NEW FEATURE: ‘FanMade,’ the latest of TrekMovie’s regular columns, will focus entirely on fan productions. This week we have news and a controversy around a nomination for Star Trek Phase II (formerly New Voyages), plus Of Gods and Men part 2 has a release date and two popular fan films are joining forces for a special project. And there are some new releases and previews to see.
Phase II gets Nebula Nomination and stirs up controversy
Recently the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association announced the nominees for the 2007 Nebula Awards and the script for the Star Trek New Voyages (now Phase II) episode “World Enough and Time” (written by Marc Scott Zicree and Michael Reaves) was nominated for Best Script. However, not all members of SFWA were happy about what is technically a ‘fan film’ working its way into the Nebulas. Possibly the most vocal critic was Star Trek novelist Keith R.A. DeCandido who wrote on his blog that that he objected due to the fact that the script did not qualify under the rules as a ‘professional’ production. Zicree tells TrekMovie.com that he agrees that New Voyages is a fan production, but that it is “artistically professional.” He also issued a detailed statement noting that although not an official Paramount project, it was still made by professionals. In the end the SFWA sided with Zicree and it remains on the ballot.
In other Phase II news, they have unveiled new images from the upcoming ‘redo’ of the Walter Koenig episode “To Serve All My Days” (see below). The ‘Night in 1969’ edition of that episode premieres on March 29th at the at the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills, CA (and TrekMovie will be there) more info at the Phase II site.
Enterprise gets in trouble (click to enlarge)
Of Gods and Men Part 2 coming next weekend
Act 2 of the three part mini-series Star Trek: Of Gods and Men will be released on
Saturday, March 15th at 1701 EST (5:01 pm EST). Producer Sky Conway tells TrekMovie.com that work is complete and that it is headed to Dragonfly to be encoded. It is expected that using Dragonfly will solve the technical problems of the first release from December. TrekMovie.com should have a review available for Act 2 by the end of next week (see our review of part 1). The third and final act should be available by May. For more check out the official site. We are awaiting preview images from the OGAM team, so until then this one will do.
Hoping to see more of the green Chase Masterson in OGaM Pt. 2
Two Fan films get together
The people behind the European production Starship Intrepid and those behind the American production Hidden Frontier have announced their second collaboration, “Operation Beta Shield.” The post-Nemesis era film, a sequel to the previous collaboration “Orphans of War” will bring together the two casts in “a feature-length epic adventure” Producer Robert Caves tells TrekMovie.com that shooting begins in Los Angeles next month for a planned release this Summer. He also expects it will launch a new four part mini-series to come out of the Hidden Frontier team, which will become their third ongoing production. The new mini series should be out by the end of the year. More information on “Beta Shield” at the official site.
But before all that, the Hidden Frontier team have two other shows in production right now. Recently they have released episode 3 for Star Trek Odyssey [CLICK TO WATCH]. Plus have a preview for the 2nd episode for The Helena Chronicles [CLICK TO WATCH].
Hidden Frontier and Intrepid team up for “Beta Shield”
TrekMovie FanMade needs help
TrekMovie.com wants to make our fan productions column as up to date and informative as all our other columns on Science, Sci-Fi, Trek Celebs, Comics, Books and Collectibles. To do this we are looking for help of two sorts. Firstly, if you are involved in a fan production and we have not yet made first contact, then please drop us a line and tell us all about your production. Send an email to tonyp [at] trekmovie [dot] com.
Secondly, TrekMovie is looking for a full-time writer for FanMade column. Ideally it would be someone with writing experience who is very familiar with the various fan productions, but can still look at them with a critical eye. Hopefully in the end FanMade will be able to provide the kind of news, previews, analysis and reviews for Fan productions that we do for all other aspects of Trek. To get in touch please email tonyp [at] trekmovie [dot] com.
VOTE: Are you a fan of fan productions?
Can’t wait for that next episode of your favorite production? Or couldn’t tell an Exeter from an Odyssey? Vote on how many (if any) fan productions you keep up with in our latest poll (right column)
Part of me feels the need to be juvenile and say FIRST! But I’m sure that by the time I hit “say it” I wouldn’t be first any more.
Anyhow, mostly I want to say that someday, I would like to be painted green for a fan production. It just seems like it would be a cool thing to have done in my life.
Looks promising
Mmmm, Chase Masterson. A nice, green Texas girl. Nice.
Chase Masterson…………hmmmm…..can’t talk……..drooling!
Star Trek: Trinity!!
http://www.st-t.co.uk
I’m mostly ignorant of the current state of Trek fan-productions (the Cawley stuff is singlehandedly responsible for sucking me into it, thanks to Walter Koenig speaking highly of it at a convention) … so I’m grateful for this new feature so I can start learning what’s out there. Is anyone doing radio-drama style stuff (audio only)? I’d be very interested in having some fan-Trek audio plays to pack onto the portable music thingamajig …
John
we will be dedicating a future ‘FanMade’ to the current state of audio productions…there are a few. look for that later this month
I’m kind of disappointed that DeCandido would be so vocally against this. As one of Star Trek’s leading fiction writers, does he not understand the idea of Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations?
Hey Anthony,
Does the tips link still work? Noticed you didn’t tell people to send to the tips e-mail address this time (like you did with the general “want to help out?” post a while ago.
New Voyages/Phase II = Awesome
I really do admire anyone who has the time, resources, and will power to make a fan production. It’s somthing I’m not going to have time to do in the near future!
Way to go! All of you!
Green has never looked so GOOD!!!
Chase is hot! Green, red, blue, yellow or otherwise. And she has the acting chops.
cough why ST New Voyages looks better then remastered TOS, (true at first the ship moved a bit crazy , but now it just looks brilliant )
.
This is interesting…
But a “fan film”, at least to me, no matter for what intentions it is made, is A FILM anyway… And a film is a film…!
If it fills the requirements for being nominated to whatever it is, then so be it…!
To me it only says that all things can be seen relatively. If a film is projected and produced by fans – even with professional help – and reaches the quality level (in whatever aspects) that enable it to stand side by side with any other professional productions, it can only be a a good thing. Something to be proud of.
Some almost 15 years back, here in Brazil, I tried to put on a crew to make something like this… But things are different here and I abandoned the project. Today, it wouldn’t be so impossible a dream…
That’s why I always think of fan films (the good ones, of course) as real hard made productions, where people give their best to accomplish…!
hmm it should be even more eliagable because its not a profit organisation
I’m pretty offended by KRAD. I really am. Such bitterness from a professional man is astounding. All films take time and effort to make. So what if it’s not in the cinemas or on DVD? Arrogant person.
“Starship Exeter,” anyone?
“The Tressaurian Intersection” is downright fantastic. The effects look great, the sets are perfect, the story is straightforward …
“New Voyages” suffered from ‘fanboy’ syndrome in its first few episodes: throwing too many concepts into the film with none of them really sticking. (“In Harm’s Way” was this to a tee. An utter mess, with Commodore Decker, Fleet Captain Pike, the Farragut, the Guardian of Forever, alternate universe Kirk and crew, future Kirk and crew, ad nauseam.)
But “Exeter,” … “Exeter” I enjoy a great deal.
http://www.starshipexeter.com/
Hard to argue with the “professional tag” when looking at the CGI. I don’t see much a difference between what CBS-Digital is doing now and Phase II fan stuff (maybe that is partially because CBS-D seems to be backsliding: The Doomsday Machine was amazing–nothing close to that lately). As for, the Phase II acting–eh, from what I’ve seen it is a bit marginal sometimes, but then, TOS and (another of my favorites Babylon 5) had some marginal acting in them too.
And I agree about “In Harm’s Way” too gee whiz fan boy (wouldn’t be neat if. . and if. . . and if. . . , etc.), but the Koenig and Takei episodes were much better.
#17
In my opinion, the guys of Starship Exeter are really good actors. Congrats!
I would watch the fan movies but my P’TaQ computer is so old and slow the audio runs at normal speed , but the v………..i………….d……………e…………o is super slow , so after a while the audio get so far ahead of where the video is , it’s not worth watching, one of these days I’ll have enough Quatloos to purchase a better faster system , until then , i’ll have to enjoy what i can thats available on you tube .
#6. John, check out http://pendantaudio.com/defiant.php#episodes
There are currently 21 productions out on episodes based on adventures of the U.S.S. Defiant. The era is post Captain Sisko becoming a prophet, with mentions of Colonel Kira in charge of DS9.
The fan films are a great (ahem) enterprise, and I’m pleased to see them recognized. I made a fan film back in 1989, just for grins and with zero budget, and believe me it’s a complete embarrassment compared to what can be done today!
i thought the worl enough and time was an amazing episode very emotional well deserved respect to the guys who make these episodes loved it its one of my all time fav star trek episodes including the real ones !!
http://sfwa.org/awards/faqsmaam.htm
That website is the FAQs of the Nebula awards. Here’s a quote, “Sometimes the rules are ambiguous—such as, for example, the requirement that a dramatic script be “professionally” produced. What does “professionally produced” mean? The rules don’t say. We may be called upon to decide, but we can’t give you any advice on it until we see the final product.”
Sounds like the people who make the rules, make the call, and they did, so people need to think about something else.
It is nice to see the fan productions get better with time. They started about 40 percent as good as what the studios made, but are about up to 80 percent and only getting better. One could see tangable improvements with each release, and one expects that these productions will eventually surpass the profesional ones.
Major props to the folks at Starship Exeter, who, with an incomplete story, managed to pull me in more than New Voyages ever did..with full blown episodes.
Looking forward to the report on the audio plays as well.
– Hey..i see green babes….!!!
26 what !!!!
17….I doubt you will see much info on exeter on this site. For some reason they seem to fall through the cracks on this site.
26–interesting, since I find that incomplete stories are a complete turnoff. I’ve read enough incomplete fan fics that I refuse to even bother with Exeter. When they finish their episode, I’ll watch it. I remembered the first one was decent–not even close to WEAT quality, but not bad. But until they actually finish something else, it’s not worth my time. I’m not even watching OGAM for the same reason, and obviously that is a much higher level than anything Exeter could do.
I enjoy these guys, like ’em or lump ’em. Plus, I’ve emailed a few, and they’re friendly folks.
Anthony- Great pics, especially Chase in her hot-tamale green girl getup. Enterprise effects look state-of-the-art – so cool to know the fans are masterfully pursuing depiction of our beloved universe.
oh yeah.. well… the Phase II folks are friendly too, so there! Have the Exeter folks ever been at DragonCon and shaken my hand? No. SO…NYAH!
j/k!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ll check out the Exeter work. I’m not one for saying that there is too much fan support for Trek in the universe–ever!
actually, wouldn’t she be a hot tomatillo green girl? :-D
OGAM..so far, was a contrived mess. New Voyages is really hard to sit through, because of the lost potential. So much is so right and yet so much is so very wrong. Exeter rocks, the whole story and setting and style drips TOS. Havent watched any of the new era stuff, doesn’t really interest me.
Not so much a “production” but every bit as enjoyable, are the fan created TAS comics online. Those are always a fun read.
34
Yes. That would be more correct. And I’m married to one. I should know.
arrrr…
I was confused and frightened by the first part of Of Gods And men…
but I support tha effort and I’ll be back to see the second…
With such a proliferation of tha wee fans making these wee films, I would think there’d be enough Trek around ta drown a dreadnaught full o’ rats… so why be concerned about tha new Paramount film at all? harrr
Like ice cream and beef dishes, thar be enough flavors of Trek for anyone’s tastes… maybe one brilliant company could create an anti-canon version?
Ya know, really change everything…
As far TOS re-mastered- Abandon ship!
They be going all knackered with ships on strings and firecrackers fur next week’s “updated’ deffects…
arrrr….
Once again Exeter gets the Gingerkid treatment. I believe it is the best and most orignal fan production and when the last episode came out there was not even a mention of it here. Excuses were thrown around about the riduculous wait between episodes but what about the riduculous wait between Gods and Men’s parts?? Of all the fan productions Exeter would best translate to an actual tv show. I could see it on Sci-Fi once a month with some more polish. Hell even cheerful, Mr. Happyface Dennis Bailey is part of the production and he is our most beloved button pusher !!!!
Tressurian Intersection still has one of the coolest Trek moments period when they beam down and find the shattered remains of the Kongo over the landscape. F-ing cool!!
After reading about these fan movies, I gave Phase II a shot. I watched To Serve All My Days, and I must say, it upset me. If this is supposed to bridge the gap between the series and the first movie, why kill off Chekov? I’m not a “It must be cannon” freak, but the ending of that episode really bothered me. The effects looked okay, but the massive forehead on the guy who played Spock looks a little silly. And seeing the preview that George Takei almost made me wonder just how much they’re paying him to act silly in a barbarian costume. I’ll admit I haven’t watched it yet, but it was a definite turn off. As for Chase Masterson–she can be my Orion slave girl any day!
honestly, these are nothing but fan boy circle jerks. HORRIBLE acting & pacing. I gotta give em credit for awesome set re-creation but thats as far as it goes. I cant bare to watch any of these (and I love Trek but..)
From what ive seen of Exeter, its not bad. I think that Paramount is missing a golden opportunity with some of these fan produced series. They could make themselves additional revenue, I presume that the cost for these fan produced series is far less then say a tradition trek episode, What Paramount out to do is allow these fan fan produced episodes to be released on to dvds and sold, the studio would get some of the proceeds and the to the people producing the episodes would get some as well. it would enable these fan produced series to become, Well, self financing. then they could sell the broadcasting rights to a channel like the Scif channel, which would provide additional revenue to both parties The added revenue would also allow for better productions as well, The overall cost of production would also be less i presume. Giving these productions studio sanctioning could also remove some of the writers guilds objections. it just a thought, thats all.
#39 –
To serve all my days ended how Walter wanted it to end…it was an artistic piece.
World Enough and Time is a masterpiece. Watch it. The preview doesn’t do it any justice.
I have nothing against the fan films. My objections were specific to the Nebulas and the rules laid down for what qualified for Best Script. Just because professionals worked on it doesn’t make it a professional production. If Kobe Bryant plays a pickup game on the streets of Los Angeles and brings his teammates, that doesn’t make it an NBA game. (For that matter, if I write a piece of fanfiction, it’s still fanfiction.)
I haven’t seen but a few minutes of “World Enough and Time” — I got fed up with it pausing to rebuffer every few minutes — but Marc Scott Zicree has generously sent me a DVD (which should be in my PO box by now), and I intend to watch it and judge it on its own merits.
World Enough and Time is a great story with a powerful meaning message. It is not how long you live, but how you live.
#43 Keith Hello your objections are valid, would studio sanctioning of these production satisfy those objections? Im not saying that this ever happen.
re: Exeter. Just watched the teaser of The Tressaurian Intersection.
uh… WOW, that looks good. Must watch more.
The folks doing Exeter are far and away the best at this from what I have seen. They make take a bit longer than Cawley and his folks and that is too bad but the Exeter to my perceptions captures TOS perfectly. So ipso facto its the best.
That should read may not make.
And since I wouldn’t want to make a post just to correct a typo and soothe my feeble ego…
Exeter is the best as I said above. But I do want to give Cawley and the folks behind all the others a shout out for having the energy, drive, and wherewithal to make these things.
And I would like to add my support for the TAS online comic as well.
And I also look forward to the audio plays info.
I may even be able to get involved with projects more on the scale of the comics and audios. :)
JMN
is it just me or does their cgi 1701 look better than the one used at cbs?
Got stick up for Exeter as well. In reference to this comment #30;
“obviously that is a much higher level than anything Exeter could do”
You might want to actually go and watch The Tressaurian Intersection before making such a definitive statement. Personally, I think TTI surpasses what we’ve seen of OGAM.