Monday, June 8, 2015

The current mindset of the scale modeling community

    Upon recent visit to one of my favorite modeling forums; I came upon a conversation about a certain Star Trek producing model kit company. The conversation roughly revolved around said companies propensity to produce the same subject (The original Enterprise), in multiple scales and how frustrated the poster was about the dearth of new subjects.

The counter argument stated that anything beyond that subject did not sell well enough to justify the continued expenditure on subjects that do not turn a profit; and while this is a correct assessment of the situation from a buisness perspective; it hardly seems like the perspective of a simple hobbyist! When did the consumer become so enamoured with the inner workings of the companies from whom they purchase that they would spout their talking points in casual conversation? Has the mentality of corporate America so seeped into the minds of the people that people justify the stagnation and the stunting of their own hobby?

I can understand the benefits of being aware of what causes such a lack of subjects, but I just get a kind of "Stepford wives" vibe from people that spout corporate lingo. That sounds more like corporate programming to me.

Perhaps I'm being too critical; too judgmental.

I support any comment that pushes the expansion of the scale modeling hobby.

-Space out blogger 

   

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Thoughts on the recent deluge of Star Trek TOS fan films

    Star Trek New Voyages/Phase II; Star Trek: Continues; Starship Farragut; Starship Exeter, etc. 

    Those are just the names of a few of the 1960's Star Trek based fan series. For whatever reasons people seem intent upon reliving the same characters and designs ethos' over and over again; I'd love to see a Star Trek based series with it's own unique look and style. Now Star Trek: Renegades seems to have done so, but it is post-TNG which would account for the differences in appearance. Don't misunderstand, I love the look and feel of the original (And I think the best) Star Trek series. But enough is enough, I'm starting to tire with seeing the same ship layouts and the same tired old characters being played by people interpreting what had been perfected fifty years ago.

I know I have the option to not watch them but I look at all the money, time, effort and love that has gone into recreating the original sets and wonder - could they have made more of all of that if they'd stretched their creative legs? Create something! Not recreate. Now, I wouldn't mind seeing a minor redesign; keep the essential elements and change the rest. Does every fan series have to be set on a Constitution class starship? Does every Captain have to be Kirk?! I've seen Kirk, I've seen the original Starship Enterprise. Show me something that predated TOS with new characters with their own styles and idiosyncrasies!

I guess I'm just burned out. I'm starved for Star Trek and the only outlets are a shitty film series and an overabundance of TOS-centric fan series. 

Why not go out and put my money where my mouth is?!

I can't afford to do so. I would love to create my own Star Trek, I simply don't have the capability. No money and most importantly; no space.

Please, if you're reading this and considering making your own Star Trek series? Consider setting it in the familiar; branch out; be different!

- Spaced out blogger