Both parties file MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT in the AXANAR LAWSUIT!

Axaanr splash imageYep, we can now safely assume that the two sides in the AXANAR copyright infringement lawsuit have NOT reached a settlement yet.

It came quite literally down to the wire!  I checked with the court at 11:30 pm Pacific Time and neither side had filed any motion yet.  I was wondering if they’d somehow managed to settle the case after all.  But when I returned shortly after midnight, I found multiple filings from both the plaintiffs and the defense.

There’s a LOT to read through and analyze, but for right now, I just want to get the two main filings up for you all to look through.  Please note, before anyone starts doing victory laps or predicting this or that outcome, remember that each side gets to respond to the opposition’s motion and then each side gets to then respond to that response.  And finally, the two legal teams present oral arguments before Judge Klausner before he finally rules shortly thereafter.  It is FAR from over, folks!

Okay, here’s what was filed last night:

DEFENSE Motion for Summary Judgment

PLAINTIFFS Motion for Partial Summary Judgment

Each of these filings goes on for 20 pages, and they both reference other documents (including my own “History of Star Trek Fan Films”).  However, there is a downloading/viewing charge for accessing each document (up to $3 per document), and I want to see if I can perhaps get the supporting evidence documents directly from the defense team (for free) before I spend all my Google Ad revenue for the year just getting PDFs for all of you (and me, of course).

And finally, yes, I intend to provide an analysis of both of these motions–their strengths, weaknesses, and any surprises I found (and there’s quite a few).  But I’m traveling next week, so I don’t know if I’ll have enough down time to write up something thorough enough until after I get back.  We’ll just have to see, but thanks for your patience and understanding.

CONFIRMED! AXANAR defense team will file a MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGEMENT later today!

axanar-logo-3Well, it looks like there isn’t a settlement yet in the AXANAR copyright infringement lawsuit.  And how do I know this?  Because I now have confirmation that the defense will be filing a motion for summary judgment with Judge Klausner of the Ninth Circuit Federal Court later on today.  (I don’t yet know if the plaintiffs are planning to do likewise, but if a settlement hasn’t been reached, then it’s a pretty sure bet.)

And how did I get confirmation that the defense will be filing their motion later today?  Because yesterday evening I was asked to sign this declaration:

Continue reading “CONFIRMED! AXANAR defense team will file a MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGEMENT later today!”

TOMORROW we’ll know if the AXANAR lawsuit has settled or not…

Tomorrow (November 16) is the deadline to file motions for summary judgement in the AXANAR copyright infringement lawsuit.  And while the two sides are supposedly still in talks to settle (they reportedly had a conference call meeting yesterday), we’ll know tomorrow whether or not a settlement is imminent.

How?  Well, by the end of the day tomorrow–if they aren’t really close to a settlement or there already–we will most likely see two major filings from the legal teams: each a motion for summary judgment.  And what the heck is that, you ask…?

Continue reading “TOMORROW we’ll know if the AXANAR lawsuit has settled or not…”

STARSHIP DEIMOS releases its first post-guidelines episode, “Pas de Trois”

starship-deimos-pas-de-troisWhen STARSHIP DEIMOS last released a new episode, it was April…and the fan film guidelines were still two months away.  Now it is November, and like its sister productions from Potemkin Pictures, Starship Deimos is also now changing the title of the series with each new episode (since the new guidelines do not allow any continuing series).

And thus is Starship Deimos‘ newest episode also its first “stand-alone” fan film: “Pas de Trois.”  And for those of you who (like me) don’t speak French, the title translates to “Dance for Three.”  It’s a ballet term where one male dancer partners with two female dancers…or two males and one female.  (Keep this clean, people!)

This episode introduces what appears to be the overarching story arc of the series: The USS Deimos is assigned to a region of space where the Federation and two other interstellar powers all have interests.  It calls for a delicate mix of diplomacy and cowboy improvisation.

Deimos films in Pelham, Alabama, where Potemkin Pictures show-runner RANDY LANDERS moved with his wife last year.  Another Potemkin Pictures series called Battlecruiser Kupok also films there.  Meanwhile, back in Georgia where Randy used to live, Starship Tristan is filming and releasing new episodes, also under the Potemkin Pictures banner.  You can view all their various series here.

And you can watch “Pas de Trois” below…

All those pesky FFF.TREKBLOGGERS.COM links are finally GONE (I hope)!

enterprise-under-refit-constructionI’m a designer, not a programmer, dammit!  Well, I’m also a writer and a usability specialist…but coding?  That stuff is HARD, man!

You might remember that, a couple of weeks ago, I announced that FAN FILM FACTOR was no longer living as a sub-domain at fff.trekbloggers.com.  We had migrated this entire blog site–all TWO HUNDRED blog entries plus graphic files, videos, PDFs, etc.–onto my own domain server at fanfilmfactor.com.  And there was much rejoicing.

Until something bad–something very bad–happened…

Continue reading “All those pesky FFF.TREKBLOGGERS.COM links are finally GONE (I hope)!”

DREADNOUGHT DOMINION and STARSHIP VALIANT cross-over in “CHAIN OF COMMAND”!

chain-of-command-dreadnought-dominion-and-svBack in April of 2015, a new Star Trek fan series called DREADNOUGHT DOMINION premiered with its initial episode, “Haunted.”  Three months later, a second episode, titled “Anchors Aweigh” (a bit of a prequel to the first episode), made its debut.  It wasn’t the only TOS-era fan series to feature the crew of a non-heavy cruiser class starship, but it was the first and only one to feature the crew of a Starfleet dreadnought-class starship based on the mid-1970s Franz Joseph Star Trek Technical Manual.

dreadnought-dominionThanks to a 3D model created by Kenneth Thomson, Jr. and Thomas Phong, the beauty shots of the tri-nacelled USS Dominion in the opening credits and during the episodes were gorgeous.  The two episodes were filmed primarily on the very impressive TOS sets in Starship Farragut’s Studio Two in Kingsland, GA (also the shooting location of Star Trek Continues).

A year earlier, another fan series, Starship Valiant, made its debut on YouTube with an introduction vignette titled “Legacy.”  Valiant was filmed using the TOS bridge set at Starbase Studios in Oklahoma City.  (The following year, a “special edition” version of “Legacy” with added footage was posted after Starbase Studios built a new sickbay set.)  Valiant has since completed principal filming on its second episode “The Ties That Bind,” although post production is still ongoing and the second episode hasn’t been released yet.

So what do these two fan series–filmed in different locations in different states during different years–have in common?  A man named Vance…

Continue reading “DREADNOUGHT DOMINION and STARSHIP VALIANT cross-over in “CHAIN OF COMMAND”!”

PROJECT: POTEMKIN releases its series epilogue final episode “ROOM SERVICE”!

potemkin-room-serviceSo you’re probably saying, “Hey, I thought PROJECT: POTEMKIN already released its final episode back in late September!”  Well, yes…and no.

The long-running fan series which has produced three dozen original episodes since 2011 and spawned four different spin-off series, did, in fact, release its series finale back on September 20.  But there was still one more episode shot and in post-production waiting to be shared with fans.  And it was always intended to be an epilogue showing, at least for some of the Potemkin crew, the aftermath of the events of the previous finale episode.

“Room Service” was written by Christin Woods, who also plays the Vulcan Lt. T’Noshi, and filmed on location at the 2015 Treklanta con with a great deal of whimsy.  My ol’ buddy Eric L. Watts wears his iconic Klingon Korgoth persona to perfection, and goodness knows the green dye sellers in the metro-Atlanta area were counting their profits that weekend.  You can tell by the still image I’ve included above that this might not be your typical fan film, but don’t worry…it stops far short of an NC-17 rating.  And it’s pretty fun.

And so, with this tongue-in-cheek 7-minute episode, we bid a fond and final farewell to a unique and heart-felt fan series, made with love, dedication, almost no budget…and all for a spoonful of borsch.  You can read more about Project: Potemkin in this great 2-part interview with show-runner Randy Landers.  And you can watch “Room Service” below…

PACIFIC 201 excites fans with a NEW TEASER and a REQUEST FOR DONATIONS!

pacific-201Fans have been waiting  for PACIFIC 201 with an eagerness and anticipation that has only been matched a few times in fan film history. Renegades, Horizon, and Axanar (to name a small few) were also sensations long before they had very much to actually show on YouTube.  And when they finally released full trailers, well, fans went wild.

Now it’s  Pacific 201‘s turn to dazzle and excite!

For the last year or so, fans have been teased with a glimpse of what Pacific 201 will be.  The year is 2200, forty years after the Romulan War, and Earth is still hesitant to trust the galaxy.  The desire to explore space faded during the first few years of the NX program, helped along by the Xindi and Romulans, and was replaced with fear and trepidation about seeking out new life and new civilizations.  But now Earth is just beginning to shake off its post-traumatic paranoia, and the starship Pacific NCC-201 is the first vessel in decades to head out with scientists aboard alongside Starfleet military.  Can humanity conquer its fears and truly embrace its destiny among the stars?

Pacific 201 raised $26,000 during a Kickstarter back in 2015.  And then it raised another $26,000 in an Indiegogo campaign from early this past summer.  That campaign had a goal of only $20,000, and having topped the goal, it is still active as an “in demand” status…meaning Pacific 201 can continue to collect donations.

This fan production was originally set to film in a warehouse facility being donated to them for free.  But sadly, that offer is no longer available.  They’ve acquired use of a new facility, but it will now cost them to film there.  So Pacific 201 is endeavoring to raise additional funds through their Indiegogo page.  Trust me, you’re gonna want to go there and make a donation after you watch their new teaser video below…

CHANCE ENCOUNTER films final “extra” scene in turbolift!

Chance EncounterCHANCE ENCOUNTER, a short Star Trek fan film out of the United Kingdom, is filming one final scene today (Saturday).  Most of their shooting wrapped back in August, but as post-production progressed and the final film began to take shape,  the producers felt that one more scene was needed…along with hiring a new actor to play the role of Captain Janssen.

Director Gary O’Brien has been releasing regular, brief production update videos.  The previous one discussed this added scene:

…and the most recent update shows the really cool (and surprisingly simple!) turbolift set:

You can also check out their trailer…this looks like a good one, folks:

BREAKING (NO) NEWS!!! NO SETTLEMENT (yet) in AXANAR LAWSUIT!

axaanr-splash-image4Okay, I just couldn’t wait anymore!  I had to know…was  a settlement reached in the Axanar copyright infringement lawsuit????

If you read my previous blog on the subject, you know that the two sides–CBS/Paramount and Alec Peters/Axanar Productions–were ordered by judge R. Gary Klausner to sit down for one last-ditch attempt to work out a settlement before going to trial.  Magistrate Judge Charles Eick was assigned to facilitate the discussions.  There is a court-mandated gag order on all discussions of the content of the settlement talks, and so all we got from Alec Peters on Monday evening was this:

We did not reach a settlement, but we are close. We will know by week’s end, as the attorneys have a call with Judge Eick Friday.

Everyone needs to manage their expectations. A settlement means neither side gets exactly what they want.

That sounded promising–or so I thought.  But as Friday (today) wore on and Alec wasn’t answering my texts of “So…any news yet?” I was getting antsier and antsier.  Their Monday meeting had lasted past 9:00p.m., so I tried to be patient and not bother Alec over and over again.  I failed.

But my persistence paid off…kinda.  I finally received the following comment approved from Alec for posting to FAN FILM FACTOR: Continue reading “BREAKING (NO) NEWS!!! NO SETTLEMENT (yet) in AXANAR LAWSUIT!”