The Ares has landed.
On Saturday, nearly THIRTY(!!!) volunteers showed up at the new location for AXANAR PRODUCTIONS in Lawrenceville, GA to help unload three super-sized moving trucks carrying the amazing sets that were originally constructed to be used in the full-length Axanar fan film. And even though that full-length film has been reduced in scope to two 15-minute episodes (agreed to in the legal settlement) and will now be produced in mocumentary style like Prelude to Axanar, those sets are still VERY nice and VERY usable by other fan films and sci-fi productions. And so they’ve now been moved to a much less expensive location from their previous home at Industry Studios in Valencia, CA.
ALEC PETERS posted two live video segments to Facebook on Saturday, which I’ve compiled at the end of this blog entry for anyone who is curious to see what the move-in looked like. He also provided some interesting tidbits of information. And if you don’t feel like watching a 9-minute video, here’s a short summary of what he covered…
In order that the announcements were made…
ROCKETWORX – In addition to Axanar Productions, Alec has just started up Rocketworx Films. Feel free to give them a “like” on Facebook if you’re so inclined. Alec will be posting more live update videos of the move-in from there today. This is a second production company (an addition to Axanar Productions, not a replacement) intended to handle all of the non-Star Trek and non-Axanar related stuff.
(Just a quick commentary from Jonathan, if I may. Some of the detractors have again cried “Foul!” upon hearing that there is now a second production company that’s going to be using the Axanar sets to generate revenue. But the fact is that nothing has changed. Had the sets remained in California, they would also have been used to generate revenue by being rented to other productions at a variety of rates…revenue that would be used to pay expenses like rent and utilities. Please, folks, don’t clutter up the comments section with the latest conspiracy theory-du-jour. And yes, Carlos, Alec bought license for his new logo.)
DOZENS OF VOLUNTEERS AND FREE PIZZA!!! – As I said above, nearly 30 people showed up to help unload the trucks…and a task that took weeks to finish in Valencia, CA was completed in just a day in Lawrenceville, GA (because, out here in California, Alec was lucky to get four volunteers a day—and the day I volunteered, there were only two people helping to pack and move stuff). In addition to those 30 volunteers, another dozen or so called to apologize for not being able to make it. But one of those people still wanted to help from afar, so they donated dozens of pizzas to feed the volunteers!
Remember back during the first Axanar Kickstarters when I’d make Ramirez memes saying he feels the love? With all the detractors… um… detracting, it’s been a while since we’ve seen just how much love is still out there for Axanar. This weekend’s turnout in Georgia is a wonderful reminder that #AxanarLives.
DEAN NEWBERRY IS IN DA HOUSE – The man behind the construction of the amazing Axanar bridge sets, Dean Newberry, was on hand in Valencia to oversee the disassembly of the set pieces and their loading onto the trucks. Alec then paid to have Dean flown to Atlanta to oversee the unloading and reassembly of the sets inside the new studio. And as you’ll see from the video below, with the help of TWO forklifts and dozens of volunteers, it was all put back together again in JUST ONE DAY!
THERE IS A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT COMING ON MONDAY (hopefully) – Earlier in the week, Alec had posted that a BIG announcement was coming on Friday. As such, I posted my interview with Manu Intiraymi about THE CIRCUIT on Thursday to make sure nothing competed with Alec’s new news. But apparently, we’re all gonna have to wait until Monday for whatever this is. And as soon as I know more, I’ll post it here.
THE SETS PROBABLY WON’T BE USED FOR AXANAR – As I mentioned above, and as Alec has discussed elsewhere, the reduction in scope of the Axanar fan film has made the use of the sets for that production unlikely. Yes, Alec would still like to use the bridge to film some flashback scenes, but that’s really going to depend on what the script ends up looking like (more on that in a moment). But plans now call for the two 15-minute part fan film to be done in the mockumentary style of Prelude, with actors filmed mainly in front of green screens (most likely at Industry Studios in Valencia). However, the sets in Lawrenceville can and will be used for other fan and independent sci-fi projects.
ONCE THE MOVE IS DONE, THE AXANAR SCRIPT MOVES TO THE FRONT BURNER – The lawsuit settled in mid-January…so where’s the script??? After all, it’s been over three months now! Well, it’s hard to write a script when you’re trying to figure out how to save hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of sets from ending up in the dumpster. But with the move nearly completed, Alec said he intends to sit down with Bill Hunt and Robert Meyer Burnett and start to hammer out what this two-part fan film will finally be. It’s not like they can take the 90-minute feature script that exists and simply toss away 60 pages. The new script has to be written from scratch. Then it needs to be budgeted, funds need to be raised privately (not through a crowd-funder), make-up and costuming figured out, visual FX story-boarded and generated, music composed and recorded, the footage edited, sound added, levels adjusted, etc. In other words, anyone expecting to see a completed Axanar fan film in the next few months doesn’t understand the process. But yes, that script is now going to be the focus for Alec, and thus begins the mission…again!
STAR TREK: FIRST FRONTIER IS THINKING OF STORING ITS SETS IN THE LAWRENCEVILLE STUDIO, TOO – A few weeks ago, I did an interview with KENNY SMITH, a mega-fan producing a Captain Robert April film about the very first mission of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701. Called STAR TREK: FIRST FRONTIER and due for release later this year, the short teaser sent fan film Trekkers into a euphoric state of excitement and anticipation. Kenny had constructed a number of pre-Kirk era TOS sets, including an awesome bridge, transporter room, two hallways, a conference room, an airlock, the admiral’s office, the captain’s quarters and sickbay…as well as alien starship interior. Those sets were all located in Georgia. Now, apparently, they might be moved into the new studio…making Lawrenceville the new STARBASE STUDIOS for pre-TOS era fan films!
Starbase Studios, now located in Arkansas (previously in Oklahoma City) has a 360-degree bridge set, sickbay, transporter room, and some corridors, and they’re planning to build more. They offer their facility at a very low cost to any fan film looking to make a TOS-era fan film…and many have done just that. Now, only a few states away, fan producers will have even more options.
The fan film adventure is just beginning, my friends!
And here’s that video I promised…
Hum
Should I hum anything in particular? 😉
“Chariots of Fire”? Hum, hum, hum, hum, HUM, hum. Hum, hum, hum, hum, HUMMMM!
How about humming “kiss YOUR money goodbye, suckers” ….
Hello, Jonathan.
As always I can hear your enthusiasm as you write, and once again as you write about the sets arriving in Georgia!
There is one part in this write-up where I didn’t quite get the picture. Probably my bad, so would you clarify it for me?
I understood the part where you mention Mr. K. Smith’s sets are in Georgia. Right? And that he may move them to the Rocketworx studio in Lawrenceville. Right?
I did get confused when you said “making Lawrenceville the new”, then in caps, “STARBASE STUDIOS for pre-TOS fan films.”
Are you saying that ‘the’ (not all in caps) Starbase Studios of Arkansas may then be connected to Lawrenceville’s Rocketworx if Mr. Smith’s sets are moved there? Or were you using the all caps STARBASE STUDIOS as an -esque or metaphor for Rocketworx then becoming a place for pre-TOS films ‘like’ the Starbase Studios in Arkansas is for TOS fan films….. if Mr. Smith moves his sets to the Rocketworx’ building?
Thank you.
Your fellow Star Trek fan
I don’t think there will be any official connection between Starbase Studios and whatever-the-heck-Alec-will-be-calling the Lawrenceville studio…although it’s possible that some fan filmmakers and volunteers may utilize both facilities. What I meant was metaphorical. Starbase Studios has all TOS-era sets. The First Frontier sets are from about 15-20 years before Kirk, and the Axanar sets are from 20-25 years before Kirk. So if a fan producer wanted to create a series of fan films tracing the career of, say, Captain Garrovick of the USS Farragut and tell the story of the vampire cloud creature’s attack, it could use all three sets. It could start on the USS Ares or USS Hercules or USS Artemis during the four years war when Garrovick was a helmsman or something. That would use the Axanar sets. Then it could show him becoming XO of the USS Farragut after the Four Years War. That would be shot on the First Frontier sets (based on timing in the prime universe). A few years later, Garrovick could take command of the Farragut, and a young Lieutenant James Kirk (on his first deep space mission) would be welcomed by Garrovick. This would all be on the First Frontier sets, as we watch Garrovick and Kirk develop a bond much like Kirk later has with Sulu. And then the vampire cloud destroys the Farragut and kills half of her crew. And then, finally, there’s a scene shot at Starbase Studios in the “present” with Kirk telling Ensign Garrovick some “tall stories” about his father.
Just thinking out loud.
“THE SETS PROBABLY WON’T BE USED FOR AXANAR” – That’s really disappointing.
“Alec would still like to use the bridge to film some flashback scenes” – I hope he does. I have been hoping to see more than just the (excellent) VFX that were in Prelude.
Well, this doesn’t mean we’ll never see scenes filmed on the bridge, but likely not in the Axanar 2-parter. Bridge scenes can take up a few minutes in and of themselves. The pace of the mockumentary simply won’t allow for more than brief glimpses, if that. Yeah, it sucks, but at least it ended the lawsuit now in 2017 and not in 2020! And we still get Axanar…just not as much as we wanted. 🙁
Thanks for responding to my question, Jonathan.
It’s a living. 😉
Nope, just hum.
Okay, but you’ll have to flip the switch first….
Nice!!!!… P 🙂
It would be a terrible waste not to use the bridge for a few flash back scenes.
There are always possibilities, Spock said.
“Jonathan Lane says:
May 7, 2017 at 2:18 pm”
“So if a fan producer wanted to create a series of fan films tracing the career of, say, Captain Garrovick of the USS Farragut and tell the story of the vampire cloud creature’s attack, it could use all three sets. It could start on the USS Ares or USS Hercules or USS Artemis during the four years war when Garrovick was a helmsman or something.”
Wait. Garrovick is a Star Trek captain, right? So this hypothetical fan films series would necessarily be a Star Trek fan films series, right?
Well, according to the guidelines, they can only make two 15-minute episodes. But let’s assume one 2-parter is Garrovick fighting the Klingons during the Four Years War. No characters from Axanar, no mention of Garth or Soval or the others. Then it’s not a sequel. Then the next two-parter is the Farragut’s maiden voyage, with Garrovick as XO. Two parts of that, with a new setting and new crew–that’s much less problematic than the stuff coming out of Potemkin Pictures, and they aren’t getting sued. Then finally, have a two parter a few years into Farragut’s next five-year mission, with Garrovick as captain and Kirk as a young lieutenant phaser officer. Part one can be Kirk’s first mission, him screwing up, and the captain taking Kirk under his wing. Then part two can be the attack of he cloud creature, ending in the destruction of the ship and death of half of the crew.
If handled right, these aren’t sequels but rather individual self-contained stories.
Hey. My question is are the sets even allowed to be used at all due to the guidelines? Don’t they say something about fan made props or settings are not allowed?
Nope. Fan productions are allowed to build their own sets, sew their own costumes, and make their own props. They simply aren’t allowed to buy unlicensed copies from bootleggers.
“Jonathan Lane says: ”
May 7, 2017 at 9:10 pm
“Well, according to the guidelines, they can only make two 15-minute episodes.”
I following you so far. And if I may, in this entirely hypothetical fan films series, for the rest I’m going to leave out anything to do with Axanar and Potemkin Productions as they didn’t factor in anyway in my hypothetical fan films using the different sets for different times in Garrovick’s career. Okay?
“..let’s assume one 2-parter is Garrovick fighting the Klingons during the Four Years War. ”
I’m following you. It’s a 2-parter complete story about Garrovick early in his career.
“Then the next two-parter is the Farragut’s maiden voyage, with Garrovick as XO. Two parts of that, with a new setting and new crew.”
I’m following you. A 2-parter complete story about Garrovick later in his career.
“Then finally, have a two parter a few years into Farragut’s next five-year mission, with Garrovick as captain and Kirk as a young lieutenant phaser officer. Part one can be Kirk’s first mission, him screwing up, and the captain taking Kirk under his wing. Then part two can be the attack of he cloud creature, ending in the destruction of the ship and death of half of the crew.”
I’m following you. A 2-parter about Garrovick even later in his career.
“If handled right, these aren’t sequels but rather individual self-contained stories.”
Here ya lost me. 😆 How will I handle this right to keep my three 2-part complete stories about the same person at different times in his life so it is not a sequel?
In the end, TYGR, the decision to sue or not to sue lies with CBS and Paramount…regardless of what I say here. However, each fan production that is released following the announcement of the guidelines becomes relevant if a future lawsuit is ever filed. This is because any action NOT taken by CBS and Paramount against post-guideline fan films contributes to a perception by other fan productions (in cases where the guidelines are vague–as is the case with the no sequels language) of certain reasonable inferences. For example, Potemkin Pictures is releasing serialized episodes from the Tristan and Deimos production teams. Each is being labeled with a different title, so are they adhering to the “no series, no sequels” rule? Well, on the one hand, yes. On the other hand, these fan productions each feature members of the same crews on board the same starships. So when the studios just look the other way, what are other fan productions supposed to think?
So if, at some point in the future, someone decides to do my Garrovick idea and gets sued for it, the lack of action against Potemkin Pictures becomes relevant during the case, as does the lack of action against Star Trek Continues and a couple of others who have been tip-toeing around the “no series/sequels” rule. It won’t necessarily protect the Garrovick project from a ruling of infringement, but such infringement will very likely be found to be non-willful, which takes the penalty down from $150K per violation to only $200…which is VERY significant.
You also have to understand that the studios most likely do NOT want to sue another fan film. Alec Peters kinda spoiled the emotional buzz for them, and if they do it again–especially to a smaller production that seemed to be trying to follow the guidelines as much as they could–it’ll just make them look like corporate bullies. So I doubt Potemkin Pictures will ever feel the wrath of the studios, and even STC is unlikely to experience it. So if the Garrovick fan production ever happens, it’ll depend if it’s a huge production like Axanar or a smaller film like Melborne or Starship Republic. If the latter, I doubt the studios will make an issue of it…especially if the only guideline “violated” is the “no series/sequel” one, and even then, it’s kinda vague and defensible (at least in my opinion).
“Jonathan Lane says: ”
May 8, 2017 at 1:33 pm
“In the end, TYGR, the decision to sue or not to sue lies with CBS and Paramount…regardless of what I say here. However, each fan production that is released following the announcement of the guidelines becomes relevant if a future lawsuit is ever filed. This is because any action NOT taken by CBS and Paramount against post-guideline fan films contributes to a perception by other fan productions (in cases where the guidelines are vague–as is the case with the no sequels language) of certain reasonable inferences. For example, Potemkin Pictures is releasing serialized episodes from the Tristan and Deimos production teams. Each is being labeled with a different title, so are they adhering to the “no series, no sequels” rule? Well, on the one hand, yes. On the other hand, these fan productions each feature members of the same crews on board the same starships. So when the studios just look the other way, what are other fan productions supposed to think?
So if, at some point in the future, someone decides to do my Garrovick idea and gets sued for it, the lack of action against Potemkin Pictures becomes relevant during the case, as does the lack of action against Star Trek Continues and a couple of others who have been tip-toeing around the “no series/sequels” rule. It won’t necessarily protect the Garrovick project from a ruling of infringement, but such infringement will very likely be found to be non-willful, which takes the penalty down from $150K per violation to only $200…which is VERY significant.
You also have to understand that the studios most likely do NOT want to sue another fan film. Alec Peters kinda spoiled the emotional buzz for them, and if they do it again–especially to a smaller production that seemed to be trying to follow the guidelines as much as they could–it’ll just make them look like corporate bullies. So I doubt Potemkin Pictures will ever feel the wrath of the studios, and even STC is unlikely to experience it. So if the Garrovick fan production ever happens, it’ll depend if it’s a huge production like Axanar or a smaller film like Melborne or Starship Republic. If the latter, I doubt the studios will make an issue of it…especially if the only guideline “violated” is the “no series/sequel” one, and even then, it’s kinda vague and defensible (at least in my opinion).”
I don’t understand. I mean, I understood everything you said, but I don’t understand how the conversation we were having went there. At least I guess, not the conversation I thought we were having. Anyway, not the conversation I was having.
So, I’ll say good-by and that I’ve appreciated the time you’ve allowed me on your board. Be well and be happy, Jonathan, and my best always to you and your family.
I am fellow Star Trek fan.
ThankYouGeneR
Sorry if I strayed, TYGR. It’s sometimes hard to juggle all the conversations and blogs and the Daddy stuff and the stuff at Jayden’s school and the fact that I’m getting 4-5 hours of sleep a night because I need to take Jayden to pee at 1am each night or else he’ll wet the bed. 🙂
Kid are a P in the A, but worth it!
Toughest job I’ve ever loved. And to be honest, Jayden isn’t that much of a pain. He’s actually really loving and sweet. He’s also a dictator in search of a country. My job as a father is to make sure he becomes a benevolent dictator. If I can succeed at that, the future county of Jaydenia owes me a holiday with my name on it. They can call it “Slow Day.” 🙂
To the person from axanar and other who do see this i want to please talk with them about your star trek set from TOS?, i want you to please get a hold of them and i do want to talk with them about the set ok.
My name is kenny smith and you can get a hold of me by my e-mail here [email protected]
After i get a hold of them i will give you my cell number.
What is it you want to talk to them about, Kenny?
Jonathan, your Garrovick “not-a-series, really it isn’t” idea is very interesting! I’d love to see somebody try it. I also agree with your assessment that legal ramifications of such a “not-a-series” would be unlikely to occur. But, as you say, who knows?