Fan Film Factor

TIM “TUVOK” RUSS joins the cast of PROJECT DISCOVERY

TOMMY KRAFT, the dynamo behind the hugely successful NX-01-era fan film STAR TREK: HORIZON, is currently raising money for his next production, PROJECT: DISCOVERY. Although not specifically a Star Trek fan film, it now has a definite Star Trek tie-in. Tommy just announced that TIM RUSS, the actor who played Security Chief Tuvok on Star Trek: Voyager, will be joining the cast as director of the Earth Space Agency for Project Discovery.

The new, ambitious fan film has an equally ambitious Kickstarter goal of $250,000. Right now, with 41 days left to go, the pledged total stands at just over $17,000…respectable, but there is a LONG way to go! If you can, please consider helping with a donation of your own. Remember that, if this Kickstarter campaign does not reach its goal, your credit card will not be charged.

Click here to visit the Project Discovery Kickstarter page.

Judge DENIES the AXANAR motion to dismiss the CBS/PARAMOUNT LAWSUIT!

As I said yesterday, folks, mark your calendars for January 31, 2017. Just as CBS gets ready to launch their new Star Trek TV series, the gavel will fall on the judge’s desk to cal to order CBS and Paramount’s lawsuit against Axanar Productions and Alec Peters. Unless there is a settlement or mediation in the next eight and a half months, the most important case ever for fan films (in many people’s opinions) will be litigated in front of a judge and possibly a jury.

Judge R. Gary Klausner ruled as follows:

Although the Court declines to address whether Plaintiffs’ Claims will prosper at this time, the Court does find Plaintiffs’ claims will live long enough to survive Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss. For the foregoing reasons, the Court DENIES Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss.

According to the Axanar website:

Winston & Strawn will now prepare our answer to the amended complaint, which is due in 14 days.

In the meantime, we continue our efforts to settle this matter with CBS and Paramount so we can move forward with telling the story of AXANAR in a way that satisfies both the studios and the over ten thousand fans who financially supported our project.

And the (legal) adventure continues…

PARAMOUNT/CBS v. AXANAR lawsuit trial date set!

Mark your calendars! The judge in the lawsuit between Paramount/CBS and Axanar has now set a trial date of January 31, 2017. This is about three and a half months earlier than the litigating parties had mutually recommended to the court.

Judge R. Gary Klausner now has all of the paperwork submitted by the plaintiffs, the defense, and even an amicus brief filed by the Language Creation Society disputing the claim by the plaintiffs that the Klingon language can be copyrighted. It’s quite an attention-grabbing case!

The judge could rule in the coming weeks on any or all of several motions filed on behalf of Axanar, including the removal of Paramount as a plaintiff, dismissing the part of the lawsuit dealing with the Axanar movie (of which, only one 3-minute scene has actually been completed while the rest of the film remains in stalled pre-production), and even the possibility of dismissing the entire case.

Even if the case continues onward, a LOT can happen between now and next January, including a settlement between the two parties. If not, then we’ll see everyone in court in less than nine months.

STARBASE STUDIOS (interview with Richard Wells and Scott Johnson), Part 2

Last time: we learned the fate of the Starship Exeter bridge set was not oblivion. After decaying in a Texas barn for years, it was moved to Oklahoma City in 2010 by John Hughes to be used for a new production called Starship Ajax. John advertised for volunteers on Craigslist, and two guys from the concert industry became leaders of the project in their own right: Richard Wells and Scott Johnson

Shortly thereafter, John Hughes decided to concentrate primarily on his fan film, leaving Richard and Scott to complete the bridge restoration and set up Starbase Studios, a place where fan filmmakers could shoot their Star Trek stories for free on an actual TOS bridge recreation set.

But not all went swimmingly. As we continue our interview with Richard and Scott, we learn what happened after when the hand of nature once again threatened this beautiful bridge replica…

Continue reading “STARBASE STUDIOS (interview with Richard Wells and Scott Johnson), Part 2”

CHANCE ENCOUNTER – A Star Trek short film begins crowd-funding campaign (ENDS JUNE 1, 2016)

Not all fan Trek Kickstarters are trying to raise tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars! For two British filmmakers with eight independent short films already under their belts, £1,700 (about $2,500) will do quite nicely, thank you.

Director Gary O’Brien and writer Paul Laight aren’t trying to make the next great Star Trek fan film epic. Instead, they have a simple, character-driven story requiring only five actors (who will be paid professionals, not yet cast) and the construction of a single partial shuttlepod set. The rest of the script will be filmed outdoors in a natural setting.

To help these folks out with a quid, a fiver, a tenner, or just a few good ol’ American bucks, visit the website below:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1512203744/chance-encounter-a-star-trek-short-film/

STAR TREK: RENEGADES announces its series finale!

Star Trek: Renegades is the most expensive Star Trek fan film produced so far. With a price-tag of $375K, their 90-minute pilot movie has generated 1.5 million YouTube views in just 9 months. The movie even had a red carpet premiere in Los Angeles last August with paparazzi and verteran Star Trek actors in the cast, including Walter Koenig, Tim Russ, and Robert Picardo.

Renegades held another Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign at the end of last year, looking to produce the first two single-hour episodes of their ongoing series. This 2-parter would feature Walter Koenig reprising his role of Pavel Chekov for one final time. Raising $378K, there was enough to film part 1, and fans assumed more crowd-funding campaigns would follow as the series continued.

But Renegades has just announced that the upcoming 2-parter will mark the culmination of their impressive fan series efforts.

Continue reading “STAR TREK: RENEGADES announces its series finale!”

STARBASE STUDIOS (interview with Richard Wells and Scott Johnson), Part 1

If you read my recent blog about Starship Exeter’s second episode, you’ll recall that when we last left the magnificent Exeter bridge set, it was rotting, unused and forgotten, in a barn in central Texas. What happened next is the amazing and heartwarming story of Starbase Studios.

Continue reading “STARBASE STUDIOS (interview with Richard Wells and Scott Johnson), Part 1”

PROJECT: POTEMKIN releases its latest episode!

Potemkin - Cover 2

The second episode of Project: Potemkin‘s fourth (and final) season–the 10-minute “The Hunt”–has just been posted online…barely a week weeks after posting their previous episode! Talk about fast and furious!!

Watch “The Hunt” now!

Read PART 1 of our interview with Project: Potemkin creator RANDY LANDERS.

Read PART 2 of our interview with Project: Potemkin creator RANDY LANDERS.

STAR TREK CONTINUES Indiegogo campaign JUST misses $200,000!

As of midnight Pacific Time, Star Trek Continues‘ third crowd-funding campaign (and their first on Indiegogo) ended with a total of $199,049 from 2,231 backers after 60 days.

Although that was only 57% of the way to their announced $350,000 goal, it was still a very impressive amount, making them the second most successful Trek fan film Indiegogo campaign ever (after Axanar last summer, which took in $475,000).

It should also be mentioned that STC’s third campaign took in nearly as much as their second campaign (on Kickstarter) did in early 2015, which was $214.5K from 2,619 backers. And both campaigns surpassed the first, which took in $126K from 2,981 donors back in late 2013.

STC‘s sixth full-length episode, “Come Not Between the Dragons” is set to premiere later on this month!

In the meantime, visit Fan Film Factor‘s ENERGIZE page for a list of currently active crowd-funding campaigns for Trek-related fan films.

STAR TREK CONTINUES Indiegogo crosses $175K with 14 HOURS TO GO!

With just over half a day left until the close of their latest crowd-funding campaign, Star Trek Continues just crossed the half-way point to the goal of $350,000. And while getting half-way there might seem like they’ve fallen short, they now hold second place as highest-donation Indiegogo campaign of any Star Trek fan film!

Remember that donations to Star Trek Continues, a registered non-profit, are now tax deductible in the United States. Also, any backer contributing $100 or more will get an exclusive EARLY VIEWING of their sixth episode “Come Not Between the Dragons” at noon Pacific Time on Friday, May 13…before it debuts to the rest of the galaxy.

More than $10,000 has come in between yesterday and today…can Star Trek Continues make it to the ever-elusive $200,000 before the campaign closes tonight?

Click here to donate!