Well NO...…...Cause random comment guy is trustworthy? The guy who was running it needs to grow a pair and post something. Hell delete the page and their website if it is dead.
There website www.startrekcaptainpike.com is also still online and sill set up to accept donations with perks. Should be taken down. I found the director and executive producer (Tood Shawn Tei) on Facebook but he has not returned my messages. As someone who donated to this project I am frustrated. I am not frustrated with the fact that the fan film guidelines would make it impossible for them to finish the film, for they only raised enough money for act one of three (30 minutes of a 90 minute film). However I am frustrated with the lack of communication. Does anyone here know Gabriel Koerner? I know he was also working on the film. Maybe he might know whats going on. Failing that, if anyone sees Walter Koenig at a convention , he might also know what is going on as he was co-producer.
I talked with Gabe yesterday...…..and if you know Gabe he was "colorful" when I asked about it. He did confirm that the project was abandoned in 2016. Another source I reached out to said "Oh, man...Captain Pike isn't just a little dead, it's completely dead. The money for that project is just gone with the wind." Tei is just hiding but he should take down all the social media at least...…...Looks like they raised over $150K via Kickstarter and Indegogo. Also I heard that the script had Pike as a martial arts fighter using katanas, playing to Todd's skill set. So I guess I have my answer now. Oh and Walter says he is done acting at 81.
I did not know they had raised so much money. I thought it was $85k, but I could be wrong. They claim that they spent over $61k on production for part one, of a three part film, before they did their second fundraiser. Here is the breakdown of their costs: Paypal/Credit Card processing fees– 6,000 Perks – 5,000 Actors - 12,000 Renting L.A. Sets- 6,000 Camera, Lighting, Insurance– 8,000 for Camera, lighting, and Equipment rentals. Food - 3,000 Wardrobe and make up effects– 9,000 Set pieces and design - (which includes all the furniture, Captain’s Chair, crew chairs etc– 12,000 = $61,000 total spent The second fundraiser which raised just under $24k was supposed to pay for the visual effects to finish part one and to begin filming part two, however I do not know how much of that $24k was actually spent on achieving those goals as they went into silent mode shortly after.
So if part one was produced but never sees the light of day...……..is that like a tree that falls in the forest but no one is there to hear it?
What a colossal waste of money. Seriously. It could have done more good donated to charity than supporting this crap.
I am betting the money is already spent. Did you donate to Kickstarter or Indegogo? I know each has different T&Cs but Indegogo is more lax I believe, that's why fan films LOVE IT!
I spoke with someone at Indiegogo last year about the fact that there had been no communication between the Captain Pike film and backers. They said they had tried to contact the people behind the film, through email and their own website, but their was no response. Beyond that there was nothing more they could do.
I guess we have to add Todd Shawn Tei to the Bad Boys of Star Trek fandom list along with Alec Peters and pedophile, Huston Huddleson.
Like Kick Starter, the only way they'll take action themselves is if someone files a lawsuit. Don't kid yourself - all either Indegogo or Kick Starter care about is their 3% - 10% cut of the Pledges for a project. yes, they have various things in their TOS; but they rarely (if ever) enforce said TOS unless something really egregious occurs (and the whole 'Axanar' situation wasn't egregious enough at $2.5 million for KS to do anything but send form e-mails of "we're looking into it" to those who complained.)
Yep. The whole crowdfunding system could stand to get an overhaul and some government oversight. It doesn't have to be micromanaging. More like - promised product/service not delivered in (let's be generous here) 3 years from the start of the campaign? Then all the $$ goes back to the backers. And if the platform doesn't get the campaign runners to give back the $$, then the platform has to. That'll get platforms to actually do something. And it'll get campaign runners to do something, too. Right now, it just looks like free money for people who can talk a good game and string along the suckers contributors until they stop asking questions.