BREAKING: Official Fan Film Guidelines Issued
- Thread starter Danlav05
- Start date
Wonder if CBS will start issuing takedown notices to NV, STC, etc. re: their existing episodes that are currently online. Might be binge-watching time 
We all die it's just a matter of when.
This is exactly how I interpret it as well.To me, #4 looks like it's saying that if you go and buy pre-made uniforms, then they must be officially licensed. You can't pay for third-party knockoffs. But I don't think it precludes making your own from scratch. I could be misreading it, though.
I would think that, creatively speaking, #1 would be the most limiting factor.
This was bound to happen sooner or later. Star Wars has something similar, right?
But we all know who to thank for this.
Kor
And then there's #7... Mild to moderate profanity has been used plenty in official Trek. And alcohol has been seen quite a lot, throughout the various series and movies. Smoking has been seen a number of times as well. And then there was T'Pol's Trellium-D drug addiction.
It seems kind of hypocritical to absolutely forbid those things.
I wonder if any fan producers will claim there's no specific prohibition on graphic violence.
Kor
It seems kind of hypocritical to absolutely forbid those things.
I wonder if any fan producers will claim there's no specific prohibition on graphic violence.
Kor
Here's another way to look at it.. Fan films that meet all these restrictions basically get automatic approval from CBS/Paramount.
What the guidelines don't cover are semi-professional fan films. I hope CBS/Paramount will also open up a channel of communication that would allow them to vet and approve semi-pro productions.
What the guidelines don't cover are semi-professional fan films. I hope CBS/Paramount will also open up a channel of communication that would allow them to vet and approve semi-pro productions.
And then there's #7... Mild to moderate profanity has been used plenty in official Trek. And alcohol has been seen quite a lot, throughout the various series and movies. Smoking has been seen a number of times as well. And then there was T'Pol's Trellium-D drug addiction.
It seems kind of hypocritical to absolutely forbid those things.
Kor
But it's also a "it's our risk to take" situation. I can play rough with my toys, and if I break them that's on me. If I loan them to you I still expect you to treat them kindly. If official Trek curses and gets blow back that's on them. They don't want some one up in arms towards them about something in a fan film when they didn't have a say in it.
I donated to the Star Trek Continues Indiegogo knowing full well that there would likely not be a seventh episode, thanks to Alec Peters. However, doing so enabled me to download and preserve the six finished episodes. I now have all six episodes downloaded and backed up. I consider that well worth my $$ donation.
CBS/Paramount is still being fairly generous with the fans when you consider the only guideline they ever really had to hand down was:
"No more fan films ever, or we'll sue you into oblivion."
The disclaimer on the bottom clearly reads that CBS will choose to selectively non-enforce their copyrights for anyone who follows these guidelines, and enforcement is at the sole discretion of CBS and subject to change at any time. So if STC and NV continue to toe the line, finish their stories and close up shop; it's possible that CBS will continue to look the other way. While I don't know if a C&D was sent to STC or NV or Renegades; we do know that Tommy Kraft was "asked" to discontinue his star trek efforts. So they can still selectively enforce; the guidelines are just a way of shielding oneself against lawsuits.
If Axanar gets a legally sanctioned waiver you can betchor' bottom that people will be clamoring for the other producers to get one too. Alternatively, they can simply "grandfather" existing productions with a deadline for compliance.
AFAIK, the Star Wars fan film guidelines are not about creating fan films but submitting them to the Star Wars Film contest. So, in theory anyone can make a fan film about star wars but they will be subject to lawsuits etc.
Not being able to do series and the 30 minute time limit will effectively kill all the existing productions.
The uniform thing to me seems to be saying if you buy a uniform it must be an official one. I think it is ok to make one yourself but you cannot then sell it to your friend who wears it in a fan film.
Uniforms exhanged for money must be ones officially licensed by CBS.
Uniforms exhanged for money must be ones officially licensed by CBS.
I suspect this will change very little except for outlandish cases such as Axanar. Poeple will do what they want, and Paramount will only chase them if they make too much noise.
I also think a ban on "profanity" it hilarious, because real-Trek uses profanity all the time. (One suspects they mean extreme profanity, such as f-bombs, but that's not actually what the guidelines say.)
I also think a ban on "profanity" it hilarious, because real-Trek uses profanity all the time. (One suspects they mean extreme profanity, such as f-bombs, but that's not actually what the guidelines say.)
Agreed. Though why would anyone make an Oblivion fan film? The story was pretty self contained.
Maybe rebuilding earth after the Tet was destroyed?
You're forgetting one thing. As the owners of Star Trek, Paramount and CBS get to make the rules. If they don't want this kind of content in fan films they can make that rule.
Neil
