SaveEnterprise Campaign 2005 Outlook

The campaign raised 3.14 million US Dollars, combined with the help of several production studios. Paramount turned down our generous offer, and so we truck on. The trailer below was created by Zaphire for TrekUnited. The Save Enterprise Campaign Trailer for 2005 combines clips from throughout the franchise, combined with First Contact's theme, to give you an emotional journey through the reasons why we love this franchise. The standard achieved in the trailer represents the quality we wish to adhere to for future trailers. Below the trailer find the unedited FAQ for the campaign.

Following NBC’s cancellation of Star Trek in 1968, fans started an unprecedented letter-writing campaign that miraculously brought back their show to the airwaves. In the 39 years since then, Star Trek has become a cultural phenomenon with a world-wide fan following, spawning a franchise that encompasses five television series, ten feature films and a vast array of novels, fan films and events. The Star Trek franchise has inspired millions to devote their lives to the sciences and humanities, taking an active role in advancing human development.

On Feb. 3, 2005, UPN announced the cancellation of Star Trek: Enterprise, the fourth television spin-off of the original series, during its most creative and critically acclaimed season. No further Star Trek television or movie projects have been announced. Just as four decades ago, Star Trek faces an uncertain future, and in a time of increased competition and a cash-driven media, it is unlikely that letters alone can convince the decision-makers to reconsider.


1. What is the mission of TrekUnited?
Since the cancellation announcement, Star Trek fans from several countries have teamed up with Tim Brazeal (tim@trekunited.com), the founder of the SaveEnterprise (saveenterprise.com) campaign. SaveEnterprise worked successfully last year to ensure Enterprise’s fourth season, faithfully raising several thousands of dollars for a number of high profile ads to promote the show. Together, we aim to bring the devotion of Star Trek fans to a new level, launching the Star Trek fan campaign of the 21st century: TrekUnited.

Our mission: to boldly go where no fan campaign has gone before and raise money to sponsor the actual production of another Star Trek: Enterprise season, uniting Star Trek and science fiction fans around the world! We have support within the cast and crew for this unique endeavor. Furthermore, the executives of Paramount, the exclusive rights holder to the Star Trek franchise, have expressed their willingness to talk. However, they want to see hard evidence that we are capable of pulling this off. In light of the 1968 campaign, it is not the first time executives underestimate the fans, so let’s show them what we can achieve together!


2. About how much money are we talking here?
Actor John Billingsley (Enterprise’s Dr. Phlox) stated that the production of one Star Trek: Enterprise episode costs about $1.6m. For 22 episodes of a full season, this boils down to $35.2m. That sounds like an awful lot of money, but hold on a second! Mass contribution will do the trick. Three million people, the average viewership of season four on UPN, the Star Trek: Enterprise broadcasting network in the U.S., would each only need to contribute a mere $12, the price of a CD or cheap DVD. Alternatively, one million people could contribute $36, and so on. If celebrities, organizations and more well-off fans contribute accordingly, even less is required!

If you are still skeptical, please consider: first, many more people have expressed their willingness to contribute and fund the show directly, rather than to pay for an advertisement or other means of promotion which are unlikely to convince the decision makers in the current situation. Remember, by providing actual financial support rather than just letters and pleas, we can be a lot more convincing. Also, consider that the three million viewers on UPN are not the only potential contributors. If the millions of dedicated fans around the world contribute and work together, the campaign will be a blazing success!

During the past weeks, we have been experiencing unprecedented fan dedication for bringing back the show and keeping Star Trek alive, as well as international media attention for SaveEnterprise and TrekUnited, including CNN International, New York Post and the BBC. Within one week after the birth of the TrekUnited campaign around Feb 7, 2005, the dedicated people behind the campaign have not only managed to set up a professional website at TrekUnited.com, create a campaign board and publish the FAQ in eight languages, but also installed the payment system allowing fans to contribute.

Considering this, the critical factor is not the number of potential supporters, but getting their attention. The last Star Trek: Enterprise episodes will be shot in early March. Reshooting and post-production will be finished by the end of March, so the standing sets won’t be torn down until then.

Consequently, our campaign has time to make an impression on Paramount, while a symbolic amount of money, together with world-wide protest and media attention, may be enough already to convince the executives to carry on for another season.


3. What guarantee do I have that the contribution is safe and legal?
TrekUnited has put considerable effort into ensuring that all contributions are financially and legally secure, and that all transactions are transparent to both the contributing fans and Paramount Pictures.

Our proposal to Paramount is to sponsor the production of another season of Star Trek: Enterprise in 2005/06 without any further creative and legal demands (“no strings attached”). It may be sold to any network or cable channel, or broadcasted in first-run syndication.

To achieve this goal, the TrekUnited staff, relying upon legal assistance from our attorney, Mr. Andrew Beardall, Esq., as well as the work of PR and IT professionals within our team, has set up both the required administrative and technical infrastructure to ensure that fans can contribute to this cause without risk.

All contributed money is used for sponsoring Enterprise; only transactional fees charged to us by payment systems and banks (set to a flat 5% because of the varying payment methods and individual fees) are deducted. Furthermore, all potential excess in fees will be donated to the American Tsunami Relief Fund. If no agreement can be made with Paramount, your contribution will be refunded to you. All these guarantees of funding and refunding are fixed in a legally binding terms of agreement presented to you before contributing, providing not only safety, but a win-win scenario. How often do you take a chance in life which has a guaranteed payback even in case of failure?

The primary way to contribute money on the internet is PayPal (www.paypal.com), a secure online payment system with an international reputation. PayPal can be used world-wide with credit card or bank account withdrawal. Acknowledging the worries some may have about online payment, a number of alternative methods of contribution are avaiable or will be available shortly.

However contributed, all money is transferred to a trust account at ORNL Federal Credit Union. Money can only be withdrawn from this account with the signatures of several trustees. You can learn more about contribution, as well as contribute yourself, on www.trekunited.com/amember. For any questions, please kindly contact our attorney (attorney@trekunited.com).


4. What can I do to support the campaign?
The success of the TrekUnited campaign depends most on the support and dedication of the world-wide fan community of Star Trek: Enterprise. We need your support to keep Star Trek alive! However small, all help is welcome.

Apart from contributing, you can apply to work for our staff by emailing recruiting@trekunited.com; include your name, location, contact details and skills. The more people work with us, the higher the probability we’ll succeed. Lawyers, web designers, artists, communications people - everyone can contribute something! Of course, you can also join individual efforts to gain attention for our campaign. Spread the word among your friends; tell them how urgently their support is required. Notify science fiction, Star Trek and other websites on the net as well as local fan groups about our efforts. Talk about us in your blogs and live journals. Contact the media (TV, radio, newspapers) to report on our campaign. Provide us with your creative input and ideas on how to bring Star Trek: Enterprise back to the television screen this October (ideas@trekunited.com).

SaveEnterprise and TrekUnited are also working to organize fan rallies around the world. Join one of them (the main ones to be held in N.Y.C. and L.A. on Feb 25th and in London, UK on Feb 26th), or just hold your own rally! More information on planned rallies, as well as on how to organize your own, can be found at www.saveenterprise.com.

For all your individual or combined efforts, please make sure you keep us informed, stay in line with the facts about our campaign outlined in this FAQ, and mention TrekUnited.com as our campaign headquarters. Please direct all media inquiries to press@trekunited.com.

In the end, this campaign is more than an attempt to save Star Trek: Enterprise and Star Trek as we know it, but an impressive proof of the dedication and power of fandom. Let's get started and bring about the largest international fan campaign in history!


5. Why contribute to a TV show and not to charitable organizations?
We are in no way requesting people to spend money for sponsoring Star Trek: Enterprise rather than contributing to a relief fund. Given the humanitarian message of their show, many Star Trek fans are actively supporting charitable organizations all over the world to help those in need. However, in addition to that, each day people spend money on entertainment and entertainment products. To use just a few of these entertainment dollars to allow Star Trek to continue to tell thoughtful, high-quality science fiction stories in the age of reality television and call-in shows isn't a bad expense then either, is it?


6. But still, how is this going to work?
What if explorers had listened to the masses who thought a flight to the moon or across the Atlantic was impossible? However slim the chance is, nobody has ever achieved anything by saying “it is impossible”. For 39 years, Star Trek has promoted the idea that with faith, dedication and an optimistic outlook on life and the future, anything is possible, despite all obstacles. Think about what Robert F. Kennedy once said -

"There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why? I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?"

Help us to unite the fans and fund the future; join us at TrekUnited.Com!