Brilliant foresight into the realm of HD. You will be rewarded in a big way if history is to repeat itself.

In regard to vertical integration and the ability to control the supply chain:
I was part of the online music distribution negotiations between major record labels and brick-and-mortar retailers during the late 1990′s. Reports would lead many to believe that the labels simply missed the boat, were too greedy, or were too set in their ways to enact the building of online music distribution infrastructure. Well, the labels are greedy; but the critical hurdle was that traditional retailers (i.e. WalMart, Tower, Wherehouse, etc.) threatened to lock out ANY label that attempted to assemble internet distribution, which would have been a deathblow to said label’s marketshare. Since the record companies were making more money than ever before during the late 1990′s, they said, “Okay, then we’ll just prosecute anyone who tries to profit online from our copyrights.” They had no idea someone would do it for free — because it could be done. Had the retailers not played their trump cards in this manner, the digital music landscape would look much different and be much more advanced than it is today.

I see your efforts with HD production as a replay of that scenario — except that you have distribution to back it up. Congratulations on your continued success. Here’s wishing you much more going forward.

Sincerely,

Sean Sullivan
CEO, Spidercorp.com

I have always been a fan of independent films, therefore, I have been a patron on the Magnolia Theatre and others for a long time. In fact, I love the Monday Nights at the Magnolia where you get to watch the Benefactor and Monday Night Football on the big screen.

Voices of Iraq, sounds like a powerful film. I love to see how the people who live through revolutions live and find ways to prosper. The Motorcycle Diaries is another film that delves into how revolutionaries are born. Whether you agree with the politics of Che or not, it’s important to see the poverty and despair that he saw in his country and it’s people. It was that poverty and despair that led him to become a revolutionary…It’s too soon to understand the scope of our actions in Iraq. The children of Iraq today will grow up to be the rulers and leaders of tomorrow’s Iraq. We should all see what they see…Do they feel oppressed or liberated by the US soldiers? Are their families torn apart or drawn together by our administrations politics? Will they come to us with love and hope in their hearts or will they seek us out with hate and revenge on their minds?….I’m glad we can all have a glimpse of tomorrow with this film today…

Forgive me if I’m not excited at this prospect. Let’s say that 2929 develops the most desired content in the marketplace. If you control the supply chain, will you not distribute the content in the most profitable way you can? Isn’t this exactly what “Hollywood” does?

Anyway, content is king. Make great stuff and you’ll be way richer than you already are. Vertical integration won’t help much if your content doesn’t appeal to anyone.

Good luck to ya…

I’m with Robert Rodriguez, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, James Cameron…
etc. on this one…I won’t shoot film anymore unless I have to. When I was chatting with Rodriguez in Austin…he was telling me how he put on a seminar to demonstrate HD 24P vs Film out in LA. The directors in the audience couldn’t tell the difference at all. The only individual who was gung-ho film in the end was Oliver Stone. Good news is that Martin Scorcese is now seriously considering digital. When someone lights HD incorrectly though…I must admit…it will look like video…but if done correctly it looks beautiful. One has to pay more attention to controlling bright areas moreso than when
lighting for film. As far as cost…it’s like what I told someone awhile back…for film you’re paying $70 per min…for HD $2 per min (I’m averaging in all the post costs, etc).

When I first considered digital…I was unsure as well…but then at the end of the day the only reason I could see why anyone would go with
film is because of nostalgic reasons. I’ve found that film is completely inefficient…but I must admit I still use film sometimes
for various reasons. I just love all the +’s in the end…I see what I’m getting…I don’t have to wait for dailies…it’s easier to import footage to add FX, etc. When I shoot film I’m always thinking I hope it didn’t cook something or underexpose something too much…etc. With HD I don’t have to worry if the color is going to be sucked out of it…
it doesn’t have the extreme amount of contrast that film does now these days because of the way the labs process it, etc.

Next…Iraq.

Did Bush mislead the American people about as to the reasons why the U.S. went to war in Iraq?

The following comments were made by George Bush Jr. before the Iraq War….all made during news conferences and major speeches to the American people.

October 7, 2002

“And that is the source of our urgent concern about Saddam Hussein’s links to international terrorist groups. Over the years, Iraq has provided safe haven to terrorists such as Abu Nidal, whose terror organization carried out more than 90 terrorist attacks in 20 countries that killed or injured nearly 900 people, including 12 Americans. Iraq has also provided safe haven to Abu Abbas, who was responsible for seizing the Achille Lauro and killing an American passenger. And we know that Iraq is continuing to finance terror and gives assistance to groups that use terrorism to undermine Middle East peace.

We know that Iraq and the al Qaeda terrorist network share a common enemy — the United States of America. We know that Iraq and al Qaeda have had high-level contacts that go back a decade. Some al Qaeda leaders who fled Afghanistan went to Iraq. These include one very senior al Qaeda leader who received medical treatment in Baghdad this year, and who has been associated with planning for chemical and biological attacks [Note: Zarqawi]. We’ve learned that Iraq has trained al Qaeda members in bomb-making and poisons and deadly gases. And we know that after September the 11th, Saddam Hussein’s regime gleefully celebrated the terrorist attacks on America.

Iraq could decide on any given day to provide a biological or chemical weapon to a terrorist group or individual terrorists. Alliance with terrorists could allow the Iraqi regime to attack America without leaving any fingerprints.

Some have argued that confronting the threat from Iraq could detract from the war against terror. To the contrary; confronting the threat posed by Iraq is crucial to winning the war on terror.”

December 31, 2002

“Well, first of all, I think it’s important to remember that Saddam Hussein was close to having a nuclear weapon. We don’t know whether or not he has a nuclear weapon. We do expect him to disarm his weapons of mass destruction, that’s what we expect.

Secondly, the international community has been trying to resolve the situation in Iraq through diplomacy for 11 years. And for 11 years, Saddam Hussein has defied the international community. And now we’ve brought the world together to send a clear signal: we expect him to disarm, to get rid of his weapons of mass destruction. The first step in determining whether or not he will do that was discouraging. His declaration was short. And the international community recognized that, that he wasn’t forthcoming.

Again, I hope this Iraq situation will be resolved peacefully. One of my New Year’s resolutions is to work to deal with these situations in a way so that they’re resolved peacefully. But thus far, it appears that, first look, that Saddam Hussein hasn’t heard the message.”

January 3, 2003

“The Iraqi regime has used weapons of mass destruction. They not only had weapons of mass destruction, they used weapons of mass destruction. They used weapons of mass destruction on people in other countries, they have used weapons of mass destruction on their own people. That’s why I say Iraq is a threat, a real threat.

Four years ago, U.N. inspectors concluded that Iraq had failed to amount — account for large stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, weapons capable of killing millions. In last month’s declaration, Iraq again failed to account for those weapons.

The Iraqi dictator did not even attempt to submit a credible declaration. We can now be certain that he holds the United Nations and the U.N. Security Council and its resolutions in contempt. He really doesn’t care about the opinion of mankind. Saddam Hussein was given a path to peace; thus far, he has chosen the path of defiance.

The fate of the Iraqi regime is being determined by its own decisions. Saddam Hussein knows precisely what he can and must do to avoid conflict. We have made that clear. The world has spoken with one voice.”

February 26, 2003

“The first to benefit from a free Iraq would be the Iraqi people, themselves.

Today they live in scarcity and fear, under a dictator who has brought them nothing but war, and misery, and torture. Their lives and their freedom matter little to Saddam Hussein — but Iraqi lives and freedom matter greatly to us.”

“Bringing stability and unity to a free Iraq will not be easy.”

“There was a time when many said that the cultures of Japan and Germany were incapable of sustaining democratic values.”

“The world has a clear interest in the spread of democratic values, because stable and free nations do not breed the ideologies of murder. They encourage the peaceful pursuit of a better life. And there are hopeful signs of a desire for freedom in the Middle East. Arab intellectuals have called on Arab governments to address the “freedom gap” so their peoples can fully share in the progress of our times. Leaders in the region speak of a new Arab charter that champions internal reform, greater politics participation, economic openness, and free trade. And from Morocco to Bahrain and beyond, nations are taking genuine steps toward politics reform. A new regime in Iraq would serve as a dramatic and inspiring example of freedom for other nations in the region.”

March 17, 2003

“The regime has a history of reckless aggression in the Middle East. It has a deep hatred of America and our friends. And it has aided, trained and harbored terrorists, including operatives of al Qaeda.”

“The danger is clear: using chemical, biological or, one day, nuclear weapons, obtained with the help of Iraq, the terrorists could fulfill their stated ambitions and kill thousands or hundreds of thousands of innocent people in our country, or any other.”

“Yet, the only way to r

A description from the site:

“This series shows dramatically how the idea that we are threatened by a hidden and organised terrorist network is an illusion. It is a myth that has spread unquestioned through politics, the security services and the international media. At the heart of the story are two groups: the American neoconservatives and the radical Islamists. Both were idealists who were born out of the failure of the liberal dream to build a better world. These two groups have changed the world but not in the way either intended. Together they created today’s nightmare vision of an organised terror network. A fantasy that politicians then found restored their power and authority in a disillusioned age. Those with the darkest fears became the most powerful.”

Remember, this is the BBC – not conspiracy theorists. Did you know, Brett (poster above me), that Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney were claiming Russia was a “threat” in the mid 70′s even though the CIA said it had NO evidence to support that claim?

Watching this documentary, you’ll begin to see new light shed on all the comments posted above, and about every single claim about Iraq… it’s severe Deja Vu. Which brings us to “Voices of Iraq”, where we’ll get to see and hear the soldiers who were used to take over a country which shouldn’t have been invaded.

It’s strange, sometimes I feel far more educated about what’s going on in the US and the historical precedents for it than many Americans are – and I’m not even from the US. Nor do I live there.

And I do hope, Brett, that you’re voting not based on the war in Iraq but based on the entire platform of the presidential candidates. Do you REALLY support Bush, across the board??

Issues that America has to face go far beyond the obvious, but hey….if a cerebral giant such as Mark says otherwise then perhaps it would be perfectly rational to base your vote on a movie that the genius himself is “very proud of”.

Until then.

Have a good one.