Upcoming Productions for March/April/May

[Captain Randy Hall]

I saw a thread like this over in the Trek Lit boards, and I think it could prove useful here.

From what I understand, several independent projects are going to come to fruition with new releases during the next couple of months.

That includes Phase II, which noted in an article at TrekMovie.com, was projecting a release of their newest episode called “Enemy Starfleet” at the end of March or start of April. Find the site at www.startrekphase2.com.

Farragut Animated is headed toward the finish line with its second animated adventure, which hasn’t put out a firm release date, but after finishing 2 of 3 acts, they can’t be too far away. Their web page is at http://www.starshipfarragut.com/

Another release slated for the next few weeks is a new adventure from a new group, Star Trek Imperium. The debut for Imperium wll be available before long at http://startrekimperium.net/

Star Trek: Phoenix is going to be shown locally in Washington state during April before releasing ”Cloak and Dagger” for Internet distribution at the start of May. Their site can be found at http://www.stphoenix.com/.

And who knows what else is out there!

I like the idea of a calendar-like list so those who like fan films can find out what’s coming by checking this thread. Yeah, I realize I’m volunteering to put in any calendar we get.

But I also have a selfish reason for all this: I write the Fan Film Friday weekly column at SciFiPulse.net, and it would be wonderful to be able to plan ahead with all this cool stuff!

So please, if you have a project coming out, you can put your info on a post in this thread or drop me an email at randyhall@aol.com.

 

[Barbreader]

Or, Hey, send him an advance copy DVD of the fan film so he can review them the week of release (and you can send one to me, too... hint hint... )

All of Randy's Fan Film Friday reviews can by accessed, organized by fan film at Star Trek Reviewed!

And I place each release in a headline there after it happens... for those of us who get disappointed and frantic about expecting things that don't come for months...

Also coming out in the next few months (but you didn't hear this from me...):

Part II of Star Trek: Osiris's Pilot! ... March 28 to be exact!
More from The Multiverse Crisis!

And before year's end...
More from ST: Intrepid
Completion of the first episode of Star Trek: Counter Worlds

And newly (but already!) available over the last month:

1) Part I of the 4-part Encarta series. All four parts are now on line!
2) The Siren's Carnage by RoTV at Go!Animate, a 3 Part story, complete!
3) Episode 1 of the brand new series, Star Trek Requirius!
4) Choices, Part II from Dark Armada
5) Dead on Arrival from Dark Frontier
6) The Final Sound on Blood and Fire Part II from Phase II, but only on You Tube, not yet available for download.

Where to find and watch already available Trek? Why always look through Star Trek Reviewed... linked in my signature!

 

[CDR Tacket]

Or, Hey, send him an advance copy DVD of the fan film so he can review them the week of release (and you can send one to me, too... hint hint... )

How about we don't. No offense, but when it is done, I'd rather have it released to the masses than someone that can't write an objective review. Putting together a calendar is fine, but would be hard to get dates from the Producer's of these films.

I've read some of the reviews from SciFi Pulse and find them to be offensive and down right attacking. Example:

"The bad: I did notice a few oddities. Why was the Andorian on the bridge colored such a light blue? I only ask because I’m a fan of the Andorians.
I’ve become a bit concerned about Smithfield. It seems that she only gets to have temper tantrums. That can only last so long before her character becomes a word that rhymes with “snitch.” Not that I’m unhappy about what’s going on so far, but that’s something to keep in mind".

Also, Why does this need to be part of the review?

"The ugly: I’m going to have to upgrade my computer or make more visits to the local library because my poor little dialup doesn’t have the capacity to download these things all at once".

 

[Barbreader]

Look, some people have sent Randy their DVDs and he has reviewed them when asked. Those people want the publicity that comes with the review. I know of some filmmakers who would be afraid to approach him, and I wanted them to know he was approachable.

Si Fi Pulse may have a small readership compared to Starship Farragut, which a review of your posts from years ago tells me is your production, and not add significantly to your downloads. You don't want to, fine. I've never met him in person, but my impression of his reviews is that they are overwhelmingly favorable. He is more a booster for fan films than a sorter of fan films.

The only thing he could find under "The Ugly" ... which is his format... to say was that HIS EQUIPMENT was inadequate? NOT YOURS? And that offends you? Sorry, just don't read his stuff... or mine. I'm sure if you find his reviews offensive, you'll find mine much more so, even though I do recommend your first production to people who only want to watch the best fan films, and your second live action production is also rated as very very good. I don't understand why anyone who does such wonderful work would be so easily offended.

You are one of the less-than-ten 'big boys' on the block. There are dozens of other production groups out there for whom a review in Si Fi Pulse can more than double their audience. My comment was aimed at them. I apologize. Not only to you, Farragut, but also to Randy, since it was my comment that you responded to with hostility to him. In the more than three years since The Metrensky Incident was released, they have had just over 3000 downloads. It's a good film and I'd love to see him review it.

Hard as it my be for your to believe, there are filmmakers who write to me asking how to get Randy to review their films. I wanted to offer them an idea. Not everyone has a massive following. Not everyone is included in every list of fan films and is easy to find.

 

[CDR Tacket]

My post was in response to your questions, and was not intended to ruffle your feathers.

It was simply an observation based upon past and present experience with Randy. Yes, I know him personally and I know he is enthusiastic about the fan films. It is not criticism that I avoid, quite the contrary. Bring it on. In the end, it will help serve to better our product. I simply don't appreciate the attacking.

Again, I'm sorry your feathers got ruffled. I just don't see Randy as being the reviewer that I'd like to have. Good or Bad, I don't see him qualified to be objective.

Barbreader: I have read your reviews and find them quite enlightening. Folks, These are reviews. They are candid and constructive. Thanks, I do listen. We will strive to make them better in the aspects you have noted. Just Passing Through will be our next release. Final film shoots are scheduled for the last weekend in March.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I'll agree with Tacket on the general rule here, without respect to which reviewer we're talking about - I've got no problems with anyone reviewing anything and expressing any opinion about it, good or bad. But there are several of what I consider Bad Suggestions bound and determined to come back around every couple of months where these independent films are concerned.

One is that there should be some kind of "award show" or award system devoted to fan and independent films.

Not interested, would not participate. And I view sending out the movies early to reviewers as being in the same category - ie, something that imitates "Hollywood" marketing and distribution but doesn't serve us for a variety of reasons. When I have something for public release, then I'll release it publicly, and then anyone and everyone is entitled and welcome to review and express their opinions of it.

 

[doubleohfive]

I have to agree with Dennis and CDR Tacket on this one. Too often, reviews -- especially about fan films -- have no real relevance to what I'm looking for in a review and apart from marginal grammar skills and the occasional incorrect fact cited as if it were the word of God, about all I can ever really count on finding out is whether or not the reviewer liked the visual effects and how bad the acting usually is.

Example: the note that Tacket references above about Smithfield:

"It seems that she only gets to have temper tantrums. That can only last so long before her character becomes a word that rhymes with “snitch.”

Seriously? Really?

First of all, don't call her a bitch if you aren't prepared to call her a bitch. It's already demeaning, but even if it's accurate don't sugar-coat it. This isn't first grade. Secondly, so the fuck what? Perhaps she was written this way. Perhaps it was a by product of the actress' performance. Perhaps there's just something we don't know yet because the story is unfolding slowly? Just seems pointless to go to the effort of rhyming it out and not have any kind of follow-through beyond the fact that the reviewer thinks she "only gets to throw tantrums."

It's just one example of the minor, points that really don't matter a hell of a lot to me with regard to a film being reviewed. I've watched every episode Farragut has released and honestly, Smithfield never came across this way to me; yet while the reviewer makes sure to include this little tidbit, it is otherwise not an in-depth review, it's all sizzle and no bacon.

Which is not to say that it is a valueless review; quite the contrary. Really, any review will have something of merit to it, and perhaps I've just gotten spoiled by Altair's review blog over at LeviathanDances... but for what it's worth, for what I'm looking for personally in a review, it needs to be more well-rounded. It can still be critical, but there needs to be some meat to it.

I'm not saying Randy is guilty of this alone or that all his reviews are done thusly, or that ALL fan film reviewers are. I'm just saying that there are far fewer people writing reviews that are, to be blunt, qualified to do so, versus the ones who aren't that do. What about the story? What about the choices our characters make, especially in context with what we know about them?

Secondly, words cannot convey how much I agree with Dennis and the assertion that a fan film awards show gimmick is a bad, terrible, destructive and just plain stupid idea. There's enough competition already; assigning nebulous levels of quality (who decides what constitutes quality?) will only further divide the fanbase, seed ill will between producers, and point a bright shiny light on what is an otherwise pleasant, under-the-radar sect of fandom.

 

[Captain Randy Hall]

When I started this series, I figured it would have three columns that looked like this:

RELEASE DATE TITLE PRODUCERS/GROUP

And the entries would look like this:

March 30 "Enemy Starfleet" Phase II

Or like this:

April 1 "The Needs of the Many" Farragut Animated

And every day or so, I'd look in and make corrections or add info so it would look a lot like the title on a similar topic over in the Trel Lit section and include whatever other information came along.

My intention was to get as much information about fan films/audio recordings, animated episodes and whatever else came in would be added or deleted (as time went by as series ended and like that).

I figured that I'd get two or three posts in the first week or two weeks and it would get better known as time rolled along.

I hoped that my position as writer of the weekly Fan Film Friday column would help me get that information and often use it a base for future columns.

Yep, I figured I'd be doing a public service and help myself at the same time.

What could possibly go wrong?

Randy

 

[doubleohfive]

Well, to be fair, you have received answers from two of the heavy-hitters in the Trek fan-film community explicitly stating why they think setting up a calendar for fan film releases is a patently bad idea. There's no need to get sniffly about it.

Granted, it was a nice idea, but the guys are right -- there are too many overly sensitive, egregiously self-entitled fans out there who would kick up a storm if --God forbid!-- someone not meet a deadline. It's not worth the aggravation. I've been following most of the fan films here for several years and each one of them has experienced the inglorious outrage of a fan who just couldn't put it together that the free video they were promised to see is going to be late because of real-life concerns. Hell hath no fury for a Trek fan that has to wait longer than originally told for his free fan film.

This doesn't mean the idea is bad, it doesn't mean it's the end of your thread, and it doesn't mean there aren't other fan productions out there who might be interested in such a concept.

 

[Captain Randy Hall]

Let me start out by saying that my brother and I had a negative experience with the folks of the Farragut. I'm sure if you asked several people, you'd get five different responses. At least, that's my humble opinion on those opinions. We went our separate ways and I figured that was the end of that.

The catch came when I starting doing Fan Film Friday. Whatever my thoughts on the Farragut were, it was obvious the group was producing something people who like fan films would want to know about. On the other hand, I could simply look the other way and promise that "someday" I'd get to it.

It came down to my ultimate question: "What would Kirk do?" I've been saying that since I became a fan in the 1970s, and my favorite starship captain would always reply: "Do something, dammit. You're the captain!"

That saying is still ringing in my ears as I've been recuperating from the car crash I was in last September.

Same with this. Kirk would include everyone and give everybody a fair shake. And I've been attempting to do that since the column last September. The only difference I have with this series as opposed with that film is the response I often get when something is going to be released.

Lately, I've tried to be more current news as opposed to serving as a historian for stuff that came out. That's been my goal for the past few months.

Part of me wants to go on a point-by-point rebuttal of what's been in the past few entries. I'll keep it low since this is a thread about fan films and not me.

 

[doubleohfive]

I'm confused.

"The only difference I have with this series as opposed to that film is the response I get..."

Which series? Which film? I'm assuming Farragut is one of them, but to which other series/film are you referring/comparing to?

 

[Captain Randy Hall]

>>I've read some of the reviews from SciFi Pulse and find them to be offensive and down right attacking. Example:

"The bad: I did notice a few oddities. Why was the Andorian on the bridge colored such a light blue? I only ask because I’m a fan of the Andorians.<<

And I got a response regarding the difference, and I'm going to be interested in "The Needs of the Many" since both kinds of Andorians in the story. If I or anyone else has goofed, there's nothing holding you back from postihg that in the comment section at the end of the story.

What was offensive or attacking about that?

>>I’ve become a bit concerned about Smithfield. It seems that she only gets to have temper tantrums. That can only last so long before her character becomes a word that rhymes with “snitch.” Not that I’m unhappy about what’s going on so far, but that’s something to keep in mind".<<

I like Smithfield. I think she's a great character, which is all the more reason for me to give some thought as to where she's going. Judging from the first two acts of "The Needs of the Many" shows her moving in a different direction, which I applaud.

>>Also, Why does this need to be part of the review?

"The ugly: I’m going to have to upgrade my computer or make more visits to the local library because my poor little dialup doesn’t have the capacity to download these things all at once".<<

Humor. It is a difficult concept. It is not logical.

Randy

 

[Captain Randy Hall]

>>>>"It seems that she only gets to have temper tantrums. That can only last so long before her character becomes a word that rhymes with “snitch.” Seriously? Really?

First of all, don't call her a bitch if you aren't prepared to call her a bitch. It's already demeaning, but even if it's accurate don't sugar-coat it. This isn't first grade. Secondly, so the fuck what? Perhaps she was written this way. Perhaps it was a by product of the actress' performance. Perhaps there's just something we don't know yet because the story is unfolding slowly? Just seems pointless to go to the effort of rhyming it out and not have any kind of follow-through beyond the fact that the reviewer thinks she "only gets to throw tantrums."

It's just one example of the minor, points that really don't matter a hell of a lot to me with regard to a film being reviewed. I've watched every episode Farragut has released and honestly, Smithfield never came across this way to me; yet while the reviewer makes sure to include this little tidbit, it is otherwise not an in-depth review, it's all sizzle and no bacon.<<<<

I didn't want her character to continue moving in that direction. I didn't accuse her of being something, I said I was concerned she was heading that.way, so I used a concept many folks here apparently have little contact with: humor.

 

[Captain Randy Hall]

I'm confused.

"The only difference I have with this series as opposed to that film is the response I get..."

Which series? Which film? I'm assuming Farragut is one of them, but to which other series/film are you referring/comparing to?

You are indeed confused if you think I'm going to point fingers and say nasty things about people whom I think are doing tremendous work for the fans.

Definitely confused.

 

[Captain Randy Hall]

Ever notice how people accuse someone of attacking someone else are by using the word "attack" they are the ones doing the attacking?

 

[doubleohfive]

>>>>"It seems that she only gets to have temper tantrums. That can only last so long before her character becomes a word that rhymes with “snitch.” Seriously? Really?

First of all, don't call her a bitch if you aren't prepared to call her a bitch. It's already demeaning, but even if it's accurate don't sugar-coat it. This isn't first grade. Secondly, so the fuck what? Perhaps she was written this way. Perhaps it was a by product of the actress' performance. Perhaps there's just something we don't know yet because the story is unfolding slowly? Just seems pointless to go to the effort of rhyming it out and not have any kind of follow-through beyond the fact that the reviewer thinks she "only gets to throw tantrums."

It's just one example of the minor, points that really don't matter a hell of a lot to me with regard to a film being reviewed. I've watched every episode Farragut has released and honestly, Smithfield never came across this way to me; yet while the reviewer makes sure to include this little tidbit, it is otherwise not an in-depth review, it's all sizzle and no bacon.<<<<

I didn't want her character to continue moving in that direction. I didn't accuse her of being something, I said I was concerned she was heading that.way, so I used a concept many folks here apparently have little contact with: humor.

But that's not what you did. You may not have "accused" her of being something, but you seemed to be suggesting that whatever characterization has been presented is, in your mind, thus far only able to lead to one outcome -- that Smithfield is a "rhymes with 'snitch'"

I'm not saying you can't come to that conclusion in your review; I'm just saying if you're going to go there, go there. Don't mince words.

Further, throwing out veiled insults as at best, a means of deflecting the issue at hand and at worst, completely ignoring the point being addressed isn't really the best way to represent yourself, especially if you are expecting to be taken seriously as a critic.

I'm confused.

"The only difference I have with this series as opposed to that film is the response I get..."

Which series? Which film? I'm assuming Farragut is one of them, but to which other series/film are you referring/comparing to?

You are indeed confused if you think I'm going to point fingers and say nasty things about people whom I think are doing tremendous work for the fans.

Definitely confused.

1) I'm confused because of your poorly worded post, Randy. The way that post I referenced was written, it is exceedingly difficult to understand what you're going on about, and my response to it was a genuine query in an attempt to understand what you were saying. I was in no way asking or suggesting you 'point fingers and say nasty things" about anyone.

2) You seriously need to drop this wounded, passive-aggressive tone in your posts. You're no victim; stop acting like one. I'm honestly trying to understand whatever point it is you were making earlier but these little emotional roller coaster rides aren't helping.

3)

Ever notice how people accuse someone of attacking someone else are by using the word "attack" they are the ones doing the attacking?

I'm going to assume, for the sake of argument, this is directed at me, and since I'm the only one who sees fit to respond to you.

Exactly where -- in any of my responses to this thread -- did I attack you, Randy?

 

[Captain Randy Hall]

By the way, if any group or organization does NOT want me to preview or review your project(s), post that right here and I'll never touch your stuff again. Have a nice evening while I go watch 24.

 

[doubleohfive]

By the way, if any group or organization does NOT want me to preview or review your project(s), post that right here and I'll never touch your stuff again. Have a nice evening while I go watch 24.

Oh for crying out loud.

It's one thing to volunteer to compose this list. It's admirable. It's a nice thing to do. But dude you are so totally overreacting. You don't like what anyone has to say so you raise a huff and puff and then storm off angrily after throwing out empty ultimatums?

That sounds more like a tantrum to me. It's also super passive-aggressive.

Stop.

If you want to be taken seriously, stop being a baby. Stop being passive-aggressive.

Stop playing the role of a victim where there are no victims. It's a message board discussion, not the goddamn Holocaust.

 

[CDR Tacket]

Let me start out by saying that my brother and I had a negative experience with the folks of the Farragut. I'm sure if you asked several people, you'd get five different responses. At least, that's my humble opinion on those opinions. We went our separate ways and I figured that was the end of that.

I'm sure that if you ask the producer's involved with Farragut you will get the same answer.

Your idea may have merit, but in my opinion it is not a realistic idea. The amount of time it would take to gather and continually update what would amount to a huge spreadsheet would be an enormous undertaking that I doubt you have the resources to keep up with.

Let’s look at this a little closer with regard to Farragut. Over the past year our schedule has been turned upside down on several occasions to allow us the time necessary to build our own sets, release A Rock And A Hard Place, re-film Just Passing Through, create additional costumes, work and support Starship Polaris, socialize and keep our day jobs and feature Starship Farragut at every possible convention we can and still giving away hundreds of DVD’s.

Now I’m not saying everyone is that busy, but we are. To provide a schedule of releases would not be practical. It’s funny, I remember talking with you Randy, and you indicated that you would be very displeased if NEO-fx missed the end of the year deadline for The Needs Of The Many. Like you were owed. This labor of love for us takes time to produce, schedules to coordinate. I hope you understand when I say we will not be offering dates for a release unless we are absolutely positive that we can make it.

We operate on our timetable and when we have something coming up, we will certainly make an announcement on the forums, in our newsletter and any other media we can. We will also rent the theater out again and invite anyone that wants to attend for free to see the newest episode of Farragut. We’ve done this twice already. Once for “For Want Of A Nail” and also the release of “A Rock And A Hard Place” and “Just Passing Through.” We are very proud of the fans that watch Starship Farragut.

 

[Captain Randy Hall]

So doubleohfive, are you volunteering to write some reviews like I do? I've only been doing this for a couple of years, first in a club newsletter and then SciFiPulse.net.

And if someone is keeping copies of my column, I didn't realize just how many fans I have!