Thursday, December 31, 2015

AXANAR A "LABOR OF LOVE" (FOR A PRICE, OF COURSE)

This story references the current controversy and lawsuit surrounding the Star Trek Axanar project. You can get more info HERE.

Axanar head honcho and Donald Trump impersonator Alec Peters has posted a defense of his position on Facebook. He talks about a lot of things, but none more important than the nature of the project, itself:

"Like all fan films, AXANAR is a love letter to a beloved franchise. For nearly 50 years, Star Trek’s devotees have been creating new Star Trek stories to share with fellow fans. That’s all we’re trying to do here."

Star Trek fan creations do indeed have a long history, going back to the 70's when Star Trek first exploded during its initial syndication. Ravenous fans created "fan-zines", publications created by fans for fans. These Zines would feature all sorts of things about Star Trek, especially fan fiction – amateur writers offering up their version of new Trek stories. These were truly a labor of love, being crudely produced on typewriters and mimeo machines (ask your parents) at the expense of the creators.

Fast forward a few decades and that same spirit manifested itself in fan-created video productions. Again, these projects were truly home-made and financed quietly and behind-the-scenes by those involved.

But then, something new happened: crowd0funding. A "fan film" production called Star Trek: Renegades did a crowd-funded campaign and raised over $365,000 over a three year period. Over the past two years, the fan production Star Trek: New Voyages raised about $115,000. And neither of those entities have thus far been sued by CBS or Paramount. What those entities actually do with their money is unknown to me.

These two precedents no doubt inspired Peters to pursue his Axanar Kickstarter.
"Like other current fan films, AXANAR entered production based on a very long history and relationship between fandom and studios," Peters said. "We’re not doing anything new here."

Except that, by Peters' own admission, they ARE doing something new here. Whereas fan films are supposed to be created by volunteers and funded out of pocket by their creators, Axanar didn't do that. Instead, they asked for money – in the name of someone else's property – and made $1.1 million from crowdfunding, an unprecedented amount. And that $1.1 million wasn't about simply buying some plywood for sets and some fabric for costumes, oh no. It was about paying salaries. And, salaries equal income in the name of Star Trek. And, perhaps most notably, $1.1 million was three times the amount of the next closest project, Renegades.

Here's the "rough budget" for the first Axanar kick-starter of approximately $600,000:

$ 182,000      Sound Stage building rental (12 months & deposit 1/15 – 2/16)
$ 12,000        Warehouse rental (9/14-1/15)
$ 37,200        Construction Dept. Salaries
$ 32,000        Stage Floor
$ 12,000        Sound proofing Doors
$ 20,700        Set Construction Supplies
$ 5,000          Equipment Rental
$ 22,000        Office Renovation
$ 15,000        Make Up (Pre-Production)
$ 8,200          Vulcan Shoot
$ 59,000        Production Team salaries
$ 54,000        Construction Team salaries
$ 6,000          Insurance
$ 5,000          Crew meals
$ 18,000        Camera/editing equipment
$ 22,000        Perks (60,000 patches)
$ 2,000          Perks (CD)
$ 2,500          Legal Expenses
$ 1,500          Phone
$ 1,800          Internet
$ 2,000          Music
$ 1,500          Backerkit Fees
$ 32,000        Kickstarter Fees
$ 35,000        Amazon Payment Processing

Notice the word "salaries". Those line items account for over $150,000 that was paid to individuals. That's not love, that's commerce.
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ADDENDUM (added 1/2/16):

Apparently there was a later report that was only shared with donors. This info was posted on Trekmovie.com:

EXPENSES
Salaries
1099 $17,420.00
Alec Peters $38,166.57
Diana Kingsbury Deferred till 2016
Robert Burnett $5,000.00
Curtis Laseter $9,800.00
Salaries $48,042.31

Right there is about $100K worth of salaries with the lion's share going to Mr. Personality, himself.
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What else is different with Axanar compared to other fan films? Let's let Peters tell us himself:

“It’s not a traditional fan film, and doesn’t have those limitations with it,” he told TheWrap. “Although we fall under the fan movie, we’ve tried to make the product as good as coming out of the studio.”

And there's the lie. A fan film can't be done that's as good as something from a studio, period. But a PROFESSIONAL film can approach it. And that's what Axanar is, a professional film made by paid professionals, not by unpaid volunteers. How do we know for sure? Peters puts it right out there, himself:

"This is no fan film, this is a professional project," Peters has said. Repeatedly. He kind of writes the CBS and Paramount brief himself.

So let's not be fooled by this "love letter" crap. If there was no money to be made, there would be no project.

LLAP

Don

18 comments:

  1. You know Peters used the majority of the funds to create and build Ares Studios right? He has said they will make other films, rent the studio out to others(for a profit), and have a school also (for profit). Wasn't the monies raised to film Axanar and not to create a money generating business for Alec Peters?

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    1. I'm definitely aware of this and will be talking about this very subject in a future story. Thanks for reading!

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  2. More info from Peters books, which could be fudged either way:

    rom their own financials:
    EXPENSES
    Salaries
    1099 $17,420.00
    Alec Peters $38,166.57
    Diana Kingsbury Deferred till 2016
    Robert Burnett $5,000.00
    Curtis Laseter $9,800.00
    Salaries $48,042.31

    Kingsbury is Peters girlfriend by the way.

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    1. Thanks. While I've seen these numbers before, there was no specific attribution, without which I cannot use the information. Can you help me with that? Where were these numbers published? I thought they were released to donors only but I have no confirmation of that. Thank you!

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    2. Saw the number posted here" about 10% down the page. Also, Peters is an Actor and Producer, etc and they are all getting paid. http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=278077&page=81

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  3. Forgot to add, People do know Peters can and I am sure has, changed where money was to go, who got paid, etc. He is known for deleting things and editing his words and promises.

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    1. He is DEFINITELY known for deleting things he doesn't like and re-writing history to his own tastes. Thanks!

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  4. http://www.trek.fm/axp/36

    heck out 16:30 for about 60 seconds. Peters says why Axanar is different from another Trek fan film.

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. That's a great podcast, thanks. He goes on to brag about how an actor they wanted to use told CBS how great the Axanar script was. With a few words at a time he has sealed his own fate.

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  5. Listen to the entire interview. Peters also says "We want to be fiscally responsible with your money". Was he fiscally responsible with the dozens of individuals and companies that sued him in his bankruptcy case and never got paid?

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    1. Alec Peters' Propworx bankruptcy NEVER comes up, naturally. "Disclosure" is a foreign concept.

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  6. Peters and Robert Meyer Burnett says in the Axanar podcast:

    "You want to be professional, you have to spend money".

    "Star Trek New Voyages are all volunteers"

    Their casting director is a professional (being paid), a well known Peter Jackson actor supposedly mentioned Axanar to a CBS executive who "loved it".

    They mention another "well known" actor from a TV series who came to try out for Axanar. He has "presence" according to Peters. Peters and Burnett say everybody wants to be in Axanar

    LMAO. Sure they do.

    I am guessing all these "working and television film actors" who want to be and reportedly be in Axanar will be paid a salary. Peters keeps speaking of his amazing script. Lets see it.

    Reminds me of the cable show, "American Greed". You know, where the person in question says they have this and that yet never show the proof. Where is this completed script Peters and Burnett are raving about?

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  7. Hey Don. Do you have screengrabs of the public posts Peters made threatening and cursing at that David Gerrold guy? Peters has called him names similar to lair,loser, and more in hateful, venomous public postings in the past. Now Gerrold is part of the Axanar team.

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    1. Actually, you are referring to a different Gerrold that he was once raising hell with. FWIW, you need a score card.

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  8. Sorry, but I still don't get it - when salaries are a WELL ESTABLISHED part of non-profit endeavors and very much not considered "profit" by any legal or practical definition I've ever heard of, what's the problem? As I understand it he claims to be working 60+ hour days on the project - if so it's debatable if he is even making minimum wage! Is that a lie or are you claiming that because he's the producer (e.g. public front) of Axanar he's not allowed so much as a paper clip without him "making a profit" whereas there would be no problem if the money was paid as salaries to, say, the janitor or the sound guy or the set builders, etc.

    Sorry, but unless you can show that Mr. Peters is in fact making a lot more (and in no way justified) money off Axanar this seems like a manufactured non-issue to me. After all, you are effectively condemning the man just because he likes to eat on a regular basis and avoid having to live on the street while spending his career working on a non-profit endeavor. To use your definition of "profit" would be to declare almost all non-profit projects/businesses illegal and fraudulent at a stroke! That seems pretty absurd to me.

    Honestly, are you claiming that only independently wealthy (e.g. rich enough to not require an income to stay fed and housed) people can produce fan videos regardless of the amount of time/effort creating it may take (or that having a full-time producer/front man may be required to get the project done at all, especially in a Hollywood-like environment where day-to-day management is necessary)?

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    1. CBS told him he couldn't make money off the project. He's making money off the project. See how simple that is? You want to obfuscate on amounts. I don't have a problem with anyone making money. But NOT on other people's property! As for true non-profits (which Axanar is NOT) neither the Red Cross or PBS pays its salaries by stealing from someone else's IP. One more time: AXANAR IS NOT A NON-PROFIT. It's a burglary ring. The fact that you don't GET that tells me everything I need to know about you. You not only condone theft, you want it to be sanctioned.


      ALL fan productions at least bend the law. Axanar shatters it. CBS sent a clear message in August that was apparently to subtle for you and Mr. Peters.

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