Which fan films are worth seeing?

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

I was sifting through fan films on Wikipedia. Of Gods and Men and Renegades both seem professional and worth seeing. Everything else seems like TOS cosplay and fans on green screens. Is anything else worth seeing, or just these two? Also, what's this I read about Axanar and no more fan films?

 

[Kor]

The Axanar thing is very old news. You can read all the dirt in this thread: https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/cbs-paramount-sues-to-stop-axanar.278077/

To oversimplify everything, Axanar made a big mess, and CBS came up with a set of guidelines for fan films. The guidelines are on the official Star Trek site, here: https://www.startrek.com/fan-films

Kor

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

The Axanar thing is very old news. You can read all the dirt in this thread: https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/cbs-paramount-sues-to-stop-axanar.278077/

To oversimplify everything, Axanar made a big mess, and CBS came up with a set of guidelines for fan films. The guidelines are on the official Star Trek site, here: https://www.startrek.com/fan-films

Kor

It is not "very old news" to me. I am not reading 1,703-page discussion. Can you give a direct and concise explanation? Why is there a laundry list of rules for fan films?

1. The fan production must be less than 15 minutes for a single self-contained story, or no more than 2 segments, episodes or parts, not to exceed 30 minutes total, with no additional seasons, episodes, parts, sequels or remakes.

I stopped reading after this, because this effectively kills any real point in making a fan film. Some greedy fans F'd around, and the studio said no more fan films, more or less?

 

[SithHappens]

It's been a while since I watched it but world enough and time was a good watch.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

Star Trek: New Voyages? What is the appeal of fans trying to make new TOS episodes with 1960's asthetics?

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

No one else is doing it.

 

[SithHappens]

It was produced when there was a lack of Star Trek in movies or TV. Continues is good too.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

It was produced when there was a lack of Star Trek in movies or TV. Continues is good too.

The first two episodes came out while Enterprise was still going on UPN. Can understand making original content like Renegades, but I don't get the TOS-themed ones. The show ended in 1969, why emulate that in the 00's?

 

[SithHappens]

The first two episodes came out while Enterprise was still going on UPN. Can understand making original content like Renegades, but I don't get the TOS-themed ones. The show ended in 1969, why emulate that in the 00's?

as Kirk would say..'it was fun'

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

People have always had a interesting in recreating the style of older eras and things, especially things they love. It's often cheaper and easier for amateurs to mimic an older TV or video game than to attempt a project that professionals would put together for millions.

The creator might consider it a challenge to see how close they can get to the classic look, or they could be fulfilling a dream to be part of an original style episode (with themselves as the captain), or they could want more classic Star Trek in the world. I mean, I think most TOS fans would agree that the worst thing about the series is that it ended in 1969.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

People have always had a interesting in recreating the style of older eras and things, especially things they love. It's often cheaper and easier for amateurs to mimic an older TV or video game than to attempt a project that professionals would put together for millions.

The creator might consider it a challenge to see how close they can get to the classic look, or they could be fulfilling a dream to be part of an original style episode (with themselves as the captain), or they could want more classic Star Trek in the world. I mean, I think most TOS fans would agree that the worst thing about the series is that it ended in 1969.

I'm not suggesting it be "high budget" by any means. Just come up with new characters and a new ship. Making it "TOS" wouldn't bother me in the least if it was another Constitution-class ship, or some other ship design from TOS era. I just don't get trying to play Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and everyone. As the ones "making" the fan film, probably tones of fun, I bet. For me the viewer, I'm like... no. LOL

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

Yeah, I have to be honest, I gave a few episodes a try and found that they weren't for me. Which wasn't a huge surprise as I'm not really into fan fiction either.

I really admire all the work they put into recreating the sets and the costumes though. When they're good enough to open up as an official licenced set tour, you know those guys did their job right.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I love Of Gods and Men. It's like if Syfy got the rights to Trek during their mockbuster phase. Full of heart and always makes me smile.

Pacific 201 looks great, but the story goes nowhere.

Yorktown: A Time to Heal is as 70's a vibe as you're gonna get.

Exeter: The Tressurian Intersection is excellent.

Star Trek Continues was great, but the project lead being an unrepentant sex pest has tainted it. Axanar was and is an incompetently run money making scam. Anyone with any talent left after Prelude, and there's a reason Alec Peters owes CBS $300,000+.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

I love Of Gods and Men. It's like if Syfy got the rights to Trek during their mockbuster phase. Full of heart and always makes me smile.

Pacific 201 looks great, but the story goes nowhere.

Yorktown: A Time to Heal is as 70's a vibe as you're gonna get.

Exeter: The Tressurian Intersection is excellent.

Star Trek Continues was great, but the project lead being an unrepentant sex pest has tainted it. Axanar was and is an incompetently run money making scam. Anyone with any talent left after Prelude, and there's a reason Alec Peters owes CBS $300,000+.

Of Gods and Men and Renegades have my eye, because they are original stories and tried to do something new and different. Have you seen both?

 

[drt]

I love Of Gods and Men. It's like if Syfy got the rights to Trek during their mockbuster phase. Full of heart and always makes me smile.

Heh that's a good way to think of it. My only issue with "Of Gods and Men" is they maybe should have only used like 2-3 Trek alumni actors, there were so many slumming in that thing it got distracting.

If you like TOS, Star Trek Continues is worth a watch, I think it captured the TOS feel pretty well, even though it definitely has a bit of TNG flavoring. New Voyages is a bit more hit or miss, but there are a couple of standout episodes.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

Heh that's a good way to think of it. My only issue with "Of Gods and Men" is they maybe should have only used like 2-3 Trek alumni actors, there were so many slumming in that thing it got distracting.

If you like TOS, Star Trek Continues is worth a watch, I think it captured the TOS feel pretty well, even though it definitely has a bit of TNG flavoring. New Voyages is a bit more hit or miss, but there are a couple of standout episodes.

I'm watching TOS for the first time in many years and realizing I've forgotten most episodes, having only seen them once or twice to begin with. I'd rather just watch the actual show. The fan films I am interested in are ones that follow an original ship and crew, like Of Gods and Men and Renegades. Is there a lot of stuff like that that's actually good?

 

[Firebird]

Star Trek Continues was great, but the project lead being an unrepentant sex pest has tainted it.

It really bums me the fuck out that Vic has permanently cast a shadow over Continues. I recently went back to rewatch it and it's still engaging, but you just can't get past the fact the man at the center of it all is a terrible person.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

It really bums me the fuck out that Vic has permanently cast a shadow over Continues. I recently went back to rewatch it and it's still engaging, but you just can't get past the fact the man at the center of it all is a terrible person.

Vic?

 

[CorporalCaptain]

My list of the best of the best.

Starship Exeter "The Tressaurian Intersection." Scripted by BBS denizen Dennis Bailey, you can blame this project for drawing me into posting on Star Trek message boards at all. Watching it as it was released was, for me, a life-changing experience.

Star Trek: New Voyages "To Serve All My Days," scripted by D.C. Fontana. I'm probably in the minority, but I like this one much better than "World Enough and Time." The twist ending is shocking and truly inspired.

Both episodes of Star Trek: Aurora by Tim Vining. These are outstanding.

The TAS-style shorts for "The Best of Both Worlds" and "Threshold" by Gazelle Automations.

Yorktown: A Time to Heal. This is an unusual project of historical significance, successfully completed with impressive results.

This isn't to say that I don't think other efforts aren't also good. For example, I've enjoyed many episodes of Farragut, Intrepid, and Potemkin. The level of drama in the teaser of Star Trek: Intrepid "Heavy Lies the Crown" is especially worth mention, as it packs a dramatic punch that is more powerful than the teasers of most canon episodes. Star Trek Continues had amazing production values, but I never thought its stories were on the same level as that of their other strengths. YMMV.

No doubt I've overlooked something, so suffice it to say, this list is incomplete.

Edited to include mention of Commanders of Starfleet and Defenders of the Federation, both brilliant. Of course there was something that I had overlooked!

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

My list of the best of the best.

Starship Exeter "The Tressaurian Intersection." Scripted by BBS denizen Dennis Bailey, you can blame this project for drawing me into posting on Star Trek message boards at all. Watching it as it was released was, for me, a life-changing experience.

Star Trek: New Voyages "To Serve All My Days," scripted by D.C. Fontana. I'm probably in the minority, but I like this one much better than "World Enough and Time." The twist ending is shocking and truly inspired.

Both episodes of Star Trek: Aurora by Tim Vining. These are outstanding.

The TAS-style shorts for "The Best of Both Worlds" and "Threshold" by Gazelle Automations.

Yorktown: A Time to Heal. This is an unusual project of historical significance, successfully completed with impressive results.

This isn't to say that I don't think other efforts aren't also good. For example, I've enjoyed many episodes of Farragut, Intrepid, and Potemkin. The level of drama in the teaser of Star Trek: Intrepid "Heavy Lies the Crown" is especially worth mention, as it packs a dramatic punch that is more powerful than the teasers of most canon episodes. Star Trek Continues had amazing production values, but I never thought its stories were on the same level as that of their other strengths. YMMV.

No doubt I've overlooked something, so suffice it to say, this list is incomplete.

You seem to really know your Trek fan-films. Would you mind typing up a list separated into two groups, series and films? You've mentioned stuff not on Wikipedia.