So where’s that darn DEEP SPACE NINE documentary??? (update)

Has the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine documentary WHAT WE LEFT BEHIND been left behind?  Hardly!

Just over a year ago, IRA STEVEN BEHR, DAVID ZAPPONE, and ADAM NIMOY unexpectedly blasted though all expectations (an initial $150,000 goal) and ever-higher stretch goals to reach a staggering $647,891 in donations for their ambitious full-length documentary about the beloved Star Trek TV series Deep Space Nine.

Fans were excited about nearly every aspect of this planned project.  Clips, behind-the-scenes stories and footage, and round-table interviews with nearly all of the major cast members and many of the production team were, of course, a given.  But there would also be a special 20-minute “what if” segment in which the original writers would brainstorm a theoretical 8th season of the show.  There would be licensed footage, customized graphics, and an original score…all directed by Adam Nimoy, who has already given fans the excellent For the Love of Spock documentary.

But most exciting, though, was a promised HD remastering of certain scenes from the original DS9 series along with new CGI animations produced and overseen by veteran Trek VFX alum DOUG DREXLER.  And since Paramount and CBS have stated that they have no intention of remastering DS9 like they did TOS and TNG (yeah, sacrilege!) this will probably be our only chance to have at least at a small taste of what could have been.  Most of us “Niner” fans couldn’t wait!

And we thought we wouldn’t have to wait for too long.  Although the original estimates were February of 2018, that was before the campaign took in nearly 325% over its original goal.  So an update from last November said that February wasn’t gonna happen, and “[W]hile we still are aiming to have the film done in early 2018, it is likely these release timeframes will shift back (slightly) to accommodate.”

So now “early 2018” is rapidly turning into “mid 2018,” and fans are beginning to wonder where’s that darn DS9 documentary?!?

Two weeks ago, we got our answer when the team issued a new update with more information, a bunch of optimism, and a fair amount of good-natured humor.  Here’s a look at what they had to say…

Greetings DS9 Fans!

We’re sure you’re all eager for an update on the process, so here goes, drumroll please…

WE’RE STILL EDITING!

 

So, why is it taking so long to edit?

Well, for starters, we’ve got over 100 hours of new interviews with cast and crew to go through, plus fan submissions, archival materials, animations, audition tapes, convention footage and over 170 broadcast episodes… endless possibilities! And sure, you SAY you’d be down to see a 4-hour documentary, but really that’s just excessive even for us. Carefully and artfully assembling everything down into a reasonable length film (with a story of its own!) is an even longer process.

Then, factor in the technical elements of licensing all our official footage, finding new archival elements and creating animations, working with CBS to scan film negative for presentation for the first time in HD… the fact that we’re even close to having something to show is, frankly, a bit of a miracle. If we were wormhole aliens, we’re sure all this linear time wouldn’t even be an issue, but alas in this process we’re only human.

The good news for you in all of this is that we’re continuing to find new elements and stories to include as we go along, and we’re committed to making the best stand-alone film we can, however long that takes. (And, suffice to say, we’ve got HOURS of bonus content to release later on down the line!)

Are DVD/BluRays Packs ready to ship?

Funny thing about that is that you traditionally need to finish the film first. We considered shipping out empty DVD cases with a photo of a disk inside… but we did that for April Fools Day with our executive producer and he tried playing it in his DVD player, and now it’s broken. So we didn’t want that to happen to you too.

We promise we will let all backers know before these disks start shipping. It’s important to also to remind you of the order of release:

• Backer Premieres in LA, NY & London first, then…
• Early-Access Digital Stream for Eligible Supporters, and then…
• Public Release of the film (details TBD), before…
• Shipping of DVD/Blu-Ray packages begins (sometime shortly after public release)

Of course, before any of that — the FILM NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED! As soon as we have updated timeframes on any of this, you’ll be the first to know!

 

And the dates of the Premieres…?

Eh, now you’re just being funny, aren’t you? We KNOW you’re excited, but hang tight! Once the film is ready, we’ll give you plenty of heads up — plus, opportunities to update your information, give us your guest names, and weigh in on dates & times if possible!

 

Can I still update my shipping information?

Absolutely. You can view your current information, update address and more, by visiting our BackerKit site at ds9doc.backerkit.com. If your order is locked, contact our support team at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to assist manually.

 

Is it too late to get one of those awesome T-Shirts?

Aw shucks. Those were enormously popular, and we wish we could re-release them, but we promised the original three shirts would be exclusive to the Indiegogo campaign. Good news is, we’re dreaming up new designs to (hopefully) come out around the same time as the film, so stay tuned!

 

Any luck with DS9 in HD?

YES! It’s expensive, it’s time-intensive and lengthening our post process… and it’s gosh-darn beautiful. CBS has been partnering with us on this aspect and we can confirm it will *absolutely* be worth the wait.

 

Are you including [X,Y,Z] in the film?

Spoilers! You’ll have to wait and see. There are so many relevant cast and crew and influences and elements from the show’s SEVEN seasons that it would never be possible for us to include everything in a 90 minute documentary. A ten-episode mini-series perhaps… Indiegogo Campaign #2?

 

So, SUMMING UP: 

We’re still hard at work and keeping you all at the front of our minds. We’re so proud of the film that’s coming together and just can’t wait to share the finished project with you. In the meantime, be sure to follow us on social media for more day-to-day updates and teases, and keep celebrating DS9 in your own special way!

We thoroughly appreciate your patience, your support, and your continually growing excitement. Keep it up!

– The #DS9Doc Team