BREAKING: Official Fan Film Guidelines Issued
- Thread starter Danlav05
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Axanar's Robert Meyer Burnett has alluded to the new guidelines on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/BurnettRM/status/746086003824173057
I'm reminded of a quote from Citizen Kane: "If it was anybody else, I'd say what's going to happen to you would be a lesson to you. Only you're going to need more than one lesson. And you're going to get more than one lesson."
https://twitter.com/BurnettRM/status/746086003824173057
I'm reminded of a quote from Citizen Kane: "If it was anybody else, I'd say what's going to happen to you would be a lesson to you. Only you're going to need more than one lesson. And you're going to get more than one lesson."
"Your honor, let the record show that Mr Burnett never had intention of following fan guidelines, despite these being less severe than the ones that they had originally asked for. I thereby submit this as proof of criminal intent."
'Cause, son, that's just plain stupid.
Someone needs to tell Burnett that Kirk's particular attitude typically gets you into trouble in real life, not thrust into heroic situations like the movies. Not that such a thing wouldn't fall on deaf ears in his case...
Well, like we all feared Axanar has gone a pretty much put an end to the high quality fan films. One of the things I loved about things like NV and Continues was the use of Trek veterans and other recognizable actors like Lou Ferigno. I wonder if this would prevent people like Grant Imahara from appearing in future fan productions? He's technically not an actor, but he is still a recognizable media figure.
I have to admit, the rules are a lot more strict and specific than I was expecting. I can't help but wonder if the parts about people who worked on the production of DVDs is specifically aimed at Alec Peters & Robert Meyer Burnett.
Would the rule about reproductions from any Star Trek production mean no more
"continuations" of the original series or recreations of sets, ships, costumes, ect. seen on the shows/movies, or just no specific things an episode or movie?
I have to admit, the rules are a lot more strict and specific than I was expecting. I can't help but wonder if the parts about people who worked on the production of DVDs is specifically aimed at Alec Peters & Robert Meyer Burnett.
Would the rule about reproductions from any Star Trek production mean no more
"continuations" of the original series or recreations of sets, ships, costumes, ect. seen on the shows/movies, or just no specific things an episode or movie?
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"Hey guys, remember those guidelines we demanded? Now that we have them, we're going to ignore those, too! By god, we're going to get CBS to just can the whole idea of fan productions!"
I Am Not A Lawyer, nor does anything in this post constitute legal advice in ANY way. My comments are worth exactly what you've paid for them. 
Reading on after clicking to quote this, I see that Dennis has already expressed much the same idea. Oh well. Great minds, and all that.
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As to Takei's appearance - would it work to have him *disavow* his footage and go uncredited or credited under a different name? Like directors sometimes do with the Alan Smithee pseudonym?
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I suspect that you're right: this is a way for Paramount and CBS to make almost anything anyone would want to do verboten, not because they really want to go after everyone, but because they want to make sure that in the future, their right to do so in some of the extreme situations that have arisen (Axanar, and, to be honest even though I like them, probably Renegades, NV, and Continues for their use of SAG actors) will be completely clear and unquestionable.
Reading on after clicking to quote this, I see that Dennis has already expressed much the same idea. Oh well. Great minds, and all that.
I don't think anyone should threaten him, but if the Good Lord just decides it's his time (and the Lord is a big Trek fan, you know), then, well, Bless His Heart. (Any other Southerners on the board will know what THAT means.
)I see this as a good thing, honestly. Call this me justifying being unmotivated (and you'll be half-right, to be honest), but one of the reasons I've never done anything with some of the ideas I've had for Trek fanfic, fan productions, etc, is that I was too aware that I was playing in somebody else's sandbox, and it just didn't seem worth it to make something I couldn't really get credit for or make money from. Or could get sued for. Maybe some of these bright, talented people working on these productions will now go on to be the next Roddenberry, Larsen, Lucas, etc.
Well, there's breaking it up, and then there's breaking it up. If you put it up in two 10 minute playable files for download... but with instructions on how to use the copy command to append the second one to the first for full playback... that might work for the letter of the rules, anyway.
As to Takei's appearance - would it work to have him *disavow* his footage and go uncredited or credited under a different name? Like directors sometimes do with the Alan Smithee pseudonym?
If Paramount actually gave material aid to the production, that would seem to me to be tantamount to permission. (I'm serious, but this sentence also fulfills an item way down on my bucket list to use the words paramount and tantamount in the same sentence in a meaningful way.
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Directors usually aren't on-screen. How could you hide who the actor is when the entire world can see his face and knows exactly who he is????
Well, do they? You can't DNA test an image on film. If Takei says it isn't him, and the credits just don't list him or list a pseudonym, I'd think that would satisfy legality. Everybody would know, but Paramount would have plausible deniability, which might be all they would need for a fan production that has been going as long as this one, has tacit approval in the form of them having donated items to the production, and has played by the rules otherwise.
But as I said - not a lawyer. I was just thinking out loud.
If they were filming yesterday, how does a shoot begin on Saturday?
It's a Dr. Who crossover. Koenig's actually putting on his 'Bester' style to play The Master.
Facial and voice recognition is good enough for criminal courts, so pretty sure you can prove it was him if you had to.
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Yep. I immediately thought of their donor perks.
CGI reproduction. It wasn't actually HIM.
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It's still his image and likeness, though, so I doubt that would work.
