The team from Prelude to Axanar, a Trek fan film that raised over $100k on its Kickstarter just this March, has released its first teaser trailer. The film boasts an impressive cast and crew, including Richard Hatch, Michael Hogan, JG Hertzler, and Gary Graham (reprising his role as Vulcan ambassador Soval). The visual effects artist, Tobias Richter, really shows his chops in this nearly three minute trailer. The graphics and cinematography are impressive; can the full length film live up to the trailer? Check it out below and tell us what you think in the comments.
Prelude to Axanar
Prelude tells the story of the Battle of Axanar, from the point of view of the men and women who served in it, on all sides.
PRELUDE TO AXANAR is a transmission from Memory Alpha and the Federation Historical Society recounting the famous Battle of Axanar, the decisive victory won by Captain Garth of Izar, bringing the Four Years War to a conclusion and the first tenuous peace between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire. This special details accounts from the actual participants who were there, fighting, and changed the face of the Alpha Quadrant forever.
This trailer just the beginning
This teaser trailer, only three minutes long, is the first to be released. Soon, the team will be releasing the full five minute trailer. The short film itself, which is 20 minutes long, will premier at this year’s San Diego Comicon. This July, the team will run another Kickstarter campaign to fund the full feature, which is poised to begin production (budget allowing) this Fall.
“This is the first trailer we will release for Prelude to Axanar. We have one that is twice as long we will release later this month,”
says Alec Peters, who plays a member of Starfleet in the film (and even helped design the Axanar Starfleet tunics!).
You’ve got to admire the effort!
Amazing. Professional. Glorious.
This is the best looking Trek trailer that I’ve seen. I’m excited to see the finished movie!
Make sure you watch in full HD!
This looks so professional, I’d expect to see it on the big screen.
Prelude to Axanar looks incredible and looks like it will blend in perfectly with Star Trek canon. I’m excited to see the movie, and looking forward to Axanar!
Ye gods and little fishes that is awesome. It is always good to see Trek done with a different form of story telling. The bar has been raised and there is a new gold standard by witch Star Trek Fan films are going to be judged.
Can’t wait for the 2nd trailer Alec. Standing by…
Feel like a addict waiting for my next fix for the trek drug….
This is the most amazing thing to happen in Independent ‘Fan’ Films….ever.This is the trailer for Prelude to Axanar….which will be followed by Star Trek: Axanar. This is a new standard of “fan film” that makes CBS/Paramount and Abrams/Orci/Kurtzman hang their collective heads in shame. Real true-to-canon Star Trek with big studio production values. Alec Peters producing, Christian Gossett directing, Tobias Richter effects. This is the story of legendary Fleet Captain Garth of Izar, Kirk’s hero and the Battle of Axanar, which turned the tide in the Federation’s war with the Klingon Empire. Some big names have joined this production. Tony Todd as Admiral Ramirez, Richard Hatch as Klingon General Kharn, Gary Graham as Vulcan Ambassador Soval, Kate Vernon as Captain Sonya Alexander, JG Hertzler as Captain Samuel Travis, Michael Hogan as Captain Robert April, first captain of the brand-new USS Enterprise, and Alec Peters as Garth. This is REAL Star Trek….the way it was meant to be.
Makes me want more Star Trek TOS era on TV – right now! This is a beautiful work of love!
WOW, awesome. This deserves a trilogy
Star trek : prelude to Axanar
Star Trek : flags of our fathers.
Star Trek: letters from Qo’nos
This is what a Star Trek movie should look like. I can not WAIT to see the final product
YES… Watch this in HD! So proud to be a part of this project!
Now that is Star Trek! Cannot wait to see the final product.
Can’t wait to see more. Loved the look of the battle scenes plus all of the cgi used for some of the sets too.
The cast and crew that are making this movie are awesome! Can not wait until this and the feature film is released!
This was insanely impressive. For anyone wondering, this is just the trailer to the upcoming “Prelude to Axanar”, a short film shot in documentary format, leading up to the events that will be depicted in Star Trek: Axanar, the feature length. Either way, I was blown away by how amazing this looks, storyline as well as effects.
Kayla, you’re the best!
Dang that I have to wait until I get home. They frown on my watching Trek at work.
Great movie. I’m glad I could be a part of the Kickstarter campaign.
No observations, other then that you can see the Bad Robot influence…the JJ haters are not likely to be pleased.
This preview was excellent. New blood with better idea’s executed
in a remarkable fashion. I wish some studio other then Paramount
would finally take over this franchise to give it the new direction its
sorely needs. Efforts like this deserve a decent budget for even a
wider scope. This could possibly reach the grandness of Star Wars.
$100,000.00 and all the team can put together is a 20 minute short? If a fan film can’t at least get an hour long episode “in the can” with that kind of budget, something is wrong.
Awesome looking trailer! I really like the storytelling style. Can’t wait to see more.
@#10 – $100,000 is almost nothing for a fan film of this quality. Lots of talent attached, highest quality special effects and filming. I see nothing wrong so far. I hope they get more and keep going.
Impressive. They can make ..a trailer.
VERY impressive!!!
Well done, Axanar!
I’m sure you’re going to surprise everyone!
Is it wrong to love a trailer?
My friends, I am in love.
Wow! Fans made this? Amazing.
I can’t say enough about how much I love the trailer – can’t wait for Prelude to be released, and then the full feature! Awesome work, a job well done by everyone in front of and behind the cameras!
I am getting the same feeling I’m getting in the prelude to “Star Trek: Enterprise.” I had such high hopes for “Enterprise,” I was delirious. This is the kind of buzz that I think the world deserves.
If only CBS would air this as a commercial…. They would have a hit on their hands, should they back it with the financing it well and truly deserves.
CBS, if you don’t read this board, you’re fairly dumb. And if you do, and fail to air this trailer as a freebie — even as a one-off, then I don’t know what to say. Stop hedging your corporate bets, and take a chance on the future.
After all, that’s all we’ve got.
My friends at the Axanar production company, I don’t know you. I have never met you. But I feel I know you. And please feel free to use my comments to promote this effort. You have restored part of my faith in humanity.
Live long and prosper.
What a refreshing surprise, another fan made war driven Star Trek film..just what we needed.
How many of these are there now? Not counting the Star Trek Online war games?
And fans call JJ’s Trek his Star Wars test reels…LOL
At least there’s continuity in thinking even when the true fans say there isn’t.
Real Star Trek is dead.
We will not see the likes of it ever again. The down fall started with TNG and is completed here amoung the fans.
This is the trailer to the short film “Prelude to Axanar”. That means the full 20-25 minute short is coming. And we only got $80,000 of the $100,000, which if you read our Kickstarter we clearly explain. And yes, a fan film can do it for a lot less. But we aren’t a fan film.
The film was all shot by professionals, in front and behind the camera. And when you use shoot in a professional sound stage and not a warehouse, and you have to fund and organize a full professional shoot, and use TWO Red cameras with professional cast, then doing it for $ 70,000 (the final budget) is pretty damn good.
Holy crap, is that Tony Todd?? And wow. SFX look great [to me] and I look forward to the story. I LOVED SEEING A FEMALE CAPTAIN!!!
Good luck Axanar. I look forward to seeing the movie.
There’s some REAL mean basement dwellers here, Alec. You don’t need to defend yourself – certainly not to those guys.
This is a fantastic trailer. The only thing that takes me out of these fan films (apart from Phase II and Continues) is the use of computer / MIDI soundtracks. If it were possible to use the orchestral soundtracks from previous shows and films it would add to the effect that much more.
Just watched.
Nice trailer. just nice.
It seemed to have alot of shots that could make up a great trailer. The professional level of acting is a boost to the production. Sadly, this trailer seemed to be missing the mark all the way through. I was not sure what I was watching. The production quality seemed impressive, but what I think it needs is a re-edit showcasing more of the story.
Should’nt you all just abandon Trek and go with a completely new sci-fi brand? Hell, look. You all went through this much trouble to make a fan based Star Trek series. I say kudos, but I would consider trying to make something original next time, so that you can make a profit.
This is the trailer for Prelude to Axanar….which will be followed by Star Trek: Axanar. This is a new standard of independent “fan film” true to Gene Roddenberry’s vision. Real true-to-canon Star Trek with big studio production values. Alec Peters producing, Christian Gossett directing, Tobias Richter effects. This is the story of legendary Fleet Captain Garth of Izar, Kirk’s hero and the Battle of Axanar, which turned the tide in the Federation’s war with the Klingon Empire. Some big names have joined this production. Tony Todd as Admiral Ramirez, Richard Hatch as Klingon General Kharn, Gary Graham as Vulcan Ambassador Soval, Kate Vernon as Captain Sonya Alexander, JG Hertzler as Captain Samuel Travis, Michael Hogan as Captain Robert April, first captain of the brand-new USS Enterprise, and Alec Peters as Garth.
11. MagicDan
2nd that.
25. TrekMadeMeWonder
Wrong post. I meant to praise #10. Spock’s Bangs comment.
2nd that!
The trailer has me excited, and I’m really looking forward to the finished works, both Prelude and the Axanar movie itself.
Remember that the Four Years’ War, and Captain Garth’s decisive victory at Axanar, are a part of TOS canon (Whom Gods Destroy). It’s a story that fans have been wanting to see for a long time. Some of the best character-driven stories are war stories, as long as the war is merely the setting, and not the entire point.
And for those complaining about the budget, I’m pretty sure that the big studios blow more than 100 grand just on wardrobe. :P
TrekMadeMeWonder – you obviously did not get the basic idea. There is no “story” in the short movie. It is supposed to be a war documentary. And I think it hits it right in the middle for that purpose. To tell Robert Burnett to do a reedit – wow.
Wow that looks great, can’t wait to see the finished product.
Kate Vernon and especially Tony Todd’s performance at the end gave me chills! Looking forward to this one!
Is that Erin Gray too??
@24,
The passion for this production was to tell the story of Garth of Izar, who is considered by many to have been one of the paragons against which all other captains must measure up to. Kirk actually said Garth was one of his hero’s. So, this is a missing chapter in the Trek Universe that many people over the years have expressed a desire to learn more about.
Have a good one sir!
Wow looks good! Why can’t the main tv channels pick this up? This could be the basis for a gritty science fiction series that might just appeal to a wider audience other than trekkers. Look forward to seeing more of this.
Gives me chills. Love it. Cannot wait to see the full finished product. TREK LIVES!
#10: So in other words, you know NOTHING about budgets, Hollywood salaries, special effects costs, etc. Got it.
TRULY impressive work, here. Some big-time players give this production major sci-fi cred from the get-go (seriously… JG Hertzler? Tony Todd? Kate Vernon? AND Gary Graham? Hard to top that lineup!), and those absolutely gorgeous special FX (by no less than the amazing Tobias Richter)?! Whoa. Definitely not “fan-film” caliber; this actually deserves the title “independent film”!
Not sure what decade (century, more like it), those grousing about the budget are still living in, but knowing what everything else costs in 2014, I’m mightily impressed a twenty-minute film that looks as fabulous as this trailer does can actually be made for a mere $80k. The good stuff in life doesn’t come cheaply, y’all… but it’s worth it. Can’t wait to see the whole short film! :)
This project has attracted so many professional movie people, it’s not suprising the great results they’re getting. l Love It!