BREAKING: Official Fan Film Guidelines Issued

[dmac]

I've written a lot of stories over the years penned in notebook to be latter discarded over time. When given the chance to do TLC I wanted a strong opening with a pre-credit scene and I think it worked well, yet I've grown more concerned with the opening Captains/Crews Logs which seems a tradition to include, sometimes ad nauseam in fan films if required or not.
That's the great thing about Fan Films, it's a realm to take a hard look at what you think will work and accept that not everything does.

 

[ThankYouGeneR]

Yeah, I definitely see what you guys are talking about.


Without disputing that premise being spoken to by you guys (and also me in my idea for a story upthread) regarding getting to the story/plot/whatever with less extraneous dialogue and stuff thrown in ....and since Voyager was specifically mentioned in example, which I get and agree V does that... (with Wowbagger also mentioning loving Voyager)... I will add that it is precisely the use of extraneous to the plot little bits of ordinary everyday work & life aboard a deep space starship written in all through each Voyager episode that, for me, was one of the most appealing aspects of this particular series.

 

[BrEnDoN]

In how many episodes of Voyager did the pre-credit scene have absolutely nothing to do with the next 37-40 minutes of television?

Tom and Harry talk about Harry not getting any and something about a truck. B'Lanna is mad at a pastry.
CREDITS
Episode about Chakotay. Womp womp.

I recall reading a behind the scenes story about a Voyager episode where a scene in the teaser was cut because the episode was too long but they ended up using it in the teaser for a following episode. I think it might have even been a Tom/Harry scene. I guess you can do that when it has nothing to do with the main plot...

 

[dmac]

I think if I was ever working on a 22 episode season program, I'd say damn the format and if the opening format style worked with the script, go for it.

 

[Maurice]

TOS comparatively rarely opened with a Captain's Log. In Season one only 8 of 28 started with a log. In season two that number is down to 3 of 26. In season three it jumps up to 16 of 24. So, overall, 27 out of 79 episodes, or basically 1 out of 3 for the series as a whole. So if you're emulating the TOS style you're not obligated to open with a log.

 

[dmac]

TOS comparatively rarely opened with a Captain's Log. In Season one only 8 of 28 started with a log. In season two that number is down to 3 of 26. In season three it jumps up to 16 of 24. So, overall, 27 out of 79 episodes, of basically 1 out of 3 for the series as a whole. So if you're emulating the TOS style you're not obligated to open with a log.

It is interesting how TOS is fondly remembered with all those exciting space battles, I think I could recount 3 off the top of my head and maybe another with harsh words.

 

[MikeH92467]

I seem to remember TOS taking a lesson from Hitchcock: that building tension in anticipation of something spectacular is where the real artisty lies. I remember him using an example of two people having a very mundane, rather desultory conversation over a dinner table, while the audience knows that a time bomb is relentlessly working its way to zero whilst they are discussing the weather or some such. Also the deliberate anti-climax can work very well, such as the now=iconic scene where a worn out Indiana Jones just shoots the swordsman instead of engaging him in what seemed to be an inevitable whip versus sword duel. Battles can be exciting, but they don't always have to happen, but letting the audience know that they COULD happen and that it could be GLORIOUS can be just as fun, even if they somehow get short circuited.

 

[Maurice]

^^^I seem to remember many TV dramas employing what you describe.

 

[Mudd]

I wonder if there's any way to correlate the use of the Captain's Log to budget stress? It costs a lot less to "tell, don't show."

 

[dmac]

I wonder if there's any way to correlate the use of the Captain's Log to budget stress? It costs a lot less to "tell, don't show."

Sort of like old time radio...
Who knows what evil lurks in the heat of the Tarantula Nebula? The U.S. S, Shadow Knows......
Mwhahahahahaha.....

 

[Maurice]

I wonder if there's any way to correlate the use of the Captain's Log to budget stress? It costs a lot less to "tell, don't show."

I think it's just a factor of who the producer/head writer is. Looking at the scripts in question, it seems like you could do most of the opening logs in dialog.

 

[urbandefault]

"Captain's log, stardate 6935.2. We are in orbit around the planet Schwartz."

That's all you need, right there.

 

[dmac]

"Captain's log, stardate 6935.2. We are in orbit around the planet Schwartz."

That's all you need, right there.

I read where only Mel Brooks could get away with saying that....lol

 

[nx1701g]

To be fair one of my favorite episodes is an episode long log entry.

 

[Amaris]

To be fair one of my favorite episodes is an episode long log entry.

"In The Pale Moonlight" is a fantastic episode.

 

[nx1701g]

"In The Pale Moonlight" is a fantastic episode.

My favorite episode of DS9.

 

[Salinga]

I doubt the guideline that excludes former Trek employees from working on a fan film has a legal basis. Without a personal contract you cannot deny someone to work on a project of his or her choice. CBS has no right to cut the freedom of individuals to choose employment without a contractional agreement. The freedom to choose work according to your personal interests is a core human right. A private coorporation cannot take that away from you, just because it is in their interest. It would not surprise me if such a rule would even turn out unconstitutional in the US.

 

[Warped9]

I doubt the guideline that excludes former Trek employees from working on a fan film has a legal basis. Without a personal contract you cannot deny someone to work on a project of his or her choice. CBS has no right to cut the freedoms of individuals to choose employment without a contractional agreement.

Like much of the guidelines I suspect this really isn't something they intend to strictly enforce. My suggestion would be to stay away from main cast performers. Someone who was once a guest character or minor background character could probably pass without a word from CBS.

Technically Chris Doohan shouldn't be doing anymore STC, but I don't think CBS/P will really care if he continues to do so. Same with Kipleigh Brown. OTH they might not like seeing anyone of the main casts from any of the series or films showing up in fan productions.

And can this really extend to behind-the-scenes production prople like Doug Drexler?

 

[dmac]

I doubt the guideline that excludes former Trek employees from working on a fan film has a legal basis. Without a personal contract you cannot deny someone to work on a project of his or her choice. CBS has no right to cut the freedom of individuals to choose employment without a contractional agreement.

Contract data base developers went through about the same issue in the late 90's, It is breakable with cause even if you signed a contract with all the small print but C/P still could always modify the guidelines down to zero if these guideline don't achieve the desired effects

 

[Warped9]

^^ They don't have to modify anything. They are completely within their rights as is to say, "You can't proceed because employing a former Trek associate could be interpreted as a form of endorsement from us, CBS/P."