Kirk vs. Picard? WTF?
Jun. 14th, 2007 06:05 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
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Hi everybody,
I´ve been following the developments on the FanLib website pretty closely in the last past days and I have been especially worried about this new challenge/event/thingie that launched yesterday: startrek.fanlib.com (direct link to Fanlib here).
First thing I want to say, is that I´m a huge fan of Star Trek for more than 15 years, have seen all the films, all the series (except the last one, that was a bit too much) and have about 70 Star Trek novels on my bookshelf. So I can understand, that while this may be a huge thing for me, people who don´t care about Star Trek probably won´t be that much interested. But I´m not going to talk only about Star Trek here, trust me :) FanLib issues follow right behind the cut.
(italics cited right from the startrek.fanlib.com site)
From June 13th to July 20th 2007, FanLib and CBS Interactive, along with Star Trek luminaries, invite you to join thousands of fans online to collectively create an original Star Trek adventure — one scene at a time.
Basically, they have posted four possible storylines on their forums, all concerning some sort of clash between Kirk and Picard (don´t ask me why, I´ve never been that much obsessed with the two of them meeting or fighting or what ever). While this is all fine and nice, I can´t stop thinking, that the only thing they are trying to do, is to get new ideas for the new Star Trek movie, Star Trek XI (Wikipedia link), which has been in the talks for quite a while already and has the same premise: Kirk vs. Picard.
Those are they official storylines so far (I personally am not that impressed with them):
1) THE RETURN OF KHAN
Enterprise-D returns from a three-month, long-range recon mission beyond our galaxy and makes a shocking discovery: the Federation has been all but obliterated.
Picard learns that a renegade human colony, established nearly a century ago by James T. Kirk on Ceti-Alpha V, waged a surprise attack against Earth, and won. Picard quickly realizes the time-line has somehow been altered. The notorious Khan was not killed in an epic battle with Kirk fifteen years after he was exiled on that remote planet...
Picard orders Enterprise-D to go back in time to confront both Kirk and Khan in a desperate gambit to restore the time-line -- and the future of the Federation.
2) HISTORY LESSON
James T. Kirk is on a top-secret historical mission to present-day Earth. Someone from the future is trying to alter Earth's past, and Kirk has been ordered to find and stop him. But Kirk isn't the only agent visiting our era from the future: Jean-Luc Picard is also here, and his mission is to track down Kirk!
A game of cat-and-mouse ensues as Picard befriends Kirk and gains his confidence, all the while concealing his identity as a fellow starship Captain from the future. Picard has been told by Starfleet Command that Kirk is going to tamper with history by preventing one of the defining events of the 21st century. Picard has orders to stop Kirk, even if it means killing him.
3) PRISONER OF TIME
Enterprise-D discovers an escape pod floating in the void. Sensors show one human lifesign, in cryonic suspension. They beam the pod aboard and discover the occupant is James T. Kirk.
Picard orders Crusher to revive him. Kirk is amazed to find himself alive, so many years into the future -- he didn't expect there to be a future! That means there's still time... Kirk warns of an impending threat to the galaxy. But his behavior is paranoid, almost delusional. Crusher warns Picard that brain damage is often a consequence of long-term hibernation, but Kirk insists that he's completely sane, and unless Picard takes him deep into the heart of Romulan territory on what may well be a suicide mission, the entire galaxy - and every living being in it -- will be destroyed.
When Picard refuses to cross the neutral zone, Kirk steals into the Battle Bridge, separates from the saucer section, and heads into Romulan territory. Picard has no choice but to pursue...
4) THE GUARDIAN OF FOREVER
The Guardian of Forever is malfunctioning -- or possibly going insane. Time-quakes are erupting from it, throwing an entire sector of space into chaos. Kirk is ordered to investigate, but the Enterprise becomes trapped in a temporal eddy.
A tractor beam from another Federation ship pulls Enterprise to safety. Kirk is shocked to discover that the other ship is Enterprise-D! From the perspective of Kirk and his crew, only a few hours have passed since they entered the Guardian's system, but the temporal eddy has thrown them nearly a century into the future.
The time-quakes are becoming more violent, and could eventually spread throughout the galaxy. Kirk wants to destroy the Guardian immediately, but Picard argues that would be immoral - the Guardian is a unique, sentient being.
As the two Captains clash, the surprising source of the Guardian's malfunction is discovered... but is it too late to save this mysterious gateway to the past?
So, people are supposed to vote for one of these storylines, which then get´s picked up and the "writing event" starts:
Round | Scene Mission Posted | Submission Period | Finalists Posted | Online Judging Period | Winning Scene announced |
1 | June 20, 2007 | June 20, 2007 - June 25, 2007 | June 27, 2007 | June 27, 2007 - June 29, 2007 | June 29, 2007 |
2 | June 29, 2007 | June 29, 2007 - July 2, 2007 | July 4, 2007 | July 4, 2007 - July 6, 2007 | July 6, 2007 |
3 | July 6, 2007 | July 6, 2007 - July 9, 2007 | July 11, 2007 | July 11, 2007 - July 13, 2007 | July13, 2007 |
4 | July 13, 2007 | July 13, 2007 - July 16, 2007 | July 18, 2007 | July 18, 2007 - July 20, 2007 | July 20, 2007 |
At the beginning of each round (starting June 20th), KvP Mission Director, will post a "Scene Mission" containing plot-points and directions to help keep our story on-track. After reading the Scene Mission, you'll have the chance to write and submit your own scene (or series of scenes), rate and discuss scenes written by others, or do it all.
All other issues aside, what quite surprised me there is the unbelievably short submission period: I mean, five days for writing a scene, or a series of scenes? Isn´t that just a bit too little time to do some quality thinking less alone writing? Maybe it is just me, but I usually need at least a couple of days to either form an idea in my head or play with the one that already has been proposed. Then writing, rewriting, correcting and what about sending the whole thing to a beta? Five days? NO WAY! Or...?
So, anybody else having ideas about this?
And a tiny little part of me can´t stop being angry and sad, that the whole contest again is only for US citizens.... no insult here, folks, but why should only US fans be able to actually have a say in what will probably be the next Star Trek movie? I mean, we are here too, goddamnit, and there is more of us in the other parts of the world than in the whole USA!
All thing writen in this post are my personal opinion and when it comes to the factual side they may be completely wrong. I´m just a fan.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-15 01:57 am (UTC)