CBS's John Van Citters interviewed about The Guidelines

[Amaris]

Oh, I'd never forget Shaz! We use that scene as our test scene for new engineers now. It's perfect because it's technically simple, but all the characters in it are extremely vivid. Easy to make it sound good. That's thanks to you! (and Clay's "Visser")

You'll be back.

Wonderful! I'm so glad that I was able to contribute something that important to the production.
Also, yay! I'll be back!

I mean, yes, I do. But it's all still true!

That's okay, shallow flattery works on me, too!

 

[JRoss]

I'm glad to have read this. It's a very reasonable explanation. I still think that the 15 minutes thing kind of sucks, but otherwise cool.

 

[fireproof78]

Oh, they are really fun to listen to, and even more fun to create. I've been in a few episodes of Starship Excelsior. They were small parts, either as the heavy, or as a security officer, but they were so much fun, especially the parts where I got to be the bad guy.

It just felt so good to be a part of something bigger, and to be a part of something where I can express how much I appreciate Star Trek. You want a labor of love? Those guys are in it for the sheer joy of it, not for money, and it shows. ♥.

I really need to find a way to do this.

 

[Jedi_Master]

I'm actually excited that amateur fan stuff might start bubbling it's way to the surface again. All these large productions have really sucked up the oxygen in the fan community, so it's nice to at least imagine that a new group (or reconstituted old group) might get a chance to make something that gets a little attention.

 

[Wowbagger]

I really need to find a way to do this.

http://starshipexcelsior.com/join/audition.php

Other shows generally do casting calls (rather than permanently open auditions like we do), so the trick is to subscribe to all the audio dramas on Facebook or whatnot and then pounce when they announce they're looking to fill a role. (Or, almost as often, some new launches and advertises its auditions on all the old shows.) Downside is you have to keep your eyes peeled. Upside is you don't have to wait a long time between audition and casting, because you know there's a role open right this second.

I encourage everyone in this forum to get involved with fan productions!

 

[fireproof78]

^^
Hey, thanks. I'll look at it. I have some basic audio equipment (USB mic and Audacity). I have to find a quieter place to record though.

 

[JRoss]

I'm going to audition for Excelsior. I've wanted to be a voice actor my whole life.

 

[MikeH92467]

A USB mic and Audacity is a great way to start. When it comes to mics, you get what you pay for. Samson, Yeti and AudioTechnica have a great selection of mics and companies such as B&H, Sweetwater and BSW frequently offer package deals on killer setups for very reasonable prices. A clothes closeet is usually a good place to do your recording. (Leave the clothes in). My voice coach Bill DeWees has an excellent YouTube video on how to build a home recording studio on the cheap (and I do mean cheap) and their are plenty of other videos on that subject. Now get busy!

 

[dmac]

I'm actually excited that amateur fan stuff might start bubbling it's way to the surface again. All these large productions have really sucked up the oxygen in the fan community, so it's nice to at least imagine that a new group (or reconstituted old group) might get a chance to make something that gets a little attention.

This will take time to tell, on one hand the well funded studios attracted and made a lot of people aware of fan films, a percentage of those viewers discovered other studios. On the other hand there is a lot of brand loyalty to individual studios and everything else is too sub par to enjoy.
It will be interesting to see how many former Star Trek fan studios go on to original productions, I've seen some original productions star off with a lot of promise and viewership only to run out of stories after a few episodes.

 

[Zaminhon]

With the 15 minute time limits and if JVC's vision of bringing fan films back to its roots is realized, I wouldn't be surprised if CBS sponsors some sort of fan film festival at the conventions depending on the number of entries. I might have been dreaming (I listened to just prior to bed), but I got sort of that vibe from JVC. Maybe first prize would be your fan film featured on CBS streaming. I think that's the level that CBS wants to keep the relationship.

 

[dmac]

With the 15 minute time limits and if JVC's vision of bringing fan films back to its roots is realized, I wouldn't be surprised if CBS sponsors some sort of fan film festival at the conventions depending on the number of entries. I might have been dreaming (I listened to just prior to bed), but I got sort of that vibe from JVC. Maybe first prize would be your fan film featured on CBS streaming. I think that's the level that CBS wants to keep the relationship.

Nice!
But what does god need with a Starship?

 

[USS Triumphant]

Nice!
But what does god need with a Starship?

Don't you remember? He built this city on roooock and roooooll!

 

[dmac]

Don't you remember? He built this city on roooock and roooooll!

Actually its was Rock and Roe, Oscietra Caviar, I think.

 

[Zaminhon]

I'll take Ro and leave the rest.

 

[dmac]

I'll take Ro and leave the rest.

Very good choice

 

[Amaris]

With the 15 minute time limits and if JVC's vision of bringing fan films back to its roots is realized, I wouldn't be surprised if CBS sponsors some sort of fan film festival at the conventions depending on the number of entries. I might have been dreaming (I listened to just prior to bed), but I got sort of that vibe from JVC. Maybe first prize would be your fan film featured on CBS streaming. I think that's the level that CBS wants to keep the relationship.

Now that would be awesome.

 

[Wowbagger]

I suspect that there will be a fan film contest during the first season of the CBS All Access series. I have no reason to suspect that other than an unsubstantiated rumor from an unreliable source, but it fits.

 

[Tommunist]

With the 15 minute time limits and if JVC's vision of bringing fan films back to its roots is realized, I wouldn't be surprised if CBS sponsors some sort of fan film festival at the conventions depending on the number of entries. I might have been dreaming (I listened to just prior to bed), but I got sort of that vibe from JVC. Maybe first prize would be your fan film featured on CBS streaming. I think that's the level that CBS wants to keep the relationship.

Well, in Wowbagger's transciption, JVC says :
"At official events and conventions in the past we haven't been able to grant permission to show fan films. We haven't been able to grant permission for fan film groups to exhibit and fundraise at them. If you're in compliance with these, that is something's that is going to change. And that is something that I'm very excited about, because it is something that is going to help ramp up fan involvement and fan participation..."

That should be something CBS should really go big on as soon as possible, it'll generate good press and promote goodwill. Too bad they didn't issue the guidelines sooner; maybe they could have had something set up for the 50th anniversary celebration conventions. Have some Trek stars and notables cast a vote on the top three best-voted fan films submitted, with proceeds raised from the event going towards a good cause. Winners could be featured on an officially sanctioned DVD or Blu-ray that anyone could buy later, with all the proceeds going to that good cause.

And encourage kids to get involved more. Winners in the youth category get to visit the new Trek series set, and spend some time with one of the producers or directors in "Trek Production School" . Plenty of good PR opportunities there. That way, the message of the older, and supposedly more mature "Trek Grifter" gets drowned out by the positive vibes of fandom.

 

[BrEnDoN]

On the other hand there is a lot of brand loyalty to individual studios and everything else is too sub par to enjoy.

Even though I don't really have any 'brand loyalty' to it considering they don't make fan films anymore, it was Hidden Frontier that got me into these things, so no matter how bad it might be on a technical level, tell a good story and I'm in. Having much more polished productions like Continues, etc. is just an added bonus.

Speaking of that show, except for being a series, it would have followed most of these guidelines with their short episodes, low budgets, amateur cast and crew. Don't know if they used any unlicensed merch, though. That's why the 'no series' guideline is the only one I don't like. Everything else can easily be worked around to make something cool...

 

[dmac]

Even though I don't really have any 'brand loyalty' to it considering they don't make fan films anymore, it was Hidden Frontier that got me into these things, so no matter how bad it might be on a technical level, tell a good story and I'm in. Having much more polished productions like Continues, etc. is just an added bonus.

Speaking of that show, except for being a series, it would have followed most of these guidelines with their short episodes, low budgets, amateur cast and crew. Don't know if they used any unlicensed merch, though. That's why the 'no series' guideline is the only one I don't like. Everything else can easily be worked around to make something cool...

I'm also one that enjoys them all. Hidden Frontier, as far as I know worked within the rules of the time and could probably adapt to fit the new guidelines.
I know the two 15 minute story for a total of 30 may work for us but I might of liked to have seen a 30 minute or less so it's impact on other studios would be less.