More good news for fans of Star Trek! So far Moby has reviewed ‘The Child‘ by Phase II and also the latest from Starship Farragut. A while ago the sets from another fan-based Trek production, Starship Exeter, were relocated from Austin, Texas to Oklahoma City and a new crew are preparing to film later this year under a new banner.
The new production is named Starship Ajax and Moby was fortunate enough to meet the crew and see the bridge set today. There is still work to be done, but this full 360 degree bridge is simply awesome. The amount of work going in to this endeavor really says all you need to know about the dedication of these individuals. In fact, that dedication is also apparent in the Ajax motto:
Failure is not an option.
Not a bad motto. Regular updates to the Starship Ajax Facebook page include videos of the set through various phases of construction (like the one at bottom), interviews with cast and crew, and such and it is worth checking out. The production is gaining more and more notice as well, as the local NBC affiliate in Oklahoma City, KFOR Channel 4, featured the production during their 6PM newscast last night. Here it is:
It is a “love letter to Star Trek”, styled after TOS (the original series) and takes place during the same time frame as Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock…With an original story and original characters, it promises to be very reminiscent of the old TOS style.
Sure, this is going to be a lot of fun but part of what make these fan-based efforts great is the sense of community and coming together. In addition to the love of Star Trek, the cast and crew of Starship Ajax have found common cause and are also working to raise awareness for children or friends with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or Asperger’s syndrome.
Future plans include allowing other fan-based productions to use the standing sets free of charge once they are completed, thus allowing donations of time and money the chance to be put to good use time and again. This is one of the most exciting aspects of this crew, but what else would you expect from Trek fans based in ‘The Big Friendly?’
Being not-for-profit and fan-based, the production relies on the generosity of the cast and crew for their time and energy, as well as all costs being covered out-of-pocket or by donations. If you’re interested in learning more or helping, you can go to their web site, www.starshipajax.com or visit their page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/starshipajax.
A big thanks to everyone at Starship Ajax for letting me attend today, and hopefully I can be of help in the future. Recommended.
P.S: I get first dibs on that time-share on Beijor.
