# "Higher Ground"...$16 of Crap



## COUNT (Jul 5, 2005)

Matchstick's "The Hit List" was awesome! It totally got me stoked up for the season and had some great McConkey footage. But then again, I'm a huge McConkey fan in general. Definately worth the 8 or 10 bucks I payed.

COUNT


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## mdre21 (Jun 14, 2005)

what else would you expect from Warren Miller? The man and his company is legendary and they deserve the credit, MSP, PBP, TGR, none of those compainies would be around with out the precedent that Warren Miller set. Warren Miller movies are stuck in the past though, they haven't done anything new as far as production, creativity, skiers, etc. They've made the same movie for the past 50+ years, don't go to Warren Miller for something new, go because it has been an event for over 50 years and it always will be.


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## BrianK (Feb 3, 2005)

saw the new TGR last night some real cool shots,but the same thing is happening to them. They have a bunch of jeep shots, though its not as bad as warren miller. worth seeing. i am a skier but jeremy jones impresses the hell out of me as a snowboarder. chris collins also goes huge a couple of times.


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## ToddG (Nov 29, 2003)

Advertiser partnerships are a necessity because production costs are ridiculous. Think about the cost of the most epic ski/snowboard trip with a dozen of yr buddies to the most epic & exotic location. Now do that over an entire year to a dozen locations, & don't forget to factor in costs for heli, sleds, guides, day labor, studio tech, post production costs, tour costs, employee salaries, etc. 

Product placement in action sports flicks started out as a clever/creative way to get around allowing commecials, which would obviously drive up the run-time & duplication costs, &/or drive down the space for fresh content. Return on dvd sales & premieres doesn't come close to covering these costs, so producers have to get sponsors to pony up some loot .. in return, the sponsors often demand a certain amount of team rider coverage, leaving the brand communication / "advertising" to them. So, often when yr watching a movie, yr getting "product placement" anyway, just via the rider .. But when yr dealing with sponsors that don't have a cutting edge "team" (ie, jeep), or that have an emphasis on product over image, you gotta keep them happy somehow, right? Just like in the publishing world, hollywood, television, etc, advertisers look at these movie products as a vehicle for getting their shit in front of you one way or the other. 

Since I've worked in the snowboard industry for some years, I'm not a normal consumer. It seems like i've just kinda adjusted my perspective when watching these things .. i critique riders, production, & advertisers, separately, on quality, creativity, & style .. if that makes any sense. Kinda takes the magic/mystique outta the whole experience, especially when yr watching a shitty movie. 

The Community Project (snowboarding) actually transcended the whole "critical eye" thing for me, & is easily the year's best shred flick. Curt Morgan is a genius behind the editing decks, & Travis Rice is a genius on a snowboard ...


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## gapers (Feb 14, 2004)

Yeah, like no one would ever figure out to record someone skiing and make a film of it?? We don't owe Warren Miller shit, he owe's us a new movie, same ol shit year after year. And the same corny-ass songs in every video as well. Pfffft


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## ToddG (Nov 29, 2003)

Hey Gapers -- You as a consumer have a choice. Yr part of a market that isn't in the Warren Miller plan. They don't "owe" you a new movie any more than Buick "owes" you a better shuttle rig, or Wrangler "owes" you a different style of jeans. You just need to recognize that the movie wasn't made for you -- it was made for people in Ohio & NJ who ski/ride once or twice a year. For them it's great, & it's an advertisers wet dream. The company is successful on those terms.

And yeah, Warren Miller absolutely made it possible for upstarts like Matchstick & TGR to branch off & create a niche for themselves.


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## mescalimick (Oct 15, 2003)

Using product in a film is one thing but this was pathetic. And $16 for a ski movie??? And wait til you see them pan in on that orange Technica boot and hold the shot. It reminded me of the Truman Show when Carey's wife kept hocking cleaning prods and his best friend always brought over the same 6-pack of beer (Valley Bars here).


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## MPEARSON (May 23, 2005)

Todd you are totally right. Unparalled Productions out of Truckee will do a product shot in the beginning of the movies then it's all teleskiing from there baby. K2 dump them as a sponsor because they did feel telemark would grow to be a big revenve for them. They been fighting every year to make a movie on extremely low budgets. They don't add the dry boring remarks in the movies and the soundtracks aren't bad. Check them out their pretty good guys.


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## gapers (Feb 14, 2004)

You're right about that Todd, the movies are perfect for those poor flatlanders and east coasters. But, they SHOULD owe me....i had to fork over like 15$ last year to watch his corny movie at the Lincoln Center. Luckily i got some tail that night so i'ma let it slide.


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## ToddG (Nov 29, 2003)

gapers, *that* was funny. 

i haven't watched a warren miller film in forever .. at least those guys are consistent, but i can't watch that shit. i might be convinced to go to a $15 premiere if i was guaranteed some booty though.


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