CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar

[alensatemybuick1]

Anyone remember the movie "Brewster's Millions" where Richard Pryor has to spend 30 million in 30 days and have no assets in the end, and figured out the best way to do that was to run a political campaign? I have to wonder if renting and modifying the studio location was the plan the whole time, to ostensibly "eat up" (but in actuality sequester) as much money as possible ; any chance the landlord is a friend or family relation? Or has this already been suggested and debunked as conspiracy theory?

 

[cultcross]

In and around all the things that the owner has supposedly "agreed to do," the only real statement of fact in this letter is that Axanar's losing their lease and have to find someplace to store their sets.

The landlord repossessing their studio and all its contents and using it as a business himself is a real win for Axanar donors.

 

[dmac]

Well hey - Alec DID manage top start a for profit business - for his Landlord.


^^^
Oh, and no storage space for their unfinished sets; OR Propworx collection of props.

So is Landlord Danny an actual Landlord or just a business partner writing a bill for 15 grand each month?

 

[Noname Given]

So this happened. In quotes cause long:

Moving at warp speed.
Here's an update on everything we've been working on
over the past few weeks.


April 7, 2017

Dear Friends, Fans and Donors:

Here's a quick re-cap of what we've been working on for the past few weeks and an update on the Indiegogo Campaign currently underway for Industry Studios.

Industry Studios
Thanks to many of you, our Indiegogo campaign has raised over $19,000 and could raise as much as $25,000 by the end of the campaign. And while we won't hit our goal and be able to stay in our Valencia, CA facility moving forward, we have some very good news that will allow Industry Studios to continue. Our awesome landlord Danny, will be taking over the facility, and continuing Industry Studios as the boutique sound stage it was meant to be. This is a positive development for two reasons:

First, Danny will retain the infrastructure build-out we made and to make it available to commercial and non-commercial productions. Danny will keep the Industry Studios name, website and even some of the personnel for on-site management. This means our co-productions like Personal Space and Cholo vs. Vampires, will be able to shoot at the studio! For all other aspects of their productions, their access to Axanar Production's services "portfolio" remains unchanged. So the vision of Industry Studios continues!

Second, Axanar will be reimbursed for some of the build out we did. The details of this will be worked out, but Danny wants us to leave the lighting grid and the power upgrades as they are essential to making the facility work as a functioning commercial sound stage. And of course, while we can't take build out such as the green screen or the office space we built, Danny sees the value of what we put into the studio and will help us all out in the long run.

So although we will be leaving the studio at the end of the month, Industry Studios will continue - just not as a part of Axanar Productions.

A new home for the Axanar Sets
So the most important need for Axanar is a place to keep our sets while we work towards shooting Axanar and other Star Trek and genre projects that will use these sets. And so we have to make a decision quickly, either put the sets in storage, get a new, much less expensive facility elsewhere, or some combination of the two.

We are considering options all over the country right now and we expect the decision-making process to happen quickly, with your help! We love hearing from our fans and backers and your opinions matter to us. So please pay attention to the Axanar Fan Group for more information. We will be posting a poll there as well as sending one out via email. We need your input and guidance as we move forward.

Whatever our final decision, we plan to let all of our latest backers (from our current Indiegogo campaign) know in advance and decide if they want to maintain their pledge of support. If they do (and we hope they will), great. But for those who have a change of heart, we'll provide a full, no-questions-asked refund.

Axanar Productions
First, our quest to achieve tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) has moved forward. The State of California's Secretary of State's office accepted our request to be listed as a domestic non-profit entity.

Second, work continues on the script for Axanar's two 15-minute segments we are allowed to produce under the terms of our negotiated settlement with CBS and Paramount.

Third, Axanar Productions will be producing more projects - including more Star Trek-related content. We have three projects in development that celebrate the things we love about the Star Trek universe: adventure, science, character and fans! These projects all fall squarely under Fair Use and will not in any way conflict with CBS or Star Trek Fan Film Guidelines.

So many thing happening. So many things to do - and none of it could happen without your help and support.

From all of us at Axanar Productions, a warm thanks and a promise of even better things to come..

Live Long and Prosper,

Alec Peters
Axanar Productions"
Click to expand...
Posted in the Axamonitor Facebook group.

Posted in the Axamonitor Facebook group.

^^^
Translation:

- The Indegogo (before fees) is probably going to net me $20,000 (of the $60,000 I set as the goal.) Since I realize this time if I don't people MIGHT sue me - I'm offering refunds as I attempt to unceremoniously bail from all promises I made about this 'fan funded studio'.

- My current landlord has agreed to let me out of the reminder of the lease in exchange for me handing over the name, website, and the majority of 'improvements' the previous suckers...err I mean Backers paid for. I may need to fork over some of the latest Indegogo haul as we're still finalizing the specifics.

- The two groups who wanted to use the studio and agreed to be in my Kickstarter...er I mean Indegogo pitch video worked out their own deals with my landlord; but I'll take the credit anyway (I hope my landlord doesn't read the e-mail.)

- After 2+ years I actually started the process of filing for 501(c) non-profit status; and the CA Secretary of State did some meaningless recognition of 'Axanar Productions' as a 'non-profit entity'. It's meaningless because I'm moving my business out of CA ASAP.

- Oh, and any backers who want to can suggest which Public Storage location we dump all the props and useless plywood...er I mean 'store our Axanar sets' at. Hurry it up though because I need that 'first month is only $1' deal.

- Oh, yeah, Axanar...well I keep booting up my laptop and resaving the MS Word document that's been the Axanar script since August 2015; so yeah, we're definitely "Working on it."

 

[ThankYouGeneR]

So this happened. In quotes cause long: Posted in the Axamonitor Facebook group.

"...while we won't hit our goal and be able to stay in our Valencia, CA facility moving forward, we have some very good news that will allow Industry Studios to continue. Our awesome landlord Danny, will be taking over the facility, and continuing Industry Studios as the boutique sound stage it was meant to be."

Interesting. I'm 'thinking' subtext here. LandlordDanny is now in business 'with' defendantGarth. Okay. Not a bad move for defendantGarth from what I can imagine from, you know, having only these sentences to go on. A business deal of some sort with, I am inclined to speculate, landlordDanny.

"... Danny will retain the infrastructure build-out we made and to make it available to commercial and non-commercial productions.

Excellent plan for landlordDanny.

"Danny will keep the Industry Studios name, website and even some of the personnel for on-site management."

'Some of the personnel'? Subtext in there. An interesting and maybe eventually telling turn of a phrase. 'Some' of the personnel'.

"This means our co-productions like Personal Space and Cholo vs. Vampires, will be able to shoot at the studio! For all other aspects of their productions, their access to Axanar Production's services "portfolio" remains unchanged. So the vision of Industry Studios continues!"

Questions: Why does this particularly mean they "will be able to shoot at the studio"? Why is this a telling point? They aren't 'in' production yet as far as I know. This built-out studio isn't the one everyone's necessarily lining up to shoot in because it's the Best as far as I know. Plus, and maybe telling, this is the first I've been aware of that Personal Space and Cholo vs. Vampires are actually being co-produced with defendantGarth. So, I muse, a financial benefit for them?

"Axanar will be reimbursed for some of the build out we did."

Axanar the film we sent funds to make? Axanar the Production Company? I'm also interested in how much $$ "some" will end up being.

"The details of this will be worked out, but Danny wants us to leave the lighting grid and the power upgrades as they are essential to making the facility work as a functioning commercial sound stage. And of course, while we can't take build out such as the green screen or the office space we built"

So we've built landlordDanny a studio now. I think that's an excellent business deal for landlordDanny, because as was mentioned in the official production Vlog #1 Danny loves movies:

Vlog #1
"He was like “MOVIES? I LOVE MOVIES. MY SON'S A RAP ARTIST."

And now he's been handed at least a share a 'movie studio' that we donors paid for. Built into what previously was merely a warehouse, that he Owns and gets to keep no matter what happens now.

"Danny sees the value of what we put into the studio"

He loves movies! It's his property and it's been built-out into a movie studio, with really nice Offices and a really nice yuge Green Screen. He's part of a movie studio now. Value to be seen on so many levels for him.

"and will help us all out in the long run."

Vague. Subtext hidden in this sentence. Who's this 'us' anyway? We who made it all possible? Am very interested in seeing how this plays out.

"So although we will be leaving the studio at the end of the month, Industry Studios will continue - just not as a part of Axanar Productions."

agggghhhhhhhh. To many things to think about that statement.

"So the most important need for Axanar is a place to keep our sets while we work towards shooting Axanar and other Star Trek and genre projects that will use these sets."

And that statement.

"And so we have to make a decision quickly, either put the sets in storage, get a new, much less expensive facility elsewhere, or some combination of the two.'

And that statement.

"We are considering options all over the country right now and we expect the decision-making process to happen quickly, with your help! We love hearing from our fans and backers and your opinions matter to us. So please pay attention to the Axanar Fan Group for more information. We will be posting a poll there as well as sending one out via email. We need your input and guidance as we move forward."

Ploy.

"Whatever our final decision, we plan to let all of our latest backers (from our current Indiegogo campaign) know in advance and decide if they want to maintain their pledge of support. If they do (and we hope they will), great. But for those who have a change of heart, we'll provide a full, no-questions-asked refund."

This I like! Good job on 'this' decision, Mr. Peters! Excellent. Right thing to do. Good.

"First, our quest to achieve tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) has moved forward. The State of California's Secretary of State's office accepted our request to be listed as a domestic non-profit entity."

Got it. The wording for the application has now been approved and goes into the Review stage of the process.

"Second, work continues on the script for Axanar's two 15-minute segments we are allowed to produce under the terms of our negotiated settlement with CBS and Paramount."

Ploy spin.

Third, Axanar Productions will be producing more projects - including more Star Trek-related content. We have three projects in development that celebrate the things we love about the Star Trek universe: adventure, science, character and fans! These projects all fall squarely under Fair Use and will not in any way conflict with CBS or Star Trek Fan Film Guidelines."

And more funds needed to produce them?

'So many thing happening. So many things to do - and none of it could happen without your help and support."

Truism. Ploy. Ongoing funding will be needed to Make It So.

"From all of us at Axanar Productions, a warm thanks"

You're welcome?

"and a promise of even better things to come.."

Man, I sure hope so. Wait, now when you say better.... specifically, better for whom?

 

[Reilly]

Well I'm a bit surprised they didn't at least wait until the end of the Indiegogo but in retrospect they clearly can't afford to pay any more rent.

As others have speculated I wonder how much of this apparent generosity is the landlord wanting a soundstage and how much is the upgrade so being taken in return for breaking the lease.

And of course it's all played with optimism. Not a thought of apology for the donors who are out of pocket to fund this carry on and had hoped to see a film in return.

 

[Ion]

So is Landlord Danny an actual Landlord or just a business partner writing a bill for 15 grand each month?

Or maybe he's a member of that mysterious group of investors that seems to have evaporated?

 

[Captain Atkin]

I think Captain Sonya Alexander from Prelude to Axanar said it best...

"What a mess!"

 

[Noname Given]

You know , just realized that the following Alec Peters/Axanar statement:

First, Danny will retain the infrastructure build-out we made and to make it available to commercial and non-commercial productions. Danny will keep the Industry Studios name, website and even some of the personnel for on-site management.

Means Mike Bawden will probably remain with Alec Peters landlord as Industry Studios PR person. (I mean who the hell is left of Alec Peters inner circle that has any practical type of work experience; or for that mater work ethic, who would be of any use to a 'Botique Studio'? )

 

[Admiral2]

I would like to be super thoughtful and analytical about this latest thing...but that's too much unnecessary work, and I'm too busy laughing.

[Kirk]Alec, I'm laughing at the lawyer-by-training .. [/Kirk]

 

[Professor Zoom]

Now the landlord is stuck with the albatross of a studio?

Hopefully Danny has done some due diligence and knows what to actually rent a studio space for.

Of course, it's not sound proof, so... that's a problem.

 

[Mudd]

The landlord repossessing their studio and all its contents and using it as a business himself is a real win for Axanar donors.

Yes, and we have only Lord Garth's word that the landlord really intends to continue to operate the warehouse as a studio, at all. The landlord may simply have discussed that as a possibility, in the course of the conversations about the need for Axanar to vacate the facility. What's really being said here is simply "We're leaving all the infrastructure that we built behind when we vacate."

The landlord "keeps the name" and the keys to a website? By Grabthar's Hammer, that's some shrewd bargaining.

This is all empty spin. Axanar's got to crate up their sets, abandon all their build-out, and Industry Studios will likely be defunct before their pick-up trucks have crossed the state line.

But then, what kind of a Donor Update would that be?

 

[ThankYouGeneR]

You know , just realized that the following Alec Peters/Axanar statement:
Mike Bawden .......... 'Botique Studio'

OH. That's it. That's my missing connection between Mr. Bawden, what he (probably rightly so) envisions as the lucrative future of New Media film, and sticking with the beleaguered thiswholething and aftermath.

It's 'this'. It's now.

Wherein I conjecture Mr. Bawden now takes over to effect a money making business with our donorship built film studio with his connections using New Media filming in all versions of it! Including filming like those web series being ?co-produced? by defendantGarth. Wherein he makes money, defendantGarth makes money (I do 'not' see the defendant leaving), and landlordDanny makes money.

This is it.


Where did I post that Ah Ha moment I had about Mr. Bawden? brb......

Here it is! April 26, 2016. Mr. Bawden in the @TREKZONE.org interview.


And defendantGarth continues on in his fan films aspirations in 'somewhereelse'.

 

[Search4]

This is kind of fun.
Don't doubt this was the plan after all. Or that landlord Danny didn't figure it out first.

 

[ThankYouGeneR]

 

[mos6507]

Where it leaves things is simple. $1.4M gone. Studio gone. Support gone.

Did someone say...gone?

 

[urbandefault]

I'm gonna call him "Danny, Alec's imaginary friend."

 

[dmac]

Maybe when the Lord Danny fixes the place up I could visit the Aries Museum and actually touch the holly Shroud of Axanar

 

[trynda1701]

I restored Galileo. Alec was involved for a short while but did not fund the purchase or the restoration.

Congratulations on all your hard work on restoring Galileo to her former glory. As others have said, you and your teams amazing efforts paid off. And I find it fitting that STC filmed her to fit her into the end of their story "Fairest of Them All".

 

[ThankYouGeneR]

And the Editing Bay! I'd forgotten about the Editing Bay!

A set-up for a continued income producer for rmb in his side work. With maybe at least a token rental fee to industry studios on their ledgers? Because I'm pretty sure This incarnation of the studio will without fail be keeping good IRS accounting. And I will conjecture the whereveritgoes production company will be using the Editing Bay for their fan film productions.

Everybody's gonna win in this new incarnation of industry studios; rmb, landlordD, defendantG, Mr. B.



Well, okay, that's not really everybody...........


BUT.... the still-donors/still-supporters 'will' be taught to see it as a win, so they're gonna feel like winners too! Eye of the beholder, and all.