A formative moment:

When I was in middle school I carted a video camera on travels all over the globe, shooting hours of footage. When I got home I screened it –unedited, mind you– for my classmates, thrilling all of us because it totally wasted two full days of school.

On dropping everything for Spout:

I wanted to start Spout because it’s an exciting time in the film industry. There’s a unique combination of circumstances that offer opportunities to radically alter the way film is produced, found, and consumed.

On watching films:

I like to watch films because it allows me to create and enter into a new world for my mind to chew on for a while. Films can transport me to everything from a fantastical physical world to an alternate world or a specific moral universe. Watching films can also be an engagement with what it means to be human.

Favorites on the web:

BubbleGeneration
Publishing 2.0
Boing Boing
Millionaire Socialite
Engadget
Gizmodo

Favorites on the screen

Rick's favorite films
(top)

A formative moment:

I noticed when I was a kid that watching commercials for GI Joe toys was more thrilling than actually playing with them, because on the commercial, they always created the illusion that the figures somehow moved themselves. So I made movies with a VHS camcorder, my GI Joe action figures, and a lot of thread from my mom’s sewing kit.

Little known facts:

I was born in Nashville. My dad looks like Kenny Rogers. In junior high I went on the Jenny Craig weight loss program and lost 35 pounds in one summer. I never stop hankering for chocolate milk.

Favorites on the web:

http://cinematical.com/
http://road-dog-productions.com/weblog/
http://www.mcnblogs.com/reeler/
http://blogs.indiewire.com/caveh/
http://edendale.typepad.com/
http://foureyedmonsters.com/
http://pajiba.com/
http://dbblock.typepad.com/
http://daily.greencine.com/

Favorites on the screen

Paul's favorite films
(top)

On loving films:

When I was a kid, I loved movies for the stories and the creativity. The whole idea of creating a movie seemed so free, like anything was possible. I took film classes when I was in college, which just added a whole different dimension to my love for film. Basically I still love the storytelling capabilities in film, whether it’s through the concentrated development in short films or in the creative decisions made by directors telling true stories in documentaries.

On film festivals:

The joke around here is that I go to film festivals because I LOVE LOVE LOVE inflatable movie screens. It’s true, I do really love them. But there are a few other reasons I love film festivals, like the energy and the vibe, and the chance to talk to people and share stories. OK, the parties are great, too (gotta love those patron tequila sponsors). I leave film fests with a hankering to create, able to visualize what’s possible in the industry.

Favorites on the web:

Publishing 2.0
Blog Maverick
TV Squad
Rep Man
NoahBrier.com
Advertising Goodness
IndieWIRE

Favorites on the screen

Dave's favorite films
(top)

Formative moments:

When I was a kid I sometimes got to hang out with my brother, who’s 15 years older than I. One of our favorite things to do together was go to the theater to watch movies. After the movie was over he always asked what I thought, and pressed me to answer “why.”

On watching films with other people:

The conversation afterwards always adds to the experience. I like to discuss (maybe even debate) what a director intended to convey in particular scenes. Ultimately, it all points to shared human experiences and a feeling that we are all more alike than different.

Favorites on the web:

blog.changethis.com
techcrunch.com
tedblog.typepad.com
37signals.com
techmeme.com
sethgodin.typepad.com
socialsoftware.weblogsinc.com
buzzmachine.com
smartmobs.com

Favorites on the screen

Bill's favorite films
(top)

Formative moments:

More than 30 years ago, my Dad and his best friend from college (who we called Uncle Pete) started doing an Academy Award competition. When my brother and I were in college, we joined in. Now participation is up to nearly 20, and it’s still all about the same two passions - for film and for competition. There are plenty of phone calls and trash talking as we all watch the ceremony in different cities and states. At the end of the night, when the winner is named, the much-coveted traveling Oscar statue gets packed up, ready to travel to its new home.

Little-known facts:

I went by “Krissy” for the first five years of my life (until I put an end to it on the first day of kindergarten). I start almost every day writing a haiku. I’ve been in each of the 48 contingent US states. I find it difficult to eat a banana without peanut butter.

Favorites on the web:

http://blog.changethis.com/
http://www.rocketboom.com/vlog/
http://edendale.typepad.com/weblog/ (All these wonderful things)
http://blogs.indiewire.com/
http://www.boingboing.net/
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/

Favorites on the screen

Kristin's f avorite films
(top)