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2023 Star Trek Fan Film YEAR IN REVIEW…PODCAST!

In 2017, I began publishing an annual YEAR IN REVIEW blog of major news and events from the world of Star Trek fan films. And 2023 is no different…

…or is it?

This year, for the first time ever, there will be a fan film Year In Review PODCAST! And not just ANY podcast! Joining me today are three other prominent members of the Star Trek fan film community: JEFFERSON “BigJ” KELLEY from BEYOND TREK PODCAST, COUSIN CHEETO from the NERD TUBE YouTube Channel, and JOSHUA IRWIN, the showrunner of the AVALON UNIVERSE fan productions and director/DP-at-large for various fan series. We four have covered, interviewed, and in some cases even MADE Star Trek fan films for the past several years, and now we’re teaming up for the first (and hopefully not last!) time.

The ball started rolling on this idea back in November when Jefferson Kelley reached out to me to with some nice feedback on a blog I’d written about a fan filmmaker whom he’d just interviewed on his podcast, as well. Over the past year or so, Jefferson has been diving ever deeper and more frequently into the world of Trek fan films, and I’ve caught a number of his podcasts. They’re upbeat, positive, and enthusiastic…which is a must for fan films (at least in my opinion!). As we chatted, “BigJ” suggested that we do a podcast together at some point.

My mind started pondering what we could talk about and almost immediately landed on doing this December’s Year in Review as a co-produced podcast with Jefferson and myself co-hosting. “BigJ” loved the idea, and a few days later DM’d me back to ask if Cheeto from Nerd Tube could join us. I suddenly heard Worf’s voice in my head saying, “That would make it a threesome…” and thought: the more, the merrier!

Then Josh ended up getting involved due to the release of his latest Avalon fan film, CRISIS ON INFINITE EXCALIBURS (which I haven’t had a chance to cover yet). Along with being absolutely jaw-dropping in its production quality, Crisis also represents one of the most collaborative crossovers of fan series and filmmakers since the release of YORKTOWN: A TIME TO HEAL in 2022. Indeed, it was this growing trend of fan film “team-ups” that inspired our co-produced Year in Review podcast…which won’t be branded as either Fan Film Factor, Beyond Trek Podcast, Nerd Tube or Avalon but a true four-way collaboration.

I was telling Josh about the idea, and he volunteered to let us use his Streamyard account for recording the piece, to be our “roving reporter” to interview fan filmmakers, and even to edit the finished production. (As if Josh doesn’t have enough to do already!)

And that’s how Josh made it a foursome!

So please sit back and enjoy this special presentation of the 2023 Star Trek Fan Film Year in Review—with special guests, clips, commentary, and news from this crazy little corner of the Star Trek sandbox (oh, and check out my new “ugly” Star Trek Christmas sweater at the very end, as well)…

DREADNOUGHT DOMINION’s command torch is passed “IN OUR OWN TIME”… (interview with GARY DAVIS and RANDY WRENN)

Seven years. That’s how long DOMINION MEDIA co-showrunner GARY DAVIS has been playing Captain Jason Brousseau, commanding officer of the DREADNOUGHT DOMINION. And in the two years before that, Gary played Commander Brousseau, the ship’s first officer. So that’s NINE years in front of the camera on this long-running fan series.

DAVID “RANDY” WRENN, the other Dominion Media co-showrunner, has played his character, Chief Engineer Stephen Denson, for just as long, himself rising through the ranks to first officer and eventually captain of engineering. But as of September 29, 2023, both men performed those roles as leads for a final time in their swan song episode “IN OUR OWN TIME,” which saw them pass the command baton of the U.S.S. Dominion to Captain Maurine Farrell, played by popular fan film actress of multiple fan series, VICTORIA AVALON.

The episode was another strong offering from the team, with a fun, original, and engaging story and their typical mix of seriousness and humor. Take a look…

I plan to speak more with Victoria Avalon when Dominion‘s next episode premieres. But right now, I’ve decided to focus on Gary and Randy and their decisions to step away from the front of the camera to focus (no pun intended) more of their attention to efforts behind the scenes…

New CROSSOVER fan film “ORIGINAL PARTS” on tap for 2024, a UNITED KINGDOM collaboration between AMBUSH and INTREPID! (interview with GREG LOCK)

Back in 2022, after being in production since 2014(!!!), the long-awaited TOS-era fan film AMBUSH (out of the United Kingdom) was finally released by showrunner GREG LOCK and his team. This past year, Ambush won “Best Fan Film” in the 2023 Star Trek Fan Film SHOWRUNNER AWARDS…along with wins in a dozen other categories…making it the top award-winner overall.

Since then, fans have wondered if and when Greg Lock might return to Star Trek fan films and whether we might see the return of members of the crew of the U.S.S. Ambush someday. That question was answered the day before Christmas with the release of the following very unexpected trailer featuring none other than NICK COOK and DAVID REID from the fan series INTREPID wearing Pre-STAR TREK: PICARD-era uniforms. Check it out…

David Reid is returning to the role of the Intrepid‘s Romulan security officer S’Ceris, a character he hasn’t reprised in nearly a decade. And Nick Cook is, of course, playing Captain Daniel Hunter, a role he’s performed not only in episodes of Intrepid but also in other fan series like TREK SHORTS and CONSTAR.

Indeed, crossover collaborations like this are proliferating recently in the fan film world! In fact, one of the most recent examples, CRISIS ON INFINITE EXCALIBURS from the AVALON UNIVERSE (which I will be covering once I can schedule a Zoom interview with the very busy star of that release) was a major collaboration among nearly a DOZEN different showrunners and fan series!

Frankly, I think this trend of collaboration is awesome, as fan filmmakers can pool resources, knowledge, characters, filmmaking equipment, props and uniforms, and all sorts of other things to make more and even better productions.

But how did this particular collaboration between two of the U.K.’s most prominent Star Trek fan filmmakers (the other being the omnipresent SAMUEL COCKINGS…I wonder if he’ll be a part of this, too) come to happen? For the answers to this and other questions, I spoke to Greg Lock himself…

SANTA needs a new KIDNEY…

As some of you know, back in 2012, I helped a professional, real-bearded Santa Claus write his memoirs in a book titled BEING SANTA CLAUS, which is available on Amazon in hardcover, paperback, kindle, and audiobook versions. It recounts the heartwarming stories of Santa Sal’s then-20-year career wearing the red suit–from his first clueless mistakes to becoming one of the most believable and effective Santas you could ever meet.

Last year, Sal lost his beloved wife of 35 years, Linda, and this past November, Sal was placed on the kidney transplant list. He now lives with his daughter and granddaughter in Kentucky, and they struggle to make ends meet. You can help make Christmas for Sal and his family a little merrier in two ways:

1) You can buy a copy of the book in any version, and royalties from the sale go to Sal and his family. You can also spread the Amazon link to your friends and family and loved ones.

2) You can donate to the following GoFundMe campaign…
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-sal-lizard-aka-santa-aka-the-vampire-santa

I know that at at least one person out there in the Star Trek fan community has generated more than $18K crowd-funding his legal bills/debts for an upcoming lawsuit. Right now, Santa Sal (a Trekkie and former president of STARFLEET: the International Star Trek Fan Association, Inc.) has generated just $707 to help himself and his family survive a very challenging Christmas.

Whether or not you gave to that other campaign, please consider donating a little to help Santa Sal and his daughter and granddaughter. Or maybe buy a copy of the book. Sal’s stories are wonderful and will make you laugh, cry, cheer, and always smile. My friend Sal has given so much over the years, and I hope people can see their way to giving back at least a little.

Thank you and Merry Christmas.

STARSHIP DEIMOS releases their 22nd fan film “DREAM TIME” (interview with writer DAVID EVERSOLE and actors TUCK STEVENS and DASHAWN KELLEY)

It was March of 2016 when STARSHIP DEIMOS released their first episode, “THE LUCKY ONE.” Now, more than seven and a half years later, they released their 22nd completed fan film, “DREAM TIME,” this past September. As usual for releases from POTEMKIN PICTURES‘ numerous creative groups (there are currently six active teams), the story is intriguing. But even more intriguing is the story behind the story, which was conceived by the late HOMER WILLIAM EVERSOLE and then completed posthumously by his brother DAVID EVERSOLE, both of whom have written numerous fan film scripts for Potemkin Pictures.

Another interesting aspect to this latest release is that the starship Deimos has now seen its fourth captain take command, following stints by TERRY SELF as Captain Jeremy Quinn, TONY ANDERSON as Captain Mark Stone, and most recently VICTORIA AVALON as Captain Sian Gabriel. The newest captain, the recently-promoted Timothy Harper, is played by returning cast member TUCK STEVENS, who has served in various producer roles on Deimos throughout the last half-decade.

And finally, actor DASHAWN KELLEY is an actual working actor with nearly two dozen film credits on his IMDb page…only a handful of them fan films for Deimos. Up until now, his character of helm officer Daken has had relatively limited screen time. But in this latest release, Daken is the main character, and Dashawn gets ample opportunity to show fans his acting chops, which he does very impressively. In fact, let’s all take a look at “Dream Time“…

With these three individuals each contributing significantly to the success of this fan film, I’ve decided to give each of them his own interview segment, beginning with writer David Eversole…

“ZERO HOUR” was supposed to be a one-minute PROMO, but it turned into a full seven-minute FAN FILM!

Next week, the eagerly-awaited CRISIS ON INFINITE EXCALIBURS, the latest fan film from THE AVALON UNIVERSE, will finally make its debut. And having seen an early cut, let me assure you that it will be a game-changer of a release, sure to be talked about excitedly by a LOT of fans for a very long time.

Avalon showrunner JOSHUA IRWIN and his team have poured a massive amount of time, effort, financial resources, and emotional commitment into getting this production perfect. And leading into its December premiere, Josh wanted to release a short promo “ad” on YouTube to tease the new film. But not just any ad, Josh had a clever idea.

As some folks know—and most others can very likely guess—Avalon‘s new fan film features a crossover of many different universes (one might say an infinite number!). And yes, one of those is the Star Trek “Mirror” Universe. VANCE MAJOR, who plays the character of Erick Minard across many fan films and series—including CONSTAR, VALIANT, DREADNOUGHT DOMINION, PROJECT GEMINI: CROSSROADS, ANTYLLUS, NATURE’S HUNGER, RAINCROSS, EAGLE, TASK FORCE 78, and of course, Avalon Universe, where that Minard is the chief engineer of the U.S.S. Excalibur.

But Minard also exists in the Mirror Universe as a villainous sociopath known as The Phantom, a character who will be appearing in the upcoming Crisis on Infinite Excaliburs. So Josh thought it might be cool to see The Phantom recording an ominous-sounding log entry for about a minute, hinting at some nefarious plan and ending with “A crisis is coming…” Josh tossed the log entry promo idea over to Vance, offering him complete creative control over whatever he would send back.

Now, technically, Vance officially “retired” from fan filmmaking last year, and this time he actually meant it. Well, mostly. He retired to spend more time with his son Royce, but now Royce wants to make fan films. So Vance is quietly working on CONSTAR: THE MOTION PICTURE, with Royce being the filmmaker in charge. But that’s more of a project done for sheer fun and father/son bonding time.

However, Vance is also available for friends in the fan film community who’d like his help either in front of or behind the camera. In fact, that’s how the “retired” Vance Major wound up appearing as various Minards in Crisis. So Vance was game to do the promo, as well.

But then, like Josh, Vance had a clever idea…

Here’s what ROD RODDENBERRY has planned for the LONG-LOST 3-FOOT MODEL of the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE…

On November 1, I reported on the possible (but likely) discovery of the long-lost original 33-inch (aka the “3-foot”) pre-production model of the U.S.S. Enterprise…for sale on eBay, of all places, for a starting bid of only $1,000!

Designed by the legendary MATT JEFFERIES and constructed in late 1964 by Hollywood model builder RICHARD C. DATIN and a sub-contractor, the model was used for all but one of the visual effects shots for the first Star Trek pilot “The Cage” before being replaced by the larger, lighted 11-foot model that is now restored and on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

The model was stored by Paramount after production wrapped on Star Trek TOS in 1969, and in 1973, when GENE RODDENBERRY returned to the the studio to oversee the new animated series, Paramount presented Star Trek‘s now-revered creator with the 3-foot model as a gift. And it remained proudly on Gene’s desk at home in Bel Air Estates for the next five years…

When pre-production began in 1978 on what would become Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Gene was “asked” by the studio to loan out the model to visual effects company Robert Abel & Associates, which used it to help build an early shooting model of the refit Enterprise that was never actually seen in the film because RA&A dropped the ball and was fired from the project a year later.

The model was never returned to Gene, and although he attempted to track it down and recover it, his efforts went nowhere. Eventually Gene moved past the loss and never blamed anyone openly nor showed any bitterness in public. (I’m not sure the same could be said for his wife MAJEL BARRETT.)

And so the final fate of the 3-foot model remained a mystery until an auction item was posted on eBay late at night the evening of Halloween after a seller apparently found a whole slew of Hollywood paraphernalia in an abandoned storage unit that he himself won in an auction. The listing was quickly discovered and first reported via X (formerly Twitter) by Trekcore.com co-owner ALEX PERRY. I wasn’t even clear the lister realized that this wasn’t some prop replica of the starship but rather THE original model!

Fans leapt into action, reached out to Gene’s son ROD RODDENBERRY, and the auction was quickly removed from eBay. The questions now were:

Was this indeed the long-lost 3-foot model? If yes…
Would Rod be able to take possession of it? If yes…
What would happen to the model after that?

Fans had many thoughts on this last question. From photos, the model is obviously in pretty poor shape and would need significant restoration, along the lines of what was done to the 11-foot model…

But assuming those repairs were made, should Rod keep it? Display it at the offices of Roddenberry Entertainment? Auction it himself to the fans? Or donate it to a Star Trek, sci-fi, or Hollywood history museum…or even to the Smithsonian itself?

As of earlier today, many of those questions were answered in an e-mail sent to subscribers to the weekly “Roddenberry Transmitter” newsletter. Here are the relevant portions of Rod’s message to fans…

The Fan Film DIRECTORS CHOICE Awards are back for a THIRD year…with new categories! (interview with GLEN L. WOLFE and DAN REYNOLDS)

The future of fan film award shows remains in good hands! And right now, those hands belong to GLEN L. WOLFE and DAN REYNOLDS of WARP 66 STUDIOS in northern Arkansas. For the third straight year, submissions are being accepted for the annual Fan Film DIRECTORS CHOICE Awards. The call for entries begins today and continues through January 15, 2024. Fan filmmakers can submit their film(s)—a maximum of three fan films per director—for a cost of $10 per film entered. Here’s the entry form link:

https://thefederationfiles.com/?page_id=1407

This third running of the Fan Film Directors Choice Awards is open to any fan film of any genre (not just Star Trek) released during calendar year 2023. So it’s possible that some fan films that haven’t premiered yet could still make it in. The judges for the show will be the directors of the submitted fan films, who will each have until March 15 to submit their ballots. Each submission can be entered into a maximum of six of the following categories…

Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Director
Best Original Costuming
Best Make-up/Hairstyling
Best Cinematography
Best Original Music
Best Audio Mixing
Best Lighting
Best FX Make-Up
Best CGI FX
Best Green Screen
Best Composite Shot
Best Screenplay
Best Parody/Comedy
Best Portrayal of an Existing Character
Best Animated Fan Film
Best Editing
Most Canon Award
Best Ensemble
Best On-Location Scene
Best Plot Twist
Best Use of Improvised Sets
Best Choreography

Just like last year, there will be a “Best in Fest” $250 cash award for the fan film which receives the greatest number of votes across all categories. Of the above two dozen categories, the last four were newly added as of this year. Dan Reynolds explains…

“We originally started this awards outlet so that those producing fan films could get the recognition they deserve. Going into our third year, we came up with some new categories that focus more on the unseen work and put a spotlight on more specific categories that are always overlooked in many awards offerings. It’s a way to spotlight the many great moments in fan films that are more based on recognizing their accomplishments rather than making it a competition.”

While Best On-Location Scene and Best Plot Twist seem fairly straightforward, I was curious to learn more about Best Use of Improvised Sets and Best Choreography. Dan tackled the former…

Four TREK SHORTS in three blogs – Blog #3: PAKLED RESURGENCE and PROTOSTAR SAVED (interview with SAMUEL COCKINGS)

And so we come to the end of my 3-part “catch-up” blog series on the recent releases in the TREK SHORTS fanthology series. Blog #1 covered BROKEN REALITY (premiering back in May), and Blog #2 focused on FIRST MEETING (which debuted in August). Today’s blog will look at the most recent two releases, PAKLED RESURGENCE (September) and PROTOSTAR SAVED (October)…both of which focusing on the U.S.S. Protostar from the recently-canceled and even-more-recently-picked-up-by-Netflix STAR TREK: PRODIGY.

I fell behind because British frenetic fan filmmaker SAMUEL COCKINGS decided that 2023 would be the perfect time to release one new fan film EACH MONTH from February onward (not counting April). I was managing to keep pace for a little while, but…blimey, mate! You’re on a frickin’ tear!!!

If you’re curious to check them out, in addition to the two blog links I provided above, I invite you to read and/or listen to the blogs spotlighting Sam’s other four releases (so far!) from this year…

THIS SIDE OF MORALITY (February)
FALLEN HEROES (March)
FLIGHT OF THE PROTOSTAR (June)
LEGACY OF THE ENTERPRISE-B (July)

Before we get to our final chat with Sam (at least for now…as there are still two months left in 2023!), let’s take a look at both of his latest Prodigy-inspired releases. First up, the rather epic 28-minute Pakled Resurgence, starring Sam Cockings himself along with MARIE-LOUISE SVALENG, SEÁN FERRICK, ROY EAPPEN, and Sam’s co-podcaster from TREKYARDS STUART FOLEY…

And then, here’s the quick five-and-a-half-minute vignette (and the last two minutes are the closing credits!), Protostar Saved, again starring Sam and Marie…

And now, ladies and gentleman, returning to our stage for a second encore, Mr. Samuel Cockings…

Four TREK SHORTS in three blogs – Blog #2: FIRST MEETING (interview with SAMUEL COCKINGS)

Last time, in an attempt to catch up with fan films’ answer to The Flash, SAMUEL COCKINGS—who has premiered EIGHT different (and very impressive!) releases of his TREK SHORTS fanthology series already this year—I published the first of three consecutive blogs to cover four of his recent fan film offerings. Here are links to the blogs for Sam’s 2023 releases that I’ve already spotlighted…

THIS SIDE OF MORALITY (February)
FALLEN HEROES (March)
BROKEN REALITY (May)
FLIGHT OF THE PROTOSTAR (June)
LEGACY OF THE ENTERPRISE-B (July)
FIRST MEETING (August)
PAKLED RESURGENCE (September)
PROTOSTAR SAVED (October)

The most recent blog covered Broken Reality, the first part of a trilogy of Star Trek/Stargate crossover fan films from Sam. That release (from May) starred EMMA THORNE as Ensign Laura Reed, MATT MILLER as Ensign Stuart, and RHEA KHEEHN as the Starfleet Computer.

Today Sam and I will be discussing First Meeting, which was released in late August and stars, once again, Emma Thorne as Ensign Reed encountering for the first time NIMRAN SAUND as Lieutenant Anna Keeley. Also appearing in the film is Sam’s father, STEVEN COCKINGS, as the TOS-era Lieutenant Lee Galloway (along with some random Romans). Before we continue our interview with Sam, let’s take a look at First Meeting…

And now, here’s Sam…