In recent years, the question of copyright and corporate control over intellectual property (IPs) has come up multiple times. Most notably, the Star Wars and Star Trek fan communities have seemed to be hit the hardest, or at the very least, they have been the most publicized. Do these corporations have too much power? Are they stifling creativity?
While these are intriguing questions, it may be more important to ask if fan productions of various IPs are worth the fight. Some could argue it is great to have fans express their love for a franchise through the creation of various works. They could tell stories in that creative medium. Some have said it is a good way for aspiring artists to get their start in something they are familiar with, to prepare to create something in other mediums, or even strike out on their own.
Fans can express their love for a franchise through fan productions. The creators of some mediums encourage fan production because they appreciate the passion. George Lucas famously would give recognition to various Star Wars fan projects. There have been various fan awards for fan productions. Now, not all fan productions are the greatest. Some abuse fan fiction for strange fetishes, but not all fan fiction caters to these proclivities.
Some fandoms go into a period of rest for a long period of time, such as Star Wars from 1983 with the release of Return of the Jedi until 1999 with the release of The Phantom Menace. Star Trek from Star Trek Nemesis in 2003 to the reboot film in 2009. Star Trek television was on hiatus from the end of Star Trek: Enterprise in 2005 until Star Trek: Discovery in 2017. Was the fandom also resting? No, fandom was most certainly not resting. In that period, books and comics were being published. Video games and other merchandise was also being made. The fans themselves were writing stories and/or making fan films.
Star Trek itself had multiple fan productions going at that time, including Star Trek New Voyages/Phase II, Star Trek Continues, Star Trek Axanar, Star Trek Hidden Frontier, and more. For a long period, the fan community was given a great deal of freedom. As long as the fans did not profit significantly, the studios did not care about fan productions. However, as time has gone on and studios seem to have gotten more hostile to fans, this has changed.
Disney and Lucasfilm have been in multiple conflicts with various fan productions. A Darth Vader fan film production and Lucasfilm have had a highly publicized dispute. YouTuber Star Wars Theory was sued by Lucasfilm over a dispute on music scores. One fan filmmaker even accused Lucasfilm of stealing fight choreography from his production for Lucasfilm’s Star Wars Visions. These and other disputes have been in the public sphere for all to see.
On the Star Trek side, Paramount took legal action against Star Trek Axanar. There was even a rumor that the producer behind it, Alec Peters, took money and ran with it instead of putting the money towards production. Paramount, in addition to this legal action, put out very tight restrictions on fan productions. Star Trek Continues was envisioned to have thirteen episodes, but with Paramount starting to tighten restrictions on fan productions, they limited their production and release to eleven episodes. This legal action has been ongoing and has created ripples in the fan production community.
Not all fan productions are alike. Some are low- to no-budget productions that just want to show the love for the franchise they are telling stories in. Other productions are quality productions that have professionals at all levels and want to make well-produced and well-told stories. Fans from various backgrounds and tastes have their favorite fan productions and want to share the love with others. They will share links to their favorites with friends and family.
When the studios seem to despise the fans and the creatives put in charge of a franchise keep saying “this isn’t your dad’s or mom’s (insert fandom here)” fans are left in the lurch. When fans seem to be attacked by these large studios that seem more interested in pumping out products than actually creating quality stories for the fans that have stood by these IPs through thick and thin, fan fiction would be the logical place for them to go. Many fan fiction creators have expressed frustration at how the fans have been treated by those shepherding beloved franchises. These creatives wish to express their annoyance through art.
Fan productions, despite the consistent attacks from studios, seem to be here to stay. What are your thoughts on fan productions? Is it a place for creatives who love franchises to possibly create better alternatives than what Hollywood is currently serving? What are some of your favorite fan productions?
Captain Alex Gabriel and the crew of the USS Arizona, fresh off their first mission run a test of the Quantum Slip Stream Drive. The test goes wrong due to sabotage. Will the crew find the saboteur before they strike again? Check it out in Aftermath: A Star Trek Fan production:
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Again rise up, O strong soldier of the anti-copyright thought!
"Can you imagine if King Arthur had been nailed under copyright back in the mists of history?"
Audible pointed me recently in the direction of a Star Trek fan book Dark Universe. Since audible wanted too much money I checked it out on Kindle. The e book is free and the audiobook is only a 1.99 there. Worth a read or a listen.