AXANAR update…the news is actually GOOD!

Every so often, just for a shats and giggles, I head over the the Axamonitor blog site to see the latest “news” CARLOS PEDRAZA has to “report.”  It’s funny because, while some people like to see the AXANAR glass as half-full (if not more so), Carlos does his best to convince folks that the Axanar glass is 99% empty.  I noticed, in one of his latest updates, that Carlos included such catastrophic sub-headlines as…

  • Axanar Could ‘Take Years’
  • Failed California Studio
  • Indiegogo Failure
  • Hemorrhaging Money
  • Abandoning Nonprofit Plans
  • Bait and Switch?
  • No More Axanar

And that’s just ONE blog update, folks!!!

Sheesh, with “news” like that, it’s hard to imagine any reason to smile in the land of Axanar fandom.  So why am I and so many others still smiling?

Despite naming his blog site “Axamonitor,” Carlos seems to be very—what’s the word?—selective in what he actually “monitors” and chooses to include.  So if there are any positive things to say or good news or report about Axanar, you’re unlikely to find it there.

Fortunately, there’s other places on the Internet to get the rest of the story…including here.  And so that’s the subject of today’s blog: all the GOOD news that’s happening right now in the world of Axanar….

I should begin by reporting that there was no water or wind damage to the new Axanar studio in Lawrenceville, GA, nor to the sets, when the tropical storm remnants of Hurricane Irma blew through the metro Atlanta area on Monday.  By the time the destructive storm began moving across Georgia, it was no longer a hurricane and just dumped mainly rain.

The move to Atlanta

Admittedly, there’s no way to sugarcoat the Axanar production and team having to leave Industry Studios in Valencia, California.  That studio was taking shape into something very special and impressive, as this video that I shot just before the move shows…

But when you consider how much stuff had to be transported across the country from California to Georgia—including disassembling and reassembling that amazing bridge set—the relocation went about as smoothly as one could have hoped for.  Alec and Axanar Productions maintain a good and healthy relationship with their former landlord, who is now the manager/owner of Industry Studios.  So when it comes time to shoot the green-screen scenes for the 30-minute Axanar fan production, they will be able to film the mostly L.A.-based cast at a soundstage only a half hour drive from downtown Los Angeles at a very inexpensive cost.

When Alec and the three fully-loaded trucks arrived in Lawrenceville, GA, in early May, they were joined by nearly THIRTY enthusiastic volunteers who helped unload and get all the costumes, set pieces, props, furniture, perk merchandise, artwork, filing cabinets, printed records, and lord knows what else into the new studio in record time.  You can read more about that here.

There was also good news about the new studio itself, which was christened OWC Studios when the multi-million-dollar Other World Computing (OWC) Digital, which had supplied editing hardware and software for Prelude to Axanar, became an official corporate sponsor for the studio, providing financial resources that will help the new studio get onto its feet and establish itself in the rapidly-growing metro-Atlanta film-making market.

Finishing that incredible bridge set

As you can see from the above video, the Axanar bridge set is a marvel to behold.  But it left Los Angeles only about 80-85% complete, and suffered some unavoidable damage during its 2,500-mile trek across the continent.

“When you break apart an almost 1,000 square foot set and transport it across the country,” Alec told me in a recent interview, “you are going to have damage.  Most of it was small, although one of the sections fell off a fork lift, and the railing had to be rebuilt.  Most was puttying, sanding, and repainting…then putting everything back where it belonged and getting it fully painted.  Plus, we finished and upholstered the command chair.  That came out really well.”

You can see some of that work in the photos below…

    I asked Alec, now that all of this work has been done, what percentage complete is the bridge at this point (assuming it was 80%-85% complete before).  Alec said, “86%…well, maybe 87%.”

I was a little shocked.  “Really?” I asked.  “But you did so much work!”

“Well,” replied Alec, “most of what we did was just getting the bridge back into tip-top shape.  Remember that the set pieces were just sitting around for a year, collecting dust, while we were fighting the lawsuit.  Plus there was damage from the move.  Most of what we did was repairing that damage and giving everything new coats of paint.

“The new stuff we added was the captain’s chair—now fully upholstered—and painting the helm and tactical consoles, which hadn’t been painted at all before we left California.  And they look amazing!”

“So what is there still left to do?” I asked.

Alexander Richardson, the man in charge of the consoles!

“Well, we still have to make all the plexiglass for the station consoles.  One of our biggest fans, Alexander Richardson, will be working with me designing and creating the buttons for all of the bridge consoles, including sciences, communications, and engineering, plus the helm and tactical stations, which still need to be cut to insert the plexiglass.  All of the buttons will have unique labels, so our director will have the option of doing tight close-ups.  When it’s done, those console buttons will be lit from below and will look incredible.

“After that, we have to install the electronic components that will show the screen animations at each station.  We have all the equipment already; we just need to get everything into place.  We’ll also have to deal with little touches, like creating the optical viewer for the science station.  And then, last but certainly not least, everything will be carpeted.  That’ll help muffle the sound as people walk across the bridge.”

Organizing the studio

When the trucks first arrived at OWC Studios back in May, the main goal was to simply unload everything and get it inside.  Organizing was not the priority yet.  Alec then spent the next three months going back and forth between Georgia and California getting the rest of his life in order, since he and and girlfriend Crysstal Hubbard (and her mother) would all be moving east, as well.  Alec’s apartment lease in California extended through August, so that’s when he completed his move to the Peach State.

Now in Georgia full-time, Alec set up a second big volunteer event for the weekend of August 26-27.  This time, even more people came out to help: 35 over the weekend, with about five of them staying through the following Wednesday to help with all the bridge repairs and painting and getting the studio ready for an open house on Thursday, August 31.

Some of those 35 volunteers drove five or ten hours just to be there, and some even flew (the aforementioned Alexander Richardson came all the way from the U.K.!).  Now, 35 people might seem like overkill, but trust me, having been one of the volunteers to help prep everything at Industry Studios for the move east, there was a LOT of stuff!

As you can see from the following three photos, this wasn’t some minor task of just throwing things on a few shelves and then eating pizza.  They actually used a forklift to move and store equipment.  In fact, some set pieces and other larger collectibles that wouldn’t be needed immediately were lifted up onto the ledge above the office area to keep them out of the way and leave more space available in the large warehouse area (see second photo).

Palette shelving was also set up to store an abundance of items, including all of the perks.  Remember that many of the perks for the later crowd-funding campaigns can’t be fulfilled until the final Axanar movie is completed, since one of the perks is a DVD/Blu-ray of the finished fan film.

“We had to organize the studio so you could move around and make sure everything was in an efficient spot for working,” Alec told me.  “The perk area was fully organized, and every single patch, poster, and perk was inventoried.”

So compared to what it looked like three months ago, OWC Studios is now set up and ready for action.  Of course, you can’t yell “Action!” until you have…

The script!

Ah, I’ve heard so many people moaning, “Why isn’t the script done yet???  It’s only a 30-minute fan film now!  Alec should be able to whip out a 30-minute script in a weekend…a week at most!”

I personally know some scriptwriters in Hollywood, and scripts can often take months or even years to complete and polish.  And even though Axanar is “just” a fan film, Alec has always wanted to do it the right way.

In this case, there’s an extra challenge.  Not only does there need to be a 30-minute script written, there also needs to be a 90-minute script, as Alec still intends to release the full story of Axanar in script form.  And so the shorter script needs to “match” the longer script.

Robert Meyer Burnett and Bill Hunt were assigned to revising the longer script.  Anyone who bothered to read the leaked version 7.3 script a few months ago needn’t have bothered.  I’ve now read both versions—the latest one being 10.9—and they’re pretty different.  They’re structurally similar, but the later script is much tighter with better pacing.  And that’s what’s supposed to happen with script revisions; they get progressively better and better.  It was a very enjoyable read for me.

As for the shorter script, which Alec wrote, I’ve read that one, too…at least the first draft.  The challenge for Alec was in choosing only 30 minutes worth of scenes from the longer script to include, adapting them to the “mockumentary” format of Prelude, and still keeping the shorter script properly paced.  Alec told me that the script “…has been reviewed by our entire team and a small group of fans to see their reaction. I can tell you the reaction was overwhelmingly positive.”

Final tweaks and revisions are being done right now based on feedback.  I even gave Alec a few friendly suggestions of my own.

Costumes

Whatever the final script ends up looking like, it will feature some new characters not seen before, recounting the events at Axanar from a period ten years later…just as in Prelude to Axanar.  So the production requires more of those Captain Pike-era tunics…eight in fact (and that’s just for the Starfleet officers–not counting a new admiral character!).

Claude Doziere and his tailor Angela Avino

Costume Designer Kate Bergh is working with a team in Italy, Claude Doziere (a huge Axanar fan) and his tailor Angela Avino, to create the tunics…and they are working diligently to ensure that the fit is both comfortable and attractive for the actors wearing them.

Between these two folks in Italy, Alexander Richardson in the U.K., and Tobias Richter in Germany, the final Axanar production is looking to be one of the most international fan films to date!

Will Axanar Productions still be a non-profit corporation?

The short answer is “yes.”  The more important question is: does Alec still intend to file the paperwork to become a 510(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable corporation?

A number of people following Axanar don’t understand that a corporation can be a non-profit WITHOUT also being a tax-exempt 501(c)(3).  The former designation simply means your business is organized for purposes other than generating profit, and no part of the organization’s income is distributed to its members, directors, or officers.  That doesn’t mean it can’t pay salaries, by the way.  It simply doesn’t distribute profits.

The latter designation means that you’re doing something charitable and/or something to help the community (even the fan community), and therefore people can give you donations that are tax deductible.  And the organization itself does not have to pay taxes on income.

Alec was in the process of filing the 501(c)(3) paperwork in California when the move to Georgia happened.  Going forward, Axanar Productions will be a Georgia corporation, and that new paperwork is in the process of being filed.  Once Axanar Productions is re-incorporated in Georgia, Alec says that he intends to re-file either for 501(c)(3) or a 501(c)(7) status…the latter being for a fan club kind of organization.  Since the Axanar film won’t be making a profit either way, both designations are possibilities, although Alec is still looking into the specific requirements and pros/cons of each option.

Will Axanar “take years”?

In a recent e-mail exchange with Carlos Pedraza, Axanar PR dude Mike Bawden wrote: “I’m guessing it will take years to produce and eventually release the segments.”  (Man, did Carlos have fun reporting that one!)

It’s true that Alec, who was at one point hopeful that the finished Axanar fan film would be released in 2017 is now aiming to have it ready for the San Diego Comic Con in 2018.  And who knows, maybe it will take longer.  Maybe not.  Remember that Alec still has to raise money privately, as he is not allowed to do any further public crowd-funding using fast-turnaround services like Kickstarter and Indiegogo.

So, yes, there’s still lots of work to do, but it’s certainly being done…perhaps not as quickly as some might like, but that’s just the reality of the situation.  Alec had to relocate an entire studio across the country along with himself.  And there’s a lot of moving parts to this production.

Remember that Alec and his crew get only one shot at this, one chance to make a Star Trek fan film where CBS and Paramount have suspended some of the guidelines for just this one project (as per the legal settlement).  And team Axanar doesn’t just want this 30-minute fan production to be good, they want it to be GREAT and blow people away.  And if that takes a little extra time (or even a lot of extra time), I for one am willing to wait for such a high-quality fan film…and of course, to report on all the progress along the way.

153 thoughts on “AXANAR update…the news is actually GOOD!”

  1. “Ah, I’ve heard so many people moaning, “Why isn’t the script done yet??? It’s only a 30-minute fan film now! Alec should be able to whip out a 30-minute script in a weekend…a week at most!””

    Blaise Pascal (no, it wasn’t Mark Twain) already noted “I didn’t have the time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one”. It’s easier to tell a story when you have time for exposition, slowly building suspense etc. Much harder when you have a very limited time frame and still have to tell it well. And that’s all the more true when you started out with a longer idea and have to cut it down without having more holes in the story than in Emmental cheese and rushing everything.

    2. Please do just give me a chance to talk with you ok. I could have you could have went to all of the star trek fan’s and star fleet to. We all could have did a letter writing campaign at CBS we could have went after all of the person who put ad’s out on there network at both cbs in ca and new york to, to tell them that they are breaking the rules of the use of the u.s. navy they don’t have no right to use none of the nave ship’s name. So i know what i am telling you all about this subject here.

      1. Huh? The names of naval vessels are public domain, Kenny. The government cannot own a generic word like “Enterprise” or “Constitution” or even a proper name like “Gerald R. Ford” or “Nimitz.”

        BTW, folks, a reminder that this Kenny Smith is NOT the same Kenny Smith who is the show-runner on First Frontier.

  2. When I donated to the Indiegogo campaign, I knew I might not see anything for my donation/investment. It’s called taking a risk.

    I don’t blame Alec for getting sued by CBS/P. He wasn’t doing anything others hadn’t done before minus the quality of his production AND he approached CBS trying to find out if they were ok with what he was doing. They were so far as he could tell.

    The fact he hasn’t given up and is trying to give us who donated something within what he is allowed under the settlement agreement shows he is an honest businessman and a true Trekkie. That seems to me like something which is incredibly rare in this day and age and should be rewarded.

    And I don’t care how long it takes for the new film to be released. It’ll be done when it’s done.

    1. “I don’t blame Alec for getting sued by CBS/P. He wasn’t doing anything others hadn’t done before minus the quality of his production AND he approached CBS trying to find out if they were ok with what he was doing. They were so far as he could tell. ”

      A few points to counter. For at least one year prior to the lawsuit, Peters had been proclaiming that ‘Axanar’ would be an Independent movie, not a Fan Film. While it’s admirable to obtain the best production values, he didn’t seem all to bothered that CBS *would* be bothered that someone was attaching a commercial intent to something they were not permitted to benefit from commercially. No other fan-film had done anything of the sort, although a few of them did sell/perk small items like props, costumes, scripts patches, etc; I can’t recall any other film producing model ship kits and SELLING them (the donor store made a nice few bucks).
      All that aside from the approximately $1.4 million raised to produce – a few nearly completed sets, a move across the country and a 2 minute chroma-key scene.

      1. Don’t forget the rent! 🙂

        But it was much more than just that, Jedman. First of all, the perks themselves cost money to produce, as did the shipping on the earlier round of perks…plus crowd-funding fees and credit card processing fees. Also, the studio itself had lighting tracks installed, a corner green screen the size of a basketball court constructed, a sound-proof floor installed, sound-proof “elephant doors” built over the metal loading dock door to muffle sound from the outside, offices built out, carpeting laid (all to create a fully functioning studio for both Axanar and other fan and professional productions). Also, the term “2 minute chroma-key scene” is like calling the Eiffel Tower a “building.” You know what you did there–everyone knows, actually–I don’t have to call you out for intentional obfuscation. (Also, it was 3 minutes.) 🙂

        Costumes were produced, props made, conventions attended with tables that generated even more fan awareness and donations ($1.4 million doesn’t just happen by itself). As for the model kits, the ships being sold were completely original designs and did not say Star Trek on them. Of everything Axanar produced, those were among the least offensive in terms of intellectual property infringement. Note that the original filing of the lawsuit didn’t even mention the ships (or any of the perks) at all. Interesting, huh?

  3. Wait…..you expect Carlos Pedrazza to “report” something positive when it comes to his website and or Facebook group?

    He has to keep up his one-sided reporting in order to keep feeding his “supporters” on the side that thinks Axanar will never be finished and to maintain the narrative that Alec is a con man, the worst thing to happen to Trek fan films and generally a “lousy human being”.

    1. Also, regarding the tone of Carlos’ coverage, Jon, I would like to offer that “every time you say 3 or 4 disparaging things about a topic, you need to feel obligated to toss in 3 or 4 Niceness Nuggets in otherwise you’re not Fair” is *not at all* how Journalism works.

      1. Journalism is about providing the entire story, even if the facts don’t mesh with the journalist’s personal views.

        Carlos isn’t a journalist. He’s just not. He had one interview with a Seattle coffeehouse band back in 1988 that was picked up by the AP. (The band was Uncle Bonsai…whom I used to love back in college.) Look, I was a NASA contractor back in 1993-94. That doesn’t make me a rocket scientist, so I don’t mention it on my resume. Why Carlos has to reach back three decades to a single musical fluff piece to justify calling himself a journalist is beyond me. Just admit that he’s obsessed with a single person he doesn’t like and writes about nothing else. Even Woodward and Bernstein covered more than just Nixon!

    1. Not sure if that’s a compliment or not.

      How about…”You spin like a Dervish”? “You spin like a tornado”? “You spin like the planet Jupiter after its twelfth cup of coffee”?

      🙂

  5. I’m very interested in helping in any way I can. I would do anything to help. I’m a carpenter, I do custom miniature model painting, and am very good with most power tools. I live in NC and Atlanta is about 6 hours away but totally worth the drive. How do I volunteer to help with production in Atlanta?

    2. I’d recommend you do a google search of ‘Alec Peters’ before choosing to get involved with him. Look at stuff prior to 2014, if you want to avoid the brouhaha surrounding the Axanar lawsuit.
      If you still want to help out after doing your reseach, http://www.axanarproductions.com has a CONTACT button.

      1. The thing I can honestly say about Alec Peters is that he has an incredible loyalty to and appreciation for those who choose to help him. He will go to the mat for them, and often does.

        I’d like to share with you all the following comment posted a few weeks ago to Facebook by Alexander Richardson:

        I see some people call Alec Peters and asshole or conman or liar all the time. Not one of them has met him in person and/or spent any time in his company. If they had, they would know that those words just do not stick.

        Today I had an experience that reaffirmed my faith in Alec.

        On the 1st of September, he hosted a lunch at the new OWC Studio facility in Lawrenceville for the Colonial Fleet costuming group. I was meant to be there too, but with the technicalities of traveling for 5 hours by car on the same day and checking into the hotel, it just didn’t work out and I missed a great day!

        I woke up this morning (September 2nd) to a message from Alec. It was an invite to pop along to the studio and he’d let me take a look. I of course said yes, so my friend Mark and I hopped onto the MARTA (Atlanta’s rapid train network) and we headed to the train station nearest the studio where Alec picked us up in his car.

        We got a good look at all his amazing screen used props and costumes. Many of them from the Christies auction. Then we got to walk around the 80% complete Ares bridge, which was absolutely huge and will be epic when completed. I had a good chat with him about the control panels, which I need to complete. (Note: Every button on the control panels will have a specific function. They will not be randomly labelled, as per Alec’s insistence).

        After we had finished geeking out at all the awesomeness that is the set, props and costumes, we went for lunch (not Sushi!).

        All in all, it was a great day and although he denies it, I know he went out of his way to invite me along extra, after missing the main event.

        Are these the actions of an asshole? I think not. An asshole would not have contacted me and without prompting, invited me along for a visit. An asshole would have told me “You missed the party, tough shit, better luck next year”. An asshole might have rushed us through the set and studio, but Alec didn’t.

        He even gave us some gifts to take home. Heavy ones at that.

        Ask anyone who has met the man in person, Alec is just a very enthusiastic fan of all things Sci-Fi and just about the friendliest person you could meet.

        – – – – –

        Well said, Alexander. And I thank YOU, Jedman, for giving me an opportunity to share that comment with everyone. Sure, there’s no guarantee that, if you volunteer, Alec will treat you as well as he treated Alexander Richardson…although I’ve never seen Alec NOT treat a volunteer with the utmost warmth, respect, generosity, and appreciation. My 7-year-old son still misses Alec and asks about him often. I miss Alec, too…even though we talk every few weeks or so. He’s just a wonderful guy. Abrasive at times? Yeah, I won’t deny that. Even I get the occasional Alec rant every now and then. But I still wouldn’t trade my friendship with Alec Peters for anything.

      2. Yes please do your research and see that I built a company, Marketworks, from scratch to $ 16M and was named an Ernst & Young Entreprenuer of the Year in doing so. That I coached professionally and won two national championships and coached with the USA National team. Or that I created Propworx and did the Battlestar Galactica, Stargate and Star Trek licensed auctions and made over $ 6M for those studios. (The BSG auction is still hailed as the greatest prop & costume auction ever by our competitors). Or that I wrote, produced and acted in what many consider the greatest Star Trek fan film of all time. And what have the haters accomplished?

        So yes, do your research, please.

        1. What have the haters accomplished?

          WHAT HAVE THE HATERS ACCOMPLISHED???

          You’re actually asking what the haters have accomplished!!!

          Well, they’ve…

          um…

          hmmm…

          uh…

          er…

          What HAVE they accomplished?

          1. “What have the Haters accomplished?”

            Other than the few off the rocker ones (you know who you are) that I take issue with, among our group of people who have taken issue with Mr. Peters’ actions

            Let’s see, between multiple licensed Trek novelists, multiple licensed Trek artists and designers, multiple Bar-passed-licensed-and-PRACTICED Attorneys, multiple former Axanar team members, multiple accomplished fan film makers with finished released productions, multiple people with extensive film and television experience, and multiple successful business owners… Some of whom are more than one of the category above…

            What have ‘we’ accomplished…?

          2. I think he meant toward their goal of…what is the hater goal exactly? Destroy Axanar? Destroy Alec Peters? Set a record for the most name-calling and meme-use?

            In terms of their goals…what have they accomplished?

          3. There is no en masse goal, no unified agenda. People with different stories came together to have their stories heard, to counter Alec’s highly controlled and whitewashed narrative.

          4. Nah, that’s not what happened. Not even close. Not only was Alec attacked constantly with hateful posts, disgusting memes, and even Hitler videos, but you actually stalked him repeatedly, taking photos of him for hours and posting them live with snide comments about his taste in everything from shirts to girlfriends. And anyone who tried to stick up for Alec (like me) was ridiculed, name-called, demeaned, and even harassed online.

            If sleeze and low/no class was a goal, then I would say the detractors deserve a gold medal. Otherwise, not much to brag about at the Pearly Gates. 🙂

          5. Jon. Back up. You need to validate or retract any statement about “stalking repeatedly” and “taking photos for hours”. How does one even ‘take photos for hours’? We were at the same public event. Twice. PUBLIC EVENT. I snapped a little “hey LOL guys look who’s in a blue polo AGAIN”. What would even be the POINT of stalking Alec? That means like, being around him. And I genuinely do NOT want to hang out with that guy. Troll him? Yeah. Ruffle his feathers a bit? Yeah. When you *force yourself into the spotlight as a public figure*, guess what, you’re now a public figure. With all the scrutiny that goes with.

            This is going to be one of those accusations I am politely but firmly dictating you don’t make in public anymore. Do I make myself absolutely crystal clear? We are grown ups here. I’m happy to be an ally to you on the things we DO agree about, but that’s not cool man. Easy breezy, bud.

          6. Gabe, rather than get into the mud with you on the details of what happened, I simply asked Alec and Crysstal for their screen caps of your tweets. Crysstal sent me a few she had that were easily accessible, which everyone can read below and draw their own conclusions:

            Crysstal mentioned that there were, in fact, a number of other photos and videos of her and Alec…she just didn’t have the screen caps readily available.

            I noticed in your description of your actions that you left out the part about including in your comments that you were, in fact, being “stalkerish” and that you called Alec “Lord Dogshit” and made fun of the way Crysstal spells her name with two s’s. (Why is that even a thing for you? Are you twelve?) Anyway, to me at least, those missing details make a huge difference in how I view the incident.

            Also, hearing Crysstal’s account of what happened, I also get a very different perspective than hearing you describe how things happened:

            “He squatted in a seat at a slot machine and proceeded to sit there by himself for almost an hour drinking and taking pictures of us while pretending to look the other way. I screencapped this in real time. In the second and third screen caps, Alec and I had been in line. Gabe walked past and spotted us. While clumsily trying to be inconspicuous, he walked past us several times, and followed Alec and myself when we both left the line. I was creeped out, Alec stopped him the next time he passed and offered a photo. The time stamp shows how long Gabe spent hovering around us.”

            I’ll leave it to my readers to decide for themselves.

            For me, if you’re trying to defend your actions by calling Alec “a public figure,” then it kinda admits that you’re aware that your actions were objectively wrong and that they are mitigated only by your claim what Alec should expect “scrutiny.” And had you done this to someone who wasn’t a “public figure” (like, for instance, Crysstal Hubbard), then you’re pretty much staking, cyber-bullying, harassing, invading someone’s privacy…call it what you will.

            Anyway, as I said, my readers can decide for themselves.

        2. MarketWorks… Was your company that sold for $16m that you had to sue the board of directors who pushed you out of for a $300-someodd grand buyout that was your portion of the sale? Or are my facts wrong? If I am mistaken you are absolutely welcome to correct me.

          1. Nice deflection Mr. Stalker. You failed to address that not only have you have both stalked Crysstal and me, but LIED here about it, claiming you never did, and then Jonathan provides proof.

            So we know you are a LIAR in addition to a stalker.

          2. Technically, Alec, he said “stalker-ish.” 🙂

            And before anymore says that I’m allowing Alec to name-call with the word “liar,” technically that’s a correct statement, in that Gabe said “I snapped a little ‘hey LOL guys look who’s in a blue polo AGAIN’.” He did more than just that, leaving out enough important details about the incident that I’d call it a lie.

            However, I do want to caution Alec that “Mr. Stalker” does, indeed, count as name-calling. Please try to keep things a little more civil.

          3. I would put it more in the “Trolling” family than “Stalking”. I just like getting a rise out of Peters because he’s hilarious when he rages out. I literally have no other ill intent beyond that.

          4. Sorry, Gabe, but that doesn’t excuse the behavior. In fact, it just makes you look even more like a stupid and petty jerk who is making it so much easier for the Axanar supporters to believe Alec when he calls out the “haters” on their pathetically antisocial behavior. In short, Gabe, you’re giving the detractors a bad name…and they started out in the gutter already and didn’t really need any more negative press or admissions of guilt.

            And yeah, it’s stalking. And even if it weren’t, trolling is nothing to brag about…unless you’re bragging to antisocial idiots.

  8. It’d nice to see and hear that things are coming along. Thanks for the report, and wishing all, best regards.

  9. Well some of that is true, yet according to Georgia state law:

    Tax Exempt Nonprofit Organizations

    Sales & Use Tax – Purchases and Sales

    In general, Georgia statute grants no sales or use tax exemption to churches, religious, charitable, civic and other nonprofit organizations. These organizations are required to pay the tax on all purchases of tangible personal property. When nonprofit organizations engage in selling tangible personal property at retail, they are required to comply with provisions of the Act relating to collection and remittance of the tax. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 560-12-2-.22

    Limited exemptions from the payment of Georgia’s sales and use tax are available for qualifying nonprofit organizations including:

    Licensed nonprofit orphanages, adoption agencies, and maternity homes

    Licensed, nonprofit in-patient general hospitals, mental hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices

    Nonprofit private schools any combination of grades 1-12

    Nonprofit blood banks

    Nonprofit groups whose primary activity is raising money for public libraries

    Nonprofit organizations primarily providing services to the developmentally disabled

    Nonprofit health centers

    Nonprofit volunteer health clinics

    Nonprofit food banks

    Construction materials for qualifying private colleges, zoological institutions and aquariums

    Limited exemptions from the collection of Georgia’s sales and use tax are available for certain nonprofit organizations making qualifying sales including:

    Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts

    Licensed nonprofit orphanages, adoption agencies, and maternity homes (Limited to 30 days in any one calendar year.)

    Parent Teacher Organizations (Example: Nonprofit Booster Clubs comprised of parents and teachers)

    Religious institutions (Limited to 30 days per fundraising activity in any calendar year.)

    Nonprofit groups whose primary activity is raising money for public libraries

    Public and private schools K-12

    I have found nothing up above that applies to Axanar per state law.

    As can be found: https://dor.georgia.gov/tax-exempt-nonprofit-organizations

    After checking: here:https://dor.georgia.gov/sites/dor.georgia.gov/files/related_files/document/LATP/Bulletin/2017%20List%20of%20Sales%20and%20Use%20Tax%20Exemptions.pdf

    I have also found not tax exemptions that would apply.

    So technically under Georgia state law there is no way for Axanar to be a non-profit. Mind you if he gets a 501(c) status, which is highly unlikely after the lawsuit.

    BTW The tunics look nice, looks like he’s buying them on e-bay. (As those are the same models the e-bay seller uses)

      2. Alec,

        Oh, no I’m not trolling. I’m stating things as they are. See unlike some I do NOT hate you.

        There is no need to waste energy on that the plain and simple fact is that your morals and business ethics are something I cannot agree with,no condone under any circumstances.

        I am from California as Jonathan has said. So before you start talking about me and what I do or not know. Take the time to learn how to do something called research.

        I have owned my own company for over 26 years. That’s a simple fact. Not some form of leverage to hold over me.

        At least I don’t like in the basement at my Girl Friend’s mothers house unlike someone in this conversation.

        Maybe you will man up and unblock me on facebook then we can have some real talk.

        See Ya soon… 😉

          1. Typos happen.

            You might but then again what ever works right? (provided they actually have a job) writing blogs and lawyers by training don’t pay the bills.

  10. Thanks, Jonathan, for the helpful and factual reporting you have consistently done on Axanar. This is a great summary of how things have gone in recent months. Obviously a lot has been accomplished! I’m still looking forward to the finished film, even in its diminished length, and I’m quite willing to be patient while the process of creating an impressive production unfolds. Keep up the updates!

  11. Hi Jonnathan… good news is always welcome….. rs congrats to the team and the volunteers… I´m just wondering… could these sets be used for other productions? I know it´s far fetched, but as I look to these sets (the video and the photos) I keep wondering it looks like other bridges… I mean, It could very well be tailored to make a updated version of “lost in space”, or, a command center for the rebel alliance… rs not fan films… Alec and the team are very intelligent and creative peopple…

    1. Shhhhh….

      Don’t tell the detractors that this bridge set could be used for the sci-fi film school, local Georgia film productions, commercials, web series, and a whole bunch of other endeavors that could both generate revenue and also be charitable donations of studio time to students at local colleges and universities offering film courses and degree programs! 🙂

  12. As always, Jonathan, an exemplary work of blogging. Thank you for reaffirming all the good things that we know and love about Axanar, and for filling in some of the blanks. I believe that when finished, Axanar will go down as the best fan film production in media history, much like the original series itself. I believe in Axanar and Alec Peters. I said it and will keep saying it: I am always, and continue to be, an Axanar supporter.

  13. Still looking forward to Axanar, even it is only going to be 30 minutes and even if it is going to be years from now, whatever… P

  14. I was wondering if there will be more star trek based films after this one. Also is episode 1 and 2 prelude to axanar because Alec is making 3 and 4. Thanks

    1. “Prelude to Axanar” was (as shown in the opening sequence) episode III of “The Four Years War.” The next two 15-minute parts will be episodes IV and V, which cover the lead-up to the Battle of Axanar, the battle itself, and its aftermath.

  15. This is kind of off-topic, but Jonathan do you know if Kenny’s still working on his First Frontier film by chance?… P

    1. I think so, but I haven’t been in touch with him lately. He also pulled down his trailer from YouTube, which I hope means that he’s simply trying to keep a low profile until the finished film is ready for release.

  16. Matthew, I have a rule here about no name-calling. It’s possible to criticize Carlos for his deeds and actions without the colorful metaphors. Carlos is by far not my favorite person on the planet, but he is not a walking tumor.

    1. Excuse me, I must unlurk. This is not acceptable to call someone a “pedarast”, which is a pedophile who is a lover or small boys, and have that comment remain in the comments. Jonathan, as a fellow father of children, you really need to remove that lock, stock, and barrel. Now, if someone wants to use that term to refer to the now-resigned-in-disgrace former mayor of Seattle, or anyone else who diddles with children, so be it…. But to leave that comment there on your site is defamatory.

      1. My apologies to you and Carlos on that one. I had to read over and approve a lot of comments last night, and to be honest, two things happened. 1) I completely skimmed the word and thought it was a typo, and 2) I wasn’t familiar with the term (and not embarrassed at all to admit that, by the way). I’ll delete the comment entirely in just a minute.

    2. Umm, Jon, while I appreciate you keeping it civil I’m a tad surprised you flagged ‘walking tumor’ and not ‘Pedarast’ which is, yknow, a term for someone who obsessively consumes underage pornography. I think that one’s the more ‘colorful’ of the two.

      1. I’ve just been informed by a few people of what “Pederast” means. Interestingly enough, despite a rather extensive linguistic arsenal, I was not aware of the meaning of that word and thought (in my haste) it was just a typo. I will delete the comment presently.

  17. Thanks for the informative update. I appreciate people who do what they can even if they can’t do what they want.

  18. I’m just going to pick out one point you made about the tunics Jonny. I want to thank you for publicly proving that your pal Alec has been lying for the past few years. Here is the previously stated status of the tunics:

    August 21, 2014: “2) Tunics – If you donated for one of these, it will be several months before we ship these. We expect to send out these after Axanar is shot, so we can use your tunic in production. That way you not only get the tunic you wanted, but it is screen used as well!” (http://www.axanarproductions.com/prelude-to-axanar-perks-are-shipping/)

    July 28, 2016: “Last (but not least), the tunics ARE in production! We will be shipping them out (to donors from all campaigns, as well as to those who later obtained them via the Donors Station) once we are in receipt of them.” (http://www.axanarproductions.com/mid-summer-update/)

    September 21, 2016: “Starfleet Tunics – The women’s sample is done and fit perfect on our size model. The men’s tunic has two more minor adjustments to make and then it will be ready. The men’s pants are done and Kate is very happy with them. Both costumes use off the rack undershirts we have sourced and are happy with.

    “So the Starfleet tunics for donors who ordered them, should be available in the very near future. they will then be shipped to each of you. Note they will be unhemmed and the sleeves will be unfinished as well, so you can adjust the sleeves and hemlines to your own physique. They will all have an Ares insignia on them, and will be supplied with braid so you can make them whatever rank you want.

    “When we have our samples done, we will photograph them before they go into production.” (http://www.axanarproductions.com/captains-log-sep-20th-2016/)

    October 7, 2016: “The tunics are in final approval at the garment manufacturer (who also made Anovos TOS costumes).” (http://www.axanarproductions.com/axanar-kickstarter-patches-shipping/)

    January 17, 2017: “And for those donors who made donations for Ares tunics, they are still in production.” (http://www.axanarproductions.com/happy-2017-fulfillment-update/)

    So that begs the question of why are they now being made by volunteers in Italy? Why did Alec lie about them before?

    As far as the incorporation of Axanar Productions goes, why bother? According to Mike Bawden after Axanar is made the company would be abandoned for Alec’s new venture of Rocketworx Films so what is the point of continuing the corporate shell game? Was Mike incorrect?

    1. Oh, man, Sandy! You are just gonna kick yourself when you discover that you did all that research and write-up for nothing! 🙂

      The simple answer is that Alec didn’t lie about anything. Those quotes all predated the legal settlement and were, therefore, referring to the older-style tunics from 2245. Those look like this:

      After the settlement, when the production length was decreased from 90 minutes to 30 minutes, a decision was made that the Battle of Axanar would be presented in parts VI and V of “The Four Years War” in mockumentary format just like Prelude to Axanar, which is told from the point of view of 2255, where the tunics were all like those worn in the pilot TOS episode “The Cage.” Those are the tunics being made currently in Italy.

      Now, for any Axanar supporters out there planning to screen cap this post from Sandy and my response and use it as an example of how the detractors lie or purposefully mislead in their obsessive need to try to prove negative accusations about Alec Peters, or that they’ve just plain stupid and miss the obvious because of their desperation to paint Alec in a negative light, I ask that you please don’t do that. Yes, this was yet another swing and a miss by Sandy Greenberg, but that doesn’t mean that he’s stupid, ignorant, a liar, obsessive, a worthless sack of feces, or any of a myriad of other insults I am sure people are eager to throw at him. Sandy is simply a person with a specific goal in life that he is trying in earnest to achieve, and that is to somehow convince people that Alec Peters is not a good person who is honestly dedicated to finishing a project that he told fans and donors he would create for them…even if it costs him hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own money to do so. And even though I don’t share Sandy’s goal, even though I might think it’s a complete waste of his time and energy (like pissing into a hurricane), I would NEVER openly call him stupid, ignorant, a liar, obsessive (well maybe obsessive), a worthless sack of feces, or any of a myriad of other insults that I am certain others would use all-too-readily.

      1. Ok, so the tunics from 2016/early 2017 are no longer going to be used in the film. What happened to them? They were in production, according to Peters.
        Did Axanar decide to scrap them altogether? Were any of them completed? Were any of them paid for? I’m glad to hear you’re getting a better price on costumes from Italy, but one still wants to know what happened to the others.

        1. Guess I won that round. 🙂

          BTW, Sandy, friendly warning about the language. Next time, you’re permanently banned from getting any comment approved here…no matter how idiotic and pathetic it makes you look to the rest of the world.

      3. I could be wrong in how I read this, but…

        So………a bunch of time and money was sunk into creating tunics people aren’t getting now because of a fictional time period change…?

        What’s wrong with like… sending people those, if they already like… exist?

        1. You want the actors in the flashbacks to be naked??? This isn’t a porno, Gabe! Actually, if it had been a porno, those are protected under fair use. So maybe your idea isn’t that bad after all! 🙂

  19. A few questions.

    What does any work on the bridge set have to do with anything? It is no longer owned by Axanar Productions and as per public statements is likely not to be used in the 2 shorts. It is nice…but there is no more need to comment on it as a win for Axanar.

    So Industry Studios is going to charge for Alec to rent the studio now? I recall Alec mentioning the potential of refunds going back to Axanar Productions. What happened here?

    What does all the work at OWC studios have to do with anything? That has nothing to do with making the 2 shorts.

    So two things I see…some progress on the script. Would even be at a version 1.0? And some work on costumes…for who? There (as far as we know) have been no actors cast.

    1. Actually, I’m not sure who technically owns the bridge set, but that doesn’t seem relevant. Vance Owen doesn’t own the Starbase Studios sets, but that didn’t stop him from producing nearly a dozen fan films using their sets. Heck, even Axanar filmed a short segment on James Cawley’s TOS sets in upstate New York! So it doesn’t really matter if the Ares bridge set is owned by Axanar Productions, RocketWorx, Alec himself, or the Easter Bunny. There’s no reason Alec can’t film scenes on it.

      Currently, the draft of the 2-part script includes some flashback scenes set on the bridge. In fact, I actually made a suggestion to Alec that I’m really quite proud of that I thought could make the opening sequence of the first 15-minute segment (which is an exciting flashback) even more exciting….and to actually include Garth himself in the action (as he isn’t in the current scripted version of the scene). No idea whether or not Alec will use my suggestion in the final version (although I hope he does!), but either way, there’s a flashback in the script that will take place on the bridge. Now, if Alec can’t raise enough private donations to actually film that scene on the bridge–because it will require a full production crew, additional costumes, make-up, lighting, craft service, etc.–then so be it. Then the flashback simply won’t be shot and instead it’ll just be Garth sitting in front of a space background recounting the incident and then a cut to VFX shots…just like in Prelude. Nothing wrong with that. I just choose to hope that Alec will be able to raise enough to film that flashback and others on the bridge set because 1) it’s just so darn AWESOME, and 2) the scenes I read are equally AWESOME!!!

      Not sure about “refunds.” I know that there were improvements made to the warehouse facility, and those were valued and, I think, applied when the landlord let Alec out of his lease 7 or 8 months early. That would have been nearly $100,000 that Alec would have contractually owed. But the agreement was amicable on both sides, and the current understanding, as far as I was told, is that Axanar Productions would be allowed to use the facility at cost with no mark-up.

      As for casting actors…WAY too early for that! Sure, we know that Gary Graham, J.G. Hertzler, and Kate Vernon are all approved to be in it (as per the legal settlement), but without knowing a specific date for filming yet, final casting decisions cannot be made, Also, even though the first complete draft of the script is finished, that doesn’t mean it’s finalized. Characters might need to either be added or removed depending on how it’s paced and whether or not it’s looking like it’ll be editable down to two 15-minute segments.

      There’s a reason that Hollywood movies take years to produce. Sure, the actual filming can usually be done in a month or two, but pre-production can take years, and so can post-production. And while Axanar is “just” a fan film, it shares more in common with professional Hollywood productions than it does with a standard low-budget fan film in terms of the process of creating the finished product.

      1. …your suggestion included Alec doing *more acting*? You realize there was a great deal of difficulty getting usable takes of him on Prelude. He’s not terribly telegenic and has no screen charisma, minimizing him would be more effective.

        1. Not everyone involved in fan films is Lawrence Olivier, Gabe. I respect Alec for putting himself out there. Most of us never get a fraction of that far. My own fan film debut was, frankly, painful for everyone. 🙂

          1. Mine was actually pretty good. I still get props for the Captain-losing-his-mind bit I did for Hidden Frontier, even if it looks like it was shot on grandma’s 80 pound VHS camcorder…

            I was just saying that if this production shares more “DNA with professional Hollywood productions than with fan films”, emphasizing him more on screen creates this “are you having cake and eating it too?” kind of dichotomy. If its a “fan film for fun”, by all means, fill it with average looking, average sounding, non pro, non telegenic or screen charismatic people.

            But if its being put out there to be critiqued on a level of “we are making this to appear as though it could actually be broadcastable Pro Star Trek”, then doesn’t Alec just stick out like a weird sore thumb when surrounded by all the seasoned pros? It creates a big question mark on the caliber of the product its supposed to BE…

          2. Alec didn’t stick out like a sore thumb in Prelude to Axanar, Gabe. Sure, the others put in stronger performances because they were all, well, actors. But Alec’s performance certainly wasn’t bad by any means. For many fans, Alec is Garth (young Garth), and if he had to work harder to achieve that result, so be it. It shows tenacity and time well spent.

            I really believe that you’re overthinking this, Gabe. Alec made an excellent fan film that’s been celebrated throughout Star Trek fandom as one of the best, if not the best, Star Trek fan films produced so far. You can try to take that achievement away from him with an endless parade of comments trying to argue that Prelude wasn’t as good as it actually was, but in the end, it’s like trying to take the torch away from the Statue of Liberty.

          5. I’m not saying that Prelude to Axanar isn’t well above average for a fan production. I would just like to more accurately correct “Alec made it” to “Alec commissioned people to haved it made for him”.

          6. Nope, I can’t let you have that statement, Gabe. Alec was too much of an essential part of the production from the original writing of the script to getting the funds to pay for the production to being the person where the buck ultimately stopped.

            No, Alec didn’t direct or edit, he didn’t do make-up or lighting or sound, he didn’t write the music or slave away on the VFX. But neither was Axanar “made for him.” I liken Alec to the coach of a football team. There are 11 men on the field blocking, running, throwing, catching, scrambling, kicking, etc. But the coach is sending in the plays, reading the offense and defense, making adjustments, substituting players, and talking with the refs. He supervises training and drills, determines which players are drafted and traded, and draws up the playbook. The team can no more exist without the coach–even if he doesn’t actually handle the ball–than they could without a quarterback.

            Are you ready for some Axanar???

          7. So by that logic, Jon, that means Prelude being as decent as it was has less to do with the *specific team that was there at the time and place* and more to do with Alec’s presence? So basically, anybody could make ‘Axanar’ as long as Alec’s invaluable, irreplaceable presence is there…?

          8. I’m not sure if you follow football at all, Gabe, but one of my favorite coaches was Bill Parcells. He coached my favorite team, the New York Jets, for three seasons. At no point did the Jets ever reach the Superbowl…let alone win it. However, Parcells also coached the New England Patriots and New York Giants, leading both teams to individual Suoperbowl victories as well as multiple conference championships. Parcells ended his coaching career with the Dallas Cowboys who, like the New York Jets, never made it to or won the Superbowl under Parcell’s leadership.

            The point of all this is that a football team is made up of many players AND their coach. And just because one or the other is highly gifted or talented does not guarantee a Superbowl ring. Parcells was a great coach, but with the Jets, well, there’s only so much even an awesome coach can do. And the Patriots and Giants certainly didn’t win the Superbowl every season.

            So Axanar was absolutely a team effort. And Alec was just as much a part of that “Superbowl victory” as his team. And Alec will be the first to admit that—and he did in many blog entries calling out the talents of his production team–people like Tobias Richter and Alex Bornstein, his costuming and make-up people, lighting and sound, and of course, editor Rob Burnett. Alec is never shy about giving credit where it is due.

          9. Nor is he shy about throwing those same people he gives credit to under the bus either. Like the time he almost canned Milton for a bad framing on Gary without realizing the shot had been reframed in comp. That’s seriously how little he knows about post production and how quick he’s willing to toss blame.

          10. I can’t speak to that, as I don’t know whether or not such a thing actually happened. Obviously, Milton Santiago was not canned and was still intending to work on the full Axanar movie. Those are the only facts I know.

        2. Funny you say that Gabe. Not what the fans think.

          And if you ever want to ask 100 girls who is the better looking guy, I will bet my life you don’t get a single vote.

          2. Oh, I’m sorry, the Fans, all of them en masse I guess disagree. I’m glad you have the finger on the pulse of the predilections of Every Single Fan. Forgive me, I stand corrected.

            Difference is, Mr. Peters, I don’t fancy myself suitable for ‘heroic leading screen role’ work. I stay behind the camera where I’m qualified. I’m fine being a fugly summabitch, I make it work.

            Hey, at least I’m not Ted Cruz. 🙂

      2. I guess my issue is you are mixing things that have nothing to do with Axanar film production as news relating to axanar.

        As per past (and not that long ago) statements from Alec himself…the 2 films will be shot on green screen in L.A. and will not use the bridge set. So all the work done to save and build the bridge set(while well done and they look good) has nothing to do with this or any future Axanar film production update. So it is factually misleading to include as progress on Axanar.

        The work to get OWC studios is great for Alec and team personally, and I do not doubt is a lot of work but has absolutely nothing to do with producing the Axanar shorts. As stated by Alec…Axanar will be produced in L.A. on green screen. I suppose they are using to store and ship perks…so I concede there is one very small connection.

        I just ask stick to the facts. And the facts for the Axanar production (as publicly released so far) is that a rough/1st draft of the script is complete and been reviewed. And a team in Italy is building some nice looking costumes and ensuring a perfect fit for a cast that does not yet exist.

        Thank you.

        1. “So all the work done to save and build the bridge set(while well done and they look good) has nothing to do with this or any future Axanar film production update.”

          Not sure where you got that idea, Brian. No one ever said the bridge set would definitely not be used for the production. As I stated in the blog article, it will depend on the amount raised. If there’s enough to shoot the flashback scenes, the bridge will be used for those.

          And that, my friend, is sticking to the facts. Please show me the same courtesy, if you wouldn’t mind.

          1. First, I do stand corrected… there is mention of using the sets… pending funding. Having said that…it will presumably be on a contractual basis, as these sets are now owned by Rocketworx. So I come back to this…the state of the sets is now the responsibility of rocketworx, and has no bearing on an axanar productions update unless they are confirmed to be needed for the production.

            And I did find reference to Industry Studios reimbursing either Alec Peters or Axanar Productions. Whatever happened to this? Was any money passed back? How much…where is it?

            August 18th(captains log)
            “As we mentioned before, most of the next two episodes of Axanar will be filmed in Los Angeles. But if we raise enough money, then we will shoot flashback scenes on the bridge and other sets. ”

            May 5th (production log)
            “The Axanar sets have been transferred to a new company, Rocketworx, which is the lessor of the new studio space in Lawrenceville. ”

            Axanar Productions Blog: April 19th
            Industry Studios
            “As part of this deal, Axanar Productions will still be able to use the facility as well as recover a portion of the investment we made to convert the warehouse into a sound stage. Those funds will go back into Axanar Productions so we can continue telling the story of Axanar and fulfilling our commitments to donors.”

            April 7th
            “Second, Axanar will be reimbursed for some of the build out we did. “

          2. Man, you’re not just splitting hairs, Brian, you’re splitting atoms! As far as I’m concerned, if it involves the Axanar bridge sets, it involves Axanar. Period. It’s my blog. If you don’t like that, dude, you are welcome to find another blog. I’ve had 3,600 page views in the last 32 hours, I can afford to lose a reader. 🙂

            As for the details of Axanar’s deal upon terminating their lease for Industry Studios 7 months early, those specifics have not been publicly released, and so I am not at liberty to share them here.

  20. “Now, if Alec can’t raise enough private donations to actually film that scene on the bridge–because it will require a full production crew, additional costumes, make-up, lighting, craft service, etc.–then so be it. Then the flashback simply won’t be shot and instead it’ll just be Garth sitting in front of a space background recounting the incident and then a cut to VFX shots…just like in Prelude. ”

    Come on, a full production crew is not necessary at all for a fan film – whose makers are notorious for producing very fine work on a shoe-string budget. All you really *need* is an experienced camera, director and lighting supervisor; everything else can be manned by volunteers – especially students training for those very jobs.

    1. Even if they’re students, that’s still a full production crew. And you forgot make-up, sound, gaffers, electrical, and a bunch of ADs and production assistants.

      But hey, Jedman, how about you make YOUR fan film your way and let Alec make HIS fan film his way? Sound fair?

    2. Jedman the troll said:

      “Come on, a full production crew is not necessary at all for a fan film – whose makers are notorious for producing very fine work on a shoe-string budget. All you really *need* is an experienced camera, director and lighting supervisor; everything else can be manned by volunteers – especially students training for those very jobs.”

      And then look like every other fan film, which according to CBS’ general counsel “No one would mistake for real Star Trek.”

      Thus the reason we got sued. We got professionals and made a short that looked as good as something from the studio.

        1. Actually, it’s closer to the truth than to fiction. It was a combination of the Vulcan scene crossing a line of now looking like it COULD be studio-produced Trek and the fact that Alec raised more than a million dollars. Those were the two catalysts that led to the lawsuit.

          And no, I am not supposed to know that. And no, Alec wasn’t the source of that information. And no, I won’t tell you who was. And no, I don’t care if you don’t believe me. 🙂

      4. “Thus the reason we got sued. We got professionals and made a short that looked as good as something from the studio.”

        I saw Prelude, I thought it was a very enjoyable little fan-film. High production values goes a long way, and it showed. But it still couldn’t be mistaken for anything but a fan-film.
        OTOH, the 2 minute Vulcan scene failed in a lot of ways. Poor acting – I get it, playing a Vulcan is tough. Graham did his best. It certainly did not look like “real, commercially produced Star Trek”

        Too good? I think not.

        1. Sorry, Jedman. The 3-minute Vulcan scene was, in fact, one of the two things that triggered the lawsuit. It looked good enough to have the potential to create confusion in the marketplace. The acting was irrelevant, as it happens. The suits looked mainly at the VFX, saw Gary Graham as Soval, checked out the costumes, and listened to the music. They didn’t pay much attention to anything else–including what was actually said. It wasn’t necessarily that the Vulcan scene was as good or better than studio-produced Star Trek. It was simply that, to a casual observer, it looked like it could be…mainly because the casual observer wouldn’t realize that fans could make something that looked like this.

          I was also told (although I have no confirmation of what was in the hearts and minds of those at CBS) that the main fear was that some viewers might mistake the full Axanar movie for the new Trek series, think they’d found a place to watch it for free, and not subscribe to All Access. That was, as I understand it, part of CBS’s concern…although not Paramount’s. But take that with a huge grain of salt, as I don’t have confirmation directly from the source–there was one degree of separation.

  21. My opinion of these efforts, and I’m well aware its not a popular one in these parts…

    “In economics, a sunk cost is any cost that has already been paid and cannot be recovered. The sunk cost fallacy is a mistake in reasoning in which the sunk costs of an activity – instead of the future costs and benefits – are considered when deciding whether to continue the activity.”

    1. Are you talking about “The Orville”? Honestly, I think it won’t simply be the sunk costs that convince Fox to continue with the series. First of all, I hope the ratings continue to be strong. Also, Seth MacFarlane is a golden boy at Fox, and they want to keep him happy. And of course, some series need a season or two to find themselves and build a decent audience. But yes, the sunk costs will also be taken into consideration, I am certain, when Fox looks to potentially renew the series. A lot of money has been invested into the sets, models, props, costumes, and marketing. Canceling the series after 13 episodes is a waste of a lot of “sunk” dollars, and I doubt Fox will simply throw that money into the toilet….unless the ratings are REALLY awful.

      1. I wasn’t talking about “The Orville”. We’re a finished production that’s on the air.

        Our survival is contingent on how much of that sweet post-football Sunday audience we’re able to retain for the rest of the year once we slide over to Thursday and hope for not too much erosion. Its no more complicated than that.

          1. All good. Yeah, the Sunk Cost Fallacy is kinda where I think Axanar is at this point. “We CAN’T stop now that this much has been sunk into it…” For some, that’s financial, for others, its emotional, but I really feel like that’s where it is.

            “a mistake in reasoning in which the sunk costs of an activity – instead of the future costs and benefits – are considered when deciding whether to continue the activity.”

          2. But why NOT continue the project? Personally, I really want to see the rest of it. And truth to tell, if my son Jayden works for years in karate to reach a black belt and then suddenly decides to just give up because it’s now “too hard,” I’m probably going to try to talk him into sticking with it. “Finish what you start.” I’m happy that Alec is following that philosophy, and I would assume you’d admire him for it. Not sure why you wouldn’t, to be honest.

          3. “Why work years to learn something and just give up?”

            That’s fine to me. I admire a commitment to follow through. On a linear path.

            This has not been a linear path. Its been like being on a car ride with a guy who doesn’t know where he’s going so the passengers in the van get repeatedly told the destination is changing. Except the gas is costing the PASSENGERS money.

            My irritation is with the idea of telling other people you’re qualified to do something, when really what their money is going to is spending years of R&D learning “how to be a Producer”. Star Trek Fandom didn’t pay you to learn on their dime, they paid to get a project made.

            This is like I told you, “Gimme a stack of money and I’ll paint you the next Mona Lisa”, and I’m just taking painting lessons for years, with no guarantee I’ll ever be good at it.

            Figuring out if Peters can actually do this is gonna require six figures of *other peoples’ money*. AGAIN.

            I would be also quite fine with him realizing this simply isn’t his arena of skill before grabbing other people’s money again. But yknow, the stakes aren’t as dramatic when its other peoples’ money…

          4. I think your foundational assumption is incorrect, Gabe. Star Trek fandom paid Alec $101K to “learn on their dime” because, at that point, he’d never produced a fan film before. Then, a few months later, he released “Prelude to Axanar”…and obviously he had learned a LOT! 🙂

            Actually, he already knew a lot, which is kinda why he got the $101K in the first place. But after proving that he knew what he was doing, he said, “Hey, if I can do this with just a hundred thousand dollars, imagine what I can do with five or ten times as much!” And that, my friend, is why the fans gave Alec another million dollars. There was no paying to “learn on their dime.” They were paying for him to make a longer version of “Prelude to Axanar” with real sets and a dramatic story structure (as opposed to mockumentary).

            What no one expected (even though it was, admittedly, always a possibility) was the lawsuit. And let’s face it, Alec handled that one in the best way possible. Just about any other fan producer would likely have folded immediately, sacrificing all of the donor’s money to pay a huge award, and running away from fan films in tears and defeat, never to return. Alec not only fought the lawsuit and fought not one but TWO Fortune 500 corporations, but he found a top law firm to represent him (and the donors’ interests) pro bono. Sure, Alec didn’t outright win the lawsuit, but neither did he lose. And Axanar still gets to be made. And from where I’m standing, there doesn’t seem to be much “learning on the fly” going on. Alec is simply pushing on with all the steps any EP would be doing right now…including looking for financial backing (and finding at least his first backer: OWC Digital).

          5. I mean, Cold Hard Fact… He paid other people to make a moderately popular youtube video three years ago. That’s SEVERAL YEARS AGO. A great many of the people he paid to make it are unable or unwilling to return for future collaborations with Mr. Peters, and he hasn’t done SH** since then. It doesn’t give me a ton of faith that at his advanced age he’s gonna suddenly turn a corner and become Jerry Bruckheimer or Kathleen Kennedy after a track record that indicates very much this isn’t his wheelhouse.

          6. “At his advanced age…” huh?

            Gabe, don’t be an idiot. I mean, I know I say we shouldn’t name-call, but seriously, dude…do you really want to insult Alec for his AGE, now? Are you THAT desperate? Should Alec insult YOU for your problems with substance abuse? Let…it…go.

            And really, J.G. Hertzler is seven years older than Alec Peters. At J.G.’s “advance age,” should he not bother running for the U.S. Congress? After all, it’s not like J.G. is gonna turn a corner and become the next Paul Ryan or Nancy Pelosi.

            Geez, man…

          7. Gabe, first of all, I think everyone in fandom knows what a socially inept creep you are. You are legitimately a stalker, having stalked both myself and my girlfriend online and in person at the 2016 Star Trek Beyond premier. Your behavior was so creepy at that event, you posting photos of Crysstal and I while we stood in line, that I had to confront you. Lucky for you I am a nice guy.

            Your drug abuse and the fact you take anti-psychotics by your own admission, make you an unstable and irrational person prone to outbursts you are constantly apologizing for.

            Now as to your constant attacks on me for Prelude to Axanar, dude, give it up. Despite what Christian Gossett is telling you, the fact is I did more work than anyone on Prelude to Axanar, from creating it, to coming up with the idea for the script, to writing the script, to doing he costuming, to producing it, hiring a team, acting in it and working on post. I was in the edit room constantly, unlike Gossett who couldn’t be bothered to do the work and who earned a reputation among that team as a director who didn’t actually want to direct.

            Also, every single creative person in the production crew with the exception of Gossett was returning for Axanar. Your lie that the crew was abandoning us is total bullshit that Gossett told you to excuse himself for being unable to do the work he was hired for and taking $ 5,000 in donor money without delivering anything. The only people who weren’t returning for Axanar were Gossett and his producer friend. Oh yeah, and the below the line, daily production crew, but as we all know, that changes with every production you have. Everyone else was returning, from the DP, editor, DIT, etc.

            Go ahead and spew your lies all you want, but your life is a failure, you have to pay for sex by your own statements, and so you see someone who was successful in Star Trek, and you attack me, like you attacked Frank Jenks when he got popular as Doctor McCoy. Truly pathetic.

            Grow up, take your meds and go away. We are all sick of your sh*t.

          8. Well golly, I guess my life is a big ol’ failure, I can’t get laid without paying for it, and despite the fact that I actually *worked on Trek and BSG for real*, and bustin’ my butt on a Real Production That’s Actually On The Air, its all failed.

            Plus I’m not sure Star Trek’s rights holders would agree with your assessment of being “successful in Star Trek”. They’d never let you within 100 miles of Official Star Trek.

            Ask Frank how our last conversation went. We are amicable.

            Now to see if I have enough quarters in my couch cushions to pay for some sex, lol

          9. Gabe, it looks like I have seven comments from you backed up in the queue awaiting approval. That’s too many, dude…especially considering the dozen or more you’ve posted in the last few days. Alec isn’t near that many. I’m going to see how many of these comments-in-waiting are approvable and then I’m going to cut off your bar tab. Unless you say something respectful, civil, and worth continuing the conversation, I’m not going to approve it. It’s just wasting my time as a moderator and blogger. I’ll consider these current comments in the queue, but that’s it.

          12. …wait you “did the costuming now”? Sheesh, I actually used to make all my own when I was a kid. I doubt you’ve ever used a sewing machine in your life.

            Ahhh I gotta thank you for this, man. That was a good, funny “Alec Rageout”. I’ve had my fill for a while though.

            Unless, yknow, that Pants Off Dance Off is on. 🙂

          14. Also little correction for you…

            Christian wasn’t returning. Jhennifer wasn’t returning. Frank wasn’t returning. Neither were Ryan, Carter, Neal, Gary, Brad, Kevin, Lisa, Tim, Scott, Tommy, Jesse, Tommy 2, or Sean.

  22. Any tie-ins between Axanar and Dragon-Con since they’re in the same area? Any chance of a party at the studio during Dragon-Con?

    1. There was an Axanar fan club table at Dragon*Con this past year, and Alec also scheduled an open house for his friends from the BSG Colonial Fleet fan club just before the convention. Some people might have gone to both events while they were in town. Dragon*Con and Axanar have always had a very good relationship, so one would hope and assume that could continue.

      1. Not to be contrarian, but your article didn’t make any mention of the fact that Axana’s table was *shut down* by Dragon*Con officials that weekend, for both violations of con rules (tables were not allowed to sell merch in that area) and pissing off Tony Todd. Lee Benjamin did indeed confirm that Dragon*Con staff made the Axanar table pack up and take a hike.

        Not only this, but Alec’s only public response on the matter was to say, “No no that’s not OFFICIALLY US, they’re a FAN TABLE. They CELEBRATE Axanar but nope! They’re just a fan group, they don’t speak officially for us at all no sir!”…

        Yknow, the table that Alec and his girlfriend sat behind manning for a while on Saturday. The one that was the same table from their “official” appearances. Same table with the white duct tape hilariously crossing out Star Trek. Filled with all stuff from Alec. Selling patches made by Axanar Productions. But when it gets tense? Throw em under the bus! Classy, Alec…

        You were either unaware of this or didn’t feel it was worth mentioning. Does Axanar still retain a “very good relationship” following having their fan table kicked out of Dragon*Con?

        1. To answer your last question, I am told the answer is “yes.”

          As to why I didn’t include mention of the fan club table at Dragon*Con, read the first few paragraphs of my blog again. Carlos covered only the bad and left out the good. This was the rest of the story–all the stuff that Carlos left out.

  23. Looks really great — really looks pre-Kirk. My only criticism (and I am admittedly a stickler for detail) is that “The Cage” had multiple screens above each station — four in some cases; it looked cool. And the gooseneck mounts were also nice touches to the original bridge. But great job!

    2. The original plan for the Ares bridge set was that it could be “transformed” into a typical TOS Constitution-class bridge relatively easily. Just pop out the plexiglass button panels on the station consoles for “jellybean” button ones, switch out the captain’s chair and helm console, get rid of the tactical stations, and change the paint on the railing and trim from blue to red. And voila! Instant TOS bridge! (Well, “instant” means with just a few days of work.) And hey, that still might happen! 🙂

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