Star Trek Excalibur starts Kickstarter! Please help!

[Maurice]

I'm not being negative. I'm being realistic. It's a very high number to attain in a short deadline.

And, to be honest, good CGI of starships are a dime a dozen these days, as countless videos on YouTube demonstrate. One dedicated hobbyist with the right tools can do it.

This all raises other topics that are broadly applied to fanfilms in general and probably merits a separate discussion.

 

[dayxday1000]

When I read the posts on this thread I'm not hearing negativity so much as constructive criticism - - mostly centered around being realistic. With that in mind, here are a couple of suggestions:

• Develop a better approach to fund raising - Fan productions take years to complete. Do you really need all of your funding right away? How about holding 10 kickstarter campaigns over a 2 year period with a $7500 goal for each?

• Improve your marketing: You say that the production is being done with the aid of some filmmaking professionals, but the website and trailer don't look like professional products and aren't inspiring (at least not to me). As with any marketing, you want the consumer to take action and buy your product, or in this case, donate their time, money, or both. What impression does your trailer and your website make? Do they look like they were made by filmmaking “professionals”? Are they succeeding at what they are intended to do? Remember, people judge things about businesses and organizations based on observation. If the restrooms are filthy in a restaurant people wonder what the kitchen looks like. So if your goal is to get donations then I suggest you SHOW them why your project is worth their time and money.

Again, this isn't meant to be mean or negative. I'd love to see you folks succeed, but you may need change some things in order for that to happen.

 

[Bixby]

I have to agree, $75000 for an unproven production company, with admittedly an eye-catching FX demo reel but NO story outline, is a bit much to ask.

I did notice on Kickstarter another recent production, this time a documentary that easily got 150% or its stated goal. However this doc was a follow-up/sequel to a previously released film, so the filmmakers had a track record.

There are a number of other Star Trek fan productions on the net already, perhaps this one should show us why it should get our money?

 

[monodox]

Even for a 'proven' production, fundraising can prove difficult. A number of years ago I helped on a independent production called 'Welcome To The Cosmos' created by the people behind the Star Wars fan film 'Broken Allegiance'. They managed to secure funding from Screen Australia to film a pilot episode. Unfortunately, they were pipped at the post in trying to secure a deal with the ABC here in Australia to produce the series as a whole. They started a Kickstarter appeal to get funding to continue, but the results have been disappointing. Check out http://wttc.tv/.
If a polished independent production is struggling for funding, it puts an interesting light on fund raising for fan films. I started out on 'Star Wars' fan films back in the late 90's, and it has been interesting as both a participant and a viewer to see how the scale and ambition of productions has changed over the years. I'm not convinced personally that asking the fans to trump up the dollars will prove a viable way forward for the genre - but that is just my personal opinion and readers mileage may vary...

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Equally important, why should a viewer give $2 (or $50) to your production instead of all the others asking for donations?

The amazing FX in this trailer do make the production stand out. I think what is missing is the live-action component. A future trailer with a few shots of the crew in uniform on the bridge could help raise funds.

But that kind of trailer, much like the current one, wouldn't answer what this is all about? What is the story being told? Why should anyone care to watch it?

Well, this probably merits its own thread I'm going to post this interview with the late Michael Piller that addresses asking "what's it about":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc4ZtX4SWWU&feature=feedu

 

[dayxday1000]

Now here's a trailer that inspires me to donate. I have no doubt that these folks can and will deliver and they've surpassed their goal of $10,000. You might recognize a few people involved with the production:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runicfilms/cowboy-creed-short-film

And check out their nice looking website: http://runicfilms.com/

 

[MarsWeeps]

Did you guys think of maybe renting out Farragut's sets? Or even Starship Ajax's sets when they are completed?

It would be cheaper than building your own and if the fans like your first episode, they may donate enough for you to build your own sets.

Farragut's bridge isn't a full 360° yet, but they have plans to finish it within the next 6 months. I think it's the best TOS bridge I've ever seen.

 

[GSchnitzer]

Did you guys think of maybe renting out Farragut's sets? Or even Starship Ajax's sets when they are completed?

It would be cheaper than building your own and if the fans like your first episode, they may donate enough for you to build your own sets.

Farragut's bridge isn't a full 360° yet, but they have plans to finish it within the next 6 months. I think it's the best TOS bridge I've ever seen.

How many have you seen--and where?

 

[MarsWeeps]

How many have you seen--and where?

I haven't physically been to any of them, just pics on the internet. I've seen Phase II, Exeter, the partial one they used in TNG Relics episode (wasn't accurate) - also there was The Defiant bridge from Enterprise, various ones from Trek conventions.

I guess I have a special liking for Farragut's because it's fan built and I've been watching the build from scratch and from what I've seen, it's amazing.

 

[Maurice]

How many are you supposing were non-fan built?

 

[MarsWeeps]

How many are you supposing were non-fan built?

The partial one from Relics, the Defiant from Enterprise, the various ones at conventions are non-fan built. I guess my definition of fan-built is the ones where people get together on their own time and aren't paid to get the job done, as opposed to ones built for specific TV episodes, such as the Defiant bridge.

The Fan built ones that I know of (or I'm assuming) are Phase II, Exeter (now Ajax) and Farragut.

I'm not knocking any of them, they have all done a great job of re-creating the TOS bridge. Watching something built from scratch (like the Farragut bridge) seems to make me appreciate it more because I've followed the progress and the attention to detail is incredible, at least from what I can tell from the photos.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I've seen three or four replicas of the Enterprise bridge that have been built by fans. All of them have their own virtues.

Jim Cawley's is probably the most polished and sharp in detail and he's been revising it to more closely match the studio set in dimensions.

Exeter's is my all-time favorite - it's a marvelous and loving recreation based primarily on Mike McMasters's drawings, and working on it in an actual studio soundstage with a largely professional crew was likely the closest I'll ever get to knowing what the day-to-day experience of shooting on TOS was like.

Farragut's set...there's something particularly sweet about that one. Part of it was participating with the crew for a few days as they built and painted it (my set construction work on Exeter was mainly on the briefing room; the bridge was done the day I showed up). The local crew are a great bunch, all lovely friendly folks. The work on the set is really fine and solid. And again, the amount of overhead space and surrounding space, combined with the "wild" and open construction of the set made the place seem like a real soundstage. Lots of room to lay dolly track, for sure.

 

[dayxday1000]

I was doing a some research on “Captain Nelson” and it appears he is actually Joseph Kerezman who owns: http://www.costumecostumecostume.com/

I've never dealt with the man or his company, but others have and they have some not-so-nice things to say about him:

http://www.matt-thorn.com/kerezman.html
http://www.resellerratings.com/store/J_Kerezman_Costumes

There are also various youtube interviews, trailers and a rather unimpressive (by professional standards) credits test related to Kerezman and Excalibur:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itF22WjczqM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUywLcSOa8M&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUBADdf6OFw&feature=related

Last year they entered the Pepsi Refresh Project (see link below), where they were attempting to win $250,000 to produce their internet series: “Each hour long show will be run by Hollywood professionals, who will direct the students in each aspect of producing a Television show from writing to building the sets” and now the current fundraising attempt of $75,000 that claims to be “ an internet series being produced by a group of Hollywood professionals for the purpose of passing on the knowledge they have gotten working in the Motion Picture and Television industry.”

As I've said before, I don't think their trailer or website look like professional products and I question their qualifications. Naming these professionals would help legitimize the claim. At minimum, they are asking for huge amounts of money and appear to have very little in the way of business and marketing acumen. The reviews about Kerezman's business make me think twice about donating as well. Just my $.02

http://www.refresheverything.com/excalibur

BTW, at this point they need to get $2275.75 in donations each day for the next 32 days to hit their goal.

 

[GSchnitzer]

I was doing a some research on “Captain Nelson” and it appears he is actually Joseph Kerezman who owns: http://www.costumecostumecostume.com/

I've never dealt with the man or his company, but others have and they have some not-so-nice things to say about him:

http://www.matt-thorn.com/kerezman.html
http://www.resellerratings.com/store/J_Kerezman_Costumes

There are also various youtube interviews, trailers and a rather unimpressive credits test related to Kerezman and Excalibur:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itF22WjczqM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUywLcSOa8M&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUBADdf6OFw&feature=related

Last year they entered the Pepsi Refresh Project (see link below), where they were attempting to win $250,000 to produce their internet series: “Each hour long show will be run by Hollywood professionals, who will direct the students in each aspect of producing a Television show from writing to building the sets” and now the current fundraising attempt of $75,000 that claims to be “ an internet series being produced by a group of Hollywood professionals for the purpose of passing on the knowledge they have gotten working in the Motion Picture and Television industry.”

As I've said before, I don't think their trailer or website look like professional products and I question their qualifications. Naming these professionals would help legitimize the claim. At minimum, they are asking for huge amounts of money and appear to have very little in the way of business and marketing acumen. The reviews about Kerezman's business make me think twice about donating as well. Just my $.02

http://www.refresheverything.com/excalibur

BTW, at this point they need to get $2275.75 in donations each day for the next 32 days to hit their goal.

I'm too busy trying to get our own episodes out the door to take much of an interest in other fan productions, but it does strike me that if the promotional trailer had super high production values, potential donors would simply say "well, they seem to be doing just fine without my donation. It doesn't look like they are hurting." I think the promotional trailer needs to look like they are hurting a bit--hence the demonstrable need for the money.

 

[Maurice]

All this info does make one wonder if the reason the original sets were destroyed was because they didn't make the payments on the space where they were built and the contents became the property of the buildings owners.

I am always skeptical about productions asking for money, especially if those asking for it have no track record and can't demonstrate their ability to actually come through on their promise to do with said money what they're claiming. For instance, I have a reel that shows many of the projects I've worked on, so that way people who might want to work with me (let alone give me money!) can have some idea that I'm actually capable of doing what I say.

Caveat emptor to the max.

 

[T'Bonz]

You know, I shouldn't have left this open, with the solicitation request. I don't know where the heck my brain has been, and yes, I do read every post in here.

I'm going to close it now. Better late than never. While I admire those making fan films, it's best not to bring solicitation over here in future. Too much potential for trouble.