BREAKING: Official Fan Film Guidelines Issued

[Harcourt F. Mudd]

I wish we could call authentic Star Trek "Alpha", fan films like New Voyages and Continues could get "Beta" status and be licensed with non-commercial terms, and then wholly independent fan films who make no arrangements with CBS/Paramount could be classed "Gamma" and follow the guidelines.

That's the Trek way IMO.

 

[USS Triumphant]

You can still only do a parody once. If you make it a continuing series, that's considered infringement. For instance, it's perfectly okay for MAD magazine to do a parody called "Star Trek" when a new Star Trek movie or TV series comes out, but they couldn't do it as an ongoing feature.

What if they did one every time an *episode* came out? (Honest question - just thinking out loud a bit.)

I know that CBS' lawyers don't want to get into shouting matches with every fanfilm producer on the planet, but that's why God invented the Internet. Some of these things can be automated. An amateur producer can place an application online, and a server-side process can elevate the more complete applications to the top of the queue. Those that rise to the occasion may merit a response by a human being.

If they wanted to get fancy, I'm sure they could get some fan to throw together a Slashdot style moderation system on the submissions so that they only look at the ones that not only complete the application but that also show significant interest from the fanbase.

As to why they would do that, I would suggest that one of their terms could be that THEY could advertise/monetize/distribute the content. It could be sort of a video version of their "Strange New Worlds" books.

 

[Kor]

"How it Should Have Ended" has already done two Trek videos. Is this the end of Trek parodies for them?

Kor

 

[Fenrir767]

No because they are parodies and are protected under fair use which includes parodies, commentaries and trans formative works like movie news and review videos. Since parody is protected it's the reason why we get films like Scary Movie, a haunted house and those other garbage parody films. It also products adult films which is why you see those made as parody.

 

[Wowbagger]

"How it Should Have Ended" has already done two Trek videos. Is this the end of Trek parodies for them?

Kor

While they do not meet the CBS guidelines, I suspect that HISHE is very confident that its Trek videos are a fair use (because parody that critically comments on an original work is considered "transformative"), and, thus, if Paramount sued HISHE for copyright infringement, HISHE would win.

Of course, it helps that HISHE has money. Other fan parodists who violate the guidelines, and who do not have the resources for a court case, have to simply hope that CBS doesn't sue. But it has ever been thus.

 

[BillJ]

I wish we could call authentic Star Trek "Alpha", fan films like New Voyages and Continues could get "Beta" status and be licensed with non-commercial terms, and then wholly independent fan films who make no arrangements with CBS/Paramount could be classed "Gamma" and follow the guidelines.

That's the Trek way IMO.

Well, the Trek way is to hold the people who did wrong responsible. If the slice of fandom donating to Axanar had done that with Peters, walking away when this whole thing was moving into scam territory, instead of showering cash and adulation on Peters as a "Fuck You" to CBS/Paramount over the Abrams films, we likely wouldn't be where we are at.

There are some folks that really need to look in the mirror and realize they are the reason that such severe rules were handed down. Because CBS doesn't want to have to fuck with one lawsuit after another by people who think they can capitalize on their IP.

 

[Maurice]

I'm not going to get a lot of attaboys for this, but then I've never cared about "Likes".

These guidelines are completely reasonable, Hell, downright generous. We all know CBS/Paramount could have just said "we're no longer going to tolerate these" and papered the fanfilm world with C&Ds. Or they could have gone as tight as the oft cited Star Wars guidelines.

They didn't.

Sure, the "restrictions" mean you can't simulate a full episode of an existing Trek show or a motion picture. That's only a limitation if you the format is important to you.

If I were interested in making a fanfilm (I'm not, I put my time in the trenches on TTI and that was enough) I would not balk or bat an eye at these rules. In fact, I'd just crack my knuckles and say, "Okay, let's see just how damned fine a film I can make within those restrictions. That sounds fun." I bet if people truly took that attitude we might see a better quality fanfilm than most of what we've seen to date. But, we won't, because I daresay most fanfilm makers aren't actually interested in making good films, they're interested in simulacra... remixiing clichés and fiddling around the edges.

If we're honest, most fanfilms are rubbish, and if the Star Trek fanfilms weren't cloaked in Trek drag most would be clicked-past and thumbs-downed by a lot of the very people who praise them. Fans love them because they're Star Treky, give them a fix, give them more (in some respects) of what they already love. They don't fawn over them because they're necessarily good (albeit a few are). Many of the makers aren't there to make good movies. Heck, most of them can't be bothered to watch a 15 minute video about basic cinematography but will spend endless hours building barely-seen props.

But that's what the pity party is really about: fans who don't like being told they or their friends can't play in the sandbox for as long as they want using any toys they want.

And that, my friends, is childish.

 

[Ovation]

I'm not going to get a lot of attaboys for this, but then I've never cared about "Likes".

These guidelines are completely reasonable, Hell, downright generous. We all know CBS/Paramount could have just said "we're no longer going to tolerate these" and papered the fanfilm world with C&Ds. Or they could have gone as tight as the oft cited Star Wars guidelines.

They didn't.

Sure, the "restrictions" mean you can't simulate a full episode of an existing Trek show or a motion picture. That's only a limitation if you the format is important to you.

If I were interested in making a fanfilm (I'm not, I put my time in the trenches on TTI and that was enough) I would not balk or bat an eye at these rules. In fact, I'd just crack my knuckles and say, "Okay, let's see just how damned fine a film I can make within those restrictions. That sounds fun." I bet if people truly took that attitude we might see a better quality fanfilm than most of what we've seen to date. But, we won't, because I daresay most fanfilm makers aren't actually interested in making good films, they're interested in simulacra... remixiing clichés and fiddling around the edges.

If we're honest, most fanfilms are rubbish, and if the Star Trek fanfilms weren't cloaked in Trek drag most would be clicked-past and thumbs-downed by a lot of the very people who praise them. Fans love them because they're Star Treky, give them a fix, give them more (in some respects) of what they already love. They don't fawn over them because they're necessarily good (albeit a few are). Many of the makers aren't there to make good movies. Heck, most of them can't be bothered to watch a 15 minute video about basic cinematography but will spend endless hours building barely-seen props.

But that's what the pity party is really about: fans who don't like being told they or their friends can't play in the sandbox for as long as they want using any toys they want.

And that, my friends, is childish.

Well I liked it. Attaboy.

 

[BillJ]

If I were interested in making a fanfilm (I'm not, I put my time in the trenches on TTI and that was enough) I would not balk or bat an eye at these rules. In fact, I'd just crack my knuckles and say, "Okay, let's see just how damned fine a film I can make within those restrictions. That sounds fun."

This is the USA. Most fans would rather bitch and moan about how unfair it all is.

 

[Professor Zoom]

I But, we won't, because I daresay most fanfilm makers aren't actually interested in making good films, they're interested in simulacra... remixiing clichés and fiddling around the edges.

This. A thousand times this.
Which a couple of times, yeah, I get that... but, wouldn't that get boring creatively? Recreating something certainly won't help you professionally... so... why spend all the money?

If we're honest, most fanfilms are rubbish, and if the Star Trek fanfilms weren't cloaked in Trek drag most would be clicked-past and thumbs-downed by a lot of the very people who praise them.

Extra points for Trek drag.

 

[Mark 2000]

You can still only do a parody once. If you make it a continuing series, that's considered infringement.

That's not true at all. MAD Magazine parodies whatever they want when they want. They've published entire collections of Star Wars material. Robot Chicken makes as many parodies of properties as they want. And don't forget this exists and was a long time series available in major book stores. I remember buying one at Waldens when I was in junior high.

 

[Wowbagger]

Sure, the "restrictions" mean you can't simulate a full episode of an existing Trek show or a motion picture. That's only a limitation if you the format is important to you...

If we're honest, most fanfilms are rubbish, and if the Star Trek fanfilms weren't cloaked in Trek drag most would be clicked-past and thumbs-downed by a lot of the very people who praise them.

BREAKING: Man who has always thought Star Trek fan films are rubbish says Star Trek fan film rules that exclude Star Trek fans from making Star Trek fan films (sorry, "simulacra") don't really impose any limitations. (Not any limitations that matter to this particular self-professed fan-film pooh-pooher, anyway.)

UPDATE: Self-professed fan-film pooh-pooher receives many upvotes from other people who never particularly liked fan films.

I'm on the edge of my seat, guys. Where will this story go next?

 

[fireproof78]

BREAKING: Someone is offended by a post on the internet.

The whole concept of limits in art is actually a good thing. I think that Star Trek fan films, if they want to carry on, can find a way to tell their story within those guidelines. I don't need to look any further than the Lightsaber Choreography Competition. Some times they are battles with lightsabers to show fan created combat. Other times, they try very hard to tell a story within the framework of the rules of the contest.

If the guidelines are too strict, then I'm sure we will see a lot of original concepts come out of it as well.

 

[Admiral2]

UPDATE: Self-professed fan-film pooh-pooher receives many upvotes from other people who never particularly liked fan films.

And at least one who does like them (me), because though we disagree on fan film quality everything else he said made sense.

 

[Mojochi]

using the Star Trek universe gives you a lot of shortcuts in that you don't have to establish a new sci-fi universe like you would with a completely original story.

Exactly. There's literally an entire universe already fully developed for you. If ever there was a fiction from which to produce fan-films under these guidelines, Star Trek is the perfect one.

If I tell a 15 minute, 2-part tale about a Starfleet doctor, then you already immediately know a hell of a lot about that person, that I never have to tell you at all, or a Ferengi smuggler, or a Maqui operative. The opportunities are absurdly vast. An ongoing collection of 15 minute, 2-part one-offs is a very fertile format when you consider the source material. All you need is good stories... and limited funding, because of how pared down your production now is. Besides, rule #1 of film making is "Show. Don't tell" anyhow

That anyone ever thought we should be putting out productions that present themselves as a viable alternative to the legitimate thing, opposes everything of what fan-filming should really be about, because it in some ways casts aspersions on it, given that its franchise is still active.. You don't make fan productions because you think YOU know the best way to do it. You do it because you are loving, adoring fans of it & in some small way wish to feel a part of it.

Think of yourself as a segment producer, if you want to produce Trek fan-films from here on, & count yourself fortunate such a format is "Officially" available to you now, as opposed to before, when we all kind of knew we were trampling somebody's front lawn & hoping they wouldn't be the old curmudgeon that told us to get off it... for so long in fact, that we began to just assume it was our lawn, until some butt nugget finally just decided to put a lemonade stand on it, & force the owner to put a fence up

 

[Ovation]

Fan films exist SOLELY by the graciousness of the IP owner. Fans have ZERO "rights" on IP they did not develop themselves. I understand being upset that "the party is over", so to speak, but no IP owner OWES fans anything, really--certainly not satisfaction. Not with their official products, not with letting fans "play" with the IP.

 

[Sgt_G]

A thing to remember is CBS never said, "Break or even bend any one of these rules, and we'll hit you like a ton of bricks." Depending on which rule you "break", they can and probably will simply ignore you. Fifteen minute limit? What if it runs 15:30? Or twenty minutes? Or even 45 minutes? If you followed the letter and spirit of all other rules, how much of a target did you just paint on your own back? Probably not much. You're not automatically at risk.

On the flip side, you can follow every rule listed and still get a strongly worded letter. If you write a script that fundamentally changes a character (as far toooo many stories on fan-fiction dot net do), you might tick CBS off.

 

[Professor Zoom]

BREAKING: Man who has always thought Star Trek fan films are rubbish says Star Trek fan film rules that exclude Star Trek fans from making Star Trek fan films (sorry, "simulacra") don't really impose any limitations. (Not any limitations that matter to this particular self-professed fan-film pooh-pooher, anyway.)

UPDATE: Self-professed fan-film pooh-pooher receives many upvotes from other people who never particularly liked fan films.

I'm on the edge of my seat, guys. Where will this story go next?

Ooo, outrage. On the internet. Who would've thought?

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

"How it Should Have Ended" has already done two Trek videos. Is this the end of Trek parodies for them?

Kor

Not sure. But I would love to see something like that fun of Alec Peters and Axanar.

 

[Mark 2000]

Not sure. But I would love to see something like that fun of Alec Peters and Axanar.

I guarantee you Axanar isn't even on their radar.