The way a free market usually works is that we pay for something and then we receive it. I think the Internet is changing business in a very profound way - we have access to lots of information without having to pay for it. Having received all of the information you normally would buy up front, business is focused more on the exchange of information rather than the exchange of money. It's becoming a free economy, or a freeconomy.
Now that you have received what it is I have to offer, in a minute, I'm going to ask you for a donation because many things still ain't free.
When I first brainstormed the concept of this project 18 months ago, I hoped to convey the unspoken education that takes place when a person explores an unknown place. Taking what I have learned from this experience, I now plan to focus my time on people who haven't had an opportunity to speak, so to speak. Working as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I will be a vocational high school vocational teacher in Cape Verde, a group of islands 375 miles off the coast of West Africa. I will leave in June 2007. The job will last 27 months.
If I find the time for an extra project outside my teaching position, I'd like to pursue another project similar to Bananadog, but more focused on the people I meet. If you would like to make a contribution, there are a few things I need to better tell the story of the people in Cape Verde.
First, I need a laptop to edit the film. I edited Bananadog on an Apple and would like an Apple Laptop. I will also need to buy the editing program called Final Cut Express. The laptop will cost $1500 and the program will cost $300. They have recently come out with a $100 digital camcorder. I'd like to hand over the camcorder to the people I meet and see what we could come up with. I'd also like some lenses for my fancier camcorder. These will cost $50.
In exchange for your donation, I will send you, at no charge, a DVD of Bananadog including a
better quality version of the flick and a few extra goodies. If you have friends
who would also like a copy, feel free to either pass on the website to them or just burn them a
copy if you already have one. This is kind of a one time thing because I won't be able to burn
more copies once I leave.
Maybe this diagram will better explain this idea.
Thank you for giving me your time exploring this website. After all, time is the most important thing a person can give. Hence the clock at the top of the page. If you have been inspired by Bananadog, please tell your friends and family about it. No kind of marketing works nearly as well as word-of-mouth.
Thank you again for listening to my thoughts and I wish you luck continuing to search for
what it is that makes you happy,
Brian Newhouse