As reported here last month, STARSHIP REPUBLIC, one of the newest fan series to come out of STARBASE STUDIOS, was trying to raise $16,000 in an Indiegogo campaign.
They didn’t make it. They took in only 15% of their goal, leaving the future of the project in doubt.
Yesterday, an update went out to donors announcing plans for a second crowd-funding campaign, but this time, the production would be sharing more details about its story line to try to increase interest.
It’s actually an intriguing move for a fan film. Most fan filmmakers wrestle with how much of their story to reveal and how much to keep “secret” to avoid spoilers and ruining surprises for the viewers. Most fan producers, when they crowd-fund, share only the barest details, despite potential donors requiring specifics before they contribute because they want to know exactly what they’re supporting. (Not all donors are so demanding, but I know of several producers who have told me of receiving messages from potential donors saying they refused to give anything unless they were told more about the plot and story.)
What makes the decision by Starship Republic‘s show-runner Ray Tesi to unveil “secrets” to donors so intriguing is the fact that the plot going forward to SO much more expansive than anything that was hinted at in their first 9-minute vignette release “Serpent of Yesterday.” Although set in the TOS era, upcoming plans for the project incorporate flashback elements from the Star Trek: Enterprise era as well as scenes which will take place in the movie-era time frame.
I actually knew most of this from my interview with Ray Tesi, but he asked me not to reveal anything, despite the details being quite exciting. However, now the Kzinti is very much out of the bag, and Ray is the one who released it. Here’s what he said…
First and foremost, we here at Starship Republic offer our sincerest thanks for your support. The fact that you thought enough of our concepts and videos to make a contribution reinforces our belief that Republic will be a worthwhile addition to the Star Trek fan film community. Unfortunately, we did not collect sufficient funds to begin production filming as originally scheduled. As a result, we are in the planning stages of a second crowd funding campaign. We will combine live action and CGI effects to create 2 to 4 new teasers, allowing us to launch the new campaign quickly and at a minimal cost.
The second launch brings several changes to Republic that combines elements from various Star Trek eras into the same exciting story where our heroes converge from different times and must work together to preserve the timeline at any cost. While the original vignette was designed to “hide” story elements, our new teasers will provide glimpses into each of these Trek time periods!
In our cross-over teaser that bridged The Original Series and Star Trek: Enterprise, the sphere found by the Republic is a downed Xindi weapon. The weapon’s backstory and the fate of the NX-07 is explored more deeply in the new film.
But we don’t stop there! Republic begins further in the future with Captain St. James in command of an Excelsior class starship. He and his crew encounter the Constitution class U.S.S Republic seemingly abandoned. A temporal agent provides St. James with a glimpse into the future and warns of possible repercussions that his actions in the present might create.
The revised Republic story will be visually inspiring as well. We’re incorporating sets and uniforms from Star Trek: Enterprise, TOS, The Wrath of Kahn, and TNG. We are excited about these changes — and hope you will be too!
We ask that you stay with us during this second campaign. As current donors, you’ll receive all your perks from the first campaign, PLUS you’ll get a “first look” at the new teasers before they’re launched to the public. Finally, you’ll get an added bonus for being steadfast in your support (still TBD — but we’ll have something special to you)!
However, if you choose not to continue, we’ll gladly refund your contribution. We have some very exciting plans in store for Republic, and we hope you’ll stay with us!
Again, thanks for your support thus far, and we know you’ll be excited by our new content! All the best!
Ray Tesi, Executive Producer
Starship Republic
Sorry it failed at first attempt. Hope next one will succeed, and wil be there…