In 2006, a corporate marketing consultant and passionate Star Trek fan named Anthony Pascale created TrekMovie.com “as a hobby” to track the production of J.J. Abrams’ newly announced film. Three years later, his site is the ‘Net’s biggest Trek news source, claiming millions of monthly hits. We spoke to Pascale, who serves as the site’s editor-in-chief, about catering to online niche audiences, meeting his sci-fi heroes, and the emotional tug of war between fandom and objectivity.
What explains the instant success of TrekMovie.com?
When the movie was announced, there was a lot of confusion and very few facts. I knew some people in the industry and started breaking stories. Our first scoop was that the new movie would be the first adventure of James T. Kirk on the USS Enterprise. It wasn’t my original objective for the site to get this big, but it happened organically and the response has been very positive.
Also on Mediabistro
Do you feel accepted in the geek media community, or do they see you as a usurper?
Early on, when we were first getting scoops, Web sites like Ain’t It Cool News (AICN) — which is a great site — did feel like, “Who the hell are you and how the hell do you know this?” Now if we report something, sites like AICN and SCI FI Wire will link to us.
| “I am a huge fan of their work, but I don’t want to be gushing all the time because then I couldn’t ask the hard questions.” |
You have a very close relationship with J.J. Abrams’ team. Was there ever any conflict between your independence and their intense desire for secrecy?
I’ve met them but I’m not friends with them — I don’t get invited over to their houses for barbeques — but I have talked with them many times on a friendly basis. They see what we provide as a valuable service; I’m different from someone at Entertainment Weekly because I’m so focused on this one thing. I am a huge fan of their work, but I don’t want to be gushing all the time because then I couldn’t ask the hard questions. I liked the movie, but I wasn’t afraid to tell J.J. Abrams when I disagreed with one of his decisions.
When interviewing Star Trek celebrities, are you ever too excited as a fan to function as a journalist?
As a marketing consultant, I worked very closely with CEOs, very powerful men and women, so I’m used to dealing with A-list personalities. I’ve never been obsessed with celebrity, anyway. I don’t get that worked up about a movie director or a famous star. He’s doing a job, and I’m doing a job. Most of these people are so nice, any nervousness fades away immediately. There have been a few occasions when I freaked out, like at Comic-Con 2007 when I received an unexpected phone call from Leonard Nimoy [who plays Spock Prime in Star Trek].
Did it bother you to know the story long before seeing the movie?
Many fans wanted to see the movie fresh and unspoiled, but to do my job I could not have that experience; I had to go in knowing everything. When I finally did see the movie, it was like watching the film version of a book I had already read. Does that make it less enjoyable for me? I can’t answer that, but I had a great time and I loved it.
John Cho, the actor who plays Sulu, said that you might have landed him the role. How did that happen?
I met him at an event in 2006, a year before the role was cast, and asked if he would consider playing Sulu. He said, “Yeah, that sounds great,” and called his agent. That might have been the moment. It may be true, I don’t know. I would never want to take credit.
| “We are taking some of our regular features and spinning them off into their own sites — taking the traffic we have and growing new markets.” |
Do you expect a steady stream of news until the next movie is released, or will the hubbub die down? What do you have planned for the future?
It’s a big franchise like Star Wars, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, so there are always things going on. The movie is a peak event, but every month there are comic books, DVDs, celebrity news, merchandise. Right now as we’re speaking, I’m getting emails about things going on.
In the meantime, we are taking some of our regular features and spinning them off into their own sites — taking the traffic we have and growing new markets. Hopefully I can replicate the business model with other niches and franchises.
Does covering Star Trek all the time make your fandom feel too much like a job, or could you talk about it forever?
There is certainly an element of fatigue. I had a birthday party and told everyone, “No Trek presents! No talking about it!” There are times when it becomes too much, but I love it, will continue to love it, and can always be reminded again of why I love it.
Five tips for success as a genre entertainment blogger:
1. Excel when others phone it in. “The other Star Trek sites were not doing a good job of providing information,” says Pascale. “They had become link engines and didn’t bother creating news or talking to the actors and writers.” By creating so much original content, Pascale became the linkee, not the linker.
2. Find a balance between fandom and journalism. It’s fine to get excited, but your site should read like a respectable publication, not the rants and ravings of a hardcore geek. “The fans like to know that myself and others who write for the site are fans are like them,” Pascale says, “but we also have a certain level of professionalism.”
3. Accuracy is everything. Pascale counterintuitively “established” himself by “spending more time quashing rumors than reporting them,” while less credible sites spread unfounded gossip to score quick hits. “We never ran a rumor that turned out to be false,” Pascale says. “We have never been wrong, and that’s something to be proud of.”
4. Cover everything (relevant) under the sun. “We review and preview every Star Trek item: books, CDs, DVDs, T-shirts, keychains,” Pascale says. We will talk about anything. We will review the Star Trek Barbie dolls!” As long as your readers might find a story interesting, go for it. “All I ever think about is: What do the fans want to hear? What is interesting to the fans?”
5. All you have to do is ask.Star Trek fans envy TrekMovie.com’s access to the biggest names in science fiction, but Pascale didn’t know those stars at the beginning. “I wasn’t afraid to ask for interviews,” Pascale boasts. “All of my sources came from getting on the phone and calling. People now come to me; I used to go to them. [Actor] Chris Pine isn’t calling me up every day, but I do get plenty of publicists.” He urges aspiring bloggers to “be aggressive” in scouting sources… just don’t stalk them!
Marty Beckerman is the author of Dumbocracy and Generation S.L.U.T. He has written for Playboy, Discover, The Huffington Post, The Daily Beast and many others.
Topics:
Mediabistro Archive
