The Success of Our Time: Axanar Powers On

Are we heading into a new golden age of Star Trek spurred on by fans and their passion for the subject?

From our perspective it seems like it after the first Star Trek: Axanar Kickstarter campaign closed last weekend smashing it's $100,000 target and reaching $638,471 by close of play on Sunday 24th August. The highest stretch goal they had accounted for was at $400,000 so this was massively unexpected and incredibly $200,000 was added in the last 24 hours after one George Takei promoted the film and showed his support for the project.

But what is it about this independent Star Trek production which has inspired not just fans and backers but members of the show's various casts to not only promote Axanar but want to be in it as well? What is it that has made this the Star Trek film every fan this side of the Bajoran Wormhole is talking about?

Axanar

"I first saw mention of the Axanar project on Doug Drexler’s Facebook page. I can’t recall if he posted or commented, but the reference was to Tobias Richter doing some design work for a pre-TOS project." said friend of SKoST and franchise fan, Dan Foster; "I went to their Facebook and have been watching closely ever since. I was really impressed early on with references to the FASA game timeline (which was really the game that pushed me over the edge from “casual fan” to “Trekkie Acolyte”) and that Richter would be borrowing some influence from the Alternate Original Series (AOS) timeline, popularly known as the JJVerse."

For Dan though, what's drawn him in and might be the same for many fans is the work of that graphic designer: "I think Mr. Richter did an incredible job taking the best of the two design philosophies.  I am a sucker for “nacelle porn” and he was really delivering.  Then they started talked about the Prelude film and cast and I realized this was more than just a fun fan production; this was the next step in Star Trek’s evolution."

Axanar

Interesting points there because those designs by Richter are simply spectacular and have taken the outer space experience to another level that makes CGI from the latter Star Trek series look amateur on occasion. Having Richter among those involved steps up the game for Axanar and shows they are 110% serious about delivering the ultimate Star Trek experience that fans want.

"I am a fan of the Abrams films," continued Dan,  "- we can have that discussion another time - but have watched the available technology available to any fandom reach a point where the studios are no longer really necessary for new features.  If a show was cancelled too soon, OK.  That show’s fandom can now take it a run with it.  I know Star Trek isn't dead (the box office on the last two movies proves that) but since Star Trek has always lent itself toward alternate versions or histories or different takes on canon, it is a great platform to showcase the professional level fan production.  Axanar seems to be doing just that.

In the end, I will pay for good entertainment.  I go to movies, buy videos; now instead of a movie ticket I just give to Kickstarter.  I can live with my money going there rather than CBS or Paramount (though I wonder how long those companies will be comfortable with it) and Paramount never sent me a cool uniform patch for buying a ticket!"

Can't argue with any of that at all. It seems to be the way forward. We hear a lot more about great series, films and more finding their audience before they even get made through the power of these funding campaigns - if you can't raise it, no-one wants to see it. Fans can keep projects alive and series going by having them funded and put elsewhere. Ripper Street in the UK is a good example - axed by the BBC and picked up by Netflix; Renegades from Tim Russ and co is also crowd-funded and looking for a web-series after the pilot if it's a success. Would Firefly have continued for instance if Kickstarter or Netflix had existed back in the day?

Anyway - the crucial thing with Axanar is that it's returning Star Trek to the fans and back to its origins that have also welcomed series Phase II and Continues to name but two.

And what about why fans have given their cash so freely to the project? Is it because of that? "I think some is a nostalgia for the pre-JJ days," continued Dan, "but I also think the obvious care and passion the producers of Axanar have for this project is what sways a lot of people. We like to support people who enjoy what we do, and as much as I defend the Abrams movies, he is the guy who said in interviews he wasn't a fan."

Aaron Gallo from the Starfleet Escape Podcast, who interviewed Alec Peters early on before Prelude had been filmed, thinks it might be down to the exec producer as to why Axanar has been a killer success with fans; "I think a lot of it has to do with the enthusiasm of Alec Peters. The way he pitches the story to the world makes you think, "Hey this could be something great." I think it will borrow a lot of the grit from the Dominion Wars and add a sense of realism to the battles that we have not seen before in Star Trek. There seems to be dedication to keeping this in line with what is canon in the "prime" universe which I think fans care about."

Aaron and the Podcast team recently discussed the Prelude and were clearly blown away as we all were - even suggesting a campaign of #archerforaxanar via Twitter - which makes sense seeing as the former NX-01 captain was present at the launch of NCC-1701.

"Fans have been saturated with crowd funded projects recently." said Aaron; "I myself never imagined fans would raise the amount of funds that they have in the past year. Is that sustainable? I honestly do not know. Axanar might be special in the fact that they produced a quality 20 minute feature that gave fans a taste of something they've never seen in the realm of independent Star Trek productions. Would another Kickstarter campaign from Axanar reach the same levels that this one has? I don't know. I find it hard to see that happening without a second short production being produced in the interim to entice new donors to the table."

Axanar

And there Aaron has hit the nail on the head - Phase II and Continues as well as Brit Star Trek project Ambush have done very well from crowd-funding (and there are a lot that have failed) but it's been near impossible to get away (not that we want to) from Axanar. The campaign has been spectacular and the transparency of how the money will be used has been exceptional from the off. The recently concluded first fundraiser raised almost double it's top stretch goal and seeing if this is sustainable to the end is going to be well worth the wait. I think Axanar will make the grade because fans want to invest in it. Prelude showed what could be achieved on a fraction of the budget and still be a unique and professional production. It made us believe to a point where even we donated to the cause which never happens.

For me the detail that we know about the background of Axanar is key to fans buy in as they understand what the aims of the project are coupled with some brilliant perks for those willing to part with their cash. At the end though there was one massive hand that helped push the funds to another level as exec producer Alec Peters adds; "Without a doubt, the two posts by George Takei on his Facebook page, and his Tweet, gave us a huge boost on the last day. We owe him a huge debt of gratitude."

Not that it needed a big boost but having the social media powerhouse of Takei behind them can't be a bad thing. There again is another winning factor - the Axanar team have created something that people directly linked to the franchise's 50 year history are proud to discuss and shout about - it's that good. So good that even as we roll towards the time to get sets built and film the adventure, even more names are getting linked to the production.

And how about a word from the latest addition to the Axanar cast who will be playing the role of a Klingon commander? None other than one of the most accommodating actors we've had the pleasure to chat to, a man who was intrigued by the chance to play a member of the classic warrior race; Garrett "Harry Kim" Wang; "I think it is a climate of hope for new Trek television content. It's been 9 yrs [and] I think it's the choice of actors like JG Hertzler finally playing a human character; my playing Klingon for the very first time..."

He's not wrong - and we've still to see Michael Hogan in front of the screen to add to the Roll of Honour that makes up the exceptional cast. For every cast and production there has to be someone conducting that orchestra so to speak and in this instance it's Christian Gossett.

Taking a few moments from his busy schedule, Christian also shared his thoughts on why Axanar has gone from strength to strength: "First you have Alec, for whom this is a do or die project of love and vision. Secondly, there is Alec's choice of director and writing partner(!)"

While that point might have been made with tongue firmly in cheek, Christian is a key element in the whole process, bringing Alec's vision to the screen and making sure it holds true to the page. In fact the director's perspective here is really interesting, looking more about how the team has worked behind the camera to bring this production to life - a team of stellar talent who truly believe in Axanar and have decades of experience between them.

"I'd have to say that the professional network of co-producer Jhennifer Webberley was absolutely critical to our success. Thanks to her we brought on Carter Smith, a veteran camera professional to assemble a world class camera, lighting and electric team. This alone put us on par with world class productions. It also allowed us to take full advantage of the incredible cast we had. Actors are very important to me, and I wanted them shot right, made up right, taken care of correctly, to be involved in the making of their characters and dialogue. This was possible because of Jhennifer and Carter, both veterans of the industry.

The next element for me is director of photography Milton Santiago, who sculpted the light so beautifully on the faces of our actors and gave us a look that matched the unique and incomparable 3D action of Tobias Richter, without whom everything Alec and I dreamed of becomes much more difficult if not impossible."

Richter has had a massive impact on the imagery of the project as noted already. His creations are not only iconic but an essential part of the Axanar experience. "I'll give Alec the lion's share of the credit here as he approached Tobias and earned his interest. Every time I think of Tobias, I breathe a sigh of gratitude and relief. His love for Star Trek is expressed in his work and his work is, I will repeat, incomparable."

On that note we just can't wait - the more we do though, the more calibre actors we see added to the impressive "Who's Who" line up. As we noted, the perks for supporting are amazing - posters, t-shirts, fleet patches, scripts, (and for the more financially stable) set visits and production credits. A donor store is due to open soon if you've missed anything from the earlier campaigns that might have tempted you to open the wallet. Star Trek: Axanar is a force to be reckoned with and that's not to question because 8,548 backers can't be wrong. Set construction is now funded and as well as donors getting a nice Andorian patch extra, the team can modify their warehouse for the film and pay pre-production costs. I would also suspect the additional funds over that total will be well-used to make the final film even more stunning and well-produced. We're in for the long haul and wish every success to the team.

Why do you think Axanar has been such a runaway fundraising success? Have we got it right? Why not comment below...

Thanks also to all those who contributed to this article!

You can view the brilliant Prelude to Axanar via the official site NOW

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Arcanis, Inverness... AXANAR

In 2004 Phase II arrived and Star Trek's future in the hands of its faithful and resourceful fans seemed to be looking good. 

Shows such as Farragut,  Exeter and most recently Continues have pushed the envelope and challenged what can be done to keep Star Trek alive in a time where there are no new televised adventures.

Then came Axanar. A media frenzy has surrounded this astounding project since it first appeared in the circles of fandom,  more so with its unparalleled Kickstarter success and now the main project has begun it's stepped fundraising with over $160,000 being donated to make the main feature in less than seven days. It's ambitious, it's original, it's unique and at least a bit of it is finally here for us to experience.

Now let's get one thing ironed out; they aren't just taking money and giving sweet nothing back. Oh no. As of this week the highly anticipated Prelude to Axanar got its world premiere at San Diego Comic Con and went live on the project's Kickstarter page on Wednesday 30th July.

In the past I've noted how each show does better and better, pushing the others to be more challenging and in Axanar's 20 minute taster that self same envelope has been well and truly torched.

Stepping away from giving us an action orientated episode-like adventure,  Alec Peters and the Axanar creative have moulded a sublime documentary style show providing an insight to the buildup of the crucial and legendary Battle of Axanar.

The behind the scenes shots and trailer footage we talked about a few weeks back blew a lot of people,  myself included,  away and Prelude to Axanar maintains the standard and does exactly what it's meant to -  show the fans and the donors exactly what they can do and the quality of the final movie product. Christ, if this is what they can do in 20 minutes imagine what we'll get for a feature length production.

Focusing on just six of the main cast as we noted before, the United Federation of Planets Historical Society presents this (third) part in their series giving us a blow by blow account of what led to the events at Axanar and how all those big players were involved from the beginning. We were teased but now we get to see another thread of the main tapestry.

Each character is distinct and the suggestions we made are there... Ish. Most of the feature is played out through talking heads intercut with scenes from the war but we'll cover those shortly. First, let's talk people.

Gary Graham's Soval is bitterly regretful at his failure.  He passes an exceedingly negative shadow over proceedings seemingly taking the blame for the onset of War between these two super powers and is apparently ashamed at their lack of knowledge on the Klingon Supreme Commander, General Kharn.

J G Hertzler's Samuel Travis is a true veteran, mindful of events and the decisions that needed to be made. He clearly understands the horrors of War but seems to have been powerless to so more to turn the tide. Hertzler plays him with a great deal of weariness which opens up the memories of the war. I love Hertzler for his Martok performance in Deep Space Nine and Travis seems to be a dramatic shift in portrayal for the actor. I like the subtlety we get here in contrast to the raw energy of the Klingon general.

Ramirez as portrayed by one of my Star Trek favourites;  Tony Todd is absolutely the leader,  the speech-maker and a man born to take the battle to the Klingons. Todd's physical presence in the packed, vast Archer Arena for his inaugural speech is incredibly intense and powerful - totally the right choice for this role and while there is an agressive hint of Kurn in there, it's somewhat odd to have him getting angry at the Klingons for once! He is a man prepared to make change and his position works well alongside the seasoned field experience that we get from Travis.

Kate Vernon's starship captain Sonia Alexander comes across much more as one of those who saw the worst of war and ended up being there to clean up the mess at the end as is demonstrated here with the situation in the Inverness System. Quietly spoken, Vernon's character comes across as damaged by her experiences although there's a glimmer of hope still alive which becomes apparent as Axanar draws closer. I guess she'll be key in the events of the main feature while here her role seems more an observer on the actions of Garth leading up to the battle.

Kharn is almost as full of regret as Soval but because his decisions and concerns over the progress of the war were not heeded by those above him in the chain of command. A good general he has come to realise the overconfidence he may have exuded during the dominating times of the D-6 cruisers and before the arrival of the Ares Class. His character plays a lot on the benefits of hindsight and what could have been done earlier to bring about a different result. Richard Hatch is superb in this part - and not something I would have expected him to pull off if I look back to when his involvement in the project was announced. We still have to see his lieutenant, Chang for which I can't wait.

In the lynchpin role of Garth is writer/producer, Alec Peters - it's a role from the heart and a man who appreciates the efforts of all those involved with the struggle. Garth comes across as a little uncomfortable with his status as the Hero of Axanar, humbled by his peers maybe but still responsible for introducing radical new tactics - almost Klingon in style.. While I see the laying out of the character here so we can see what he stands for, the real challenge lies ahead to when we'll get to watch him command the USS Ares into battle.

What gets me with this cast is just how real it all feels in this documentary style. I get their anguish, the challenge, the futility of the seemingly lost war against the military might of the Klingon Empire. The filming style, leaning onto the shoulder and head shots ensures that we can see the emotions in the eyes of these officers on both sides of the conflict. It's a brilliant move that gets pulled off exceptionally well and hasn't been done anywhere that I can remember in the Star Trek universe. It's bold especially as the main feature will be very different to what we see here although I hope that the lighting and mood are kept because it's becoming a bit of a trademark to Axanar. I suspect that passionate director Christian Gossett will be stepping up his game with the main feature as we'll be a little underwhelmed if it's 90 minutes of talking heads in the same vain as this short! Seeing the result though you have fauth that his enthusiasm will never wain as long as Axanar exists.

Probably one of the biggest draws to Prelude alongside the brilliant cast has to be the beautiful, stunning, miraculous (add your own adjective here) visuals supervised by the ever impressive Tobias Richer and Light Works. From the start of Axanar the Facebook page and the website have dropped the occasional image of a D-6 Klingon cruiser, a Starfleet ship or a shot of work in progress to keep us in the loop. The recent trailer also added in motion sequences from Prelude and initially you start to think it's just going to be those bits that we'll see again - but it isn't.

Once you've seen a D-6 crashing into a city-scape you'll be hoping Robert Orci is adding these guys to his speed dial because I'd see that any day in preference to the USS Vengeance redesigning downtown San Francisco. The CGI is movie quality all the way with numerous sequences highlighting the action between the two fleets. Initially that's the Klingons pummelling Starfleet but with the arrival of Garth's USS Ares - the first pure warship - the tide turns as we see here. The ship movements are an art and make a lot of decent features look amateur. Plus there are some examples of the graphic interfaces and displays we might see in the workstations of the sets; bonus. 

Anyway - the Ares - it's impact on the conflict is the point where we see the hope return and it's doubled with the announcement that a heavy cruiser is being built (at Axanar which doesn't add up in my memory but I'm ready to stand corrected) and the low and slow pan confirms that it's the USS Enterprise. Thanks for giving us a few angles to see her construction from too - very much liked that!

There might have been chill in my bones at that point because seeing the original ship in drydock is never something we've been privvy to and getting this new shot is worth every second. The detail in the ships is a credit to those who worked on them and I look forward to seeing what they produce for Axanar in the coming year. 

The now-in-progress Kickstarter campaign for the main movie is split into five sections each covering a different aspect of the production - Set Construction ($100,000), Sound Stage ($125,000), Pre-Production Costs ($50,000), Production Costs ($350,000) and a fifth, Axanar Heroes ($25,000).

It's the fifth one that means we'll get to see more Axanar ahead of the main feature.  To quote from the Axanar Kickstarter page: 

Heroes takes place three months after the events of Whom Gods Destroy and will feature the Phase II USS Enterprise crew bringing a now fully rehabilitated Garth of Izar back to Starfleet. What are the ramifications of Garth's mental illness now that he is fully recovered? How will Kirk interact with his hero now that Garth is the man he remembered as a cadet? This week-long shoot will cost us approximately $25,000 and produce at least four Axanar vignettes, three of which will be cross-overs with Phase II. The fourth will take place just before the battle of Axanar and give you an inside look at the relationship between Garth and Captain Samuel Travis (JG Hertzler).

These will be awesome additional teasers to the main event and don't go forgetting about all those perks as well. Definitely worth adding your donation to the pot and I recommend heading over to that Kickstarter page for a full rundown on what's available - also a good excuse to dust off the credit card while you're at it.

But let's just put the brakes on and take stock before we get carried away with the excitement and ask one crucial question about all this; Does Prelude to Axanar do what it was intended to do?

I believe it does. This is payback to the fans who have supported the project and clearly demonstrates the talent and ability which are available to the production team. Peters and Axanar have firmly planted their flag and I'm confident we will see the full movie and it will top what we have seen here. Axanar titillates and exhilarates as we learn more and more about why the balance of power tipped and the way that the Federation sought to regain it's fragile foothold. Before you know it there's a smile-raising finale and the end titles roll. Time to watch it again just to believe that what you saw was indeed what you saw.

There can be no doubting the enthusiasm, the passion and the flair which have gone into Prelude from every angle. It's modern but yet still retains that sense of being in the time period relative to The Original Series (or just before). OK, so it is a war story but it's a war story that leads into the full formation of Star Trek as we know it, perhaps more than that four year sojourn with Enterprise. The standards are very high and I can see that other fan productions will be keen to learn from their successes - and one of those will certainly be James Cawley and Phase II. Great that Axanar will be linking in with that team in the near future. I mean what else can one say about a short that will surely be categorised as a fan-made classic in years to come? I won't be the only one who thinks that the networks should be looking in this direction for inspiration for the future and the next 50 years of the franchise (but let's not head into that territory as it gets a bit messy). 

Actually though, if there is one criticism though it has to be on running time. 

For a lot of us, 20 minutes just wasn't damn long enough guys. Sorry. Do better next time....(!)

All images from Prelude to Axanar reproduced with kind permission from Star Trek Axanar

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Previewing Prelude - In Detail

Dear Alec Peters

We are very sorry we haven't talked about Axanar for a while. Hope you can accept our apologies. We will address this inconsistency forthwith.

Warmest Regards

Some Kind of Star Trek

It's true we haven't spent any time looking at the amazing progress of Prelude to Axanar if nothing less, but in the last fortnight we've been privy to some brilliant new footage. So, let's start at the beginning of that journey.

First up was a great little sneaky look behind the scenes which showed our first proper glimpse of the cast in character and the crew at work. It's definitely heightened interest and we all thought that this was going to be our lot for a while.

As actual in-movie action goes there's not a lot - a shot of Kate Vernon as Captain Sonya Alexander a bit beaten up is really your payoff there but we do manage some superb closeups of Richard Hatch being made-down from his role as Klingon Supreme Commander Kharn as well as some shots which reveal his uniform is not too far off that of General Chang from Star Trek VI. Chang is actually in Axanar as Kharn's subordinate for those who might not know. Gary Graham is also there in a couple of shots in full, older, Vulcan makeup as Ambassador Soval whom he originally played in Enterprise. 

Both Hertzler and Todd can be seen in their Starfleet dress uniforms during filming and there's even a snippet of dialogue in there as Todd's temper frays in his role as Fleet Admiral Ramirez. The dress uniforms do have a sense of The Original Series' dress uniforms with a touch less silky sheen to them while the glimpses of duty uniform are very much, as we knew, in keeping with the feel of The Cage. Understandably there's some green-screening in there which will help keep the sets budget down if nothing else and also means not too much is being given away here.

Hearing from the major players here gives a lot of resonance to the Axanar stable. If the speed at which the basic funds and then the stretch goals for this project were reached are anything to go by then completing the full length movie might not be in the bag but it's almost certainly going to be an easier task than might have first been expected.

And Then Came June 11th

So while we were getting all wrapped up in the excitement of the sneak peek, those Axanar bods pulled the full 2:53 trailer together and IT'S AMAZING.

"The basic idea of what Prelude is, is totally different from anything Star Trek fans have seen before." Executive Producer Alec Peters told us; "It is basically a History Channel special on the Four Years War."

Straight off and seconds in we're seeing some stunning CGI of the Klingons taking the battle to the Federation, destroying ships, worlds and anything that seems to get in their way. 

Then we get to hear from some of the key players - those notables that we've already heard from briefly in the sneak peek but this time fully in character - and can Tony Todd chew out a scene or what. This is a very different way to explore your project and present it to fans - first giving just a morsel of information and then a short film to introduce what you're going to attempt in the larger movie.

Peters and the Axanar team don't really give much away even in the monologues from the onscreen characters which do start to show us how they are going to be portrayed and maybe glimpses of their angles within the story. Yes, we see some ruined and badly damaged buildings, others engulfed by fire as well as multiple space-borne conflicts to whet your appetite but I really think the key is to look at how each of the protagonists here responds to the unseen interviewer, what does it tell us about their characters and what we can expect?

Admiral Ramirez (Tony Todd) is certainly a character cast in the best tradition one leading from the front, giving stirring speeches and seemingly passionate about defending the traditions of the Federation to provide a better future - could he be a man prepared to do anything to ensure that this is achieved? 

Captain Samuel Travis (J G Hertzler) is much more reflective as he looks back at Axanar. While we're not sure exactly what he's referring to here, there seems to be some appreciation for Admiral Ramirez and also the realisation that something had to change. Looks as though Travis could be some sort of advisor in the movie, providing suggestions on where the Federation need to go to secure victory or even a mentoring role with Garth.

Heading the opposition and fleets of D-6 cruisers is Kharn (Richard Hatch). A seemingly confident man who's confidence and misunderstanding of the Federation could ultimately lead to his downfall and the defeat of the Klingon Empire. His monologue shows the wonder of hindsight are alive and well in the 22nd Century.

One of the two characters in the trailer who previously existed in the canon Star Trek universe is Ambassador Soval (Gary Graham) last seen in the four seasons of Enterprise. For once we see a Vulcan admit failure - a costly failure at that. How Soval will appear in Axanar will be interesting. Will he continue to negotiate for peace or will we see him clearly side with Starfleet to fight - the only logical conclusion to failed peace talks?

The second of three fleet captains featured in the trailer is Sonya Alexander (Kate Vernon). Her brief appearance indicates a commanding officer faced with a futile battle and an apparently lost cause against the seemingly mightier Klingon forces. Is she destined to be the more pessimistic counterpoint in Axanar to Garth or Travis? Will Alexander be a part of the final battle and what part will she ultimately play? I suspect the prelude will show her constantly on the back foot against the Klingons.

Perhaps rightly so the final sound-out is granted to Kelvar Garth (Alec Peters), the hero of Axanar. I actually think this is the most insightful of the sneak peek talking heads, demonstrating that the original intent of Starfleet was far away from battle. Is there a reluctance to fight or is this an acceptance of the brutal truth of reality? We look forward to finding out.

Said Alec in relation to the performance of his assembled cast: "(Their work was) Outstanding. I think everyone is impressed. And Christian (Gossett) did a great job directing them, so the performances are insanely good."

While the interviews are at the core of this trailer, the graphics are mind-blowing and give us some crystal-clear closeups on four different types of Starfleet ship (three pictured here and the fourth being the USS Ares) and the D-6 Klingon cruiser. We also spotted those phaser cannons which are more reminiscent of the JJ Abrams USS Kelvin than The Original Series. In fact there are some bits on the ships in the image here that also indicate a leaning in that direction. Now Alec Peters has told us that the Federation ship classes have yet to be named but we've got some suggestions if he's interested in hearing them or how about a fan competition to choose?

While we can admire the beauty of the CGI, the work on the talking head interviews is equally as perfect. The lighting works a treat, playing light and dark against each other and you instantly forget that the backgrounds are digital because everything looks so authentic. So far this is looking to be one of the truly great and epic fan works made so far and could well be the benchmark for years to come - and that might only be a nod to Prelude let alone the full movie.

"Everything went smoothly (with the production)." reported Alec. "I think the greatest challenge was managing the budget, as a professional film has much greater costs than a fan film, and this is mostly definitely not a fan film."

Our "inside man" at Axanar confirmed that the project is going better than they expected; "But also it takes longer than we would hope because quality takes time!" - and I'm sure as fans we're more than happy to hear that there's care and attention being paid to ensure a high quality result.

The response from fans globally for Alec Peters' project has been something of a phenomenon with 25,000 people alone following their updates on Facebook. The buzz has been immense and is outstripping a lot of other well-known fan projects for interest - maybe with the exception of Renegades which is pushing a Facebook following of 105,000 but that's had even more publicity perhaps and features an equally franchise-recognised cast.

So what's next? Well the 20 minute Prelude to Axanar will get it's premiere at San Diego Comic Con and then the Kickstarter funding for the full length Axanar feature will begin with filming planned for the Fall (Autumn) of 2014. It still seems like completion is a long way off but the release of the sneak peek behind the scenes and the magnificent Prelude trailer will have reassured fans, backers and those involved with the project that this is happening and will come to fruition.

Excited about it? 

We are.

All images courtesy of Star Trek: Axanar

You can find out more by visiting the official Axanar website HERE and you can view their trailer right now...

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Kickstarting Axanar (or at least the Prelude to...)

Holy c**p we hit our target for the day in the first 45 minutes! 

Such was the announcement from the Axanar stable on Day One of their Kickstarter campaign to raise $15000 to produce the Prelude to Axanar documentary. 

Even better news is that by the middle of day two the top end target of $15000 had been hit and by Day Three it was utterly obliterated meaning that this initial production can take even more steps than expected. At the very least we're going to get the Prelude and the fundraising still has another 26 days to go as we publish. Indeed, as of this moment there's over $28,000 dollars waiting to be used on the project.

While I might not have a lot of spare cash to donate to the project it looks to be well worth it if you do especially in regards to the perks. The best thing to do is get over to the Kickstarter site and see for yourself but there's everything from exclusive forum access to posters, Prelude scripts, soundtracks, patches and limited edition t-shirts to entice you aboard for the adventure.

What really makes this project stand out even more is the smooth and seamless promotional video featuring Alec Peters, the man behind Axanar  and Richard Hatch who will be playing the key role of the Klingon supreme commander Kharn.

Now there's a lot promised just in these four and a bit minutes and delivery will now be everything for this dedicated group.

In response to the amazing generosity of the fan community, Alec Peters who is producing and also playing Garth himself, commented exclusively to Some Kind of Star Trek; 

"We were totally blown away by the response. We hit our Day One goal of $ 2,000 in 45 minutes and hit our base goal of $ 10,000 in 7 hours. By the end of Day One we had hit our first stretch goal as well.

We are humbled and grateful to all our donors are now deep in pre-production on Prelude to Axanar."

I'd thoroughly recommend watching the four minute burst to give you some idea of what Prelude will include. Not only do we get to hear the thoughts of director Christian Gossett, but also from a couple of the production team (Mark Edward Lewis and Ryan Husk), who are clearly excited with the prospect ahead. As noted, this should be the benchmark for fan made productions in the future if the team pull it off. 

For note, watch out for the uniforms dotted in the background and try not to lick your PC monitor when you see some of Tobias Richter's CGI battle scenes. His work never ceases to amaze and these snippets just make us want to see even more from Klingon battlecruisers through to the Ares and the Enterprise in drydock, it's all mouth-wateringly good. Did we happen to mention that there's also a makeup test of Richard Hatch in there too which proves beyond doubt that every aspect is being meticulously considered and it won't look like the corridors are made out of kitchen foil.

But what the heck is a Prelude to Axanar? This is the story of the story of the battle that forged the Federation if you will. In the style of a documentary well get to hear from those who participated including Garth, Kharn and latest cast addition Michael (Battlestar Galactica) Hogan as Robert April. It's their reflections on the event in the style of something you might be more familiar with seeing on the History Channel for example.

It's a different and totally unique way of introducing the bigger project and no doubt will help to show what the team are capable of producing. Also we're looking forward to seeing exactly how many boundaries of Star Trek fan film-making are going to be pushed/smashed to make Axanar a reality and more than likely a stunning success.

To view the Kickstarter project visit the site here and to learn more about Axanar click HERE.

You can also see our review and introductory piece on Axanar HERE

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All images courtesy of Star Trek: Axanar