BREAKING: Official Fan Film Guidelines Issued

[mos6507]

Any thoughts/ideas if they'll let productions who have an episode in post finish it and release a final episode or if they'll be forced to garbage can it?

I suspect that if New Voyages finishes off its leftover episodes that CBS/P won't complain.

However, STC just ran a crowdfunding campaign in order to enable them to produce at least one more full-length episode. If this shuts them down then donors are screwed (which would in effect validate the reasons why donors were skittish to give to STC in the last campaign). On the flipside, if STC is allowed to proceed, then it just opens a can of worms where people say "hey, why is it OK for them and not me?"

Guidelines will be interpreted to mean equal enforcement across the entire scene.

Not only that, this also makes one wonder how Axanar itself will wind up. Will they also provide a one-time waiver for Axanar or do these guidelines imply that CBS/P will not settle and will fight to prohibit Axanar from ever being produced?

 

[UssGlenn]

Any thoughts/ideas if they'll let productions who have an episode in post finish it and release a final episode or if they'll be forced to garbage can it?

Well, they can't stop them from releasing, though they can issue take-down notices. Then they would issue a cease and desist to stop that particular series from continuing. The only way I can see Star Trek Continues finishing is if they film the rest of their planned episodes but wait to release them all at once. Then when they get their cease and desist they will already be done with the series. You still have the take-down notice problem, however.

 

[Solarbaby]

I'm gutted for Star Trek: Absolution. I had 50 episode full curcle story arc planned and 20 episodes written 3 in production right now.

Thanks Alec

 

[jamestyler]

Regarding #4 it doesn't say fan produced items cannot be used it just says that if commercially produced stuff is used it must be official.

If the fan production uses commercially-available Star Trek uniforms, accessories, toys and props, these items must be official merchandise and not bootleg items or imitations of such commercially available products.

That reads to me as "If we have something for sale, you buy it from us and us only." Particularly the bootleg part suggesting that if for example a DS9-era film was made, the film would have to use the officially licensed product from Anovos and not the one the producers friends husband made.

 

[NewHorizon]

Wow...15 minutes...no continuation or ongoing series? That's just ridiculous. They need to go back to the drawing board on those. As a fan of both official and fan made Star Trek, I am absolutely gutted by this. Terrible news for the 50th. They might as well have just outlawed fan films completely.

Who can we write to?

 

[QuantumMechanic]

I suspect that if New Voyages finishes off its leftover episodes that CBS/P won't complain.

However, STC just ran a crowdfunding campaign in order to enable them to produce at least one more full-length episode. If this shuts them down then donors are screwed (which would in effect validate the reasons why donors were skittish to give to STC in the last campaign).

Oh, I'm assuming that STC is dead going forward . My questions is about the fate of Episode 7 which I thought (I could be wrong!) has been filmed and is now in post-prod. I expect that nothing beyond Episode 7 will ever happen, now.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Thanks Alec.

 

[Firebird]

Oh, I'm assuming that STC is dead going forward . My questions is about the fate of Episode 7 which I thought (I could be wrong!) has been filmed and is now in post-prod. I expect that nothing beyond Episode 7 will ever happen, now.

I'm worried these rules will prevent STC from releasing the episode at all, because of the involvement of Beau Billingslea, who was in STID, and likely the episode length was around 42-50 minutes. The latter could be dealt with by some drastic editing, but what do you do with the guest star?

 

[NewHorizon]

I guess we can encourage the film producers to continue making the films, then we can crowd fund to pay their legal fees.

 

[RCAM]

Wow...15 minutes...no continuation or ongoing series? That's just ridiculous. They need to go back to the drawing board on those. As a fan of both official and fan made Star Trek, I am absolutely gutted by this. Terrible news for the 50th. They might as well have just outlawed fan films completely.

Who can we write to?

CBS and Paramount were forced into this by the actions of Alec Peters. There's nothing ridiculous about their guidelines. They're actually very generous when you consider the conduct of Axanar. C/P could've killed fan films altogether. Instead, they released guidelines that are far less restrictive than those put out by Disney for Star Wars.

Am I happy about this? Hell no. It's terrible that STC and NV will be forced to close up shop. But I have zero ill will toward CBS/Paramount in all of this.

 

[Mark 2000]

I think these guidelines are fair. It's returning fan productions to what they should be: cosplay events. BYO uniform and phaser. Run around in front of the camera for 15 minutes. Stitch it together with some CGI orbit shots. Just have fun. There's an old Gillette razor ad I love to paraphrase at any opportunity. "We've got a $200,000 set!" "Do you NEED a $200,000 set?" Basically, what deficiencies are you covering up with fancy trappings? Would your story and characters be compelling if you had a bare bones production? All the comfort strips in the world can't make up for your dull, wonky blade.

These productions have gotten way too serious. They don't look like fun anymore, just one-upmanship and chest beating. Glad they'll be coming back down to earth soon.

 

[Indysolo]

I'm worried these rules will prevent STC from releasing the episode at all...

Their title violates the rules.

#ThanksAlec

Neil

 

[uniderth]

If the fan production uses commercially-available Star Trek uniforms, accessories, toys and props, these items must be official merchandise and not bootleg items or imitations of such commercially available products.

That reads to me as "If we have something for sale, you buy it from us and us only." Particularly the bootleg part suggesting that if for example a DS9-era film was made, the film would have to use the officially licensed product from Anovos and not the one the producers friends husband made.

I read it as "IF the fan production uses commercially-available Star Trek uniforms, accessories, toys and props,[...]" It does not say they are required to use commercially available uniforms, etc. Only IF they use commercially available stuff it needs to be official. The alternative being that your homemade props and uniforms are not commercially available stuff because you are not selling them.

I admit that I could be wrong, but I would summarize it as, 'If you are going to buy your uniforms and props, etc. make sure you are buying officially licensed stuff.'

 

[Firebird]

Am I happy about this? Hell no. It's terrible that STC and NV will be forced to close up shop. But I have zero ill will toward CBS/Paramount in all of this.

Agreed. I want to be mad at CBS/Paramount, but that's absolutely ridiculous. These guidelines are all thanks to one man that couldn't keep his greed and mission creep in check. Alec Peters must forever be shunned for what he's done.

Their title violates the rules.

That could be changed to Continues: A Star Trek Fan Film

 

[uniderth]

Now if we could just get Official Star Trek Productions to be Official. #thanksJJ #thanksBB

Oh, you knew it was coming!

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Wow...15 minutes...no continuation or ongoing series? That's just ridiculous. They need to go back to the drawing board on those.

No, they don't. Star Trek is the property of CBS and Paramount, and they get to tell people how they can use it. They didn't have to issue these guidelines. They could have said that no fan films would be allowed, and they would have been entirely within their rights to do so. These are incredibly restrictive, but they clearly feel this is what they need to do to protect their property.

 

[jamestyler]

I read it as "IF the fan production uses commercially-available Star Trek uniforms, accessories, toys and props,[...]" It does not say they are required to use commercially available uniforms, etc. Only IF they use commercially available stuff it needs to be official. The alternative being that your homemade props and uniforms are not commercially available stuff because you are not selling them.

I admit that I could be wrong, but I would summarize it as, 'If you are going to buy your uniforms and props, etc. make sure you are buying officially licensed stuff.'

won't argue that - it's a fair interpretation. Either way - it cancels out the cheap badly made market which makes me happy

 

[Jedi_Master]

I see creative people being able to work within these guidelines, and as pointed out in a FB group, CBS is in essence offering a shield against legal action to the films that cooperate. That's a huge gift.

 

[9gs]

Their title violates the rules.

#ThanksAlec

Neil

Death to AP in RL I hope.

 

[Kor]

Just been reading over these. Likely the smallest note possible, but number 4's a bit of a kick in the balls. Surely a fan production would alow a fan sewing themselves a new shirt :/

To me, #4 looks like it's saying that if you go and buy pre-made uniforms, then they must be officially licensed. You can't pay for third-party knockoffs. But I don't think it precludes making your own from scratch. I could be misreading it, though.

I would think that, creatively speaking, #1 would be the most limiting factor.

This was bound to happen sooner or later. Star Wars has something similar, right?
But we all know who to thank for this.

Kor