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The studio must always remain free of charge and there are two very important reasons for it.
1: CBS says so.
2: When the studio does close, greed will be the cause of it.
1: CBS owns ALL the intellectual property rights to everything we do here. Some people try to argue that it's our set and they have nothing to do with it but in reality, it's our wood and our paint but it is THEIR bridge.
It isn't our right to make Star Trek fan films, CBS allows us to do it. They have provided a simple, easy to follow list of guidelines, via Phase 2, that are written to keep both sides happy. Those guidlines clearly state we are not allowed to make money from their franchise.
Simple minded people with dollar signs in their eyes are always coming up with the equivalent of get rich schemes that they don't think CBS could shut down because "technically" it's not breaking the rules. It's seems to be beyond these peoples comprehension that we don't have to be breaking rules in order for CBS to shut us down, all we have to do is get them unhappy with us.
Not following the simple and fair guidelines from CBS would be the stupidest thing we could do.
2: I can't tell you how many people, with minimal involvement in the project, want to get their hands in the little bit of money we do have coming in. Even people involved don't want to spend the money on the things we raised it to do. It comes down to greed, if we don't keep a very good system of bookkeeping and spending we will lose everything.
Because of these same greed motivated people, if we ever did find a way to charge for the facility, it would die instantly. With everyone who thinks they have a reason to have their hand in the pot, the charge to use the facility would be so enormous no one would ever be able to film here. If we even suggested the donation amount that some have been insisting we "ask for", we would be completely unaffordable.
One side note about greedy people. The next person that comes up to me and says "Why don't YOU build another captain's chair so WE can make some money." is losing some teeth.
If there were a third reason to keep if free it is because of the people who come to visit or film. Over the last two months I have been told by countless people that we have fulfilled one of their childhood dreams. That always brings on one of those warm, fuzzy feelings that money can't buy.
In short, charging for use of the studio would completely countermand the purpose for building it and would instantly bring it to an end.
