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