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CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar

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from IGG/Alec (emphasis added):

This Indiegogo is for the studio, and helping film makers to use it, not Axanar. If we can't fund the studio, we will need to find a less expensive alternative. And the studio built out cost about $300,000. Some of that we would be able to take with us, much we would not. Sadly, if we can't stay at the studio, the CBS lawsuit will have cost donors about $500,000 between the studio sitting idle for 14 months and the improvements made.
​
No, Alec, your choice to capture a half million of Trek-originated money into a facility for your long term personal profit, not necessary or efficient to make Axanar as a fan film, and your schemes to make profit on the film itself (sale of unlicensed Trek merchandise, etc. to roll into building out the studio) cost the donors the money when your actions triggered a lawsuit. And you conceded in the settlement that the lawsuit was caused by your choice to overstep copyrights and build equity assets for yourself to such an extreme degree.

You personally created this situation. Those who roll back your endless excuses and misrepresentations to donors are haters of your endless choice to continue ripping off donors.
 
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Captain Atkin said:
The best thing he could do is sell those sets at cost, or simply give them away. Give them to someone who could store them and allow the Axanar team to use them to film on when the time comes.
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Oh, I'm SURE he'll sell anything he can't take with him. That said, I've dealt in that market (used studio and video production equipment), and it doesn't matter what it is or how much use it's seen. If it was removed from the box and installed or turned on at any time - he'll get 30% - 50% of the original cost/value (not that he'll care as he didn't lay out a dime of his own money for any of it regardless of what he claims.
 
It's the donors fault, they encouraged him to go way out on the limb with all that free money. (not)
 
Krandor said:
and it was his choice to let it sit idle for 14 months instead of finding a way for somebody to use it for somethign.
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Exactly. To the best of my knowledge no one has used the not-a-studio for any filming be it a professional or a fan production. All that donor money to trick out AP & Co.'s offices, what a waste. I watched the you-tube video promoting the not-a-studio for the current IGG campaign. Lots of recommendations from folks AP is buddies with in that video but not even one review from anyone that actually used the not-a-studio for a shoot.

People are wising up to AP's fast talking bait and switch cash grabs. Axanar went from 10k to 12k donors down to just a little over 200 donors for his pay my rent IGG campaign. lol
 
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I agree.

I know of only one thing that was filmed there. Something to do with Aliza Pearl's Guinan: The Series. I 'think' the second trailer for it?
[EDIT: I have now and will continue to edited in better Information on this if I find some]

The space needed for it, and the few hours needed for filming it was loaned to her. I've seen a camera pic of the shoot in progress 'somewhere'. It looked to be a maybe 15' X 20' or so set? But I'm not sure and might be wrong about the size.

Here is a trailer I found for her series. Maybe her first trailer? This isn't the trailer that was filmed at ind. studios though because this one was uploaded to YouTube January 2015.
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Now I'm wondering why Ms. Pearl didn't appear in the Pitch video.

[NEW INFO EDITED IN -- SHOUT-OUT TO @Philip Guyott]
I just discovered @Philip Guyott, in his March 3, 2017 post has these pictures of the Guinan film shoot at the studio. @Philip Guyott says:
In these pictures you can see the transporter set in pieces.
14358805_1792912194266208_6007182256605408332_n.jpg


Also, notice the marks on the floor?
14355047_1792912224266205_1403670701226839329_n.jpg
 
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As i have mentioned a few times, Alec should have froze everything when he was served and put the donors money in escrow, and only use money to pay monthly rent only (since he was in a lease). There should have been no renovations until the lawsuit was resolved, even then, he should have used the money to make the dam film vs renovations. It shows what his true intentions where.
 
Potemkin_Prod said:
Tom, I'm not convinced he had any money when he was sued. I think most of it had already been frivoled away.
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The Kickstarter money yes, that was gone by Fall of 2015 I know that for fact. He was just getting the Indiegogo money in a couple months before he got served. so that was about 500k (not sure of the exact amount) that he had going into 2016. Either way, he spent it all, and there is nothing left for the film. The man is a con artist plain and simple.

In this new campaign the money is going straight in his pocket, his lease will be broken this year due to non payment, just watch and see. He has already realized this campaign is not going to succeed and pay for the studio until the end of the year so he can gracefully get of of his lease. He is just going to pocket the money for himself and let the studio go, potentially opening himself up to a lawsuit by the landlord. Sure he will blame it on CBS, but we all know its his fault.
 
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Has Starbase Studios (OK->Ark) been renamed Starfleet Studios? I am finding fan film 'His Name Is Mudd' being referenced to both names.

I had been looking for something else when I ran into this again:
Starbase Studios
May 27, 2016 · Starbase Studios FB page
Starbase Studios and Axanar's proposed Fan Film Guidelines.

It has been reported in several articles today that Starbase Studios is part of a group put together by Alec Peters of Axanar, to draft a set of fan film guidelines to be submitted to CBS studios as part of the lawsuit settlement. Scott Johnson, one of the studio owners, was contacted and agreed to view the proposed guidelines but never responded or submitted an opinion on them.

The articles published this morning seems to imply that Starbase Studios, and fan productions that film at the studio, have joined Peters and Axanar in their defense against the CBS/Paramount lawsuit. The names of the individuals and groups who have agreed to preview the proposed guidelines was released without consent. It would appear the reason for releasing the names is to create a false appearance of support for Peters and Axanar as a means to strengthen their negotiating position.

FOR THE RECORD:
Starbase Studios has tried to remain publicly neutral on the Axanar lawsuit. We are now forced to state that we are in full support of CBS and Paramount on this matter and have always been willing to comply with any statements, rulings, guidelines they may issue. We have no doubt that CBS/Paramount are the true copyright owners of the Star Trek franchise and respect their ownership of the property. We are also grateful to CBS/Paramount for allowing us to support the Star Trek franchise in our own way.

In an effort to keep any productions filmed at the studio from overstepping bounds of fan films, we have publicly listed a set of guidelines on our website that we insist the productions follow. These guidelines were issued by a former crew member of New Voyages/Phase 2 and have served well so far but we will adapt to whatever new guidelines CBS/Paramount sees fit to issue.

Another inaccuracy in the article states that the studio produces several fan films. The studio itself produces only one film but invites any other productions to use our sets. These other productions are not under control of the studio and although we insist they follow the set guidelines, we can not be responsible for their releases or anything added after filming at the studio is complete.
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Which started me thinking about 'His Name Is Mudd'. And that wasn't it filmed at SB Studios? The studio Scott Johnson was/is associated with and whom the defendant publicly made a false accusation against? (Proven to be false)

Finding I had filed the link to the fan film under Star'fleet' Studios.
??
Pulled it up, and yes, it's S'fleet' Studios.
??

So, is the name of the 'production company' that filmed 'His Name Is Mudd' Starfleet Studios and the name of the studio at which it was filmed StarBASE Studios?

Or has StarBASE Studios been renamed StarFLEET Studios after their move to Arkansas?
 
drt said:
ThankYouGeneR said:
Didn't a porn company also shoot something there?
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I've not heard anything about a porn shoot though my lack of knowledge doesn't mean there wasn't one, certainly.
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Oh. Wait. Maybe it is the connection between Marc Cushman and the production?

Marc Cushman wrote/writes well received and honored Star Trek books. And has also written and directed X-rated adult films, isn't it? Who has also used the name Cash Markman. Hence the picture of him that gets posted in this thread whenever anyone writes 'cash'.

The connection I know of between the production and him is a crowdfund for another ST related book, or the series of a ST related book, that was organized by the defendant and maybe a couple others on the production.

And for which Mr. Cushman, I 'think' I'm remembering accurately, would be donating X% to the defendant's production.

Like that ill-fated Star Trek Axanar coffee brand the coffee company publicly stated the defendant approached them to make; 'You make the coffee & market it with the name Star Trek Axanar & these pictures and 'donate' a percentage of the sales to our production.'

Like that.
(To be fair to the coffee company had really liked Prelude and the plans for the movie and had made up a small present for the defendant of a bag of their coffee with the production's logo on it. Which is 'when' they were led by the defendant to believe that actually Selling this new brand of coffee using the IP copyrighted pics and name was okayed or approved or not a problem. When they found that to be wrong they Immediately & With Apology pulled it all off the market, made a public statement about it, and distanced themselves from the production.)


So returning to the porn thing:
The production studio + Marc Cushman (also a porn/'adult' film producer) + the defendant organizing his ST Book crowdfund + Mr. Cushman donating X% to the defendant's production

Maybe all that information mashed up into a porn movie rumored made at the studio?
 
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My understanding was that most of that filming took place outside the studio. Perhaps skirting around the fact it wasn't up to code at the time?

The money situation is an interesting one as well. I'm sure it was on record somewhere that Alec only had about 200-300k left early last year, hence the costume auctions. Given when the Indiegogo finished he must've blown through that money *really* fast.

Regardless I find his "I can't keep selling my collection" post somewhat offensive. He chose the location. He chose the facility. He personally signed the lease that makes him liable for it. He totally mismanaged the project, failing to do due diligence on the extent of the work needed to covert the warehouse. Selling his collection to cover *his* lease seems like exactly what he should be doing. Instead as others have said it starts to build a "blame the donors" narrative.
 
The money thing remans a mystery to me.

Aside from still not seeing any indications of offline donations (which we all know, and an confirm happened), where does this revenue from the hire end up? Does that hire fee go towards the studio, which would then take $X amount off the claimed running cost, or does it to to the studio owner?

I'd actually forgotten about that and I find it odd that it's another injection of cash thats just vanished from record keeping.
 
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