They may not care about retreads (TOS tribute shows, TOS movie era shows, post TNG shows) because they aren't competing directly with the new project.

 

[ozzfloyd]

Some friends and I had been gearing up for a Trek fan series of short webisodes devoted to covering the adventures of below decks grunts set amid the backdrop of popular TOS episodes. We've scratched that and instead are doing an all original space opera. To be honest I'm more excited about doing something truly original...and it's surely safer in this climate. :-)

 

[cultcross]

If he pays for it out of pocket, is there really anything that can be done?

Yes, it's copyright infringement. Although financial gain is relevant to damages, copyright still applies whether you make any money or not. Horizon was a blatant breach of CBS's copyright on Star Trek: Enterprise, and brought in elements (such as the Iconian gateway) from other properties. They would be well within their rights to sue. The fact they haven't is a great counterpoint to the contingent who suddenly seem to think CBS are against the fans.

 

[Philip Guyott]

This is sad news, but I guess it is better to be told at this stage in the production then later on.

Whilst this certainly could be the beginning of the end of Star Trek fan productions, there may be other reasons for CBS’s actions for which we are unaware. We know nothing about the new Trek series so far (just rumours) and perhaps ‘Federation Rising’ is a bit too close to the era, story, etc. Perhaps the word ‘Federation’ is going to feature in the name of the new series. Who knows?

 

[Professor Zoom]

So is it a C&D on the kickstarter, or on the film in general? If he pays for it out of pocket, is there really anything that can be done? I'd make it quietly, drop it on line quietly and just go about my business, personally.

That would be a fundamentally bad idea. Even if you made it quietly, out of your own pocket, you would still be violating copyright law. And AFTER being told to not make it, and going ahead and making it? Yeah. I think you wouldn't be just going about your business. You would be consulting a lawyer.

 

[Karzak]

What irony that Kraft has handled this news so well, yet Alec Peters, jumping on the bandwagon to try to use this as ammo for his own crumbling defense for his blatant and idiotic wrongdoing is so totally blind to the obvious reality that he has reacted in completely the opposite manner as Mr. Kraft to the directives from CBS and Paramount.

Food for thought, that.

 

[OtherGene]

If nothing else Tommy Kraft proved with his fanfilm he's more than capable of producing something original. I think he'll be fine,

 

[fireproof78]

Yes, it's copyright infringement. Although financial gain is relevant to damages, copyright still applies whether you make any money or not. Horizon was a blatant breach of CBS's copyright on Star Trek: Enterprise, and brought in elements (such as the Iconian gateway) from other properties. They would be well within their rights to sue. The fact they haven't is a great counterpoint to the contingent who suddenly seem to think CBS are against the fans.

Exactly this.

It saddens me that a film production is being given a C&D, but it it also proves the point that Axanar is not unique. CBS/Paramount have made changes and they are enforcing their copyright. Though, no doubt this will fuel the fire that CBS hates fans.

 

[JD]

It's a shame to hear about this being shutdown. I just read the post on the Horizon Facebook page, and apparently this was specifically because of the Axanar situation.
At least Tommy Kraft seems to be doing the sensible thing and stopping.

 

[Professor Zoom]

If nothing else Tommy Kraft proved with his fanfilm he's more than capable of producing something original. I think he'll be fine,

Or just capable of PRODUCING. He made a whole movie. A whole fucking movie. That takes a lot of time and commitment. It's work. He has done more than Peters.

 

[USS Intrepid]

For those who may be interested, Tommy has just launched the Kickstarter for his original SF project. I've pledged and I hope others here will too.

 

[Philip Guyott]

For those who may be interested, Tommy has just launched the Kickstarter for his original SF project. I've pledged and I hope others here will too.

Cool, Thanks. The concept of his new project looks really interesting and ambitious. I just hope that he is not being too overly ambitious this time with his funding goal, but I hope he makes it. Also I noticed that he is using the same music in his Kickstarter video as 'Pacific 201'. Is there some creative overlap between these projects?