FAN FILM GUIDELINES – Have you voted yet?

Last week, I invited folks to vote on just one of the fan film guidelines that they thought the SMALL ACCESS group should focus our energies on trying to convince the studios to revise.

Initially, we set out to encourage multiple changes simultaneously from CBS and Paramount and pretty much got nowhere.  And while we still have a veeeerrrrry steep mountain to climb, we might end up with a better chance of success asking for just one change rather than many.

And so we set up a survey over on the Small Access Facebook Group, and so far, we’ve had just under a hundred votes.  Two-thirds favor a focus on the second half of the first guideline: “…With no additional seasons, episodes, parts, sequels or remakes.”  And with about a quarter of the vote, the notorious 15-minute limit is currently in second place.

But there’s still time to vote because, to be honest, I haven’t had a chance to work on the next entry of my “FAN FILM GUIDELINES: Reality Check” blog series yet.  And since I’m on vacation next week (heading up the California coast with the family and my camera), there might be a solid two weeks left to vote.

Here’s the link for the poll if you haven’t voted yet or want to encourage others to:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallaccess/permalink/465593603781344/

And in the meantime, if you want to help me write the next entry in the blog series, how do YOU think we should proceed from here?  We’ve got 1,300 in the Small Access group…92 of which are bothering to vote.  We’re not exactly a “movement,” but we’re not entirely invisible either.  A full-on boycott with just 1,300 people is pretty meaningless, though.  And I doubt we’re going to convince every fan filmmaker out there to simply ignore the guidelines and risk getting sued.  So what else is there?

I have a few ideas, but I’m curious first to see what other people think.  Feel free to comment on this page or, if you’re a member of SMALL ACCESS (and if you aren’t–why not???) on that Facebook group page.

19 thoughts on “FAN FILM GUIDELINES – Have you voted yet?”

  1. Personally, Jonathan – I would want to consider a two-pronged attempt for the two 15 min limit and no sequels, series issues. I think in time the Powers that Be will come around and loosen those two restrictions IF we – as a fan base – continue to pester them “Courteously and with Politeness/Respect”. Take the highest one in the poll first, then down the road, proceed with the second highest, etc. Do not know if it is true, but I “hear” Mr. Moonves is not a science fiction aficionado in any form, so this may all be an exercise in futility. But – sensible, courteous campaigns have made changes before, and hopefully will do so again. 🙂

      1. Especially, Jonathan, that Shari Redstone likes him. So, nope, he’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

  2. Let’s see, another attempt to change the guidelines established by CBS and Paramount, this time will no doubt be much more successful because your only requesting one of the stipulations changing. I’m sure Jonathan that after you prepare another professional looking jacket cover (of course with the Star Trek Insignia) and include the most current Project Small Access voting results which certainly has something of substantial substance (there’s what 1300 members which at least 5% are ambitious enough to participate) and then present another five page essay why this one guideline should be altered to please a handful of fans, this campaign definitely has success written all over it. I’m not sure how the members supporting this will like going back to Kinko’s for another twenty five dollar clip, and then rushing to the post office to kiss off another fifty dollars to mail out forty eight jackets to everyone who was harassed in the first revolution!
    You can bet this time when those couple dozen envelopes with that one guideline recommendation which needs to be changed roll in, those studio heads are really going to snap to attention! That is, as soon as the laughter dies down !

  3. Maybe the fan filmmakers can be convinced to come together and write to CBS, expressing their concerns about the guidelines, instead of just us Trek-watching fans doing all the work with trying to fix these unimaginatively stupid rules… P

    2. I think you’re forgetting that Peters is universally shunned by most other Trek fan films out there.

        1. Well, the guidelines are and are not about Axanar. As Alec and Rob revealed on a recent podcast, the reason for the lawsuit actually was–according to evidence presented in discovery–the quality of the Vulcan scene (not the coffee, folks). It was a wake-up call to the studios of what might be still to come. So the guidelines were created to attempt to ensure a more amateur look and feel to fan films and a limit to their duration and scope (and amount of crowd-funding). Had Axaanr not triggered the quality “trip-wire,” it would certainly have happened sooner or later (likely sooner) with one of the other professional productions…most likely Renegades or something still to come.

          Anyway, as I said in a previous blog the existence of the guidelines themselves is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s just that a few (I believe) have overshot the mark of protecting the studio at the expense of the fan producers. And I believe some of these can be fixed. We’ll see.

          2. It came out during discovery (the legal phase, not the new series)…and it actually makes a lot more sense if you think about it. The total revenue generated from the coffee was maybe a few hundred dollars. It doesn’t make sense to spend a million dollars on a lawsuit over a few hundred dollars in lost licensing revenue. Most bootleggers are simply sent a cease and desist letter.

  5. Wow, a whole 92 votes. Yes I’m sure CBS will stand up and take notice of this massive focus group you’ve assembled.

    I’m surprised you’re not pushing the Industry Studios fundraiser. It certainly needs help as BackerKit shows it trending to make only 28k. Hell, even Alec has given up promoting it and seems resigned to moving. I guess this shows why CBS wasn’t worried about the studio and ongoing projects with the settlement, they knew it would sort itself out.

  7. Now Sandy, you know those 290 devoted Axanar supporters don’t like hearing about the disastrous Industry Studio fundraiser which has turned into more of a joke than a legitimate campaign!
    But I agree with you, CBS cut Alec ( Axanar) loose after they realized the complete incompetence and mismanagement behind Axanar, knowing that it would all self implode in months !

Comments are closed.