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CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar

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Yep, Terry is no angel here, but 5% of nothing isn't exactly a good deal. I doubt any of these *investors* will ever see a return.
As it turned out no it isn't a good deal but if Peters had made a sweeter deal for him, say if he'd been able to sell more unlicensed stuff, then Terry would still be on that side of the fence threatening people and being generally offensive.

EDIT - Sorry if I sound like I'm shooting the messenger by the way, I'm really not! Thanks for sharing the original message.
 
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Since deciding to look into this litigation event when I learned of it (12-31-15) I've pondered many aspects I come across; one of which was the quite a few delays in filming. A thing I've noticed was the multiple foretelling of actors who can't yet be mentioned who love the script & want to be part of the production. And then are never named.

This is a normal thing these talks going on until finally everybody (production, producers, director, actor, agent, manager) gets on the same page (filming schedule, financial issues) and says 'It's a deal'. However, I'd noticed that for a production seemingly having quite a few unnamed actors reporting 'really excited' to work on it these actor names do not materialize and a couple of the previously signed get out. One with outspoken discontent.

Back in January I began my own speculations that actors look for agents & managers to steer in getting and accepting roles that forward their career and posit that many actors approached by the production may (for real or 'acting' like) be excited about the such-n-such role. Unless an actor is working enough to be choosy that will always be the actor's role - be excited to those who hire. Then the agents take over.

Plenty of actors are not on the position of being choosy but I speculate many actors being approached by this production do have agents nixing it.
 
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I've been curious about agents. Wouldn't a competent agent tell these people to not bother with fan films and risk union membership? Of course that should have happened long ago so it makes me wonder about their representation. Or what they told their reps.
I'm not sure that any existing SAG-AFTRA rule or contractual provision would have actually barred any member from appearing in "Prelude" or the proposed feature, so long as AP followed the New Media rules. I was merely speculating as to whether the union might adopt a rule or policy going forward.
SAG/AFTRA does (or at least did have) provisions for actors who were willing to work for below scale in "new media" productions. The paperwork was, to say the least, daunting. I should know since I filled it out for an actor to appear in Excelsior. So there, is (or at least was) a way for union members to work in such a production.
Yes, the New Media rules still exist, and "Prelude" was covered as a signatory. I'm perusing the New Media rules right now and one thing that caught my eye: If a producer distributes a "covered new media production beyond new media"--i.e., takes an online film and sells it on DVD--residuals must be paid to the actors. I wonder how LFIM was planning to address this subject, given that he's "giving" DVD and Blu-Rays away as "perks" to "donors."

Actually, I wonder if that's not what set off Tony Todd. It's one thing to agree and appear in an Internet-only production clearly covered by the New Media rules. But once he learned about the scope of Axanar's plan--in effect, abusing the New Media rules--that led him to reconsider.
 
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I'm perusing the New Media rules right now and one thing that caught my eye: If a producer distributes "covered new media production beyond new media"--i.e., takes an online film and sells it on DVD--residuals must be paid to the actors. I wonder how LFIM was planning to address this subject, given that he's "giving" DVD and Blu-Rays away as "perks" to "donors."

Actually, I wonder if that's not what set off Tony Todd. It's one thing to agree and appear in an Internet-only production clearly covered by the New Media rules. But once he learned about the scope of Axanar's plan--in effect, abusing the New Media rules--that led him to reconsider.

How interesting. Compensation was definitely an issue behind Mr. Todd's departure, although it was quite likely not the primary issue. When Mr. Gossett left the production and the team of industry vets that he had assembled started fleeing en masse, I am sure it became rapidly apparent to the professional actors that the production was going nowhere, and it was time to leave.
 
@muCephi and @Red Shirt : All questions I had in my head when I wrote my post.

The studio is located in, as far as I have read, a building under a three-year lease. Once that lease expires, there is no guarantee that the studio gets to stay. Thus far, I have only read about one low-budget film planning to pay rent and shoot there, so I don't see how the studio is worth much of anything for someone to invest in.
 
Huh. LOL I don't know how to read that tweet. I 'think' jespah it was mentions he at least 'also' has other things going on. (excellent-I've always enjoyed his body of work and not only in our ST)

Has he said or indicated somewhere that he has left the production? Is Tamp saying not to believe him 'if' he's said it? Is the production saying he's still with it? Is Tamp being facetious?

Will you give me clarification on it, redforman?
 
Huh. LOL I don't know how to read that tweet. I 'think' jespah it was mentions he at least 'also' has other things going on. (excellent-I've always enjoyed his body of work and not only in our ST)

Has he said or indicated somewhere that he has left the production? Is Tamp saying not to believe him 'if' he's said it? Is the production saying he's still with it? Is Tamp being facetious?

Will you give me clarification on it, redforman?

I'm just as confused as you are there.......but I'm inclined to go along with what jespah said about him having other things going on.
 
SAG/AFTRA does (or at least did have) provisions for actors who were willing to work for below scale in "new media" productions. The paperwork was, to say the least, daunting. I should know since I filled it out for an actor to appear in Excelsior. So there, is (or at least was) a way for union members to work in such a production.

Oh, absolutely. We did a short film for the web and were SAG signatories.

I'm saying, I don't recall anything prohibition for SAG actors appearing in unlicensed films, like fanfilms. I don't think they give a shit. They DO give a shit when a SAG actor appears in a non union film. That puts their membership in jeopardy.
 
Just to follow up on something I cryptically mentioned earlier, yesterday I did send an email to a staff attorney at the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection lodging a formal complaint against Axanar Productions and LFIM. I don't necessarily expect anything to come of it, but I thought it important someone at least alert the appropriate authorities that there is something that needs to be looked into here.
 
Oh, absolutely. We did a short film for the web and were SAG signatories.

I'm saying, I don't recall anything prohibition for SAG actors appearing in unlicensed films, like fanfilms. I don't think they give a shit. They DO give a shit when a SAG actor appears in a non union film. That puts their membership in jeopardy.
I do not know as much as you do about it but I have an acquaintance in the business whom I broached this with once who confirms what you're saying. He says lots of union people work on non-union and unlicensed as-it-were productions (above board I mean) as long the production just signs up on that SAG-AFTRA low budget (low low budget, and all the other versions of it, New Media, etc whatever). Which turns it into a 'type' of union production that satisfies them and still allows u-members to deal with the financials however they want instead of the required full-blown SAG-AFTRA union rules. That the unlicensed part falls to the production. And any consequences to the actor/production person hired to themselves were the license holder to take issue with something being unlicensed and do that back-door-don't-hire Hollywood thing or being held liable for benefiting from, etc.
 
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Have any of the actors other than Tony Todd spoken out against Axanar? It seems Richard Hatch and JG Hertzler are still completely behind Peters, which does make me lose a bit of respect for those two.
Well, Richard Hatch is kind of like Alec Peters in that for DECADES he was trying to control/relaunch "Battlestar Galactica" WITHOUT Glen Larson's approval. And it wasn't that GL didn't have his own idea about how to do it (GL wanted to do a big screen feature about the battlestar Pegasus storyline from the BSG two part episode "The Living Legend"); but Mr. Hatch clearly thought GL was dropping the ball and Hatch should be in charge of any reboot, Hatch even film his own trailer (and notably John Colicos returned to play 'Baltar' for it) <--- But again, it was completely unsanctioned/unlicensed by Universal - and it's why for many a year you could only see the trailer at Sci Fi Conventions where Hatch would talk about his idea for a BSG reboot.

Universal; caved to Mr, Hatch to a point and allowed him (under license) to write a couple of BSG paperback novels; and they did give him a role in the Ron Moore BSG remake series, but for years he litgterally fought Universal over BSG.
^^^
So him supporting Alec Peters as the "Savior of GR style Star Trek" (the fact Hatch has gotten and would get a paycheck doesn't hurt either for some motivation - actors like Hatch never pass up a paying gig) makes sense given his own history with a IP he never owned.
 
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Just to follow up on something I cryptically mentioned earlier, yesterday I did send an email to a staff attorney at the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection lodging a formal complaint against Axanar Productions and LFIM. I don't necessarily expect anything to come of it, but I thought it important someone at least alert the appropriate authorities that there is something that needs to be looked into here.

Not *that* cryptic :-)

I wonder if it could rise in their priorities as an opportunity to cut their teeth and stake out some ground in the new fundraising mechanisms.
 
Just to follow up on something I cryptically mentioned earlier, yesterday I did send an email to a staff attorney at the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection lodging a formal complaint against Axanar Productions and LFIM. I don't necessarily expect anything to come of it, but I thought it important someone at least alert the appropriate authorities that there is something that needs to be looked into here.

Trust me, I knew instantly what you meant! :beer:
 
Just to follow up on something I cryptically mentioned earlier, yesterday I did send an email to a staff attorney at the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection lodging a formal complaint against Axanar Productions and LFIM. I don't necessarily expect anything to come of it, but I thought it important someone at least alert the appropriate authorities that there is something that needs to be looked into here.
Good job man, and I must say that I am glad you are back in the band.
 
I wonder if it could rise in their priorities as an opportunity to cut their teeth and stake out some ground in the new fundraising mechanisms.
Hard to say. The FTC did bring a crowdfunding case last year and publicly signaled their ongoing interest in the subject. I sent my message to the lead FTC attorney in that case, so hopefully she takes notice.

FTC cases tend to focus on people who make "false or misleading statements" to consumers. I specifically pointed to the Axanar podcasts, which are really all the evidence the FTC should need to get the commissioners to approve a full complaint. But it's a crapshoot with these guys.
 
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