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Interesting topic but who are the people in the clips? Did one of them lose a child? Why are they authorative? Did one of them drive a rig in Iraq? Who are the companies we're talking about? Are their profits up since the Iraq War? I know you can't do everything in a trailer but a couple anonymous disgruntled people, a disgraced jailer, and some burning trucks do not a war-profiteering trailer make.

I was hoping to see something more on the lines of the big execs at haliburton in bed with the administration and how they're making a killing (pun intended) on war. I'm not really interested in the guy who get paid $25k/mo to drive a tanker through Hell. I want to see the how the fat cats get richer and influence our idiot president and his neo-con puppet masters!

Decent teaser. Good shots to back up the story and a passable attempt at exposing the part thats not reported, I know many over there and am applying soon to work there as a plumber. I know the risks and I know the dangers but I am still going to try for a position there and its for a simple reason. I would rather be there instead of a family man being endangered. I would rather take the money being given and keep it rather than have supporters go and funnel the monies into political campaigns of those who would continue these actions. I would prefer that I see the workd with my own eyes before making judgement on any part I have not yet known. In short, I will go because I am ready to and prepared to face all hardships and dangers associated with living in such a desert location.

I was to apply next month but have secured another contract in Antarctica (my 4th) and will now have to wait until February to start moving that way. Earnings are overstated also, most contrators earn around $80.000 per annum tax free, this equates to roughly $6,600 per month though some are paid higher such as truck drivers who have the highest danger exposure of all.

Keep up the good work, I look forward to watching it one day soon.

Brendan.

Awesome job.

I love the sound and the image quality -

I would like to see:

Titles for the various speakers
A more diversified group of speakers -
A start that begins with soldiers / citizens rallying and gathering in support of the war - maybe a few blips from the administration giving the case for war

then that deep "boom-boom" sound and sharp cut to the profiteers loading and unloading their cars and other toys in Iraq...

Otherwise AWESOME.

and thanks for allowing me to be a small part of this enormous process!

It seems to me that the focus of the film should be on huge rip off by contractors supplying men and materials in Iraq. Trailer veers in different directions-e.g. deaths of those who "didn't know they'd be shot at" (what were they thinking?), burned out vehicles, etc. This film has to educate those unsure of the war (not those already against it) by showing the gigantic expenditures flowing to military contractors who in many respects have little oversight by the military-or anyone else-because Rumsfeld, Cheney et al. are in bed with these crooks. Showing this is the challenge!

Honestly:

For a "Trailer", I am not impressed. The people shown project no clearly demonstrated knowledge of the vast waste they speak to. If you are going to choose people, why must the majority be "red neck" and excessively overweight. We need fewer of these folks and more of the people who have access to the facts and present the facts in a more specific way.

Clear as a bell to me....

Leaves you wanting more - that is what good doco making is all about...

Congratulations! Can't wait to see the whole doco...

Cheers

I disagree with "anonymous. those over weight southern guys are just the ticket. Its artistry. The southern white over weight guys are too often cast as stupid ultraconservative porch monkeys. This time that same southern drawl comes out as the voice of reason. I want a copy of the film to show to our UU fellowhip.

I haven't been this excited for a film's release since the Wal Mart movie.

This looks excellent. I think that you're picking up where Michael Moore left off and this is wonderful. Thank you so much for all of your hard work and you can count on my butt being in the seat on opening day.

What I managed to see and hear(choppy video and audio) of the trailer was obviously intriguing. I agree that identifying all the speakers is necessary. This is going to sound incredibly superficial and crass but there is something about the physical appearance of some of the people interviewed (too many big fat white guys with beer guts) that doesn't make a good "first impression", raising a latent question as to the reliability of their testimony: they look like couch potatoes that watch TV all day and who might not even be able to get out of their chairs, let alone testify to the any physical activity and/or hardship in Iraq.

The trailer worked fine for me. Just let it download before running it.

I hope the class dimension of this is brought out fully in the film, as the sons and daughters of the well to do are far less likely to be putting their lives on the line to underwrite the profits of these contracts. I'm sure Rumsfeld et al expected Iraqi oil to pay for the contracts, but once again it's the average working man and woman footing the bill, particularly with GW's tax cuts.

I just got an email from a friend who asked me..."is that movie a recruiting tool? I know many people who would do anything to make $25,000 a month. And the other question was,
how come those southerners get all the good paying jobs?"

Something is really wrong with the messagae.

Sorry again,

Penny

For the picture of the tombstone, I assume that was a soldier not an employee? Assuming it was a soldier, was the soldiers life lost because of contractors making money?

Ben Slade
Nearby Washington DC

I feel that this film will be "preaching to the choir" and that those who feel that this Iraq attack is justified won't want to be confronted and confused by the facts.

I wish that somebody, somewhere would expose the heinous comparison between the amputees in Cambodia (where I worked) whose missing limbs were caused by an unfortunate rendevouz with landmines and our military who, by Rumsfeld's lack of support for our troops, end up in the same condition.

I think the trailer MUST include the names of the profiteers from a reliable source - you need to name Halliburton, Bechtel, Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, Northrup-Grumman, Raytheon, oil companies - the lot of them - this is a scandal - not just from the human perspective, the expendability of grunts for the agrandizement of corporate executives - but from the moral and ethical perspective - it is white-collar crime - to the tune of $300 Billion + (so far) of our tax dollars - while social programs are being cut, school budgets cut, healthcare coverage cut, military family support cut, ... etc. You MUST include the loser vs. winner distinction showing the flow of money from "we the people" to the corporations. And then, show the Republicans who voted aggressively to maintain the status quo in Iraq - and help oust them in November.

Please help the viewers make the connections and spell out ACTION STEPS so you have legions of converted activists leaving the theaters. DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ORGANIZE!!!

There was a campaign for activist organization after the premier showings of Farenheit 911 - to mobilize Americans to canvas, write letters to editors, etc. I was asked to distribute a one-page list of action steps to audience members prior to the showing - the audience was receptive. (Kerry - won, but once again, black-box electronic voting machines spit out false results in Ohio, Florida, etc. - you know the rest.) Please create a one-page flyer that can be downloaded and printed and copied for interested persons to go to the opening shows and mobilize the "troops."

Thank you for working on this film. As for the trailer, I find it a bit confusing. Like previous comments, I was unsure as to the relationship of each speaker to the film.
I showed your trailer to a few friends who are what you'd call straight-forward "John & Joan Q. Publics", who really know nothing about the war in Iraq other than what the news media feeds them. They were very confused by the trailer. After viewing it, I asked them to summarize what they saw. One said, "It was about some upset people talking about something in Iraq, but I don't understand what." I don't think the message is clearly getting across.

I have to comment (sorry p.) on a few things.. first, I am glad you're doing this movie. Thank you.

2. I'm a bit disappointed so far, in that I'm in the choir here, listening to the preacher but I found the message confusing. At first I thought all the people were U.S. soldiers or related to such, then I read the comments and thought no they were mostly mercenaries, and on the third viewing I'm just plain unsure. I loved the WALMART movie's approach, with pasteovers and astounding facts & figures I did not know of. I hope there will be a lot of that in this movie. For instance, not too long after the war began I read in our local paper that some $3 billion (yes billion) was "unaccounted for" due to the 'difference in accounting' in Iraq vs U.S. WHAT????

3. I agree that a trailer shouldn't give away all the best parts (only in bad movies does that happen) but teasing needs a "come hither" to work well.

4. Politics is a strange thing, and this can have enormous political implications. To be most effective, however, it must appear balanced, as "colorblind" as possible , not too red (which used to mean too leftist, but is now the opposite) and not too blue. WALMART had many self confessed Republicans who stood for the things all Americans want--good jobs, a stable future, right treatment, etc.... The problem should be stated in a way to make poeple want to take action in or for a government they can participate in, not a global group of companies running the world. The average person (myself included)just doesn't understand the overriding implication of the the dollar on things thesedays... I read somewhere that Pres. Bush slipped up (Freud-wise) by using the word company when he was talking aobut running the country..... and finally
5..Joe Sixpack is a reality and needs to be kept in mind, along with the up-and-comers. Lamenting alone is not effective (even if heart rending). The idea of anticipating your critics retorts and answereing them before they have time to frame the question was a good idea. I'm sure you've done it. Keep up the good work.

I found it engaging and it held my attention, but I am already interesed and open to the real story about the war. It did seem like a lot of the points being made were opinions and it seemed that more facts will be required for it to have credibility beyond us converts. This may be something that you plan to have in the movie and just not enough room here or didn't want to reveal it all.

-- I found there was an overall war profiteering theme, but the segue of stories could be a bit tighter even for a trailer.

-- The music seemed appropriately, yet, wouldn't make it overly dramatic because then people might feel get a sense (unconsciously) that the music is making the point instead of being flabbergasted by the facts being exposed and making the point. (It is similar to a thought I had about An Inconvenient Truth, the music was a bit overly dramatic in moments when the point itself was strong enough to carry the day.)

-- As I think back to what I "took away" about the content overall, my thought is incompetence and thievery - which seems on target.

-- I thought bringing it back to showing individual soldiers who look like regular people is important and not just all the scenes of bombed out tankerds and other bombs situations. Seeing the soldiers - the real people being put at risk - was more powerful to me than seeing the oil trucks and other property. It struck nearer to my heart.

-- If I were describing to a friend what I saw I would say, it shows different people that have been involved in the war or family members that have some inside knowledge about what is going wrong over there. It doesn't say alot, it is just a taste of what's to come. I hope they add more substance so those who do not know or who are admin supporters (based on knowing little) will have facts and hard information to consider and shift their thinking.

Keep up the great work. I spread your Wal-Mart tape around last time and probably will with this one as well this time. Just love sending it up to conservative NH and here they are watching!!!

WERE IS THE STUFF GUYS! This is simply talk show radio with pictures. Chevys not cadilacs! Five figure pay (oh my)! these contractors certainly must be american infidels. If this is all there is, Jeb Bush might use it as his own promo to get elected president based on what a good job his brother is doing. You better have the smoking gun, the Swiss bank accounts and an inside person at Halliburton with the real stuff showing the paper trail to Cheney and supporters. Just like the great job you folks did in the Wal-Mart expose. I am not a wholesale Bush hater, but i do think Cheney has done a horrible job at training him to be the boss, all that money and he still can't learn um good.

Looks good so far, is there room in the production to connect some of the dots ie.: What do the contractors themselves say (or refuse to say)? How has the corporate media spun (or ignored) their presence? Who are the contractors, the employees, the board members, etc.? How has creeping corporatization of our govt since Vietnam gotten to this point, and how might it unravel, or continue the imperialistic merging of nations?

As always, great work from you folks. I can't wait to see the finished product.
Cin

The trailer came across fine for my computer. I'm not sure I can glean enough by what you have so far but what I like about what you do have is this; the on camera people are clearly people who believe in America and are disillusioned by what they've witnessed. They come across as people who had faith in all the basic tenet's of what American society is supposed to stand for and have had that faith assaulted by the Government they wanted to trust. I hope the rest of the film is loaded with facts and figures revealing the who, what, when and where of the culprits. We already know the why of it. It seems that some people just can't get enough money and power. I hope this helps. Thanks

I agree that it is unclear and choppy. Maybe fewer people shown so we can tell who they are and relate to them. A little bit of personal connection always helps.

Great job overall! It's powerful and attention-grabbing.

I'll cut to the chase on my criticisms:

The initial titles "From the team that brought you..." go a little too fast to be read and absorbed.

The trailer runs a little too long without seeing some graphics about what's going on here, what the theme of the movie is, etc.

I agree with an earlier criticism someone had where a woman says, "If he'd known he would be shot at, he wouldn't have gone." Is that a soldier's wife or mother, or is that someone related to a consultant? Can a soldier decide if they will go into battle? I got hung up on this point and it distracted me from the rest of the trailer.

So maybe you could tighten up the edit a bit, lose a couple of the soundbites, and add some text about 2/3's into it asking questions like "Was this war just for profit?" and "Were the lives lost for a worthy cause?"

I downloaded the latest version of 'flash' and the trailer ran fine. Great job -- can hardly wait until the film is available. -- $teve, New Mexico.

Looks great...can't wait to see the finished product! I buy up these types of DVD's and distribute them as a teaching tool to family and friends, many of whom are Bush supporters, so I'm interested in convincing evidence of the lies, greed and power grab the administration is perpetrating on all of us. Hopefully this film will show the direct link between the deceit of this war and the effect on individual citizens, i.e.... loss of money, constitutional rights, real security and the respect of the world. Also, drive home the idea that the real reason the military is there is to protect the contractors while they steal from Iraqi's and U.S. tax dollars.
Also, please identify those who are speaking. For instance, the woman who says, "If they told him he was going to be shot at, he wouldn't have gone." Who is "he"? a contractor? a soldier?...isn't "he" aware that as a soldier he is going to be shot at?

Can't wait, I just can't wait to see this movie.
I do hope that the 36% who still believe in this insanity get to see this movie and I do hope that it does some good!

The trailer's not bad, but it does not convey the magnitude of the problem. I have two suggestions: (1) Include some comments from a uniformed foot soldier or two explaining their frustrations with the disparity in pay. (2) More importantly, follow up these scenes with a black screen in which numbers and facts fade in and out while dramatic music plays in the background, interspersed with past comments from Dick Cheney or other corporate officials. Fade in the words "No-bid contracts", then fade them out followed by Cheney offering one of his lame defenses that Halliburton isn't being favored. Then fade in the amount of profit Halliburton made in 2003 or 2004 off of the war, and follow it up with a comment from a soldier about what they're charged for a meal, if that's appropriate, or use the clip you have where the man explains how high end vehicles are shamelessly wasted. Show things like the number contract personnel who've died, the amount of dollars Halliburton and Bechtel simply can't account for. You can probably think of a few others. It would be worth trimming some of the current material if necessary to manage the length. The human stories you show are good, bu they don't drive home the scale of the scandal.

Firstly, just want to say that I really appreciate the participatory nature of how you've gone about making this film, keeping us updated and soliciting our feedback. As financial contributors, it is great that we can also have a say in the film and I think many of the comments made so far are very valid (re: packing more punch, clarifying roles, including more shocking statistics, mentioning company names, etc.). Of course, probably none of us are movie industry experts (I don't think anyone's trying to be a "know-it-all" as was suggested earlier) but we know what gets us and our friends and family into the theatres. And you're free to take or leave any of it.

So, my 2 cents is, include the amount of taxpayer money spent on the war and the total $ amount that companies have profited from the war or similar statistic.

Thank you and keep up the good work!

Of course you can't use actors, but aren't there any witnesses in half-decent shape?

If you are going to include General Janice Karpinski, you need to put "retired" on the title or something to indicate that she is no longer active.

Also, please label each person shown, if not by name, at least by how they were involved. For example, "soldier", "wife of soldier", "parent of soldier".

After the general, the voice-over is confusing. Who is talking?

Based on your post about not revealing too much now and that this is not the finished trailer, I believe you are well on the way to producing an outstanding film. Hang in there and don't be in a big hurry to finish it! Looking forward to seeing the finished blockbuster! Thanks to the entire crew for all your hard work!

wow...all these suggestions and long drawn out wordy comments from people who are pretty sure that they somehow qualify for being professionals in the movie industry ... all of you, stop talking now, let the man do his work, get your heads out of the clouds and shut up long enough to realize how ridiculous you all sound, especially the woman who offered to edit his work ... but couldn't spell the word "glad" ... i don't think your 30 plus years as an editor have helped much ... i have an MA too sister ... but i know enough to shut up and let the man do his work....and all you might really consider doing the same...you all sound like a whiney bunch a know it alls.

enough.
watch, learn and listen...unless you've been there...then relaxe.

There's some good things here - Janice Karpinksy is a bit of a coup, the guy at the end 'there's no limit to their thirst for money'; but it is not clear to me who the 'contrators' are - is it only about private military forces? What about the mainstream compnaies - I got very little sense of the Halliburtons etc presence in all this.

Amazing 2 jan's at the same time...Hello Jan, I'm a jan living in Canada (the last 2 posts were mine and the previous one was your own , Jan.) Hi, I'm glad we both felt strongly enough to contribute to the film.. Best of luck ,jan

(Sorry posted too soon) You then have a larger audience base, the war committed. Dollars packed into suitcases a visual that resonates. So I guess I'm saying, bring them in first then give more of the human interest. Somewhere make crystal clear that business interests were nailed down before the war even started. (2)Tell us about the proposed sell off of Iraq industries to corporations.. most of us really don't know that..(3) Most sinister the financial gain of members of the administration & how they positioned themselves to many millions... I agree with many commenters above, be triple prepared to back up any info. Thank you for taking this on..

I'm thinking the TRAILER should be more of the TEASERsound of the helicopter WHUP WHUP while your eye sees the tanks, troops & "shock and awe" BOOM BOOM BOOM: pulse rate spirals, the patriotic soul responds... our massive military might, seduces ..a must see movie...

The 2 lengthy comments just above this posted by Dave Northrop and D are right on target. I agree wholeheartedly with the ideas and criticism of both. The trailer could be more gripping and specific. And being prepared for every imaginable attack is the smart thing to do. The video played beautifully.

A lot of different people who were not identified as contractors or whatever....I agree with Molly and Glen. Needs to be tightened up. The woman who said "he wouldn't have gone if he'd known he'd be shot at," really confused me. She must have been talking about a contractor but that is not clear.

The trailer plays fine.

It should leave unanswered questions to compell someone to watch it - I think alluding to some of those specific questions would help.

I think a technique used in Outfoxed would be useful - have visual statistics over the people talking.

For example a graphic stating contractor's monthly pay and then puting up soldiers monthly pay while the person is describing the inequalities of the hotels vs cots. A little more powerful. As it is now the audio is compelling but the video of the interviews does not draw you in. Use more graphics at least for the trailer. Grab my attention.

People have short attention spans - give them easy graphics with compelling voices over them - that will spark curiosity.

I understand the reluctance in naming the individual speakers until the end and think just a title would suffice in the final product - 'former contractor' or 'former soldier'.

Also RE the 'company cars' (which I agree is very wasteful) I do not think that is very compelling to convince someone to watch - simple google searches come up with more incriminating and horrific examples of waste - I'll assume you are holding your hand until it is time to play all of your cards - either that or people are tight lipped.

Good luck and continue to show people what is going on behind the scenes in this country.

What I saw looked wonderful, but the sound hiccoughed and came in & out throughout most of the piece.

This is a “draft” of trailer, as it were, not the documentary itself, but at least a hint of what more awaits viewers when they see that would help sell it.

What I found missing was much of anything besides assertions and laments of individuals, compelling and poignant as they were. There was almost nothing of the "who, what, where, when, why and how" that adds depth and credibility to an account. No facts and figures. No names. No lists of contractors; the initial and additional amounts of their contracts; the estimated profits of contracts, not only provided in them but the additional profit squeezed out by shortchanging, profligacy, fraud and other abuse.

The message perhaps best could be conveyed in a few, representative contract/ contractor “case studies” backed up by specific examples, some as reported by individual witnesses and others by documentary evidence. And, at the end, aggregate everything to show the overall dimensions of this.

You should have a mix of first person accounts and narrated history, context, and, if not easily drawn by viewers on their own, conclusions and broader implications.

You would be well to contemplate what the response might be from those accused; commentators and media sympathetic to them; hostile viewers etc and work backwards. That is, anticipate every conceivable objection to anything in content or style; address these; and counter them before they can even be raised. For example, early on and later, acknowledge and address the "fog of war," chaotic and hostile conditions, time pressures, etc, for if you don't, that omission is sure to be thrown back at you.

Finally, avoid making this an anti-Iraq war polemic. Make it an exposé on breathtaking corporate greed; stunning indifference to the effects of it on others; the stark contrast in the circumstances of contractors and troops; the incestuous ties of contractors and government officials; and the government’s culpability. In the context of it, this all will conflate with the war itself in the minds of viewers easily enough. And make it harder to dismiss it as “merely” an anti-war polemic.

too many of the same type of folk saying the same thing. how about some facts? sorry to be rude but there are a lot of fat people sitting around talking talking talking. how about some numbers? the numbers MUST Be compelling. the u.s. spends more than the rest of the world COMBINED on its military. how about that for a start? how about money spent on contractors v. schools/hospitals in Iraq.

The trailer worked just fine. What I saw was half dozen people all saying the same thing. " the contractors are making out like bandits." What I am interested in is who the contractors are, how they got their contracts, for how much to do what and are/have they delivered.

A sound track that may work well with this project: "Bring Them Home (If You Love Your Uncle Sam)" from the CD - Seeds: The Songs of Pete Seeger, Volume 3 (Track 2). Pete Seeger is joined in this new version of his Vietnam era song with Billy Bragg, Ani DiFranco and Steve Earle. It's worth a listen!!!

Janis Karpinski is not the most compelling person for the role she has in this clip as spokesperson. Col Karen Kwiatowski or Col Ann Wright might be better choices. How about one or more of the Halliburton whistle blowers if possible? We understand the subtleties and nuances but the average viewer will be lost unless it is tied todether more. I'm sure this will be a smash and I can't wait to host a party! Thank you thank you thank you

A trailer is supposed to create questions in the mind of your audience, not answer them. The audience of a trailer should be left with so many unanswered questions that they are compelled to see the movie. I think a lot of the responses you are getting here are people who want the questions answered, and they are asking you to provide these answers in the trailer. Because they are asking for the whole story, then that is an indication that you are doing your job with the trailer. DO NOT respond to this criticism by answering the questions raised in the trailer. A trailer is not supposed to have a beginning, a middle and a resolution. A trailer is supposed to be a titillating tease which ends with a question mark. Go for it. You're doing fine.

It looks great, but I hope you have someone on the inside at Haliburton, or have gotten the contracts vis-a-vis a FOIA request -- call me 310.574.1020 if you need to know how to do this or need AP contacts who likely have already. R -- see you on beach.