Star Trek Continues (the series)

Yes, that was pretty poor and variable across different scenes, which just exacerbated the situation. Who knows how far apart in time the scenes were shot and so they may have had different recording settings, etc, but they should have done more in post to equalize things.

 

I'd have to listen to it. What I generally hear in low-budget sound productions is a general lack of ambience, varying dialogue levels, mis-matched EQ, problems with distance (foreground/background), and missed foley cues. The absolute worst is unintelligible dialogue, where there's all kinds of sound problems distracting the audience from understanding what the actors are saying, due to mic placement, bad acoustics, background noise, and similar problems.

I did watch the very first of these fan-made Star Trek shows, and I didn't think the sound was that bad. The acting was pretty hammy, like a high school stage production, but I applaud them for their effort and their enthusiasm. And I've certainly worked on real shows that were worse.

 

Any word on episode V?

Darryl

 

If past productivity is anything to go by, I wouldn't expect anything until next year. It's funny, with such a long lead time between episodes, you'll be able to see visible differences in the actors' appearance from one episode to the next, due to aging. I think I already see some facial differences in Vic Mignogna.

 

http://www.startrekcontinues.com/episodes.html

Episode V (Divided We Stand)

Darryl

 

Or...it could just be the effects of long term exposure to cosmic radiation and warp fields...

 

I cant believe anyone likes this show...... ITS A PIECE OF UNPURE DIGITAL GARBAGE!! (They are just mocking the GOOD 60s original series)

I watched maybe 5 mins of the 1st episode on youtube and turned it off IN DISGUST!!

 

Good to see that you gave it some time and thought before you passed judgement.

 

I think the same guy showed up on TrekBBS with similar nonsensical complaints.

 

Darryl

 

Mignogna: 'Continues' Fan Series Leads By Example
Latest crowdfunding campaign will produce three episodes, and a lot of joy



MICHAEL HINMAN Mar-11-2016 1:40am

As CBS Corp. and Paramount Pictures move forward on a copyright infringement lawsuit against one fan-film production, other amateur Star Trek producers are keeping one eye toward the courtroom, and another on their latest project.

And that's no different for "Star Trek Continues" executive producer and star Vic Mignogna.

When we say "amateur," of course, we don't mean anything about the people involved or the quality of the work. But the best way these fan-film productions have stayed out of the crosshairs of CBS and Paramount are to keep those productions as non-professional as possible. As Mignogna repeats time and time again, at the end of the day, the fans don't own Star Trek: CBS and Paramount do.

"If CBS were to write me tomorrow and say, 'OK, you know what? We are changing our stance on fan productions. You need to stop now,'" Mignogna told 1701News. "My public response would be to say the following: 'Star Trek Continues' is so very grateful to CBS for the privilege to have spent the last few years paying tribute to the show that we all love. And at their request, we will not be making any more. But I want to thank them for the opportunity to have done so in the first place."

Luckily for "Continues" and other fan productions, such a directive has not come down from the studios. And while Mignogna won't comment directly on what's happening with the sued production, "Star Trek: Axanar," he has no qualms talking about what makes "Continues" different — and why he isn't fighting for his hobby in a federal court.

"There is no fighting it," Mignogna said. "It is their property. People who think they have some kind of divine right to Star Trek are deluding themselves. Star Trek belongs to CBS and Paramount, and we don't have the right to do anything with it without their permission."

Before starting "Continues" in 2013 — literally, his fan continuation of the original five-year mission began in the original "Star Trek" series — Mignogna already had established a large fan base as a voice actor. His Internet Movie Database profile alone lists more than 200 acting credits, providing voices for popular shows like "Pokemon," "Naruto: Shippuden" and "Fullmetal Alchemist." Taking on "Continues," however, Mignogna was fulfilling a lifelong dream — one he even tried realizing when he was barely a teenager— of sitting in the captain's chair of the USS Enterprise.

"My childhood love and inspiration was the original series of 'Star Trek,'" Mignogna said. "And I mean to say that everything of a creative nature that I do professionally now, I was inspired to try for the first time because of 'Star Trek.'"

Inspired by other fan productions, like "Star Trek: New Voyages" — which also chronicle the further adventures of Capt. Kirk from the original series — Mignogna invested well over $100,000 of his own money to make "Continues" a reality. He rented permanent studio space far from his California home in Georgia, and convinced many of the actors and crew people he'd regularly see at science-fiction and comic conventions around the world to join him.

"When I started this, many people encouraged me to launch a Kickstarter to raise money to make the first episode," Mignogna said about the crowdfunding platform. "You know what? I didn't feel that was ethical. I didn't think it was right for me to ask people to give me money for something they had no proof I could do."

Instead, Mignogna plopped down $70,000 to build the Enterprise interiors just as they were in the 1960s, and then used his own funds to fly his cast and crew to Georgia, give them hotels to sleep in, food to eat, and even rent the camera equipment.

"Even if someone needed some money for gas, I would pay that out of my own pocket," Mignogna said.

Even today after successfully raising tens of thousands of dollars to fund "Continues," Mignogna said he refuses to direct any of those funds to himself. Even though he stars in each episode, and is an executive producer, he still pays all of his own expenses out of his own money, and won't use a dime from fans for him.

"Pilgrim Of Eternity" starred Mignogna as Kirk, fellow voice actor Todd Haberkorn as Spock, and Trek super-fan Larry Nemecek as McCoy. Also joining in were Chris Doohan reprising the role of Scotty, which his father James Doohan made famous. And two Apollos — Michael Forest, reprising his role from the 1967 Trek episode "Who Mourns for Adonais?" and a cameo from Jamie Bamber, who played Apollo in Syfy's "Battlestar Galactica" reboot.

As each episode was produced, Mignogna would find a way to include many familiar faces and voices. Like Marina Sirtis as the ship's computer. Grant Imahara of "MythBusters" fame, "Doctor Who" star Colin Baker, "Buck Rogers and the 25th Century" legend Erin Gray, and even the Hulk himself, Lou Ferrigno.

"People that make something for passion understand," Mignogna said. "People who make something out of love, they understand. My cast and crew is literally full of people who understand what we are doing. They are fully behind it, as opposed to people who are only doing it if they can get a payday out of it."

Actors get a free plane ticket to Georgia, a hotel room, food and transportation on filming days, and that's about it. Anyone who asks for more simply aren't included, Mignogna said. Even Ferrigno waived his usual appearance fee for the chance to don green makeup again and play an Orion slave trader in "Lolani."

"I was showing Lou what I was working on once, and he told me he was a big Star Trek fan," Mignogna said. "I told him if I ever came up with a good story and could use him, we would do it. And we came up with a story."

"Lolani" featured "Bates Motel" actress Fiona Vroom as an Orion slave, the lone survivor of what was some type of mishap on a Tellarite vessel. Ferrigno was Zaminhon, her owner, who shows up on the Enterprise to recollect his property — creating a moral dilemma that Kirk must try to resolve.

The five episodes released so far have racked up more than 4 million views on YouTube, with a sixth currently in post-production. "Continues" has launched a few crowdfunding campaigns since the release of the first episode, and has since looked to create each installment at about $75,000 each.

"If you think about it, an original episode of 'Star Trek' cost $115,000 to make in the 1960s," Mignogna said. "To make one today of the same production quality, it would cost $1 million. We are making episodes that most anybody would argue are as good as — and according to Rod Roddenberry even better than — the original series episodes. All for just $70,000 to $80,000."

A crowdfunding campaign last year was designed to fund the fifth and sixth episodes as well as build an engine room set. However, Mignogna and his crew worked so efficiently, they said they had money left over to start a seventh episode. The latest crowdfunding goal is $350,000 — money that will be used not only to pay the $5,500 monthly rent and utilities for the "Continues" set in Georgia, but to finish the seventh episode, and produce the eighth, ninth and tenth episodes as well.

In just its first five days, the campaign already has raised nearly $50,000, including five donors who paid $125 each to have a pair of screen-used Spock ears autographed by Haberkorn.

The bad news is that this campaign is the beginning of the end. Mignogna has planned for only 13 episodes, enough he feels to bridge the gap between the original series, and 1979's "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." And he says he thanks God for each and every opportunity he has to fulfill this dream.

"My passion and drive for making this production is so pure, it's almost childlike, as when I first discovered 'Star Trek,'" Mignogna said. "I have no interst in being famous from it, and I have no interest in making money from it. It is purely from my desire to show my love and appreciation for the way 'Star Trek' inspired me.

"There could be no better way to spend my hard-earned money after paying my bills. What better way to spend money than on something that gives you great joy and great pleasure. And that's what 'Star Trek' always gives me."
Mignogna: 'Continues' Fan Series Leads By Example | 1701News »

 

The new engine room...

 

That is a beautiful shot ! And accurate !

Well done folks ..

 

It's amazing what you can do with creative lighting. The set itself is relatively basic, but the lighting makes it so much more interesting and appealing.

 

Exactly what they did do great effect on Star Trek: TOS...

 

You know, I have to say that I am SO impressed with 'Star Trek Continues". They were able to resist the human temptation of "We're Gonna Do it Our Own Way And Make it Better", and instead, faithfully recreated the Original series. The way they made the sets match is ASTOUNDING. It goes to show when everyone is on the same page, how miracles can be accomplished.
I also am very impressed with Mr. Mignogna, and his obvious love of the original show and his dedication to this. Well done, Capt. Kirk!

Boy, I would love to see the same thing done with "Dallas". That was my favorite show, and the "reboot" from a couple years ago was a disaster because the writers and producers did not understand the original series. If they can do such a great job with "Star Trek Continues" with not a lot of money, I think someone could do the same with "Dallas". It would be amazing.

 

Man! I would just LOVE to walk through this !...

 

'Star Trek Continues': Vic Mignogna Beams Us to a Fan-made Final Frontier »

 

I hope it's better than the last episode about the frigging civil war! At least this tidbit from the link sounds promising!

Mignogna: I will tell you this: Our next episode is going to be so groundbreaking, nobody has ever done anything like this. I don't want to give away too much, but I will tell you that the engineering room will be featured prominently. It will be making its screen debut in Episode 6

 

Umm, I haven't seen any of the others, but the first episode is pure gold. I have been very critical of many of the official and fan-produced Star Treks, but this one stands out as shockingly good. Maybe watch more than five minutes, please?

 

The Star Trek Continues Series is just about the best thing on You Tube. it amazes me at how true it is to the original. People who say they hate it do not UNDERSTAND what they are trying to do. They arent "imitating" TOS, they are carrying on as if the series had lasted another year.

Live Long and Prosper.

 

Star Trek TOS was cancelled after three seasons. The Enterprise was on a five-year mission. STC is continuing the mission.

 

I am not an actor by any means but how cool would it be to watch them film for a day! Would be cool to visit the sets and meet the people involved. I wonder where in Georgia they film.

 

Oh same here. I have a brother who lives in Florida and occasionally I drive down to visit. I usually drive through Georgia on the way down so I can also stop and visit a friend who lives in Athens.

I WOULD make a side trip to visit these sets .....!