Last day "To Boldly Indiegogo" for Continues—and it will

Today— ending at midnight Pacific time— is the last day you can jump into the "To Boldy Indiegogo" crowdfunder campaign for my beloved Star Trek Continues, where *I* jumped in as Dr. McCoy twice and remain aboard as creative consultant.

If you have not done so thus far, I wish you'd make that leap—especially if you jumped into either of the bang-up "Kirkstarter" drives before ... because you loved the bang-up quality and love of the amazing, Star Trek Continues stories, and their recreated look and feel. Five times now, on time and on budget—right?

And now a final day all-levels donor's bonus is just out.Oh, and did you know: the Webby-winning Continues is now a tax-exempt, 501(c)3 non-profit filed with the IRS—so, for Americans at least, you can even take you donation as a tax deduction!

But, hey, I know what's up: Unless you've been living under a fake styrofoam rock the past few months, you know the fan-film world has been thrown into a tizzy over the Axanar lawsuit and the ripples from it. And then the whole future of Trek fan films seems uncertain, as the studio Trek "fallow time" finally ends and we get an exciting canon series back in episodic form next winter—which is the positive future where a lot of my Trekland focus is going.
 
But in the here and now today, no matter what, let me just assure you this:  Your faith, as well as your much appreciated cash, will not be in vain in Star Trek Continues if you check aboard this Indiegogo campaign. You have my word on that. And Captain Vic's—check his update video on the Indiegogo page at "13 Days Ago." (Today's offer supersedes the bonus mentoned.)

The announced plan was for STC to end after 13 episodes anyway, with a original "finale" that leads into the situation seen at the beginning of The Motion Picture. The crowdfunding strategy was to go big on a goal after the two prior conservative targets of $100K, and thus make a longer haul over time with less crowdfunding. (My local NPR station, knowing even supportive listeners are weary of the on-air fundraisers, did the same thing with a larger goal to cover the entire election season without interruption.)

But to hedge the risk, STC made the switch to Indiegogo—where, unlike the goal-or-bust structure of Kickstarter, you keep whatever you raise. On the other side of the coin, Kickstarter is supposedly more of a comfort for risk-averse donors, of course—but here we thought that with STC's track record of transparency it would be a moot point.

But as you notice: the campaign and its next episodes are going ahead. So if you've been hesitant about helping out this time, let me just say this:

I am as excited about Star Trek Continues as I was when I first recorded this back in 2013, from Sickbay— or any of the other vidchats with STC regulars, crew and guests I've done so far. Many of which I've still not posted!

There's lots more good Star Trek Continues background stuff coming here—just as with the main STC series, where Ep. 6 and 7 that were crowdfunder-supported last year will be out online over Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays: "Come Not Between the Dragons" and "The Winds of Change."

Thanks for listening. Here's the link one more time.
Now, I just need to crowd-fund a few round-trip airfares to Toronto...

STV: Ensign Williams logs in from 'Red Shirt Diaries' !

Finally… on the last day of their Indiegogo…I finally get this posted. Good thing it's not as if they needed my help! 

Meet Ashley V. Robinson and Jason Inman, whose Red Shirt Diaries web series is the slyest, most inventive little take on what NCC-1701 lower-decks life for redshirts 'n' redskirts might have been like…and now an Internet cult hit, to boot. It's all in bite-sized, three-minute weekly "log entries" from Ensign Williams of security, her friends—and, yes, her famous superiors. Organized, of course, by historical records otherwise known as the first 10 outings of Star Trek—original series style.

Are YOU hooked yet? It's so simple—and yet more addicting than a cordrazine slush.
If you're a noob, give a look here on their YouTube channel at the 10 episodes up so far—the TOS classics in aired order, through "Corbomite Maneuver"…told of course, through the long-suffering yet surviving ensign's oddly eventful personal logs, right from her simple quarters on Deck 8.  

Want to see more? Today is the last day of their very modest campaign and they've met two stretch goals already—including a bonus show and location shooting! So, you can still help them out with their drive for RSD's "Season 2", which would get the enterprising duo (and more) through the remaining 16 episodes of TOS' Season 1…and maybe even to Vulcan and plak tow...

Give a listen and find out all the backstage secrets, the genesis, what lies ahead for as we present this first of a four-part visit with Ashley and Jason RIGHT ON THE SET (ie, their living room)—and even a surprise visit from Gertrude/Beauregard. 
 

STV: LOOK—video of that Enterprise-D bridge project!

I'm just going to let the video and my guest speak for themselves (below the fold).

Unless somehow the past couple weeks you've been under a rock and missed all the online pop culture news and blog stories and podcasts—and some misconceptions—and you still need a set-up for "that fan who saved the Enterprise bridge set when it was about to rot."

Yes, video. Whether you're either curious or cyncial, well, TREKLAND's STV camera is here to prove that there is a collection of Bridge pieces... no, not a filming set, but an amalgam of surplus pieces from the Star Trek Experience and Europe's 1999-era World Tour replicas—and so yes, both were licensed projects under the design and production eye of Trek TV/film production designer Herman Zimmerman and the Paramount team.

And yes, this thing really is sitting right in the San Fernando Valley in the home (and yard) of one Huston Huddleston—a screenwriter and songwriter and most of all fan/collector ... who, at the time we shot this before the national news storm leaked his name, had originally asked to be in cognito so as to avoid local pranksters.

He and his growing volunteer team now have a website at newstarship.com and an IndieGoGo fund page for the restoration—with a sweet video, several cool rewards for donors, a support store full of unique, custom-designed and tax-deductible goodies.... All with the aim of a non-profit foundation overseeing a rental center for parties, weddings, film projects ... even educational uses for schools and students.

Not to mention, meantime, the hope of a fundraising tour of the captain's chair (due to be finished by October) and other pieces at conventions around the country.

In an era left with a void for such popular uses after the closure of the original ST Experience in Las Vegas, it seems the demand is there—and people are clamoring for a replacement.

Enjoy this initial visit with my friend "Dallas" ...and send some IndieGoGo donation love their way if you can spare it. This is an exciting prospect, and one with a growing, capable brain trust behind it. There's a Facebook and Twitter space as well, of course, to keep up with the whole thing.

And we'll be back shortly with more footage of our visit to the bridge pieces from this "early" visit ...