In box (page 2)

If you can't find better people than Michael Moore to write about, we must be at an all-time low.

By the way, Sicko was loaded with errors, which is a poor at best documentary. Ken Burns is a film maker, a real film maker. A few month back, Matthew York had used Ken Burns' name in the same sentence as Michael Moore's. I could have died. Give me a break. Ken Burns is an artist, Moore is a political hack. I still love your magazine.

Stay well,
David A. Zappardino
Fairfield, PA

How you could profile that sorry excuse for a human being is beyond me. I can't think of a worse example of liar, propagandist, hatemonger, and sleaze peddler than him. He deserves nothing more than our contempt, yet your magazine chooses to praise him? Not on my dime. Who's next, Seymour Butts? Please cancel my subscription.
Lawrence Deleski
Frisco, TX

Michael Moore always seems to bring strong reactions from our readers, but politics aside, the article was on the Academy Award nominations for best documentary, and Mr. Moore was indeed a nominee - these are facts we can all agree on. However, what exactly is a documentary is a fact not so easily established. Is anything "real" anymore, once you point a camera at it? Ken Burns sets up his interviews with nice lighting and composition; Michael Moore is a fan of the handheld camera ambush. In terms of cinema verité, Moore is the more "real," but no one would argue that Burns is less of a filmmaker for his choice. Documentary is an umbrella that's big enough to cover a wide range of styles, and its definitive definition remains elusive and the topic for much debate.
-The Editors

RE your article about sound at weddings, I don't do weddings but have a similar problem when trying to film people in a busy street. My solution: use a Sony Mini Disc Recorder. In the UK these recorders run at 25fps, same as PAL film. A mini disc recorder will run for 3 hours. Pop it in the pocket of the performer suitably miked up, capture film and audio into your editing system, synch up on the time line - and Bob's your uncle.
Ray Puleston

I was delighted to read that the winner of the Short Video Contest used a Sony DCR-VX2100 camcorder. I purchased mine on e-Bay (slightly risky!) a few years ago and I still find it hard to believe how good it is in indoor and low-light situations. When I go into a dim European church or cathedral, it is as if the floodlights have been turned on. The VX2100 sees much better than my eyes and finds colors of which I wasn't even aware. I use Vegas for my editing and I have produced a reasonably good collection of holiday films. I enjoy your magazine, which is better than anything published over here. Best wishes from Norfolk in England.
Alex Bennett

• Digg This!
• del.icio.us
• Technorati
• StumbleUpon
• Reddit