Help Star Trek New Voyages/Phase II Get a Hugo Award

[GSchnitzer]

Dear Star Trek New Voyages/Phase II Fans and Supporters:

If you haven't heard, our most recent episode "World Enough and Time" starring George Takei as "Sulu" was nominated for the prestigious science fiction Hugo Award for 2008 in the category of Best Dramatic Presentation--Short Form. The five nominees are:

Battlestar Galactica episode "Razor"

Doctor Who episode "Blink"

Doctor Who episode "Human Nature" / "Family of Blood"

Star Trek New Voyages episode "World Enough and Time"

Torchwood episode "Captain Jack Harkness"


Folks can vote simply and quckly online.

So, who votes on the Hugo Awards? The answer is: you do--Mr. and Ms. Average Science Fiction Fan. The Hugo Awards aren't decided by some select committee; they are decided by the members of the World Science Fiction and Fantasy Society/Denvention 3 convention-and anyone can become a member. In fact, you need to be a member to vote--but time is running out.

You can become a supporting WSFS/Denvention 3 member for $50.00 per person. Of course, you could get really ambitious and get a membership for every person in your family so you can cast lots of votes! You can also get an attending membership for $200 if you plan on actually attending the Denvention 3 convention in Denver in August.

Please obtain your membershp here:

https://www.denvention3.org/wcdb/memed_member.php

With only 300 to 400 members actually bothering to complete and submit ballots each year, we really do have an opportunity to make an impact--especially with so many Trek BBS forum members. Hoping and wishing and keeping fingers crossed probably isn't going to get it done. We are going to have to actually purchase Denvention 3 memberships so that we can actually be permitted to on the Hugo Award ballot. They will be counting ballots, not crossed fingers.

If you can at all financially afford to do so, please help support our Hugo efforts by purchasing a Denvention 3 membership at the above web address so that you will be permitted to vote in the Hugo Award process. Securing a Hugo Award win would really boost our profile and clout. So, if you can afford it, don't delay!

One you have secured a membership, you can vote online here:

https://www.denvention3.org/wcdb/08hugostart.php

Thanks for your time and consideration--and your membership and votes. Every membership and vote will count; please don't just leave it to the other guy to do.

Greg Schnitzer
Star Trek New Voyages/Phase II

 

[Thalek]

If Phase II deserves a Hugo award (and it might), it will do so without needing a campaign.

I'm sure that ballot-box stuffing is the furthest thing from your mind, as Phase II is filled with honest and honorable people. But I confess that is the impression I mistakenly get.

IMO, a better approach would have been to give links to the WorldCon site, mention the worthy candidates, and allow fans to vote their genuine impressions instead of canvassing votes for any one entry.

My apologies if I've offended. And I am certain that the initial impression I got is an inaccurate one: all of my dealings with Phase II have indicated a sincere respect for the fans and their ability to make up their own minds.

I merely point out how the post could be misconstrued, and suggest an alternate approach that might be more in line with your goals and philosopy.

 

[Noname Given]

While I enjoyed it, and think it's a great achievement for a group of very dedicated fans. It hardly rises to the level of a Hugo award. (imo).

 

[GSchnitzer]

Thalek, et al:

Thanks for the feedback.

I'm not sure whether or not "World Enough and Time" does indeed rise to the level of a Hugo Award. I guess we'll find out. But by its presence on the ballot, clearly it has risen to at least the level of a Hugo nomination.

To clarify a point, "ballot box stuffing" is the illegal act of one person submitting multiple ballots during a vote in which only one ballot per person is permitted. I would never advocate people do that for the Hugo Award competition. I think everyone should vote once and only once.

I believe what I am doing is called "increasing voter registration" and "getting out the vote." I believe encouraging people to register and to vote and even advocating for a particular nominee is honest and ethical.

"Hello, I'm Barack Obama. Let me tell you what you need to do in order to get registered to vote and then let me tell you perfectly objectively about all the candidates you will see on the ballot and you can make up your minds about who the best candiate is. But telling you that I think you should vote for me? Oh no, I would never do that! I'm not going to tell you who I think your should vote for; that would be dishonest and unethical of me." That sounds so odd--that a nominee is not permitted to campaign and advocate for himself. Is that really your contention?

For what it's worth, I provided links to the Denvention 3 site and I provided a list of the nominees in the Best Dramatic Presentation--Short Form category. I am proud that our small fan-based production is in such company and any one of these nominees could justifiably win a Hugo Award. They are all fine productions.

In the end, people will always vote how they want on a secret ballot. People don't need encouraging from me to vote as they think best. I respect fans' decisions to make up their own minds. In a secret ballot, I have no choice but to respect it.

Neverthless, I am not neutral on the subject. I really do have a preference. It seems disingenuous to sit back and feign neutrality and objectivity on the subject. But I apologize if my lack of neutrality has ruffled feathers.

Thank you for your suggestions on an alternate approach. We have indeed used that approach as well in our Hugo efforts. We are trying a lot of different approaches. Thanks for letting me know that you think the "letting the chips fall where they may" approach will work best.

Greg Schnitzer
Star Trek New Voyages/Phase II

If Phase II deserves a Hugo award (and it might), it will do so without needing a campaign.

I'm sure that ballot-box stuffing is the furthest thing from your mind, as Phase II is filled with honest and honorable people. But I confess that is the impression I mistakenly get.

IMO, a better approach would have been to give links to the WorldCon site, mention the worthy candidates, and allow fans to vote their genuine impressions instead of canvassing votes for any one entry.

My apologies if I've offended. And I am certain that the initial impression I got is an inaccurate one: all of my dealings with Phase II have indicated a sincere respect for the fans and their ability to make up their own minds.

I merely point out how the post could be misconstrued, and suggest an alternate approach that might be more in line with your goals and philosopy.

 

[pookha]

but, some fans do frown upon such heavy handed please vote for us from the actual creators.
a we are nominated for a hugo and an explantion of what it means and links to how people could find out more and how to vote would be perhaps better.

i dont know how familar are you with the hugo voting system but ticking off fans can hurt you.
the hugo voting system is a ranked system ie people can decide just how to rank your work with the other nominated works.

hack people off and a work could be placed even below no award on the ballot.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Successfully campaigning for a Hugo award (or a Nebula, for that matter) may or may not be common but it's a long way from unprecedented - given the actually small number of votes that often swing these things, it's a bit naive to assume that they're really either a representative sample of what viewers and readers like in general or a detached measure of merit. Some log-rolling and politicking always goes on, and always has.

Do a usenet search on the campaign and controversy surrounding "Babylon 5's" Hugo win back in the mid-1990s.

If the "New Voyages" folks can effectively organize and direct their fan base to secure a final ballot place or even a win for this episode, more power to them. They are a dedicated, hard-working and inspired group of folks.

 

[Thalek]

I have nothing but respect for the cast and crew of Phase II. It was a pleasure working for them, and a pleasure working with them. Win or lose, getting nominated is a tremendous achievement, and they have all my best wishes.

 

[Messianni]

As great as it is that New Voyages is nominated, when you have the likes of BSG: Razor AND some of Doctor Who's best episodes in its existence... it just doesn't come up to par.

I really wish the NV folk would use all of this obvious talent of theirs to create original material. I really do.

 

[Twain]

I voted. For "Blink".

 

[TRP]

I voted for New Voyages.

 

[Twain]

The episode of NV is an outstanding fan production - but every other entry on there is an outstanding professional production from series that are pretty much outstanding all the time. Put up WEaT against any episode of BSG, Who or Torchwood and it still wouldn't deserve to win.

So that makes you kind of silly.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Well, the Hugos are kind of silly themselves. Old and venerable as they may be, they're essentially the sf industry's equivalent of the "People's Choice" awards - they measure nothing so much as they measure enthusiasm. If the NV people turn out to have the most enthusiastic and committed fans, they earn their Hugo.

I'm not voting this year - if I did, it'd be for "Human Nature" / "Family of Blood" or "Razor" - but I'm much more impressed by "World Enough And Time" than by "Blink" simply because the former represents an accomplishment where the production exceeded what I expect of the form (fan films) whereas "Blink" was an average episode of a series from which I'm accustomed to a great deal better (IMAO, obviously. "Blink" is one of the most popular nuWho episodes amongst my friends and family who watch the series. I thought it was a passingly clever Week Off for Tennant and Dyson). I didn't watch it for the first time and feel "wow, out of all of 'Doctor Who' this deserves some special recognition."

FWIW, I supported "Girl in the Fireplace" last year.

In a world where the fucking American Film Institute can declare popcorn junk like "Terminator 2" to be one of the Top 20 Science Fiction Movies Of All Time it's really, well, silly to dispute taste in these matters.

 

[TRP]

whats wrong with silly? i liked the episode--nothing silly about that.