The year ended on a VERY happy note for the folks from STARBASE STUDIOS, the only full TOS bridge, transporter, and sickbay sets open to any fan film to use at any time they want to schedule to shoot their production.
You might recall from my previous blog that Starbase Studios lost the use of their warehouse location in Oklahoma City after nearly half a decade of enjoying free rent. The building was being sold, and Starbase Studios had until the end of the year to get all of its amazing set pieces removed and transported to a new location.
Dan Reynolds offered studio space that he owns in northern Arkansas to be the new home for Starbase Studios…also rent free. And although staying in Oklahoma City would have been preferable, nothing beats free rent! So the decision was made to relocate. But deciding is easy…actual MOVING is the hard part!
Super fan and fan filmmaker Glen L. Wolfe stepped forward to handle the move, paying the costs up front for trucks and gas and driving the 6-hour (one-way), 333-mile distance back and forth himself…and it was more than just one trip (five actually!). The hope was that $3,500 could be raised from donations to a GoFundMe campaign to reimburse Glen his out-of-pocket expenses…’cause Glen ain’t exactly part of the 1%.
That $3,500 goal was reached on December 30, just as the last of FIVE TRUCKLOADS of set pieces were being loaded for a December 31 journey to Mountain Home, Arkansas. So STARBASE STUDIOS got out in time, funded its move, and all the set pieces arrived safely in their new home.
So what’s next?
Starbase Studios posted the following update on their Facebook page:
Now the arduous task of reconstruction.
We have scheduled shoots this year and several scripts already submitted. First things first. With the new sound stage covered with set pieces of the bridge, transporter room, briefing room, sick bay and a stack of wall flats taller than a Capellan, the reconstruction phase is ahead of us. And as winter either gets here or we have another mild Ozarks winter, will determine just how much work we’ll get completed before our next scheduled shoot which will be April 1-9 when cast and crew of the USS Republic will be our first new tenants to occupy the new facilities when they shoot their next episode.
UPCOMING FEDERATION FILES PRODUCTIONS AT STARBASE STUDIOS
“WALKING BEAR – RUNNING WOLF” will be a vignette with minimal characters and the addition of a real wolf in her acting debut which we plan as the second episode of The Federation Files series (episode 1 – “His Name is Mudd”). This will be a fun shoot and we already have sets and all locations scouted.
“DOPPELGANGER” was to be episode #2 of The Federation Files but has been pushed back for the short vignette “Walking Bear- Running Wolf.” The 2nd draft of the script is being treated, and we are still casting for lead and general parts.
If you would like to film your fan film at Starbase Studios’ facility, please contact us here for open calendar dates that may be available.
And there you have it. If you live anywhere remotely close to the middle of nowhere (although I hear Mountain Home is really lovely)–and this means neighboring states like Missouri (very close), Tennessee, Oklahoma, Kansas, Eastern Texas, or Louisiana, you can contact Starbase Studios to lend your much-needed services as they work feverishly to reassemble all of the incredible TOS sets. Yeah, I realize those are all BIG states and it’ll probably be LOTS of hours of driving. But the reward, of course, is bragging rights good throughout all of Star Trek fandom and, of course, your chance to sit in the captain’s chair on the bridge of the USS Enterprise–or Republic, Yorktown, Valiant, Dominion, Grissom, Melbourne….choose your favorite!
Mountain Home is a very nice place. Our Air Guard unit used to go there often to set up communications relay sites. We used to come out of the Dallas area. I wish them the best of luck in setting up and getting running.