Hoist with his own PICARD? (editorial)

151 thoughts on “Hoist with his own PICARD? (editorial)”

1. Populism is rampant right now, McCarthyism has left most peoples vocabulary. And as people age it seems.. paranoia sets in.. then all manner of mental challenges.

   Its also hard to save face and back down once someone has gone too far.

   Its best to just recognize, identify and avoid such people if you can’t help them.

   The demographics of the baby boomers indicate this will become a growing problem for a few years.. and then will subside.

   Just don’t let the “nuttiness” of it effect you or your family, and recognize it for what it is.

2. OMG, that episode! I can’t watch that episode unless in very special circumstances, only when I already feel very shaken. It contains too much intense negative emotion that makes me feel sick to the core.

3. Exceptional and to the point posting Jonathan. Thanks. I certainly hope this is the end. We need to focus on the future not the past. Your insight (to me) is spot on. The Ferris Bueler bit was great! Gotta pull that out and watch it again now.

4. Actually, when asked why he’s still bothering to cover Alec, Carlos replied, “He tasks me! He tasks me, amd I shall have him! I’ll chase Alec round the moons of Nibia, round the Antares Maelstrom, and round the outskirts of Atlanta before I give him up!” At least, it was something to that effect…

   1. I think they’re now calling it “NOTlanta.” Of course, Industry Studios isn’t technically in Los Angeles, either. 🙂

5. Jonathan, you asked: “So why, then, did Carlos need to find a mole/spy/inside man and then rush to post the information ASAP? Did he just want to scoop Fan Film Factor? Heck, I’ve had the photos for two weeks and wasn’t even planning to post them for another week! I was in no rush…why was Carlos?”

   I think Carlos probably gave you the answer to your question in one of the screencapped posts: “Would one of your with real estate experience be willing to help me out in tracking down some more information, including possibly talking to the broker handling the property.”

   Now why would it be necessary to talk to the person who handles the property that Alec was trying to rent? I mean, sure, he might have wanted to know things like square footage or details about the detractor’s most recent favorite topic: soundproofing. But I think it’s far more likely that it would have afforded him the opportunity, under the “I’m a journalist” pretense, to ask the broker things like, “are you aware you are considering renting your property to a person accused of [insert litany of conspiracy theories].”

   I doubt he was trying to scoop you…he might have been trying to use the opportunity to throw a monkey-wrench in the situation under false pretenses. I’m reminded of Valeris’ speech: “[they] flung their wooden shoes called sabots into the machines to stop them. Hence the word sabotage.”

   1. If he did that, it could be considered tortious interference with a business relationship or contact, and Carlos is aware of that. And he said that wasn’t his intention. However, he never actually explained what his intention was or what questions he was planning to ask the real estate agent. He said something like, “I have ownership of those questions and do not have to share them.” True, I suppose. But then there’s the irony of Carlos and the detractors hounding of Alec for more information that he doesn’t have to share. So apparently what is good for the goose doesn’t apply to the gander.

      1. I put it to the public that what Carlos did in revealing the address is “doxxing” Alec. Carlos showed clear intent to reveal as much information as he had on him, so hungry to get it out there, he didn’t bother to check that the information was factual. Carlos has gone too far. Inciting haters to criminally interfere with a business is inexcusable. Pedraza had no right, and no defensible motive to publish the address of the new location before the move could be completed.
         Why did/does he do it? Well as you so eloquently have pointed out Jonathan, Carlos has an extreme bias against Alec. It is something many fans have known for a long time, but now he has shown his true intent and colors.

         Anytime Carlos ever posts anything again, I will post a link to his vicious editorial where he basically spells out he is on a witch hunt.

         1. “Alec turned me into a newt!”

            “A newt???”

            “Well, I got better. But that’s not the point!!!!”

            1. It’s a fair cop

         2. Criminally interfere?
            Really?
            Can you back that up with some case law, or cite the law violated?
            No?

            Business? You all keep using that word… I do not think it means what you think it means.

            A fan-film is not a business.
            Maybe if Peters had not tried to make it a profitable business, you have a fan-film, instead of another warehouse full of partially built sets that will never be used.

            There is no witch hunt.
            Everyone, except this tiny number of Axanar kool-aid drinkers, knows who the witch is.
            Carlos is just trying to make sure that before the witch goes to the next village to steal the children, that they are aware the witch is coming.

            That’s not a hunt. it’s a valuable warning, frankly, it’s a public service.

         3. No. It would not be “doxxing” to reveal the address of a film studio. That is not the same thing as posting a home address. The studio is a business.

            1. Well, at least according to Wikipedia ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doxing ) “doxxing” is:

               “…the Internet-based practice of researching and broadcasting private or identifiable information (especially personally identifiable information) about an individual or organization.”

               So since Axanar Productions is an organization of individuals working together on a project or projects (commonly referred to as a business), then according to Wikipedia’s definition, at least, what Carlos did was doxxing.

               But let’s face it, we all know exactly what it was. When a business breaks ground on a new location to open a store or a factory or an outlet distribution center or new restaurant or whatever, that information is typically announced by the company itself through a press release at the time of its own choosing. It’s not “hard-hitting journalism” to report on where the newest Apple Store or Old Navy is going to open…or even if Ned’s Leftorium is moving to another mall. In fact, the only time when a small business’s new location becomes news that needs to be reported before the company itself is ready to announce the information is when that business is perceived as somehow crooked and not completely above-board.

               And we don’t even have to assume that Carlos was going to try to talk to the realtor, grill him or her about Alec’s “checkered past” and current financial “questions” (like who really owns Axanar Productions and all the other nonsense that Carlos typically tries to turn into “news”), and perhaps try to “poison the well” of Alec’s new business relationship with his new landlord. Carlos says that wasn’t his plan at all (although he also refuses to share what questions he was planning to ask and how he was planning to phrase them), so we really can’t know for certain that Carlos was trying to sabotage Alec in some way by interfering with his business relationship with his new landlord. And I’m not stating or even implying that that was Carlos’ true motive.

               However, by sharing the information on the location of the new studio, Carlos WAS doing the following:

               1) Taking away the opportunity for Axanar Productions to make the announcement themselves at a time of their choosing.

               2) Controlling the narrative. In psychology (and marketing) there is something called the “primacy effect”…essentially the concept of making a first impression. If Carlos is the first one to disseminate information about the new facility, he can call attention to certain negative aspects (which he did–for the incorrect location–by mentioning things like the lack of a fire suppression system and low median income of the surrounding area). And that, in turn, can result in a generally poor impression of the new location. They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression, so Carlos wanted to make certain people’s first impression of the new facility was the way HE wanted to describe it.

               3) Implying there is something about this particular location that is worth reporting. As I said, there’s no real reason to write an article on the new location of a small business before the relocation happens. That is usually left tot he marketing and PR teams. That is, unless there is something nefarious about the small business that justifies the reporting. Most people are only vaguely aware of this on a conscious level, but subconsciously, it just feels like some kind of scandal when you read something like this in the “news.” After all, why would anyone really care about finding out the new location early…unless there’s something wrong with it or there’s something about the new location that is deserves readers’ attention? So Carlos doesn’t even have to actually come out and say, “There’s something fishy going on here.” The simple fact that he is reporting on something early–before the public announcement–creates the psychological impression that there’s something worthy of reporting early.

               4) Creating a potential security issue. We know, of course, that there are some very passionate people out there who don’t simply criticize Alec and Axanar but actually hate it with a passion. Their hate-speech is only part of their actions. Early on, before Ares Studios was renamed Industry Studios, someone even tried to gain access to the studio after hours, and he was fortunately turned away because a team member was actually there working late with a construction crew. Last summer at Creation’s Star Trek convention, Alec and his girlfriend Crysstal were stalked by someone live-streaming them from a distance and posting nasty comments…for hours! At one point, Alec reportedly had to take out a restraining order on a detractor.

               None of this should ever happen, of course, but it does. And that is probably one reason why Alec did not want the location of the new studio revealed prior to the move-in and setting up the new security system. Perhaps nothing bad would/will happen, even with people knowing the location. But why even take the chance? And to be honest, that’s Alec’s call to make, not Carlos’. Even if Carlos wants to call it “journalism,” it’s at best irresponsible journalism. There is really no valid journalistic reason that the new location for Axanar’s studio needs to be made public so early…especially barley three hours after getting “corroboration” of the new address and before even confirming that information with anyone at Axanar Productions.

               So really, anyone trying to defend Carlos’ actions in any part of this–whether the posting of the information or his “Satie moment” editorial that followed, doesn’t understand that what Carlos is doing isn’t journalism so much as stalking and harassment. It’s obsessive, non-productive, and bordering on pathological. Actually, I’m not even certain I need to including the “bordering on” modifier.

      2. (This is in answer to the haters who have somehow latched on to the idea that Pedraza was right about Gainesville, only the original deal fell through, and Alec was forced to “settle” for the Lawrenceville site. Completely false.)
         ==========================
         “Objective AF is having trouble with its freshwater condensers…”–Midway
         “Klingon spies learned that the Federation’s new heavy cruiser was being built in orbit over GAINESVILLE…” –Prelude to Axanar (mostly)

         History repeats itself.

         Carlos swears he had another inside source he refuses to name who had given him the Gainesville address before his informant Brian Hartsfield gave him Alec’s confidential message. This is highly unlikely. Having lived in the Atlanta area for nearly twenty years, I was involved in the site selection personally. At no time was the Gainesville site the primary choice. Gainesville is too far away from the metro Atlanta airport and other amenities. It was on the list due to matching size and cost parameters, but Alec told me to keep looking for a better candidate.

         I located additional facilities on the south side, which another Atlanta supporter inspected for us, but they were either too costly or lacked important features such as air conditioning. Alec found the Lawrenceville site the first week of April and asked me along when he toured it to get a critical opinion.

         We inspected the Lawrenceville facility on the morning of April 11th, had lunch, then decided to drive up to the Gainesville site just to be thorough. While the floor plans were similar, the Gainesville building was older, lacked air conditioning, lacked sufficient soundproofing, and had skylights installed, which could interfere with film lighting. It took us less than fifteen minutes to rule it out entirely. The Lawrenceville site beat it on all four counts, and was over half an hour closer to Atlanta’s amenities.

         Only an idiot or a liar would ever claim Gainesville was preferable to Lawrenceville, if they truly claimed to have all the facts already.

         1. Well, if anyone is looking for proof, there’s the date stamp on this PM session I had with Alec:

            

      3. Jonathan, it’s called plausible deniability. By inspiring others, it shifts the blame, in case something happens. He can say “it wasn’t me.”

         1. It was always burning since the world’s been turning? 🙂

6. Spot-on, Jonathan. His scheme blew up in his face, and instead of adjusting his attitude, he manufactured this “elaborately engineered deception campaign” and pointed a pitiful finger back at the man whose business he stuck his smug little nose into, unbidden.

   Most people find that “but he hit me BACK first!!” isn’t a very convincing defense when tried on their third-grade teacher, and quickly abandon it. But Carlos isn’t “most people”, apparently. Carlos Pedraza and his cohorts are deliberately cyber-bullying Alec Peters, and at least one of them openly admitted to doing so. This reprehensible behavior continues despite:
   1. Most of them never having met the man they are abusing,
   2. Almost none of them having donated a penny to any of the funding campaigns, and
   3. The complete inability of any of them to document any harm done to them personally by Peters.

   These people are not merely “detractors”, they are immoral, unethical, evil bullies–aka “haters”–pure and simple. Until they cease and make amends, they deserve nothing but the Strategy of Least Respect.

   1. Reese, an you thpe in the original Klingon? ;>)

      1. Make that verb type. Darn keyboatd!!!! LOL!!!!

7. So Jonathan that’s what you are calling an outright lie, to deliberately discredit someone, a practical joke? Maybe you can enlighten me as to how that lie as I call ir or “practical joke” as you call it gives anyone at Axanar or if they weren’t involved, which I find difficult to believe, gives anyone who questions Carlos’ ethics the moral high ground?

   1. Well, it should be acknowledge that we don’t even know for sure that it was Alec who lied. Maybe he did, maybe it was someone else. But that really isn’t the point at all (and I expected the detractors to miss that).

      Note the title of the blog.

      Y’see, Carlos could have taken the high road, admitted to being bamboozled, issued the correction, apologized to his readers, and then moved on. He could even have promised to get to the bottom of who fed him this misinformation. But a true reporter wouldn’t state the conjecture that it was absolutely, positively Alec as undisputed fact FIRST, lead his readers/followers to believe it was fact, and then rant on and on (and on and on) about lies and money mismanagement and all the rest…and then swear to never stop hounding Alec until Alec stops “trying to fool people for [his] own gratification” (whatever that means).

      You see, for me, Alec is NOT the real story here–Carlos is. He claims to be a journalist (five times, in fact!), but he doesn’t act like one. He doesn’t follow the rules of reporting, and to be honest, he comes across as petty, vindictive, immature, and obsessed…just like Admiral Satie in “The Drumhead.” And just like that character, Carlos has drawn in followers and believers who don’t (or can’t?) see what is really going on. No, not with Alec. That horse has been beaten to death. And Carlos is still beating it. No, this time it’s Carlos’ turn to have the spotlight…and it’s shining on something very ugly and disturbing.

      I expect many detractors to try to steer this all back to Alec Peters, as you’ve just done. But trust me, Brenda, Alec isn’t the real story anymore…Carlos is.

   2. Well “Brenda” I guess we know who is buttering YOUR bread. You all assume that this was aimed at Carlos while missing the obvious reason behind the ‘deception’: Carlos WASN’T the target. Carlos is little more than a self important Don Quixote tilting at windmills. The reasoning behind this was in fact to root out those with ill intent from the inside. As we are relying in great deal on a volunteer force to assist in the move in we didnt want to hold the door open for those associated with the ‘haters’ to be able to work against us from within. Quite simple and it worked. Carlos is not an insider and is not a threat. He’s merely a self styled ‘journalist’ desperately trying to stay relevant and doing a rather poor job at it. This isnt even advanced counter-intelligence but rather 101 and the amateur(s) took the bait. Unfortunately for Carlos he was the one holding the rod. Carlos being humiliated is simply the icing on the cake. The cake itself was eliminating those ‘bad apples’ who were trying to sneak inside along with the well intended.

8. It’s simple. If a burglar breaks into your house, but trips and breaks his leg in the process, he doesn’t get to cry foul at the homeowner for his injury when he had no business being inside the house in the first place.

   1. That’s funny. THAT has happened to burglers in the past… they sued the homeowners, and WON.

      1. And how many times did it NOT work? Burglars have been shot dead for entering someone’s Home…and the homeowner was exonerated.

9. Jonathan,

   I enjoy all your articles, even so I rarely read them twice. This is the exception, It was so well thought out. I am sure the detractors will say “meh…whatever…” But you are right on here on so many levels.

   You have to really wonder about the motivations, of the few that continue to go to the lengths they do to dig dirt on Alec Peters. But yes, the storm is over now, and Axanar will either get made or not. I think it’s commendable for Alec to continue to pursue his dream in the face of the obstacles of the last year and a half.

   They have every right to protect sensitive information. Information that might not be quite so sensitive if Carlos, wasn’t out there trying to get info from the landlord or leasing agent. As he stated in his post.

   It wasn’t all that long ago that Alec was trying to gather support from other fan film producers, support which failed, primarily due to Carlos leaking prematurely details of those conversations.
   Now maybe nothing would have come out of those talks.. But maybe, just maybe we’d have a better guideline situation than we have now.

   As it stands he just caused the rift between fans to get bigger.

10. Amazing, simple amazing the lengths a person is going to, to try and shoot down something. Axanar has been dealt with and to be brutally honest this continued attempt by Carlos does seem to tap dance right on the line of harassment. Their is a length to which a reporter will go to get a story but in all honesty when their is no more story one needs to learn to let it go. I wonder if Carlos has some sort of personal beef with Alec?

    1. In the words of the planet, Bones, “What your beef?” 🙂

11. “Carlos Pedraza, for some reason, was pushing hard for any information he could find out about the new facility.”

    I’d say a missing $1.4 million dollars is reason enough to pursue an ongoing story. It’s called journalism. Look it up.

    And just in case it comes up, yes. This story is newsworthy. Carlos Pedraza has done his homework, providing footnotes and links to everything in every article. One bad lead does not a liar make.

    Alec Peters has made and spent a fortune, fabricating the story he wants to tell to whatever audience he has at the moment. Details change from one day to the next, but one thing is clear: Peters’ narrative is the “truth” and anything else must by definition be a lie. If you don’t believe the “truth” you are by default a hater.

    I have but one question: With $1.4 million of donor money gone, where is the movie?

    CBS and Paramount didn’t prevent the film from being made. In fact, there was no injunction, and nothing in any of the legal documents stating that filming could not proceed. What then, exactly, did prevent filming?

    For once, I would like to see an honest answer to honest questions instead of seeing people ridiculed and banned from fora.

    I want to know where the money went. Please don’t insult my intelligence with the ridiculous “financial statement” and “independent review.” Neither would ever pass muster with a real world audit.

    Frankly, this blog’s continued spin of the history and events concerning Axanar is, politely, embarrassing to anyone who has followed the unfolding of the facts.

    LLAP

    1. Mark, you’re basically cut and pasting the same old same old the hater crowd has been whining about for a year and a half. Most of it has been answered ad nauseam, but since the answers weren’t what the haters wanted to hear, they keep asking hoping to get a different answer. The question has been answered, Logan-5…

    2. “And just in case it comes up, yes. This story is newsworthy.”

       Yes! Finally! Someone who understands it! You can really tell from how CNN, MSNBC, Fox et al are clamouring to break down the door on this thing, it’s a good thing they can catch up by following the footsteps of our intrepid Trek-version Alex Jones analogue.

       Blargh, it would be funny if it wasn’t so bloody sad. This guy is clearly not entirely stable and is in genuine stalker mode. Live your life and enjoy it, don’t waste it by being an Ahab. Sigh.

       1. Warning: “not entirely stable” counts as an insult. Be be careful when criticizing. Criticize what someone does, not how they think.

          1. No, I wasn’t insulting, I’m genuinely worried about this guy. This is not sound behaviour.

             1. Fair enough. But unless you have a psychology degree (which I do), please do not indulge in armchair diagnoses with folks here on this blog. Feel free to do it elsewhere, but Carlos’ mental condition is his own business.

12. It’s not a matter of where Carlos grips it, it’s a simple matter of joke ratios.

13. This was quite a fun editorial to read, Jonathan.

    1. My favorite part was the “Hyperbole much?” after Carlos said “lied to the whole world…” 🙂

14. Its a bully starving for attention.

    Probably has some agenda of enriching himself by putting others down.

    He’s just found a cause is all.. not unlike that guy who started World War II. Or anyone who really doesn’t have a political campaign platform.

    I would be very cautious that he doesn’t turn into a Mayor or Congressman on a reform platform.. reforming what doesn’t matter.

    The poeple he deceives are the real losers.. if this detractor starts a Kickstarter campaign.. don’t be surprised.

    1. Okay, sorry to do this, John, but I have to issue you a warning. Please don’t imply a comparison of anyone to Hitler on my blog. It’s as much hyperbole as when Carlos said “Lied to the whole world.” And worse, it diminishes the evil that Hitler actually did do. Carlos is just a blogger with a few hundred readers slinging mud at a guy who made a fan film. Hitler brainwashed an entire country into murdering 6 million innocent people.

       1. Understood.

          I didn’t mean to go that far.

          1. Hey, we all make mistakes. Even Carlos. 🙂

       2. “Carlos is just a blogger with a few hundred readers slinging mud at a guy who made a fan film.”

          Sir, your bias is showing. Where is the film that was paid for with over a million dollars of donor money?

          1. The fan film I was referring to was “Prelude to Axanar.” Have you seen it? It’s quite good! 🙂

             1. I’ve seen it.

                Why is there nothing else to show for over a million dollars of donations?

             2. Did you watch the video farewell tour of Industry Studios I posted last week? All of that wasn’t free, y’know! So when you say, “There is nothing to show…” I think you’re purposefully covering your eyes. Yes, the film didn’t get made because the lawsuit was filed a month before production was to start (and it WAS going to start–I’d actually made plans to take a VIP contest winner to Vasquez Rocks after watching filming in the morning on a Saturday during the second week of February 2016). Production was halted for 13 months on advice of legal counsel, but the rent and utilities still had to be paid. That used up most of what had been reserved for production. When the settlement terms were agreed to, the Axanar script as written could not be used. A new script is being worked on, but the original script was in development for several years. One doesn’t just sit down to write a script over a long weekend unless one plans to do a half-assed job of it.

                But hey, you’ve heard all this before…just like I’ve heard the ol’ standby, “Why isn’t there a movie and what happened to the $1.4 million?” Maybe we should both just give it a rest, huh?

       3. So that means the “AxaMonitor’s Ultimate Fail” video would be considered inappropriate here since it’s a Downfall parody and Hitler represents Carlos?

          1. Don’t even ask! If anyone tries to post a link to the URL for that Hitler parody of Carlos, I will trash the comment immediately! It wasn’t appropriate for Alec, and it’s not appropriate for Carlos.

15. lol That’s what Carlos gets for being nosy… P

16. So this is all you people have.
    One minor error on Carlos’s part to grab onto and manipulate from a mole hill to a mountain. Two “articles ” by Jonathan about this (not to mention the comments).
    You guys are like a bunch of dudes at a thirty fifth high school reunion talking about the time johnny farted in Gym class. This is nothing. Let it go.

    1. “This is nothing. Let it go.”

       Funny, I said almost the same thing at the end of the editorial. (Well, actually, Ferris Bueller said it.) 🙂

       1. Yet still, the question stands.

          With over a million dollars of donations, why is there no movie?

          1. He Just told you, production was halted on advice of legal counsel. Go clean your glasses.
             And get your Rhetoric checked.

          2. The question has been answered, Logan-5…

          3. please try and keep up….

             1. What about the 18 months BEFORE the lawsuit?
                He had cash, and all he filmed was 3 minutes in the parking lot… really.

                You all keep spouting that same tired old line… “he was only a month out from shooting when the lawsuit happened”… really?
                with no locked down script,
                no actors signed (and he was using “professionals” who’d need way more than 30 days notice)
                No complete sets,
                And incomplete facility,

                Can we stop with the “30 days out” line, cause it just ain’t true.

                And I’d still like to know why it took 18 months to ‘get started’?

                Please try and keep up.

             2. Bill, there are lots and lots of podcasts, updates on the site, and pictures (!) to tell you what happened. You could have kept yourself up to date and already have the answers for this if you had JUST PAID ATTENTION!!

                Or, you can believe that he spent it on signing Van Halen to play his birthday party. Take your pick…..

             3. I see the Court documents, Hubcap.

                I see he spent it on his lifestyle, and NOT on a film.

                I DO pay attention. YOU keep ignoring the evidence right in front of you, lord knows why.

                I still want to know why 18 months of little activity (except for Alec flying all over the country on donor money to play “producer”) and we are to suddenly believe he was only 30 days out when the lawsuit hit.

                That’s a funny story.
                And still does not make any logical sense. The facts do not bear that out.

                But you’ll never acknowledge that, will ya.

             4. Okay, the horse is dead. He stopped bleeding a long time ago. What’s left of the horse is beginning to decay and smell quite a bit. Please step away from the horse and put down the baseball bat.

                I’ve noticed that SEVEN OF THE EIGHT comments I still need to approve today have all come from Bill Peterson. And there were nearly 20 COMMENTS posted by him yesterday and the day before!!!

                Dude, that’s WAY too many. I mean, really.

                Bill, this isn’t your own personal auditorium to lead a campaign rally or protest or revival or whatever it is you’re trying to accomplish. And honestly, I am spending and wasting way too much time on all these negative comments posted by one angry person who just doesn’t seem to be able to stop himself and step away from his keyboard.

                So, like a bartender who sees that a customer has had too much, I’m suspending your tab, Bill. You’re not adding anything useful or positive to this blog site. You’re rehashing arguments and accusations that have been done to death…back in 2016! You’re insulting me, my blog, my family, my friends…I really just don’t see any reason to continue to indulge you.

                And thus am I going to stop approving your comments…starting right after this one (which I have to post in order to say this to you). The seven that are still in the queue will all be deleted unread. And this will continue for the foreseeable future until you show me that you can communicate in a respectful and civil manner.

                I don’t do this very often, but comments here on Fan Film Factor have taken a distinctly negative turn in tone of late. I thought that by simply not responding to the nastiest posts that the detractors would simply get bored and go away. Instead, they seem to think instead that I’ve put up a nice clean white wall and left a sign under it saying, “Please feel free to paint graffiti here.” I haven’t. That’s not what this blog site is about.

                So it starts here. Bill Peterson has become the first detractor to be put into a “time out.” He’s not forever banned. I believe in second chances. But for at least the next few weeks, I’ll be ignoring him completely or anything sent by him using a different alias. Will I expand that to other detractors? Possibly. Will I apply the same standards of behavior to Axanar supporters? Yes, if they start behaving as badly and insulting me, my family, or my friends.

                This blog site is intended to celebrate fan films. Axanar is a fan film, yes, but so are hundreds of others. It’s time to move forward and stop looking back.

             5. Im a part of Axanar and you are not. Pretty sure I have a far better grasp on the realities of the situation than you do. For whatever reason folks like you CHOOSE to believe what you want even when shown proof and theres no help for that. I dont need to keep up because Im actually IN the race not a spectator on the sidelines. Haters gonna hate.

    2. Hmm…a group of detractors led mostly by people who had no part/interest/financial donation/team connection to Axanar stalk, harass, insult, in some cases threaten or in many ways find it necessary to stick their nose in the business of Alec Peters, his associates, his girlfriend, and his production company for a year and a half now…but we are the ones “like a bunch of dudes at a thirty fifth high school reunion talking about the time johnny farted in Gym class.”

       Oooookaayyyyy……..

       1. So, you have to have a personal connection to call out something you think is bad?

          That makes no sense.

          Houdini spent the latter part of his life debunking “psychics”… why?
          Not because they personally attacked him… but he had an experience that made him see how their Phony actions hurt people.

          Just like the way Carlos is pointing out how the actions of a fake- film producer, is taking money from gullible folks (like yourself) and hurting fan-films in general (thanks to the guidelines Axanar inspired).

          I don’t have to be personally conned to point out the con.

          1. Again, you have no vested interest and no involvement. we have been very transparent but youve obviously got more time on your hands than facts. Also, be careful when using terms like con and fake especially when you seem to lack the credentials or experience to make that statement. Methinks you need a hobby. I love how you use the ramblings of a fake journalist to show evidence of a fake producer. “Drive on, MacDuff!”

17. No one seems to want to answer the simple question:

    Where did over one million dollars go?

    1. Yeah, watch the video, Mark. 🙂

       1. I don’t think he’ll accept any other answer except “Hookers & Blow”…..

          1. “Sushi and tires.”

             1. According to the depositions and the financials he provided to the court… YES.

          2. He reminds me of the kid who is pushing on the door clearly labeled pull.

    2. That’s been answered a number of times. Noone here is going to go over it all. I’ve read the documents that show where the money went. I’m satisified. I haven’t committed the info to memory. Find the documents yourself and get the answers you are looking for.
       You are aware a lawsuit took place over Axanar, right?

    3. You and Jason Kovalik wouldn’t happen to be sitting next to each other, would you?

18. From what I understand Gene L. Coon could sit down write a Trek script and sent it straight to be shot and do it in one setting. Isn’t Bill Hunt a professional?

    1. Bill Hunt is collaborating with Alec, not writing alone. Alec has spent the last four weeks finding a new, more affordable space, signing a lease, arranging a move, and getting trucks loaded. Prior to that, he arranged for the Indiegogo campaign. Prior to that, he had to have the creative summit with the principles, including Bill Hunt, to figure out what to do with the precious 30 minutes they have to work with. And look, one of the parents in my son’s class wrote a recent Marvel movie, and he collaborated on the script for nearly a year before it was done. I’m not sure what Gene Coon’s process was, but I’m guessing it’s an exception and not a rule. And just curious: why are you in such a rush? Did you bet money on when Axanar would be ready?

       It’s almost like you’re pulling out everything from your closet-of-criticism to throw at Alec Peters, Brenda, hoping that something will finally stick. Why is it so important to you that you find something to criticize Alec Peters for in nearly every comment? That doesn’t seem normal to me…unless you’re at a birthday party and whacking at a piñata.

       1. Among the other things being pulled out of the closet is Carlos recently going as far as actually commenting negatively about the TYPEFACE someone used in an Axanar picture…really?

          They will literally find ANYTHING at this point to whine and moan about.

          1. Do me a favor, please. If you reference something like that, can you please include a link with it? Yesterday, I had to remove someone’s name from a comment that accused them of openly supporting cyber-bullying. I actually should have caught that myself. If you’re going to accuse someone of doing something, please try to back it up with something I and link to and check.

             1. Went looking for it at the AxaMonitor FB page, the original topic has been replaced by an “updated” one by Joshua Peck…hmmm…

    2. “Brenda” you reek of sadness with a wiff of desperation…

       1. Kinda personally insulting, Don…warning.

19. After this incredible outpouring, summed up by Shakespeare with the title, “Much Ado About Nothing”, I am beginning to despair of the S.T. fan-film world.

    A world of such promise; a world that has brought such delight to a large number of grateful fans; a world where so many people with enthusiasm, creative energy and skill have been provided opportunities to develop and utilise talents that may otherwise never have been seen; and a world where childish jealousy, back-stabbing and ‘he said’ – ‘I said’, ‘I’m gonna tell my Mommy on you!’ exchanges are becoming dominant. And I’m sorry Jonathan, as I have great admiration for you, but despite that closing video clip, you are failing to step back and curb all this pettiness, by even allowing the above, and similar diatribe elsewhere, to continue.

    Although I live on a very limited budget, I have gladly contributed to several S.T. funding projects, but as more and more energy is being wasted on conflict rather than creativity, I am beginning to consider withdrawing from the lot. And I wonder how many others are increasingly feeling the same.

    From the book of Proverbs, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”

    1. I’m sorry to have angered/disappointed you, Bryan. Personally, I feel there is still a lot of positive about fan films…otherwise I wouldn’t have much that is enjoyable to me to write about. And for the most part, I don’t do main features or editorials about the day-to-day goings-on on the detractor front. I try to keep Fan Film Factor mainly positive. And for the most part, I think I succeed. Try to find something in my editorials (you can locate all of them group together under the tab that says “Blog Entries” in my main nav bar), that criticizes the detractors, and I think you’ll be hard-pressed to do so.

       But what happened this past week was something I simply could not ignore. Just because I try like the dickens to be positive in my blog entries doesn’t mean I will always choose to stay silent when I see something out there that I feel hurts fan films in general or a specific one in particular. This was such a case. If my one blog editorial results in you walking away from all fan films, I am sorry to see you go. But I will not apologize in this case for speaking my conscience on this matter.

    2. Yes, I didn’t fund this most recent time because so much time and energy is being wasted on this. I know other actors out there (Colin Cunningham) who have made award winning shorts on less than $20K. Whatever you want to blame the loss of money is on is ok… it is what it is… but I’ve no desire to keep throwing good money after bad and it’s clear that there is more interest in why something can’t be done than actually doing it.

       I wish Alec a lot of luck moving forward, but I don’t believe that he can or will deliver.

20. Mark get a grip and actually read. The money went to making Prelude, making The Vulcan Scene, building out a studio and two years rent, and pre-production. You don’t understand that a film spends a lot of money on pre-production. And Axanar was stopped 30 days before principal photography. There are costumes, sets, props, and 15 minutes of VFX. What did Axanar spend the money on? Freaking read for a change. Your ignorance is monumental.

    1. I do read. I have read.

       I’ve also read all the court documents.

       I’m looking for facts, not opinion or parroting of the party line.

       1. We know for a fact that Carlos was paid by CBS pertaining to Axanar. I don’t have the facts on this next item but maybe you could answer the question and make it a fact. Have you received any monetary funds from CBS or Carlos pertaining to Axanar?

          1. We know this for a fact, Milan? How do we know this for a fact?

             It actually sounds like, from your second sentence “I don’t have the facts on this next item but maybe you could answer the question and make it a fact…” that it isn’t a fact but you want it to be.

             People, let’s stop with the unfounded accusations. It’s not okay when it’s Alec OR Carlos.

       2. …and yet all you seem to do is parrot the other party line. Funny that.

       3. “Parroting of the party line…”

          Like you’ve been doing all through this comment section repeating portions of The Hater’s Litany”?

          1. “Like you’ve been doing all through this comment section repeating portions of The Hater’s Litany”?”

             I think it’s more of a “mantra” by this point. 🙂

21. Mark…it went to sushi and tires and gas….and guess what……that is fine with me(yes i am joking about the first part). This was a kickstarter……he could have raised 500 million for all i care….the fact is donations do not have to produce ANYTHING. I guess that part of the kickstarter and indigogo sites completely escapes you…..for some reason. this was just like if i invest in something as a venture capitalist….there is NO GUARANTEE that anything will come of it.

    i fail to understand why that simple thing is so hard for the likes of those on the other side of the aisle to understand. He produced Prelude to Axanar, he was on schedule to begin filming, and he got hit with a possibly multi million dollar lawsuit. one dealing with copyright infringement….but yes…lets keep filming so the level of infringement can be greater…..no lawyer worth his salt would have told him to keep going.

    sorry to dissapoint you…..i hope you are happy with the answer…or will you ask the same question another 100 times?

22. Joatban, kudos to you. The reason for your editorial was obvious. What Carlos was doing was so egregious a thing that it had to be answered. The detracters might not like the answer but that is too DARN bad for them. You do have the right to have your say on the matter. I’m one of those baby boomers, and although I was too young to vote at the time, I do remember the McCarthy hearings. Guess wbo shut McCarthy down with truth and not alternate facts? None other than Edward R. Murrow, who ironically enough at the time worked for CBS, when it was still a broadcasting company and not a media conglomerate like it is now.

23. Brilliant piece, Jonathan.

24. I tried to read Pedraza’s Tazebao, and all I got were the words: “Bandwidth Limit Exceeded
    The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to the site owner reaching his/her bandwidth limit. Please try again later.”

    1. Yeah, that might have been my fault. That editorial I posted yesterday has been read by (let me look right now) 851 people yesterday and another 412 today so far. If most of them are going over to Carlos’ site to read the entire piece that I linked to, I might have inadvertently sent too much traffic to his website and pushed him over his monthly limit. If so, I sincerely apologize to Carlos and his readers.

       Here’s a link to the same posting on Facebook (which doesn’t have a bandwidth limit I don’t think):

       https://www.facebook.com/groups/axamonitor/permalink/201510607030461/

       1. Thanks for sharing the Facebook link to his post Jonathan. Reading his post over a few times, I can tell he is missing some common sense ideas about Axanar and the lawsuit. In all honestly, I’m glad I never like AxaMontor’s website or I would have ended up following him (and his twisted interpretation of the facts) instead of your well-grounded interpretations. (I like to make my own opinions, but the language of the law is always confusing to me – I’m sorry in advance if I just insulted you. As a history buff, I’m always skeptical of people who have a lot of influence over the masses.)

          1. No insult taken. 🙂

25. What disturbs me about Carlos and his followers in his FB group is that they are following a path I’ve witnessed elsewhere. I could simply switch the topic and the posts made by these bullies would basically read the same. They are just schoolyard bullies ganging up on a common target.

    The problem is, these groups don’t just discuss; they actively go after people. After all, that’s what bullies do to feel important. And the behavior easily moves off social media into real life. In fact, by asking his FB group members to insert themselves into the Gainesville landlord/tenant situation, Carlos actively incites the transition from cyber-bullying/stalking to real-life bullying/stalking. I bet he suggests that one of his minions observes next weekend’s move-in activities in GA and reports back to him what is seen.

    What concerns me is what comes later as things continue down this slippery slope … Increasingly vicious and hostile online posts. Disagreements becoming threats. The inevitable expansion to bullying anyone supporting the main target. Bullies calling or showing up at targets’ employers in an attempt to get them in trouble or fired. Bullies stalking targets’ families, homes and employers. But the scariest thing is how this evolution leads to real-life violence.

    I’ve seen this process happen. An elderly friend keeps a loaded gun in every room because of threats from online bullies. They have stalked his home, poisoned his dogs and threatened one of his friends at gunpoint. Another was targeted by an entire web site dedicated to slandering him. Another person’s office window was shot out one night after online bullies threatened to “visit” him because they were in town. I had an out-of-state stalker in front of my house. Another friend was stalked through five states.

    When I read posts in Carlos’ “Aximonitor” group, it is deja vu and I can see where this is headed.

    The Internet and social media have evolved faster than laws pertaining to them. Still, I know of several folks who have pursued legal action, one winning a seven-figure slander judgement against a Carlos-like figure and a sealed judgement against one of his group members. One online group remains under investigation for trying to disrupt a competing group’s conference by arson, a pipe bomb and sabotage of an electrical transmission line, a federal offense. All because of an online feud.

    This is serious, people. Grow up and act like adults.

    1. To repeat a comment I made to “Mark Moore” above, this is what the situation has been for months, Observer…

       “Hmm…a group of detractors led mostly by people who had no part/interest/financial donation/team connection to Axanar stalk, harass, insult, in some cases threaten or in many ways find it necessary to stick their nose in the business of Alec Peters, his associates, his girlfriend, and his production company for a year and a half now…but we are the ones “like a bunch of dudes at a thirty fifth high school reunion talking about the time johnny farted in Gym class.”

       Oooookaayyyyy……..”

       It’s okay for them to behave in such a deplorable manner, but if it’s done to them, they cry for Mommy and point at the terrible, awful Axanar fans.

       Besides simple things like insults, tastless/rude/obscene memes, name calling, and standard schoolyard fare, they have also:
       – attempted to/threatened to gain, access and/or release personal or confidential business information
       – attempted to interfere with business transactions
       – attempted to gain information by fraudulent means
       – harassed people associated with the production via Messenger or other electronic means…

       The mind boggles…

       1. Fan films are NOT a business.
          THAT is what started the whole problem with Axanar, when they decided it could be a business.

          MAYBE if Peters would have actually tried to make a fan film, rather than start a business, you’d HAVE a film to watch, the guidelines would NOT exist, and there would not have been a lawsuit.

          But he didn’t. He tried to create a business from the Trek IP, and parade himself around as a big-time producer, living high on the hog from the donor funds.

          Prelude may have been a fan film. Axanar never was.
          And everyone that made Prelude what it was, is gone, and now all you have is a bunch of lumber on a truck, that’s not going to get used anyhow.

          Sad.

    2. “Bullies calling or showing up at targets’ employers in an attempt to get them in trouble or fired.”

       I know you’re just giving an example but it’s rather pertinent: this has happened to one of the detractors at least once. Jeff Craig (Axanar supporter) called Sandy Greenberg (former Axanar supporter) at their workplace, if I recall correctly, and it was to discuss a tweet? Absolutely and utterly uncalled for. If it’s happened to anybody on the Axanar camp, I’m not aware of that.

       (also before anybody says it, I thought Hinman was wrong ages ago for not redacting the business-but-also-godchildren’s-home address once it was discovered what it was being used for at the time. Yes, Alec FUBAR’d by not keeping his business records correctly updated, but still.)

       Both sides have exhibited bullying tendencies, I’ll definitely say that. I’ve seen spitting vitriol in both the Axamonitor and Real Truth About Axanar groups, and about entirely unrelated-to-Axanar personal things at that.

       Personally the best thing that could happen to Alec now would be to carry on in Georgia and complete the film. I liked Prelude, and if the revised 30-minute Axanar is more in that vein (or aorta or whatever; I’m curious to see what the Axacrew comes up with!) , I’m down to clown. (personally I think the John Gill narration was a nice touch)

       By the end of the year, if there’s a completed Axanar film, most of the fire will die down. If you’re reading this, ball’s in your court, AP! Looking forward to seeing the results.

       1. AND… if by the end of the year there is NO FILM, will you all admit that this whole thing was a scam, or complete incompetence?

          1. That depends–what will YOU do if there is a film (or at least if principle photography is completed, since editing can take half a year just by itself)? Will you admit that you were part of an hysterical fringe minority of pathologically obsessed extremists believing what you wanted to despite the truth both being out there and, in many cases, in your face? Will you finally admit that your “see no good, hear no good, speak no good” attitude was only serving to concentrate your hatred inside an echo-chamber of conspiracy theories, rude and crude insults, vitriolic bile that accomplished nothing, and a strange preoccupation with pie?

             Or will you say simply that Alec got lucky, was bailed out because he pulled the wool over the eyes of more gullible donors, and shouldn’t be given credit for finishing a $1.4 million fan film in three times the amount of time he said he would (despite the delay of the lawsuit and limitations of the settlement requiring a complete rewrite). Will you try to turn a victory into a defeat by belittling a true accomplishment, ignoring the scope and magnitude of what was achieved despite ridiculous odds and obstacles lined up against it, and sticking to your same old, tired arguments to be repeated for the thousandth time while the rest of us are enjoying a really good fan film?

             Y’see, Bill, all this works both ways. And I really don’t think you’re capable of viewing this situation through anything other than poop-colored glasses. You’ll never admit to Alec Peters accomplishing anything at all because all you will ever see (and complain about) is evrything that he failed to achieve, not what he did achieve. So really, I don’t see any real need to make this “deal” with you…or to respond to you at all. The only reason I’m doing it now is…well, I really have no idea. I’m sure you’ll say something even nastier in response, embarrass yourself even your than you have already, and make me regret ever saying anything.

             Oh, and I deleted your comment earlier today because you mentioned my son in order to score a point. That’s a no-no. Do it again, and you lose posting privileges permanently.

             1. Then maybe YOU should not use him to make YOUR point, should ya.

26. So, it is OK for Alec and others here to continually accuse Carlos of being paid by CBS (despite the fact that no one has produced ANY court documents from the lawsuit to show this, and that despite Alec claiming he was told this during the case)… and that’s OK… and not questioned, and even repeated by Alec’s sycophants…

    But showing the actual depositions FROM the lawsuit (which are legal depositions under oath) where the Judge says peters personally profited from the fundraisers, and shows how he spent the door funds on items that had NOTHING to do with the film (and if you count that “independent review of 1/2 page that showed absolutely nothing)… then that’s a lie…

    Really?

    Curious how you Axanar-true believers REALLY can justify this stuff…
    Peters says he took a salary… no it was reimbursement… but he says a salary was justified… then he says no it cost me money… The tale changes daily, but you just take his newest version at face value, and with no actual proof of anything… and then when you are shown any proof… that proof must be a lie…

    Either you are brainwashed, or you’re just desperate for attention from peters, or what else, I can’t figure out…

    How you can buy this ever-changing narrative with more holes than swiss cheese is beyond me…
    And Lane, you claim to be “telling the truth” but you’re PART of Axanar (as shown in YOUR deposition during the lawsuit… or was that a lie too?), and so far from neutral, that your bias is 100x more than Carlos… so when you say you are telling the truth, then like a Fox News talk host, don’t claim fair and balanced, cause you aren’t. Carlos is so much more honest than you’ll ever be.
    he cites sources, you cite Peters… and Peters only, so even when Peters changes his tale, then the new tale is TRUE to you.
    That’s not a source, it’s propaganda, and that’s all you are, is propaganda for Axanar.
    This is not a FAN FILM page, it’s an Axanar propaganda page.
    Call it what it is, otherwise YOUR credibility and honesty should be challenged.
    Discuss stuff HONESTLY, and not just the Axanar party line.

    You are just Axanar product placement.
    You were never a fan film blogger, just a talking head to promote ONE project.

    And you keep trying to put a positive spin on it, because without it… you have nothing.

27. Oh… and since you’ve said it before… don’t do the old claim that you are just “biased”…
    Since CBS paid Carlos (they didn’t)… I’d like to ask how much Peters pays YOU to spread this crap, and his lies.
    And don’t claim you don’t work for them… cause you said you did in your deposition…
    “I am a writer for Axanar productions, Inc.”

    So what do YOU get paid to lie?

    1. Well, I don’t lie AND I don’t get paid. My wife is happy about the first one and kinda pissed off about the second.

       However, I will admit that Alec paid for my lunch the weekend before last when Jayden and I went up to the studio for the first day of pack-up. I had three hard-shelled tacos and a soft drink. Jayden just had a drink, as he doesn’t like Mexican food (yet!) and, knowing this, I brought along a cheese stick, yogurt, and some crackers for him.

       Anything else you’d like to know, you angry, angry boy? 🙂

       1. Another “cutesy” response, with no answer to the point.

          1. How did I not answer to the point? The question was “How much do you get paid to lie?” I don’t lie AND I don’t get paid.

             I actually don’t think someone can pay me enough to lie. I remember back when I was in design school (after Cornell, I went to Pratt Manhattan for an Associate’s Degree in graphic design). One day in package design class, Jack Schecterson gave the class an assignment to do a design for a packet of cigarettes. I don’t smoke. I hate smoking. I got my mother to stop smoking when I was seven, and she never took another puff. I sat there for nearly ten minutes, paralyzed, because I couldn’t bring myself to design packaging for a product that could kill people. Yes, I know it was just a school project and not real, but I was still deeply troubled by the assignment. Doing such a design, in my mind, was like lying.

             I finally worked up the guts to approach Jack (he was a tough, grizzled old instructor, already 67 years old, and he didn’t take any shat). I told him my problem. “Yeah, well, what if you were working at an ad agency and got this assignment?” he asked me.

             “I’d request that another designer be assigned to it,” I replied.

             “Yeah, and what if you were the only one available…and it was either do the design or get fired?” he glared at me.

             I took a moment to really think about that question. How much was my integrity worth? Was it worth my job? I really did consider it. And I finally said with as much of a confident tone as I could manage, “Then I guess I’d get fired. But I would hope they’d at least respect my decision.”

             Jack shook his head, “No, they wouldn’t. But fine, your assignment is to work on a package for a tobacco-free cigarette. Will that work for you, Mr. Lane?”

             “Yes,” I said. “Thanks for giving me that option.”

             Jack looked up at the class (we had about 20 design students, nearly all of them had been watching the exchange between between one of the toughest ball-busters at Pratt and what appeared to be the ballsiest student). “Any of the rest of you having the same moral problem as this guy here?”

             Three other students raised their hands. I found out later that they were wrestling with the same issue I was–two of them were macrobiotic vegetarians.

             “Fine,” Jack said. “You four sit together. You’re one design team. The rest of you, break into groups of four and work up packaging comps for your group. Choose a name for your product, and everyone does their own pitch in two weeks. Now get to it.”

             So there you go, Daniel. To…the…point! 🙂

28. Lane, I wish you had contacted and talked to me before throwing my name out there like you did. You want to complain about Carlos not confirming sources but you were fine naming me a mole without asking me my side of the story at all.

    The way you presented my involvement in this was NOT accurate. I would be happy to do an on-the-record interview with you and give you my side of the story.

    1. My apologies, Brian. I was sent the following two screen caps…

       https://fanfilmfactor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Brian.png

       https://fanfilmfactor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Brian2.png

       So let me ask if any of the following is incorrect:

       1) You received an e-mail (allegedly) from Alec Peters listing the location of the new studio. I assume that is because you volunteered to help when the moving trucks arrived at their ultimate destination.

       2) The e-mail specifically said “Please do not share this information with anyone.”

       3) Carlos somehow knew, out of all the volunteers, Brian, to go to you specifically to confirm the address he was given.

       4) Carlos asked you if he had the correct address, and instead of saying, “I’ve been specifically asked not to share this information with anyone; I’m sorry,” you confirmed that the address Carlos provided you with was the same one Alec Peters (allegedly) asked you not to share.

       Are any of those statements incorrect? And if so, please feel free to correct them.

       Let’s start with that, and we can work the rest of the interview from there if we need to, Brian. Or should I call you just “Hartsfield”?

    2. Brian, what else is there besides, “I contacted Alec under false pretenses in order to glean the address.” to tell?

29. One more thing about Brian Hartsfield. He was the person who was continually donating $ 1 to our Indiegogo campaign and then trying to cause problems on our comments section. I refunded his $1 donation SIX TIMES and each time he donated again, posted another rude post and tried to interfere with our campaign. It wasn’t till after he betrayed our trust did I find out he was that guy.

    Of course this course of action was promoted by Carlos and Shawn O’Halloran on the various public and private CBS/P v Axanar groups. Shawn would give specific directions on how to defraud Axanar through the Indiegogo and Carlos would not do anything about it. Because let’s face it, disrupting Axanar is the whole reason Carlos still does what he does and why he wanted to contact our landlord.

    As I think the general public now agrees, these actions are pathological.

    1. Wait. I just want to confirm certain elements of this story.

       You said, “It wasn’t till after he betrayed our trust did I find out he was that guy.”

       I’m trying to lock down a timeline on this. Obviously, the six $1 donations happened first…along with the negative comments posted on the Indiegogo campaign trying to sabotage it.

       Then you refunded Brian’s donations so he couldn’t do any more damage. I get that.

       But when did you find out that the six donations all came from the same person (who, I’m guessing, used an alias each time)…and when did you discover his true identity?

       Y’see, this is important to the story. Did Brian get onto the volunteer list BEFORE you knew it was the same guy who tried to sabotage the Indiegogo campaign? If so, how long was he on the volunteer list before you found out who he was, and HOW did you find out?

       There’s a pretty big story still to be told here, folks…and it’s NOT looking good for Brian Hartsfield OR Carlos. After all, Carlos went to Brian for confirmation of the address, meaning Carlos knew about Brian’s activities and never reported on them. That’s leaving out a VERY big piece of this puzzle for someone wanting to tell the “whole” story about Axanar. In fact, I don’t recall any stories on Axamnonitor.com about intentional sabotage of the Indiegogo campaign. That’s certainly against the Indiegogo rules, and it might border on being illegal. I think that would certainly have been worth reporting on for someone trying to cover everything about this story.

       In other words: What did Carlos know and when did he know it?

       1. The “Big Big story” is why would Peters go to such lengths to deceive Carlos?

          But you won’t cover that. Will ya.
          NO, Alec is innocent here…
          he’s just protecting his Business…
          Did you know fan films aren’t supposed to be a business? That attitude is what got him into trouble in the first place.

          And now the claim is that they SABOTAGED the Indiegogo??? Seriously? That’s funny.
          You and Peters claim over and over again, how Carlos has not nearly as many readers as you, and how he is not relevant, yet he could sabotage the campaign?

          Make up your mind… is he someone that no one reads (as you have said) or so powerful, that he can ruin your campaign?

          Peters is now claiming that Carlos was PAID by CBS… which is not true.
          Will Peters admit that error, and take it back? No?
          But he’s so honest…
          Will YOU admit that is not true, and correct those that keep saying it? No?
          But you aren’t a liar…

          You bitch about people doing the $1 donations, and how you guys are better than that, and it was so deceptive…
          But Peters bans anyone who does not tow the party line, so no one can speak out or ask a question…
          People fraudaulently donated in the names of Carlos and Shawn… but that was OK?
          So, it is OK if YOUR people lie, and get angry and say mean stuff… but GOD FORBID, someone asks a question that is not 100% pro-axanar… they are meanie haters, and are banned from everything.

          Are you guys adults? You react like children, having temper tantrums. Calling people “pathological”, and making claims that laws were broken… please.
          I notice you say no personal insults on this page… yet you let Peters do it.
          Double standard much? Or are you just taking care of where YOUR bread is buttered?

          POST THE TRUTH FOR A CHANGE.

       2. It is clear I’ve already been tried and convicted and there is nothing I can say to change that.

          I guess in a way I now see what Alec has been going through where there is nothing you can do to chance perception. It is a sucky position to be in.

          I’ll give my story though.. while I never donated to axanar due to timng I ran accrosss Prelude on youtube and loved it. In fact, I hated the fact they were only going to do a single movie since I wanted a long running series. Then the lawsuit happened and I looked more closely at things and did not like what I saw. However, I still would like to see whatever Axanar movie/short/etc is allowed to be made and given that the studio is going to be in atlanta where I live had me very interested so I contacted Alec once it was clear the studio was moving to ATL. Yes I did post some things on IGG page prior to the decision to move to ATL.

          My only interaction wtih Carlos was after I was in the ATL Volunteer group and he only wanted me to confirm an address he already had which is the same thing RMB said he willing go do as well. RMB said he would not give the address but would be willing to say the address Carlos had was wrong. That is all I did. I took the address Carlos sent me and said yes that matched what I had. The same thing RMB was willing to do as well That is the only conversatuion I had with Carlos.

          If you all stil want to hang me by the yardarm then feel free.

          1. Alec’s alleged e-mail told you not to share the information with anyone. You shared it. It doesn’t matter what Rob Burnett said or did or told you he did.

             I say this to my son all the time: Just because someone else in the class is doing something you know is wrong doesn’t mean that you’re allowed do it, too. My son is six. What’s your excuse, Brian?

    2. So, you didn’t know he was “that guy” until after?
       So, why did you send him the email with the phony info?
       And why did you chastise him for sharing it with Carlos (as you claim)?

       YOU sent him fake info… YOU bitched at him for “sharing” it… yes?

       So YOU intentionally lied…before he ‘shared’ it, but claim you did not know till after… which was it?

       And you aid he donated $1 6 times… really… and you kept refunding him… so I am assuming he did it under different names… and you can PROVE all the “fake names” were him, yes?
       or are you just making unfounded accusations?
       If he donated 6 times under his OWN name, then why did you accept his offer to help, or was it because you PLANNED on lying?

       We can talk pathological, as soon as you look in the mirror.

       1. Well, if Alec did set a trap for Carlos, I still have to agree with Gabe Koerner: “Well played!”

          And in the end, Carlos comes out of this looking so much worse than Alec…especially after his ediorial where he showed himself to be anything BUT a reporter and rather a vindictive, obsessed blogger with a Ax(anar) to grind. It wasn’t a “big win” for Alec, but man, was it ever a “big loss” for Carlos!

          1. No, not really, because unlike YOU and Alec, Carlos admitted to a mistake.

             When will you do that?

             1. Yes…admitted a mistake but failed to take the blame, but pointed the finger and whined he was deceived.

                Poor baby. Do your research before running a story. He wanted a scoop, he got burned.

             2. Yeah, the detractors just don’t get it. It’s not about Carlos correcting the error and apologizing. If that were all he did and he stopped there, we wouldn’t still be talking about it at all. It was the rest of the editorial that became Carlos’ “Admiral Satie moment.” And that, my friends, was Carlos’ most epic fail. There’s really no coming back from it.

       2. Maybe you can let Peters answer the question…

          Nah, he won’t, cause he’s afraid to try and actually answer questions.
          instead, he’ll let you be all snarky, and not answer the question either, but act like you made a point.

          1. “Nah, he won’t, cause he’s afraid to try and actually answer questions.”

             Or maybe he won’t answer because you don’t really care what he says just so long as it gives you another chance to hurl insults.

             You see, Bill, there’s a difference between having a true conversation WITH someone and simply waiting for your turn to talk again. You seem to be addicted to the latter. I don’t blame Alec for ignoring you. Your tone is crude, crass, and completely uncivil. Your mind is made up. And frankly, you’re acting like a total jerk. That’s not an insult to your personally (who you are); it’s an observation on your behavior (what you do).

             What makes you think you’ve earned a response from Alec? You haven’t. He has much better things to do than deal with a person whose mind is totally made up and just wants to hurl insults. It’s like walking past a house where there’s this manic barking dog on the other side of the fence jumping and growling at you at you walk by. Why the heck would Alec stop and stick his hand through the fence? I mean…seriously!

             And to be honest, Bill, you really haven’t earned a response from me, either. But it’s a slow morning, and I’m procrastinating from doing another project I should be working on. However, I really do have to get back to the paying stuff. The few cents I’m making whenever you type and post a new comment here is less than the $25/hour I’ll be making once I close this window on by browser.

             Toodles.

             1. He ignores everyone that does not kiss his ass.

                And I like how you can justify breaking your own rule on personal attacks.
                It’s Ok when you and Alec do it… but no one else.

                Oh, and the Axafants only get warnings.

                How hypocritical.

                And YOU never answer questions either… you make a snarky remark, and alugh at your joke…
                But nothing gets answered.

                MAYBE that’s why the same questions keep getting asked over and over again.

                The old saying is “the truth hurts”… I’ll bet the truth would damn near kill Peters.

                then again, I doubt he’s ever seen truth, so he’d not know how to react anyhow.

                And you, you’re just a propagandist. Don’t know if you got Stock in the studio, or some money or what, but you’re so deep in the doo doo, you don’t know how to get out.

                85% of what you write about is Axanar, although you claim to be a fan film blog…
                No Axanar, you have no audience, and you become irrelevant.
                I guess you want to milk that ego-driven gravy train as long as possible.

                Oh, if there ends up being an actual film… and it is good, I’ll be the first to say I was wrong.
                But at most you can hope for a half-assed talking heads in front of a greenscreen for 15 minutes (that could have been shot in someone’s garage) that cost 1.5 million dollars…
                Then it’s a freakin’ joke.
                And I doubt we’ll even see that.

                Will YOU admit when YOU are wrong?
                Will YOU apologize for your lies?
                Will Alec apologize for his recent lies about Carlos being paid? No. he won’t.
                He lied, and won’t fess up. FLAT OUT LIE.
                Carlos was lied too… and he still took it on the chin and admitted he was wrong, and apologized.
                Peters does not have the dignity to do the same.

    3. Wait a second Alec, I thought your last fundraiser was for Industry Studios and not Axanar. Because if it WAS for Axanar that would be a violation of your settlement with CBS and Paramount, right?

       Now Shawn never attempted to “defraud” Axanar (because the fundraiser was for the studio). All he was advocating was donating a dollar to enable to comment on the campaign page. As a “lawyer by training” you should really know the definition of fraud. While we’re on the subject, you were quite happy to accept donations in my name and Carlos’ name when of course we’d never really donate. I even emailed you three times requesting you to refund the fake me since it was clearly defaming me. I guess that behaviour is ok with you, as long as you’re not the target.

       Since you mentioned “pathological” behaviour, I’m sure some people would say you spending so much time vilifying Carlos and Shawn and myself when you should be making your movie was pathological as well.

30. You know, this is all folly.

    For a “Fan Film”, the people at Axanar have worked rather diligently to do everything BUT actually MAKE A FAN FILM. Just a few things off the top of my head since Axanar’s beginnings:

    1.) The none of the $1.5 million or more wasn’t supposed to be used to fund the lawsuit. OK. Then where’s the rest of the money?

    2.) The lawsuit settled months ago. And months ago it was promised that the Axanar 2 15-minute episodes would be finished by the end of April. Yeah, there’s been a move. But, you’re working from an already completed story and script with your VFX already done. Where’s the script?

    You can talk and talk, complain and complain. You can make a million excuses why it’s not done. But the fact is, we see. We see the trips to Vegas. We see the KS and IGG perks still sitting in envelopes on Diane’s desk after two years. We see unfinished sets that are far from 30-days from shooting. We see the waste of donor money given with the hope that it would be used with good stewardship, but hasn’t. We see.

    So again I say: Axanar works very hard NOT MAKING A FAN FILM.

31. “Sandy Greenberg says:
    May 2, 2017 at 8:15 am ”
    “I even emailed you three times requesting you to refund the fake me since it was clearly defaming me.”

    Hello, Mr. Greenberg.
    What were the responses to your requests?

    1. He never replied to any of my emails and the donation is still listed on the Indiegogo in my name.

       1. Because there is zero chance that anyone else in the world is named Sandy Greenberg? The donation was made by a donor who did not post any negative comments and did not ask for a refund. I’m not certain what it is you are expecting Alec to do. Throw money back into the face of a donor who just happens to have the same name as you? That just sounds, well, I think Elmer Fudd would use the term “scwewy.”

          1. He could have simply replied with what you just told me Jon. That’s what someone skilled in customer service would do. I don’t know why you need to be his mouthpiece. Since a fake Carlos and fake Shawn donated it seemed more likely that the one in my name was fake as well.

32. Hello, Mr. Peters, donor/supporters, & activists dissenting.

    “I think the general public now agrees, these actions are pathological” https://fanfilmfactor.com/2017/04/29/hoist-with-his-own-picard-editorial/#comment-8035

    I am not seeing supportive evidence that the general public is in agreement on this.

    “The amazing thing about Axanar is how universally loved it is by Star Trek fans” http://www.axanarproductions.com/captains-log-march-27th-2017/

    I am not seeing supportive documentation that Star Trek fans universally love Axanar.

    “or make a fan film that true Star Trek fans love more than the official version” http://www.axanarproductions.com/why-we-do-axanar/

    What criterion measures a Star Trek fan’s true-ness?

    1. TYGR – there’s a lot going on that you may not know about or may not be aware of depending on your source(s) of information. Since I don’t think I’ve known your real name, I don’t know if you’ve been involved on FB about the issue, though I believe you’ve been in the thread at TrekBBS which is pretty much the same people as the FB hater groups, rehashing the same things over and over. I know I haven’t been at the STL boards much of late, but I am always willing to discuss the situation with you. (sb63)

33. “Sandy Greenberg says: “
    May 2, 2017 at 2:19 pm
    “He never replied to any of my emails”

    “Jonathan Lane says: “
    May 2, 2017 at 2:48 pm
    “The donation was made by a donor who did not post any negative comments and did not ask for a refund.” nor who did not post any negative comments and did not ask for a refund.”

    Mr. Lane and Mr. Green,
    The data I’ve documented is that Mr. Pedraza, Mr. Green, & Mr. O’Halloran are three of the most outspoken and long time critics thiswholething.

    Within or about 24 hours of each other three names appeared on the IGG donor list in this order: Carlos Pedraza, Sandy Green, Shawn O’Halloren.

    If those names are also names of supporters of thiswhole thing it is a extraordinarily notable coincidence.

    Mr. Lane, without a doubt it is not inconceivable that there is a donor who is also named Sandy Green.

    Mr. Green also makes a point that within the above extraordinarily notable coincidence it would not be unreasonable for him to think it is also not inconceivable that his name has been used.

    There is no evidence I’ve seen that proves or disproves any of this so it is only data at this point.

    Mr. Lane probably correctly assumes that the donor Mr. Green has probably not requested a refund. I will presume the donation in question will remain.

    Though I do think the above significantly notable coincidence could be at least acknowledged as such.

    “Sandy Greenberg says: “
    May 2, 2017 at 3:12 pm
    “He could have simply replied with what you just told me Jon.”
    🙂

    1. Just wanted to mention that Sandy’s last name is “Greenberg,” not “Green.”

       It should also be noted that one of the voters in the survey (who was not a donor, apparently) used the name “Jonathon Lane” (wrong spelling) and an incorrect e-mail address for me and tried to cast a vote. So it seems there was quite a bit of mischief going on. That said, the donors using the three aliases for Sandy, Carlos, and Shawn were not breaking any rules (aliases are allowed on Indiegogo as long as the payment clears) and did not try to post negative comments…which is against the rules of Indiegogo. (“Indiegogo is not a place for hatred, abuse, discrimination, disrespect, profanity, meanness, harassment, or spam.”) Also, they did not ask for refunds. As such, Alec pretty much has just one option, which is to allow their donations to stand. Yes, they were probably mischief-makers (like the one impersonating me), but without a direct request from them for a refund, any attempt by Alec to refund their donation would be going against the wishes of a legitimate donor…regardless of the name they chose to use.

       1. True up to a point Jonny. There WERE comments from the fake Shawn and Carlos apologising to Alec. Now we all know that those weren’t “negative” that neither of those people would do that. You also seem to be trying to defend this as “two wrongs make a right”.

          You’ve obviously talked to Alec about this so he was clearly aware of the situation. My question again is why didn’t he just reply to any one of my three emails? Is he that afraid of me? Is he just really terrible at customer service? Or was he so desperate to keep that $10 he didn’t want to rock the boat?

          1. Actually (and no, I haven’t spoken to Alec to verify this), but he probably just blocked your e-mail and has his filter send your stuff directly to his spam folder. You donated, requested a refund, got a refund, and now Alec’s responsibility to deal with you in any way is completed. You have not behaved in any way that would even come close to justifying further responses from Alec to any communication from you. So if he has indeed relegated your e-mails to his trash can (as I said, I do not know for certain), then I don’t blame him at all. I kinda wish I could do that myself, but I still accept comments on this blog because I think it’s fun for people to interact with me and with each other. But I gotta tellya…some people are pushing the limits of my patience here.

             1. Well if you haven’t talked to him about it why are you commenting like you know all about it?

                If you don’t know something just say so.

             2. “If you don’t know something just say so.”

                Oh, man! I am NOT going to say it. I am NOT going to say it! Nobody else say anything, either. You can THINK it…just don’t say it! 🙂

             3. Yeah, very funny.

                See, people think you speak for Alec so your little explanations carry weight. If you haven’t talked to him you shouldn’t answer for him.

             4. Sandy, I simply provided an opinion, much like you do. I stated it as such. I didn’t say, “Alec told me that…” but rather that, if he were filtering your e-mails (which is one possible explanation), then I wouldn’t blame him. If Alec wants to weigh in, he’s welcome to. But if he doesn’t, that is also his choice. You are by no means “entitled” to any response from him, and I’m not sure why you’d be under the impression that you were. You asked for a refund of your donation and were given one. Alec has no further connection to you on either a business or personal level. He’s moved on…perhaps it’s time for you to do the same? Hmmm?

             5. Like Alec blocking Curly Boy’s email address is so completely out of the realm of possibility that none can opine upon it….

             6. Excuse me?

                “You asked for a refund of your donation and were given one. ”

                I never asked for a refund. I was forcibly refunded the day after I started asking some questions in the Axanar Fan FB page. I was given no warning nor had any communication from Alec at the time. With comments from him much later the hope was that I would just take the money and go away. Maybe if he had engaged with me at the time and offered me the option of a refund I might have done just that.

                I’ll move on when Alec moves on from trying to separate unsuspecting donors from their money.

             7. Wait a second.

                Let me get this straight…

                1) You never asked for a refund, but you’re angry that Alec gave you a refund.

                and at the same time

                2) You think Alec is trying to separate unsuspecting donors from their money.

                Color me confused, but that just sounds like straight-up hypocrisy to me.

                Either way, you seem to be justifying the harassment of both Alec Peters and his donors by referring to us donors collectively as “unsuspecting.” Well, here’s a little secret for you, Sandy: we’re all adults. We’re not “unsuspecting.” We simply chose to donate to something we liked and believed in. We never asked for the harassment, and we certainly don’t enjoy it. So you’re pretty much forcing your narrow views on other people without showing them any respect or courtesy. In my book, that’s just obnoxious…like an proselyte who keeps banging on your front door over and over and over again yelling that you have a false god and are going to hell.

                Seriously, dude, go home. We’ve made our choice, and we’re fine with it. And honestly, we’ve pretty much had it with you shouting at us from our front lawn.

             8. Wow, revisionist history much, Curly? You left out the entire post and comment thread where your questions were entertained for over a day. Don’t try to say you asked questions and suddenly got a refund, that’s bullshat!

             9. What a difference leaving out one little inconvenient fact from the narrative can make!

34. Doh!

    Thanks, Mr. Lane.

    Big apologies to Sandy Greenberg for my error!!!!

    GreenBERG GreenBERG. Sandy Greenberg.

    🙂

35. “Colin Krapp says:”
    May 3, 2017 at 2:38 pm
    “TYGR – there’s a lot going on that you may not know about or may not be aware of depending on your source(s) of information. Since I don’t think I’ve known your real name, I don’t know if you’ve been involved on FB about the issue, though I believe you’ve been in the thread at TrekBBS which is pretty much the same people as the FB hater groups, rehashing the same things over and over. I know I haven’t been at the STL boards much of late, but I am always willing to discuss the situation with you. (sb63)”

    Hey, Hi, SB! I just now saw your post!!

    I’m not on FB. Don’t use it. 😆 I am in the TrekBBS thread. There I am pretty much like-minded with most of them in my independently reached convictions on thiswholething, but even when I strongly stand apart there on one issue or another I’ve never been verbally beat down or harassed or anything. It’s mostly a quite well self-monitoring thread. For all the rest I’m always happily at Home in STL!! Well, I guess except for Mr. Lane’s blog and all which is new to me. But I soooo want to interact with our donor/supporters in a safe place where I wouldn’t be afraid of being verbally beat down for my own convictions as I listen to their point of view and hopefully converse from my own point of view.

    Because I deeply strongly believe we fellow Star Trek fans must begin to speak to each other with respect and respect ‘for’ our various points of view on thiswholething. And listen to each other. Not to change each other’s minds on anything. But to understand each other. I think this is really really really important.

    That’s why I so respect the advocacy you do in your support and with Mr. Lane’s CBS thing. Because I respect that you come to your convictions honestly and with heart. Just like I do mine. And while we, you, Mr. Lane, me, (others 😆 ) will stand apart in our points of view in this particular thing, …and the CBS thing, ……and the new Star Trek movies, …..and that Capt. Kathryn Janeway is clearly…, ….and ‘Voyager’ is clearly… 😆 ….. etc.

    See that’s the thing. Lots of Star Trek fans will always be passionately differently thinking in just about everything. And in thiswholething I see bad actors on both of the vocal sides displaying the exact same bad behavior. For every list I’m shown with who did what and said this or that on one side I also have my own well documented list of the exact awfulness being done on the other side right back. Toe to toe, bad actor to bad actor. The bad actors in the Us -and- the Them are identically bad. With equal numbers of bad actors populating both sides.

    It is sooooo ‘Let This Be Your Last Battlefield’.

    So, you know, that’s why I came to Mr. Lane’s place! To be in a safe place to listened to and hopefully interact with my fellow Star Trek fans who look at the same data I look at and interpret it radically differently than I do. I don’t need to change anyone’s thinking. And I think for myself in all things.

    But we who are involved with this (a tiny tiny part of Star Trek fandom) have to find our way get over this hurdle. We have to.

    Because I BELIEVE in the Philosophy of Star Trek, the Dream of Star Trek. That all the Trills & Romulans & Bajorans & Benzites & Denobulans & Romulans & El-Aurians & Ferengi & Klingons & Terrans & Organians & Species 8472 & Vidiians & Photonics & Dominion & Cardassians & Betazoids & & & & ….can stand strong in our differences and still find the way within our differences to co-exist and enjoy each other and live and learn from each other and thrive. Even while standing strong in our various points of view and advocacies …. respecting each of theirs.

    And I ‘believe’ we, all of us, must stop demeaning each other. We must. Speak our individual truths clearly, quietly, and as often as we see necessary, for as long as we see necessary. And individually decide to stop responding to verbal bashing and name calling and labeling against us with bashing & name calling & labeling of our own.

    We must individually decide we choose to not do this anymore.

    “There will always be those who mean to do us harm. To stop them, we risk awakening the same evil within ourselves.”

    Each of us must individually decide to not be party to this anymore.

    We must.

    You know?

    1. No need for such formality around here, TYGR. “Mr. Lane” isn’t even my dad. And it certainly ain’t me…except in the classroom. You can call me “Jonathan.” 🙂

36. “Jonathan Lane says: ”
    May 4, 2017 at 10:00 am
    “No need for such formality around here, TYGR. “Mr. Lane” isn’t even my dad. And it certainly ain’t me…except in the classroom. You can call me “Jonathan.” ”

    Thank you, Jonathan, I will.

    And if I may step outside of Star Trek for just a second and say…

    May the 4th Be With You!

    😆

    1. And also with you.

       But remember that this is Star TREK, so I like to add on this special day, “May La Forge be with you!” 🙂

37. I agree with you Jonathan Lane about Carlos. I do hope a journalistic ethics agency somewhere sits down with him for a stern lecture on this behaviour of his. Thou I do love the vids from The Drumhead episode: Satie in the courtroom still sends chills down my spine .

38. I have a lot of respect for Carlos but, indeed, what the hell was he thinking trying to hunt down the location of the new studio, when it was never going to be secret?? Baffling. It can only be to give people a head start on mocking any problems there might be with it. It’s so petty.

    The Axanar comic blog he did was also disturbing. (Plus did he get the rights for those images? ;P It’s not fair use to use something to mock something else – see Dr.Seuss Enterprises v. Penguin )

    The real haters are acting like they’re entitled to know minute by minute everything that Peters do because all of it is getting paid by donor’s money but, at the same time, they are saying that all the money has been spent! Both cannot be true. If the money’s all gone, then everything that happens from here is just whatever Peters is doing, and not something he needs to account for to (pseudo-) donors. There is absolutely no requirement of any transparency.

    These same haters also say that full transparency is required because the Axanar Production is a non-profit, but they also say that it isn’t a non-profit. Again, both things cannot be true.

    There is a lot people in the Axanar camp don’t know or choose to ignore about Carlos, however. He’s helped created a ton of Fan Film content – a lot more content that Alec Peters – for example his work on Hidden Frontier. He’s directed part of the famous “World Enough and Time” and now he’s written and produced actual movies playing at actual film festivals. (http://somethinglikesummer.com/team/ http://thedarkplacemovie.com/blog/portfolio/the-filmmakers/ ) The narrative that Peters is a filmmaker getting attacked by some loser blogger who does nothing but stalk Axanar all day is completely disconnected with reality.

    We need to keep Carlos honest, but the real losers out there are the ones that made a Facebook group of “meme” about Axanar, or otherwise seem to be starving for mocking or debating details of whatever anyone is saying on the Axanar side every minute of the day. Where do they get all this time?? Baffling. They must be compensating for something missing in their lives. In any case, I think they do not realize they are drowning any legitimate criticism of Axanar.

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