Star Trek: Axanar

[Mudd]

Well, both of those are far more successfully ambitious than any fan film I've seen yet - or any professional Trek show, for that matter.

The fact that some folks still look at Picasso's work and declare "my five year-old can do that" doesn't make every scrawl a Picasso.

 

[BigJake]

Well, both of those are far more successfully ambitious than any fan film I've seen yet - or any professional Trek show, for that matter.

But Dennis, that's clearly not possible. There's no possible way that anything that involves people just talking could be entertaining, it's SCIENCE.

 

[I amnot Herbert]

Returning to Axanar,...

What will they go for? ...

Personally I would really like either the stark look with clear lighting/almost no shadows used by Stanley Kubrick for 2001, A Space Odyssey, with no sound effects in space at all, though since they are clearly going for big, bold phaser/explosion SFX that probably won't happen.
...

Alec Peters and Christian Gossett seem to be going for TOS style but gritty, or they may go for something entirely different, so we'll have to wait and see what they have planned.

EXCELLENT post!

I hope that they go for "realism" ala Marvel... GOTG cinematographic style would be great!

2001's style is EXCELLENT, but it's TOO realistic for Star Trek IMHO...

Firefly's style being a hybrid of those, could work...

 

[JoeZhang]

Well, both of those are far more successfully ambitious than any fan film I've seen yet - or any professional Trek show, for that matter.

But Dennis, that's clearly not possible. There's no possible way that anything that involves people just talking could be entertaining, it's SCIENCE.

It's a nice strawman But your examples feature interesting *characters* doing interesting things and interacting with each other - the thing I watched this afternoon had some people giving lengthy dull monologues in a flat tone.

If you think there is a scene in there that compares in tone, dialogue or watchability to Glengarry Glennrose I would love to know what it is.

 

[I amnot Herbert]

Getting back to this fan production - I don't get it - it seems to represent the worse of old trek in that it's a lot of old dudes sitting around and some very well rendered but largely uninteresting space battles - is the full length thing meant to be more of the same?

(Great production values however).

...yeah, no. the documentary style was used as a cost-effective way of producing the teaser...

 

[doubleohfive]

Man. Fly away for the Christmas holiday and everything goes cray cray.

To start:

I am a fan of Axanar. It sure has been difficult though to maintain my composure all nine million times I've had to repeat this because it just seems that there are people who don't have enough RAM to process the fact that I can like something and still be critical of it, but whatever. It's a joy to know that my opinion, little old me, carries such weight with these people. On other, unrelated notes: I support Obamacare, immigration reform, and also the legalization of equal marriage for all in every state in the union. You should too.

2) While I personally am quite looking forward to the offerings of both Axanar and Renegades, I find it highly doubtful that CBS/Paramount is going to be so moved to try to use either concept for this holy grail some fans want of a new tv series. The Abrams films are doing just fine and there's no real need to saturate the market again. And, as others have said, if the powers that be were going to go that route (of producing a new TV series) conventional wisdom would suggest that they'd just go ahead and start from the bottom up with people they know they can work with. Note: This is not aimed as a dig against either Axanar or Renegades -- both are fine productions and I'm sure will be lovely fan films. I just don't see the bridge between "Here's my fan film, let's make it a pro series" being crossed with either of them.

Lastly:

Red Omega, you seem awfully familiar. A presence I've not felt since... (*scurries away*)

 

[Mudd]

But Dennis, that's clearly not possible. There's no possible way that anything that involves people just talking could be entertaining, it's SCIENCE.

It's possible, and done often enough - just not, as far as I've seen, in most fan films.

Intrepid is to some extent an exception; at least I buy that those characters are having conversations with one another, rather than declaiming or talking to the camera.

 

[I amnot Herbert]

I am a fan of Axanar...

On other, unrelated notes: I support Obamacare, immigration reform, and also the legalization of equal marriage for all in every state in the union. You should too.

...The Abrams films are doing just fine...

THIS is where we diverge: but I'm sure nobody wants to hear more of that...

 

[Mudd]

...The Abrams films are doing just fine...

THIS is where we diverge: but I'm sure nobody wants to hear more of that...

Financially they're doing quite well, despite the desire of some folks to have their own set of facts to match their opinions.

 

[Maurice]

I have been told that the film is not in the documentary style.

 

[Bixby]

Thank you Maurice...Now this REALLY has piqued my interest...

 

[urbandefault]

I have been told that the film is not in the documentary style.

Thank you Maurice...Now this REALLY has piqued my interest...

I don't know why for sure, but this has been my impression from the beginning--even after the release of "Prelude."

Really, to do it any other way would be ... wait for it ... illogical.

 

[I amnot Herbert]

Axanar: Strategic Operations mod for Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion

Did I mention that there is a new video game in the Axanar "universe" that is in production?

It's a Total Conversion mod for Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion called:

Axanar Strategic Operations

Federation Task Force

Apparently, the mod will be free(!), and the SSE:R game is available on steam... it was 50% off last night, but now back to $40...

It looks AWESOME, and I've got the machine to run it!

Man, I sure hope Axanar can keep it up! Good Stuff!

 

[M'Sharak]

^ Completely agreed! When I was younger, and perhaps a bit more naive, I would have accepted the notion as well. I remember when Enterprise was coming back for a 5th season, and that CBS had accepted the outpouring of money and ideas from the fans!

Slogging through the last few pages was hard enough, but THIS paragraph just jumped out at me...I had washed my hands of anything Trek after the first season of Enterprise so I wasn't following what became of it...

But SERIOUSLY? There were people foolish enough to send their hard-earned money to a billion-dollar corporation?!

...

No money was ever sent to Paramount (this did occur after the Paramount/Viacom split, but Paramount was the entity approached.) Some money was collected by an outside party, with the stated intent being to buy a fifth season. Paramount wouldn't bite, however, and I believe all monies were eventually refunded to the donors.

See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_Enterprise#2005

Did I mention that there is a new video game in the Axanar "universe" that is in production?

You did.

 

[Amaris]

^ Yeah, Paramount never saw a penny (nor did they want it in that way); it was just that these folks had been convinced that this third party had the ear of Paramount/CBS.

 

[BillJ]

^ Yeah, Paramount never saw a penny (nor did they want it in that way); it was just that these folks had been convinced that this third party had the ear of Paramount/CBS.

It seems like some of these fan films are trying the same thing and it's sad. They are playing with some people's emotions for no reason.

Just make a good film.

 

[BigJake]

the thing I watched this afternoon had some people giving lengthy dull monologues in a flat tone

I dunno, maybe you tuned into C-SPAN by mistake? From where I'm sitting there's too much of a disconnect between this claim and the content for me to know what to do with it, really.

 

[Dukhat]

^ Yeah, Paramount never saw a penny (nor did they want it in that way); it was just that these folks had been convinced that this third party had the ear of Paramount/CBS.

It seems like some of these fan films are trying the same thing and it's sad. They are playing with some people's emotions for no reason.

Just make a good film.

I could be wrong, but I'm not aware of any fan film producers who are alleging that their product is being endorsed by Paramount/CBS and/or that it's going to be used as a jumping off point for a new canon TV series. Rather, it's the overzealousness of a few fans of these films who try to blow their importance out of proportion, and the poor saps who get reeled in by the bullshit.

The Save Enterprise campaign, however, was complete and utter horseshit, and Paramount should have put a stop to that immediately, IMHO.

 

[USS Intrepid]

The Axanar team has never claimed, as far as I am aware, that they are endorsed by CBS. They have, IIRC, said they have consulted with CBS legal to make sure what they are doing isn't stepping on anyone's legal toes.

The only production, I am aware of, that has claimed to be pitching to (but not endorsed by) CBS is Renegades. But I'm not going to get into that.

 

[I amnot Herbert]

I know that I have read that Axanar and Captain Worf been have pitched to CBS.