This media is good for practice (but be careful, 15 years from now something stupid you said on PAC will come back to haunt you), it's good to make a tape for wider broadcast (like Rick, Dugger and I did on several issues, including the Stadium tax that we bought time for on channel 45. We publicized that all activist should set their VCRs for the 6am spot on Sunday so that they could share it with people later), it's good for sending a message to elected officials via rumor, it's good to use in a press release for added attention and if your really serious about doing this for a long time and have a long term goal to make it really big as a mover and shaker and maybe even make a lot of money in the future doing it, it's great for showing you what you don't know and gives you a chance to practice and come up with a good show in time (some will take longer than others).The main problem is that the number of people that must commit their time and often some money to the effort on a regular basis for no or little reward is asking a lot. But, technology is making it much more possible to do a show by yourself and it is certainly possible to do a very interesting show with some planning and the help of even only one other. But,.... for what?
My input is based on my own limited experience with cable shows (I've participated in about 7 different shows over the years that totalled over 20 different appearances with airings of ???). I took the Dimention Cable Public Access Class and have checked out the equipment in the past to do some research work on voter fraud in the County Elections Department. Manfred Alber and I taped and attended over 4 elections and think we understand both the filming process and the election issue. All this background is to add whatever credibility to what I have to say on the subject.
Digital is the wave of the future we want to ride. The mass (and cheap) production of DVDs and downloadable video files from the net is the method we should focus on. All that is needed then is tarketed (cheap) marketing with Bob's press, a tabloid, campaign signs and our web page. Let me explain.
Even liberal hollywood knows that it takes the drive of one person to make anything work, and that guy gets the oscar for best director. This is the person that will take charge and make use of all of the talents at his/her disposal. Alan has shown some interest in this so I nominate him. Sorry, but someone has to be in charge and take final responsibility.
Then you need a script - Example: For a long time we have thought of using the Bill of Rights as a format for a John Stossel style series of the Libertarian perspective on what each of the Bill of Rights means what they were put there and what has happened to them. You start with (no particular order is required and the earlier ones could be added to or edited as you get better) say the First Amendment. With digital PC editing you could take on the style of PBS when they use old photos and zoom in and out very slowly as they tell a story. Lithos of happenings at the time of the Revolutionary War here and around the world could set the stage. June Boudette gave me a wonderful book that would give excellent material. It's a biography of Paul Revere. You would recognise many of the founding fathers as one of the activist you know. Paintings and pictures from the internet could be manipulated to fit whatever your need to tell the story of why the 1st Amendment was considered so important. Then some history of its use to defend a political agitator here and there. Then you get to the fun part. Personal interviews with people that have good stories to tell, how the government reacted, what ultimate impact their effort had and the long term result of taking action etc.
The 2nd Amendment will make for some real fun.
There is enough news footage that can be bought from archives (news stations are required to have all shows archived. The companies that archive the shows then sell them to those that want them). You can go back years to a really good news story on "Guns in the Park" or whatever. Music can be added as final editing nears to add the right effect. I'm sure that the movie "Patriot" with Mel Gibson (Kind of an American "Braveheart") will have a very recognizable score.
History - Useage - Conflict - Courts - Activist - Abuses - Triumph - Failure - Present Day. Some format like this would give you a recognizable show that would link today's activist with the founding fathers and their intent. The Libertarian party would benefit and we'd have fun. Fortunately, the Bill of Rights are timeless and time can be taken on each with no real deadline. Even the interviews can be done all at once. Think about it. John Buttrick could schedule 5 hours (or not) to sit in front of a camera and be interviewed about each amendment and personal experiences to be used throughout the entire project. And if another 15 min here and there is needed,... no problem.
Instead of lots of vedio tape and film all over the floor, it's done as much as possible on Digital cameras (hell, even still digital cameras at the Library could provide a lot of what we needed). Copyright request could be a whole project for just one of us.
My point is that The effort needed to do it this way is far more fun and less demanding of deadlines and hard, got to b there at a certain time, commitments. As time allows we are all able to participate and help, supply material and ideas and help make it fun. Distribution can be done straight from the internet and have FAR more impact than local cable. The cost of a DVD may well become less than a quarter in the years or even months to come and the sale of data on a web page with a credit card to a storage chip is very close at hand (yeah I know, some of you techno geeks will tell about the blah blah storage media that is now in use by computer geeks around the globe). I'm talking about a $35 movie box that can download a movie from Blockbuster's web page on individual chips that cost $1.49.
I remember Thomas Wolfe (I think that's who it was) doing a PBS roundtable thing on a stage with Ted Kopel as the host asking questions about interactive TV and stuff. This was before the internet as we know it back in the 80's. And I remember a lot of what he said. His point was that newspaper reporters where the worker bees for all media and that they have plummetted in numbers. So we have far fewer people telling more and more people what to think and when you press the "Tell me More" button (like they did in the movie "Starship Troopers") there won't be any alternative views and sure as hell little investigative reporting,... man was he prophetic. But a void is always filled. Hell, I'll bet Drudge is rich by now and two years ago he was living in an apartment, right?
Well, I'm in if you can find someone to take it on as their personal/ maybe party project to promote freedom and the exercise of it etc etc. I'm able to help with a little money in exchange for ad space :) But, I warn the fool,,,, I mean patriot that takes control of this thing (no matter what is done or how) that it will be a lonely and frustrating experience that they can call their own, as long as everybody gets in the credits.
Ernie