Re the teaser battle:
My point exactly is that it's repetitive. It's by-the-numbers for fan films. And, with all respect, a good teaser sets up something about the story. The insane pilot flying into the sun in "Operation -- Annihilate!" is a clue about the ultimate solution, or the Horta killing the minor in "The Devil in the Dark" sets up the primary threat of the story, etc. In this case, it appears be all just to damage the Enterprise and establish the Klingons for Part 2.
Well, I don't think the teaser
just damages the Enterprise to set up the return of the Klingons in Part 2 (although I agree that it does set up that future part of the story, too). More importantly, as I indicated, it sets up the main point of the story in Part 1: Peter Kirk is at risk and in harm's way. We shot the episode in June of last year and when we began to edit the episode together, we saw that we didn't have enough close-ups of Peter in the bridge scenes, right in the thick of it, being exposed to our pyrotechnics and such. So to better drive home the main point of the teaser, we did some additional pick-up shots in October of last year to get more Peter Kirk action and close-ups.
By adding those extra pick-up shots, we were better able to demonstrate the narrative point of the teaser: Ensign Peter Kirk is onboard, and can
and does get injured. This sets up Peter getting treated by Medical Technician Alex Freeman and Captain Kirk having really mixed feelings about having his nephew onboard. (And way down in Third Place, it does, as you suggest, set up the return of the Klingons.)
So while you suggest it's repetetive and by-the-numbers and doesn't set up the story, I concede that it is repetitive and by-the-numbers but actually
does set up the the two important story points of Part 1 as indicated above--and one story point yet to come in Part 2.
I also stand by the notion that, for whatever reason, the teaser, so far, appears to be the most popular aspect of Part 1--despite how overdone it might be in fan films. But your mileage might indeed be varying from other peoples' mileage.
Greg Schnitzer
Star Trek Phase II