Creative Ways to spend JIM'S MONEY*

[Brian Merlen]

i agree that telling anyone what they should do is a little off putting, but i don't mind entertaining the fantasy of what i personally would want to do if i was an altruistic man with too much money to spend. i think certain goals are more genuine than others. auto destruct seeds is not a genuine way of helping the world, so i can't say i agree with a lot of the gmo stuff. seems like they are money grabbing with the auto destruct, and seems like its a liability for the species based on the cross pollination issues arising in the courts, so i can't say i agree with every billionaires view of progress...

i hope to see gains in solar, seems like if i had the money i could buy up enough land somewhere cheap and build (or lease) the solar panels. I just watched some Elon Musk propaganda film so assuming his positions are accurate and true i'm not sure why society chooses fossil fuels and nuclear over less intrusive options. its not just the CO2 emissions that bother me, there is a ton of hot particles released as well with oil/coal, and the nuclear industry seems to try and push that as an issue, stating how few accidents they have had. not sure if the 4th gen nuke plants or thorium is the answer, but very nerdy about the subject, as well as very nerdy and into the meltdown events and the implications. i find subjects without empirical answers fascinating when it comes to how bad is low level radiation, alternative cancer remedies, its scary stuff and i hope one day humanity can gain a grasp on how dangerous nuclear actually is (and when it goes wrong). but i think the meltdowns take a lot away from the fact even non nuclear fuel exposes people to hot particles (or so i read).

i think philanthropy is a tough game, a moral question that is tough to answer. there are plenty of good places to throw your cash, but what can make the best change for humankind is a perplexing issue. Elon Musk seems like a good guy though between his "life insurance" theory on why getting to Mars is imperative, and his free Tesla pumps. I am super into his supposed positions, much more so then other billionaire boondoggles (Iraq, war on terror, GMOs, stuff like that). I can't help but agree space exploration is necessary to get rid of our systematic risk, and that solar seems like a good alternative to the unsustainable status quo. Forget the hockey stick/global warming theory even and the unsustainable use of coal, oil, and nuclear ( the fact we have no storage nor fourth gen burners, nor processors) we must at some point address these issues whether global warming is reality or not. I only hope the minds of those both with and without money continue to focus on the issues for humankind and that we attempt to make a difference where we can.

 

[Robert Hart]

I too tend to fall on the side of people's personal business being best left for them to deal with. If the man himself decides he is not too old and grey for another near-10 year campaign adventure, my guess, based on his past two will be that it also relates to the sense of vision, maybe cinema exhibition, a new exhibition/distribution paradigm, maybe medical, maybe motion picture production or maybe just watching the sun rise and fall in a peaceful place.

 

[Elsie N]

I too tend to fall on the side of people's personal business being best left for them to deal with.

I don't think any of us think of this as telling Jim what to do with his money. Suggesting? Well, what's wrong with that?

If the man himself decides he is not too old and grey for another near-10 year campaign adventure, my guess, based on his past two will be that it also relates to the sense of vision, maybe cinema exhibition, a new exhibition/distribution paradigm, maybe medical, maybe motion picture production or maybe just watching the sun rise and fall in a peaceful place.

And while there were numerous funny suggestions and a goodly number of things that would make the world a better place posted, this comes closest to what I was thinking.

That is, I would like to see Jim's (or anyone else's) billion be invested in a grant-in-aid/Venture Capitalist program that would make available $10 million dollars per to any director (from Steven Soderbergh to any talented newcomer) to make a movie. No strings attached. If the movie is a flop... no payback. If the movie is a success, then the organization takes a Venture Capitalist position after a certain return.

I would propose this be a shotgun start. That is, any quality person that applies should not be put in a queue, but funded as soon as they are accepted by a panel of reviewers. I don't propose the entire billion go out all at once, but enough of it so there are many of these movies being made all at once.

A $10 million budget means no blockbusters, but also means the director has to be judicious in his or her production decisions.

 

[Gavin Greenwalt]

$10m to any filmmaker who asks with no oversight or strings? What happened to rule #2 Elsie? I'm going to shoot a documentary on what it's like to own a private jet. I expect it'll come out in 10 years. It'll probably be a critical flop.

As to "spending some one else's money " being offensive... I find the counter suggestion of hoarding billions of dollars on a remote island while people die far more offensive than someone like Bill Gates touring around the world teaching billionaires how to best leave a great and lasting positive impact on the world.

 

[Elsie N]

$10m to any filmmaker who asks with no oversight or strings? What happened to rule #2 Elsie? I'm going to shoot a documentary on what it's like to own a private jet. I expect it'll come out in 10 years. It'll probably be a critical flop.

As to "spending some one else's money " being offensive... I find the counter suggestion of hoarding billions of dollars on a remote island while people die far more offensive than someone like Bill Gates touring around the world teaching billionaires how to best leave a great and lasting positive impact on the world.

Rule 2 still applies... I mentally excluded myself from applying for the Grant/loan. And that rule only applied to the suggestion part of it, so as that was my suggestion, only I would be excluded from participating.

As for allowing anyone to shoot the movie they want without oversight, that's where the committee would come into play... to only accept serious (or seriously funny) directors into the program. I believe a professional vetting board could recognize serious requests.

And if an oddball did slip through... who knows? They might have a hit... like Springtime for Hitler for example. '-)

 

[Hrvoje Simic]

I'm going to shoot a documentary on what it's like to own a private jet. I expect it'll come out in 10 years. It'll probably be a critical flop.

Still laughing.

 

[Elsie N]

$10m to any filmmaker who asks with no oversight or strings? What happened to rule #2 Elsie? I'm going to shoot a documentary on what it's like to own a private jet. I expect it'll come out in 10 years. It'll probably be a critical flop.

As to "spending some one else's money " being offensive... I find the counter suggestion of hoarding billions of dollars on a remote island while people die far more offensive than someone like Bill Gates touring around the world teaching billionaires how to best leave a great and lasting positive impact on the world.

I'd watch that. '-)

 

[Wayne Morellini]

Don't mean to sound harsh, but it's my personal feeling that this thread is in questionable taste and doesn't really belong here.

Mke

I agree with Elsie, this is not telling somebody what to d;o, it would s a hypothetical in a freindly good spirit of the public speculation, not bad. Unless anybody is overly sensitive, they should not find it offensive, and is counter productive to developing the next thing. So let Jim decide what he likes, where ever I thus thread or without. So in that way the thread is in normal range, and I'm sorry for the jokes, but I misread the title, unless it was changed afterwards.

Now, as far as it not belonging here in "Off Topic" I suppose it is talking about Jim, so let's promote it to Recon instead

 

[Wayne Morellini]

The first Red Infinity 8k hybrid camera, was going to post a thread on this suggestion.

Used for still and video production, comes all in one like the Red One, ready to shoot, but with an modules plate for modules with extra special features, including future processing modules in years to come, with integrated compact super multifocal (like what Panasonic now do with their industry leading lens, but with longer zoom range) that can be swapped for normal external lens through adapters. Handheld hybrid camcorder/digital mirrorless like the JVC hybrid, but better, for professional use.

Sensor format, whatever Jim chooses, 1/2 inch, 65mm, with adapters for other format lens, whatever.

Market $5000 to knock on the door of every professional still camera and video production/eng camera. Not an actual cinema camera, but maybe used as such.

There is a 1-10 million dollar project for you that would revolutionise the industry for the rest of us (both BM's fail at this, in form factor or size, even if they were 8k), with some meat on it. A lasting legacy to democracize professional low end and video production. Something Jim might enjoy in the next 3 years.