2 posts tagged “paramount”
I want to apologise to all of you who are expecting to see another chapter of the late Star Trek writer and producer, Michael Piller’s unpublished book. I just received a letter from Paramount’s lawyers, which will explain why I’m unable to post it (see below)
Dear Mr. Prooth:
I am writing on behalf of CBS Studios Inc., successor in interest to Paramount Pictures Corporation’s rights in the STAR TREK franchise (”CBS Studios”). CBS Studios understands and greatly appreciates the fact that the STAR TREK series’ strong fan base is a crucial element of its long term success. In that regard, CBS Studios is supportive of its fans’ desire to share and communicate information about the series. However, as rights owner, CBS Studios is obligated to protect its rights in the series, both for itself and for the large community of people involved in creating the series, including the talent, artists, producers and writers. CBS Studios therefore seeks to strike a balance between encouraging legitimate use and discouraging infringements of valuable rights.
It has come to our attention that you are posting chapters of Michael Piller’s unpublished book entitled “Fade In: From Idea to Final Draft, The Writing of Star Trek Insurrection“ on various websites. As copyright owner, CBS Studios is entitled to exclusive rights concerning copying, duplication and distribution, among other rights. Accordingly, CBS Studios cannot permit your posting and distributing this book. We respectfully request that you voluntarily remove the content from your websites at www.sebrt.com and http://tektrekgamer.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/michael-piller-chapter.pdf and any other site for which you are responsible and agree to refrain from posting this in the future.
We trust that you understand our concerns over CBS Studios’ rights and will cooperate with us by complying with our requests within three (3) days of your receipt of this letter without the need for further action. Should you chose to ignore these requests, we will have no option but to contact your ISP demanding the immediate removal of the copyrighted material pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Please contact me at the number above should you have any questions.
The foregoing is without waiver of any and all rights of CBS Studios Inc., all of which are expressly reserved herein.
Sincerely,
Mallory Levitt
After reading the book, I see how far away Star Trek has strayed from Gene Rodenberry’s vision and I realise Paramount will do anything to suppress in their view such archaic ideas. Principal photography on the new Star Trek movie starts in two weeks with a unwelcome view of the future and they don’t want to be reminded of a battle that they thought was gone.
In 1969, when the original TV show was cancelled, a hundred thousand fans wrote in and their complaints were met with deaf ears at Paramount Pictures. In 2007 there are millions and millions Trek enthusiasts who potentially have power to influence Paramount and CBS to finally release the book as Michael Piller requested, days before he died.
Last week CBS gave reprieve to the cancelled TV show “Jericho” when fans protested here’s the story…
http://www.startribune.com/459/v-print/story/1230719.html
Ironically, my last post had to do with the power that bloggers now have. The time has come for millions of bloggers to unite…for e-mailers and letter writers to bombard Sumner Redstone at Paramount and CBS until Michael Piller’s book is released.
We all deserve to look inside “Rodenberry’s Box” (which I won’t be able to post) all comments will be appreciated and passed along on to Sumner Redstone.
To our future…
-Sebastian Prooth
For our “Advanced Guide to Blogging” go to www.guidetoadvancedblogging.com
This video can not be played here, click on the player to be taken to YouTube to watch. Make sure you remember to come back here to comment as they have been disabled on YouTube!
I was doing some late night YouTube watching and while on a simple search for “Star Trek Behind the Scenes” I came across this little set of videos. It seems that 2 rather unintelligent lifeforms broke into the Stage 9 set of Paramount Pictures after hours during the time of Season 1 of Star Trek: The Next Generation. A Paramount worker must have decided to upload the videos to the Internet after nearly 20 years in storage!
Not only did these lack-wits break into the set and parade around like they owned the place they were caused set pieces to fall down and turned on all the lighted consoles that make the Star Trek computers look so futuristic. The problem with the whole enterprise, if you will forgive the bad alliteration, is while trying to film a “behind the scenes” look at the Star Trek set the guy who was in front of the camera most of the time had nothing much to say that was true or in any way worth hearing.
During their invasion of Stage 9 one of the men tried out a bio bed in the sickbay set. Laying on the bed after he had determined it was not going to hold him only made it funnier when the whole setup fell. The idiots did however manage to get lights working on the set and prove once and for all that some of the computer panels were in fact touch sensitive. Another hilarious bit in these 4 videos are the times when the main “character” puts on his glasses to see better. What a twerp! The guy defiantly has anger management issues as he seems to be constantly on the verge of yelling at his co-hort. Maybe they were just totally scared shitless as the set might have been about to open up again for early morning prep at any moment.
As a fan of Star Trek and a technical fan at that, I know what the warp core does etc so when this man who dressed himself in what appears to be a uniform like that of Commander Riker, tried to explain what he is standing infront of, be it the warp core or a window in the old “Conference / Crew Quarters” set used during the first season he just gets everything totally wrong, take my word for it. He did grab a LCARS panel and seemed to correctly identify it as the graphic used when Lt. Yar died.
His sidekick, unintelligent lifeform number 2, is completely unversed in the operation of the camera and has never even heard of a steady shot judging by the way the camera shakes for the entire set of 4 videos. Notable props and set pieces in these videos include: Transporter Room Console, Lt Cmdr Remmick (Dead) from the episode Conspiracy, a prop alien creature from Conspiracy, the Bio Bed used for really sick or dying people with the big swing arm, Cargo Bay type doors, and the best part of all, the Enterprise that is usually such a tidy place is a total dump!
According to the blurb on YouTube, when the idiots were chased from the stage they dropped their camera, this can be seen in the last few moments of Video 4. I am not sure what happened to these guys or if they were ever caught but there certainly is plenty of video evidence to prove their crime. Pitty they never had a chance to edit it! Even though a tour of the Star Trek sets is a trekkie’s wet dream, this particular tour was not one I would ever want to go on. I sure would like to know how they got in there in the first place!
The video above is the first in their series of 4. The following links start at video two and link you to the rest of the escapade. I am going to call my friend Dennis Madalone who was the stunt co-ordinator on TNG and ask him if he remembers this one! Thought Trekkies everywhere would get a kick out of this! Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHZOH-1domQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9tu4iPx1gI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTwSihLYI0w
