Star Trek: Axanar

[c0rnedfr0g]

Very sorry if I'm asking dumb questions, but I've poked around Axanar's FB page, web page, etc. and just want to make sure I understand...

What is the difference between "Axanar" and "Prelude to Axanar" ?? From what I can tell, "Prelude to Axanar" is a documentary-style short film used solely to garner interest and $$$ for "Axanar," correct? So what we see of the interviews in "Prelude" will not actually be in the "Axanar" film (which will follow the more common narrative story-telling format (e.g. TWOK)) ??

Assuming all the above is true, will the "Prelude to Axanar" bit be included as an extra feature on the "Axanar" film Blu-ray?

 

[doubleohfive]

Prelude to Axanar is the "proof of concept" teaser released in July that the production crowdfunded to generate interest and more opportunity/goodwill to allow for more crowdfunding to pay for the feature film, Star Trek: Axanar, which is currently in production.

It sounds like you've got it about right. I have no idea what the Blu-Ray would include as I think that's being made available only to the Kickstarter donors? Maybe Red Omega will know; he seems to be closely involved with the project.

 

[tobiasrichter]

David - you got it pretty much figured out yourself. "Prelude to Axanar" was our test to see if we can pull it off - and to show it to the fans. The documentary style was chosen to present something new and to make it do-able for us.

"Axanar" will be a classic full feature film. It is currently in Pre-Production, set building has just started, filming will most likely happening this summer. Whether or not the "Prelude" will be included on the "Axanar" BluRay, I think nobody can answer that right now. It would certainly be a nice option, but it would take away from those donors who have given money for a "Prelude" disc. It is ultimately up to Alec to decide that.

 

[BigJake]

The DVD/Blu-Ray cover art winner for "Prelude" looks pretty great:

 

[Harvey]

Nice. Juan Ortiz, I presume? Definitely his style.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

The DVD/Blu-Ray cover art winner for "Prelude" looks pretty great:

I like it.

 

[BigJake]

Nice. Juan Ortiz, I presume? Definitely his style.

I think it's a guy named... Richard Bennett? Not sure if I have that right. But he certainly seems inspired by Ortiz.

EDIT: Sorry, it's Ron Gamble.

 

[jojolimited]

I like it. Retro and modern at the same time.

 

[DarKush]

Does any one know if there is information on the ship classes for the various Axanar Starfleet starships?

 

[BigJake]

Does any one know if there is information on the ship classes for the various Axanar Starfleet starships?

tobias probably knows? Might also be worth inquiring on the Axanar Fan Group on FB. Even if there isn't much in the way of "official" information there's almost sure to be someone who's watched Prelude enough times to put together some sort of rough folk-classification of the ships it features.

 

[tobiasrichter]

There is no official info on the Starfleet vessel shipclasses yet, but there are documents in the works with lots of background info to those ships that should clear this up. But I have no idea when these will get available.

 

[DarKush]

^
Thanks.

 

[Timo]

there's almost sure to be someone who's watched Prelude enough times to put together some sort of rough folk-classification of the ships it features

...And that's the one minus I feel mars the techno-visuals of Prelude and probably of the final feature as well. All ships except the hero vessel are in practice identical and indistinguishable, despite being of different shapes.

That is, basically every ship features those same torpedo launcher modules, the same number of saucer gunports for pop-up death-ray and firebolt weapons, the same type of engines, the same bridge shape, and so forth. Yes, we can start with the single-naceller and note that the type named after Russian space people adds a second nacelle and a secondary hull, and the type named after native American warriors adds a further hull. But there was a nacelle to start with, and there was even a shuttlebay to start with; does the numerical increase create distinct and distinctive capabilities?

Not that the story would have any need for those, of course. Or Starfleet, for that matter; perhaps they just like to have "full capabilities" in every ship, only scalable so that some ships have more of them. It's just a matter of worldbuilding, is all - the diversity would look more impressive if smaller ships at least had fewer gunports.

In terms of "grey mass vs. the Ares", this works fine, naturally. But when ships are "too" modular, they start to look like cheap cut-and-paste jobs even if nothing were further from the truth in backstage reality...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Ronald Held]

During wartime modular ships are faster to construct?

 

[Captain Atkin]

During wartime modular ships are faster to construct?

That makes sense to me

 

[Mudd]

I've no problem telling the Axanar ships apart - more generally, though, using "it happens in real life" is as bad a justification in visual design as it is in fiction writing.

 

[Timo]

I've no problem telling the Axanar ships apart

Me neither, but that's not a merit. Variation in shape for the sake of variation is just silly, unless I can get the impression that it exists for a purpose (other than the obvious Hollywood one, that is). It doesn't matter if I can't figure out that purpose; the important thing is to get the impression.

I'd be much happier with ships I can't tell apart if "individuality" or variation in capabilities is not a relevant plot feature anyway. When a war movie or even a half-baked action flick bothers with diverse weapons and vehicles, it usually tries to milk the differences for dramatic value: the police cruiser cannot follow the jeep into the forest, the shotgun won't outrange the rifle, the Colt has a lower rate of fire than the mini-Uzi. In scifi, such milking is more difficult, since the audience doesn't have any background information: there is no series of books or documentaries about the differences between an X-wing and a Y-wing (not until the movie is released and the tie-in products hit the shelves, that is). But somehow, Star Wars manages to draw on analogies to classic war movies or even actual military hardware to create the differences anyway, in the minds of the audience.

I wonder if Axanar will manage some of that, too... Apart from obviously showcasing the Ares and referring to the well-known Constitution, that is. Alas, it can't draw on the 2009 movie, because the differently shaped ships there that serve as the templates of the Axanar ones are another undifferentiated grey mass of little "verisimilitude" value.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Mudd]

I've no problem telling the Axanar ships apart

Me neither, but that's not a merit. Variation in shape for the sake of variation is just silly

It's not. Visual design for fiction is not a branch of engineering. It's about aesthetics. Plausibility matters but practicality does not.

 

[Duane]

Apologies if this has been posted before but I just ran across Alec's blog which gives daily or at least fairly regular updates on Axanar's progress. In case you'd like to follow along:

http://www.startrekaxanar.com/captains-log/

 

[fireproof78]

Not sure if this is official but this shows some of the different ships on both sides of the fight.