Could a Kickstarter Campaign Help Start a New Series?

[Melakon]

This does sound like an unsolicited spec script submission, as Dennis suggests. But instead of just a script, an independent production company intends to contact a single studio with a prospective pilot film. Certainly unusual, since normally an independent company interested in selling their film would be hitting every major studio in town.

 

[Tom]

It already looks like CBS has rejected pitches by Dorn, Frakes, Shatner, Singer and Orci.

Again, assuming that in every case these folks actually got meetings with someone at the studio who was in a position to develop such a project. If any of them accomplished that much, they accomplished more than these folks will have when they've finished their movie.

So your saying that Tim Russ has no hope of even talking to anyone at CBS, because heck, it's not like he knows anyone at CBS or the industry or anything like that . Thanks for the enlightenment

Since Tim is handling most of the pitch process, I am not going to get too much more into it. It will get pitched and it will be either a yes or a no, its that simple. Either way, fans will have something as a result of this.

@ J Allen, CBS may not be interested in any new trek series, who really knows. Either way, it's worth a try and it just another thing that shows CBS how hungry people are for a new series.

 

[Tom]

This does sound like an unsolicited spec script submission, as Dennis suggests. But instead of just a script, an independent production company intends to contact a single studio with a prospective pilot film. Certainly unusual, since normally an independent company interested in selling their film would be hitting every major studio in town.

The approach is bit unusual, given the product is based on a pre-existing franchise owned by a single entity. The fact that is Star Trek though, does provide for the fall back position of something being released for the enjoyment of Trek fans.

 

[BillJ]

So your saying that Tim Russ has no hope of even talking to anyone at CBS, because heck, it's not like he knows anyone at CBS or the industry or anything like that . Thanks for the enlightenment

I'm looking at Tim Russ'* credits and I see nothing that makes me think CBS is going to take a pitch from him any more seriously than a pitch from Roberto Orci or Bryan Singer.

*I like Tim Russ, I think he's a good actor. I've watched him in Voyager and Samantha Who?, that doesn't make him a TV producer.

 

[Melakon]

Tom, let's consider another possible outcome-- suppose Tim does manage to talk to someone who can make the final decision. But that person says, "Hmm, yes, interesting. But no thanks. And by the way, we're going to buy this pilot from you anyway, and lock it away so that no one ever sees it again."

What do you do then? At least you get a little money out of it, but it still never reaches its potential audience.

 

[BillJ]

Tom, let's consider another possible outcome-- suppose Tim does manage to talk to someone who can make the final decision. But that person says, "Hmm, yes, interesting. But no thanks. And by the way, we're going to buy this pilot from you anyway, and lock it away so that no one ever sees it again."

What do you do then? At least you get a little money out of it, but it still never reaches its potential audience.

I don't think CBS even has to buy it. They can simply demand that the film not be released, as they are the copyright holder and Team Renegade would have to comply.

 

[Melakon]

Well yeah, that's the worst case scenario, followed by a directive to not make any more fan films.

 

[Mudd]

So your[sic] saying that Tim Russ has no hope of even talking to anyone at CBS, because heck, it's not like he knows anyone at CBS or the industry or anything like that.

Sorry, not what I said. Try again.

Let me turn that around for you, and let's see if you can give a straight answer to the question without ambiguity or dodging:

So, you're saying that you know for a fact that Tim Russ has (not "probably can" or "said he would") set up a meeting with someone in a decision making capacity at CBS who's expressed explicit interest in purchasing this or any Star Trek production from the studio making this fan film?

That's a yes-or-no question. You can follow it up with clarification and explanation if you wish.

No one associated with this project has presented any evidence that it's anything other than entirely speculative. It's not a pitch; at most it's an attempt to get an opportunity to pitch.

Heck if Russ "knows anyone at CBS or the industry or anything like that" who is in a decision making capacity concerning Star Trek projects and who has any interest in being presented with one from outside the studio then I'm sure his agent can set up a pitch meeting without first collecting and spending oodles of money donated by folks on the Internet to make a fan film.

 

[Tom]

Tom, let's consider another possible outcome-- suppose Tim does manage to talk to someone who can make the final decision. But that person says, "Hmm, yes, interesting. But no thanks. And by the way, we're going to buy this pilot from you anyway, and lock it away so that no one ever sees it again."

What do you do then? At least you get a little money out of it, but it still never reaches its potential audience.

I don't think CBS even has to buy it. They can simply demand that the film not be released, as they are the copyright holder and Team Renegade would have to comply.

That's highly unlikely, CBS knows what we are doing and could have shut this down at anytime (as with any other non-CBS Star Trek productions) if they so wanted to.

 

[Tom]

So your[sic] saying that Tim Russ has no hope of even talking to anyone at CBS, because heck, it's not like he knows anyone at CBS or the industry or anything like that.

Sorry, not what I said. Try again.

Let me turn that around for you, and let's see if you can give a straight answer to the question without ambiguity or dodging:

So, you're saying that you know for a fact that Tim Russ has (not "probably can" or "said he would")set up a meeting with someone in a decision making capacity at CBS who's expressed explicit interest in purchasing this or any Star Trek production from the studio making this fan film?

That's a yes-or-no question. You can follow it up with clarification and explanation if you wish.

No one associated with this project has presented any evidence that it's anything other than entirely speculative. It's not a pitch; at most it's an attempt to get an opportunity to pitch.

Heck if Russ "knows anyone at CBS or the industry or anything like that" who is in a decision making capacity concerning Star Trek projects and who has any interest in being presented with one from outside the studio then I'm sure his agent can set up a pitch meeting without first collecting and spending oodles of money donated by folks on the Internet to make a fan film.

Tim said he would get it pitched at CBS, you will have to ask him for more details than that. I never said he had a meeting already set up, the film is not done yet, so how are you going to make an appointment when you product is not ready yet.

As for the later part of your question, this project is two-fold, it was designed to be something for the fans and to also be pitched as a pilot. It was never just about setting up a pitch meeting only. I idea is was somewhat out of the box to make Star trek film, yet also design it as a pilot and pitch it whereas others have only pitched scripted ideas.


Again, either way, the fans get something out of it and that's the important thing.

 

[Mudd]

I never said he had a meeting already set up, the film is not done yet, so how are you going to make an appointment when you product is not ready yet.

Through his agent. Professional writers and producers do it every day - when there's actually an interested buyer.

So, that's a "no."

This is not a pitch. This is a speculative project.

 

[Tom]

I never said he had a meeting already set up, the film is not done yet, so how are you going to make an appointment when you product is not ready yet.

Through his agent. Professional writers and producers do it every day - when there's actually an interested buyer.

So, that's a "no."

This is not a pitch. This is a speculative project.

He and the others will attempt to pitch this, that is the plan. The point is to try and make the buyer interested in this case. Unless you have a crystal ball and say it will never get pitched then that makes you a speculative poster.

All I can tell you is the plans and goals for this project and everyone involved is committed to reaching those goals. We are not false advertising anything or making any empty promises. A pitch will be tried , if CBS says no then they say no.

 

[Ryan8bit]

Why make such an elaborate pitch that will in all likelihood be rejected? Why not just have Russ do a standard, inexpensive pitch?

 

[Melakon]

^ Well, Tim can take the credit for steering the project when he talks to the suits, proving that he believed enough in its potential to enlist his friends as possible cast or occasional guests.

 

[Maurice]

I wish CBS would just C&D all these Kickstarters and be done with it.

There, I said it.

 

[Tom]

Why make such an elaborate pitch that will in all likelihood be rejected? Why not just have Russ do a standard, inexpensive pitch?

Because the initial idea was to make a film first and since it was set 10 years after Voyager and have a different concept the previous Treks it was decided to try to make this pitch it to CBS as well. So the project moved forward with those goals in mind. So going forward it was written to be both things. We figured that CBS may not want this for a TV so we are pushing the web series avenue also.

As mentioned, it is usual (out of the box) these days to make a film then use that as a pitch, but given that this is Star Trek with it's own fan base it can fill a role as entertainment for fans if rejected by CBS.

I also like to think that is raises even more awareness to CBS that people are hungry for a new show when pitches are going beyond paper and Powerpoint presentations to a filmed product.

We know this is long shot, but we are happy to just make this for the fans also.

 

[Tom]

I wish CBS would just C&D all these Kickstarters and be done with it.

There, I said it.

I'm not sure that door is shutting anytime soon as too many people are using it. Now it is more of the question of who has not tried crowd funding vs. those who have, sign of the times I guess.

 

[Maurice]

The more people that use or misuse it the more likely CBS is to act. They could just as easily shut down 50 all at once as 1.

 

[2takesfrakes]

The once impossibly beautiful Sean Young from BLADE RUNNER even found herself in these Fan-Films, because she's long in the tooth, now. How the mighty have fallen ...

 

[Mudd]

The more people that use or misuse it the more likely CBS is to act.

Exactly so. Folks are mistaken in being smug about it.