Jared -- your film looks great. I would totally watch that.

The point, I'm guessing, is that if major plotpoints in blockbusters are mappable, they're also predictable. And predictability does not make for a great story. There's a lot more to it than that. Any claim that great storytelling boils down to a formula is easily refuted with the long list of terrible stories that also follow said formula. (Anyone else feel like this debate is a little old? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Well-made_play)

Definitely not announcing it as a brand new concept (what made you think that?)...But I did try to explain the concept for those who aren't familiar with pitching forums. I am a fan of most doc pitching forums (there are many others throughout Europe but not so many in the U.S.) -- thanks for the link to the almighty IDFA!

Very true. But sometimes you need shots that just aren't feasible with your budget and timeline. I'm waiting for someone to start up a crowdsourced footage website that doesn't rip off the filmmakers (ie, a site that only takes a small commission for uniting the copyright-owner and the client) and has quality footage that doesn't look like it was shot inside a vacuous orb.

Thanks Jay! Yep, they bend over backwards to try to get you after that initial trial. I put a filter on their emails to direct 'em into an archived folder until next time I need a cheap clip...

Yes, it has been around for a while. I also ignored it the first time I heard about it -- but when I needed a quick clip and didn't feel like paying hundreds of dollars for the Getty Images version, I gotta say VB came through (I cancelled on day 6 and haven't had any mysterious credit card charges since then. Of course that's just my experience).