IDK - he's getting $1677 a month from Patreon for doing jack shit. Wish I could get free money for basically nothing.
CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar 2 - Electric Boogaloo-Fanboys gone WILD-too many hyphens
- Thread starter jespah
- Start date
I wish we had that much right now. It would fund 10 of our productions.
People have actually made jokes at Alec's expense about him engaging in similar behavior. Here's an example:
I don't mean to single out JD, by the way, and I don't think he's a bad guy. Others have made posts like this too, it's just hard to search for them. I hope people now understand why I took such a dim view of such jokes. I wasn't trying to be some kind of cheerleader/defender for AP. I just didn't want to see such a serious subject cheapened and played for laughs, especially when stuff like this happens to people all the time.
Don't get me wrong: if allegations against AP surface, I don't want anyone to think they can't share that information. I just don't think it's a joking matter.
I would fund this guy.......Well, try a Patreon. It could be like this:
I'm not up on what a Patreon is used for. Looking at a Patreon website it appears they seem to consider it as a payment for service, the same as income unless operating as a non profit.
I can not find off hand if or how the IRS may have ruled on Patreon income but I'm sure they and other state tax boards will get around to it.
I've left business taxes in the hands of a CPA for decades because I have had other things to worry about but generally the IRS will catch up to you if you're engaging in tax avoidance.
I would suggest consulting with your tax advisor before collecting Patreon money. I'd also consult with a lawyer before collecting Patreon money in exchange for providing anything that may be considered intellectual property.
I've seen people sort of treat Patreon much like the Kick Starter or other donation sites that describe themselves as a donation service. Patreon reads mainly like a payment system.
I might be barking up the wrong tree.
I can not find off hand if or how the IRS may have ruled on Patreon income but I'm sure they and other state tax boards will get around to it.
I've left business taxes in the hands of a CPA for decades because I have had other things to worry about but generally the IRS will catch up to you if you're engaging in tax avoidance.
I would suggest consulting with your tax advisor before collecting Patreon money. I'd also consult with a lawyer before collecting Patreon money in exchange for providing anything that may be considered intellectual property.
I've seen people sort of treat Patreon much like the Kick Starter or other donation sites that describe themselves as a donation service. Patreon reads mainly like a payment system.
I might be barking up the wrong tree.
I've mostly seen it used by Youtubers who are not at the level where they're making enough through ad revenue to support themselves, so they ask for donations through Patreon. The idea being that fans give them money to keep making content, but in AP's case he's repeatedly said that the sets won't even be used for the film so there is absolutely no reason to donate anything.
I'm also not sure if it would violate the guideline about fundraising fan projects.
I think he is walking a fine line by saying the Patreon is to support Ares Studios NOT Axanar......wink wink.
He's stated several times that "Ares Studios" is a separate legal entity.
So yeah, nothing to worry about! Just don't ask to see the books
You guys are missing the brilliance of it: If Alec never uses the bridge set in a fan film, he's not violating the fan film guidelines no matter how much money he collects for it. It's only money towards a fan film when the set is actually used. Even if he does use it in a future film, he could just say it was preexisting and shouldn't count towards the total, and if people have a problem with that, he can just create a separate entity to give it to (say "The Axanar Set Preservation Society") and have them loan him the set for filming, and say that it shouldn't be totalled up as part of the fan film because he doesn't even own it and is using it for free.
Think about it: How are Stage 9 Studios and (the now-basically-defunct) Starbase Studios really any different? If they take donations to maintain sets without regards for fan film funding limits (and in order to keep those sets available and in proper working order, they probably have to exceed those funding limits at some point), then why can't Ares Studios?
Not that it matters, because if the fan film guidelines don't apply, there's no "gentleman's agreement" from CBS not to go after them. Or is there? Could it be that AP found a clever way to exploit the settlement with CBS? (I forget, were the details of the settlement public?)
Think about it: How are Stage 9 Studios and (the now-basically-defunct) Starbase Studios really any different? If they take donations to maintain sets without regards for fan film funding limits (and in order to keep those sets available and in proper working order, they probably have to exceed those funding limits at some point), then why can't Ares Studios?
Not that it matters, because if the fan film guidelines don't apply, there's no "gentleman's agreement" from CBS not to go after them. Or is there? Could it be that AP found a clever way to exploit the settlement with CBS? (I forget, were the details of the settlement public?)
i'm thinking the same thing. mommy said you can't have cookies, so you ate a pound of chocolate instead.
we're not funding the movie, we're funding the rent for the studio that we don't need as it contains the sets that we're not going to use in the movie we're not going to make. top notch. lets criticize everyone along the way that points this out. good job forking over >1600 US$ each month axanauts, after the initial 1.6 mill didn't cut it. you could fund my pension instead, i won't make axanar either, but at least i won't ban/block you.
we're not funding the movie, we're funding the rent for the studio that we don't need as it contains the sets that we're not going to use in the movie we're not going to make. top notch. lets criticize everyone along the way that points this out. good job forking over >1600 US$ each month axanauts, after the initial 1.6 mill didn't cut it. you could fund my pension instead, i won't make axanar either, but at least i won't ban/block you.
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The guidelines prohibit crowdfunding in excess of $50k per 15 minute film; accepting "private" donations is fine in whatever amount.
As LFIM is claiming that the bridge will be used in the final film, if he raises enough money, anything he collects for its upkeep would be covered by his settlement agreement.
As LFIM is claiming that the bridge will be used in the final film, if he raises enough money, anything he collects for its upkeep would be covered by his settlement agreement.
I have thought about it and the difference is neither of those studios stole over 1.5 million dollars from people who give it to make a fan film. Not really a great comparison for the point you are trying to make.
Really not seeing the 'loophole' here, just seeing that CBS hasn't gotten pissed off enough to sue again (yet). It's all good until they do, and then all of this was bad the whole time. He's not as clever as he thinks. Other than changing the brand of the platform, how's this not crowdsourcing, again?
No one is missing the "brilliance" - most of us simply have an issue with a man making money off of folks based on the pretense that "someday" he will use their dollars to make a fan film.
I apologize for that post, at the time I didn't really give it much thought, but I do see now where it was inappropriate.
I've seen some writers and artists use it too.
Oh I agree. He thinks he's smarter than everyone. Legally speaking though, he is not crowdfunding for a Star Trek fan film anymore.......which is what he couldn't do per the settlement. He is crowdfunding for his warehouse/storage unit and the utility bills to keep power running to it. Of course, one good look at his book would most likely show funds mingling....if he even keeps records. Plus he's got the YouTube videos making him money and the suckers buying "super chats" just to talk to him during his live streams.....But still nothing of the actual film, and he's moving the goalposts back again. Moving to a smaller storage unit and pushing production time line further back. At this point anyone giving deserves to lose their money.
The guidelines don’t prohibit anything. They aren’t laws, they simply outline things the studio will not object to. I realise that is a fine distinction, but it is still a distinction.