BREAKING: Official Fan Film Guidelines Issued

[mos6507]

Some genre series that come to mind that work in the 20-30 minute windows, while animated would be Star Wars Clone Wars, Stars Wars Rebels, Samurai Jack.

I'm a big fan of Steven Universe. Each episode is roughly 11 minutes without commercials. The big difference, though, is it's a running series. Even in a self-contained episode, it's still a series where you keep getting these small bite-sized-chunks of world-building. It adds up over time. (SU is B5 like where there's a mix of arc-centric and standalone stories.)

The guidelines prohibit fan-films from doing this. So you have one shots. From the first frame, you introduce all the characters to the audience for the very first time, and you say goodbye to them forever after 30 minutes (with some sort of awkward part 1 part 2 split in the middle).

It can be done but it is an altogether different kind of thing vs. the examples cited (including Have Gun Will Travel where Paladin was the recurring character).

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Exactly. I don't particularly like the guidelines (while conceding that CBS/P has every right to promulgate them) in general, but the "no series" rule is the one rule that really ticks me off.

 

[batboy853]

So this makes me wonder, if one were to make multiple 2 15 minute shorts each not exceeding combined 30 minutes where each 30 minutes focuses on one or two characters, would that person be able to then down the line make a 30 minute short where each of the characters that were created happen to be in the same location?

Someone makes shorts:
Bugs and Daffy
Bob and Dora
Thelma and Louise

And after these 3 the person makes a short that
Bugs, Bob, Thelma, Daffy, and Dora are in but not Louise

Would that violate the rules if each short had a self contained story? Or can the person make the first 3 shorts but not the 4th? Or since the person made the first one, they can now never go back into the trek multiverse.

 

[BrEnDoN]

I may be mistaken, but I recall a while back reading one of the 'unwritten' fan film rules that anything from JJ-Trek was off-limits and only stuff from the prime timeline was allowed. There's nothing about that in these guidelines, could new-trek designs/whatnot now be on the table? (you know, if you happen to like that sort of thing...)

 

[Maurice]

Sorry? Did someone mention "characterization" in a thread about fanfilms? Puhlease. That hardly ever actually happens.

 

[Professor Zoom]

So this makes me wonder, if one were to make multiple 2 15 minute shorts each not exceeding combined 30 minutes where each 30 minutes focuses on one or two characters, would that person be able to then down the line make a 30 minute short where each of the characters that were created happen to be in the same location?

Someone makes shorts:
Bugs and Daffy
Bob and Dora
Thelma and Louise

And after these 3 the person makes a short that
Bugs, Bob, Thelma, Daffy, and Dora are in but not Louise

Would that violate the rules if each short had a self contained story? Or can the person make the first 3 shorts but not the 4th? Or since the person made the first one, they can now never go back into the trek multiverse.

I would guess that wouldn't bother you, as long as there weren't violations in the other rules.
But, then, the question is: do you want to risk it? Because they might go with your fourth--once you publish it--Nope, you gotta take it down.

 

[Jedi_Master]

About the various boycotts, subscription fraud/ToS violation schemes, and other kicking, screaming, and flailing.... people used to prove their fandom by demonstrating how much money they had poured INTO a franchise.
It seems in the Age of Entitlement, people demonstrate their fandom by outlining how much money they are willing to take OUT of a franchise.
Weird.

 

[rocketdave]

Which is potentially as fucked now as everyone else by the new guidelines.

After Continues, Aurora is the production I'm most worried about. Aurora is the first fan film I discovered that I found to be completely non-cringeworthy. "Mudd in Your I" is so close to being completed, it would be really stupid if these new developments forced it to stop now. Yes, under the new guidelines, it's just as screwed as every other production, but I feel that Aurora, which is basically a one-person operation and hasn't needed to raise any money at all, is probably a bit more under the radar than something like Continues.

 

[JE Smith]

Sorry? Did someone mention "characterization" in a thread about fanfilms? Puhlease. That hardly ever actually happens.

Commander Cutty is a very memorable character.

 

[wamdue]

It seems in the Age of Entitlement, people demonstrate their fandom by outlining how much money they are willing to take OUT of a franchise.
Weird.

not sure I agree with this, can we really prove than the Star Trek reboots would have made more money if there was no further fan films? The reboot universe is so much its own thing, that they seem very unconnected, and if someone who watches the fan films, doesnt like them, chances are, they would not like them for the same reasons, if the fan films did not excuse.

Its totally ok to be more excited for a new episode of a fan film you enjoy, than you are for Star Trek Beyond, the two are just that different.

Now if the same can be said for the Star Trek fan films, and the Official Star Trek web series I cant say, but I think that is a factor in this.

I will never think that people watching, crowd funding or being in some way involved in a production of a fan film is less of a fan of Star Trek, or taking money out of the franchise, that is utterly insane to me.

 

[wamdue]

the Kid Khan thread got me thinking of something.

I think this little web series was axed, but this kind of fan series should be ok under the new rules, plus it is a bit of a parody.

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[Wowbagger]

the Kid Khan thread got me thinking of something.

I think this little web series was axed, but this kind of fan series should be ok under the new rules, plus it is a bit of a parody.

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Maximum of two installments. You just linked to Episode 4. Fails Rule 1. End of inquiry.

Parodists are not protected by the guidelines, though they may find protection in court under fair use.

 

[wamdue]

Maximum of two installments. You just linked to Episode 4. Fails Rule 1. End of inquiry.

Parodists are not protected by the guidelines, though they may find protection in court under fair use.

oh yeah good point, he has produced a few episodes, but the general style of the format would work, even if the basic style can be summed up as "Vlogging"

 

[ialfan]

I'm pretty disappointed in this news but understand we have no right to complain. That said it would go a long way if CBS were to let existing fan films that haven't caused problems in the past finish up their currently planned/funded releases (Continues, New Voyages, Renegades, etc) and wind down.

 

[wamdue]

I'm pretty disappointed in this news but understand we have no right to complain. That said it would go a long way if CBS were to let existing fan films that haven't caused problems in the past finish up their currently planned/funded releases (Continues, New Voyages, Renegades, etc) and wind down.

whilst I agree about Continues and New Voyages, they might view Renegades differently.

I am well aware that legally they are the same thing, but given all the returning cast for Of Gods and Men, and Renegades, ive never considered them true fan films, made for the fans maybe, but not made by fans in the same way as the others. I just dont know what to call them.

CBS may take a similar view.

 

[USS Triumphant]

I'm wondering if there's a specific reason they wanted those series dead before the movie comes out. No idea what it would be, mind you.

 

[Admiral2]

I'm wondering if there's a specific reason they wanted those series dead before the movie comes out. No idea what it would be, mind you.

Really?

We don't get enough of this BS from Conspiracy Axanerds?

 

[USS Triumphant]

Really?

We don't get enough of this BS from Conspiracy Axanerds?

Wouldn't I need, um, I dunno, *a conspiracy* for that to be true?

I'm just saying that maybe they have some specific plans that they think would be contradicted by allowing the productions to continue. Not because they are scared of "real Trek" or any other "Axanerd" BS, as you put it. Just plain old corporate not wanting to dilute the brand of their new show, maybe. Or, maybe something cooler, like they actually plan to sell a product to release in conjunction with the 50th anniversary to help people make and share their own Trek stuff....

Probably not. But one can dream.

 

[drt]

Considering they could have waited a couple of months before releasing the guidelines, it could be CBS f'ing with Paramount for JJ's mention of the trial "going away", since it seemed they were caught a bit flatfooted by that announcement.

 

[Admiral2]

Wouldn't I need, um, I dunno, *a conspiracy* for that to be true?

I'm just saying that maybe they have some specific plans that they think would be contradicted by allowing the productions to continue. Not because they are scared of "real Trek" or any other "Axanerd" BS, as you put it. Just plain old corporate not wanting to dilute the brand of their new show, maybe. Or, maybe something cooler, like they actually plan to sell a product to release in conjunction with the 50th anniversary to help people make and share their own Trek stuff....

Probably not. But one can dream.

Likely not. And it may not be Axanerd BS, but the phrasing of your post - CBS and Paramount wanted to end the fan series for some nebulous reason - smacks of the same kind baseless suspicions.

What's likely is that CBS and Paramount didn't want to end anything, but other productions ended up collateral damage in their absolute need to check the ambitions of the Axanerds' LOOORD and master.