Rebranding a Fan Film: Yellow and Red Alert

[Matthew Raymond]

If thou dost not want to offend the copyright gods, how does one depict Battlestations and General Quarters in a non-Trek film? Obviously, we should avoid terms like "Red Alert" and "Yellow Alert", but should we avoid the actual colors. Is it okay to have red emergency lighting? What about red or yellow fonts?

It should be noted that in user interfaces, red is commonly associated with things like "critical", "danger" or "error", while yellow is commonly associated with "warning" or "caution". Should other color considerations be ignored so long as you stick to common software UI conventions?

(If it's a parody, you could so stuff like "green alert" or "ultraviolet alert", but a genuine parody is protected anyway.)

Perhaps, instead of changing color, the bridge reconfigures. Perhaps new consoles come out when you to "Battlestations". Maybe restraining bars lower onto the chairs to hold crew in when you sound "General Quarters". Maybe the bridge fills with a breathable fluid that protects people from high-G acceleration.

Any thoughts?

 

[Jedi_Master]

While I don't think that "Yellow Alert" or "Red Alert" are copyrighted, I can see the interest in creating an original style "Alert" or "Battle Conditions."

 

[Kor]

I would suggest basing it on real-life naval procedures.

Kor

 

[Matthew Raymond]

While I don't think that "Yellow Alert" or "Red Alert" are copyrighted

Well, it's not so much Red and Yellow Alert in a vacuum, so much as the alerts combined with a collection of tropes that collectively give the impression of direct copying. If K.I.T.T. from a rebooted Knight Rider had a Red Alert feature, I'm not sure CBS would care, but if a show like Dark Matter had ships with Red Alert, it might make them a bit uncomfortable.

I can see the interest in creating an original style "Alert" or "Battle Conditions."

Right. It'd be nice to see something new.

I would suggest basing it on real-life naval procedures.

Please feel free to post links to any resources you think might be helpful. That said, I understand that the alarm sounds the Navy uses to change over time, and many procedures probably don't translate to very good cinema (nor should they, but there you are). This may be one of those situations where the psychology of the viewer is more important than reality.

Hmm. I wonder if there are NASA alerts. What are those like?

 

[Maurice]

You can't copyright words. This is why terms like "tractor beam" get used everywhere. However, if you copy too many terms and elements commonly associated with a given copyrighted property you can get into trouble because that starts looking like a copy attempting to exploit said IP.

Red and yellow alerts are a common alert condition in a number of organizations. Red alert aka general quarters (US Navy), action stations (UK Navy), and battle stations. Red Alert is also title of Peter George's 1958 novel that was the basis of Dr. Strangelove.

 

[Tenacity]

General quarters
Action stations
Set condition one
Set condition two

 

[jespah]

We're Screwed
We're a Little Less Screwed
Go About Your Business

 

[fireproof78]

You can't copyright words. This is why terms like "tractor beam" get used everywhere. However, if you copy too many terms and elements commonly associated with a given copyrighted property you can get into trouble because that starts looking like a copy attempting to exploit said IP.

Red and yellow alerts are a common alert condition in a number of organizations. Red alert aka general quarters (US Navy), action stations (UK Navy), and battle stations. Red Alert is also title of Peter George's 1958 novel that was the basis of Dr. Strangelove.

And a video game

 

[Matthew Raymond]

Red Alert in that situation has a certain connotation. Are you suggesting that a hammer and sickle should appear on the screen and Soviet music should play in the background every time they go to Red Alert?

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Grey Alert for the crew to be wary of the current situation, and when the shit hits the fan then Beige Alert

 

[Tenacity]

. Are you suggesting that a hammer and sickle should appear on the screen and Soviet music should play in the background every time they go to Red Alert

May Day alert comrade.

 

[DonIago]

Defcon 1 through Defcon 10. Defcon 10 is of course only theoretical, as you'd then be occupying all Defense Conditions in the universe simultaneously.

 

[Matthew Raymond]

Defcon 1 through Defcon 10. Defcon 10 is of course only theoretical, as you'd then be occupying all Defense Conditions in the universe simultaneously.

Only if their ship is a guided missile between their legs.

 

[DonIago]

So...the Phoenix?

 

[Matthew Raymond]

So...the Phoenix?

In that case, Red Alert would be called "Fox Three".

 

[fireproof78]

Red Alert in that situation has a certain connotation. Are you suggesting that a hammer and sickle should appear on the screen and Soviet music should play in the background every time they go to Red Alert?

Yes.

 

[DonIago]

Tell me the main viewer switches over to Tetris and I'm sold.

 

[Matthew Raymond]

Tell me the main viewer switches over to Tetris and I'm sold.

For that is the TRUE purpose of Red Alert: to protect us from falling shapes made out of cubes.

 

[Matthew Raymond]

I just saw this link:

https://scifi.stackexchange.com/que...lored-alerts-in-star-trek-and-what-do-they-do

It basically has the following alerts:

• Yellow Alert - I believe is similar to General Quarters.
• Red Alert - Equivalent of Battlestations.
• Double Red Alert - When ordinary Red Alert just won't cut it.
• Blue Alert - For landing your starship on a planet.
• Black Alert - For when you're about to use the Spore Drive.
• Condition Grey - Don't leave the water running and turn the light off when you're done.

Personally, I think you only really need a few general alerts, then you can specify the reason for the alert in an announcement. Something like "General Quarters. Prepare for landing." or "Battlestations. Use Omega Protocol".

Actually, that Defcon idea isn't a completely silly idea. You could have something like "Battlestations. Security Level 2." for something like Double Red Alert. But a ten point scale is overkill. Five points is all you'd ever need.

What alerts would you need, though? Battlestations and General Quarters, obviously. Abandon Ship is good. Anything else that's actually critical? Blue Alert seems unnecessary, and requires more set dressing. Condition Grey seems like more of a rationing order than an alert. Black Alert also seems unnecessary, since if you want it to be secret, you could just call "General Quarters" and not tell people why. It's also hard to visualize. What do you use on set, a strobing blacklight?

 

[DonIago]

For that is the TRUE purpose of Red Alert: to protect us from falling shapes made out of cubes.

Borg cubes...