So with all of the financial shenanigans surrounding Axanar, do we still believe that Peters really spent $120K on Prelude?
CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar
- Thread starter Richard Baker
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Which to keep things into perspective the purported Prelude amount is about as much as TWO full Star Trek Continues episodes which would include flying, housing and feeding all of the cast and crew for a total of 20 days plus construction of sets for the episodes, props and the post production, etc. Yeah right, he spent $120K on a talking head, green screen / CGI 20 min sort. Bullshit!
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If you find someone producing content and you would like it to continue, go for it. I'm not sure that always has to done on a fundraiser platform.
I was looking for that $5,000 (whatever it was) captains chair, It might have been there for a frame.
Also all the services the budget statement said they used, why aren't they posted in the credits?
As of now this is all water under the bridge, dwell on it if you must but I'm hoping there isn't a something coming up next.
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We never use fundraiser platforms. If we need something like materials for a particular set, I get an estimate of the costs then make a request on our Facebook pages, "Hey, we need $XX for some 2"x4"x96"." That's all it usually takes.
<cough>better reputation than Axanar<cough>
That's a relief. I thought Alec Peters had gone Full Putin on @carlosp.
Alec Peters has confirmed that he will be publishing two books. One is the making of Axanar and the other is going to be about his experience with the Lawsuit. He just can't seem to stop himself from profiting from Star Trek IP!
Just for fun I left this comment: "It is true that most of the negativity towards Alec Peters came after the CBS lawsuit. However that is because the lawsuit made people truly aware for the first time that he was profiting from Star Trek IP. Funds were also being used to set up Peters own studio, which he planned to make for profit features. Effectively, the lure of a Star Trek fan film was being used to generate money to build something else, and line the pockets of those involved. I am not a legal expert, I do not pretend to be a legal expert, nor do I need to be a legal expert to see what he did was wrong. Because of his action he has caused a lot of damage to the fan film community."
Wow, some really delusional people in the YouTube comments section.
Just for fun I left this comment: "It is true that most of the negativity towards Alec Peters came after the CBS lawsuit. However that is because the lawsuit made people truly aware for the first time that he was profiting from Star Trek IP. Funds were also being used to set up Peters own studio, which he planned to make for profit features. Effectively, the lure of a Star Trek fan film was being used to generate money to build something else, and line the pockets of those involved. I am not a legal expert, I do not pretend to be a legal expert, nor do I need to be a legal expert to see what he did was wrong. Because of his action he has caused a lot of damage to the fan film community."
I would like to see him take on Lucas film/Walt Disney next. Just for the entertainment value.
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I have to snigger at his whole 'we're upping the game' talk...
Honestly though it's not true that negativity towards Alec peters only came AFTER the lawsuit. Many Backers were already questioning the delays - and many others with prior experience with Alec Peters were telling of his past treatment of fans and business behavior.
Good news people! Alec Peters has just confirmed that he wan'ts to do another documentary (mockumentry) style Star Trek Fan film after Axanar. He has also begun the process of renting out the studio to independent filmmakers. Hay here's an idea - perhaps he should make Axanar first before he starts to move on to other projects!
True, but I think that it was only after the lawsuit that the majority of people became aware of these facts. I have edited my post on YouTube to reflect your point.
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Really? A book on the making of something that has not and will never be made. Please just go away Alec!
Alec Peters quote, "I've spent 3 years of my life working on Axanar and gotten no money for it. When I took the 38 thousand in salary I paid that back."
AP never took the money that he's supposedly paid back? Classic LFIM double-talk.
What's even funnier is AP denies taking donor money for sushi and car tires and such and then in the same breath admits he did use donor money for personal expenses classifying them as "legitimate business expenses." Since when is a fan film a business?
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And the sad part is..........there are people out there that will fork over their rent money for it.
Given his tendency towards revisionism I think I can safely say I'll be passing on his books should they ever actually happen. What I would be very interested in are third party books on the whole affair once the dust has time to settle.
I do wonder how the settlement affects future projects. We know that Axanar is forbidden from further crowd funding, but if Alec was to go on to do further fan films if he could within the 50k limit. Presumably the settlement only affects the actual "Axanar" feature.
I do wonder how the settlement affects future projects. We know that Axanar is forbidden from further crowd funding, but if Alec was to go on to do further fan films if he could within the 50k limit. Presumably the settlement only affects the actual "Axanar" feature.
And if any Axanar Backers want see what kind of for profit business your money got Mr.Peters:
https://www.facebook.com/IndustryStudiosSCV/
Yep - it looks like he was able to partner with Bexel: http://bexel.com/ (in Burbank, CA) - so, depending on just what the 'partnership' entails (and it's not made up BS), he may come out of this with a full an functional studio and edit facility. Of course whether he can find any/enough paying clients to keep the place/renew the lease/ make a profit in the long run; who knows. But, it appears (if the Industry Studios page is accurate) the settlement allows Alec Peters to keep the studio; and the morons who keep giving him 'private' donations thinking he'll use any of it to actually finish Axanar will probably continue to pay his rent.
But again, remember Paramount/CBS didn't sue Alec Peters because 'Axanar was too good/they were scared...' - they sued him because he publically raised $1.4+ million using their IP - and was claiming he was making an 'Independent' Star Trek film and as far as he was concerned CBS/Paramount either didn't have the right to copyright individual Star Trek elements/didn't actually hold a legal copyright for Star Trek/abrogated the IP because they let many other fan groups use it for over a decade to make close to professional looking fan films (aka ST: New Voyages, ST: Continues, ST:Renegaades.)
With the settlement CBS/Paramount did get Alec Peters to:
- Admit CBS/Paramount own the Star Trek IP and have a valid copyright.
- Admit he 'overstepped' the bounds other fan film groups had remained within over the last decade.
- Agree to produce' Axanar' within the released Star Trek Fan Film Guidelines (with a couple exceptions relating to former Star Trek actors that had appeared in 'Preluse to Axanar'.)
- Agree that any Star Trek related 'fan film' he makes in the future WILL adhere 100% to the Star Trek Fan Film Guidelines.
And those 4 things are what CBS/Paramount wanted most. Did they also want to get back the financial gain (aka new business startup capital from Star Trek fans) that Alec Peters received? I'd say yes to that as well - BUT - not at they expense of drawing this whole thing out in public opinion and the possibility they might not get their main goals achieved. So, as a result, Alec Peters gets away with what was 'donated' by his supporters - at least as far as CBS/Paramount is concerned.
Whether a large enough group of the Backers themselves decide to try and bring a Class Action suit; or some government agency in CA decides to bring some sort of Criminal charges due to some Backer complaints remains to be seen. But in the end, the only people who are screwed are those who believed Alec Peters promises - and thought his primary goal was putting their money fully 'on the screen' of an full length Axanar film - rather then a way to get startup capital for his new 'for profit' venture - that, after the settlement does appear to be his main/primary focus.
https://www.facebook.com/IndustryStudiosSCV/
Yep - it looks like he was able to partner with Bexel: http://bexel.com/ (in Burbank, CA) - so, depending on just what the 'partnership' entails (and it's not made up BS), he may come out of this with a full an functional studio and edit facility. Of course whether he can find any/enough paying clients to keep the place/renew the lease/ make a profit in the long run; who knows. But, it appears (if the Industry Studios page is accurate) the settlement allows Alec Peters to keep the studio; and the morons who keep giving him 'private' donations thinking he'll use any of it to actually finish Axanar will probably continue to pay his rent.
But again, remember Paramount/CBS didn't sue Alec Peters because 'Axanar was too good/they were scared...' - they sued him because he publically raised $1.4+ million using their IP - and was claiming he was making an 'Independent' Star Trek film and as far as he was concerned CBS/Paramount either didn't have the right to copyright individual Star Trek elements/didn't actually hold a legal copyright for Star Trek/abrogated the IP because they let many other fan groups use it for over a decade to make close to professional looking fan films (aka ST: New Voyages, ST: Continues, ST:Renegaades.)
With the settlement CBS/Paramount did get Alec Peters to:
- Admit CBS/Paramount own the Star Trek IP and have a valid copyright.
- Admit he 'overstepped' the bounds other fan film groups had remained within over the last decade.
- Agree to produce' Axanar' within the released Star Trek Fan Film Guidelines (with a couple exceptions relating to former Star Trek actors that had appeared in 'Preluse to Axanar'.)
- Agree that any Star Trek related 'fan film' he makes in the future WILL adhere 100% to the Star Trek Fan Film Guidelines.
And those 4 things are what CBS/Paramount wanted most. Did they also want to get back the financial gain (aka new business startup capital from Star Trek fans) that Alec Peters received? I'd say yes to that as well - BUT - not at they expense of drawing this whole thing out in public opinion and the possibility they might not get their main goals achieved. So, as a result, Alec Peters gets away with what was 'donated' by his supporters - at least as far as CBS/Paramount is concerned.
Whether a large enough group of the Backers themselves decide to try and bring a Class Action suit; or some government agency in CA decides to bring some sort of Criminal charges due to some Backer complaints remains to be seen. But in the end, the only people who are screwed are those who believed Alec Peters promises - and thought his primary goal was putting their money fully 'on the screen' of an full length Axanar film - rather then a way to get startup capital for his new 'for profit' venture - that, after the settlement does appear to be his main/primary focus.
AP said in that podcast he's going to be contacting all his donors on his Axanar mailing list for "private donations" so he's found a way around that limitation as AP said he's focusing on the solvency of the studio first then making Axanar. Studio first as in for-profit business capital derived from CBS/P's IP, then make Axanar. lol. I really cringe at this whole thing believing CBS/P was overly generous and should have nailed AP to the wall.
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While they could've easily nailed him to a wall at trial, I understand avoiding the expense. I am surprised he seems to have gotten off so lightly though. I would've expected a blanket ban on him fundraising for any Star Trek projects. By using his existing mailing list of backers he's pretty much lost nothing anyway, since diminishing returns would suggest he's already got the names of anyone that would still send him money from the first Kickstarter alone.
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