Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Are you a 21st Century Star Trek Fan?




ARE YOU A STAR TREK FAN?

There are a lot of things going on beyond the JJ Abrams universe that would excite any old school Star Trek fan, and it is primarily due to the people who used to work on one of the many TV shows along with those same Trek fans who are responsible.

Here's a little of what's in the works, going on around us every day.


STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE


A campaign has been underway, led by VFX artist 
Doug Drexler who worked on Enterprise, to bring the series back for a fifth season on Netflix. Fans can go to their Facebook page for more information on how to sign the petition to bring back Star Trek: Enterprise.
Star Trek Enterprise Season 5 - Netflix campaign






STAR TREK: RENEGADES


Meanwhile, original series star Walter Koenig is working alongside Star Trek: Voyager's Tim Russ on a proposed series called Star Trek: Renegades. Joined by many other industry professionals, such as Sean Young (Blade Runner), Corin Nemec (Stargate SG-1), J.G. Hertzler (DS9), Adrienne Wilkinson, Gary Graham (Alien Nation, Enterprise), Garrett Wang (Voyager), Robert Picardo (Voyager), Manu Intiraymi, Richard Herd (Voyager), Edward Furlong (Terminator 2), Larissa Gomes, Monica Keena, Tarah Paige, Courtney Peldon, Vic Mignogna, the Pilot is in production, with the plan to attempt to sell it to CBS Paramount as a series or as a direct-to-DVD video. Fans should show their support by joining their Facebook page.

Star Trek: Renegades Official  





STAR TREK: PHASE II


Of course, there are incredible Star Trek fan film productions as well, the first and best of which is Star Trek: Phase II, which began as Star Trek: New Voyages. Conceived as a labor of love by James Cawley, the series continues with the roles of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Doctor McCoy and the rest re-cast, continuing with a fourth season. The first eight episodes star executive producer James Cawley in the Kirk role.

These episodes have featured performances by many of the Original Series stars in new roles or as clever reprisals of their famous roles, including Walter Koenig, George Takei, Malachi Throne (The Menagerie), BarBara Luna (Mirror Mirror), William Windom (The Doomsday Machine), plus other famous Trek performers, including Denise Crosby (Star Trek The Next Generation's Tasha Yar). The series has recently begun shifting into the proposed 1970's Phase II series, introducing characters and situations which were originally created or written for that series. Working with Cawley Entertainment are notable Trek writers such as David Gerrold and DC Fontana, among others.

Actor Brian Gross joins the cast as Captain Kirk, with Brandon Stacy as Spock. 


Star Trek: New Voyages/Phase II


The latest episode, released January 1st, 2014, is KITUMBA, originally written for Paramount Television's proposed 1970's series, Star Trek: Phase II.
Watch it here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=419hNYe2OaY

You may also want to check out this PHASE II playlist:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJouMFIAN8Q&list=UUCkxwocDze43XGhvUptIRFQ




STAR TREK: OF GODS AND MEN


If you haven't already seen it, Star Trek: Of Gods and Men is 
a professional-quality film made as a 40th anniversary gift to the fans. Working closely with a group of Star Trek alumni and James Cawley's group from Star Trek Phase II, Star Trek: Of Gods and Men is pure Trek, starring Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Alan Ruck, Tim Russ, Gary Graham, Garrett Wang, Ethan Phillips, J.G. Hertzler, Chase Masterson, and many other familiar faces from Star Trek and sci-fi! 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFqAME7dx58

But there are many other groups out there with new productions currently in the works. 





STAR TREK: PHOENIX

Star Trek: Phoenix
http://www.stphoenix.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWAGSwEqkxI


STAR TREK: EQUINOX

Star Trek: Equinox
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/star-trek-equinox-the-night-of-time
http://www.treknews.net/2014/01/01/star-trek-equinox-the-night-of-time-details/

Original series guest-star Gary Lockwood returns as Gary MItchell!
Check out this clip!

Star Trek Equinox: Fleet Captain Mitchell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oV9HqSJ0rvY



STAR TREK CONTINUES


Meanwhile, a second group has taken their own approach to revisiting the Original Series. Picking up where the last episode from season three leaves off, 'Continues' literally does that with a vignette which picks up the action directly from the last few seconds of Turnabout Intruder. From there, the story continues into their own first episode of a fourth season, with Michael Forest returning as Apollo, reprising his role from TOS episode, "Who Mourns For Adonis?" 'Continues' also co-stars Christopher Doohan taking over the role of his famous father, James Doohan, as Chief Engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott!


Official Star Trek Continues


Turnabout Intruder Vignette
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kATcuut_tqM

Pilgrim of Eternity
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G-ziTBAkbQ





STARSHIP EXETER


Starship Exeter


Unlike Phase II and Continues, this fan film series produced one full episode, and a second with only the final act remaining in post-production due to some difficulties that happened long after the sets had been struck, and the actors had moved on. But it's one of the more brilliant of the original fan films, and a shame they didn't take it further.

Starship Exeter: The Tressaurian Intersection
Intro & Teaser

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9SQ4H2FgV0




SOME OF THE MEN BEHIND THE SCENES


With creators like James Cawley, Jimm and Josh Johnson, Tim Russ, Sky Conway and so many others working on these fan films, top VFX artists were needed to bring Star Trek to life. Among these artists, Star Trek VFX artist Doug Drexler, Dennis Bailey
Maurice Molyneaux, Ralph M. Miller and Pony Horton have turned a profession into a labor of love. Remember, no one working on any of these series is paid, which is part of the reason why producing an episode can take such a long time. 

Two of these VFX creators, 
Ralph M. Miller and Pony Horton, have produced some independent works to raise awareness of the fan films in an effort to raise funds in the form of donations to help pay the production costs, including power bills, which can run as much as $2,000.00 a month per shoot.

Here's Ralph Miller's page with some pretty amazing videos!

http://www.youtube.com/user/rmsinc/videos

Don't forget to also check out Pony Horton's incredible work.
Go to:

https://www.facebook.com/pony.horton?fref=ts
http://gravityarchmedia.blogspot.com/


They've both done incredible work, for Star Trek and on their own.
Here are a few of my favorites!

Pony Horton

Cookin' With Gas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoZ5OqOyzAA

Sneak Peak at The Protracted Man and Bread and Savagery!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUOVF6r99eM

Ralph Miller and Pony Horton

1701 Pennsylvania Av

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfNsq4T1Ndc

Ralph M. Miller

A Very NIXON Christmas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQACdkHXZ_s

"Wild Thing" by 
Richard Nixon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yro4GFQ7O5Q

Enjoy these and check out the links to all the other great work they've done with:
Retro Film Studios, LLC

http://www.startreknewvoyages.com/



As always, LIVE LONG and PROSPER!




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