Star Trek: Aurora* ·  Star Trek: Hathaway · Star Trek: He Who Draws the Sword
Star Trek: Lexington* · Star Trek: New Voyages & Phase II* · Star Trek: Of Gods and Men
Starship Exeter · Starship Farragut* · Tales of the Seventh Fleet*
* Updated Information in Red

Star Trek fan films are becoming the new rage amongst some fans. Fan films are filmed fan fiction, despite the fact that many of the people involved with their production simply refuse to admit it. They may consider it a "continuation" of Star Trek, but frankly, that's what fan fiction is, too. Still, it's a new medium for fan fiction, complete with its own positives and negatives.

Fan film storylines tend to run into a series of foibles, akin to the Mary Sue phenomenon of fanzines. First of all, every high-ranking Starfleet officer with the rank of Admiral or Commodore tends to be either a complete idiot or a total ass. There are hardly any exceptions to this, and frankly it's a bad cliché. Invariably, the commanding officer of the starship has had a "run in" with this officer, and neither of them like each other. By the episode's end, despite a positive resolution, this does not change. Secondly, the same plot lines have a tendency to appear over and over: The Doomsday Machines pop-up all over the place; Klingons have cloaking devices during a time that they didn't have them; and nearly every episode has the dreaded firefight/fight scene on the surface of the planet, usually with Klingons and everyone hiding behind rocks and trees, interminable in length and confusing to look at due to the lack of continuity. Third, snippets of dialogue from the various incarnations of Star Trek have been worked into these scripts. Rather than come up with new dialogue, writers often have the unfortunate tendency to borrow old "winning" lines from episodes, and yet again it comes across as cliché. New Voyages probably is the biggest offender in this area.

Acting tends to be either unpracticed and disjointed (as in the Tales of the Seventh Fleet) or completely over the top (Commander Chang from Starship Exeter's "The Savage Empire"). Some of the casting is rather questionable, but then again, these are non-profit films, and the folks filming them are usually not very good. Even still, the real stars come out of nowhere from time to time. Andy Bray's portrayal of Chekov in New Voyages and Michael Buford's Security Chief Cutty from Starship Exeter are both quite commendable.

Special effects run the gamut from fairly crappy to fairly impressive, and generally inconsistent throughout each production. The best special effects would probably have to be from Star Trek: New Voyages' latest episode, "To Serve All My Days." The visual effects are quite good, and are superior to those of most science fiction movies aired on the SciFi Channel. It should also be noted that the more episodes a fan film team produces, the better these effects end up being. New Voyages has a leg up on its competition. Much of the better work being done these days is by NEO f/x, who are consistently solid with their excellent special effects work.

The key limiting factors for producing fan films are the tremendous effort, time and money needed to produce, direct, write, score, and develop these films. While fanzines are relatively simple to produce, a film, with all that goes into making one, is not something that's easily done. Some of the films listed herein may never appear; some may never be completed; and some may simply end production. Others undergo massive changes. Right now, Star Trek: New Voyages is transitioning into Star Trek: Phase II and Star Trek: Lexington has had some major changes in cast as well.

If you would like to know what it's like filming on one of these productions, all you have to do is to read Patricia Wright's article, "Playing Star Trek: Twelve Days on the Set of Star Trek: New Voyages." You'll find it an excellent look at what it's like to be there. Many of the fan film sites have "Making of" sections which you may want to review as well. I usually pass on these because I want to see the magic, not the magician and his assistants and the wires behind the tricks they employ, but you may enjoy these segments.

My search for other original series era films only turned up these. If you're aware of any TOS or TOS-movie era fan films I've missed or if any of the information presented has changed, please contact me, and I'll be glad to update this page with the information. I'm not interested in the fan films set in the TNG or ENT timeframes, nor am I interested in parodies, but if you'd like a really cute animated fan film series, I'd recommend Stone Trek which features a Flintstonesque version of Star Trek that is so visually entertaining that you'll spend some time looking at it.

Please bear in mind that the following information is subject to change. Websites do crash from time to time, actors are replaced (New Voyages has gone through some major cast changes since its beginning), and productions are often delayed by real life scheduling conflicts. Any reviews on this page are simply my opinion, and are meant to be positive criticism, even if my choice of words may be harsh at times. In the coming months, we'll be adding reviews from Diane Doyle, a regular ORION PRESS contributor, such as those she's completed for "To Serve All My Days," "The Captaincy," "For Want of a Nail" and "World Enough and Time." Fred Dixon has also contributed reviews of "The Savage Empire," "Come What May" and Star Trek: Aurora's The Chamber of Justice. Willaim Batross has reviewed Tales of the Seventh Fleet's "Return to Doomsday" and "Upgrade."

Star Trek: Aurora *UPDATED*

creator/executive producer: Tim Vining

cast: Jeannette Vining, Tim Vining, Bob Saur, Maggie Saur, Matthew Saur, Russell Saur, John Hardiman, Elena Tobin, Tim Tobin, Susan Hardiman and Ed Condry
characters: original two person crew of a transport
characterizations: extremely detailed

sets: animated
quality: good to very good (better than many computer games)
costuming: very good

special effects: good to very good (better than many computer games, and better than the fan films with digital sets)

base of operations: unknown

setting: U.S.S. Aurora, a merchant vessel; series era time frame (circa 2270)

music: original composition by Tim Vining, performed by Jeannette Vining

website: last updated in April 2008
ease of navigation: excellent
content: getting much better with production notes and hints, and an update notice as well as the downloadable episode parts

notes: one would hope that when it's finished, they'll post a few extras such as DVD artwork on the website; part 2 debuted in July 2007. The latest update from Tim Vining: "Just a quick note to let people know that Aurora is still in production, though I had hoped to be a little farther along with Part 3 than I am at the moment. I have been working on 3D sets, props and characters, as well as assessing some emerging software and hardware that should improve and speed up future production, once I get it working and integrated into my workflow. Just how long that will take isn't exactly clear, but I don't expect completion of Part 3 for some months at least." The website has been updated with "preview" production stills from upcoming scenes that fans might find interesting, since they show ships, a new alien race and one or two mysterious images. Star Trek: Aurora has just updated their website with a new interface, and some interesting information about both the series and the animation process. The next installment should be released this summer, and Part 4 should be ready by Christmas 2008.

episodes: (½ - two parts of the four-part story complete thus far)
download site: http://www.auroratrek.com/index.html

Episode 01  The Chamber of Justice (click on title to read Fred Dixon's review) writer: Tim Vining As the Aurora transports materials from one space station to another, its captain Kara relives the events which led up to her current position in life while learning to relate to her crew, the Vulcan T'Ling. Quality Rating: 88% (INCOMPLETE) This is an excellent beginning for a new series. The characters and situations were well developed, and the story itself is an interesting one. One can only hope that the next two parts will be as well written.

Star Trek: Hathaway

creator/executive producer: Brad Hathaway

cast: Brad Hathaway, Traeonna A R Wagener, Marc Hathaway, Brandy Seymour, Natalie Bostelman, Jody Snyder, Keith Roach, Jerry Stanford, Jr., and Doug McClaflin
characters: original crew
characterizations: seem reasonably interesting judging from the trailer

sets: digital
quality: to be determined
costuming: adequate

special effects: good; the warp sequence in particular is very nice

base of operations: just south of Toledo, Ohio

setting: U.S.S. Hathaway, NCC-2593; movie era time frame (specifically, 2285)

music: selections from James Horner's Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Dennis McCarthy's Star Trek: Generations

website: last updated in March 2008; last forum post March 2008
ease of navigation: the forum has all the information, but you have to register to get the news; this is pretty poor of the production staff, and not isolated to "Hathaway" -- the main page should have all the latest news; forums should be for discussion, not news
content: better than before, but still needs to be more informative

notes: The project looks underway, and there's a trailer on-line, but as of August 2007, it was announced that this production is presently on-hold with filming and the second trailer now delayed. However, in December 2007, Brad Hathaway reported, "We are still moving forward. We should be started up again at the first of the year. I'm currently re-evaluating portions of the script and will probably be making some changes to facilitate what may be more realistic for a first episode but the plan is to continue with what we have in the works but perhaps scaled down a bit and go from there. The webpage is currently undergoing a make over as well."

From a forum post dated March 17th 2008: "As stated before the script is still under rewrite to reduce items and to make things more doable for us as a production.   A couple of changes you will see are...

A) R'Meera will no longer have white stripes on her face (these take the longest in her makeup).
B) Roger Donovan and Michael Sinclair will be merged into one character.

... I hope to restart filming in April." -- Brad Hathaway

episodes: (0) none at present
download site: to be determined

Star Trek: He Who Draws the Sword

creators/senior executive producers: Jeffrey Collinsworth/Joseph Wagoner

cast: Jeffrey Collinsworth, Andrew Grieb, Mike Tavrez, Joseph Mack, Cali Ross
characters: original crew of a starship in the Mirror Universe
characterizations: to be determined

sets: physical (using New Voyages sets with permission), on location filming at the US Air Fore museum
quality: the New Voyages sets are excellent
costuming: to be determined
make-up: to be determined

special effects: Neo f/x (likely to be excellent)

base of operations: Dayton, Ohio; Ticonderoga, New York

setting: 23rd Century, Mirror Universe

music: original score

website: last forum post December 2007
ease of navigation: straight-forward, but still under construction
content: moderately weak; too much reliance on their forum section rather than the website itself; the news is again buried in a BBS forum, and that, my friends, does not rock

notes: Their first episode is now in pre-production. Filming has been delayed due to creative differences for at least twelve months. From the forum, Jeffrey Collingsworth reports: "My friends....the Mirrorverse is alive! But....due to personal issues with Proxima and myself we are again postponed. This is the definitionion of this is a long road getting from there to here....He who draws the sword shall be filmed....but not yet. We are looking at a 12 month hold on production. We won't beat JJ but we WILL give you something to enjoy I am looking at revamping our website and opening submissions for writers to give us ideas for an audio adventure to fill the gap before filming our live action epic. Writers bible is on the way. Bear with us our friends.....this tears my heart to post pone this......but to give you what I want....and what I think you will enjoy.......we must wait a bit longer."

episodes: (0) none at present
download site: none at present
Trailer #1
Trailer #2

Star Trek: Lexington *UPDATED*

executive producer: Joseph Bonice
co-executive producers: Justin Burton, Russell Christensen, Shaun Knopf

Episode 1 cast: Bonnie Kilpatrick, Dallas Teague-Snider, Gabrielle Metz, Marie Bolivar-Cano, Ritch Bradford, David Rosen, Don Cano, Brittany Cupps, Jody Rivera
Episode 2 cast: Don Cano, Jody Rivera, Dallas Teague-Snider, Gabrielle Metz, David Rosen, Brittany Cupps, Katie Morriss, Renda Carr, two to-be-determined
characters: an original crew
characterizations: unable to determine at this time

sets: digital
quality: moderate (difficult to determine from stills)
costuming: adequate (difficult to determine from stills)
make-up: to be determined

special effects: Lexington Staff and Neo F/X

base of operations: Birmingham, Alabama

setting: U.S.S. Lexington, NCC-1709; movies era time frame (immediately after Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)

music: original, composed by Mason Fisher

website: operational but still working on getting the site fully on-line
ease of navigation: see above; perhaps they'll straighten this out
content: fair; muddled, to be honest; overly dependant on BBS software

notes: This fan production has practically finished filming, and they've recently posted several photographs taken during production and uploaded them to their BBS site. Also, the site admins have created a forum for the first episode, "All in the Appearance." Lexington has also bee posting photos taken during their local public relation events, as well as an official cast photo album. There are more than 400 photos on-line.

They have recently moved their servers and are in the process of bringing the full site back on-line. The reason for the move is that the first episode will be released sometime in Spring 2008. As of late December 2007, they were 98% completed on primary photography. One or more trailers are planned for premiere at the OmegaCon convention in Birmingham, Alabama in March 2008 with the full episode to be released 1 - 2 months later (Date and Location TBD). Lexington now has two Episode 1 trailers on-line. They can be seen on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/lexington1709   for viewing. Also, here's the updated information on their production:

Status report on Episode 1:
Right now, Ritch, Don, Justin, Tom, and I are are hard at work compositing the raw footage. It's time consuming work to be sure. Once we've got the compositing done comes even the harder job of editing and putting the soundtracks together. I don't want to give out a release date, as I don't want the hopes of our fans dashed in case we miss it. On the CG end, we've got about 30% of the CG done for the episode... Neo F/X has been a great help to us!

One thing that I've got to talk about: the released trailers. Right now, the Episode 1 trailer has had 773 hits and the Character trailer has had 416 hits on YouTube alone. That's not counting the hits on the mirror site. As with any new series, there's going to have to be adjustments... you'll see the difference in the first two episodes. Remember that as we go along.

Status report on Episode 2:
We're still in pre-production on this episode. We're looking to start casting shortly for the last main character parts and the guest stars for this episode. More information as we get it.

The Lexington staff photographer Robert Lawler has been extremely busy in making the first of a series of movie posters for the episode. He will be making more of them and some DVD covers / labels as well. Glad to see that some fan film teams understand that fans want to see DVD covers.

In addition, they have started pre-production on Episodes 2 & 3. They are reportedly in the process of casting new crew members and the guest cast as well as acquiring additional props and costumes, and filming for the second episode is reported to begin in Spring 2008.

episodes: (0) none at present
download site: http://www.youtube.com/lexington1709
Trailer #1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPpRumHzTwU
Trailer #2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8PUyP0RYA0
Trailer #3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzS7xtfwMww

Episode 01: All in the Appearances Story by Joseph Bonice Teleplay by Joseph Bonice and Tom Scott Directed by Joseph Bonice After the disappearance of a Federation starship, the U.S.S. Lexington, refitted with the latest technology, with veteran Captain Alex McKnight in command, is ordered to investigate a Romulan threat to the Federation like no one has ever seen.
Episode 02: Fool's Paradise Story by Russell Christiansen Teleplay by Russell Christiansen, Joseph Bonice, and Tom Scott Directed by Justin Burton The U.S.S. Lexington picks up alien survivors from a ship which sent out what is presumed to be a distress call. However, not all as it seems as their new passengers behave badly and endanger the Lexington crew!
Episode 03: The Mudd Puddle Story by Russell Christiansen Teleplay by Russell Christiansen, Joseph Bonice, and Tom Scott Directed by Jim Brucke Harry Mudd returns to the android planet he was stranded on earlier with intentions to move the population to a world of his choosing, one which he needs the Lexington and any other starship to get his hands on!
Episode 04: Down the Wrong Road Teleplay by: Joseph Bonice, Jennifer Kuhn, Brent Fisher, Sarah Vane, & Thomas J. Scott Directed by Jody Rivera Lexington is called in to find out what happened to a member planet that has just had a revolution… one that has yet to finish.

Star Trek: New Voyages   *UPDATED*
Star Trek: Phase II

creator/senior executive producer: James Cawley

New Voyages cast: James Cawley, Jeff Quinn, John Kelley, Julienne Irons, Charles Root, John Lim, Andy Bray, Ron Boyd
Phase II cast: James Cawley, Ben Tolpin, John Kelley, Kim Stinger, Charles Root, J.T. Tepnapa, Jonathan Zungre, Ron Boyd, Bobby Rice
characters: crew of the Enterprise during the last two years of the first five-year mission, building up to the Motion Picture timeframe
characterizations: Captain Kirk seems inconsistent, appearing to be unintelligent and a martinet at inappropriate times; Spock is faily well done, but seems weak; Doctor McCoy is probably the best character of the bunch, but Andy Bray's Lieutenant Chekov was very impressive as well; the loss of John Lim will be felt

sets: physical
quality: excellent
costuming: good, but on occasion, oddly ill-fitting
make-up: very good, but Spock (Quinn) occasionally appears to have too much lipstick

special effects: the first episodes had ships which zipped around unbelievably; recent episodes have fixed this problem

base of operations: Ticonderoga, New York; Los Angeles, California

setting: U.S.S. Enterprise, NCC-1701; series-era timeframe (set during the fourth and fifth years of the five-year mission)

music: original music based on themes from the original series

website: last updated on February 2008
ease of navigation: relatively easy
content: very good; the new layout design is less cluttered thankfully, with less emphasis on media releases and self-promotion of their media appearances rather than updates on current projects

notes: Currently working on their two-part episode, "Blood and Fire," which apparently will count as the fourth and fifth episodes. There were three other vignettes that were filmed but following the departure of producer/director Jack Marshall by work on their feature episodes. These are unlikely to ever see the light of day. Sadly, the decision has been made to release their new episodes as streaming media. One must now use their "official" BitTorrent site and have enough computer savvy to go through several hoops in order to create a playable DVD. The DVD covers that the site once provided have been removed as well. One of the strengths of New Voyages was the ease of availability for the episodes, and now the production team seems to be interested in taking that away except in the streaming of videos. Limiting their audience may be a marketing ploy he may soon come to regret. See the commentary, Limiting Your Audience, for our thoughts on this. New Voyages has released "World Enough and Time" as a "non-profit" DVD that you can order from this website for $6.99 US, $8.99 Alaska/Hawaii.

This troubled production has recently undergone a paradigm shift, changing the production from the well-known and well-respected Star Trek: New Voyages moniker to the odd Star Trek: Phase II, which is the common name for the 1970's proposed/failed Star Trek II series that was developed by Jon Povill and eventually morphed into Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The decision is a curious one, but hopefully won't cost them the Classic Trek identity they had achieved. 

episodes: (5 - 1 pilot, 3 episodes, 1 vignette)
download site: http://mirrornv.trekminal.com/    also http://www.pauley79.com/

Pilot: Come What May (click on title to read Fred Dixon's review) Guest Staring: Jonathan Winston, Eddie Paskey and Larry Nemecek writer: Jack Marshall The pilot episode of Star Trek: New Voyages, "Come What May," finds the crew of the Enterprise answering a deep space distress signal after attacks on the Federation Colony of Primus IV. Captain James T. Kirk and crew are assigned to investigate the strange occurrences and discover a new and menacing enemy, but also find aid from a beautiful and powerful friend. Quality Rating: 48% Frankly, this was not a good start for the series, and it's apparent that the folks at New Voyages agree. This is a poorly written story that failed to utilize their impressive sets, and the acting of the guest stars failed to impress. Further, the alien female is so over-the-top that she detracts from the episode. The same holds true for the energy being as well. Very amateurish at best.
Episode 01: In Harm's Way (click on title to read Fred Dixon's review) Guest Starring: William Windom, Barbara Luna, Malachi Throne writer: Erik Korngold with Max Rem The crew of the Yorktown receive a message from Commander Spock, a Vulcan who informs them that the timeline has been corrupted by the Doomsday Machines, and that Captain James T. Kirk, Commander Kargh and their crew must go back in time to prevent a war that threatens to destroy all life in the galaxy. Quality Rating: 77% A rather convoluted storyline and stunt casting detracted from what could've been a good story. Spoiler Warning: The sudden deus ex machina of a starship from the future and the inclusion of an accident aboard a training ship should've been avoided as they tended to overcomplicate matters needlessly. Still, the presentation is quite gorgeous, and well worth watching.
Episode 02: To Serve All My Days (click on title to read Diane Doyle's review) Guest Starring: Walter Koenig, Mary Linda Rapelye writer: D.C. Fontana An accident has caused Pavel Chekov to experience the aging sickness from Gamma Hydra IV, and this time, the hyronalin does work. As if that's not enough, the Enterprise is being pursued by what appears to be a Klingon vessel, which is making the occasional attack run on them, until an unlikely ally arrives to help. Note: A new "A Night in 1969" version of this episode will be released at a gala red carpet premiere at the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills, California, on March 29, 2008. This all new, special edition features updated special effects and music "to match those in WEAT so the episodes bookmark with each other." Plans are also to include vintage commercials from 1969, and James Cawley has also promised fans "a surprise at the end." Quality Rating: 86% This episode was quite an improvement to the earlier episodes, but the downbeat ending basically ruins what was a solid story. Walter Koenig did a nice job, as did Andy Bray, who played the younger Chekov. Mary Linda Rapelye, who played the ambassador, did a wonderful job with her performance. She played Irina Galliulin in "Way to Eden." Hopefully, if this is any indication, New Voyages will remain a must-see fan film series.
Vignette 01: The Center Seat writer: Erik Korngold Hikaru Sulu returns from Starfleet Training Command with his lieutenant commanders' stripes and an attitude to match, much to the chagrin of Lieutenant DeSalle. But a mistake in programming that results in near disaster for the Enterprise reunites the two friends. Quality Rating: 94% While I'm not sure how believable it would be for an starship navigator to make the error in question, it certainly was a well-written, character-driven story. One would hope that a number of this sort of character-based short story would be produced!
Episode 03: World Enough and Time (click on title to read Diane Doyle's review) Guest Starring: George Takei, Grace Lee Whitney writer: Marc Scott Zicree and Michael Reaves To help the Enterprise escape from a strange energy field, Hikaru Sulu and a specialist on Romulan computer systems venture to the wreckage of a Romulan warbird aboard a shuttlecraft. The shuttle is lost, and Scotty attempts to rescue them, but instead, the two officers found themselves on a hostile world. Sulu is returned from this world thirty years older, along with his attractive daughter. Spoiler Warning: The Enterprise crew tries many means (a Vulcan mind meld, various drugs) to recover the memory from Sulu's mind, but it's to no avail. So Sulu must be reintegrated into his form of thirty years ago (using the transporter records), but in so doing he will lose all his memories of his daughter whose fate may be doomed if the Enterprise is to escape. Quality Rating: 91% I'm not found of the use of the transporter in this manner (derived from the animated episode "The Lorelei Signal"), and I find it unlikely that there'd be such a thing as a Romulan computer expert during the first five year mission. Still, the episode was emotionally engaging, except for the dreadful Charles Root as Scotty. George Takei gives a wonderful performance for all fans!
Episode 04 & 05: Blood and Fire  *NOW IN POST PRODUCTION* Guest Starring: Denise Crosby writer: David Gerrold and Carlos Pedraza Pursued and damaged by repeated Klingon attacks, the crew of the Enterprise must respond to the distress call from a Federation research ship. In a matter of hours, the ship and crew will be consumed by a nearby star and the crew of the Enterprise will be consumed by an mysterious horror that threatens both ships as the Klingons watch and wait. Guest starring Evan Fowler and introducing Bobby Rice a Ensign Peter Kirk, nephew of the Captain. Written and Directed by David Gerrold. Teleplay by Carlos Pedraza and David Gerrold. Now in post-production (principal photography has been completed). The episode will be released in 2008 as a two-parter. The story is based on the rejected David Gerrold script for Star Trek: The Next Generation which was supposed to feature gay characters aboard the Enterprise and will focus on an AIDS-like epidemic aboard a starship. Peter Kirk is gay. "Blood and Fire" Part 1 and 2 are in post-production. There is significant visual effects work scheduled for this episode, with CGI and compositing work consuming the bulk of post-production time. The episodes are unlikely to be ready before December 2008.
Episode 06: Pomp and Circumstance  **NOW IN PRE-PRODUCTION** writer: Carlos Pedraza This is an Phase 2 episode which is also intended to serve as the pilot for a new series "First Voyages" which features a cast of newly graduated ensigns in an attempt to show life "below decks" on the Enterprise. Main characters include Peter Kirk, Lt. Alex Freeman, Xon and other new characters. Of course there will be appearances by the main cast...but as secondary characters to the action.) Filming is slated in begin in June.
Episode 07: Enemy Starfleet  **NOW IN PRE-PRODUCTION** writer: Dave Galanter Guest Stars: Barbara Luna An action-adventure episode. Filming is slated in begin in June.
Episode 08: Bandi  **NOW IN PRE-PRODUCTION** writer: David Gerrold An episode derived from the story outline first submitted to the original series. See Dave Eversole's article for details. Filming is slated in begin this fall.
Episode 09: The Kilkenny Cats  **NOW IN PRE-PRODUCTON** Guest Starring: Hawthorne James writer: Jimmy Diggs The Kzinti are no more. Instead, Jimmy Diggs reportedly consulted with both Larry Niven and D.C. Fontana to create the K'ytheri, a ferocious feline race at odds with Humanity (the Kzinti will NOT be referenced). The cat-like aliens will be created by C.G.I. as well as the selective use of prosthetics. The story behind this episode was supposedly developed for the ill-fated ENTERPRISE series. Filming is slated to begin in Fall 2008.
Episode ??: Rest and Retaliation  *UNDERGOING REVISION* writer: Dave Galanter and Greg Brodeur, from a concept by Howard Weinstein On Location filming at Vasquez Rocks to begin in March 2008. Primary filming to begin in June 2008. Given the rabbit with the glowing eyes, given the location filming, one cannot help but suspect that this is a sequel to "Shore Leave." We've also read where James Cawley reports that in this episode Captain Kirk gets the girl. "Rest and Retaliation" will be directed by Kevin Rubio and goes before the lens in March of 2008 at the Trek-famous Vasquez Rocks in California, with the production filming the final scenes at Retro Films Studio in Upstate New York the following June. No release date has been set for this episode. The episode is being revised due to the change in cast and crew.
Episode ??: The Sky Above, the Mudd Below  *DELAYED* Guest Starring: J.G. Hertzler writer: Howard Weinstein He's back, Kirk Me Boy'o! Harcourt Fenton Mudd returns to menace Captain Kirk and the Enterprise. Always on the look-out for a quick profit from less than honorable means, Harry Mudd once again stirs up trouble for Kirk and crew. Now in limbo. Filming delayed to J.G. Hertzler's filming schedule.

Star Trek: Of Gods and Men

creator/executive producer: Sky Douglas Conway

cast: Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Alan Ruck, Tim Russ, Garrett Wang, JG Hertzler, Chase Masterson, Gary Graham, Crystal Allen, Ethan Phillips, Lawrence Montaigne, Cirroc Lofton, Grace Lee Whitney, William Wellman Jr., James Cawley and others
characters: characters from the original series return for a wild adventure across the TOS and mirror universes
characterizations: everyone is very much in character in the first part of the production

sets: physical and digital (New Voyages sets being used)
quality: excellent
costuming: very good
make-up: very good, but I'm always disappointed when Orion females look painted

special effects: awesome (again, NEO f/x responsible)

base of operations: Los Angeles, California; Ticonderoga, New York

setting: U.S.S. Enterprise, NCC-1701 and I.S.S. Enterprise, NCC-1701; the post-Star Trek: Generations (Act I) universe (circa 2306--12 years after Kirk disappears) and the mirror universe

music: original music based on themes from the original series

website: last updated in March 2008
ease of navigation: relatively easy to find what you're looking for
content: good, but a little self-serving:
"Our goal is to honor the legacy of Gene Roddenberry on the 40th Anniversary with an Internet mini-series tribute worthy of Star Trek and its ideals. Such lofty goals require us to choose quality over expediency. Thus, we are working diligently to insure it has the look and feel of a big budget movie at a fraction of what Hollywood spends!"

notes: Directed by Tim Russ, written by Jack Trevino and Ethan H. Calk. Russ insists that this three part film (3 30-minute segments) is not a fan film because it is so far superior to them. Many fans are wondering if this film will ever be released. The trailer is available on their website as well as YouTube. Principle photography has been completed (the New Voyages sets were used). Rumors abound that the producers are hoping to sell or license this project as a DVD from CBS for sale to fans, rather than a free download, but this remains to be seen. The website was recently updated with an interview with Alan Ruck who plays Captain John Harriman and with Director Tim Russ who reprises his role of Tuvok. The first part of the episode was released on December 22nd 2007 at 5:01pm (17:01). Part II was released on Saturday, March 15th at 1701 EST (5:01 pm EST).

episodes: (2/3) three 30-minutes segments are planned; two segments now complete
view the trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jvbSpozK7A   or you can now visit their website and see for yourself  also http://www.pauley79.com/

Starship Exeter

creator/executive producers: Jimm and Josh Johnson

cast: James Culhane (Jimm Johnson), Joshua Caleb (Josh Johnson), Michael Buford, Holly Guess, Patrick Scullin, Keith St. Louis, Nathan Wolf, Elizabeth Wheat, Garry Peters, Joe Azzato, Steve Lawson, Cody Hammock and Curtis Staller
characters: original crew
characterizations: very good except for Ensign Richards, who appears to be more of an annoying Mary Sue character than a realistic portrayal of a female officer in training

sets: physical and digital
quality: very good
costuming: very good, but occasionally ill-fitting

special effects: first episode -- adequate; second episode -- stellar

base of operations: Austin, Texas

setting: U.S.S. Exeter, NCC-1706; series era time frame

music: some original, but mostly based on the original Star Trek series music

website: last updated on September 2007
ease of navigation: fairly easy
content: good, but often not terribly informative

notes: The Starship Exeter site is not updated often, although friends of the producers are assuring everyone that work continues on Act IV of their second episode. Dennis Bailey, who worked on scripts for Star Trek: The Next Generation, should be credited for his substantial involvement with the second episode. Sadly, there are few venues for downloading episodes of Starship Exeter, and we were unable to find any DVD cover artwork for the episodes. Hopefully, this oversight will be corrected, but given the disappointing delays in the production, it seems unlikely to be presented anytime soon.

episodes: (2¾ - 1 complete episode, a three-fourths complete episode, and 1 vignette)
view episodes here: http://www.starshipexeter.com/ or download them here: http://www.flapdoodle.org/exeter/
download vignette here: "The Night Shift"

Episode 01: The Savage Empire (click on title to read Fred Dixon's review) writers: Jimm & Josh Johnson The U.S.S. Exeter, under the command of Captain John Garrovick, is on a mission to save the crew of the starship Lexington who are infected with the deadly Canopus Plague. The Exeter must travel to the Andorian homeworld for the cure. But Andorian rebels and their Klingon allies have other plans! Quality Rating: 55% There are plenty of problems with this first episode, including interminable conversation about politics, the overacting of some actors, sloppy dialogue, an overly long fight between the Klingons and the landing party, fight choreography, and a modeling clay monster that should've been replaced digitally.
Vignette 01: The Night Shift   (click on title to read Fred Dixon's review) writer: uncredited While the senior officers enjoy shore leave, the night shift laments their status in life... Quality Rating: 90% Clearly meant to be just a fun extra for the production, this little piece is quite engaging. Spoiler warning: While I didn't care for the Borg or the Encephalitis/Elephantitis jokes, the direction and acting and story were very entertaining.
Episode 02: The Tressaurian Intersection  *INCOMPLETE* writers: Dennis Russell Bailey, Jimm & Josh Johnson, and Maurice Molyneaux Starbase 16 is destroyed and Captain Garrovick's old ship, the U.S.S. Kongo, is missing. On a hunt for the perpetrators, the Exeter encounters the Tressaurians, a savage reptillian race believed related to the Gorn. The Tressuarians are tampering with a deadly new technology from another hostile species. Can the crew of the Exeter uncover its secrets in time, or will this discovery lead to an even greater threat? Quality Rating: 89% (tentative) The producers at Starship Exeter have clearly recognized the problems that their previous episode had, and have taken steps to correct them. The result is a fine production, worthy of the name Star Trek. Note: Unfortunately, at this time, the episode is still incomplete, but the long-anticipated Act III is finally available for download and viewing. The quality rating took a hit (from 95 to 89) with the release of the third act. It seems as if Captain Garrovick is a misogynist who is incapable of dealing with either Commander Jo Harris (his executive officer) and the new assistant he's been assigned. Ensign Richards appears to be a dizzy woman incapable of serving aboard a starship, by the way he yells at her, and frankly, it's a little disturbing. The interminable captain's log scene only serves to illustrate that Garrovick doesn't trust his crew, not even his best friend Cutty, and that he's isolated himself from anyone who dares to disagree with him. The subsequent and basically inexplicable delivery of lunch from Ensign Richards with an exchange of dialogue that results in Garrovick's epiphany rings hollow at best. Despite this act's shortcomings, Exeter is definitely still one of the best fan films. Hopefully Act IV won't take as long to release as Act III, but it should be noted that the first episode took them seven years to produce. According to Dennis Bailey, Act IV won't be available any earlier than mid-summer.

Starship Farragut *UPDATED*

creator/executive producer: John Broughton

cast: John Broughton, Mike Bednar, Holly Bednar, Paul R. Sieber, Tonya Bacon, Amy Sepan, David Sepan, Bob McDonough, Mark Hildebrand, Larry Manzare, and John Broughton, Sr.
characters: original crew
characterizations: very good except for the Security Chief who seems to be more of a caricature than a real life military officer; fortunately, in the second episode, this has been toned down somewhat

sets: physical and digital
quality: good-to-adequate (some shots were made on the New Voyages bridge set; some were not, and it shows)
costuming: adequate (some costumes are oddly ill-fitting)

special effects: very good

base of operations: greater Washington, D.C. area

setting: U.S.S. Farragut, NCC-1647; series era time frame

music: the first episode featured a nice original composition from John Seguin; the second episode featured a very nice original composition from Hetoreyn which can be purchased separately

website: last updated on December 2007
ease of navigation: excellent; this is the model all the others should aspire to; clean, straightforward and not too flashy
content: excellent, including links to DVD covers, posters, episodes, mirror sites, character bios; this is clearly the best website of all fan films

notes: On March 10, 2006 Starship Farragut announced a partnership Star Trek: New Voyages. This collaboration consists of interior set utilization, props, costume development and background actors. Both film entities have agreed to have their lead characters as cameos in their next films, and Starship Farragut clearly benefits from this relationship. Starship Farragut can be downloaded from many sites, and DVD cover art can be found on their website. Filming for a vignette--"Just Passing Through" by Holly Bednar and Dennis Bailey--was done in August 2007. The vignette is now in post-production. The second episode, "For Want of a Nail," debuted October 10th 2007 to a live audience at the University of Maryland. Click here to read Holly Bednar's report on the premier. Episode now available on-line.

In April 2008, Starship Farragut, in conjunction with NEO/fx and Kail Tescar of www.StarTrekAnimated.com, has begun production on a pair of animated Farragut episodes. (See below.) For more information, visit their joint site: http://www.farragut-animated.com/

episodes: (2)
download here: http://starshipintrepid.net/farragut/ also http://www.pauley79.com/

Download the latest newsletter from the Farragut site here.

Episode 01: The Captaincy (click on title to read Diane Doyle's review) Guest Starring: James Cawley, Jeff Quinn, John Kelley writer: Paul R. Seiber and John Broughton Shortly after Captain John Carter of Mars arrives on board his new command, he is ordered to the planet Diotama III near the Klingon border. His mission is to investigate the disappearance of a missing starship and its irritating commodore, as well as determine the possibility of a secret and devastating Klingon weapon. Quality Rating: 75% The story is somewhat interesting, and the characters are realistically drawn. The major flaw in this episode is the never ending firefight on the planet as well as the Klingon base which looks more like my dead grandma's basement than something from the 23rd century. Even the Klingons would have to have something better than electrical wiring and painted cinder blocks for construction material. Still, the episode is quite watchable, and probably the best first episode of all productions listed in this article.
Episode 02: For Want of a Nail (click on title to read Diane Doyle's review) writer: Mark Hildebrand While beaming down to make first contact with a race of reclusive scientists, Captain Carter, Security Chief Prescott, Doctor Holley and two security guards suddenly find themselves in the midst of the American Revolutionary War. Despite their best efforts not to alter history, they run into none other than General George Washington. Back on the Farragut, First Officer Tacket and Chief Engineer Smithfield must work together in a race against time to rescue their missing comrades before they’re lost forever. Quality Rating: 85% The story is interesting, albeit filled with a few implausibilities, and bit of technojargon, and some other problems quite typical with fan fiction. I was a little put off by some of the acting, something I wasn't in the first episode. The actors looked as though their lines weren't as rehearsed as before, and sometimes the dialogue seems stilted as a result. Nice performance by the chap playing George Washington, and a really chilling post-script ending made this episode better than average. Farragut is becoming my favorite fan film series, and I'm looking forward to more!
Episodes 03 & 04: Fathers and Sons (2 parter)  *IN PRE-PRODUCTON* Guest Starring: James Cawley, Frank Hernandez writer: Paul R. Seiber Now in pre-production. Production meetings, rehearsals, and filming of first scenes of "Fathers and Sons" occurred in November and December 2007.
Episode 05: The Potemkin Passthrough  *IN PRE-PRODUCTON* writer: unknown Now in pre-production.
Vignette 01: Just Passing Through   *IN POST-PRODUCTON* writers: Holly Bednar and Dennis Bailey Filmed: August 25th 2007 -- Now in post-production. This vignette takes a look at how First Officer Tacket and Engineer Smithfield initially met and became romantically involved.
Vignette 02: Security Conference   *IN PRE-PRODUCTON* writers: unknown Prescott and Security Chief Sentell from the Enterprise are on a shuttlecraft on the way back from a Federation Security Conference... Two headstrung security chiefs... one small space... too much time... Presumed to be in pre-production (with the shuttlecraft set being built--visit Starship Farragut's forum to see some cool pics! ).
Vignette 03: Oblivion's Curtain   *IN PRE-PRODUCTON* writers: unknown Commander Jack Carter enjoys some much needed time off before assuming command of the Farragut. He spends his leisure with a lovely woman named Hope... but who are those two men following them?
Vignette 04: A Rock and a Hard Place  (previous title QUARRY, NO WORRY) *NOW FILMING* writers: unknown Captain Carter, despite objections from his security chief, decides to go on a planetary survey mission with an old flame. Are they the only ones interested in the rocks?
Animated 01: The Needs of the Many     *IN PRODUCTON* writer: Michael Struck with Jack Trevino a Neo/FX co-production The Farragut is sent to Cestus III. While at the base, the crew meets up with old friends and vile enemies. Can they solve all of the mysteries before they run out of time?
Animated 02: Power Source    *IN PRODUCTON* writer: Thomas J. Scott a Neo/FX co-production The Farragut searches for the U.S.S. Azrael only to find its crew is under the influence of alien technology. Can Carter save the crew of the Azrael before the Farragut is infested as well? Projected fall

Tales of the Seventh Fleet *UPDATED*

creator/executive producer: Daniel A. Swift

cast: Edward C. Tunis III, Daniel A. Swift, Eugene R. Hendricks, Michael Stein, Michelle Lee Hendricks, Richard Frost and Trisha A. Tunis
characters: original crew
characterizations: adequate at best; the character Enigma is well named because the character simply is an inconsistent parody of Data and Spock that the series would do well to lose; the Efrosian captain seems extremely odd and very rude; the chief engineer and his wife (the chief medical officer) are the only characters who seem to have much personality, although they need to knock off making food jokes between themselves

sets: digital
quality: poor
costuming: fair (inconsistent)

special effects: fair to adequate (improving)

base of operations: Morris Township, New Jersey

setting: U.S.S. Justice, NCC-556; movie era time frame

music: taken from The Last Starfighter with some incidental music from Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek: The Motion Picture

website: http://www.podship.com/totsf_files.htm
ease of navigation: straightforward
content: good, but not terribly informative; site contains little information about the production crew, stars, characters, etc.

notes: These three movies were done by a Star Trek club. Food jokes pop up a little too often in the script, ironic considering the physiques of the cast members. Sadly, there are few venues for downloading episodes of Tales of the Seventh Fleet, and we were unable to find any DVD cover artwork for the episodes. Hopefully, this oversight will be corrected. Two more episodes of this series are now in production and should be available in the near future. The production crew members are meeting and working on developing new episodes.

episodes: (3)

Episode 01: Return to Doomsday (click on title to read William Batross' review) writers: Edward C. Tunis III with Eugene R. Hendricks Newly assigned to the destroyer Justice, Chief Engineer Robert Lupia and his wife, the chief medical officer, struggle to adjust to their new stations aboard the starship. Meanwhile, the Doomsday Machine has somehow become reactivated. Quality Rating: 38% There are plenty of problems with this production. The dialogue and scenes appear to be totally unrehearsed. The interaction between the characters, other than the chief engineer and his wife, appear incredibly stilted. The special effects are fair, but don't distract from this episode as much as the story does. The character Enigma serves only to rankle the viewer.
Episode 02: Upgrade (click on title to read William Batross' review) writers: Daniel A. Swift with Eugene R. Hendricks While at Starbase 24 for repairs, the crew of the Justice find themselves confronting a medical mystery and a saboteur who aims to kill them all. Quality Rating: 42% This episode episode is not much of an improvement over the first episode. Spoiler Warning: The medical mystery is completely inconsistent, and goes from "simple influenza" to an exotic, manufactured bioweapon. The mystery isn't very good, and was rather disappointing altogether.
Episode 03: A Touch of Home writers: Eugene R. Hendricks with Trisha Tunis As an Efrosian, the captain of the Justice beams down an icy Klingon planet with his first officer to conduct a reaffirmation ceremony. Meanwhile, his ship is attacked by both the Romulans and Orions who seem to have taken an interest in expanding into Klingon territory! Quality Rating: 52% This episode episode is a bit better than the previous two. The mystery is more in line with what we've seen before, and the overall feel was more like what an episode should be. Tales of the Seventh Fleet may have a long way to go, but it's definitely on its way.

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