| Media consolidation is reducing the breadth and depth | | | | their templates to define the cover and face of the |
| of the information Americans receive about the | | | | DVD. Ship them your DVD. In about three weeks it will |
| important issues that confront us as a nation. Hard | | | | be for sale. Note that you never have to spend $2000 |
| facts, in depth analysis, and first person accounts | | | | to imprint a bunch of your DVDs as used to be the |
| about serious matters like the Iraq War, torture, war | | | | case. CustomFlix does DVD-on-Demand, which means |
| profiteering, electronic vote tampering, health insurance | | | | they produce the DVDs when they are ordered. If you |
| cost increases, medical errors & malpractice and a | | | | order your own DVDs you get them at the base |
| host of other important issues are driven off the | | | | production price (about $7), and the price goes down if |
| mainstream news by things like the ascension of a | | | | you order many copies. If you set the retail price at |
| new pope or the funeral of a statesmen. | | | | $14.95 you'll make $4-$7 when someone buys one. |
| Political activists, through years of research, are often | | | | If you don't want to make your DVD available on |
| better informed than the average citizen about one or | | | | Amazon, check out and who do DVD-on-demand as |
| more issues, and they are often much better informed | | | | well and have no setup fee at all. |
| than the average reporter. The question is, how can | | | | Promote your DVD by telling people about it at events. |
| political activists package their data in a format that | | | | You may even want to buy a bunch to sell. Let other |
| most American's are willing and able to accept? The | | | | activists purchase your DVD at a discount. Customflix |
| answer is by creating independent films that | | | | makes this pretty easy. You just give them a discount |
| communicate the compelling facts. | | | | code. |
| Creating a documentary used to be something | | | | Reach a national audience try keyword advertising |
| undertaken only by the media elite. Buying and | | | | through Note that I've found ads that cost $0.05-$0.25 |
| developing film, using three cameras at a time, cutting | | | | per click-thru do better than those that cost more. |
| and pasting film strips to create the finished product | | | | Post excerpts from your DVD on and Its free and its |
| ensured that the vast majority of documentaries were | | | | a great way to get exposure for your work. Creating |
| created by well funded professionals. All that has | | | | Google ads that point at your video on these sites is a |
| changed. | | | | great way to get the word out about your issue, and |
| A political activist needs just a few tools in order to | | | | perhaps sell a few DVDs to people who want to |
| begin creating and selling documentaries nationally. > | | | | know more. Just make sure your video clips show |
| Here's how: | | | | your web address. |
| Acquire a digital video camera for $300-$600. A mini | | | | Make sure you get releases for anyone you put on |
| DV camera is probably best since it uses small one | | | | film. You can find the form anywhere on the internet. |
| hour tapes that don't cost much. You can pay more | | | | You should also ask people you interview if its OK to |
| for an HD (high definition) "prosumer" camera, but buy | | | | use them in your documentary while the camera is |
| what you can afford. While you are at the video store, | | | | running. Make sure you tell them the documentary will |
| pick up a good clip-on microphone. You will find getting | | | | be available on Amazon so they know it will be |
| good sound key to creating a great documentary. | | | | commercially available. Putting someone on film without |
| Acquire a new MACINTOSH computer with 500-750 | | | | having their permission is likely to get you sued. |
| GB of storage for $1500-$2400. I say this as a person | | | | Will you make a million dollars making documentaries? |
| who teaches people how to use PCs day in and day | | | | Probably not. I know folks ( who went to Fallujah just |
| out. New Macintosh computers come with the | | | | days after the US stopped bombing it and had |
| software required to make films. The free iMOVIE | | | | interviews with the inhabitants returning to the ruins. |
| software makes loading the images captured on your | | | | Mainstream media is very unlikely to pick up your |
| DV tapes as easy as plugging your camera into the | | | | documentary no matter how good it is. Keep that in |
| computer and clicking capture. You can load multiple | | | | mind while making it and budget accordingly. Not |
| tapes, cut and paste segments, add sound & music | | | | everyone will enjoy Michael Moore's (Farenheit 9/11) or |
| tracks, and burn DVDs. Doing all that on a PC takes | | | | Robert Greenwald's (Iraq for Sale) success. |
| longer and costs more for the same quality. Learning | | | | On the other hand, its very likely that a political activist |
| to use the software and hardware on a PC takes | | | | who is actually politically active will have no problem |
| longer too. | | | | breaking even on most their projects. Perhaps more |
| Set up an account for your DVD at for $50-$75. | | | | important, a tidal wave of documentaries that address |
| CustomFlix is a subsidiary of Amazon. After you set | | | | the issues people care about is the best remedy for |
| up an account, fill in the blanks about your DVD | | | | our nation's extremely consolidated media. |
| (including the price), upload some 300 DPI images using | | | | |