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Ask Director of 'Trekkies' Roger Nygard 190

Posted by CmdrTaco from the set-phasers-on-inquire dept.
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.
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Ask Director of 'Trekkies' Roger Nygard More

Ask Director of 'Trekkies' Roger Nygard

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  • At 73:45.03 in Trekkies (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 08, 2004 @11:34AM (#10754670)
    Was that a Vulcan or a Romulan?

  • Is there a LAN Party documentary in the works? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by b0r0din ( 304712 ) on Monday November 08, 2004 @11:36AM (#10754681)
    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?

  • AD&D (Score:5, Interesting)

    by krymsin01 ( 700838 ) on Monday November 08, 2004 @11:36AM (#10754682) Homepage Journal
    Have you ever thought to do an AD&D documentary?

    • Re:AD&D (Score:2, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      "Have you ever thought to do an AD&D documentary?"

      I heard that he was going to but he failed the saving throw and took 3d6 fire damage instead.

    • Re:AD&D (Score:5, Interesting)

      by killmenow ( 184444 ) on Monday November 08, 2004 @11:53AM (#10754871)
      Lightning bolt! Lightning bolt! Lightning bolt!

      But seriously, this was the first thing I thought of when I read "fairly extreme geek activity"

      So, why not a "gaming" documentary? From the LAN game perspective, the RPG-ers, the FRAGG-ers, etc. Then looking at the people who take it to the real world level (the "lightning bolt" folks).

      Are the people at the Renaissance Festivals the same folks playing EQ?

    • Re:AD&D (Score:1, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      how about a slashdot documentary?

      film them running for hot grits to pour down natalie portmans pants, all done in a sith costume with a microsoft logo on the front, and if its a second thuesday in a month the google logo on the back, screamin its GNU/Linux because you wouldnt call its the 1701-D either, its the NCC 1701-D!

      Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?

    • Re:AD&D (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Neil Watson ( 60859 )
      Why look to the so called 'fringes' of society. There are plenty of 'mainstream' people who are just as weird. How about sports fans, (e.g. NFL)? What about teenaged girls and boy bands?

      • Re:AD&D (Score:3, Interesting)

        by Shadow Wrought ( 586631 )
        This is a great point. I firmly believe that everyone is a geek. Its just the flavor it takes. Think of how many uber macho types paint their bodies and stand in 30 degree weather to support their team. Or snobs who look down on such base fandom, but can tell you what year a wine was made by sniff. So why not a documentery about the "ordinary" geek in all of us?

  • Fanatic fan (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 08, 2004 @11:37AM (#10754694)
    Not really a question, but I would like you to tell me about the most fanatic fan of Star Trek you have encountered.
    Thanks
    • Not really a question, but I would like you to tell me about the most fanatic fan of Star Trek you have encountered.

      How about, "What was the most fanatic fan of Star Trek you have encountered?"

  • polarity (Score:5, Funny)

    by Fr05t ( 69968 ) on Monday November 08, 2004 @11:37AM (#10754695)
    In your experiences, have you ever found a problem that couldn't be fixed by reversing the polarity of something?

  • Favorite Episode? (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Do you have a favorite Star Trek episode and a favorite series? If you say Voyager or Enterprise, you may be lynched.
  • Who is more likely to strike out in anger, Trekkies or those who hate them? Have you been threatened for your work? Is the franchise dying a slow death?

    • Re:A few Q's (Score:1, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      One Q is already a pain in the ass.

  • Shooting and Editing (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 08, 2004 @11:41AM (#10754740)
    What format are you using to shoot your documentaries (digital or film)? What workstations and applications do you use to edit your film?

  • Get a Life? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by mfh ( 56 ) on Monday November 08, 2004 @11:43AM (#10754771) Homepage Journal
    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?

  • Proposal for a new documentary (Score:5, Insightful)

    by 91degrees ( 207121 ) on Monday November 08, 2004 @11:43AM (#10754776) Journal
    "Footies". Where we interview people who watch football all the time, dress in the kits, and go to these whacky "Games" where they get to see their stars performing, and meet up with other fans.

    We should concentrate on how obsessively sad these people are, and find people who have memorised entire games, and spend vast amounts of money collecting memorabilia and signed tat.

  • The quintessential question: (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Jucius Maximus ( 229128 ) on Monday November 08, 2004 @11:45AM (#10754795) Journal
    Which captain do you think was the best?

  • Here we go (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Jeffery ( 810339 ) on Monday November 08, 2004 @11:45AM (#10754797)
    do you think the old or new trekkies are more fanatical?
    • Aren't Trekkies an aging community?

      Current Trek probably doesn't provide a qualitatively strong experience to imprint its fandom on the young. It's hard to imagine a kid in 2004 looking at Star Trek and thinking it a great bandwagon on which to jump.

      Are my presumptions wrong here? Are teens really hot for Star Trek these days, or have they found something else? In my 40-ish ignorance, I imagine the trend might be something japanese, or out of video game culture

  • Dear Mr. Nygard, You are, of course, aware of the fact that 'Star Trek' is firmly grounded in reality, are you not? I myself am a living testament to that. This is why 'Star Trek' is so deeply respected by the intellectual people who are sometimes given the dubious and degrading title of 'geeks'. They know the real truth behind the alleged fiction.

    I myself am in correspondence with many of these people. In my view, these are some of the most interesting people in all of the particular segment of the space

  • Extreme behavior (Score:5, Interesting)

    by warrped ( 202864 ) on Monday November 08, 2004 @11:50AM (#10754840)
    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?

  • Trekkie Questions (Score:4, Funny)

    by FerretFrottage ( 714136 ) on Monday November 08, 2004 @11:51AM (#10754850)
    1. Do most trekkies except the way Klingons have changes in appearance since the original series? Changes [klyssia.com]

    2. What type of car do most trekkies drive? SUV, hybrid, Dodge defiant?

    3. Do any of them buy the fact that even the slightest blast cases fires/sparks on the bridge? Do they hold the lowest price enterprise contractor responsible?

    • 1. Do most trekkies except (accept) the way Klingons have changes in appearance since the original series? Changes

      2. What type of car do most trekkies drive? SUV, hybrid, Dodge defiant?

      3. Do any of them buy the fact that even the slightest blast cases fires/sparks on the bridge? Do they hold the lowest price enterprise contractor responsible

      1. Yes. As the sixties ended and the public was presented with characters such as Blackbelt Jones and Shaft, it was realized that a race of bad guys had to be more
    • It's spelled "accept"

      The people involved with Star Trek openly admit that there is no reasonable logical explanation for the difference. The audience is just asked to accept that the makeup needed to be changed.

      In an episode of DS9, Wharf was directly asked about it (in the trouble with tribbles remake). And he just avoided the question by saying it was a "long story". It's sort of a trekkie joke because trekkies and most humans know that there is no explanation.

      Why do you accept that the computer techno
  • Trekkies are Slashdotties? If some Trekkies are Slashies and some Slashies are Trekkies which of the following is true: A. All Trekkies are Slashies B. All Slashies have pointy ears C. Some Trekkies are Slashies with reversed polarity

  • More than just fandom with Trekkies? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by notmikey ( 825548 ) on Monday November 08, 2004 @12:07PM (#10755041)
    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?

    • 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.

      This is hardly unique to Trek, all sorts of TV shows, comics, movies and books have fan fiction. These days quite a lot have fan films. A lot of it is very bad, but that is another issue.

      • I don't think fan-fiction is unique, I agree, but the level at which Trekkies internalize and identify with the fan-fiction they create is almost certainly unique.

        Yes, there are very small numbers of those types for anything that can be fan-fic'ed, but I'm referring to Trekkie-ness as more of a social phenomenon, and not as isolated incidents.

        • I've payed my geek dues and seen some fans of other sci-fi/fantasy/anime stuff take it very seriously indeed. The most extreme I've seen is Vampire LARPers, some are people who internalise and identify with fiction waaaay to much.

          Maybe it's the same proportion of people who get, um, carried away, as other stuff, just there are more Trekkies. Also, the public recognises them, so they get picked up on TV documentries and more mainstream stuff becuase you don't have to explain it.

          You'd probably need some s

  • Are you laughing at them or with them? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by FearUncertaintyDoubt ( 578295 ) on Monday November 08, 2004 @12:10PM (#10755076)
    I can't tell from watching the film
    • At some points one may be laughing at common idiosyncracies that one shares with the "obsessed," at other points it might be a case of saying "I'm bad, but this guy is worse"
  • "Bimbos of the Death Sun"?

  • Why does... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by WoodenRobot ( 726910 ) on Monday November 08, 2004 @12:18PM (#10755178) Homepage
    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.

    • Re:Why does... (Score:2, Interesting)

      by notmikey ( 825548 )
      Star Trek is unique in that it does all of the things that Sci-Fi can do: it philosophizes about the future, it raises modern moral questions in a unique context, it has strong dramatic elements, it is occasionally action oriented, and it fills other traditional sci-fi roles as well. Furthermore, Star Trek is an entertainment empire, with TV series, movies, video games, RPG's, novels, comics, and more.

      The problem, then, is that Star Trek competes directly with all Sci-fi, thematically and on all mediums.
  • 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?

  • 1. What do you think about Shatner's new album, Has Been [amazon.com]?

    2. Do you think Shatner is a spokesman for All-Bran [ericgiguere.com]

    Eric
    JavaScript is not Java [ericgiguere.com]

  • Audience (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 08, 2004 @12:22PM (#10755241)
    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?

  • Subject reaction? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by yorgo ( 595005 )
    Have your subjects been pleased or displeased with the way they were portrayed?

  • Question (Score:1, Offtopic)

    by HarveyBirdman ( 627248 )
    Why does root beer foam up a whole lot when you initially pour it over ice, but then subesequent pourings don't foam as much, even though it's fresh root beer hitting the same ice?
  • Do you have Finnish or Swedish relatives? My surname is Nygård, so I'm quite interested.
  • Roger Nygård

    Are you aware of the fact that you've been mispelling your name your whole life?

    A norwegian.

  • Aging fanbase? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Darth23 ( 720385 ) on Monday November 08, 2004 @12:38PM (#10755425) Journal
    I've seen both Trekkies and Trekkies 2 (thanks Dragon Con [dragoncon.org]) and I've been to science fiction and genre conventions in the 70's and 80's and most recently the last 4 years at Dragon Con in Atlanta.

    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?

  • More geeks? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by pdboddy ( 620164 ) <pdboddy.gmail@com> on Monday November 08, 2004 @12:47PM (#10755527) Journal
    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
  • According to the Six Days In Roswell website [roswell6.com], Roger Nygard didn't direct the film...Timothy B. Johnson did. Nygard produced it.

  • Evercrack (Score:5, Interesting)

    by CharAznable ( 702598 ) on Monday November 08, 2004 @01:00PM (#10755705)
    So, when is the documentary about the extreme activities of Everquest players coming?

  • I'm a Trek-KER you....*sigh* insensitive clod!!
    • Granted I haven't been part of the ST fan scene for about 25 years, when did Trekker start being used?

      I mean Trekkie inplies you a fan if star-trek trekker implies that you are someone who treks someplace...beside to find the remote.

  • Who would win in an all out brawl between Trekkies led by Shatner and Star Wars fanbois led by Hamil? Would Renaissance Fair nerds be an appropiate referee?

  • Taking advantage of Star Trek geeks..... (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 08, 2004 @01:24PM (#10755971)
    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?

  • Too Nerdy for The Movies (Score:5, Interesting)

    by ThePolkapunk ( 826529 ) on Monday November 08, 2004 @01:26PM (#10756009) Homepage
    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?
  • I know there are a lot of Trekkies out there that insist on being called "Trekkers". Do you ever get hard-core "Trekkers" insisting on calling your movie "Trekkers"? Does it bother you as much as it bothers them when we call them "Trekkies"?

  • accusations (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Savatte ( 111615 ) on Monday November 08, 2004 @01:48PM (#10756263) Homepage Journal
    How do you respond to accusations that you condescended and were basically laughing at the subjects in Trekkies?
  • Watching the movie, especially towards the end, it seemed to me that the standpoint was that Trekkies were just having fun, and that, really, it's because the Star Trek universe is so great and inspiring (a particularly schmaltzy note to end on, IMO.)

    Considering that "Trekkies" was released by Paramount, and had interviews with several of the stars of the various series, (even narrated by one) was there any concern that the movie would be seen as a little less than objective, and not touching on some of t

  • What about a documentary on Slashdot? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Writer ( 746272 ) on Monday November 08, 2004 @03:17PM (#10757246)

    Considering Slashdot can get up to half a million readers a day, and has a subculture [wikipedia.org] 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
  • Trekkies 2? So, you gave up and just made a sequel, heh.

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