Countdown to the Trailer!

It's going to be an exciting few months for fans of Star Trek: Frontiers.

The trailer for our first feature, "Ascent", is done. It's an early cut. The edit is sound right now, all that needs to be done are the sound effects. Those will be added by audio master Henrik. Unfortunately, Henrik is away for a few days, so he won't be able to get to it until he returns. That said, we should have the trailer out by mid-October, two to three weeks before the film is released.

So what can you expect to see in this trailer? Quite a bit, actually. There's a story element that we were originally going to hide until the film was released. But after some discussion, we decided it would probably generate some interest (and spirited debate, I hope) if we released the trailer (which contains spoilers for this element, though not big ones) a few weeks before the film.

So after the trailer, expect to see some more of Paul Weaver's gorgeous artwork in the weeks running up to the film.

The film releases on November 3rd, which is a Friday and one of our previouly scheduled release slots from when S3 was supposed to be out by now. (Ha ha - remember that? Good times.)

But we're not done there. No, no. Things aren't going to slow down in the two months between the feature and the S3 premiere. In the weeks following the movie, we will be hosting a number of special features. Those include:

- Ships of the Wagon Train: A look at the starships that will be comprising the incredible journey to the Great Attractor. We'll have multiple views of the vessel, those tech specs fans eat up, and a brief crew compliment highlighting the major players on each vessel.

- Frontiers and The Great Attractor: A look at the very real Great Attractor (yes, it's a real anomaly and it's really out there).

- To Boldly Go: Highlights from STAR TREK: FRONTIERS. While the specifics of this one are being worked out, "To Boldly Go" will be a Frontiers-exclusive podcast that will feature a look at our first two seasons and, tentatively, real-time commentary from most of our staffers. It will be quite an event, and will be released a week or two before the Season 3 premiere.

I'm genuinely excited - I haven't been this excited about Frontiers in a long time. With the return of Randi and the addition of Adam, plus outstanding stories from our returning writers, and more great teasers and animations from Paul Weaver, Frontiers' third season promises to be very exciting.

And we're just a few weeks away from kicking it all off. I, for one, can't wait. I'm so excited I made this blog entirely about Frontiers. How crazy is THAT?

White & Nerdy

God, I am so white and nerdy.

I just realized this... Well, I guess I always knew a little, but when you hear a song saying as much, it really starts to sink in. I'm talking about the newest single from Weird Al' - "White & Nerdy". It's a parody of rapper Chamillionaire's "Ridin' Dirty" and it's filled with references to Star Trek - many of them - comic books, and a career in web design.

So either he's been spying on me, or i am the stereotypical white nerd.

I swear, it's like I'm becoming more and more of a nerd all the time. You see, back in high school it was all about wrestling. Then, i got into Trek, and recently I've added the title of "comic geek" to my resume. Oh well, who cares? I suppose there are many things you can be that are worse than a nerd. Still, the song is worth a listen - hopefully I'm not the only one who doesn't feel like it was written about them.

It's available free at Weird Al's MySpace page - http://www.myspace.com/weirdal

Well, the 2006 football season started Sunday for my Panthers, and it didn't start well. They lost 20-6 to division rival Atlanta. I'm not concerned for the season, but it seems like they always lose their first game. This is the 3rd straight year they've lost the season opener, the 2nd they've lost to a division opponent. Well, at least i didn't have to drive seven hours and spend $80 on a ticket to see them lose this year's opener. Last year I made the trip to Charlotte with some friends, and they lost 20-17 to the Saints.

It was announced recently that Ultimate Spider-Man artist Mark Bagley - who has been with the book from day-one - will be leaving after issue #110. This really sucks. His work is outstanding - he really is THE Spider-Man artist. I hope whoever they find to replace him doesn't change the look of the book too much. The good news is that he and writer Brian Michael Bendis will break the record for the longest collaboration between a writer and an artist with issue #103.

Okay... Maybe some Frontiers now? Yeah.

The movie teaser video is VERY near completion. Expect it out sooner rather than later. This one, like every one we release, is the best one yet. I really expect people to be blown away by this, for more than one reason.

Season 3 is shaping up nicely. The first few episodes are really starting to take shape from a story standpoint. We always knew the basics of what was going to happen, but now that we have some details, it's looking great. Expect more than one character from Trek's past to make a guest appearance, and I'm not talking minor characters either. These are MAJOR players - pretty much as big as it gets in Trek, and before you ask, yes, they do serve a purpose story-wise.

A big one in fact.

Speaking of which, one character - this one a recurring character from a canon series - will be joining the Enterprise crew. I've said this before, but now that it's getting closer, i figured it was worth mentioning again. I don't want to give too much away, but this is a character from one of the 24th century shows.

Like that's really a clue ;)

To the Stars

To say that Star Trek is an important part of my life is to make a gross understatement. I can't say that Star Trek IS my life, but it has inspired a great deal of it. In this, I am not alone. Star Trek means a great deal to a great many people all across the planet. It has touched lives in subtle and not-so-subtle ways, and has influenced everything from social behaviors to technology. For every Star Trek fan under the vast, unending final frontier, there is a story. This one is mine.

The first real memory I have of Star Trek is a scene from the feature film: Spock, on Vulcan. I was perhaps six at the time, and I distinctly recall that seeing Spock stirred within me a sense of familiarity... it called to mind, not specific details, but elements. A ship. Pointy ears. Aliens. I suspect that I had actually seen Star Trek in those years still darkened beyond my memory, and seeing Spock triggered something. For years, I remained vaguely aware of Star Trek. My aunt and grandmother liked it, and often spoke of it. I saw a movie once or twice on television, and I remember going to see The Final Frontier in a drive-in when it came out.

It wasn't until my dad took me to see Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country that I really began to understand and get into Star Trek. Though much of the political subtext and intricate plot passed right by me, I knew that I was entertained, and that I was watching something special. A story with the power to captivate me and move me.

I told my grandmother (who lived with us at the time) how much I enjoyed it and together we rented the entire collection of feature films - from number one through number six. We watched them together, and through me it was as though she had seen them for the first time. Through the sorrow of Spock's death to the humor of the 20th century to the touching moments of Captain Kirk's final log entry, I became immersed in classic Trek. And, it brought my grandmother and I closer than I could have imagined. The time we spent together was quality.

Not long after, my aunt suggested we watch an episode of The Next Generation. I knew nothing of TNG at the time and thought it was a cheap knock-off of my beloved classic series. Still, when we were told Spock would be guest starring, we made it a point to watch. It was that episode - Unification - that truly cemented me as a Star Trek fan. I fell in love with the TNG characters, the new Enterprise, and the more complex and interesting storytelling. Suddenly my grandmother and I had almost nightly appointments to watch TNG reruns during the week and new episodes on Saturday. I became best friends with another Trek fan at school, and he taught me all there was to know about the Trek universe. We explored the technical manual together, went to see Generations together, and we even developed our own starship: the USS Brahms, named in honor of Leah Brahms. To this day I still have tech specs for it. But more than that, I began to understand the ideals of Star Trek. I heard them spoken of in news articles and on television, and I saw it for myself in the episodes. These men and women were not the men and women of today. They had conquered their petty problems and were aspiring to be better human beings simply because they wanted to. They were fair and just and friendly to everyone. They met their enemies with honor and aided those who needed it. These were noble people whose pursuit of higher ideals had raised their entire civilzation out of the darkness and into an age of enlightenment. I saw this. I wanted this.

As time went on, and TNG became DS9, became Voyager, became Enterprise, I continued to watch. Star Trek's culture and philosophy became a part of my life. It left an indelible mark more profound than even religion had at that point in my life. I was grounded enough to understand that the utopian future the Great Bird imagined would probably never happen. I was intelligent enough to realize that its improbability shouldn't stop us from trying. I was passionate enough to want to pass the message on through my own lifestyle and, eventually, through story.

But perhaps even more profound than Star Trek's influence on my worldview was its influence on my personal life. Because of the time we spent together watching Star Trek, I became closer to my grandmother than to anyone else. (Indeed, only my wife is closer to me now.) We became best friends, compasions of the heart. We would talk about episodes and characters we liked, speculate on where things would go... we shed tears at the touching finale of DS9 and shrugged impassively at the finale of Voyager. We watched Enterprise with great anticipation. And through it all, we bonded in a way I just cannot express through words. Even when I married and moved out, I came home every week to watch Star Trek with my grandmother. It was our thing, our special night. And since her passing in 2001, I continue to watch... and I know she's right there watching it with me.

Yes, Star Trek's legacy is beyond anything we've ever experienced. Its philosophy of the future, its inspiration for modern technology, its exciting adventure stories that challenge our minds. But perhaps its most profound contribution is not found in the technology of tomorrow or the philosophy of a better world... but in its ability to bring two people together to sit for an hour, forget their troubles, and simply be. Perhaps that is the real wonder of the final frontier. Two people, together, bonding and united, putting aside their differences and becoming better people for it. Perhaps that is where this trek to the stars truly begins.

Thank you, Gene Rodenberry, for bringing Star Trek into my life and into my grandmothers, and for every ounce of inspiration and hope it has given us. May forty years be just the beginning.

To Boldy Go...

In keeping with our 40th anniversary of Star Trek here at Frontiers, I will also add my feelings and thoughts on the franchise. I know you'll love it...

I was first introduced to Star Trek around 1988, at the wee age of three. My dad would watch reruns of the original series and the new episodes of The Next Generation. As a child, it was the original show that fascinated me. I can remember watching the heroic Captain Kirk struggle against a terrifying lizard alien and thinking to myself. I love this; that is what I want to do.

Now what does that mean? Star Trek has inspired me to be a writer, an actor, a philosopher, and more simply, a human being. Those original episodes thought me so much about who we are as humans and what we can do. To this day, the original show has probably influenced me more than anything. I loved TNG, but I don't care what anyone says, it was a much weaker show in terms of characters and story. It was virtually impossible to relate to these people that didn't seem real. That's probably why I connected with Deep Space Nine more, it told real stories about real characters about things we could relate to and care about...and besides, it was damn entertaining.

Voyager and Enterprise, sadly, became more standardized popcorn science fiction and lost some of the imagination and depth that the other shows had. But the Star Trek franchise is almost microcosm for the human soul and it too has it moments of faltering. That's why I still don't doubt where the franchise can go because it is a growing show about life...something sadly missing from entertainment today.

So, here's to you Trek and Gene Roddenberry for having this remarkable vision. May the great bird of galaxy bless you all!

This Star Trek Thingie

Well, I figured I'd chime in here about the whole Star Trek 40th Anniversary thingie and tell you how I found myself delving into the fine world of trek fandom.

My very first memory of Star Trek was when I was a little girl. I have a vague memory of sneaking out late at night due to a bout of insomnia. I was mildly curious what was on television in the wee hours of the morning. After channel surfing a bit, I came across this curious show that had this blond captain and his compadres: A tall, dark-haired man with funny eyebrows and pointed ears and a southern doctor that seemed to say, "Dammit, Jim!" and "Why, you green-blooded Vulcan!" more than anything else.

I'm sure that I don't have to tell you that I was enamored immediately. The first episode I saw was "The Menagerie II" I recall being quite disgusted with the aliens' pulsating heads, but the show was fascinating. I snuck out a few more times to try and catch the adventures of Kirk and crew.

I'll be honest, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" is by far my favorite series, which is only confirmed again as I watch it once more in syndication. I know that many are put off by its utopian ideals, arguing them to be unrealistic. But that is what I love most about the show: The hope that someday we can shake the chains of our intolerance, our apathy, our greed and pride to come together and recognize that despite our religions, our traditions, our cultures, our races that we are, underneath it all, humans.

I think that the Vulcan mantra of IDIC sums it up best: Infinite Diversity in Infinite Culture. Perhaps that is why the Vulcans are my favorite Trek aliens.

In closing, I'll add why I participate in fan fiction. It is because, despite Paramount holding the copyrights to Star Trek, it's the fans who keep it alive. There may be no plans to put a television series into production but I doubt it will be forever. 40 years is an incredible legacy for any television series in any genre and Paramount has less to do with that than the fans do.

~Randi

Birthday's

Happy birthday to... ME!

Yes... Well, yesterday anyway, but this entry isn't about MY birthday - it's about someone else's.

Something else's, anyway...

I'm speaking of the 40th anniversary of Star Trek, of course.

We on the Frontiers staff have decided, to celebrate, we're going to post our own personal thoughts on what Trek means to us. You can expect quite a few more entry's, but I figured I'd get this thing started.

As some of you may know, I was introduced to Trek through a very unlikely source - Pro Wrestling. I was a huge wrestling fan back in high school, and when UPN ran a re-run of Voyager after WWE Smackdown! I happened to catch the episode and was hooked. I made a point to do some research into this Trek thing.

Now, like most people who aren't die-hard fans, I just assumed it was shoot-em-up Scifi - all about the action. The fact that it wasn't was one of the major reasons I became so interested in it. Eventually, I re-discovered TNG (which I had actually watched before) and started watching DS9 re-runs as well as some classic TOS episodes, and finally, the movies.

As I discovered, Trek is, in reality, far from the space-action fest many people confuse it with. What it is is a vision of the future - a mostly peaceful vision - created by a man that, despite not being the saint many people think he was - was far ahead of his time. In a lot of ways, Trek is still ahead of the times. I'm not talking about the technology - that's just part of it - I'm talking about its concept of a society where people actually care about others as much, and in most cases more, than they do themselves. A world where people actually took notice of the fact that their world sucked, and actually took steps to fix it.

What a concept. Too bad it took World War III, and first contact with aliens to kick-start the process, but I'm not convinced that even those events would convince today's society to change. Even in the darkest moments of DS9, that vision was there. Maybe not as evident, but it was there, after all, what's the point of fighting a costly war if there's nothing to fight for?

The fact that this vision was often concealed underneath layers and layers of fleet battles, god-like aliens, Romulan plots, and the occasional wise-ass comment from the attending physician changes nothing. It may not have been understood as well by certain producers, but it never fully went away. Even the worst Trek episodes have that spirit about them, and that's what kept it alive - what IS keeping it alive.

Star Trek will be around for as long as people like us keep it alive. All of us. Anyone reading this blog, anyone who reads VST episodes, and anyone who keeps popping those DVD's in from time to time to get their Trek fix. The folks at Paramount may think they control Trek's future, but they don't. There will always be sites like VST, TrekWeb, and fan films like New Voyages to keep the vision alive.

After all, how many TV series last longer than a couple seasons, let alone get to celebrate 40 years of anything?