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Post by SuperBlonde on Nov 24, 2002 23:16:25 GMT -5
Okay, guys, I've got to ask a question. How many people are still mailing postcards, letters, barcodes and the like? It seems like all I hear about on this board anymore is new ideas that people have (don't get me wrong, there are some great ideas out there), but it just feels like I never hear anybody talking about whether or not they're still doing any of the old stuff. I don't mean to sound whiney. I mean, I'm not whining. It's just that I'm sitting here trying to write a letter to James Cameron, and I've just stuffed a bunch of postcards in my purse to drop in the mailbox on my way to work tomorrow, and all I can think is "how many people are still doing this? Are the numbers dropping off and FOX is just ignoring them and waiting for the letters to fizzle out and stop coming in completely?" Somehow, I just feel like the campaign has stalled, and it's realy quite depressing. And to top it all off, I've just come from ff.net where I could find nothing but M/A fics, so I'm feeling pretty hopeless right now, lol. I think I need a pep talk. Maybe a lot of us need a pep talk, I don't know. But I'm just begging for somebody to come along and brighten my spirits because right now I'm feeling like all of this is just not getting us anywhere. I'm sorry, I'm not normally so gloomy as this, but tonight I just can't help it.
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Post by philosborn on Nov 24, 2002 23:44:20 GMT -5
Hey SuperBlonde! Being down tells you that you care.
It's like, when your boyfriend/girlfriend gets really angry and hurt at something you did that you know was wrong or stupid or out-of-character for you, and you know that they wouldn't have that response unless they really cared about you.
What I think we could really use is to find someone (not me) who understands the business end of this and can either convince Fox or Sci-Fi or someone already in business to continue DA, or - my idea - put together a business plan to allow us to buy our own show.
The Blender users were able to come up with $100,000 pretty fast to buy the product from the company that created it. (www.blender.org) We would need some way to reach a base of at least 100,000 hard core DA fans, preferably several times that. Once we actually got production going and started shipping DVDs of both old and new episodes, it should be self-supporting - in fact, money making, which is fine, cause then we can expand and do spin-offs or other shows that people really love, like FarScape.
This is all doable, but it would take more time and business expertise than I have, for sure. That's why we need to try to bring someone like Zicree in. If he can't do it, he probably knows someone who can.
Meanwhile, do what you feel like doing. Every little bit helps, and it keeps you focused, right? Don't you feel better knowing that you're doing something that is just purely RIGHT?
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Post by philosborn on Nov 24, 2002 23:46:50 GMT -5
Oh, and Mj, just realized I hadn't properly answered some of your earlier posts. I'll try to do that tomorrow, when I've got a minute again. Later...
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heat
Devoted Fan
Posts: 187
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Post by heat on Nov 24, 2002 23:54:54 GMT -5
well firefly got canned so i think we should send fox a BIG letter or a poster saying.. you should have kept dark angel on the air but u choose firefly instead and now its bare, you thought firefly would do the trick but now we are sitting back laughing at all you pricks..
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Post by mjwillia on Nov 25, 2002 9:12:36 GMT -5
Hey Heat - Hey Phil I've been writing FOX and Cameron on a weekly basis. I also have been sending Thank you cards to the individual Fox advertisers as they respond to my letters. I have been suggesting to them that they negotiate a lower price for their comercial air-time since FOX's ratings have dropped off during the old DA time slots. I also emailed www.darkangelx5.com/episode.html about if it was possible to create an "Eyes-Only" minute long cable hack like video in which Eyes-Only would be addressing James Cameron and asking him for a movie. I thought we all could copy it and email individually to Cameron. I haven't heard back from this site so I don't know if this is possible yet or not. I like Phil's ideas regarding taking control of our on "futures" as well. He completely right about corporations ruining all free enterprise and creativity! I just don't know how to find the person with the time and talent and willingness to help us. So, in the end. I keep writing my letters, supporting the DA book and dvd sales. It may be that our only hope is to prove to the Corporate world of Industrial Velvet that there would be money in making a DA movie. Peace Out
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Post by mjwillia on Nov 25, 2002 10:03:59 GMT -5
Forgot to say:
I'm starting over today with Postcard number 1. Who's with me? Let's send it to FOX and James Cameron!
The reason I think we sould send a postcard to FOX is because with only 2 more eps of FF left to be made maybe we could influence who they replace FF with! Maybe reruns of DA!
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Post by mjwillia on Nov 26, 2002 12:04:03 GMT -5
Hey everyone!
I got a great email from a fan of DA living in France. Over the 6th month aniversary of DA's cancellation, she began to feel as if maybe she was the only one sending letters. (Sound familiar?) I was too!
I believe this is due to several causes: a. The initial anger of FOX canceling DA is beginning to fade. b. We get little or no feedback from our letters to FOX, Cameron and etc. c. As fewer and fewer posts are being made I know at least I am beginning to feel alone in the struggle. d. Last but not least, we need a new OBJECTIVE. Since the ad went out in the Hollywood reporter our campaign has developed awesome ideas. BUT, I get the feeling we are all waiting for someone to say: "OK - This is what we are going to do next. And after that, we are going to do this... and At the same time we are going to start doing this too..." Essentially, we need our own MAX.
Who is our Max?
What is our next Objective?
Should we take a vote on some of these great ideas?
Maybe put them in order of "Most likely" to succeed and then go to work?
Right now our biggest enemy is ourselves. We can't get feeling alone and defeated. We can accomplish any of these great ideas. We just need to focus and get to work!
So - where do we go from here?
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Post by philosborn on Nov 26, 2002 23:51:43 GMT -5
mj,
Hey. Whether or not we get DA back, the truth remains - it was real. Look at the news - the front page of the L.A. Times this Sunday had the story of how the Bush people are going to the Supremes to get rid of Miranda - specifically that part that forbids the police from torturing you or otherwise coercing you into talking. They're arguing that Miranda only applies to information brought before a jury. The guy whose case it actually is about is this poor Mexican farm laborer on his way back to his shack who gets tackled on his bicycle on being mistaken for a suspect in a petty drug deal. Then the cop who tackles him finds his strawberry cutting knife and starts in on him. When he tries to run, scared out of his wits, they shoot him five times, paralyzing and blinding him. Now his father brings him food in their shack.
But the part that the case is about, which is truly scary, is that the police didn't just stay with him in the ambulance, they went right into ER and operating room trying to scare him into confessing that it was all his fault, while he is screaming in pain, blind and paralyzed. Now they are denying fault. Just good police work.
DA was about people deciding not to put up with that kind of crap, taking responsibility to change it. That's why you and I are in love with the show. It was about who we are. That's the bigger context. Deciding to make a change. Figuring out what to do. Finding our friends.
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heat
Devoted Fan
Posts: 187
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Post by heat on Nov 27, 2002 0:53:36 GMT -5
Hey Heat - Hey Phil I've been writing FOX and Cameron on a weekly basis. I also have been sending Thank you cards to the individual Fox advertisers as they respond to my letters. I have been suggesting to them that they negotiate a lower price for their comercial air-time since FOX's ratings have dropped off during the old DA time slots. I also emailed www.darkangelx5.com/episode.html about if it was possible to create an "Eyes-Only" minute long cable hack like video in which Eyes-Only would be addressing James Cameron and asking him for a movie. I thought we all could copy it and email individually to Cameron. I haven't heard back from this site so I don't know if this is possible yet or not. thats a wicked idea check this out www.scifitoday.com/
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Post by Tilter on Nov 27, 2002 15:32:51 GMT -5
Oh, almost forgot! Who has a good pic of a Manticore barcode? I want to run off a bunch on transparencies to take to Loscon. Also, where can I find a good clean pic of Joshua's flag? I WANT that on my jacket! u mean like a barcode on a particular neck or just the barcode itself of like 452's? hmmm.....
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Post by Tilter on Nov 27, 2002 15:37:32 GMT -5
heat so theres somethin on a cloned baby due in January(by the way my b-day is the 3rd of jan), farscape and the 1000s of dollars theyve raised (1.4 million per show? OMG!), face transplants and new lifeforms....wow. what do u get as a member if u join? do u know? finally, u guys r doin a awesome job! the ideas and plans u have r soo clear and set out-we just need someone really capable to set things in motion in the business end. if there was an award for this kind of devotion and faith , id give it u guys and all the loyal sci-fans who've been let down by big wigs like F*X ...im positive we'll get somethin out of this for all ur hard work, reruns, new shows?, more books, somethin!
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Post by philosborn on Nov 27, 2002 20:45:45 GMT -5
Too bad askme.com is gone, right when we could've used it. There are some whiz kids out there - like that investment guru - Jonathon Lanzer or something - had his whole school involved in gaming the stock market. Let one of them figure out this could be his or her ticket to being the next Spielburg, and we're off like a rocket. A lot of those types hung out at askme. After the holidays and Loscon (loscon.org - this weekend Friday thru Sunday, remember) I will make an effort to put the word out where that type will find it. Course, if we pulled this off, or even looked real, it would scare the bejesus out of the ad men and the network suits - like, armageddon time for them. Then the ad people would have to come to us to get product placement - only where it wouldn't hurt of course - as in the latest hot movies - the Bond thing and Potter. REM: tonight - Orange County Science Fiction Society - nordrum.home.netcom.com/ocsfnow.htm.
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Post by DarkCeres on Nov 28, 2002 8:41:27 GMT -5
Hi all, I'm still writing letters to whatnot....but yeah I sometimes think that I'm the only person.......well not really cause the ppl posting on here....are doing so much work.....but anywayz I cant help but feel that the battle is a tough one to win. Don't get me wrong I'm still in for the fight..but mj is right we need someone coming up with the next objective.... I kinda wish I lived in America lol .....im down under...we have 5 more DA episodes left...5 more weeks until its officially cancelled here... BUt anywayz like I said....its hard organising a commity when some ppl are a million miles away.... I mean we still have this but it's more motivating if would get together as a team to fight this bitch ... Ahh well just commenting on how i feel atm... But I will continue to write and show support... Thanks for listening....or should i say reading
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Post by mjwillia on Nov 28, 2002 19:39:15 GMT -5
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 1. I've been thinking a lot about the poor fellow in California who was shot and blinded by the police. Now, this is a very good example why the police, the government and the citizens of this country ALWAYS have LIMITED power. The people who founded this country where persecuted for being poor, for being of a different religion from the king and/or for being tired of oppression by the upper classes. Our founding fathers were very careful to make sure that the same thing would not happen here. Hence, the Constitution. Our government was based on the idea of "checks and balances." Philosborn is right to be telling us to be worried about losing the "Miranda." Imagine a snowball at the top of a snowy mountain. You give it a little push and it begins to roll down - growing. If we close our eyes and look away while the "Miranda" is taken away from us then, it will not be long before our right to privacy is taken away, then our right to protest... See where I'm going with this? Please write your congressman and tell him/her you believe the Miranda is a good thing and should stay as a law! To get your senator's and congressman's email address just go to www.google.com and type in your state's name and the word congress and you will surely find your people's pages. I do this all the time. You will get a real letter signed by your congressman in about 4 to 6 weeks letting you know that he got your email. YOUR VOICE DOES GET HEARD! 2. On to happier things! I got another letter from one of Fox's advertisers: the GAP. Most of the replies I have received from Fox's advertisers have not been form letters - only two have been form letters. The Gap Letter was particularly encouraging because of this paragraph: "The unfortunate way that Dark Angel concluded rests entirely with the producers of that show. We encourage you to continue contacting them directly regarding your frustration with this situation. Thank you again for your comments. I assure you I will forward them on to the executives of the media department." Again, this was signed by a real person. I will now send them a "Thank you note" for their good customer service and a suggestion that they negotiate for a lower advertising fee during DA's two old time-slots! Please write the advertisers! If you need their addresses let me know and I will post them. 3. I still haven't heard from the person I emailed about helping with an "Eyes-Only" cable hack for James Cameron that is real-player compatible. I'm going to ask for help from someone over on the "DA thread involving IRC." You can find that thread under "News Stand" and it sounds like they might be able to copy about a minute's worth of an Eyes-only" banner from a DA TV show. I would help write the script for this commercial and with all of your guy's help edit it and/or re-write it. Then, we just need someone who knows how to dub their voice over the copied Eyes-only banner while they read the script. I think everyone can use "Real Player" for free. So I think we could all copy it and send it to James Cameron. What do you all think? 4. How do you start a new thread? Do the Moderators do that? I was thinking we could volunteerly put our email addresses out on a "DA Directory Thread" so we could email each other and know how many there are of us. What do you all think of that idea?
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Post by UncleGordo on Nov 29, 2002 0:23:25 GMT -5
mjwillia I am very impressed that you are getting responses from the advertisers at Fox, I would like to find out if some of the other members are writing to the advertisers as well because you seems to be the only one getting responses This is just a suggestion, if you could post a copy of one of your letters that you send it might to encourage some of the other members or give them a idea of how you compose their letters.
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