Hi,
Just thought I'd jump in to say I have enjoyed reading this discussion about the film I'm producing, Escape from Suburbia with director Gregory Greene.
Responding to the person who wonders if s/he should dup out free copies of our film EoS: duplicating a copyrighted property is illegal and does impact the filmmakers. Greg and I made Escape from Suburbia on fumes, literally - government grants and corporate sponsorships did not support the making of either EoS or EFS. Escape was made possible by the financial assistance of 7 private individuals who believed in us and the film, and because Greg and I deferred our salaries for two years. Selling the DVD is how we'll clear personal debt incurred to bring Escape to you, and hopefully prepare to make a third film in this series.
Distributing the film free is not a smart marketing tool; free copies clearly encoded with "Publicity Use Only" running banners are for media not general viewing. Piracy only hurts filmmakers who are trying to make the films you want to see. If you inhibit a filmmaker from making a living, you won’t likely see new films in future because you've taken away his ability to make them.
It’s more important than ever to support small independent filmmakers who have important stories to tell (and for writers and musicians and others in the cultural industries trying to survive). So please have the respect for yourself and the filmmakers (and writers and composers and artists) to purchase your DVDs (or books, magazines, Cds, works of art). We wouldn't think of asking you to give us whatever it is you do for a living free.
PeakOil is You
DVD: "The End of Suburbia"
From the makers of Escape from Suburbia...
by DR » Mon 12 Mar 2007, 12:07:41
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DR - Wood
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Re: From the makers of Escape from Suburbia...
by TWilliam » Tue 13 Mar 2007, 19:53:35
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('DR', 'D')istributing the film free is not a smart marketing tool; free copies clearly encoded with "Publicity Use Only" running banners are for media not general viewing. Piracy only hurts filmmakers who are trying to make the films you want to see. If you inhibit a filmmaker from making a living, you won’t likely see new films in future because you've taken away his ability to make them.
DR this same argument has been trumpeted repeatedly by both the music and movie industry. Music screamed when recordable tape first made it's appearance that it would lead to the death of the industry. It didn't. They did it again when recordable CDs happened. Once again, it didn't. Hollywood screamed about recordable videotape bringing about the demise of the movie industry. It didn't.
Y'all can piss and moan and beat you chest all you want, but it doesn't change the fact: filesharing increases sales, or at most has a statistically insignificant negative impact. Period. I myself own many CDs and DVDs that I would never have even considered purchasing if I had not had the opportunity to hear/watch them first (End of Suburbia being one such example). Virtually everyone I've ever talked to who has ever downloaded music or video online tells me the same thing, and there have been at least a few studies done to date that also confirm this fact.
I find it interesting that most of the 'artists' (both music and film) who are the most vocal opponents of filesharing are those whom I consider mediocre talents at best. I can see where their livelyhood might be threatened if people get to sample their work before they waste their money...
"It means buckle your seatbelt, Dorothy, because Kansas? Is goin' bye-bye... "
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TWilliam - Expert
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Re: Whoever is renting end of suburbia...
by DR » Wed 14 Mar 2007, 01:07:18
TWilliam what you call file-sharing is piracy & copyright infringment. Now I understand that some folks like feeling like a pirate, enjoy the rush of getting something for nothing, and in a perfect world we'd make enough on DVD sales to put the film out free and call it a day. But reality being what it is, we have to make a living and that means receiving a fair market price for our DVDs.
If you worry about spending the sticker price for a new DVD, why not catch it on TV or see it when it plays in a local theater first? What's the rush?
But you make a compelling point here and you have me thinking we should hold off on our DVD distribution until our TV and theater runs are complete in about a year or so. This would be in keeping with how films are traditionally released, and would make it pretty hard to pirate the film.
In the meantime, perhaps whatever service or product that allows you to make a living for yourself could be put to the test, offered up for free?
If you worry about spending the sticker price for a new DVD, why not catch it on TV or see it when it plays in a local theater first? What's the rush?
But you make a compelling point here and you have me thinking we should hold off on our DVD distribution until our TV and theater runs are complete in about a year or so. This would be in keeping with how films are traditionally released, and would make it pretty hard to pirate the film.
In the meantime, perhaps whatever service or product that allows you to make a living for yourself could be put to the test, offered up for free?
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DR - Wood
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Re: Whoever is renting end of suburbia...
by DR » Wed 14 Mar 2007, 01:30:25
Here's an interesting thought for anyone thinking that there's an excuse good enough, or a greed/need important enough, to illegally download a book or CD or film:
In the corporate world of the arts when a publisher or music company sees sales flatline or drop due to slack sales, the loss is not made up by paying the CEOs less. What happens is new talent is dropped, budgets are slashed, and a lot of hard-working people within the industry lose their jobs. So kiss that recording contract good-bye, and that book deal too. Get used to same old same old on the racks this holiday season. If you rip off a small independent artist, expect that unless you are in a minority, he won't be making any new CDs or films for you to enjoy in future. In either case, you directly effect the careers of individual artists.
The time has come to change the way we do business but it shouldn't involve ripping off artists for when you do, and they are gone, you will have to amuse yourself.
In the corporate world of the arts when a publisher or music company sees sales flatline or drop due to slack sales, the loss is not made up by paying the CEOs less. What happens is new talent is dropped, budgets are slashed, and a lot of hard-working people within the industry lose their jobs. So kiss that recording contract good-bye, and that book deal too. Get used to same old same old on the racks this holiday season. If you rip off a small independent artist, expect that unless you are in a minority, he won't be making any new CDs or films for you to enjoy in future. In either case, you directly effect the careers of individual artists.
The time has come to change the way we do business but it shouldn't involve ripping off artists for when you do, and they are gone, you will have to amuse yourself.
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DR - Wood
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Re: Whoever is renting end of suburbia...
by TWilliam » Wed 14 Mar 2007, 03:03:00
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('DR', ' ')Now I understand that some folks like feeling like a pirate, enjoy the rush of getting something for nothing
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')f you worry about spending the sticker price for a new DVDIt has nothing to do with getting "a rush" or "spending the sticker price for a new DVD" DR.
It has to do with spending my hard-earned cash for CRAP. There is a difference.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'w')hy not catch it on TV or see it when it plays in a local theater first?
I don't own a TV (because I despise both the medium and the sh!t that pours forth from it, not because of the expense), and I rarely go to the cinema for the same reasons fewer people are doing so today, namely I prefer the comfort and convenience of viewing at home. That and my preference for indy work means that much of what I watch never appears in any of my local cinemas to begin with.
Look, most 'popular' music and film is not stuff I would buy anyway. More often than not it's tepid, soulless music and formulaic stories where I can guess the major plot points within the first five minutes of the film, performed by mediocre-at-best "talent". However I will occasionally hear from enough friends that some particular piece of such material is exceptionally good, so if I can find a copy online or borrow it from a friend and i like it, I buy a copy.
If I hadn't had the opportunity to see/hear it first I never would have purchased it to begin with. Having it available for free first lead me to a purchase I would not have otherwise made. Why is this such a difficult concept to grasp?
This is precisely what happened for me with your film, DR. If I hadn't found a shared copy first, I would most likely never have given it a second thought. As it is, myself and a number of friends now own purchased copies of your film as a direct result of someone having shared it online, and as I mentioned months ago in this thread, I suspect - no, I am certain - that the same can be said for many other purchased copies.
This exact same sentiment - namely that filesharing has lead to an increase in discretionary spending on entertainment media - is echoed by nearly everyone who partakes of the activity. It's certainly true for me, so why should I doubt others when they say the same?
"It means buckle your seatbelt, Dorothy, because Kansas? Is goin' bye-bye... "
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TWilliam - Expert
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So if the video is removed people, just go to youtube.com and search for "End of Suburbia" to find it again...
