Fan fiction or not?
Several years ago I remember having a conversation with a fellow author. He also writes fantasy and he was concerned about the impact that fanfiction would have on his brand. Recent battles between major film studios and fan films have brought this back to my mind and I wanted to address it.
As a creative, I totally understand the value of our own work and protecting that. But I think there’s a major difference between someone trying to portray their work as an original (if it is a rip off of someone else’s) as opposed to someone creating a piece of fan fiction and not monetizing it.
A couple of years ago, some of the cast from the original Star Trek series became involved in a rather impressive amateur video production. The online-only TV episode that resulted sought to continue the story that the original television series had never completed. Fans had been producing Star Trek fan videos for a long time, but this one stole the spotlight because it incorporated original cast members and satisfactory special effects. To us Trekkies it was a far better direction than the new films had taken the franchise, because it held true to the fictional universe that is Star Trek the original series, The Next Generation, and others. The studio that owns Star Trek sued the fan fiction producers and, inevitably, won their suit. I think the studio considered it to be a major victory, but from the standpoint of an ordinary citizen it soured the Fanbase, and I think that base is still trying to recoup its former enthusiasm for new Treks. And prior to that Star Trek fans were the greatest advocates for producing new Star Trek television.
Conversely, there is this guy I watch on YouTube, and his fan-fiction for Star Wars hit a historic level in the last couple of years when he produced an impressive 16-minute episode that continued where the movie Revenge Of The Sith left off. He was recently contacted by the studio that owns Disney’s rights and they basically threatened his products, and began to monetize his short film for their own profit. My first reaction upon hearing this, of course was to say, “Oh no, here’s another Star Trek.” But instead of a Trek scenario, Lucasfilm stepped in and shut down the studio’s action! What had been a divisive action, has now been turned into an excellent marketing story that showcases the relationship that Lucasfilm wants with their fanbase. It is, quite frankly, a beautiful thing to see. You can check out the awesome fan film here: Vader: Shards of the Past Maybe, in the future, this YouTuber will be given an opportunity to work with Lucasfilm on high budget Star Wars productions. What better way for them to find talent?
The comparison of these two scenarios, confirms for me that it is better to encourage fans to add to the story worlds that we create. Let them make films, let them write stories, let them create artwork. This doesn’t mean that what they create will be considered canon, but it does mean that they will be marketing the stories they love, and that the stories we create as writers will inspire many more creative minds. Even at its most basic, just allowing for a spirit of generosity and positivity in our story worlds will engender far more success, rather than the hostility generated in situations like CBS with Star Trek. I admire Lucasfilm all the more now.
Q: How does fan fiction impact you?
