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GaryP

By GaryP
in Grand Rapids Coffee House

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GaryP Burg

GaryP

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Grand Rapids partners set out to change film world

GRAND RAPIDS -- Spout.com aims to shatter the movie industry's traditional economic model by enabling filmmakers to find audiences for their work much more quickly and cheaply than they can today.

The four twentysomething founders of Spout -- a new Web site, DVD retailer and online community of film lovers rolled into one -- defy the brain-drain assumption that Michigan is losing all its creative and technology-savvy young people to cooler cities and states.

"We made a very conscious decision to locate Spout here," Rick DeVos, Spout's president and chief executive, said during an interview at the firm's funky, 3,300-square-foot office in downtown Grand Rapids. "We're confident there are smart people here, and there's a sense of stability and grounding that allows us to focus."

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID...ESS06/604270624

I know nothing about the film industry. Is this a good idea or a bad one? Do they even have a chance?

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twoshort Town

twoshort

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Grand Rapids partners set out to change film world

GRAND RAPIDS -- Spout.com aims to shatter the movie industry's traditional economic model by enabling filmmakers to find audiences for their work much more quickly and cheaply than they can today.

Holy purpley-pink font, batman.

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civitas Burg

civitas

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Grand Rapids partners set out to change film world

GRAND RAPIDS -- Spout.com aims to shatter the movie industry's traditional economic model by enabling filmmakers to find audiences for their work much more quickly and cheaply than they can today.

The four twentysomething founders of Spout -- a new Web site, DVD retailer and online community of film lovers rolled into one -- defy the brain-drain assumption that Michigan is losing all its creative and technology-savvy young people to cooler cities and states.

"We made a very conscious decision to locate Spout here," Rick DeVos, Spout's president and chief executive, said during an interview at the firm's funky, 3,300-square-foot office in downtown Grand Rapids. "We're confident there are smart people here, and there's a sense of stability and grounding that allows us to focus."

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID...ESS06/604270624

I know nothing about the film industry. Is this a good idea or a bad one? Do they even have a chance?

I never dreamed a few years ago that I'd have 10,000 songs hard-wired into my car stereo system (iPod) or that I'd buy all of my music over the internet (iTunes has sold over a billion songs). Who would have thought that home theaters would be as popular as they have become?

The movie studios make maney times more money off the sale of DVD's than from first run ticket sales. The multiplex cinemas today are only used to build credibility for the films through reviews and word-of-mouth. The cinema owners are upset because the exclusive time that they have a new film (before it goes to pay-per-view and DVD) is getting shorter and shorter. The studios want to get it to DVD ASAP.

I think Rick Jr. and friends have something here.

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eagle Whistle-Stop

eagle

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Yes Rizzo. In the release a few weeks ago from Dick DeVos showing what compaines he has ownership in Spout.com was listed. I think it was a non-controlling interest.

Can you imagine how wealthy this third generation DeVos is? His paternal side is DeVos, his maternal side is Prince (of the Prince company - now Johnson Controls!)

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twoshort Town

twoshort

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Yes Rizzo. In the release a few weeks ago from Dick DeVos showing what compaines he has ownership in Spout.com was listed. I think it was a non-controlling interest.

It was actually under the heading: "Companies in which Dick and Betsy DeVos along with other members of the DeVos family have controlling interests."

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