AN ABSENT FRIEND - A Star Trek Fan Production
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ก.ย. 2024
- To learn more about the making of this unique Star Trek fan film, visit:
fanfilmfactor....
Dedicated with love and appreciation to the deeply-missed LEONARD NIMOY and DeFOREST KELLEY.
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James T. Kirk has died saving the crew and passengers of the U.S.S. Enterprise-B from a spatial anomaly. Now Dr. McCoy is mourning his absent friend alone in a San Francisco bar, his only companions a bottle of bourbon and his own personal torment. Enter: Spock...having returned to Earth after hearing of "the incident." Spock, of course, is not allowing himself to become emotional over the loss of his best friend--the opposite of what McCoy is going through. Ironically, or perhaps fittingly, they each need what the other has, and they come together for a quiet, introspective conversation as each man, in his own way, helps the other come to terms with this devastating loss.
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AN ABSENT FRIEND" is the first-ever Star Trek fan film to use artificial intelligence exclusively to generate all of the voices, utilizing ElevenLabs' speech synthesis algorithms. And if anyone is wondering "Is it legal to use A.I. to generate the voice of a deceased actor?" the answer is currently yes, according to California Civil Code § 3344, Section 990, paragraph (n):
"This section shall not apply to the use of a deceased personality's name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness, in any of the following instances:
1) A play, book, magazine, newspaper, musical composition, FILM, radio or television program, other than an advertisement or commercial announcement not exempt under paragraph (4)."
Read the entire statute here:
corporate.find...
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Writer / Producer / Director / Animator: JONATHAN LANE
Illustrator: MATT SLADE
Music: MATT MILNE
Opening Credits Sequence Animator: "MOJO"
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Every effort was made in the creation of this project to comply with the CBS and Paramount Pictures guidelines for Star Trek fan films located at:
www.startrek.c...
Star Trek and all related marks, logos and characters are solely owned by CBS Studios Inc. This fan production is not endorsed by, sponsored by, nor affiliated with CBS, Paramount Pictures, or any other Star Trek franchise, and is a non-commercial fan-made film intended for recreational use. No commercial exhibition or distribution is permitted. No alleged independent rights will be asserted against CBS or Paramount Pictures.
![[RARE] Star Trek "The Menagerie" TV Special hosted by Leonard Nimoy [VHS]](/img/n.gif)
Whoever wrote the dialog, I commend him/her for capturing the essence of these characters
I can truly say this was a believable exchange between these two old comrades in arms
Whoever wrote the dialog says "Thank you so much!" (Me, by the way.) 🙂
@@jonathanlane1377 fantastic job 👍🙂
The irony as of today, May 3, 2024 William Shatner is the only one still living of the three
Yeah, that sad truth didn't escape me as I was creating this. At the time I first wrote the script (2010), Leonard Nimoy was still alive. Unfortunately, we must all depart the train of life someday.
Wrong George Takei and Walter Koenig Still Alive
@@rogermurray5582- I said of the three Kirk Spock and McCoy. I did not make any reference to the Star Trek cast as a whole.
Well Should Have I'm Trekker 1972
@@rogermurray5582 - lol that’s ridiculous. You misread what I posted.
Spock had a wry sense of humor.
I’m glad the characters of Kyle, Leslie, Rand, and Riley were mentioned. Nice touch.
Yeah, I love including little Easter eggs! 🙂
@@jonathanlane1377, I’m also impressed you have animations of the old crew and several characters mentioned since TOS went out of production.
Nice work.
Nice how this simple conversation ties together so many decades of lore so fluidly; and, it explains Scotty's line about Kirk pulling the Enterprise out of mothballs in "Relics"
Yep, I always wondered why Scotty would have thought James Kirk rescued him in "Relics." Of course, the real reason is that "Relics was written and produced years before ST: Generations. 🙂
Love that 70s filmation style and closing theme
Thank you.
I’m a lifelong and old-school trekker and I would watch more of this.
Not sure I'll be making more, but thanks for the compliment, my friend.
This did bring a tear to this old Trekkie's eyes. I remember watching Star Trek when it was brand new in 1966, and I joined the Star Trek Fan Club, which used the US Postal Service. It was amazing. OMG, that was 58 years ago. Now I really feel old, LOL.
Wow. You actually covered a plot hole that’s been eating at me for a while. When Scotty appeared in TNG and first heard the name Enterprise his reaction was thinking that Kirk took the ship out of space dock to find him. Why would he say that if he was there when Kirk “died?” Because he was still holding out hope that Kirk was alive and would appear again at any point. I love it! This is now the second fan project I’m accepting as my own personal canon, first being Star Trek Continues.
Awesome! Thanks so much.
Thanks for spelling that out. Someone else mentioned fixing the TNG plot hole, but I had no idea what they were referring to. Now I see it.
I think it's a plot hole they need to fix since that episode "relics" was shot in 92, Star Trek generations was in 94
I always just assumed it was his brain being scrambled after being stuck in a transporter beam for 75 years.
Good job! I'm glad some people are continuing to create fan films despite CBS' dystopian rules.
I'm still making mine since all hope for a new movie is in the grave since the terrible discovery pretty much ruined trek
MUCH ENJOYED ‼️
Can tell this was a labor of love, appreciate all the time and hard work you put it on this.🍻
Much appreciated, Johnny.
Proof that AI can be used for good.
Indeed!
The voices are as close to authentic as any fan film I've seen. Great work!
The A.I. algorithm thanks you, Kurt. 🙂
Scotty speculating that Kirk was not dead but rather transported to another space time continuum actually makes his reaction in Relics make sense.
Glad you noticed that, Michael. Not an accidental reference. 🙂
This is Star Trek done by someone who loves and understands it. And it's what a prequel or an interludium should do: Closing plotholes, mapping the route to things already known to come and giving more deepth to the source material (and sometimes setting the seed for stories of an uncharted future beyond what's shown so far).
The format with just dialogues of two charactres talking about personal stuff and historical events as some kind of anthalogy series is what i want for Trek.
Really good job.
That was fantastic, enjoyable walk for trekkers down an imaginary lane. Thank you much.
Well, my last name just happens to be Lane, so an imaginary lane seems appropriate. 🙂
Thanks for the kind words.
Beautiful! This really has been a love letter to the fans and the voice actors were perfect! LLAP 🖖🏼
Thank you so much.
That's a nice way to explain Relics: The assumption that Kirk simply came back to life.
Yeah, I was kinda proud of that. Thanks for noticing.
Amazing job with this fan made short. Love hearing the classic banter between McCoy and Spock
I'm so gald you enjoyed it.
This is very well done. My one reservation is that McCoy seems to be acting like he did in TOS. He grew to have a better understanding of Spock after carrying his katra. But great work. Very impressive.
Keep in mind that McCoy was very angry and drunk at the beginning...and he does mellow out quite a bit as they talk. I think, when Spock first arrives, McCoy is looking for a punching bag, and Spock was the most convenient one after the bartender and the bottle of bourbon.
This was a very well-down tribute to both the actors and their characters. This was what those very short treks should have done.
Well, this would have been a very LONG Short Trek. 🙂
I have a good idea how difficult this was. A fantastic, well-done piece, enjoyable dialog and well chosen costume choice. I noted nothing out of consistency and I've been watching & reading Star Trek for roughly 52 years.
Thanks for the kind words. I'm 57 years old, and I've been watching Star Trek for as long as I can remember.
I love how you've captured the feel of the 70s cartoon. Amazing.
Thanks so much.
The fact that Scotty said that he didn't believe that Kirk wasn't dead from the nexus incident brings Relics full circle when he said "I'll bet it was Jim Kirk who pulled the old girl out of mothballs to come find me!" figuring the captain cheated death again, negating the early Generations plot and setting things right.
That was one of my goals with this. Thanks for catching that. (I also suggest that McCoy is the reason that Spock ultimately became a maverick in TNG's "Unification.")
Now THIS is Star Trek. Thanks for keeping that original Human Adventure going!🖖
My pleasure. Thank you for the kind words.
I always wanted to see how McCoy would take Kirk's death, thanks.
You are welcome, John.
As an old Trekkie, devoted to TOS, I really enjoyed this!
I appreciate your kind words, Daniel.
I'm not generally a fan of fan productions, but I have to say this was excellent. Well written, and well researched/well remembered. So many nice little nods. And, hardest of all to achieve in a fan film: actual emotional resonance. This was a great send-off for a great captain.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Bill.
That was incredible. Best Trek I've seen in... forever and ever. Well done.
Thanks muchly.
This is well written and nicely recreates the look of the Animated Series, as well.
Thank you, Kevin.
I didn't know what to expect when I first saw this in my video list. I weld up with tears by the end. This video hits in the heart. Nicely done.😊😊
Glad I could put some tears on your face. Thanks for the kind words, my friend.
If William Shatner has a social media presence, you should show him this. This is a masterpiece, literally
Thanks. I don't know how Shatner would feel about this, TBH. On the one hand, he embraces the potential of A.I. On the other hand, while I did reach out to the Nimoy estate, and they didn't reject my request for permission, they didn't want to spend the billable hours putting everything down in a contract either. So it was just a "We're not going to stop you, but we're not going to deal with it either." And De Kelley had no children or grandchildren, so his right of publicity terminated upon the death of his widow in 2004.
Shatner has said he'd welcome living on as A.I. as long as he or his surviving family were compensated. Although I did make that offer to the Nimoy estate (to pay to license Leonard Nimoy's voice), they weren't interested...likely because I couldn't afford what it would cost the estate to write up the agreement. So I'm not entirely certain how Shatner would feel about this. He might love it, or he might think that it sets a precedent that fans will someday clone his voice or visual likeness without paying for it.
@@jonathanlane1377 I wasn't talking about the AI. I was saying I wonder how he would feel about such a masterpiece that just so happened to pay near perfect homage to classic Trek, even though Kirk is dead
This is very well done. It should be canon.
I am so glad that they rememred to invite Riley to Kirk's wake.
He's bringing the ice cream. 🙂
This is excellent. I especially appreciate the way you used the ST:TAS style. Great script.
Thanks for the compliments, Chris.
Brilliant job. As an old original series fan can't tell you how much I enjoyed this. You probably can't monetize this without having Paramount on your back, but I hope they appreciate your positive efforts towards their product.
I'm pretty sure Paramount isn't even aware of most fan filmmaker efforts...which might be a good thing. 🙂
And you are correct that fan filmmakers are not alloed to monetize their efforts in any way.
This was way more of a pleasure to watch than it was to help make. Lol. glad to see all of you who enjoyed our efforts.
Indeed, Matt! You did such an awesome job on the artwork! Thanks so much.
Just read the blog - hope you're having more opportunities to get illustrating gigs.
I enjoy watching these episodes. GOD Bless DeForest Kelley and Leonard Nimoy!!! Rest in Peace to both.
Indeed!
Amazingly well written. This was more like a memorial to Spock and McCoy's somewhat complex friendship, though neither would admit to being good friends.
Indeed! Thanks for the kind words.
Standing ovation right there brother. That was beautiful. Live long and prosper
Peace and long life, brother, and thank you for the standing ovation!
That was good sir. You even explained why Scotty believed in his heart that Captain Kirk survived and rescued him in the Next Generation episode.
That I did! Glad you noticed. Thanks for the kind words.
Very classy! Almost 30 years on, and it’s a perfect fit! Never too late.
I agree.
A fine project, obviously filled with true heart and soul. Thanks for your fine efforts!
Thank YOU for your kind words!
This was a brilliant production and something I believe should have been made while the actors were still with us because it was a conversation we deserved to see! I'm officially accepting it as an epilogue to "Generations" because the acting and dialogue fit like a well tailored suit.
That was a wonderful comment, Sean. Thank you so much!
Thank you for this. In my head, this is now cannon.
That's awesome to know. Thanks so much for commenting.
This gives closure, thank you.
You are very welcome.
Closure. I never considered that.
@@jonathanlane1377 This would have given TOS closure. There were really not “Post” or “Half Credit” scenes in movies back then, but if there were, THIS should have been one in “Generations”. In my head cannon, it IS the post credit scene to “Generations”.
@@Kinglore2000 This would have given TOS closure. There were really not “Post” or “Half Credit” scenes in movies back then, but if there were, THIS should have been one in “Generations”. In my head cannon, it IS the post credit scene to “Generations”.
Great work - both the voices and the animation! Probably the best Leonard Nimoy impression I ever heard!
I will relay your compliment on Spock's voice to the computer algorithm. 🙂
Amazing job on the voices. Characterization on poit as well. Qapla! And LLAP.
Peace and long life and many thanks.
@@jonathanlane1377 Certainly. Was that a voice actor or two or an AI reproduction of Mr. Nimoy and Mr. Kelly?
This is awesome Jonathan. Great seeing these characters dealing with the loss of their friend. I had always hoped they would have done a movie of Spock finding a way to save Kirk. He did so much to help Captain Pike. I know he would have found a way.
Well, they kinda did that in "Star Trek Into Darkness," but that was only because Dr. McCoy found a cure for death from Khan's blood. Yeah, we'd all like to forget that film, huh? 🙂
APPLAUSE! This was very enjoyable and nostalgic for me, as I've loved these actors and characters (and Trek TAS) for 6 decades. Thanks for sharing the making of it, too. You've helped show what AI can do in the right hands, as its legal future is raising concern and questions. I've always wanted to make cartoons, but simply don't have the talent.
Thanks for the kind words, JJJ. Don't give up on your dreams. I can't make cartoons either, but I found someone who could.
How ironic, that Kirk died long before McCoy and Spock... yet William Shatner outlived DeForest Kelley, Leonard Nimoy, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols...
Sometimes fiction is stranger than truth. 🙂
The only ones left are George Takei and Walter Koenig, although Bill Shatner did have an event with Patrick Stewart, Jonathon Frakes, Gates McFadden, and Michael Dorn. I'm not sure if George and Walter still do conventions.
That was really excellent. Writing and voices melded to create a real original crew conversation. I'd like to see more. Sincerely.
If there's more, it probably won't be coming from me. This took nearly a year. But thanks for the kind words.
@jonathanlane1377 there will be if you can find a way to monetize it. Filmation 70's look, very good script, convincing voices. Maybe you can contact someone at paramount. This is much different from star trek continues insomuch as they have no cartoons going so you are not competition. That's a huge advantage. They might decide allow you to monetize for a piece of the action if you put a big fat ad for their next star trek show or movie at the end with a special thanks. Pour honey all over it. I've been in tv /movies for 40 years. In.my humble opinion it's absolutely worth a call. Could be real dough because unlike most, this really is pretty good. Very watchable and that is the big line and you crossed it. Try it
Superb. Totally nailed the characters.
Thanks so much!
Live long and prosper, this is a great tribute
Peace and long life...and our thanks.
Well done. You got McCoy's mannerism down perfectly.
Many thanks, Reuben.
Not bad, quite good in fact.
I was skeptical at first but a loyal fan of the original since 1985 I think this script does a great job with the character of the oroginal crew and a whitty sense of humor, kudos for your hard work and obvious love of Kirk, Spock and McCoy!
Thank you so much, Christopher. I made this primarily for TOS fans such as yourself. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Thoroughly enjoyable. well done . Fan work such as this keeps the Trek torch alive
Indeed! Thank you so much.
This is perfect. the way it should’ve been, thank you. Great job to you and staff.
Thank YOU, Rafael, from all of us.
Dr. McCoy indeed lived a long life at least to 140 according to canon. He outlived all of the members of the original crew.
Sadly, DeForest Kelley was the first to pass away back in 1999 at the age of 79. I miss him and Jimmy the most of all, as they both were two of the sweetest, friendliest actors to the fans. I stood next to Jimmy waiting for our omelettes at a convention near Baltimore in the 1980s, and it was like no one else was there. Jimmy's entire attention was focused on me as we chatted. And he was like that with every fan who came to see him. As for De, he actually saved my friend's life once at a convention in New York City when a crowd following him almost knocked her over the edge of a mezzanine that would have resulted in a 20 foot fall onto the marble floor of the hotel lobby. He grabbed her arm and said, "Whoa, there, young lady. We don't want any accidents today." True story!
We know McCoy was still alive in 2364 when the Enterprise D launched, but Spock was still around in 2385, when he was transported into an alternate past.
This is outstanding! Such a great tribute. The dialogue truly sounded like Spock and McCoy. Felt very canon to TOS.
I appreciate your kind words, Michael.
Brought a tear to me eye ... and laughs. Lots of laughs. Live long and prosper 🖖🏼
I love it when a plan comes together. Thanks for the kind words.
The AI on the speech synthesizers are on point as a tribute to DeForest and Leonard..
I really was blown away by how well the AI "acted." We live in amazing times!
They are adding some level of emotional depth to these AI voices.
That's what I was going for.
Thank-you. It was nice to see this moment in time. You did a great job. Certainly, Jim Kirk, at this moment, was an absent friend.
I appreciate the kind words.
Great job! and a moving tribute to these great characters. The conversation was natural to me from McCoy and Spock, mourning the loss of Jim Kirk, their captain, but also their friend. Congratulations and thanks from the fans.
Thank YOU for your wonderful words.
I applaud the work that went into this tribute to the original cast. Bravo!
I applaud your comment. Thank you!
Neat animation! Man crazy how real the voices sound.
I know, right!? ElevenLabs' A.I. is freaky good!
One word: EXCELLENT!
One word: THANKYOU! 🙂
Magnificent, love it. Dealing with a subject that at some point in Star Trek history they would have had to deal with after the loss of Kirk but done in the Animated Series fashion that I remember from a boy, very well done
Thanks so much.
@@jonathanlane1377 your welcome and i subscribed to your channel.
I always wondered how that conversation would play out, I think you got it right on the money. GREAT JOB!
Thanks so much.
You captured the voices almost perfectly.
Captured and released. ;-)
this is outstanding! great epilog and perfect production
Many thanks!
Qapla! A ending worthy of song for one of Starfleet's greatest warriors!
The honor is to serve, Chancellor.
I have been a Star Trek fan since I was just a little boy. Whoever these voice actors, that got to play Doctor Lenard McCoy and Mr. Spock was great. Voice actors sound so real like the real actors. Leonard Nimoy and Defroest Kelly. May God rest their soul. Including Nichelle Nichols and James Doohan. They live in the stars now. This video I watched made me cry. Thanks to all that made this video. May God be with you all and keep you all safe.
In this case, it was AI.
@@commandingjudgedredd1841 Shhhhhh! Don't tell him. ;-)
I really enjoyed this. Congratulations on this very unique film.
Thanks, Lezlie!
What a brilliant piece of work
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is the kind of story that Short Treks could have done....but you did it better. Keep 'em coming!!!
The Short Treks were only intended to get a little more use out the existing sets and beef up the available CBS All Access Star Trek content with more icons on the screen while not spending too much money on the budget. The Very Short Treks were intended to be simple animated gags, although many of them fell kinda flat.
In the end, I'd like to think this little fan film stands on its own without the need to compare it to anything CBS Studios produced.
That was beautiful! Great AI approximation of the voices of DeForest Kelley and Leonard Nimoy. I had actually hoped back in the '90s that the two actors would return to Star Trek as their 24th century versions to talk about what Kirk meant to them, either in one of the TNG movies or one of the TV series airing at that time.
That would have been awesome. At least you have this film. Glad you enjoyed it.
The writing of this was brilliant. It sounded like things the original characters would say.
I'm so glad you think so. Thanks!
My God, this is... like traveling in time back to the wonderful year of 1993...!!
This conversation is very good and well thought, full of bits of stories from so many old trips, like the characters would probably do in a random conversation...!!
Sometimes I swear I could see Dee and Lenny's figures, like this was REALLY done, taped and filmed or recorded...!!
I hope someday this can be turned into a film with AI characters, like Otoy have recently done in some videos!!
Thank you so much!! You've made my night...!! I'll sleep well today, and maybe even dream of old starships and crews that exists no more...!! 🥹🥲
Again, thank you so much...!! ❤
Thank YOU for such kind words!
OMG THAT WAS AMAZING. That will now live as canon in my head forever. We needed this closure. Thank you..
Thank YOU for the kind words.
That was amazing sir I remember how emotionally drained I was after seeing Generations....Star Trek has been part of my life for over 50 years, and I always wanted to be Capt. Kirk. And now you have given us a look at how his loss affected the ones closest to him...Thank you for that...Any chance you can continue this story with the rest of the crew and their feelings of his loss would be amazing.....
A little to problematic. Three of the TOS actors are still alive, and so I can't ethically or legally use A.I. to duplicate their voices the way I did with Leonard and De. Also, I doubt A.I. could replicate Scotty's accent.
Very Well Done! Thank you. It is so hard for me to watch the scene where the bridge falls and Kirk dies. He was my idol since I was just a boy. Would love to be a member of his crew on any starship, regardless what it looked like. But, no red shirt for me. LLAP!!
I often wondered which captain I would most like to serve under were I in Starfleet, and Kirk usually came out on top. Of course, I grew up on TOS. 🙂
@@jonathanlane1377 That having been said, I would just as easy do well with Picard in command too, especially on the Enterprise-D.
Wow....what a great fan film. Thanks for making this. All of your hard work really paid off.
Thanks so much!
Sad, but beautifully done. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for commenting. George. Glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you! This is amazing and wonderful! Thank you for this gift.
This feels like hours spent with dear friends in all the best ways possible. Thank you for giving us this. This felt like the goodbye missing for 30 years. Amazing work
Thanks for the kind words, Daniel.
@danielgalway8395 well said sir LLAP
Well done..kept me interested❤
I'm so glad, Albert.
I am crying and laughing while seeing this…everything so painfully beautiful and bittersweet…mostly crying!! Thank you so much for a brilliant, wonderful masterpiece!! More…please…
I'm so touched that you were so touched, Michael. Not sure I'll be doing more anytime soon. This was a one-year labor of love, and now there's bills to pay! 🙂
I got a kick out of this, thanks
"...Excelsior with water wings!"
I'm particularly proud of that line! 🙂
This was simply excellent.
That was simply wonderful to read. Thanks, Gary.
It's a brutal chapter between Dr. McCoy and Spock. Damn it, I want to do a triple somersault. Thank you, Jonathan.
Thank YOU, Chalee.
sad to hear the voices of ghosts. may they never be forgotten.
Indeed, that one one of the reasons I decided to make this film.
Well this was 30 years better late than never. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm going to watch this from here on out along with "Generations" right between the fade out/in from 2293 to 2371
Cool!
Please don’t tell paramount about this video they will take it down.
Paramount and I don't typically chat anymore. We've grown apart over the last 20 years or so. 🙂
Tell paramount ? Got it
This was awesome! Great job.
Thanks so much!
Maybe the AI voices cracked here or there; maybe the animation wasn't quite right...
But wow; I got sucked in. The writing, the inflections.... It felt like was watching them. Fantastic work. May you live long and prosper!
The voices cracked? I wonder if A.I. is starting puberty! ;-)
Thanks for the kind words.
Simple and well done. A conversation between two old friends that lost one of their own. Sad that so many of them are gone. Only three remain. I hope wherever they are I hope DeForest and Lenard enjoyed this.
Me, too.
Brilliant work. If only paramount made something this good.
Well, in fairness to Paramount, they have executives who like to butt in. I just had myself. 🙂
> The closest thing you've had to a brother
Sybok hardest hit
Sybok was a half-brother and not really much in Spock's life. Kirk called Spock a brother twice, once in "Whom Gods Destroy" and again in Star Trek V: The Undiscovered Country."
@@jonathanlane1377 100 %