FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What is Star Trek Futures?
Star Trek Futures is an independent, live action Star Trek miniseries made specifically for modern distribution and contemporary audiences. It will consist of two short films followed by five, one hour long episodes with a serialized story arch. We will get to explore the never-before-seen relationship between Jack and Wesley Crusher, and ask questions about family, duty, and destiny. Through all of this, Star Trek Futures aims to create a highly stylized vision of how far we can take Star Trek into the realm of science fiction.
- Why are you doing this?
Artists create, and thats exactly what we're doing. Though, aside from that, we really felt compelled to tell this story as it is relatable to so many people. The story of a lost father is sadly a strong reality in our society but we want to tell it in a positive way. We want to examine how people change when they have more of a cohesive family unit giving them love and encouragement. Now lets make it very clear that we are in no way denigrating single parents or making social commentary on same sex parents. We are simply examining the impact of having an additional parental influence on a child. We strongly want to give Jack Crusher the opportunity to be a father to Wesley so thats exactly what we are doing.
- What date does your story take place in?
STF approximately takes place in an alternate 2354. Or, ten years prior to the beginning of Star Trek: The Next Generation
- Is this story set in the "JJ-Abrams" universe?
No. We've taken the liberty to create an entirely new and different timeline/universe to bring our characters together.
- Where does the story take place?
Our story takes place in a small, yet influential star system known as the Cesera System. It is roughly 10 light years from the Romulan Neutral Zone and is situated between Federation Starbase 123 and 174. The planetary system is a central hub for trade and commerce for the surrounding systems including the Klingon Empire and the Romulan Star Empire.
- Who are the primary characters?
Our story is centered around Jack, Beverly, and a young Wesley Crusher. We will also see Captain Rachel Garrett return as Captain of the Enterprise-C in addition to some new characters. Check out the Characters page on our site for some character descriptions.
- Why are the uniforms different?
Apart from practical budget constraints, our uniform design comes from a combination of the classic Wrath of Kahn style uniform mixed with elements from the formal uniforms seen in Star Trek: Into Darkness. We are trying to bridge the gap logically between these two styles while also trying to solve some issues that we have with the TWOK uniform. One of these issues concerns the display of rank. Production wise we need to be able to reuse as many jackets as we can thus no rank can be permanently attached to the jacket. The arm band thus is removable and be changed to a different rank for a different actor. Additionally, if one removes his or her jacket no rank is displayed. We have solved this by moving rank to the collar of the undershirt similar to ranks seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Department is still designated via undershirt color. (Red for Command, Gold for Operations, and Blue for Sciences)
- Why does the Enterprise-C look different?
We are using a design created by Mr. Andrew Probert meant for use as the Ambassador class in The Next Generation. This design is seen as one of the lineage models in the observation lounge during season one. Sadly, this design was not used for the episode "Yesterdays Enterprise" as time and budget constraints would have made creating this design feasible. Regardless, we really fell in love with design and knew we wanted to use it for Star Trek Futures. We are taking the opportunity with the new timeline to showcase this masterfully design ship. For more information on the creation of this design please check out a short interview we did with Mr. Probert on our blog section. Click here to go directly to the article.
- Why is this specifically a Star Trek fan film?
Here is a paraphrase of the original question, "This seems like an original story with its own new aliens, with bits of Trek stuff to make it a bit Trek, but not massively." While it's true that 98% of Star Trek Futures is all new, the central pillars of our story are the Crusher family and the Enterprise-C. We see "fan films" as an opportunity to explore new characters, places and ideas that are concurrent with what Gene Roddenberry believed in his vision of humanity. Star Trek should always be moving forward and shouldn't be chained to characters or ideas we've seen in the past. The galaxy created in Star Trek is just too big to always stick with what we know. We are strongly motivated as artists AND fans to create something new and different while still honoring the legacy of Trek.
- Is this project sanctioned by CBS/Paramount?
No fan film, including Star Trek Futures is sanctioned by CBS/Paramount. However, the use of their intellectual property is deemed acceptable under the strict provision that the use be completely non-commercial. Meaning, Star Trek Futures is 100% non-profit and will never charge for access to said media. We will offer a strict accounting that to show that no profit will be gained from the production. Furthermore, we operate under the assumption that CBS/Paramount has every right to stop production or access to their used intellectual property. If this ever became an issue we are prepared to fully cooperate with CBS/Paramount to fall within their terms of use.
- How are you going to fund this project?
Our production is currently split into two parts: The two short films, and primary production of the five part miniseries. Production costs for the two short films are 100% out of pocket. Primary production will be funded via Kickstarter campaigns. Currently we are looking at splitting the fund raising into two separate campaigns. Again, as said previously, any money collected via these campaigns must, and will be solely used for production of the miniseries as set forth by the non-commercial guidelines from CBS/Paramount.
- How can I be involved?
Aside from the invaluable help of spreading the word about Star Trek Futures, we are always looking for qualified professionals who would like to contribute their time in the production of the project. If you are interested in helping the project please give us an email at [email protected]
Star Trek and all related marks, logos and characters are solely owned by CBS Studios Inc. This fan production is not endorsed by, sponsored by, nor affiliated with CBS, Paramount Pictures, or any other Star Trek franchise, and is a non-commercial fan-made film intended for recreational use. No commercial exhibition or distribution is permitted. No alleged independent rights will be asserted against CBS or Paramount Pictures.
