"Fan" Films

[Startrekanmore]

Ok, what's everybody's feeling about the Star Trek fanfilms, mostly (if not all) posted on YouTube? The Two big ones being "Of Gods And Men" and "Prelude To Axanar". Next would be "Renegades".

Of what I have seen, these are the three best (although I'm no movie critic or SFX advisor).

Of course, this begs the question of CBS's paranoic overreaction (imo) and imposing of seemingly draconian (again, imo) rules for future productions of this type.

I will cite "PTA" as the best independent ST effort (again, I have not been able to view EVERYTHING out there) that I have seen. The SFX are not dazzliing ala SW, but they are very solid and done very well. The script/storyline whilst conaining references (not in-jokes) back to TOS, one does not have to be familiar with TOS to enjoy this film. I found the perfomances to be good at the very least. The two best being Richard Hatch (of BG fame) as the Klingon warlord Kharn and Tony Todd as Admiral Ramirez.

Alec Peters was very credible as Capatin Kelvar Garth and the rest of the cast was above average.


IMHO "Axanar" blows the 'kelvin timeline' and JJ Abrams' version right out of the water.



STnM

[Graham Kennedy]

They vary in quality, obviously. These days the special effects of a good fan film are getting pretty damn good, more than enough to carry me over the suspension of disbelief line. And the sets of the best fan films are pretty damn good too.

Where it tends to fall down is that acting. Fans make fan films because they want to be in them. Which is understandable, but fans are not, typically, good actors. In fact they're usually terrible.

Where fan films win out is the spirit of the thing. I'm forgiving of a lot if I feel that the people behind it are trying their best to make something good. It's why something like Star Trek Continues appeals, despite the obvious limitations of the work - they're not all that capable, but they are really trying to make the best Trek that they can, and that wins brownie points with me. It's also in stark contrast to some of the official Trek series I could name.

Personally my favourite is Star Trek Continues.

[Startrekanmore]

Maybe there should be a distinction made between "fan" films (Like "Axanar" and "OGAM") and a FAN film (amateurs doing it for the love of Trek and the egoboo it gives them).

Aside from that, you made many salient points. Where we differ is we know that the amateur films are going to be cringe worthy from virtually every standpoint except enthusiasm, but what was done with the kickstarter/indegogo provided for more professionalism. I cannot and will not deny the love of Trek that the amateurs have. Maybe if I could get by the cringing, I might appreciate the lesser fan films more. But admittedly, I have not seen them all.

And now the 64 cent question, where does Axanar, OGAM, Renegades, etc fall as far as inclusion on this site? And a future poll question? What, if any of these should be considered 'canon' for the ST universe?



STnM

[Graham Kennedy]

They're not included on the DITL site at all. Nor are they likely to be. These days, DITL doesn't even cover all the official canonical series. Which, by the way, thanks awfully for that CBS. You bastards.

[Startrekanmore]

Just as a quick update: Ares studios (Axanar), having reached a settlement in the IP infringement suit by c{the}bs, has started offical preproduction. Axanar has been scaled down to, complying with the draconian settlement of the lawsuit, 2 15-minute segments and presumably released later in 2019.

[Griffin]

Are those the arseholes who built a film studio on the back of a franchise they don't own but sued hobbyist modellers or got them targeted for C&D for selling garage kits of the ships from it? Even letting them do two 15 minute segments is too good for them I say.

[bladela]

Are those the arseholes who built a film studio on the back of a franchise they don't own but sued hobbyist modellers or got them targeted for C&D for selling garage kits of the ships from it? Even letting them do two 15 minute segments is too good for them I say.

sued hobbyìst? when?
i didn't know...