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Ask Director of 'Trekkies' Roger Nygard
When I was last in California, I had the good fortune to bump into Roger Nygard who agreed to be a Slashdot interview victim. He is the Director of Trekkies, 6 Days in Roswell and the recently released Trekkies 2. He's made quite a name for himself documenting some fairly extreme geek activity, and this is your chance to put him through the wringer. Standard interview rules apply: Post questions. Moderate them. We'll select the best and post Roger's answers in a few weeks.
And if not, how do you establish what sort of cultural phenomena you want to document? What made you decide to make Trekkies, for instance?
Have you ever thought to do an AD&D documentary?
stuff
Not really a question, but I would like you to tell me about the most fanatic fan of Star Trek you have encountered.
Thanks
What format are you using to shoot your documentaries (digital or film)? What workstations and applications do you use to edit your film?
The thing I mostly remember from the whole Trek phenomena, especially with Shatner, was when trekkies were told to get a life. It was fairly harsh as I remember, but those who were not Trekkies would always laugh whenever Shatner would say it. Trekkies on the other hand, simply took it in stride.
What can you say about this kind of negative response to fan adoration and does it prove something about the whole Trek phenomena, the actors and fans, or does it detract from the experience?
The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
Which captain do you think was the best?
do you think the old or new trekkies are more fanatical?
President Bush Supporter
Have you ever considered juxtaposing the extreme yet socially reviled behavior of the 'Trekkies' against the no less extreme but socially accepted behavior of (for example) sports fans? Is it the 'socially aberrant' element that draws you to the subject?
- Bachelorhood is the father of necessity.
Similarly...
Are you a Star Trek fan? If so, do you think your films make trekkies seem like bigger freaks than the average person already assumes them to be? If not, what was your motivation?
On the surface, it seems like Trekkies are just really big fans, and that fandom propels them to participate in the universe.
It seems to me, however, that something different is going on. Fandom is often emulation--the Spock ears, the "Dammit Jim" variations, that sort of thing. But Trekkies take it a step farther: they create new material that is meant to merge with the pre-existing Trek world. In this way, Trekkie-ness is more like playing D&D than being in a Sci-Fi film club.
What I wonder (and here's my question) is whether you've noticed some common ground that launches people to go past being a fan and becoming a Trekkie. Is it dissatisfaction with new series and recent movies being weaker than past ones? Possibly some other characteristic that fans tend to share that, when merged with fandom will lead into Trekkie-ness? Is there something inherent about the star trek world that encourages people to internalize their identification with the star trek world? Or is there nothing at all consistent about the way Trekkies enter that world?
I can't tell from watching the film
In your experience/opinion, why does Star Trek attract such a fanatical following, and why is there such ridicule directed towards those that consider themselves fans? It seems unique even among sci-fi franchises.
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"I did nothing. I did absolutely nothing and it was everything that I thought it could be."
As someone who has been around the Star Trek community for a long time, what is your take on the direction of Star Trek in TV, and Movies? Follow-up: Do you think Star Trek should take some time off and regroup, or keep pushing thru the 'rut' some people think the series is in right now?
The Camel has Spoken!
I am curious about the audiences of your films. Were you intending for them to cater to the non-nerd community? Nerd community? Only hardcore fans of Star Trek, Alien Conspiracy Theorists, etc.? What audience did your films end up finding?
Have your subjects been pleased or displeased with the way they were portrayed?
It seems to me that the Star Trek fanbase is aging, and there aren't really a lot of new fans getting into it. I first became a serious Star Trek fan years after the show was cancelled, and continued to varying degrees throughout the years. Back in the 70's it seemed like there were some science fiction conventions (and conferences) and lots of Star Trek conventions.
But with the popularity of so many other genre shows out there now, including Buffy/Angel, Farscape, Babylon 5, Stargate and others it seems that a lot of people who in the past would have gravitated towards Trek and many other shows to get fanatical about.
The success of Star Trek in its many forms has helped to lay the groundwork for a lot of the fandom centered around other shows, but the Star Trek franchise itself might be suffering a bit because of this.
My specific question is, during the filming of Trekkies 1 and 2, did you notice large numbers of younger fans, and did there seem to be around the same number when you filmed the sequel - or did you notice any decline in the numbers of younger fans?
-------- In Soviet Russia, "Soviet Russia" sigs hate Slashdot.
Ever thought about doing a movie on Slashdot, and Slashdot-like sites? You'll find the people just as rabid as the Trekkie fans. :P
Julie Moult is an idiot.
So, when is the documentary about the extreme activities of Everquest players coming?
The perfect sig is a lot like silence, only louder
Some of the Star Trek "fans" in your movies, like the midget Daryl, clearly have mental health issues. Do you feel any need to get some of these people help or do you just profit from their stupidity like the people who make the Girls Gone Wild videos?
Was there anything you shot or witnessed during the creation of your documentaries that was just too "hardcore" to put in? Were there things that were just so horrifically nerdy you had no choice but to leave them out? Anything that would alienate everyone except the heartiest star trek fans and alien conspiracy theorists? Was there anything that was just so scary you couldn't possibly put it on film?
Dear diary: Today I stuffed some dolls full of dead rats I put in the blender.
Sheesh, it was an SNL sketch, not Shatners personal opinion or hatred.
Maybe Shatner has no outright hatred but I think it's also pretty sad that he doesn't seem to appreciate the fans. Neither Shatner nor Patrick Stewart agreed to be interviewed for Trekkies. I'm assuming the reason was money -- not enough of it. I, however, believe that since Star Trek made these guys so popular that they could afford to command high salaries, they should have agreed to be interviewed for Trekkies for a smaller-than-usual amount.
My first question of the director is if he could verify my assumption: that Shatner and Stewart weren't interviewed for Trekkies because of money (as opposed to a conscious decision by the director to focus on the other actors). Second, if you did, indeed, want them in the film and they refused, did you work hard to get them? Did you try to negotiate their payment? Did they even consider your offer? Or did you simply get a letter from their agent saying, essentially, "Mr. Statner is too important to be interviewed in your two-bit documentary."
I'm really dying to know. Shatner, I can believe being a dick. I was a little surprised not to see Stewart in Trekkies, however.
Thanks,
GMD
watch this
How do you respond to accusations that you condescended and were basically laughing at the subjects in Trekkies?
And before you answer, "There's no such thing as bad publicity," read what Adam West had to say about his post-Batman experiences. It's not like Shatner's and Stewart's concern is totally unreasonable.
Considering Slashdot can get up to half a million readers a day, and has a subculture of it's own, would you consider doing something like "Trekkies", but for this site... say "Slashdotters"? I wouldn't be surprised how many on this site could possibly be trekkies themselves. And, yes, I am guilty of collecting ST box sets.
Nygard included Rich Kronfeld in his movie "Trekkies" as the mega-fan who had built his own Captain Pike chair. Kronfeld was a comedian in Minneapolis with a public access show called "Dr. Sphincter", and although he did actually own the chair, his appearance in the film was clearly a fictional exaggeration.
Here's my question:
Were there any other people in Trekkies that were clearly "taking the piss", or does Kronfeld believe that the rest of the fans in it were more or less sincere in their devotion to chosen lifestyles?
-BbT