Predicting 2019

Once more we’ve completed a spin around the Sun and welcome in 2019. But what will this year hols in store for Star Trek?  Here's our top ones to watch

1. Discovery

The item at the top pf any Star Trek list has to be the continuing success of the latest series. Frankly, screw the doubters because its back for a second series and treading into the territory of recognisable characters with Pike, Number One and Spock all showing up this year. The premiere for season two is but 15 days away so how can this show be failing especially as there are at least two shows in the pipeline that will launch in the next 18 months. I'm predicting a renewal for the show for season three with a 2020 launch date probably announced at the midpoint in the 15 episode run but I also think that we won't be getting any more Short Treks past the four we have received this time around. Nice placeholder and I hope they use the material contained therein within the show itself.

2. Picard

Probably timed to coincide with the end of Discovery’s second season I believe that we will have the first teaser trailer for the new Picard series by mid-year. 2019 will most likely see further main castings for the show plus hints at what the future holds for the former Enterprise captain. Can we be more specific than this? Not at this time. What we do know is that Patrick Stewart was heavily involved with the initial talks about the direction of the series and how Jean-Luc would be treated within its framework which was part of the reason that he agreed to come back to the franchise after a 20 year gap.

3. Lower Decks

As with Picard's return we'll be getting more hints on what the future holds for this spin off from the franchise. I think this one might be set between the original six movies and The Next Generation since there's a good 70 year gap we've never explored. Big concerns are that this is going to be a humorous animated encounter like nothing we've seen before in the Star Trek universe. Truly the unknown - also well worth paying attention to the last of the Short Treks; The Escape Artist which was written by Mike McMahan and might give a hint at what this new show will be like tonally. Plus, any excuse for a Rick and Morty pic...

4. Novel Series Restart

Yay! So 2018 was a bit of a dud year for the Star Trek novel series but with a new deal completed we are going to be seeing a good flood of Star Trek book titles in the new year from all aspects of the franchise and that, it seems, includes the Kelvin timeline as well as the Discovery era. I'm predicting a return of the time travellers from Dayton Ward plus the continuation of the Deep Space Nine Gamma Quadrant saga which kicked off so well late in 2017. 

5. DST 2019

George Takei and Michelle Forbes are already confirmed for the 2019 event which nobody expected since it took two years for the event to return to the UK after the 50th anniversary. Last year's October-fest was a much more streamlined and organised celebration of Star Trek than before with much more for fans to get involved with across the weekend including tabletop and video gaming, talks, fantastic displays from Discovery and the first 50 years. The 2019 event has to equal this so I'd expect more props from the latest TV series as well as guests from the show (Anson Mount must be top of that list with Ethan Peck). Personally I'd love to hope Avery Brooks drops in but that's a long shot at best. What about an appearance from John de Launcie? Is a drop in from Patrick Stewart an option?

6. End of the Starships Collection?

Is it finally time for The Official Starships Collection to call it a day? I think this is the year it could come to a close with the Discovery collection striding on plus the Graphic Novel and Busts series also still in play. It's been going for a fair few years now and the majority of the craft from the show that anyone generally cares about have all but been announced. Recently it was confirmed that the Fesarius as well as Baran's Raider and the Scimitar would be included so I'd give this one a maximum of 12 months before it's closed up. Watch me be horrifically wrong on this one.

7. Confirmation of Star Trek 4

As in if it’s on or off. The lack of news on this makes me think that the Kelvin timeline may have drawn its last breath with the 2016 Beyond and, honestly, that's not a bad way to go out. The quality of the three films has been on the whole decent but another year without any progress on story at the least will kill it off and leave the way very open for the vaunted R|-rated Quentin Tarantino movie. Prediction for 2019 on this one is that we'll be in exactly the same position in a year's time. Neither of these projects will move forward and they'll be rotting in Development Hell for a little bit longer. Almost certain we'll have no action in regards to big screen Trekking this year.

8. 30 Years of The Final Frontier

 Who isn't going to want to celebrate this gem of an anniversary?! Yes, 2019 will mark 30 years since William Shatner asked God what he needed with a starship. A highly maligned Star Trek movie that's never mentioned anywhere else in any context ever and is almost considered the most un-canon item of canon just ahead of Threshold. I'd look forward to lots of reminiscing over filming of The Final Frontier, what went wrong, a ton of comparisons to Discovery and a few oddball rants about how this was the sign that the franchise was failing before the year is out.

9. 25 Years Since The Sky Was the Limit and It Was Fun 

...And on a more positive note, it's 25 years since The Next Generation drew to a close on TV before stepping in front of another set of cameras to take the voyages of the Enterprise-D to the big screen with Generations back in 1994. Definitely an opportunity for the cast to get back together and maybe a reason to get Malcolm McDowell along to Destination Star Trek along with Shatner and Stewart for a rather expensive but damn fine photo shoot?

Expect 2019 to revisit best episodes from the show's run as well as offer up potentials for what could have been the eighth season. Remember too that this will also mark 25 years since Shatner's last onscreen appearance as Captain James T Kirk.

10. Axanar Rolling On

It's off, it's on, it's off, it's... who knows. Even now we're two years down the line from THAT decision which changed the face of Star Trek fan films as we knew them, Axanar still exists and I think we'll be hearing more from this one in 2019. The plan, apparently, is to launch two 15 minute slices of the story rather than the epic independent movie we were initially promised. Maybe 2019 will see the first footage from Alec Peters other than the now infamous "Vulcan Scene" filmed oh-so long ago.Love it, loathe it, despise it more than anything ever, you still can't get away from it and this story will continue!

What do you predict to be the big Star Trek stories of 2019? Will we be wrong on any of these?

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Axanar Battles Off-Screen

Usually on New Years Eve I drop a post looking forward to the best of Star Trek in 2016 but the last 24 hours have left something of a bitter taste.

If you've been strolling around the corridors of Twitter and Facebook in particular then the news that CBS/Paramount are suing Axanar will come as no surprise. What is a surprise is that it's happening in the first place.

To fill in some gaps quickly, Axanar is a fan funded production that tells the story of Garth of Izar and the battle which changed the course of war with the Klingons.  The stunning and award-winning Prelude to Axanar arrived early in 2015 but with the exception of a teaser scene in the summer we've been presented with very little else.  Now it seems that CBS aren't too happy with the production,  noting that it appears to infringe on (and I quote from the Hollywood Reporter article that broke the news) "The Axanar Works infringe Plaintiffs’ works by using innumerable copyrighted elements of Star Trek, including its settings, characters, species, and themes...", which doesn't make them too happy. Not only that but suspiciously Renegades has vanished from YouTube in the last day or so which could mean bigger things are in motion.

Question one has to be why it's taken up to now for them to realise this after the Prelude was released many months ago is worrying but let's not forget that back then there was no suggestion that a new Star Trek would be launching on CBS' subscription TV service in January 2017. Do they see Axanar as a threat?  Do they think it will ruin the landscape for their new flagship sci-fi series when they haven't been an issue in the cinematic shadow of both the '09 reboot and its muddled sequel, Into Darkness.

Fans are, understandably enraged that the much-touted movie could now never see the light of day and that almost certainly production will come to a grinding halt while legal proceedings take place. A lot of fans including myself have donated to Axanar and this shutting down of the production will most likely mean that those funds will account for nothing except a warehouse and some half-built sets. The #istandwithaxanar tag (used here as the article header but not an endorsement) has been lashed across social media as fans turn to back the project and attempt to dissuade CBS from continuing on its mission to seemingly kill off the "original vibe"  of Star Trek if you will. While there was no Star Trek on TV fan films flourished and kept the dream and the vision of Gene Roddenberry alive -  but at the smell of a new series the claws are apparently being sharpened.

But is everything OK in the Axanar camp either?  Not really. The loss of Tony Todd four months ago marked unease especially when there were suggestions of dissatisfaction between the actor and Axanar. Just reading back over tweets from Todd and also from those high in the Axanar echelons is certainly eye-opening in relation to acting abilities, time taken to produce the movie and I suspect a lot more material that hasn't entered the public domain. In fact this exchange was getting quite heated last night.

Now I totally get why fans are rising to support Axanar but do we truly know the whole story?  Was permission asked and/or granted in relation to using the Star Trek moniker (apparently yes)?  Where has all the money gone exactly? Have donors been kept truly and honestly informed?

These are just some of the very pressing questions that have been aimed at @StarTrekAxanar on Twitter in the last day with Alec Peters, Robert Meyer Burnett and others joining the conversation as it has increased in intensity to defend the production, reassure fans and express hope that there will be some form of middle ground reached so that Axanar will be completed. You can read Alec Peters' (who runs the Propworx auctions and does sell replica items from Star Trek) statement in full over on the production's Facebook page which does now suggest Axanar to be a fan film rather than an independent after all the hype indicated the former. 

But what does this all really mean?  Are series such as Continues and Phase II now in serious danger?  What of Anthology or Farragut as in all four cases I would say they are even closer to the original ethos and even the look of The Original Series.  Are these going to be told to cease and desist?  What of fan blogs, resource sites, YouTube pages and the like?  And why are they not heading after the fake merchandisers and those making revenue from the franchise with no link to CBS or permission? Why now is Axanar being made the scapegoat that is to be brought to its knees?

It definitely has an incredible vision and the Prelude took fan films to another level so that might be making CBS hot under the collar but this action as we are just days from the start of the 50th anniversary year  may well threaten the release and profits of a certain Star Trek Beyond with fans boycotting the film and turning 2016 into a terrible year for Star Trek. BUT as the article notes, Paramount and CBS have encouraged fan productions over the years but Axanar did something very different, it proclaimed itself as the first independent Star Trek movie. Certainly a bold statement and CBS/Paramount commented further stating: "Star Trek is a treasured franchise in which CBS and Paramount continue to produce new original content for its large universe of fans. The producers of Axanar are making a Star Trek picture they describe themselves as a fully professional independent Star Trek film. Their activity clearly violates our Star Trek copyrights, which, of course, we will continue to vigorously protect."

It is excruciatingly painful to watch a franchise you love being torn apart from the inside and once more hurting fans while. Star Wars slaughters just about every box office record in existence and creates a few new ones at the same time.  But CBS must have a good case, they must have good reason to launch such a case against Axanar. It does make me increasingly dismayed with the direction that JJ Abrams, Robert Orci, Bad Robot, CBS, Paramount and everyone else on the bandwagon have decided to take Star Trek. It isn't Star Wars and it's not Guardians of the Galaxy. If I want to see either I will but what I want from Star Trek is,  fuck me,  Star Trek. No lens flares, no Fast and Furious action, no cussing Beastie Boys -  you get the picture -  and with Axanar and Renegades we at least got something that at its core wanted to exude the power of that Roddenberry vision and ensure it was nurtured,  respected and encouraged to grow into the next half century. I fear that should this case be won then the golden age of the fan series,  the fan site and everything else non-profit-making that has kept the magic of Star Trek alive will be in danger of disappearing virtually overnight.

However, saying all that and defending Axanar is all well and good but what about looking at this from the perspective of CBS/Paramount? For years, yes, fan films have flown the flag and kept the franchise alive on a shoestring budget but have Alec Peters and co gone that step too far from critiquing, honouring and commenting on Star Trek to effectively making Star Trek itself. Y'see this has always been hyped as an independent movie rather than a fan film with the team promoting the fact that this is as close to Star Trek as they could get without it actually being the real thing. Maybe there's a sense of Icarus here and Axanar and potentially Renegades have flown a little too close to that sun and have now been burnt.

I tend to think that other fan series, blogs and the like will be OK since they are not set up as the commercial business model that Axanar appears to be (heck it even had an annual report) but this may well be a warning to other productions in the future not to get too cocky and remain firmly in the fan-film circle rather than starting to play games with the "big boys". As friend of SKoST, Rob Clements noted there have been a lot of "fair use" films such as Of Gods and Men and two early episodes of Phase II which critiqued Star Trek but Axanar actually wanted to BE Star Trek. Indeed their very production was a group of fans and some camera equipment whereas Axanar went all out and even has its own Ares Studios. 

Of course if fans now turn against Paramount and CBS over this matter (and I can definitely see both angles) then at least the studios will have an argument if the third movie, Beyond, now tanks at the box office - fans boycotted the movie because of this lawsuit. To be fair though that first trailer hasn't done them any massive favours with the fanbase anyway. I doubt that it will, as I've seen on a few message boards and through the Axanar page on Facebook, "kill Star Trek" although it certainly won't be doing it any favours in the eyes of fans across the world.

The scary thing is that CBS and Paramount may actually be in the right here because of the way in which Axanar has been marketed and produced. Alec Peters has also stated in the last 24 hours that he and the team were prepared for this possibility even though he met with CBS to cover what they were doing and they seemed to be happy at that time.

It seems therefore unlikely that we'll be seeing much of Axanar in 2016 as this battle rages. Are there two sides? Is one of these parties obviously in the wrong? I think there are points that either combatant can make to justify their position but it'll be lawyers rather than starships which will be battling it out. Personally I would love to see Axanar completed and I genuinely hope that the mud-slinging and sniping can be pushed aside so that it can be made. Is there a middle ground so that, as Alec hopes, the matter can be resolved in a "fair and amicable manner". After writing this my initial thought that the studios see this as a threat has dissipated and now I believe it is more to do with the use of intellectual property and the like. I would like to think so although there may have to be concessions and I would think those will have to come from the Axanar camp rather than the studio behemoth of Paramount and CBS.

Thanks also to @robclements for his help and input with this article.

What are your thoughts on this delicate new twist to the franchise? Who is right? Is there a correct perspective or are Paramount and CBS totally within their rights to go after Axanar? 

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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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