This is the 29th entry in a surprisingly long series of posts about Star Trek’s future and its fandom called Crisis of Infinite Star Treks.
Frankly, I though we’d all be done with all things Axanar by now, but since certain Star Trek “fans” continue to try and fleece other fans, I needed to weigh in again.
I’ll cut the chase: Axanar Productions (Alec Peters, et al), the folks who crowdfunded about $1.4 million to make a feature film and spent it all while not making said film are back trying to raise more money via Indiegogo.
Again: they raised a ton of cash promising to do something. They spent the cash, not doing at all what they promised — and are back to ask for more money. In this case, they’re saying it’s not for Axanar per se, but for a non-profit studio, even as they are losing their studio space (more on that below).
Before you –or anyone you know– sends them any money, know that there are two outcomes of any of their crowdfunding efforts based on their previous words and deeds:
- They are grossly incompetent, will waste any crowdfunds, and will not deliver on what they promised.
- They are insidiously greedy, will not deliver, and will spend crowdfunds on something other than what they promised.
I’m thinking they’re going with the slime-covered door # 2 in this scenario.
It’s not that starting a studio with a focus to help aspiring filmmakers tell their stories isn’t a bad idea. It’s quite cool, in fact. But it’s a tremendous undertaking that takes a particular passion. And I haven’t seen that particular passion of helping other people make films come from the Axanar crew.
What I have seen from Alec Peters and the Axanar crew has been not delivering on their own project — and the reasons why they haven’t delivered require one to maintain a level of cognitive dissonance that exceeds warp 10. And we all know how bad that gets.
I’ve mentioned this in both the 27th and 28th entries, but it bears repeating: if you are to take Alec Peters at his word, working on Axanar has been:
1) A full-time job which is just a hobby, for which he
2) required a completely reasonable salary which is not a salary because he paid it back
3) to produce a professional feature film that is simultaneously a fan film
4) to be shot in a studio which is a commercial studio except when it’s not and is just a warehouse
5) and they were all ready to begin shooting in the beginning of 2016 yet the studio/warehouse still isn’t ready for shooting (and which they’re vacating by the end of April 2017).
6) and they have been working meticulously to get every detail adhere exactly to Star Trek canon because they’re doing this for the true Star Trek fans,
7) but this is in no way a Star Trek film
8) which the Axanar team knew could not be made the moment the lawsuit was filed in December 2015
9) which is one of the reasons the Axanar team continually argued they wouldn’t settle the lawsuit unless they could make that film the Star Trek fans really wanted
10) and so Alec Peters and Axanar spent the $1.4 million as promised
11) to make the Star Trek fan film that’s a professional film that’s not a Star Trek film
12) except they didn’t make the film.
So let’s say for the sake of argument that, upon much reflections, the Axanar team has decided they will channel their energies into creating a non-profit studio. Well, they’ve just said that, at the end of this month, they don’t have a studio!
Have they updated their Indiegogo campaign meant to raise funds for this studio? From their own announcement, it’s quite vague about who owns what, except that Axanar Productions is now no longer intertwined with Industry Studios… though it sounds like Axanar Productions might still get the crowdfunding for this Industry Studios campaign, which would be odd. For example, who fulfills the studio rental perks?
And then the Axanar sets will need to be moved… somewhere. In fact, anywhere in the United States seems to be an option per the announcement. Are funds from this current campaign going to moving and storing the sets? Is using crowdfunding for Axanar activities even kosher under the settlement with CBS/Paramount?
Yeah, some clarification on the campaign page might be in order.
And if the Axanar sets move outside of California, is it even logical to try and have Axanar Productions located in California? As mentioned in a previous entry, they’ve been saying for over a year that they’re pursuing non-profit status and while the process is detailed, it really doesn’t take that long and California spells out the steps. If they really are at “step # 7” as the announcement indicates, we should know about their board of directors, their bylaws, and they could also mention the most important step: getting tax-exempt status from the Feds. (Hint: if you want to know what that could look like, look at what the Star Trek Continues crew did and posted on their website for all to see).
Sigh.
Those of you who have read my previous posts in this series know I have long since exhausted my patience with Axanar.
But you don’t need to be exhausted nor be a “hater” to choose Door # 1 in this scenario: they’re incompetent.
Axanar Productions crowdfunded $1.4 million and failed to deliver what they promised. They’ve just announced they won’t have a studio — the central tenet of this campaign. And frankly, I have to believe other studio spaces in the Los Angeles area have sprung up in the past few decades to meet indie filmmakers’ needs (and some may even be soundproofed!). Axanar doesn’t have a track record and they now don’t have the facility. They don’t deserve your money.
However, I’m going to still go with Door # 2: greed. They advertised this latest campaign as the natural progression of their work, as if the 8,500 supporters of their Kickstarter campaign or 7,600 supporters of their previous Indiegogo campaign were wanting a studio instead of the Star Trek film advertised.
And now the studio itself is out of their hands.
We already know the $1.4 million did not result in completed sets or a properly soundproofed studio. We also know from court documents that Alec Peters used crowdfunds on personal expenses. He also seems to like having a web of shell corporations, which really does not inspire trust.
Whether you think it’s incompetence or greed, Star Trek fans don’t let fellow fans donate to Axanar (and yes, that means Industry Studios, Quark Enterprises, or whatever other names they come up with). Spread the word.
And hey, feel free to let Indiegogo know about this dubious campaign as well.
UPDATE, April 8th, 10:30 ET
Evidently, realizing that their Indiegogo campaign being for a studio space they no longer control looks a tad sketchy (presumably even into Indiegogo), Axanar is trying to update the campaign.
UPDATE #2: April 9th, 2:30pm ET
Besides the various conversations happening on Reddit and the various Facebook groups (e.g. the original CPvA group, CPvA Alumni Pie Club, Axamonitor) Carlos Pedraza has written an update on the Axanar/Industry studio shenanigans on Axamonitor proper. Between that article and many of the screenshots on the Facebook group, you get the impression that the vitriol directed at people questioning Alec and Axanar’s motives is not at all uncommon — and just as ridiculous and silly. Of course, I’m probably only saying that because I’m clearly doubleplusungood.
Oh, and I’m thinking of introducing myself as “Bjorn Munson, Anonymous Blogger” in the future.
Thank you for the very clear and perfectly accurate summation of the downfall that need never have happened. Alec was so positive that he could make Axanar without the brain trust that delivered Prelude. He scoffed and dismissed us, even as we warned him of everything that would befall him if he stopped heeding our counsel- (and I do mean everything– don’t fool yourselves folks- that guy was explicitly warned what would happen to him if he acted on his scheme to build himself a studio. Sadly, the fact that he denies our warnings happened is merely further testament to his inability to hear feedback. Something he proves every time a donor asks crazy old Garth a fair question. His pomposity shouldn’t have been such a shock to those of us who endured his nearly complete ignorance of the filmmaking process during Prelude. It isn’t the first time we’ve seen someone not meant for the entertainment business taste their first teaspoon of success only to reveal themselves as selfish, power mad and believing of their own BS.
The only dubious thing I see here is a self appointed nameless blogger who doesn’t investigate the facts and thinks the few readers he has are too stupid to research the information themselves.
I could probably spend an hour correcting all your mistakes here, from the fact the donor money was drained by a 13 month lawsuit, to your attempts to be judge and jury on a case that was eventually settled without your moronic input, but that would be a waste of my time.
People like you only have significance in their little lives, when they unjustly accuse other’s create efforts, because they couldn’t possibly create anything worthwhile on their own.
Given that you think I’m being anonymous by me (Bjorn Munson) posting this on my website, cunningly called BjornMunson.com, I’m not inclined to take your critique that seriously.
The crowdfunding was for a film, not to pay legal fees or a hardly used warehouse. If there is an argument to be made to the contrary, it would seem now is the time to make it, as the 15,000-some backers of the campaigns that funded the now-non-film seem to be sorely lacking in the current campaign.
Your rather generic ad hominem attack is similarly silly. You have no way of knowing the nooks and crannies of what I find significant in life — and it doesn’t sound like you’ve done any searching for what significance I might have in other people’s lives nor creative works I’ve done. Even if you did, your judgment won’t change my feelings of my own worth.
I do feel sorry that you feel so compelled to defend the indefensible and can only hope you do not choose to emulate Axanar Productions. Their deeds and misdeeds are not worthy of song, Klingon or otherwise.
As “Christine” has stated, go ahead, Charles, spend that hour and fill your response with actual facts. You appear to be the typical bully sycophant for Axanar who attacks anyone that disagrees with Alec Peters. So, go for it, show us how what we are reading on Axamonitor and on the Trekzone video blogs are incorrect. Explain to us how the lawsuit “drained” the money. Go into details because you act like those of us who donated and are now critical don’t have any credibility or facts. Please explain why it is that when anyone is critical of Axanar or Peters on a Facebook page or blog controlled by him they are insulted, discounted, vilified, censored, and banned. Take a look on those sites and show me where the criticism is tolerated. Good luck as it has been sanitized for Alec’s protection. You claim that this blog writer was “unjust” PROVE IT! We are all waiting for your detailed and illuminating response.
Why sure Carl (whoever you really are) I’ll reply to all your questions as soon As Carlos Pedraza replies to mine which I have been asking for all the bullshit lies he posted on TrekMovie.com Seems to me if your hero won’t even reply to questions about his own attacks…I don’t see why I have to reply to yours…see how life works? Then ask your hero why he has been asked NOT to return to Trekmovie because the don’t want to support Cawley’s blog surrogate….Carlos Pedraza
Carlos Pedraza’s article:
http://trekmovie.com/2017/01/20/axanar-studios-settle-star-trek-copyright-infringement-lawsuit/
My questions:
So Carlos, how do you know the details of not only the current settlement, but also the one in April (not March) as they were not public? Unless you can show proof, are you are just creating facts that don’t exist. Are you going to claim your usual unnamed sources?
Could it be you are using your usual journalistic, sorry bloggeristic, lack of integrity to continue to defame Alec Peters in hopes people will forget that in the last 12 months you have gotten EVERY prediction, assumption, crystal ball premonition completely wrong and now you want to continue hide that fact.
He are some real facts….pay attention, you may learn something…
1. Alec Peters made a Star Trek Fan film. Admitting he used IP, just like Star Trek New Voyages (which you have been a part of) and Star Trek New Continues is hardly news. It may be part of the settlement….not a church confessional.
2. If you say the details of the settlement may never be public….how do you claim to know them?
3. You claim you don’t know what will happen with the Axanar production. Perhaps you should read this http://fanfilmfactor.com/2017/01/20/more-details-about-the-settlement-in-the-axanar-lawsuit/#comment-4840
It’s the only blog site which actually states the facts without your agenda to slant the news against Alec.
4. Without having any actual experience in a well-made fan film, you have no idea what Alec Peters can do with the resources he has and the resources he can acquire. Thus you are making an uneducated assumption
5. If you had read the actual details of the settlement, you would know that Axanar does not have to follow all CBS Guidelines. He can use the same pro-actors from Prelude for instance.
6. Again, if you actually knew the terms, you would know that Robert Meyer Burnett, and all other professionals are free to continue to be part of Axanar again. Only Terry McIntosh, and Christian Gossett will not be invited to return as they have no marketable abilities, and stabbed Alec Peters in the back, to save their own skins.
7. Though true the settlement prohibits Peters from seeking public crowdfunding for Axanar. Private donations remain allowed, Private donations do not have monetary limits, as stated by CBS’ John Van Citters, so you’re wrong again.
8. Terry McIntosh has been claiming for months he has a case against Axanar. He also claimed he “Bomblast” information in his deposition that would bring down Alec Peters for CBS. Obviously, CBS did not take him seriously.
9. Carlos, according to you on your Axanar FB hater group “CBS/Paramount vs. Axanar”, you and your friends have been claiming investigations by various county cops, State and Federal agencies, for over a year. There has not been ONE inquiry, not ONE investigation of your fantasy claims. Guess no one takes you seriously there either. 10. Anyone who even lightly researches what a class action lawsuit is, will discover you are full of crap. Specially since you can only produce half a dozen dissatisfied donors out of 14,000. Alec Peters followed all crowdfunding rules toward his campaign. You don’t have anything that proves otherwise. 11. Since there are no legal actions beyond the CBS lawsuit, besides you constant crystal ball premonitions of what you wish would happen, there is no reason to file for bankruptcy.
12. Since CBS didn’t see the issues you seem to fantasize about to continue the lawsuit, there is no reason for a thorough examination of Axanar’s finances. Since there will be no other legal actions pending that you can show, and you and your minions are not of any importance to produce any review for your inspection, whatever Alec produces will be for donors who believed in him. Not people like you determined to destroy him.
Too bad you refuse to include a comment section in your blog for anyone to reply to all the crap you’ve been wrong about for a whole year. Luckily, this site has no such restriction.
CONGRATULATIONS Alec Peters!!! We have success, and Axanar will be made! CBS/Paramount decided in eventual wisdom to settle a lawsuit which should have never been brought in the first place. In the end, Alec has been vindicated. His love of Star Trek and determination, shows what donors always believed. That Alec Peters could be trusted to do what he promised. Any lesser man would have walked away.
“Terms of the settlement agreement include an agreement to allow Axanar Productions to continue showing PRELUDE TO AXANAR commercial-free on YouTube and to allow Axanar Productions to produce the AXANAR feature film as two fifteen-minute segments that can be distributed on YouTube (also without ads)”.
Alec couldn’t do it alone. Your support was the most important enduring, and humbling gift you could have given him. Through all of you, Alec gained the strength to fight the unsurmountable odds of overcoming an what was believed to be an unbeatable corporation. This was the true story of David and Goliath.
Hopefully this will be the end of that small group of detractors, who have spent the last 12 months and thousands of hours making false predictions, assessments, retractions, and all out lies. Everything they said about Alec Peters and Axanar was wrong. Now I wonder what detracting fake news bloggers will do, as they have lost all credibility, and can no longer making money from their agenda. In the end, haters and liers, never prosper and succeed.
But today is a day for believers and supporters of the truth. Congratulate yourselves in your intelligence, your ability to see through the rhetoric, and support what you believe in, what we believe in. Axanar is not the end. It is only a great beginning. We will see great things from Alec Peters. Not only on what he does now, but the great things he’ll do in the future. Thank you my friends for your support.
Oh, this site has restrictions, but also leeway up to a certain point (this is “anonymous blogger” Bjorn Munson, by the way, whose site you’re on).
I’m including this to allow this posts readers –who now appear to be exponentially greater in number than the number of current Indiegogo campaign supporters– to make comparisons.
If you really want a full back-and-forth with the various people you’ve named, you may wish to engage them on some of the many Facebook sites or the Reddit discussion. I say that because I’ve observed comments going faster and freer on those public venues.
In any case, you have convinced me you really, _really_ like Alec Peters, if nothing else. So there’s that.
Well, that’s an interesting assumption BJornPrime. If I was to assume your post in question, I would say you must really really hate Alec Peters.
Thing is, with all you’ve assessments you made of Peters, none of it is with any proof, only unproven comments by obvious haters with an agenda. I’m sure you haven’t even investigated that agenda created by Carlos Pedaza who co-created the hater group in the first place.
The only fact is that the courts, government agencies, and CBS did not charge or convict of anything other than unauthorized IP usage. Everything else is a fantasy pushed by malcontents 14 months, who cannot create anything worthwhile of their own.
Now Carlos Pedraza is trying to bullshit about Alec being evicted from the studio. Yet when he’s proven wrong again, he’ll just say it didn’t come from him….but “unnamed” sources….
Mr. Charles,
I am exactly who I say I am, no handle, no cute Star Trek character name, and no first name only. I am Carl Norman. The same guy who donated $200 to Axanar on Kickstarter and $160 on Indiegogo. I donated $1 on the current Studio Indiegogo campaign, but Alec refunded me my $1 because I am a “hater” and a “trouble maker”, according to him.
Here is a response to your 12.8 numbered rant:
1. Ok, it is indeed a fact that Alec Peters made a Star Trek film. Nobody, here on this blog or anywhere on the other pages and blogs seems to dispute that as not being true. What’s the point? Yes, you correctly mention that he used an IP that did not belong to him. He has NOT, however, delivered on what he pledged to provide to donors, the final 90 minute Axanar feature. The folks from New Voyages and Continues have always delivered to their donors, in fact, and this is just my opinion, they have exceeded expectations. Alec has not.
2. How in the hell do you know any of the details of this lawsuit that you are accusing others of not knowing?
3. Most of us make the claim that we don’t know what will happen with the Axanar production because all we get is spin and propaganda, a limited financial report that really doesn’t tell us where the money really went, and now we are being told to accept that the loss of the boondoggle decision to invest in a “not ready for primetime” studio/warehouse only to be evicted with the loss of the infrastructure paid for by donors, is somehow a good thing for the donors and that we are “Warping Out” to happiness, but if you want refund from the current Indiegogo campaign you’ll get your money back. As for Fan Film Factor, right, are you serious? Do you really think we believe that propaganda site? Flim Flam Fan Film Factor is a mouthpiece for Alec.
4. I have no actual experience in fan films. Please explain to me how the decisions Alec has made with respect to the studio and his being the steward of donor money has been successful to date How is he going to actually fulfill all the things both the Axanar Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns are supposed to deliver? How are we going to get our 90-minute feature, on Blu-Ray? When is that going to happen? When are we going to get what was actually pledged to donors? The patches are groovy, but we didn’t donate for a set of $3 patches.
5. Please, if you have a copy of the settlement then share with us why you have access to it and we, the donors do not. Give us some details, please.
6. Once again you beat your chest that you seem to know all these stunning facts from the settlement but unfortunately we mere donors don’t have those data points to draw the curve. I am sure Christian and Terry are both crying themselves to sleep every night about not being part of the Axanar adventure any longer. Just ask them.
7. And yet we have this current Indiegogo campaign for the studio and we are told at one time the studio is not part of Axanar and then all of a sudden it is part of Axanar. Well, we do understand that Axanar donor money (i.e. MY MONEY) was used to pay for the rent and build-out infrastructure for the site. Now we are told that this latest PUBLIC CROWDSOURCING campaign is not for Axanar, but Axanar was dependent upon using Industry Studios to be completed and the sets, also paid for with OUR MONEY, now need a new home. Oh, and all those infrastructure build-outs to the studio that donor money bought, they are going to Danny the Landlord as a bonus gift. Wow! What a Warp Out Great Deal for the Donors!
8. Don’t take this the wrong way, but most of us tend to believe a disgruntled former member of the Axanar team over the continued spin from Alec and guys like you that are his internet thug enforcers. You see, many of us, and me in particular, simply posted reasonable and justifiable concerns on the official Axanar FB pages and blogs when the lawsuit was first announced. In my case I was immediately banned and my question posting was censored aka deleted from the page. I contacted Alec via PM and e-mail and he seemed concerned and went through the motions to get me back on the page. But whenever I showed concern I was hammered, censored, and, just recently, banned from all the Axanar pages, including the “Donor Only Forum” page that was a perk promised me for donating to both Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Now I am blocked so don’t get what was pledged to me by the campaigns. I am not only donor with concerns that has been treated unfairly, being attacked, insulted, and dismissed. There are many of us and, frankly, many of us are now the insurgency against the continued riff-raff and inappropriate dealings of Peters and guys like you that it is almost amusing that such and insurgency can be caused by the unprofessional behavior of someone that wants and needs the support of fans and donors.
9. I don’t know the number of investigations or their status, but I have lodged complaints to Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Facebook, and the California Attorney General’s Office. Whatever the status or number of investigations, there are plenty of us who donated and have been treated poorly and who have great concerns that our money was squandered and wasted.
10. We’ll see. I never thought a class action lawsuit on a crowdsourcing debacle would be easy, but if one happen, I will definitely be interested in partaking.
11. I have no inside Baseball information on this aspect, but I can’t see how Axanar productions is going to pull off a win in this situation. I’ve read that Peter’s other business ventures have not gone well, so maybe there is a track record here. Whatever. Most of us don’t have serious expectations that we will ever see the Axanar we donated to see or ever see our money back. Most of us are here to make sure Peter’s is held accountable in some way, even if it is just by reputation going forward.
12. Sorry, pal, but I am calling bullshit on that. Many of us would like to see a true accounting of the finances. Not that “happy to be glad” joke of a financial report that was released. That was pathetic and far from transparent. So, what you are saying is that if donors “don’t believe in Alec” then tough shit. Right.
12.4 You are critical of Carlos for not having a comment section on his site, which is incredible! The comment section for discussion of all things Axanar should be on the official Axanar FB pages and blogs, but because censorship and Gestapo tactics are used there is no such thing as real discussion on Axanar because of thugs and censorship. Why should Carlos sponsor a place for free discussion when the official Axanar venues are so restricted and censored? Kudos and appreciation to Bjorn for allowing his site to be used. The reason Alec runs the pages like a Soviet Propaganda Minister is because he doesn’t want the truth to get out that people are pissed, people have lost confidence, and he is afraid to be confronted by real people who have a beef. He would rather bask in the glory of his sycophant followers who believe everything he tells them. He has guys like you who claim to be insiders are claim to be spewing facts when in reality you are what Colonel Kurtz said in “Apocalypse Now”: “…you’re an errand boy sent by grocery clerks to collect the bill…”.
12.8 The rest of your posing rant is more of the usual Alec worship bullshit you like to spew. It is tiring and old. We asked you for specific facts and you went off on your typical tough guy rant. You beat your chest that you have insider information on the settlement and how Axanar is being managed but you never really provide any real facts.
Carl, very nice of you to reply for Carlos Pedraza who refuses to address his accusations…unfortunately, since you are not Carlos Pedraza it would be a waste of my time to address them. I’m sure you understand.
I will address one thing though. Like many others who blindly follow Carlos without question, maybe you should do a little research in Petdraza’s IMDB. Maybe you’ll notice the connection between Him and Cawley. Interesting how Pedraza decided to start a blog always poating Alec Peters and Axanar in a bad light after Cawley and Peters had a falling out. Interesting in spite of Cawley’s last kickstarter where he took in 50K and never produced a show or delivered perks, how Petraza never mentions that…hummmm.
Mr. Charles,
Nice try to re-direct. I only know Carlos from seeing his postings on FB and reading his blog. I don’t speak for him and he doesn’t speak for me, however I certainly find him to be far more credible that Peters or you. You won’t waste your time on me? In other words you can’t bring the facts that we have requested to this “discussion” can you?
Why are you bringing Carlos and James Cawley into the discussion? We aren’t interested in them. We didn’t give Carlos any money and the donations we gave Cawley’s production were actually used to deliver what they promised. So far I have a few digital downloads of PDF files and some $3 patches from Axanar Productions.
You are the typical Fan Film Flim Flam operative who goes on line to defend your hero Peters by attacking everyone else and claiming that Peters is legitimate without addressing any of the real concerns people who have donated have on how he has (mis)managed the donor money and FAILED to produce Axanar. You and Peters have lots of excuses and no real answers. When any of us put any pressure on you we see your usual tactic of insults, censorship, re-direction, and even threats. You’re a bully and a very unpleasant person. Despite your internet “tough guy” routine, we see you for what you really are, weak. If you and Lord Flim Flam are so righteous then why the censorship and banning from the official pages and blog? Why are you always in attack mode? Because you have no real credible answers to the concerns we have and you want to silence dissent. But you’re just not smart enough to realize that the more you suppress the more pissed-off and committed people become to seeing this who pathetic affair brought to light and that the people responsible for such malfeasance and incompetence never get to do this to anyone else. Tell your pal Alec Peters to have some real guts and open up the Axanar Facebook pages to allow for true and open discussions. He won’t because he is afraid and he knows he cannot logically or ethically explain his actions. Censorship, intimidation and attacking other people in the “industry” and even people who have donated to his cause are his hallmarks.
Christian Gossett has been running his mouth, taking all the credit for Preude to Axanar, yet anyone who actually worked on Prelude to Axanar are pissed off at him for totally dropping the ball and failing to do half the work a director is expected to do. He failed to give Richard Hatch his script revisions, resulting in Hatch being totally unprepared on the day of the shoot. He failed to give the editor his “selects”, his choices of the takes he wanted, so editor Rob Burnett has to do all the work himself. He failed to give the VFX team any direction, and after 10 months of not doing any work and collecting $5,000 in salary, he quit Axanar because he couldn’t do the most basic work or revising the script. He then bad mouthed the work of Rob Burnett who directed and edited The Vulcan Scene, a piece Christian said was “impossible” and then said was “crap”.
EVERY single creative member of the Prelude to Axanar team returned to work on Axanar. Only the few below the line people Christian brought with him didn’t return to Axanar.
Gossett is a total liar and everyone knows it was his inability to actually get work done that lead to him leaving Axanar, something he did on Facebook since he didn’t have the professionalism to do so properly. A lack of professionalism Christian shows every time he trash talks Axanar.
And when Christian quit, the professionals who stayed behind felt it was the best thing that could have happened. Everyone was tired of his bullshit and lack of work ethic.
Is there any wonder no one will hire Christian to direct anything? The word is out, Christian lacks any work ethic and any professionalism. Why would anyone hire a person who acts so unprofessionally?
In the interest of giving Christian a chance to respond, I’ve included this. However, this is a personal site, not a debating society, so if you all won’t be both civil and succinct, this conversation can happen elsewhere.
Hi Alec.
Since you’re the top man here, and clearly an honest and fair and reasonably businessman, standing atop of moral mountain where these scummy people like Carlos and Christian look up at you with spiteful envy, I’d like to ask….
….where’s all the money collected in cash and by app from conventions? Surely if you’d like to discredit these other people, you’d answer that question you’ve been avoiding answering since myself and many others asked.
It’s not listed in any financial records or reports, but we all know it happened (and can vouch for that) so…. where is the money?
Surely a competent and honest man would be able to tell us? Alec? ‘Robert’? Charles? Anyone?
“Robert April” is so obviously Alec Butthurt Peters it’s laughable. You flushed a million and a half dollars and have nothing to show for it, dude – your reputation went with it. Give it up, dude, your fan-funded fantasy life is over.
In fairness, I did not think it was the original captain of the Enterprise. (-:
This is a hilarious bit of spin, and I wonder why Alec won’t simply post it in his own name? I assure you it’s him, and if the claims in it were true, he wouldn’t have to hide behind a fictional name. Alec, the reason you’re hiding behind an army of anonymous posts is because in your Mediocrity and failure, you have to make it appear as if there are ‘professionals’ working with you beside Rob and Tobias. You’re mostly alone now and you’re getting kicked out of your bunker in Valencia. I spoke to Rob just this past weekend at Wondercon. There was no hate. That’s just you wishing he did because you do. I spoke to Milton who asked me not to pay any attention to the lies you say in his name. He said he’s not working with you and hasn’t spoken with you in months. He said he tries to pay as little attention to you as possible, shaking his head about the lies you constantly tell. You literally lied in your deposition and my testimony proved it, which is why you were forced back for a second deposition. Forced. Your lawyer couldn’t protect you from it because it had been proven that you lied under oath. You say i lied in court, and yet was I forced back? Nope. Just you. And what happened? You settled. You gave up. You once spoke of taking the fight all the way to the Supreme Court– but nah. You settled, tail between your legs. I’ll continue this in another post– you see, I am currently co-directing a $60 million dollar animated feature being produced by legends in the industry. The real industry, not the delusional place in which you live. You should stop wasting your time ranting at me though, you’ve got some serious packing to do on your way out of town.
Christian, Thanks for filling us in, and good luck with your new project.
Bjorn, Thanks for keeping up with this story.
This is typical Alec Peters. His ego is so out of control that his methods and tactics are the same each time. He censors, bans, and trys to control the message on sites and pages that he controls. On public sites, such as this one, he post with an anonymous handle thinking we don’t know it is really him. He then makes the same Alec Peters rant and rave that many of us have seen over and over again. All this does is demonstrate that he is a coward, he is dishonest, and he is incompetent. If it wasn’t for the fact that people have been ripped-off of their money, this whole affair would actually be amusing. It is really a hoot watching Peters and the other Axanar clowns act like Soviet propaganda minsters spinning bad news into good news and using censorship, insults, and intimidation by from their sycophant fan boys to silence anyone that objects to what they are doing. They can attempt to control the message and paint a rosy picture all they want, but the facts clearly demonstrate a regular pattern of incompetence, intolerance, greed, and just bad behavior. The more people they censor, insult, and cross the more people are going to be fighting against them. It is amazing that they can’t understand this simple aspect of reality. But then Alex has been living in his own lie for some time and he just can’t sort out fact from fiction. Fortunately most of us can and we see him for what he truly is: Dishonest and without any honor. Karma is inbound, he can stand-by.
Biggest thing is to know that over $1 M was raised and there is neither a film nor a studio.
PS I use my real name. I’ve got nothing to hide.
‘Robert’, there’s a review of the scrip you wrote for Axanar, BTW, and it’s not nice to it at all: https://www.reddit.com/r/startrek/comments/48dv1q/i_have_the_axanar_script_heres_my_review/
Charles, do please spend that hour to post corrections, but do it with citations. Be respectful, as this IS Mr. Munson’s personal website. We’d love to ask questions in the “Who Monitors Axamonitor” group, but as of yet no one outside of Mr. Peter’s court has been allowed in to do so and questions asked in other groups/pages have been met with hostility and censorship. Many of those people want their questions answered, not a link to a statement they already read. That’s why they still have questions. Remember, a lot of these people are the ones who paid for all of this, so the honorable thing to do would be to at least appease them.
Mr. Peters, Matthew Miller gave you a chance at a fair and unbiased interview and you attacked him. His questions were no different then what any other reporter would’ve asked. He may still give you another chance at an interview despite having come out against you because he is capable of being fair mined. Since “Prelude” was completed, Mr. Gossett has also completed/worked on how many other projects? I am sorry, but I have a hard time believing he is that incompetent and/or hard to work with. If you don’t like him and what he has to say, ignore him. The best way to silence the “haters” is to stay off the internet and complete the project. Oh, and deliver on promised backer perks. It could’ve been that simple.
Well, Christian Gossett, I’m using my real name, and I work for Disney and other Theme park Studios under my corporation, and I’m calling you out.
If you are truly telling the truth about who’s idea it was to acquire the studio, then publish your deposition. From my understanding you said on it that the idea to get the LA studio was yours, because you refused to work on Cawley’s set. I know you have a copy, so don’t bullshit you don’t. Your friend Terry released his. Too bad HIS claims that he had “bombshells” against Alec turned out to be false.
While you’re at it, tell us about this so called 60 Million film you’re been claiming your working on for months now. I’m curious why they would hire a comic book artist without any experience on a big budget picture. Or is this more bullshit you’re passing off on us.
Put your money where your mouth is dude.
Dude, use some common sense. No one with experience in the business would tell someone that their most economical option is to buy a sound stage (or, worse, convert a warehouse into a sound stage) when sound stages are available to rent. If one sound stage is not ideal for a shoot then the suggestion will be to rent a different, existing sound stage for just the period of time you need to film.
Loyalty to friends is an admirable trait, but it shouldn’t mean you check your brain at the door.
Kate you must not have a brain to use and read my post. I asked Christian to show his his deposition as proof that it wasn’t his idea for the studio.
Maybe, just maybe before you blindly follow Christian you should goggle his IMDB. He’s a comic book writer…that’s all. He’s not a Hollywood producer, a director, and anything else that would warrant him any expertise.
Alec on the other hand has been a businessman who has worked with Hollywood studios for years in prop collections, dealing with producers, actors, and studio heads.
Christian and Alec used to be good friends. Christian convinced Alec to build a studio in LA. I’m sure Alec agreed out of friendship. Alec also gave Christian his first chance at directing, and for all accounts from people who worked with him on Prelude, he made a compete mess of things.
So I’m very interested to know who would possibly give Christian anything thing more than maybe drawing effects post production.
Kate, thank you so much for pointing out to Alec’s servile mouthpiece the reality that exposes the sad weirdness of his and his master’s arguments. To have to hold to the hilariously stupid notion that Alec allowed anyone to control expenditure is their last, pathetic bit of delusion, and it looks like they will suck on it like the pacifier that it is. I’m not going to address the freakish thrall, because I don’t have to, thanks to you. Alec must be so busy packing his bags and dumping patches off at the dump that he needs this chauvinistic minion to strut and fret for him. Pathetic, as usual. I don’t need to prove to him the wonderful project I’m on is real, because it simply is. I look forward to the public announcement being made, and until then, I’ll stay mum regarding details because that is what we do. Rob himself congratulated me on it at Wondercon, hilariously enough. To be called out by someone of consequence would get a response, sure. But to have some troll, hopped up on the lies of his master, froth at me? Yeah no. I’d rather send you this message, Kate- and to You, Carl, and to Bjorn, and to everyone who has defended reality against the delusion of these poor, unfortunate souls. It’s a pleasure to be counted among you. I propose a grand meeting of all of us; wouldn’t that be nice? perhaps we could have it at Mr Luh’s new studio! It’s almost (not quite, but almost) big enough to hold us all.
Funny Christian how you took the time to pick out big words to insult me, but as usual pretend to show facts.
All I see is a little comic book artist who wished he could directed and ended up a failure who walked away with $5,000. Funny, how you claim no responsibility for the studio, and even claimed never working there when Peters has provided pictures.
Sorry Chris, not everyone can be a success. No hiding behind lies will change that. I truly doubt Robert,who I know, and who had to save Prelude from your direction in editing, had anything good to say to you. You both merely shared a stage for a panel. Rob was likely diplomatic as usual.
But hey, you can clear everything up, by providing your deposition and telling us which picture you’re claiming to be working on. If you have nothing to hide, it shouldn’t be a problem. I will gladly apologize if I have erred.
Charles, I’m simply pointing out that your premise defies logic. Indeed, the more you try to sell the narrative that Alec is a good businessman misled by Christian, the worse you actually make him look.
You wrote, “[Christian is] not a Hollywood producer, a director, and anything else that would warrant him any expertise,” whereas Alec “has been a businessman who has worked with Hollywood studios for years in prop collections, dealing with producers, actors, and studio heads.” (Additionally, you say that Christian “made a complete mess of things” when directing Prelude, to further emphasize his inexperience and lack of skill.)
So, what you’re saying here is that the inexperienced member of the team made a suggestion–a suggestion that could have dire financial ramifications for the company, the company’s owner, and the project–and the experienced member of the team said, “Sounds great! Let’s mire ourselves in this financial stupidity” instead of “Ah, no. We’ll work around the limitations of the NV sets. This is a fan film after all.”
Really? Would any truly experienced businessman act on an idea that is clearly foolhardy, particularly when that businessman would be risking his own financial health alongside his company?
You go on to say that “Christian convinced Alec to build a studio in LA. I’m sure Alec agreed out of friendship.” First, “I’m sure” is not a statement of fact. It’s an assumption. If that assumption is correct, however, it makes Alec look like a sap, which undermines your argument that he’s a good businessman. Good businessmen do not risk a million dollars on a bad idea even if friendship is involved. No way, no how.
You can’t have it both ways. If Alec Peters is a good businessman who is experienced in the entertainment industry, and with a firm control over his production, then it is not possible for Christian Gossett to have persuaded him to build his own sound stage, because *even people with no business or industry skills* know that’s a losing proposition. If Alec Peters is so easily manipulated by his director that he wasted close to a million dollars on a bad business deal then he can’t have been the savvy businessman and producer you made him out to be, because *even people with no business or industry skills* know that’s a losing proposition.
Christian doesn’t have to release his deposition because the ultimate decision was Alec’s–whether it was his idea or someone else’s. He bears the responsibility for the problems that stemmed from deciding to go into the sound stage business, a business he embraced until it became a millstone around his neck (See Chicks Who Script, “Sixty: Alec Peters and the Left Brain,” Sept 28, 2015).
Not that it matters. Anyone with sense can see the internal contradictions in the story.
Stop making sense, Kate. They explode when faced with logic.
I brought an umbrella.
I hope the umbrella has some common sense that seems to be lacking in you both…. 😉
Yawn. This is hilarious. A loathesome troll defending a guy who never made his movie wants me to prove I’m making a movie. You wanna attack someone who definitely isn’t making a movie? Look to your gentle master and behold what you seek. You weren’t there for any of the work that was done, Krispy Kreme, so please do us all a favor and ask Spanky to fight his own battles. Your take on these events is formed 100% from spanky’s lies– “Rob saved the movie” lol. If he’s such a dynamo, then where the hell is Axanar? Surely without my burdensome ways holding them back, why, they should have finished it at a blistering pace! Yawn. You’re a silly, servile creature. Can’t you see how nothing Alec tells you adds up? And all you need to know about my dep is that it forced your master back onto the stand, and not long after, Alec’s bravado about the Supreme Court cooled to surrender. I’ll go ahead and let the results speak. Just as my team and I did with Prelude. As for Axanar– well, we are all still waiting, aren’t we? And wait we will. And wait… and wait… actually I’m not waiting. I’m making a movie instead. Every day. You don’t believe me? That’s your brain damage to deal with.
Sam, the last time I looked, fashioning an opinion unproven accusations did not make for accurate logic.
Maybe some schooling in logic and combustibles would do you some good?
Charles, believe me, this isn’t the first time he’s tried to pull the wool over fans eyes. His schemes are as tiresome as they are predictable. The voices against him will only get louder as more folks get screwed.
Mr. Charles,
You continue to avoid providing any facts and your fail, each time you post, to address ANY of our questions or concerns. You just ramble on about how bad other people are without really responding to anything we have mentioned. You don’t like Christian, or James Cawley, or anyone that has anything negative to say about Alec Peters. We get it. Now spend some time addressing the actual concerns we have brought-up. Explain to us why censorship, intimidation, and denied access to the Axanar pages and blog is appropriate? Please, make a post without blaming everyone else and actually address the issues brought to this “discussion.”
Amended. See comment below.
Thank you for making my point Kate.
No matter is said or proved you will take Christian side. It so cute that you believe your assessment can be the only truth. In which case, you are no better than lose who prosecute at stranger you neither do not know or ever will.
And what point is it do you believe that I’ve made?
You haven’t actually addressed anything that I’ve said. If you believe you’re correct then lay out where my reasoning is wrong. I’m not so proud I can’t admit error.
No Charles, I’m not Mr. Gossett. Clearly he can respond himself as he has. You however, still haven’t managed to convince anyone of anything. This, Charles, is an example of a citation by Mss. Stark: “He bears the responsibility for the problems that stemmed from deciding to go into the sound stage business, a business he embraced until it became a millstone around his neck (See Chicks Who Script, “Sixty: Alec Peters and the Left Brain,” Sept 28, 2015).” I’ve given you an assignment and you have yet to complete it. By your own admission Mr. Gossett directed Prelude so even by that alone he is more then a comic book writer. Do please remember again that this is NOT one of your Facebook groups and that it is Mr. Munson’s personal page. Be respectful of his space and the people that come to it.
I will leave you with a final thought Charles:
“It was far easier for you as civilized men to behave like barbarians than it was for them as barbarians to behave like civilized men.”
Mr. Spock
Not at all “Christine”, unlike Axanar/Peter haters I do not make accusations without proof. And I don’t state opinions as facts. In fact, you have no idea who I have been able to convince.
Yes, I did stay Gossett directed, but as you have conveniently failed to mention, I said he directed it badly. If not for Robert’s editing, Prelude would have been a disaster.
I see, if my opinion differs from Mr. Munson, then I should not post? I beg to differ since he is making unsubstantiated accusations in public. This not a “private” page.
I leave you with my own final thought Christine:
“Just because you said it, doesn’t make it right, true, or relevant.”
“Just because you said it, doesn’t make it right, true, or relevant.”
It could just as easily be applied to “Robert April” as much as it can be to you or me or anyone who commented.
Actually, Charles, you do state opinions as facts. You did so in one of your responses to me–your belief that the brilliant businessman Alec was so cowed by the inexperienced Christian that he blew a million dollars on the studio folly . Also, “If not for Robert’s editing, Prelude would have been a disaster” is another opinion. Who can say for sure how Prelude would have turned out with a different cut? No one has seen such a cut, nor has the raw footage been released.
Also, I noticed you failed to respond to my post of 4/10/17 at 12:58 am. Would you care to address any of the points I made in my post of 4/9/17 at 9:33 pm, or are you satisfied trying to claim correctness by merely saying “Thank you for making my point”?
1) I highly enjoyed this blog. Well done.
2) I am highly amused that the first comment was about an anonymous blogger, who’s name is at the top.
3) I suspect that despite producing more than Prelude by a very large margin, you are now known as a talentless hater.
Thanks for the kind words. I actually like Prelude quite a bit — and I’ve produced enough to know producing a really good short film is nothing to sneeze at.
But yes, this is the Internet, so the scope of my accomplishments (such as it is) can be dismissed in one surly comment (well, I guess that’s what the surly commenters believe).
Hi Bjorn:
(I’m so sorry– I posted this twice– (bows humbly) if you do get a moment to delete one of them, please don’t delete this one as I added one last edit.)
I wanted to thank you again for the entertaining reading and razor sharp account of the Peters Fiasco.
Despite the bitter denial of his servitors, I am indeed working on a major feature, and therefore I won’t have any more time to reply with– but I wanted to share with you a message I wrote to someone regarding this “studio” issue. I extended the answer a bit here.
Terry McIntosh gives an account on Facebook that is very accurate. Here is my addition to it: Alec indeed wanted to show Vic and James that he could do what they did, but better. His obsession with the studio was a constant problem. If I had not dissented with him on the drive back from Victorville, he would have signed the lease for that horrible place and Prelude would have suffered the same fate as Axanar. Having dodged the bullet, I thought Alec might have learned, but he didn’t. As for his saying it was my idea in the first place, that is angry revisionist delusion on his part. I told him that he could indeed shoot at NV if he wished to, but the costs for doing so would be astounding (a cross country relocation is something major studios hesitate to take on before doing major accounting!) Further, It utterly defies logic that he would have allowed me to influence him on this major decision when, by that point, (after Prelude’s premiere) he was firing everyone I brought to the project with a summary execution style aggressiveness. My protests to keep the Prelude team together were not only ignored, they were defied by him. He was burning white hot with the power of Prelude’s cash take, but simultaneously resented what he saw as the shortcomings of the team that made it happen. With Prelude, he still had control, but he deferred to myself and the professional producers/artists I had assembled (Webberley, Smith, Cobb and Santiago among others) — but he chafed at this deference, and was determined not to suffer it again. As far as he was concerned, and he fumed about this regularly, it all would have gone much smoother if he were in charge and not listening to us. So toward the end of Prelude, He made it insufferable for Smith and Webberley (any experienced production person who was witness to the events would tell you that was his major downfall right there) he fired Scott Cobb without even notifying either Scott or myself, and for almost a year he was determined to replace Milton Santiago, despite my constant protests against. Rob is a coward and sadly doesn’t have the presence of character to corroborate our fateful meeting at Comikaze in 2014 wherein we both sat Alec down at the bar and made a united plea against leasing the studio. Alec refused and we realized that he had zero respect for our experience as filmmakers and would proceed based on his own sense of being a “business man” as opposed to us “artistic” types. Unlike Prelude, this time he was going to dominate and not collaborate. And dominate he did. Not only was the studio his baby, but he even refused my request “not to sign a lease before I can have a Union Grip/Electric inspect the facility.” He signed the lease anyway. I wasn’t there when he did. His need to blame me is because he cannot accept that his domination of the project was based on his self admitted “endgame” which was to have his own studio — the studio that resulted in Axanar’s downfall. The pathetic results of his overreach are clear for all to see.
Thanks again, Bjorn, Kate, Shawn, Matthew, Carl, Carlos, Janet, Terry, and everyone who continue to write on behalf of reason and logic. You are the champions who realize what Axanar could have been. Thank you on behalf of those of us Alec dismissed after Prelude- those of us who could have delivered on the promise that Prelude offered.
Christian Gossett,
Thank you for your concise and detailed account of the actual “Battle of Axanar” which has been taking place ever since Alec Peters got his hands on all that money. As I read your account of your dealings with Peters I am reminded of the character Captain Queeg from Herman Wouk’s “The Caine Mutiny”. Instead of “The Strawberry Incident” we have been witness to “The Sushi Incident(s)” in this pathetic production of “The Ares Mutiny”. We are fortunate that you took the time to post your account here, and I assure you that those of us who have slighted, abused, and dismissed by “Ole Yellow Stain” are not going to go quietly into the night.
The more Peters and his toadies belittle you and your accomplishments the more most of us realize he is obsessed, jealous, and narcissistic. He demonstrates his childish and unprofessional behavior every time he uses a nom de plume, such as Robert April or the many other he’s used i the past. He is a tiny man who is now backed into a corner by his own design. He thinks he is important and that he is in control. He is delusional.
Best wishes to you in your production and your professional career. Most of us realize that it was you and others that made “Prelude to Axanar” something worthwhile and enjoyable. We see clearly now that it wasn’t because of Alec Peters.
No worries. Best of luck with the feature. That’s a mountain I’d like to climb one day, but life, for the moment, has other plans.
Something that gets lost in the vitriol is how many of us enjoyed Prelude and looked forward to the Axanar feature. Had it been made, I’m sure you’d still have war stories, but I doubt a lot of this rancor (fancor?) would exist.