Project Communicator
| Related terms: | Podfic |
| See also: | Sound Tape |
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Project Communicator was a 1974-1976 fan-driven proposal by the fan club Star Trek Archives to ask the Star Trek cast members to allow the recording of episodes on audio cassettes for the blind.
They were meant to "bring the wonder of Star Trek" to the visually impaired, and the one tape that was known to have been completed was narrated by James Doohan.
While untold thousands of hours were put into planning, finagling permissions, wrangling celebrities and TPTB, and producing at least one tape, it is unknown if they were ever actually distributed to fans. Up until the very last newsletter for Star Trek Archives in March/April 1976, the tapes were still being talked about in the future tense.
It would be very fun, and interesting, to know what ever happened to these recordings.
Similar Fan Services
- The Eyes of Beauty Project (Beauty and the Beast, ~1989)
- The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (Star Trek-focus, 1970s)
- Project Communicator (Star Trek, 1974-1976)
- The STW Blind Services Department (Star Trek, 1970s)
- Starmerian Taping Service (Star Trek-focus, ~1976)
- The Zine-Taping Service for Blind and Print Handicapped Readers (multi-fandom, 1992)
A Timetable
May 1974:
From a May letter (see image below) by Gene Roddenberry to the project's coordinator:
Dear Mr. Weiss: Unfortunately, there is no way I can help your organization since video taps of STAR TREK episodes taken from the air are illegal, even though later erased. I have been advised that any involvement would seriously compromise my relationship with Paramount Pictures Inc.
June 1974:
Because of our encouragement at Equicon from people like Gene Roddenberry and Bjo Trimble, we have begun to work toward formally setting up this project. We have received a waiver from the Screen Actors Guild to go ahead with their blessing. We wrote to Paramount and asked them for their assistance and blessing, saying that Art Canfil will be in the Los Angeles Area the week of may 20 and could he come and see them. We have heard from Art that he was not able to got to Paramount for a meeting but talked on the phone to a man who is in charge for the syndication of Star Trek. This man was not too helpful, in fact he was very unhelpful about the whole thing. We did not get a yes, but then we did not get a no -- so we are going to bigger game and are attempting to have an appointment with the President of Paramount, Frank Yablans, who will be in San Francisco the week of May 27. Hopefully we will be granted a few moments of his time and can explain the project to him and get his blessing and assistance. If this does not work, we will go to plan [undecipherable letter due to a bad typewriter ribbon], which I won't go into until we have to use it. Project Communicator has been having meetings on Monday evenings at the Film Fair at 7:30. In these meetings we are trying acquire some knowledge of old radio shows -- how they were written, script form, etc. In this way when the project gets off the ground, we will be ready to do some work on those scripts which the authors are not able to do, or do not care to do. We welcome new committee members.
We would like to form an advisory board with person who are connected in some way with Star Trek, such as Gene Roddenberry, Dorothy Fontana, Bjo Trimble (who has already consented), James Doohan and anyone else important in Star Trek.... [1]
July 1974:
Although we have been in contact with Paramount, we have not heard anything positive regarding the sound track recordings we have requested. But then we have not heard a go get lost either so I guess no news is good news. Our June 3 meeting was attented by Al and Phil Newman. Both Al and Phil have worked in radio dramas in the past and more recently Al Newman was the Program Director for KSFO radio The Newmans were very helpful to us and among other things suggested that we begin developing our skills by doing a "demo" tape to show that this project is feasible and can be done well.... At the next STA meeting, we decided that our demo would be "Is There No Truth in Beauty"... [2]
September 1974:
The committee completed the narrative script last weekend for our demonstration tape - "Is There In Truth No Beauty". We have been trying to finish it up quickly during the past three weeks, as our narrator is leaving town soon. When the demonstration tape has been put together by Steve Lampen we will play it at one of the meetings so you will all know how the project is coming. [3]
October 1974:
Our main service project is however, Project Communicator, our attempt to adopt Star Trek for the blind by recording the soundtracks of Star Trek episodes and adding narration to explain the purely visual scenes. These tapes will then be sent to organizations for the blind for final distribution. To this end, we have secured a waiver from the Screen Actors Guild. Jimmy Doohan (Scotty) has narrated, free of charge, our demo tape which we made to show Paramount that STA can indeed produce a professional product. While Project Communicator is still on the drawing board - there are a lot of legal barriers we have yet to overcome - it is still the biggest feather in our cap. We wouldn't be a non-profit organization (and enjoy all the privileges that go along with it) or have the prestige within the inner circles of Star Trek Fandom that we have with it. [4]
November 1974:
From one letter (see image below) by Charles Weiss (fan club president) to Walter Koenig:
The Screen Actors Guild has advised us to contact you regarding a project we are working on which we call Project Communicator. This project is to produce cassette tapes of Star Trek episodes for the visually handicapped by adding to the existing sound track a narration explaining the purely visual portions. The Screen Actors Guild has advised us that even though this is a charity project and they have given their blessing, we are required to obtain a waiver from each of the contracted actors who appeared in the series. James Doohan has already given us his waiver and has a agreed to do the narration gratis. He has in fact already narrated a demonstration tape and we would be happy to send you a sample of our work so that you may evaluate it. Project Communicator will be distributed on audio cassettes to established blind organizations free of charge. Precautions will be taken so that unauthorized copies will not be made. [5]
December 1974:
Project Communicator has received the waiver from the Writers Guild for use of Star Trek material on our project to adapt Star Trek sound tracks for use by the visually handicapped. We are awaiting word from the Directors Guild, then we will go out to the actors and hopefully we will not require any further waivers, except from, of course, Paramount. [6]
January 1975:
Star Trek Archives will reach a decisive crossroads in 1975. Project Communicator now headed by Judith Aho, will hopefully this year achieve the final go-ahead from the Powers That Be. This authorization will mean our full commitment to a undertaking involving thousands of hours of volunteer work. This labor will be well worthwhile if we can extend to the visually handicapped the sense of wonder within Star Trek. [7]
July 1975:
At last, this most important but also most neglected part of our organization seems to be gaining some momentum!On June 18, the Communicator Committee held its first meeting and elected a Director, Hank Grey, who is a very likeable person with some background in broadcasting. The Log hopes to have a report from Hank in the next issue. Anyone interested in helping with this Project should get in touch with him or Anita Corelli
In hopes of being able to have finances to back up Project Communicator, Evelyn Aguilar and I, after getting approval from the STA President, submitted an application to the John D. May Foundation. It seems that each year that agency gives $5,000 to any non-profit, charitable organization which it deems to be doing a unique job in the helping field. We stressed STA's Project Communicator and the audio-visual presentations made to institutional shut-ins. I signed the request as a Registered Social Worker in the hope that it will give some weight to our request. Since the deadline was not until 6/30/75 we probably won't get any response for two or three months. [8]
January/February 1976/March/April 1976:
Our main service function is Project Communicator, which will bring the magic of Star Trek to the visually handicapped. After producing audio adaptations of the episodes with necessary narration added, we will distribute these to libraries and organizations for the visually handicapped, free of charge. Several Star Trek cast members, including James Doohan, George Takei, and Nichelle Nichols, have offered their services as narrators for our current demonstration episode and/or the future production tapes. [9]
Gallery
letters from Gene Roddenberry , Leonard Nimoy, Walter Koenig, George Takei, James Doohan, Diane Muldaur
letter from Leonard Nimoy giving his approval
letter from James Doohan giving his approval
letter from Gene Roddenberry, one which halts the project
External Sources
- original letters/WebCite to and from Gene Roddenberry and other Star Trek actors
References
- ^ Archives' Log #2
- ^ from Archives' Log v.1 n.3
- ^ from Archives' Log v.1 n.5
- ^ from Archives' Log v.1 n.6
- ^ from one of the letters in the gallery, dated November 29, 1974
- ^ from Archives' Log v.1 n.8
- ^ from Archives' Log v.2 n.1
- ^ from Archives' Log v.3 n.7
- ^ from Archives' Log v.3 n.1/2, and v.3 n.3/4 (the last issue)