skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Chris from Fans4Writers.com sent me this news. -JAOur messages went up at 9 a.m. -- from what I understand, there were more winds than the Skytypers liked and they ended up repeating two of the messages to be on the safe side, which we appreciated. The messages were:
FANS4WRITERS.COM
HELP A WRITER SCORE
SAVE YOUR SHOWS
SUPPORT THE WRITERS
Didn't get any news coverage at the time that I'm aware of, but we didn't really expect that to happen. We had volunteers handing out flyers on the ground with more information. Still waiting on pictures. The Skytypers had a photographer, and they've told us we'll be getting pics and YouTube video soon. One of our volunteers got a few pics but was too busy to get more as we wanted flyers out while the messages were in the air. They [the volunteers] did an outstanding job of handing them out while not annoying anybody.
We'll bring you that YouTube video if and when it gets posted. Huge thanks from everyone at UH to Fans4Writers for making this happen. You can help cover the cost of the skywriting either by donating or bidding in Fans4Writers' silent auction.
8 comments:
Great Job Guys! We're still behind the WGA!
-Rubberpoulry
The bad news is that it didn't get any media mentions. The good news is that it didn't get any NEGATIVE media mentions.
All of the groups that had messages to send at the Rose Parade can't say that.
Excerpts from this article:
Dozens of war protesters led by "Peace Mom" Cindy Sheehan staked out spots across from television cameras, hoisting signs reading "Impeachment is Patriotic." The protesters were booed by parade watchers sitting in the grandstand. "This is not the occasion for this," said Mary Feichtel, 63, of Florida. One protester was arrested for holding up a sign and obstructing others' view of the parade, Pasadena Police Department Lt. Keith Jones said.
Members of the Chinese Falun Gong spiritual movement protested a float honoring the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Demonstrators wanted people to turn their backs on the float as it rolled along the route, though few appeared to join in the protest. "I don't know enough about it to turn my back," said Marcia Thoop, 55, of Arcadia as she watched the float, adorned with Olympic mascots and flanked by plate-twirling acrobats, drive by.
Is it me or is it really hard to read the skytyping? Could it just be a bad picture?
Also does anyone still do conventional skywriting i.e. where the letters don't look like they were made out of dots? Maybe that would have been more legible?
Personally I don't think these results are worth $6250.00 (which I understand is a discount from the $20,000 they would have normally charged but for some move deciding at the last minute not to use this service to plug the movie). I would have rather seen my fellow fans donate $6250.00 straight into the new Industry Support Fund and made a more lasting difference for some people who are out of work below the line and need some financial support (not to mention moral support).
Different strokes for different folks though.
I have to tell you, I was at the parade and though I saw the planes arrange themselves to create the sky writing, you simply couldn't see the results. There were hazy, high clouds and you just couldn't see the writing within them. Even if Corporate Media had wanted to cover it, there wasn't much to shoot, at least from the POV of the grandstands and the many TV cameras in that area.
Actually some type of on the ground demonstration or organization by writers would have been quite interesting but unfortunately up until now I hadn't even thought of it. If you look at the Sheehan demonstrators photos, you can see that they were very effective at street theater even if the costuming of individuals with hoods over their faces, etc. and the anti Bush/Cheney rhetoric was not well received. Considering the effectiveness of many of the writers and fan events previous, I think they could have come up with something creative, entertaining and message worthy for the crowd (it was somewhat amusing to go back into Pasadena shortly after Colorado Boulevard had reopened and witness what looked like the path of a miles long F5 tornado all up and down Colorado Boulevard-as well as the huge number of businesses that not only closed, but elected to board up-but I'm just saying this to give people who don't realize an idea what the scene looks like once the crowd has been dispersed.) Anyway, fans who would put up their time and money for this display are beyond wonderful to have on our side and really great for the morale of those of us who know that ultimately it is the fans who matter most.
Variety reported it near the bottom of their article on the strike today, including the verbiage.
Tho as much as anything, I agree with those who say the point is to keep up the morale of the writers, and for them to know that we, the fans, are there for them for as long as it takes. Demoralization is the only way AMPTP can win. The longer it goes without them seeing any signs of that, the more they will start to crack themselves.
vdovault, I understand where you're coming from, but you know, it's really not either/or, money to one thing or another thing. Because we don't know how many fans will get onboard as we get more exposure with efforts such as this one. The skywriting isn't one single effort, but rather one among several. I think some approaches are better than others, and I'm opinionated as anyone about the relative merits of each, but I think it's important to remember in these discussions that none of them are being carried out in isolation. Actions such as this one that are intended to raise awareness are coupled with donations to the WGA and others affected by the strike. Over $3000 was raised by Cash for the Crew just in late December, for example, and they're hoping to make it $10,000 by the end of January.
Now Cash For The Crew I can get behind...for one the overhead for it is minimal and second the money isn't going to what I (and Nikki Finke) still say was not a maximally effective fan campaign first (and then the extras if there are some go to something that supports the crews etc.)
It is awesome that Cash For The Crew has raised so much in so little time. Kudos to them.
I look on the skywriting thing as a 'live and learn' kind of thing but in the future I hope fans don't keep making such pricey missteps in their attempts to get attention for the cause (there are other ways being worked on as I type this).
I just don't want us to exhaust one of our most precious resources (money) before we have to spend it. We should be working harder to use our time and enthusiasm to help gather more people and attention to the cause.
Post a Comment