After watching Moore's 9/11

[Sid Whitaker]

I saw an interview on this the other day and Moore claims to be using
freelancers and buying the video from them. I've only seen trailers, but
there's been some talk specifically about the combat footage from Iraq that
appears in "Farenheit 9/11" and Moore also claimed to have gotten some of it
from freelancers, but he was vague about how exactly he got the video and from
whom it came.

In TV, the use of freelancers is a pretty common practice, particularly in the
larger markets, but even here in Maine most of the Portland stations rely on a
handful of freelancers who live out in the hinterlands to cover the out-of-town
fires/fatal crashes/drug raids, etc. at odd hours. Instead of calling a photog
in at 2 a.m. on a Sunday to shoot a fire in Lewiston, the freelancer up there
will shoot a few mins. of video and shop it to the Portland stations. First
come, first serve. I see his stuff on the air several times a week.

Sid

Quoting Kevin Vahey <kvahey@tmail.com>:

> Michael Moore's 9/11 is a powerfull movie. I don't want to start a
> debate on what he points out but I am curious on his use of outtake
> footage.
>
> Obviously he has insiders at the networks sending him copies of moments
> Bush not looking very Presidential. An example is him sitting in the
> Oval Office making faces at the camera just before he addressed the
> nation that Iraq was being bombed. Is it fair game?
>