Hope your wait was rewarded. Mine certainly was. Wow!!
Star Trek: Axanar
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Hope your wait was rewarded. Mine certainly was. Wow!!
Very nice. The whole family sat riveted with wife and kid peppering me with history questions like they do with real historical documentaries.
I burst out laughing at "Narrated by John Gill". They hadn't a clue.
Tobias, your work was amazing. The actors gave solid performances. Loved the Andorian references. Excellent music and sound. I realize that there was a little cheating here in that the format made it easy to do one character at a time, but that wasn't at all obvious while watching it.
My wife found the idea of a soft-spoken, articulate Klingon like Kharn a little odd, but I'm glad they stayed away from a cliché. If you look at the first three, major Klingons in Trek -- Kor, Koloth, and Kang, you see great variation among their people. Kharn fits in quite nicely with that and he looks gorgeous. I sure hope to see more of Kharn in the final production!
I burst out laughing at "Narrated by John Gill". They hadn't a clue.
Tobias, your work was amazing. The actors gave solid performances. Loved the Andorian references. Excellent music and sound. I realize that there was a little cheating here in that the format made it easy to do one character at a time, but that wasn't at all obvious while watching it.
My wife found the idea of a soft-spoken, articulate Klingon like Kharn a little odd, but I'm glad they stayed away from a cliché. If you look at the first three, major Klingons in Trek -- Kor, Koloth, and Kang, you see great variation among their people. Kharn fits in quite nicely with that and he looks gorgeous. I sure hope to see more of Kharn in the final production!
What an outstanding film... Watched it twice tonight.
My only complaint is that I cannot watch it with my kids due to the language...
Great VFX, wonderful sound, plenty of subtle but appropriately positioned references to what has gone before, and the ships... Holy cow the ships!
That said, I have to say That Kharn is still taking some getting used to, more because I feel his visual look is off than any other reason. Gary Graham really brought it as Soval. I enjoyed Hertzler and Vernon were very good as well.
Mostly, though, having read a few reviews prior to tonight, I was blown away by Peters as Garth. He hit a perfect tone in his role, not a professional before the camera, but a starship commander. Outstanding work in this format, and I hope it translates over to the full length feature.
Great work.
Rob+
My only complaint is that I cannot watch it with my kids due to the language...
Great VFX, wonderful sound, plenty of subtle but appropriately positioned references to what has gone before, and the ships... Holy cow the ships!
That said, I have to say That Kharn is still taking some getting used to, more because I feel his visual look is off than any other reason. Gary Graham really brought it as Soval. I enjoyed Hertzler and Vernon were very good as well.
Mostly, though, having read a few reviews prior to tonight, I was blown away by Peters as Garth. He hit a perfect tone in his role, not a professional before the camera, but a starship commander. Outstanding work in this format, and I hope it translates over to the full length feature.
Great work.
Rob+
Outstanding work! I do agree that Garth was a little meeker as a character by comparison to the other more rough-hewn cast, to include the b-- um, never mind.
But overall very slick and professional, and whet my appetite for the full-length feature itself...
Nice work, and for anyone reading this with no clue how to find the Kickstarter, If you click on the link in my signature, you will find a link to the film in my Headline Dated July 30, 2014. If somebody reads this months from now and wants to find this film, look at at the Star Trek: Axanar page, Blog 57, in the Table of Contents.
For now, Star Trek: Prelude to Axanar, can be seen here:
Star Trek: Axanar
(second video down, the 21 minute long one)
This will be the only known place to see it until after the Kickstarter is over in a months time.
Star Trek: Axanar
(second video down, the 21 minute long one)
This will be the only known place to see it until after the Kickstarter is over in a months time.
From a technical standpoint, it was very well put together for a fan film, perhaps the best I've ever seen. That doesn't make it anywhere close to a major motion picture on a technical level.
From a dramatic standpoint, I didn't find much of interest. We're told how inspiring Admiral Ramirez's speech was, and then we watch as Tony Todd tries to shout his way through flat material. We spend a lot of time hearing how great Garth is, but it isn't dramatized, and Alec Peters doesn't demonstrate the charisma the role requires. It's not a help that he's cast himself opposite so many professionals, which make the limits of his performance quite apparent.
Really, though, the whole thing is less a short film than a trailer. As a trailer, it demonstrates technical proficiency and showcases the film's cast. The faux-documentary format doesn't give a lot of insight into how well the final project will be realized, but as a trailer, the Kickstarter campaign is proof that it is quite effective.
From a dramatic standpoint, I didn't find much of interest. We're told how inspiring Admiral Ramirez's speech was, and then we watch as Tony Todd tries to shout his way through flat material. We spend a lot of time hearing how great Garth is, but it isn't dramatized, and Alec Peters doesn't demonstrate the charisma the role requires. It's not a help that he's cast himself opposite so many professionals, which make the limits of his performance quite apparent.
Really, though, the whole thing is less a short film than a trailer. As a trailer, it demonstrates technical proficiency and showcases the film's cast. The faux-documentary format doesn't give a lot of insight into how well the final project will be realized, but as a trailer, the Kickstarter campaign is proof that it is quite effective.
That was fabulous. Y'all knocked it out of the park, I loved watching the D6 fall into the ground, looked perfectly like the Vengeance and was absolutely beautiful to watch. The characters were awesome, it was fast paced, there's action, y'all are doing a fan film right. Y'all made something fun.
Only nitpick are the sound effects, they seem to be slapped on instead of fitted into the scenes.
Keep going y'all. I can't wait!
Only nitpick are the sound effects, they seem to be slapped on instead of fitted into the scenes.
Keep going y'all. I can't wait!
Go Spurs! 
Frankly, speaking as the Layperson Viewer, one isn't much concerned with its proximity to a Major Motion Picture on a Technical Level. And due respect to Harvey -- which I'm not just saying as a formality, by the way -- but I'd actually kind of like to propose that we suspend carping along those lines. I get that this sort of thing is foremost in the minds of industry hands, but the viewers mostly care whether it's fun. It's obviously not made on a two hundred million dollar budget, and that also doesn't matter that much to entertainment value.
For my money -- and after watching this, I will definitely be kicking down for Axanar itself -- Prelude is damned fun, aside from being just outright incredible for a fan production. The actors deliver in spades*, and in this I'd actually include Alec (I really don't care at all what personal hangups people have with him), whose choice to play Garth as understated and humble I think actually works quite well as a counterpart both to the other personalities and to the OT insane version of him that is TOS canon. I found the backstory of the Four Years War convincing and involving and the setup, as it was meant to do, left me wanting more. Can't wait to see the finished product.
* Agreed that Ramirez' Speech is a bit flat content-wise. But hey, Tony Todd works it admirably anyway. Ultimately I like it.
I'm watching it now, and so far it's pretty interesting....and well paced.
My only major gripe is Soval quoting the infamous Shran: "Don't push the pinkskins into thin ice." As aforementioned in other threads, this is saying that humans = Caucasians. Admiral Ramirez (i.e. Tony Todd) definitely ain't a 'pinkskin'...nor is the black man typing this post.
Aside from that racial blunder, I'm enjoying it.
My only major gripe is Soval quoting the infamous Shran: "Don't push the pinkskins into thin ice." As aforementioned in other threads, this is saying that humans = Caucasians. Admiral Ramirez (i.e. Tony Todd) definitely ain't a 'pinkskin'...nor is the black man typing this post.
Aside from that racial blunder, I'm enjoying it.
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I'm going to focus only on the positive here for now:
I liked the idea. I thought it was a great way to break out of the typical and and the obvious format. Some clever bits here and there. Good production values throughout. Well lit. Good sound. Mostly convincing CGI backdrops.
Good acting for the most part. Kate Vernon was tops. She was the best of the performances. There's only one person I found flat.
I liked the idea. I thought it was a great way to break out of the typical and and the obvious format. Some clever bits here and there. Good production values throughout. Well lit. Good sound. Mostly convincing CGI backdrops.
Good acting for the most part. Kate Vernon was tops. She was the best of the performances. There's only one person I found flat.
Ok, a little bit more expanded then my previous post....
I think it's hard to judge actors on something like this. A lot of small moments, little shots in front of green screens, no true sense about where your character came from and where it is going. So yeah, in some shots the acting felt perhaps a bit flat. But never to a point that it really bothered me.
Plot..... well, it's a documentary, so really, what plot? But it did exactly what it needed to do, which was being a prelude. This had me wanting for the complete story, the actual film, needing to know what happened. So, purpose served, and then some!!
Now, the biggest thing here.... the visuals. A lot of shots were clearly there just to show some starship porn. To show what can be done for fanfilms, when you take the right time and are not simply satisfied with a half finished product. Granted, the budget here was a lot bigger then most fanfilms have, but in the end the day, no where that of huge productions, and still it didn't feel low-budget. It showed that a group of people who really care for their product would only put it out when THEY were satisfied, and it showed.
This was, simply put, one of the best appetizers I've had. And I'm ready for the main course.
I think it's hard to judge actors on something like this. A lot of small moments, little shots in front of green screens, no true sense about where your character came from and where it is going. So yeah, in some shots the acting felt perhaps a bit flat. But never to a point that it really bothered me.
Plot..... well, it's a documentary, so really, what plot? But it did exactly what it needed to do, which was being a prelude. This had me wanting for the complete story, the actual film, needing to know what happened. So, purpose served, and then some!!
Now, the biggest thing here.... the visuals. A lot of shots were clearly there just to show some starship porn. To show what can be done for fanfilms, when you take the right time and are not simply satisfied with a half finished product. Granted, the budget here was a lot bigger then most fanfilms have, but in the end the day, no where that of huge productions, and still it didn't feel low-budget. It showed that a group of people who really care for their product would only put it out when THEY were satisfied, and it showed.
This was, simply put, one of the best appetizers I've had. And I'm ready for the main course.
I really, REALLY liked the sound design for all the FX shots. Honestly, it's been a long time since I took as much notice for any film of this genre. It really brought me back to when I was a youngster and came across a behind-the-scenes CBS tv special for The Empire Strikes Back which showed stop-motion models, tracking shots, but most notably the efforts of sound designer Ben Burtt as he revolutionnized the sound FX industry...
Tobias Richter and his team should also be lauded for their amazing work, gorgeous space and ground-level shots throughout this film. Why do I get the feeling that after the full AXANAR project gets released, Tobias will finally and deservedly be scooped up by feature studios for big-money projects? I'll be sad for all Trek productions but so happy for this master craftsman.
My only disappointment with this film? the lack of Michael Hogan...
Tobias Richter and his team should also be lauded for their amazing work, gorgeous space and ground-level shots throughout this film. Why do I get the feeling that after the full AXANAR project gets released, Tobias will finally and deservedly be scooped up by feature studios for big-money projects? I'll be sad for all Trek productions but so happy for this master craftsman.
My only disappointment with this film? the lack of Michael Hogan...
ho lee carp
Okay, I'm in. That was absolutely fantastic. Starship porn? You say that like it's a bad thing!
More Star Trek like this? Yes please!
Okay, I'm in. That was absolutely fantastic. Starship porn? You say that like it's a bad thing!
More Star Trek like this? Yes please!
I'm watching it now, and so far it's pretty interesting....and well paced.
My only major gripe is Soval quoting the infamous Shran: "Don't push the pinkskins into thin ice." As aforementioned in other threads, this is saying that humans = Caucasians. Admiral Ramirez (i.e. Tony Todd) definitely ain't a 'pinkskin'...nor is the black man typing this post.
Aside from that racial blunder, I'm enjoying it.
Why would this be a "racial blunder" if most of the humans the Andorans know are "pinkskins"? Remember, this is drawing from "Star Trek: Enterprise", which depicts Andorans as a bit on the xenophobic side. However, it does bring up a better point: why are most of the leads in these productions Caucasians? Granted, the sci-fi genre is not exactly a big thing in the general audience, but still...
I'm watching it now, and so far it's pretty interesting....and well paced.
My only major gripe is Soval quoting the infamous Shran: "Don't push the pinkskins into thin ice." As aforementioned in other threads, this is saying that humans = Caucasians. Admiral Ramirez (i.e. Tony Todd) definitely ain't a 'pinkskin'...nor is the black man typing this post.
Aside from that racial blunder, I'm enjoying it.
Why would this be a "racial blunder" if most of the humans the Andorans know are "pinkskins"? Remember, this is drawing from "Star Trek: Enterprise", which depicts Andorans as a bit on the xenophobic side. However, it does bring up a better point: why are most of the leads in these productions Caucasians? Granted, the sci-fi genre is not exactly a big thing in the general audience, but still...
It is a racial blunder because the show is supposedly in an era where humans are a multi-cultural race. Yet, Andorians are written to somehow only see white people, ignoring others of different shades and backgrounds....and we are never told that back in ENT.
Does he see whites as superior in this era? (I'm sure we saw Shran visit Earth in ENT, was he still racially incompentent?)
Realistically, 'most humans' wouldn't be 'pink' in that era anyhow, given the racial changes that are already happening in our current times. (If we were to add a bit of reality to that aspect).
Lastly:
Yeah, why are the leads always Caucasians? Things that make one go 'Hmmmmm....'
There is a black man in the lead of the fanfilm production of "Starship Ajax"). Also, you have Caucasian fans who want to see themselves as starship captains and leads, so that kind of adds to the reason.
Maybe we'll see more black producers coming in overtime with ideas -and non-white leads - they want to bring to the fans.
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