STAR TREK CONTINUES answers some questions from fans about their FINAL EPISODES!

45 thoughts on “STAR TREK CONTINUES answers some questions from fans about their FINAL EPISODES!”

1. Actually expected a worse response than what I read.

2. I find it interesting you consider: “CBS is not responsible for the decision to end the series. We are doing 11 episodes instead of 13 because another fan group took advantage of the good graces of the copyright holders forcing them to protect their property and the interests of their license holders. In deference and gratitude to CBS, we are wrapping up earlier than planned. We always have stood, and continue to stand, with CBS.” to be a dig at Axanar.

   If anything that was a very polite explanation as to why they are ending production.

   To even imply it was an “Dig” isn’t honest. As we all know one of the fan films did in fact act in a manner that was impolite towards CBS.

   1. They didn’t say the other fan film was impolite, Admiral. They said “took advantage of the good graces of the copyright holders forcing them…” It’s not just what you say but how you say it. “Impolite” would have been much less of a dig. And to be honest, all fan films took advantage of the good graces of the copyright holders. That’s why there are hundreds of fan films out there. If there hadn’t been “good graces” for five decades (and especially the last decade), CBS/P would tried to shut down fan films long ago. Indeed, you can argue that the guidelines themselves are “good graces,” and taking advantage of that opportunity to create fan films within a safe harbor is a choice that many fan films are making…not STC though. So in that way, I suppose STC is not taking advantage of the good graces of the copyright holders, and we’ll see how that goes for them. I hope it works out.

   2. It’s certainly a dig in the sense that the assertion does not fit what CBS had said publicly about the guidelines.

3. I maintain that when STC is concluded that Vic & Co. needs to go the Renegade/Blade of Honor route and do an original series. There is just way too much talent in this group to let it go to waste.
   Donation money is standing by…

   1. Agreed!

      1. Ironic that history repeats itself when it comes to feuds on Star Trek .

         Considering that James Doohan and William Shatner feuded and now today it’s Alec Peters and Vic Mignogna .

         1. Actually, I think Gene Roddenberry and Harlan Ellison was the biggest and nastiest Trek feud ever. Anyone else have a candidate? 🙂

4. Yeah, #5 wad wholly unnecessary, not to mention unsupported by available facts. Mr. Van Citters made it abundantly clear last June that the lawsuit and the guidelines are separate issues. Furthermore, some of the reasons the guidelines were implemented (according to the same podcast last June) do apply to Continues.

   I agree that the feud should stop, at least publicly.

   1. HubcapDave, even though the lawsuit against that Axanar thing and the guidelines being established aren’t tired together directly, but it’s absolutely the complete incompetence and mismanagement of this Axanar mess which forced the guideline’s to become a realiy ! Ever since the first 8mm fan film production to the most modern HD video of today most film makers had the basic common sense required to understand what was acceptable and what wasn’t, all but one delusional fan who somehow thought Star Trek belonged to the fans (actually legally believed it belonged to the fans, can you imagine that) and atempted to blindly challenge that in court – you just can’t make this foolish up! But let’s focus on the your post HubcapDave, to keep this easy for you to understand, the guidelines were created to set parameters so productions who wanted to call themselves professional films or wannabe film producers would have to draw more on their own limited talent capabilities and the lack of creative skills to actual produce their own material – it’s known as an actual accomplishment ! The guidelines aren’t restrictions, that’s always been the misconception, they require the film producer to actual use whatever creative skills they have, if any, to think outside the box !
      There’s no doubt that the guidelines had a shock value to the Trek fan film community as a whole, but more so to the fan film producers who are now forced to actually become original with their content !

      1. Man, I’m trying to find something provably accurate in that post…and I just can’t.

         1. Yep
            Long on assertion, short on proof….all hat, no cattle.

            1. Or to use a gold metaphor: no long game, just putz. 🙂

            2. Now HubcapDave, you know damn well I just don’t toss around assertions, I bring everything to the table ! If the reason for the creation of the guideline’s flies over your head, then please don’t blame me for your restricted thought processing, some guys just don’t understand common sense issues !
               As for your hat and cattle cutie pie remark, I’m not a farmer, but whatever you do with your cattle is nobodies business !

5. I have enjoyed most of what STC has put out so far, and I look forward to the upcoming eps, but the dig at Axanar REALLY wasn’t called for. If it wasn’t Alec Peters who got a lawsuit filed against him, it would have been someone else sooner or later. Maybe even Vic himself. Fan films in general are getting more and more sophisticated and “professional” looking. CBS are the ones who have a problem. They are too stupid to see the trends in modern media and how these can be used to improve their business prospects long term. It’s only a matter of time before the company goes bankrupt in my opinion. They are on the wrong side of history.

   1. Hey Chris, do you mind if I copy your post for future use. I love your original thought “that If it wasn’t Alec Peters who got a lawsuit filed against him, it would have been someone else sooner or later” … This is the same basic thinking defense that a robber uses when stealing and caught, “if I hadn’t stolen it somebody would have”- – –

      1. You can copy and paste this too. Go take a hike.

6. The first question answered in this FAQ should have been. Is Vic still selling autographed photos of himself as Kirk with the Star Trek “continues” logo, at his convention appearances?

   This whole deal of Making Alec Peters admit that he crossed lines is pretty much BS. The man asked for guidelines, long before there was a lawsuit.

   And Lots of groups including NV and Continues, were using professionals, and raising obscene amounts of cash. from Trek fans. (which they still seem to be doing, just behind the scenes.)

   There simply was was no line for AP to cross. But for those of us playing at home. The line seems to be 1 million.

   There has been this subtle arrogance coming from the continues group for a long time now. This is just the latest example.

   And by their actions they are saying that CBS and their guidelines are nothing more than a paper tiger. In all likely hood, with all fan division and bad publicity CBS got out of it their last go around, It might be a a safe bet. But I think they are crazy to roll those dice at all.

   And they certainly don’t need to be pointing fingers.

7. I read it twice and honestly, I don’t take question five as a big dig at all. It comes across as a more polite way of saying “The climate regarding how we make fan films has changed, so we are doing this instead of pushing matters.”

8. If the shoe fits….

9. I think I’ll start checking the show out, since there’s so much high praise about it – Should I take a look at it?… P

   1. I think it’s the best of the Trek fan series….consistently. I think “Fairest of Them All” is the best of all of their efforts so far…with “Embracing the Wind” a close second. I also feel that the ambition of doing “Divided We Stand” was was incredibly impressive.

      Let us know what you think!

      1. Alright, I’ll get started on it ASAP then – Thanks, Jon… P 🙂

10. I applaud STC for stating this as politely as they did and not mentioning Axanar by name. Nothing STC said in their FAQ was inaccurate.

    1. I didn’t say anything was inaccurate (although the real story is much more complex). It’s simply a question of “Was it necessary?” Did it help explain things better?

       You see, STC could have just as easily said, “CBS has decided to be more protective of their intellectual property, resulting in a number of changes for many fan films and series.” Obviously, STC couldn’t know what CBS was thinking when they wrote the guidelines. They can guess, but they don’t know for certain. None of us does. Did this “other fan group” really “force” CBS to do anything? Is it possible that there was a general fan film trend in the direction of the “space race” (as John Van Citters called it) beginning with New Voyages bringing on Walter Koenig and George Takei to reprise their iconic roles, continuing through Star Trek: Of Gods and Men, Star Trek: Renegades, and yes, even Star Trek Continues before Axanar finally was the straw that broke the camel’s back? Had Axanar not happened, might STC have become the first fan series to get sued? There’s no way to know for certain. So by stating the conjecture as fact, “…another fan group took advantage of the good graces of the copyright holders forcing them to protect their property and the interests of their license holders…” STC was potentially spreading misinformation for the simple reason that, yes, they wanted to take yet another subtle swipe at Axanar.

       Yes, we all know the theory that the guidelines were written to stop the next Axanar because Alec Peters made the first Axanar and CBS didn’t like it one bit. But no, we do NOT know for CERTAIN why the guidelines were written and how long they were worked on before getting announced. Maybe the conjecture is true, maybe it’s not. But the one thing it absolutely is is divisive to fandom. I am a proud and enthusiastic backer of BOTH Star Trek Continues AND Axanar. I get just as pissed off when Alec Peters disses STC and Vic as I do when I see the reverse.

       It just wasn’t necessary to go there. There were at least a dozen different, nicer, less controversial ways to say the same thing without trying to present a theory as fact and continue the feud for yet another round. When will it ever end? Who will be the bigger fan series and finally give up the digs first? That’s all I’m saying.

       1. Jonathan, to quote a phrase from a blogger I know: “and the band plays on”

          1. Seems we both march to the beat of our own drummer, Mr. S.

11. I’ve never been fond of egg salad sandwiches.

    1. I feel the same way about non sequiturs…..

       1. And chocolate sauce!

12. I don’t see it as a dig but as an explanation of why they are shutting down. Sure arguments can be made that if not axanar would somebody else have been sued but I think the bottom line is that if Axanar hadn’t been sued, then STC probably wouldn’t be shutting down at 11 episodes. So it is a part of the answer to the question and he specifically didn’t mention Axanar or AP by name.

    Personally I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill.

    1. Actually, I wasn’t really making a mountain out of it. I said my piece and was inviting people NOT to make a big deal out of it. Yeah, perhaps that was wishful thinking. But personally, I thought it was unnecessary to pin CBS’s decision on a fan group “forcing” CBS to do it. It’s seems unlikely that a few dozen Trekkies could force CBS to do anything. Heck, I had 1,200 Trekkies behind Small Access, and I couldn’t “force” the studios to revise the guidelines. Publicly traded Hollywood entertainment corporations are kinda like 80,000-pound gorillas…you really don’t force them to do anything. (Yeah, that was a reference to the new King Kong movie. I always try to stay relevant!) 🙂

13. You missed the most important Question.
    after the they finish filming does the name change to Star Trek Discontinued?

    1. Oh, be-HAYVE!!

    2. Martin, you missed the bigger question here, however knowing your extremely limited thought process it’s somewhat understandable !
       That being, after Alec and the warehouse have packed up at the end of the year and there’s no Axanar, will we ever see the “Conclusion to Axanar” ?

       1. Anthony, I’m just curious to hear what you’ll say (if anything) if/when Axanar gets made and the studio continues on beyond the end of this year. And yeah, I know you’ll say something flippant like, “It’ll never happen, so no need to wonder.” But I do still wonder. Will you try to somehow diminish the achievement and hurl insults at the quality or story or acting or costumes or whatever? Or will you just say nothing and hope no one remembers the stuff you said in postings like this one?

          I do wonder…

14. How can they claim that CBS is not responsible in any way when the change is in response to a lawsuit filed by CBS?

15. “CBS is not responsible for the decision to end the series. We are doing 11 episodes instead of 13 because another fan group took advantage of the good graces of the copyright holders forcing them to protect their property and the interests of their license holders. ”

    I could not have phrased it better, myself.

    I can see why Alec Peters wanted to play Garth Of Izar. He is just as insane as Garth was presented in Whom Gods Destroy.

    1. Calling someone insane is an insult. Personal insults are not allowed on this blog, Charles. Your next insult to Alec or anyone else gets the comment trashed. This is your only warning. (Everyone gets one warning.)

       1. Actually, its more like a sentiment shared by many. Especially by those STC. I think the symbolism behind this clip sums it all up.

          So long.

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4qcaVehCyY

          1. Seriously? Of all the clips from that episode showing Garth ranting and raving, you chose Marta’s poem? Pretty weak, dude. Pretty…darn…weak.

16. As many fans are aware, there is no love lost between Vic Mignogna of STC and Alec Peters of Axanar (total understatement!). And in the “I hit Krako, Krako hits Teppo, Teppo hits me…” traditions of fine fan film feuding, we have yet another hit.

    As a proud backer of both series who loves watching Vic play Kirk and Alec play Garth, I personally find the mutual animosity distasteful (whichever of them it comes from).

    I find it distasteful, too. All the more reason why BOTH of them should just stay out of Star Trek fandom, entirely. Both of them are like Lazarus from The Alternative Factor and Lokai and Bele from Let That Be Your Last Battlefield.

    Their feuding and BS has literally taken the fun out of Star Trek fan films and hurt Star Trek fandom.

    Both STC and Axanar – and the feuding – has given Star Trek a HUGE black eye.

    1. Don’t equate the filmmakers with the films, Aaron. If you never knew about the feuding, you would likely love both STC and Axanar outright. In fact, both have hundreds of thousands and even millions of views, and I’m certain the vast majority of those viewers have no idea what Alec or Vic are saying about each other. So pretend that you’re one of those “blissfully ignorant” viewers and try to edit Vic and Alec out of your experience with fan films. Yeah, I know…tall order. But if their bickering is ruining it for you, and neither of them will leave fandom or stop making their projects, your only choice other than walking away yourself (a nose/face spite-fest) is to just ignore the vitriol and swallow your government-issued happy-pill. 🙂

       1. That maybe true, Jonathan. But realistically speaking, with the information out in the open, it is as you say ‘a tall order’ to separate the two. Easier said than done. I will admit, I have been impressed with the SFX and sets of both. Nevertheless, the editing of the negativity is impossible to separate. The feuding between Bill Shatner and George Takei is a fine example.

          I’ve been following this whole situation from the start and from what I have heard said and posted about this feud among others – not to mention the Axanar controversy – both Vic and Alec’s actions have done Star Trek fandom more harm than good. This ‘dark side of fandom’ for lack of a better description has been an insult to Star Trek and its reputation. It’s not something that you can sweep under a rug or – like Section 31 – information that you can quietly bury.

          Actions have consequences, and sadly those actions(among many from what I have seen described in posts over the years)have had some negative consequences on the fan community. And they still do. Realistically, negative impacts like these incidents cannot be ignored.

          If Alec and Vic want to make films, that’s fine. But they should make films that have nothing to do with Star Trek. Their feuding and other negative actions are not helping the state of Star Trek fandom. Generally, it’s just making it worse and driving fans away.

          1. I haven’t really seen it drive fans away. My readership on FFF remains pretty steady at about 500-1000 visits per day. Frankly, I don’t think most fan film watchers are even aware of most of what Vic and Alec say about each other. Perhaps a few are driven away by it, but not many. Most either ignore it or else it riles them up like a mob…unfortunately.

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