Guest Columnists

• OPINION: Piracy shows indie potential
  By Morris Ruskin - 04/21/2008
  Morris Ruskin is CEO of Shoreline Entertainment and producer of The Fifth Patient 
  APRIL 21 | I never expected the day when I would have a conversation with a director who was actually excited that his movie was being pirated. More
• LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Endgame
  By Charles Van Horn - 03/12/2008
  Charles Van Horn is the president of the Content Delivery and Storage Assn.
  MARCH 12 | Maybe I’ve been reading too much Stephen King but I think I know how this format war between HD-DVD and Blu-ray is really going to end. More
• LETTER TO THE EDITOR: HD DVD vs. Blu-ray
  By Steve Bliss - 01/11/2008
  Steve Bliss, Microcinema DVD, Albuquerque, N.M.
  JAN. 11 | I was a little surprised by Warner’s decision to abandon HD DVD in favor of Blu-ray Disc, but there is no question about its motives. More
• OPINION: Reviving retail in a digital media world
  By Anthony Bay - 10/03/2007
  Anthony Bay, chairman and co-founder of MOD Systems (www.modsystems.com)
  
  OCT. 3 | When online digital content originally debuted in the marketplace, many predicted the impending demise of retail. For many of us, though, those predictions bring to mind Mark Twain’s famous quote: “The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” More
• OPINION: Holding a mirror up to high-def
  By Russ Crupnick - 09/14/2007
  Russ Crupnick is VP and senior entertainment industry analyst at The NPD Group. 
  
  SEPT. 14 | The format war does not top the list of reasons many consumers haven’t yet embraced high-def DVD—not even close. The majority of consumers, even HDTV owners, aren’t yet interested in, or don’t yet see the benefits of next-generation DVD. More
• OPINION: Give rental its due, Mr. Parsons
  By James Loperfido - 06/08/2007
  James G. Loperfido is chair of IDEA
  
  JUNE 8 | The video rental experience works. It satisfies a growing population in a way that no other delivery method has come close to duplicating. More
• Turn passion into profit
  By John Sarantakis - 05/25/2007
  John Sarantakis is president of People’s Choice Video Express
  
  MAY 25 | Evolving to meet the needs of an increasingly market-savvy consumer base takes more than media advertising to keep people moving through the doors; it takes passion and drive. More
• Studios want to do it all
  By Dan Glickman - 05/04/2007
  The following is an excerpt from Motion Picture Assn. of America chairman and CEO Dan Glickman’s remarks to the LexisNexis and Variety Digital Rights Management Conference, co-sponsored by ContentAgenda, in Los Angeles April 23.
  
  Technology’s potential to enhance the consumer experience touches every piece of the movie business. More
• Dubious about downloads
  By Tom Paine - 03/09/2007
  Despite the constant news stories, the business of legitimate movie downloads is slow to catch on. Yet the independent rentailer feels threatened by download technology and, like me, many wonder if this will ultimately mean the end of renting movies on tangible media. More
• Revenge of the movie buff
  By Stuart Skorman - 02/23/2007
  You might assume that a movie-buff strategy is only for Web entrepreneurs, but you could not be more wrong. The only way for bricks-and-mortar video stores to survive is to completely focus on movie-buff niche markets. More
• Non-exclusive impact
  By Tom Paine - 02/02/2007
  The Weinstein Co.’s exclusive relationship with Blockbuster for the rental channel has brought into focus the meaning of the First Sale Doctrine, the limitations of trade organizations and the power of the Internet to connect retailers all over the country to discuss and get a jump on the issue. More
• Remembering Robert Altman
  By Laurence Lerman - 11/22/2006
  Right at the top, I’ll admit I was never a huge fan of director Robert Altman, who died last week at the age of 81. But with the arrival of video, my acceptance and respect for Altman was recalibrated and quickly jump-started. More
• On studio-retail relations
  By Tom Paine - 11/03/2006
  Tom Paine is owner of six-store DVDNow! in Redmond, Wash.
  
  A few weeks ago, I was privileged to participate on the EMA Retail Advisory Council, along with another indie and executives from most of the largest rental and retail chains. More
• The bigger picture
  By Samantha Clark - 10/13/2006
  Samantha Clark is managing editor of VB.
  
  Within hours of Pali Research releasing their report entitled “The DVD Party is Over—Movie Industry Concerns Growing,” consumer media was ready to report the DVD format was all but buried. More
• Connecting to high-def
  By Amy Jo Smith - 09/15/2006
  Amy Jo Smith is executive director of DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group.
  
  While the DEG remains committed to keeping DVD the focal point of home entertainment, we are equally focused on the transition to high-definition. More
• One is better than two
  By Dan Crider - 08/18/2006
  Dan Crider is owner of video disc broker Volume Video, Carrollton, Texas
  
  Steve Devick (Guest Column, VB, 8-7) is wrong when he says that co-existing game systems prove that two different high-definition DVD formats can co-exist. More
• Two formats can co-exist
  By Steve Devick - 08/04/2006
  Steve Devick is president of Concert Hot Spot, which is releasing titles on both high-def formats.
  
  I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that the turf battle between Blu-ray and HD DVD will have a clear winner. More
• Don’t count indies out
  By Tom Paine - 07/21/2006
  Tom Paine is owner of six-store DVDNow! in Redmond, Wash.
  
  Much has been written or said lately portraying indie rentailers as a relic of the past. More
• The name game
  By Bo Andersen - 06/23/2006
  Bo Andersen is president of the Entertainment Merchants Assn.
  
  Next month, we will convene the 25th … and some will say the last … VSDA convention. More
• Indies need breadth, fresh air
  By Steve DeMille - 06/09/2006
  Steven DeMille is senior VP of marketing services at First Look Studios Home Entertainment.
  
  It’s time to revisit a discussion we had five years ago and five years before that: breadth vs. depth. More
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