Fan Film Idea - Original Pitch

[uniderth]

I was reading through the first pitch of Star Trek and I had a delightful thought. What if I made a fan film based on this first pitch? I think it would a quite a fun project to work on and also be a unique concept among fan films. The idea would basically be to present what Star Trek would have been if they had gone with whatever was presented first. So the main characters would be Captain Robert M. April, Number One, Navigator Jose Ortegas, Dr. "Bones" Boyce, a devilish looking Mr. Spock, and Yeoman Colt. They would all be serving about the S.S. Yorktown, capable of traveling at .73 of one light year per hour.

The first pitch certainly isn't complete and lots of details would need to be filled in, so I thought about filling in those details based on whatever was next produced first. For example the design of the Yorktown would be based on Matt Jefferies' earliest sketches.

The original pitch offers a variety of stories, many of these concepts got turned into actual episodes later. So I'm not sure which one I'd want to do. Logically "The Next Cage" would be a prime choice. But I'm not sure that a remake of "The Cage" would be that interesting.

A story like Reason and Reason II would be good for two 15 minute episode format.

Spoiler: Reason and Reson II Pitch ideas

Reason
The crew visit the Isaac IV group, where they discover a group of sentient robots. Shares similarities with "I, Mudd".
Reason II
The story of the last Human survivors of the Isaac IV group, trying to take back control over the robots. Similiar to "I, Mudd".

But my big question is, if there was a good story to tell, would anyone be interested in watching this alternative take on Star Trek?

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

Cawley's group tried to produce a number of proposed stories for Phase II, and even an unshot script (He Walked Among Us). CBS stepped in and shut down He Walked Among Us after allowing them to complete Kitumba and The Child. One of the ideas, The Protracted Man, was shot and unfinished. I suspect that any attempt to use these original pitches might also be subject to extreme scrutiny by CBS.

 

[Maurice]

I don't think this is quite the same thing as what Cawley did. Arguably, basing a fanfilm off the early concepts for the series would be less infringing on the IP than many TOS fanfilms because you'd be basically taking names and a premise and having to invent this whole other show.

I've read the second pilot version of "The Omega Glory" and brother, could Spock have gone a compleeeeeeetely different direction.

 

[uniderth]

Cawley's group tried to produce a number of proposed stories for Phase II, and even an unshot script (He Walked Among Us). CBS stepped in and shut down He Walked Among Us after allowing them to complete Kitumba and The Child. One of the ideas, The Protracted Man, was shot and unfinished. I suspect that any attempt to use these original pitches might also be subject to extreme scrutiny by CBS.

Yeah, I can see that that could be the case for any of the story pitches that resembled existing stories.

I don't think this is quite the same thing as what Cawley did. Arguably, basing a fanfilm off the early concepts for the series would be less infringing on the IP than many TOS fanfilms because you'd be basically taking names and a premise and having to invent this whole other show.

It would be interesting to see how it would turn out. What Star Trek could have been.

I've read the second pilot version of "The Omega Glory" and brother, could Spock have gone a compleeeeeeetely different direction.

Fascinating.

 

[Professor Zoom]

But my big question is, if there was a good story to tell, would anyone be interested in watching this alternative take on Star Trek?

I think there's ALWAYS an interest in a good story well told. That said, and I hear what @Maurice is saying, I also lean towards what @Potemkin_Prod says... I would proceed with caution and stay well with in the guidelines... But, my bias is always if you have the time, money and talent to make a film, why not make something original?

 

[Sir Rhosis]

To quote half my southern family, "I'd watch it in a heartbeat!" Good luck.

Sir Rhosis

 

[Krandor]

I think there's ALWAYS an interest in a good story well told. That said, and I hear what @Maurice is saying, I also lean towards what @Potemkin_Prod says... I would proceed with caution and stay well with in the guidelines... But, my bias is always if you have the time, money and talent to make a film, why not make something original?

I like the idea but it would have to stay within the guidelines.

 

[Matthew Raymond]

But my big question is, if there was a good story to tell, would anyone be interested in watching this alternative take on Star Trek?

But, my bias is always if you have the time, money and talent to make a film, why not make something original?

Well, instead of writing a story in the Star Trek multiverse, @uniderth could always change the setting to one that is broadly similar but legally distinct. Perhaps someone has already created such a universe and released their work under an open source license specifically for this reason.

 

[fireproof78]

Well, instead of writing a story in the Star Trek multiverse, @uniderth could always change the setting to one that is broadly similar but legally distinct. Perhaps someone has already created such a universe and released their work under an open source license specifically for this reason.

 

[Professor Zoom]

Well, instead of writing a story in the Star Trek multiverse, @uniderth could always change the setting to one that is broadly similar but legally distinct. Perhaps someone has already created such a universe and released their work under an open source license specifically for this reason.

Yeah, I'm still not going to read any more of your screenplay.

 

[STEPhon IT]

Originality is fine if the person has the imagination to do it, but many are not that; they wish to replicate something they think they love and is more comfortable remaking something they do know than a blank slate.

BTW, Does anyone have a pdf file of the script "He Walked Among Us"; I heard it was pretty good.

 

[Maurice]

Yeah, I'm still not going to read any more of your screenplay.

Did you read any of it at all?

Originality is fine if the person has the imagination to do it, but many are not that; they wish to replicate something they think they love and is more comfortable remaking something they do know than a blank slate.

I always encourage people to do original stuff, but I've long since accepted that most fans aren't interested in being "original"; they love Star Trek and they want to play Star Trek, so changing the particulars is sort of counter to what delights them.

BTW, Does anyone have a pdf file of the script "He Walked Among Us"; I heard it was pretty good.

To my recollection Spinrad's draft was mediocre. I think I might still have it somewhere.

 

[Professor Zoom]

Did you read any of it at all?

I read a few pages. I posted my thoughts on what I read in the thread in SFF.

 

[Matthew Raymond]

I read a few pages. I posted my thoughts on what I read in the thread in SFF.

Let me save everyone the trip:

You need to add character descriptions to characters. At the very minimum age.

Needless to say, it will take me time to sort through this plethora of feedback. (And yes, I've already added some brief characterizations.)

 

[Maurice]

I read a few pages. I posted my thoughts on what I read in the thread in SFF.

I don't know what SFF is. The Fan Fiction forum?
Oh, never mind. You meant the Science Fiction & Fantasy forum.

 

[Professor Zoom]

I don't know what SFF is. The Fan Fiction forum?
Oh, never mind. You meant the Science Fiction & Fantasy forum.

Yep. Apologies for not being clear.

 

[uniderth]

I do have some ideas for original sci-fi. Though the idea for this film is more of a Star Trek what if. What if they had gone with the very first ideas? So it's kind of contrary to the intent to make it an original universe. Though it would be more of an alternative universe.

 

[Maurice]

I do have some ideas for original sci-fi. Though the idea for this film is more of a Star Trek what if. What if they had gone with the very first ideas? So it's kind of contrary to the intent to make it an original universe. Though it would be more of an alternative universe.

Well, I think that could be fun. It's no more "against the rules" than the typical fanfilm even if you did it as Earth 2 Star Trek.

 

[Matthew Raymond]

Well, I think that could be fun. It's no more "against the rules" than the typical fanfilm even if you did it as Earth 2 Star Trek.

Yeah, like he says, you're probably safe, unless you're doing an actual Earth 2 / Star Trek crossover, although that might be fun too.