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By GustavoLeao / 11:50, 18 February 2008 / General Star Trek
Fan film productions Hidden Frontier and Starship Intrepid have teamed up for a second co-production: Operation: Beta Shield. What started out as a sequel to their original crossover feature "The Orphans of War" has ballooned into a feature-length epic that will also serve as the launching pad for a third Hidden Frontier production.
TrekWeb talks to science-fiction author Brian S. Matthews about writing this new fan film and the his future projects
1- Brian, how was writing the teleplay for a such an ambitious production like Operation Beta Shield ?
In a word? Complicated. The story has such a grand scope that balancing character stories with the wide-ranging politics was quite a challenge. Rob provided a detailed outline, but even then, by the time I handed in the first draft I was mentally exhausted; but in a good way, like the pleasant muscular ache after a workout.
2- You worked with producer Rob Caves on the story. How would you describe that partnership?
It's a lot of fun. We have a good working dynamic and there's been a mutual respect from the start. We're doing this out of love for Trek, so it's easy to be on the same page.
3- Actress Risha Denney plays the character of Elizabeth Shelby, a very popular Star Trek character thanks to Peter David's New Frontier novels. Are you familiar with the New Frontier version of the character ? How was writing for Shelby ?
Peter David is one of my favourite authors, but for the most part I ignore Shelby's arc in New Frontier since it diverges from what Hidden Frontier did with her. Risha's really come into the character. After being a fan through seven seasons of HF, it's an honour writing for Risha's Shelby. It's like being passed a torch.
4- Did your background and experience as a sci-fi novelist help in writing Beta Shield?
Yes.
5- The story takes place in the post-Dominion War era. Did you and Mr Caves research the Star Trek chronology before writing Beta Shield ? What are your opinions about that period in the Star Trek timeline?
We're both diehard Trek geeks, so it's not so much research as fact checking, if you can call anything from a made-up universe a fact. As to timeline, I think continuing from where canon left off is the best choice. Going back in time means either revising history or ignoring it altogether when creating galactic stakes. Take for instance writing a TNG-era story about the possible destruction of the Federation. There's no true dramatic tension because everybody knows the Federation's still chugging along come DS9. But when you're continuing the story from where the last chapter left off, the sky's the limit and anything can happen.
6- Beta Shield is a continuation of the storylines of Hidden Frontier, Intrepid, Odyssey, Helena Chronicles, and even the Section 31 Files. Was it difficult to introduce so much crossovers and subplots in the storyline of Beta Shield ?
The difficulty lay in picking the best themes amidst a sea of choices. There are so many characters and stories, we could write a hundred crossover scripts and still not have scratched the surface.
7- How was writing the relationship between Captain Daniel Hunter and Captain Elizabeth Shelby ?
When Nick (Cook) and Rob put together the chess scene in Intrepid's Heavy Lies the Crown, I wonder if they had the slightest inkling of what they'd started. Shelby interacts with Hunter in a way that's offbeat for her. She's quite rigid when in command, but with Hunter she lets her hair down both figuratively and literally. Writing the Shelby/Hunter scenes was the highlight of Orphans of War for me, and OBS was no different, but OBS's broader scope gave me the luxury of exploring their relationship beyond the barbs and competitiveness. Risha owns Shelby and Nick has made Daniel Hunter one of Fan Trek's most watchable characters. The two of them have great chemistry on screen and I'm really happy to be part of continuing their story.
8- What is your opinion about fan series like Hidden Frontier and their place in the Star Trek franchise, now that there is no "official" TV Series being produced?
If the last official installment of Trek proved anything, it's that the fans know and care far more about Trek than we were given credit for. I think it's very appropriate that the fans are responsible for the current content, and as far as I'm concerned, shows like Hidden Frontier and Intrepid are canon.
9- What are your future projects beyond Operation Beta Shield?
Webisode wise, Helena Chronicles is an ongoing project, and I'll be penning occasional scripts for Odyssey, Intrepid and the mini-series that OBS leads into. Also, Rob has a non-Trek project up his sleeve that I hope to be involved in. Professionally, I'm currently writing The Last Walkabout, which is the final book of the New Wilderness Trilogy. New Wilderness launched my writing career, and the trilogy has basically been the last ten years of my life, so it's a bittersweet experience to be finally wrapping everything up.
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